Well guys, I made it through WEEK #1 of Whole 30! Wahoo!
It was NOT easy, but I got ‘er done. Whenever I start a new “diet,” “goal,” or “plan,” the first week is always the hardest! Food cravings are crazy, my appetite goes nuts and everything seems so daunting.
For the first few days on Whole 30, I seriously just had to take it “one day at a time.” The entire 30 days seemed so overwhelming!
I know it’s ONLY 30 days, which really isn’t all that long, BUT when the body is in detox and the cravings/appetite are in overdrive, 30 days seems like forever! However, after I got several days under my belt, I didn’t want to give up! I have become stronger and more determined with each day.
I’m happy to say that I feel great! I really do. I’m not supposed to weigh myself on this “diet,” so I don’t know how much weight I’ve lost, but I do feel a little thinner. I still feel very poofy and chubby and I wish the baby weight would just fall right off of my body, but I’m encouraged to see some progress!
I’ve also noticed that my cravings have gone down significantly. I’m so grateful because the first few days were TOUGH! I felt hungry all of the time and I wanted to eat every “bad food” in sight! Seriously, I had moments of sheer panic where I thought “Auuughhh, what in the world can I eat!??!”
I know that sounds a little crazy, but food cravings are no joke. Whenever I had one of those “crazy lady” moments, I would just STOP, take a deep breath and then make me something healthy (a.k.a. Whole 30 legal) to eat.
It seemed like after I got something in my stomach and wasn’t so hungry anymore, the food craving went away and I calmed down.
I’m happy to say I’m doing fine now. I have officially calmed down. Yes, cookies, donuts, hamburgers, fries and all of my favorite foods still sound very yummy, but I can resist them pretty easily right now. In fact, I DON’T even want to eat anything crappy right now. It’s almost become like a game to me. It’s so fun to see and feel how my body responds to 100% real, healthy, unprocessed foods.
I have a ton of energy, feel strong, “clean,” and sleep like a baby. I love it. I also pee all day long (TMI, I know), but that really is a good indicator to me in how well my body is functioning.
I always drink a lot of water (I shoot for a gallon a day), but when I’m eating well, I pee all day long. I usually have to wake up in the night to use the bathroom. When I’m not eating very well, I seem to retain more water and feel more sluggish and tired….and I pee less frequently. It’s always fascinating to me to see the difference.
I’m sure you’re all glad to have that tidbit of information about me, lol. I just hope it helps someone else out there!
Here are some of the things I’ve been eating lately…
I have some kind of egg/veggie concoction every single day. I’m getting quite sick of them, but I just shovel ’em down!
Guacamole or avocado always make them taste so much better!
I’ve made green smoothies most days and they’re always so refreshing. I’m not supposed to go overboard on the fruit, so I try to not go too crazy.
My latest favorite one is 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1 cup water, 2 big handfuls of spinach, 1/2 of a frozen banana, 1 cup frozen mango chunks, 1/3 of a cucumber and a small handful of chia seeds mixed with ice.
It’s HUGE and tastes great! I usually make a green smoothie when I don’t know what in the world to make and I’m sick of all of the same ol’, same ol’ food.
I’ve also made some yummy dinners lately.
I made beef stew one night and it totally hit the spot!
On Sunday, I made a pot roast, with mashed potatoes and gravy (I didn’t thicken my gravy so I could avoid the starch) and carrots. It was the perfect comfort food meal.
We had tacos one night. I made mine into a taco salad without any cheese…..beans…..or sour cream (sniff, sniff.)
We made grilled chicken, grilled pineapple and salad tonight. It seemed like a summer meal, but it tasted great!
I’ll share my beef stew recipe soon. I’ve been a big slacker at sharing recipes lately, but I’m going to try to be better!!
I’ve also made sure to bring plenty of healthy things with me whenever I’m on the go. I usually pack things up in an insulated lunch box. This is just apples, cucumbers and chicken (I love leftover cold chicken!)
There’s also been plenty of temptations lurking around. My son made cookies with his friend one night and I totally wanted to face-plant into the cookie dough. Cookies are my fav!
On Friday night, Kev and I went to a fun belated neighborhood “white elephant gift” Christmas party. There was SO MUCH yummy food there; artichoke dip, candy, wrap sandwiches, meatballs, cheese and crackers, you name it!
I decided to bring something “Whole 30 legal” so I could have something to eat. I was going to bring a veggie tray, but I figured someone else would bring that….no one did, dang it. Sooo, I decided to bring sweet potato chips and guacamole. I also brought normal tortilla chips as well.
I’m really glad I brought them because the only other thing that I could eat was apples. The apples, sweet potato chips and guac tasted heavenly though!
In fact I made a new batch of guac and sweet potato chips last night. They are so good!
Oh, and FYI….this is the white elephant gift we brought….
I got it on Amazon for $12. Pretty dang awesome.
Here’s the white elephant gift we got…
An “Eye Pad” and “Beets” headphones! LOL, love it!
We had a blast and I only took one lame picture…
On Saturday night, Kev and I decided to go see the movie, Unbroken.
I love “true story” movies and this one was great! It was an unbelievable, inspiring story. I did feel like the movie dragged on just a bit, but it was still very, very good. Angelina Jolie was the director, btw. I thought that was cool.
One of Kev’s favorite foods in the world is movie theater popcorn, so he got some. It smelled amazing, but thankfully it wasn’t too hard to resist. I don’t love popcorn, but if I start eating it….it’s tough to stop!
The other night, my 16 year old son popped in my room to say goodnight. He was eating a hot slice of french bread covered in melted cheese!
I told him, “Son….you are very rude.” Then I took his picture, gave him a hug and told him to get the heck outta my room, lol. Bread + cheese = perfect late night comfort food.
Well, that’s the latest folks! I really love Whole 30 and so far, think it’s the perfect way to detox, reset the system and lose a little weight! I’m excited to keep on going and see/feel the results!
I hope you all have a wonderful night!!!
Good for you for sticking with it. We have a new exchange student who brought us chocolates and cookies from Austria. My husband’s allergic to the nuts in them, and the kids eat them when they’re home, but yesterday I was alone with them all day, and they called to me from the kitchen.
I’m sorry to say I didn’t have quite your resolve. By the end of the day I probably would have stolen the cheese bread from your son. Then taken a picture of his frown. Enjoy reading about it, though!
Oh, chocolates and cookies from Austria??!? That would be tough. I’m sure I would have caved too.
I love what you said about my son and the cheese bread, lol!!!! Love it!
Wow – great job on the first week of the Whole 30!!!
Movie theater popcorn is one of my all-time favorite things (with plenty of extra butter) – part of why we don’t go to the theater often.
Thanks so much! Kevin loves movie popcorn so much! Whenever we go to the movies, he can’t resist the smell (it’s always smells so good!) and I usually end up caving too. 😉
Your meals look amazing. Lots of my favorite foods. Hang in there, it will be worth it.
Thanks so much! Although I’m getting a little sick of my limited food choices, I’ve really enjoyed everything I’m eating!
The way you describe how starting a new diet kicks up your cravings and appetite… It reminds me of giving up something I like to eat for Lent!
Normally I don’t even care about particular foods, but those days are different. Just knowing that I CAN’T have certain foods changes everything! The thought of how I’m not supposed to eat them makes me feel deprived and starved, and I crave those particular foods I shouldn’t eat!
You are so strong and determined, Mel. Thanks for sharing your plan and success. I’m glad the toughest part is over for your Whole 30 plan!
I feel the same way! When I know I can’t have something, I want it even more. Eating healthily or following a specific healthy diet requires so much mental strength. I’ve learned that most of my cravings are actually a mental thing instead of a physical thing. It’s tough!
Wow. Amazing job on the whole 30. I think cravings would be so hard.
Thanks! Yes cravings have been so tough, but they’re starting to get a little easier!
The “iPad and beats.” That’s hilarious! Congrats on doing so well on the Whole 30. I know how hard those temptations can be.
I thought the IPad and Beets things was super clever. We always have so much fun at the party!
Whole 30 has been hard, but I’ve loved it so much!
Melanie, first off, warmest congrats! You’re amazing and very inspiring! Secondly, I AM BEGGING YOU: please, please, please, share the recipe of that frittata-looking dish. It’s the second dish pictured in your January 12th entry! I will be eternally grateful to you if you share the recipe!!
Thank you so much Sara! I will share the recipe for my egg creation soon, lol! When I made it last time, I took some pics and I plan to post it in the next couple days. I hope you love it!
I bet you are so excited to have lost some weight…or feel thinner! Good for you for getting through it! I haven’t heard of that movie or seen it, but I hardly watch tv so I don’t ever know about movies that come out, I’m totally clueless and lost about actresses and actors, lol! That is cool about Angelina Jolie directing though, I do know who she is, haha.
Yes, I’ve been thrilled to lose a little bit of this weight! I’m not a big movie buff either and never seem to know anything about upcoming movies. However, I’m married to a huge movie buff….so there ya go, lol!
Great job! I love avocado and eat it all the time just smooshed up with salsa. So satisfying. I have a low mileage week coming up, so I’m hoping to put the breaks on my eat.all.the.things cravings lately.
Oooo, I never thought to mix avocado and salsa! It sounds so simple and so yummy!