As many of you know, I embarked on a sugar detox with The Whole30 this month! Of course, Whole30 is aimed at giving you an entirely new relationship with food.
If you are joining with me, share here. If you are looking for support, encouragement, or ideas on what in the world to eat on your own Whole30 adventure, check this out!
(*This post may contain affiliate links from which I may receive a commission if you make a purchase.)
Want to know more about what The Whole30 is? Read about it here.
Looking for my Aldi shopping list? Click here.
If you are looking for a meal list, click here.
If you are looking for some great recipe ideas, click here!
What is The Whole30?
Focusing on natural and nutritious foods, The Whole30 is simply a 30 day commitment to resetting your entire body. No sugar, dairy, legumes, or bread (among other items) helps your body to kick your sugar addiction, if you are like me, restores your gut health, and helps you look at food differently.
In only the first 5 days, I have grown in awareness of how many times I forego an apple or vegetable for a piece of bread or candy. I also already know that I will skip entire meals in favor of late-night snacking on muffins, chips, and cereal!
For more about The Whole30, read here, or check out the book The Whole30 by Melissa Hartwig Urban and Dallas Hartwig.
HOW DO I FEEL
When I started The Whole30, although I was excited by the prospect of a sugar reset, I was not looking forward to starting the program. So, I can’t say that the first couple of days were fueled by excitement but rather, resolve.
Really, the most notable thing that I feel is TIRED. I usually fuel myself with bread and sugar, so fueling myself with veggies and meat has been a rude awakening for my system. Coffee, even black coffee, has been my security blanket!
The authors of the Whole30 refer to this period as the hangover phase. But, they recommend sticking to it because you might soon find yourself turning a corner into an unprecedented amount of energy (they call this “Tiger’s Blood”)
NO Tiger’s blood for me yet!
HAVE I LOST ANY WEIGHT?
If you are approaching this as a weight loss program, you probably won’t be surprised to find that you lose weight at first. Although part of The Whole30 is to give up your scale for the entire 30 days, I chose to cheat for purposes of these updates.
Both my husband and I have both already lost 2 pounds. BUT…that is one of the reasons that the authors recommend giving up the scale for the entire 30 days. They acknowledge that there may be phases during your Whole30 journey when you actually gain weight. Don’t make it only about weight everyday.
WHAT DID I EAT?
Now to what you really want to know! What in the world did I eat!
I have been following the shopping list and food list that I provided here, but I have made a few modifications as some items were out of season or out of stock.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of grabbing the sweetened coconut milk rather than the unsweetened almond milk, so I haven’t had all of the ingredients I needed to make all of the meals yet!
*As an additional note, remember to check the labels of everything you purchase. I have found 2 meats sitting next to each other that are quite similar, but one contained trace amounts of sweeteners while the second did not. This is especially tricky with bacons and sausages.
I also made the mistake of checking several labels of pesto to make sure that one was Whole30 compliant and then forgetting which one it was when I ordered online!*
WHOLE30 BREAKFASTS:
For Breakfasts I have been eating lots of eggs, but now that I have my almond milk, I plan to make ahead several cups of chia pudding.
I made these super yummy egg cups! We already had a whole roasted chicken pulled apart in the fridge, so I have been able to use it for all sorts of foods (more below). These egg cups were easy to make, kept well in the fridge, reheated without being rubbery, and filled me up! They are really hearty for a good start to the work day. (We even had them for dinner on the go one night.)
Other days I have been making this chicken sausage I found at Costco that is Whole30 approved. I couple the sausage with eggs and my daily fruit! Pears are my favorite!!
WHOLE30 LUNCHES:
For lunches I have been eating TONS of VEGGIES! Honestly, these lunches resemble what I ordinarily take for my lunches except I usually add cheese. Instead, I have been adding this TesseMae’s dressing that is also Whole30 approved and really dresses up the veggies.
I have also enjoyed making lettuce wraps filled with chicken, veggies, and dressing. The lettuce wraps are crunchy and add some extra veggies in my meal! Yum.
SERIOUSLY! CHECK OUT THE TESSEMAE’S DRESSING! IT’S DELICIOUS!
WHOLE30 DINNERS:
Almond Flour Chicken Nuggets and Homemade Sweet Potatoes Chips. Even my kids loved this!
I LOVE MY SPIRALIZER! I USE THIS ONE FOR APPLES, POTATOES, ZUCCHINI AND MORE!
Lemon Salmon and Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans.
My husband doesn’t love green beans, but he has vowed to try new things during this experiment. He said that these green beans were much better than any others he had!
I also repurposed the leftovers of this meal into a salmon salad with potatoes on the side.
Chipotle Lifestyle Whole30 Bowls
As our one meal out this weekend, we went to Chipotle where they have Whole30 approved bowls! CHECK THEM OUT HERE!
I had the chicken salad that is topped with a healthy portion of guacamole, while my husband had the Cauliflower Rice burrito bowl. We were both full and happy! Thanks, Chipotle!
WHOLE30 SNACKS:
We have been eating fruit and chopped veggies for snacks. I love apples, pears, and bananas to satisfy my sweet tooth. And, I love a bowl of grapes and blueberries in the morning.
We found a few other items that have helped us make it through the day.
LARABARS
One afternoon after court I needed a quick snack. I was glad to have one of these Larabars as a late afternoon pick-me-up.
Now, the authors of the Whole30 caution against prepackaged snacks even if they have Whole30 approved ingredients. But, when I need something portable to throw in my bag, fruit doesn’t always work. And, I was glad for a prepackaged snack to keep me full until after work!
CHOPPED VEGGIES AND TESSEMAE’S DRESSING
Tessamaes makes a variety of dressings that are Whole30 compliant. Rather than using milk and sugar, Tessemae’s uses with olive oil and other natural flavors. I am not sure that we will go back to any other dressing at this point! This week we used it as both a salad dressing and a veggie dip. I even put some on leftover roasted potatoes for my dinner.
SO far so good! I could really go for a cookie, but I feel that I am past my overwhelming cravings. I have already started to look at food as more utilitarian rather than as a treat or comfort.
Read more about The Whole30 here.
Read more about my fitness goals here.
