Whole30 Re-cap!
My Whole30 Journey
I can’t believe I completed by first Whole30! I must say I am pretty proud of myself and my hubby too! I am so glad we decided to do this TOGETHER! Team Graham! 🙂 I think that it made this Whole30 experience way easier having someone to do it with. I didn’t have to buy things for me to eat and then things for my husband to eat, make separate meals, be tempted by ice cream in the freezer etc. However, if you do have to complete the Whole30 alone, JUST DO IT, it WILL be worth it. If you aren’t sure what the Whole30 is read more about it here. Basically, it is a lifestyle change, not necessarily another fad “diet.” You eat filling, healthy, delicious food, and get this, you can eat as much as you want! You see food in a whole different way. I learned so much more about cooking during the Whole30 as well, it became almost like an art, and it was really fun too!
What helped the most for me was to plan, plan, and more plan. I wrote down meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and made my grocery list accordingly. I also planned out snacks as well. The Whole30 doesn’t encourage you to snack, but since I am still breastfeeding, I wanted to have some healthy snacks readily available. The Whole30 website includes a lot of downloads that are easily accessible and absolutely free that will make your life way easier for grocery shopping, reading labels, and meal planning. You can find the downloads here. I used the grocery shopping list every week, and I plan on continuing to use it. It was super helpful because you can categorize everything so that all of the things you get are in the same section, and you aren’t running all over the store with each different item. I also kept the “Common Additives Cheat Sheet” with me when I went grocery shopping for when I was reading labels. I took a clipboard with me to the grocery store and had all my lists/notes attached and would just flip through and check off. I would try and start planning a week in advance to stay on top of things. I would write down the meals for each night and all the ingredients I would need. I also wrote down ideas for lunches, snacks, and breakfast. Then I compiled my grocery list from there. I found most of my recipes from the Whole30 book, Pinterest, Whole30/Paleo magazines I found at Barnes & Noble, or Instagram (@whole30recipes). On my Pinterest I made an album just for Whole30/Paleo meals you can check it out here.
The first day was the hardest. Jonathan and I both got headaches that started around lunchtime and never went away that day. The days after that were not as bad. I had cravings occasionally, but I they eventually went away. I didn’t have any headaches. I actually had a ton of energy! I didn’t have any afternoon or mid-day crashes, my energy was maintained the entire day. Actually, when Jonathan and I would lay down at night, we both still had tons of energy. One thing I did do the first couple of nights was take epsom salt baths. I wanted to soak and get all of the toxins out of my body. I bought unscented epsom salts at Whole Foods and then just put in some essential oils of my own. After getting past the first week, it was just “normal” for us to eat this way and cook this way. I got use to planning, grocery shopping and got in a groove. When I would have a craving, I remembered how good I felt and how far I have come and then it wasn’t as hard to turn down a cupcake.
I have compiled some of my favorite foods that we ate on the Whole30 along with a few pictures of our meals that included these delicious items…
For breakfast, we did a lot of eggs, Whole30 approved bacon (I used Pederson brand, I found at WholeFoods), sweet and savory blueberry tortilla, warm banana coconut breakfast bowl, spinach/veggie frittata (recipe in Whole30 book, page 206), fruit, or leftovers.
For sides, I would try to have LOTS of fresh veggies, cauliflower rice (recipe in Whole30 book, page 272), cauliflower mash (recipe in Whole30 book, page 270), which after eating, my husband and I both said why would anyone ever eat regular mashed potatoes because they are THAT good! Other sides we liked were sweet potatoes pretty much anyway, roasted potatoes, and fruit.
Lunches typically consisted of leftovers. Although, I would try and have some grilled chicken and hard boiled eggs in the fridge for an emergency protein so I could just make a big salad when I didn’t have anything else. I would chop up whatever I had in the fridge and put it all on a big bed of spinach! So, at the beginning of the week boil a couple eggs and grill a few chicken breasts and keep those on hand in the fridge in case you are busy for lunch and dinner or just don’t have the time. I made Whole30 approved dressing, the Whole30 book has a lot of different ones or I would just sprinkle some balsamic vinegar on top of my salad.
Snacks: Fruit, almond butter, almonds, cashews, RX bar (Whole30 approved), veggies, kale chips.
So, what happened after 30 days???
Well, 11 pounds down, a total of 8 inches lost all over, whiter teeth, clearer skin, glowing complexion, more energy, fainter under eye circles, less dimpled skin, brighter eyes, flatter stomach, less bloating, fewer sugar/carb cravings, improved body image, improved self-confidence/self-esteem, clearer thinking, happier, sleeping like a baby, fall asleep more easily, no more mid-day energy slump, healthier relationship with food, learned how to read labels, learned how to cook more healthy/nutritious meals for my family, learned how to meal prep efficiently and organized. Just to name a few! I feel GREAT!! I am Whole30 and you should be too! If you want to start, get the book “Whole30.” There is so much good information, recipes, tips/tricks, and advice. Another good book worth getting is, “It Starts with Food.” It’s another good one with LOTS of good information! Another thing I would like to add is that I did this all while breastfeeding and never once saw a decrease in my milk supply. If anything, it was maintained or even increased. Also, my son slept great, had less gas, and had regular bowel movements. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me! I am here to help!
Are there any other Whole30 veterans out there?! If so, what were some of your favorite recipes, blogs, books etc! Would love to hear from you! Have a great week y’all!
Banana Bread: Gluten & Dairy Free!
Homemade Soap with Essential Oils
Gluten Free + Dairy Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Based on the pictures everything looks very appetizing and delicious! yummy! might just try whole30 🙂
It was good! It took lots of prep and work, but totally worth it! You should try it!! 🙂
Would you be able to post the recipes for the sweet potato mash and coconut crusted onion rings? The links don’t seem to be working. Thank you!!