Whole 30: Week 4

Today's my last day of Whole 30!!! If you couldn't tell by the exclamation points, I'm pretty excited about making it all the way through without giving up! I'm down 8.5 pounds from March 1 and my clothes fit great. I plan on continuing to eat clean and sticking with Whole 30 foods for the most part since I've felt so much better this month, but will also allow myself to eat non-Whole 30 foods every so often. I can't tell you all how excited I am to make cinnamon rolls this weekend for General Conference!

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

I have to admit that I slacked off quite a bit this week as I got sick of making food multiple times a day and eating the same things over and over. Instead of making actual meals some nights, I'd dig through the fridge and eat stuff that didn't necessarily make up a meal. For example, I'd eat a bowl of strawberries, a handful of carrots, a sweet potato, and some tuna. Or a pear, some jerky, a fried egg, and some broccoli. I realized that I definitely do better with actual meals and meals that are better balanced. Friday night we went out to dinner with friends and I decided to have a slice of pizza since I was only a few days away from being done with Whole 30. Worst decision ever! I was so sick that night as my body digested the gluten and dairy, and now pizza sounds awful. (I guess that's why they say slowly add things back into your diet. :)) I didn't make any new recipes, but we used our favorites from the previous weeks.

^^Spaghetti squash, ground beef meatballs, diced tomatoes, & cantaloupe. Mixed green salad with a cilantro-lime vinegarette (grilled chicken not pictured). Two fried eggs & a banana.^^

Results From Week 4

I basically feel the same as last week - healthy and energetic! Sick of eating the same foods, bored, and getting lazy with food prep. I didn't get my 10,000 steps in each day this week, and with colder weather, I didn't too much in the way of physical activity. I lost half a pound this week.

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Stick with eating clean for the most part and work on discovering new recipes! Also, make the perfect cinnamon rolls for General Conference. ;)

Whole 30: Week 3

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

The third week was a whole lot easier than the previous two, mostly because eating clean has become almost second-nature and I crave things less. Granted, I was dying for a slice of chocolate cheesecake Saturday night, but the craving went away after I had a fried egg. Like I mentioned last week, food has become a bit boring but I tried to pick up some "new" fruits and veggies this week for variety. I also made a point of searching out new recipes on Pinterest. We really loved this one, and since it ended up making enough for 6 meals for both of us, I didn't have to make as many meals this week. It was a nice break!

^^Chicken Vegetable Chili. Taco salad: spinach, ground turkey, guac, salsa, tomatoes, and carrots. Fruit bowl: pineapple, grapes, and coconut chips.^^

Results From Week 3

I feel fabulous! Healthy and happy with what I'm fueling my body with. I still have lots of energy as long as I make sure I'm eating a snack every few hours and drinking lots of water. Unfortunately, my face broke out again really bad this week so I'm pretty sure that what I was eating before wasn't causing the acne; it has to be hormonal. I lost 1 pound this week.

Tips & Tricks

I set a notification on my My Fitness Pal app so it'll remind me each day around 5pm if I haven't yet met my steps goal. It's definitely keeps me on track!

Eating clean can get expensive so I try to plan my fruits and veggies around what's on sale that week (with the exception of my pears!). I've also been buying lots of what's on sale and freezing it if possible for the next week.

Find a friend that will encourage you to keep going. Whenever I have a craving for something sweet, Ben will remind me that it's only 30 days and that I shouldn't give in now.

If you're going to a potluck or dinner party, offer to bring a dish or two that you know you'll be able to eat.

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Eat more veggies than fruit, and try 3 new recipes.

Whole 30: Week 2

Another week come and gone, and I can't say I'm sad to see it go! I've been craving lasagna and homemade rolls for a few days and can't wait to make slightly healthier versions of them for a Sunday dinner next month.

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

To be honest, we had a lot of the same meals as last week with the exception of a few new recipes... there's only so much you can do with meat, fruits, and veggies. While grocery shopping a few days ago I tried to buy produce we didn't eat last week in the hopes that it would mix it up a little. I'm currently sick of salads and definitely sick of chicken. Overall, throwing dinners together got a whole lot easier when I stopped focusing on recipes and more on what flavors would taste good together. For example, one night we had chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, onions, spinach, tomatoes, and carrots all thrown together; it was amazing! One evening I didn't have time to make dinner before running out the door, so I stopped by Chipotle and got a carnitas salad (just the lettuce, meat, pico de gallo, and guacamole) and it was wonderful in every way. I have a feeling I'll be back again before the month is over! We tried a few new recipes and loved this one, but didn't care much for this one.

^^Spaghetti squash, meatballs, & mango. Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, & chicken sausage mixed with sweet potatoes. Chicken fajitas with romaine lettuce instead of tortillas & mango salsa on top.^^

^^Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin & spinach, tomatoes, and carrots. Frozen grapes. The cinnamon rolls I made for my husband's thesis committee that were my biggest temptation this week. It was a struggle to not give in!^^

Results from Week 2

This week was a little bit harder as I got bored with the food, but I kept up with tracking my calories and steps with My Fitness Pal. I definitely didn't meet my goal of getting 10,000 steps in for 7 days (Sundays are my downfall!) and I didn't go to the gym once last week! I'm okay with it since my focus is mostly on eating clean. I lost 2 pounds, but more importantly, my clothes are starting to fit so much better! I took myself shopping on Saturday as a reward and bought a new church dress.

Tips & Tricks

I've heard that cravings persist for 5 minutes. I found that if I started thinking about sugar and I waited 5 minutes, I usually didn't end up needing to eat a piece of fruit or some coconut chips.

Frozen fruit. I loved sucking on some frozen grapes or strawberries when I couldn't get rid of those cravings. :)

As I mentioned previously, I had to make cinnamon rolls and it was awful. It was especially awful to come home after a bad day at work and see a few leftovers sitting there. I made Ben give away extra cinnamon rolls so we wouldn't eat them. Out of sight, out of mind!

Try the coconut oil cooking spray from Trader Joe's instead of using EVOO. It adds such a great flavor to whatever you're cooking!

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Drink half my body weight in ounces of water every single day. Run outside twice and go to the gym twice with Ben, as well as hit my 10,000 steps for 7 days straight!

Whole 30: Week 1

My Motivation

If you read blogs or have an Instagram account, I'm sure you've heard about the Whole 30 program that everyone and their dog seems to be doing. (No joke, I know someone who made their dog do the Whole 30 program, haha.) I'd scroll past each blog post or Instagram photo with zero interest because it looked like it took too much work to make the approved foods, or maybe I was just in denial with how bad my eating habits were. Until recently, I'd never turn down a treat or I'd eat seconds at dinner, rice/pasta/bread became a staple at meals, and I definitely wasn't getting enough fruits and veggies. I'd been feeling sluggish the last few months, my face seemed to be breaking out more than normal, and my pants started fitting a bit tighter than I'd want them to. ;)

What is Whole 30?

If you don't know anything about Whole 30, here's the gist of it:
No sugar, no dairy, no grains and no legumes for 30 days. This is the list of approved foods.

My Goal

My main motivation for looking into the Whole 30 program was getting my energy back and clearing up my face. I plan on eating fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy fats throughout the month of March and then reintroducing dairy, grains, and legumes back into my diet one by one. I'm curious as to whether or not any of those "forbidden" foods are breaking me out.

What I've Been Eating/Doing This Week

I've been using My Fitness Pal every day to log what I eat and keep track of my steps. I've made a conscious effort to get my 10,000 steps in every day (a breeze on days I work, but much harder for me on the weekend), and I kept myself busy when cravings hit so I didn't think about all of the sugary treats I can't eat. I've been drinking more than half my body weight in ounces of water and it's become a game to me to see how many fruits and veggies I can get in each day. I gathered a few recipes to try and I really loved this recipe, this recipe, and this recipe.

 ^^Chicken sausage, sweet potato, & broccoli. 2 fried eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 slices of bacon, & 1/2 a pear. Asparagus, cantaloupe, and seasoned chicken.^^

^^Pear, grapes, & coconut chips. Homemade vinaigrette, salad, strawberries, mango, seasoned chicken. Spinach with mango salsa on top & tuna salad (tuna, 1/2 apple, green onion).^^

Results From Week 1

Day 1 was a breeze. I was excited to start making new recipes and spent a lot of the day prepping food for the coming days. Day 2 and 3 were rough as I dealt with headaches and no energy from the sugar detox. I found that I was getting really hungry an hour or two before dinner and bedtime those days, so I started adding more protein to my lunches and dinners. Also, I couldn't stop thinking about sugar and all I wanted was a giant slice of chocolate cake. Days 4-7 were so much easier! I found that I was thinking about sugar less and less and that I started to crave a big bag of carrots or an apple. I noticed around day 5 that I had tons of energy and wasn't crashing around bedtime. I lost 5 pounds last week but I don't yet notice a difference in how my pants fit.

Tips & Tricks

Food prep! I found that if I make food ahead of time, I'm more likely to eat right. Sunday night I made a big batch of pico de gallo and a batch of mango salsa, cut up fruits and veggies, and made chicken for my lunches throughout the week. Labeling the tupperware with masking tape kept me organized.

If you're going to a group function and know that there will be dessert, take your own! I went to a girls' night last week and knew that they'd be having ice cream, so instead of sitting out and watching everyone eat, I prepared a tupperware of grapes, pear, and coconut chips. It was delicious!

Buy a giant waterbottle and tote it with you around the house/to work/in the car/to church. I bought a 32 ounce water jug that goes everywhere with me.

Find a Whole 30 approved food that you love but don't normally eat a whole lot of and make that your treat. Even though I love pears, I don't normally buy them so they've made the perfect treat.

Throw a bag of jerky or an apple in your purse/bag each day as you head out the door. There's nothing worse than being away from home and realizing you're starving with only junk food around. It happened to me at work while I still had 2 hours to go. Needless to say, I was hangry by the time I got home. ;)

Goals For the Upcoming Week

Lift weights with Ben 3 times this week and get 10,000 steps in each day (especially Saturday and Sunday)!

Are you doing Whole 30, or have you before? Any recipes you love?