so, i’m not sure why i put an exclamation in that title, because, so far whole30 is anything but fun! actually, the first 2 days were fairly easy, but day 3 has been killer, which i was definitely prepared for.

anyways, lets back up a little so i can explain what whole30 actually is..  there is SOOO much information on the website, so if you want to read up on it, feel free! the gist of it, its a whole foods diet, where you are encouraged to eat organic, farm-raised cuts of protein.. fresh, organic veggies.. and some fresh, organic fruit.  you can also have oils, clarified butter, and nuts.  SO, basically, it’s a low carb diet, that adds back fruit and removes dairy.  yes, no dairy allowed. which means no cheese. which means not the happiest betty.

i wish i had taken a picture of my grocery store haul, but i put it away as soon as we got to the house.  we visited 3 different grocery stores and spent about $200 on about 1.5-2 weeks (give or take) worth of food, which i’m really happy with, because we sometimes spend that much on junk.  i got some great cuts of meat and completely organic fruits and veggies and i know those come with a price tag. so!  where we went and what we got:

• whole foods:
  • fruits//veggies (all organic): peaches, braeburn apples, spring mix, squash, asparagus, sweet potatoes, onions, avocados
  • meats (all organic): spinach/mushroom chicken sausages, apple chicken sausages, pesto chicken sausages, prosciutto (2), paleo bacon (2), turkey hot dogs
  • misc: diced tomatoes, tomato puree, almond butter made from almonds only, kombucha
• trader joes:
  • rack of lamb, chile lime burgers, coconut cream, plantain chips, guacamole, roasted cauliflower, frozen green beans, frozen stir fry veggies, salsa, salsa verde, dried mango
• costco:
  • bagged cauliflower (3), mini peppers, organic ground beef, organic chicken breast, shrimp

i’m sure i’m missing plenty of items, i’ll make sure to take a picture of my haul next time.  sorry guys!  as far as meal planning goes, i’m trying to take it one day at a time.  i like my food prepared fresh, when possible, so making 5 meals ahead of time, usually doesn’t work for us.  i make breakfast fresh in the morning, lunch is either cooked the night before or leftovers from dinner, and dinner is almost always cooked fresh.  i know, i’ve only been doing this 3 days, so saying ‘always’ doesn’t really make sense, but this is the process i use normally even not on whole30.

so, my first three days, as summarized by these pictures which i am also documenting on instagram:

day 1:

1. eggs cooked in ghee. crispy prosciutto. 1/2 peach.
2. crockpot chicken (2 chicken breasts + 1 can of TJs salsa verde = slow cooked all night). 3 mini peppers. plantain chips. guacamole.
3. rack of lamb.  spring mix salad with “dump ranch“. cauli mash but i substituted ghee (clarified butter) for the cream and butter and it turned out great!

cravings//feelings: i started whole30 off pretty strong.  no real cravings.  i had become dependent on water enhancers to get my gallon of water in, so that was a little rough, but i got my 120oz in.  other than that, nothing to complain about!

day 2:

1.  spinach/mushroom/chicken sausage and 1 scrambled egg.  peaches wrapped in prosciutto and pan fried in coconut oil.
2. 1/2 roasted sweet potato and onions.  TJs chili lime burger. 2 mini peppers.  1/4 avocado.
3. spinach, onion, cucumber salad with dump ranch.  organic ground beef mixed with diced tomatoes and 1/2 can of tomato puree.

cravings//feelings: day two was HARD.  i got out of work almost 3 hours later than normal and was RAVENOUS.  i told barbara we were going to chipotle for dinner, but we walked up, and the only thing we could have (carnitas) was out.  we turned back around, hopped in the car and headed home.  i was pissed, but i’m glad i made my meal at home.  barbara said it was better than chipotle would have been.  plus, i didnt have to worry about a main course for lunch the next day. my water intake was good again.  i also split an apple (i had 3 slices) and some almond butter with barbara.

she is doing whole30 with me, and yes, its safe even though shes pregnant.  its a whole foods diet, it can only help her pregnancy.  she hasn’t had many cravings, and wants to be supportive, so she’s trying it along with me!

day 3: 

1. same as day2: spinach/mushroom/chicken sausage and 2 scrambled eggs and extra spinach.  peaches wrapped in prosciutto and pan fried in coconut oil.
2. ground beef mixed from last night.  roasted squash and onions. 2 mini peppers. guacamole.
3. not yet made, but recycled picture:  yuca flour coated chicken and cauli mash.

cravings//feelings: worst day yet. i was expecting 3-5 to be the worst days, and i was right.  i want to cheat even though my stomach feels great and so does the rest of my body.  i accidentally weighed myself (a no-no on the plan) and had already lost 6 lbs by this morning, which means i’ve already dropped a lot of bloat and water weight.  i know this is going to be good for me and its breaking me of bad habits i’ve picked up over the last few months, BUT ITS HARD.  i think the only thing keeping me from getting headaches is the bulletproof coffee i’ve been drinking and the fact that i’m allowed fruit, so i’m not having real sugar cravings.

so!  that’s how everything is going so far!  i’ll be sure to check back in every few days to let you know how i’m doing.  i plan on doing this for 27 days, i know shame on me, but i know i wont stick to plan when i’m in florida at a conference, so i’m not even going to try and fool myself.

hope everyone has a great rest of the week!