whole 30: week 1

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Sometime in the last six or so weeks, Josh got the harebrained idea that we should do a Whole 30. No sugar. No grains. No dairy. You know the drill.

Now mind you, I've asked this man no less than three times over the course of the past TWO YEARS to do this with me, and he has refused each and every time. *insert eye roll* BUT, since he had finally agreed (now that it was his idea), I decided to go along with it. The only requirement was that we absolutely could NOT start until after our trip to New Orleans the first weekend of August (because CAFE DU MONDE BEIGNETS, Y'ALL). So last Monday(ish), we embarked on our Whole 30(ish) journey. The first ish being due to the face that someone (me) forgot that corn is a grain (yeah, yeah... I know it's listed right there in the main rules... GIMME A BREAK), and the second ish because I'm going on a Bachelorette weekend to Nashville Labor Day weekend to celebrate my friend Megan AND LIFE IS JUST TO SHORT TO BE HEALTHY LIVING AT A TIME LIKE THAT.

Quite honestly, the eating hasn't been so bad. Our meals have actually been quite delicious for the most part. The main changes/impacts I've noticed so far have been:

  • INTENSE sugar cravings for the first three or so days. Like wanting all the sugary, junky treats within a five mile radius.
  • Almost immediate loss of water weight/bloating... my clothes suddenly fit much better. Not complaining about that.
  • Dizzy/shaky feeling between meals - even though I'm not hungry at all. I haven't exactly pinpointed the cause of this, but it seems to be helped by having a smaller meal/snack in-between the main meals. I have this happen normally even when I'm not on this special eating plan, but usually only if I'm actually ravenously hungry. If anyone else who has experienced this on Whole 30 has any insight here, I'm all ears.
  • Increased energy, especially in the afternoon when I typically crash. This is definitely a win with a toddler in the house.

While eating on the plan during the week proved to be fairly easy, Josh and I both agreed that following it on the weekend was much harder. We'll often pick up a treat (like the amazing seasonal watermelon milkshake from CookOut that is only sold THROUGH THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST... hold me) or decide to go out to dinner on a whim on weekends when we're already out and about, and that's just not as feasible on Whole 30.

If you're interested, here's what we ate this week:

SalmonMangoSalsawithCorn

Monday: Baked salmon with an AMAZING mango salsa (and the forbidden corn... oops)

Tuesday: leftovers from Monday, with a baked sweet potato instead of the bad corn

Wednesday: Dinner out at Zoe's. They have several Whole 30 approved menu items. I had the shrimp skewers with harissa sauce and potato salad.

Thursday: Threw together a dinner of turkey burgers that I already had in the freezer from Trader Joe's topped with guacamole and a fried egg, served with roasted sweet potatoes

Friday: Instant Pot beef and broccoli over cauliflower rice

Weekend: Rao's Marinara with ground beef and butternut squash noodles served with a side salad with Primal Kitchen caesar dressing

Salad with carnitas, fresh salsa, tomatillo salsa, and guacamole from Chipotle

Pork chops marinated in coconut aminos and Montreal steak seasoning served with herb roasted red onion, carrots, and apples.

For lunches last week, I made up a big batch of chicken salad with Primal Kitchen Mayo, Guilden's Spicy Brown Mustard, grapes, and celery and had it over spinach topped with pecans, tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Whole30ChickenSalad

Now, we're onto week two. Have you done a Whole 30? If so, what are your best tips and favorite recipes? 

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