Week one of our Whole 30 is the books, and I am feeling GOOD. We started a Whole 30 last week, really last minute. It was Saturday night, and while I was doing my weekly online grocery shop, I turned to my husband and said, “Let’s just do it. We always say we will when XYZ isn’t on the agenda. But there is always something on the agenda.” So, I emptied my cart and redid the meal plan!
I have gotten a lot of questions about Whole 30, mainly why we are doing “a diet.” There are a lot of reasons, but weight loss isn’t one of them. I haven’t weighed myself in months, and I didn’t before the start of this either. Mr G and I have been trying to add to our family for a year and a half now, with no success. We have reached out threshold and are about to start doing fertility treatments when Marcus goes back to school. It seemed like a good time to clean up our diet and start fresh.
The Seven Day Struggle
The first few days were really rough for me. I am a sugar in my coffee kind of girl, so that alone was an adjustment. I had a headache for the first three days and have been pretty tired since. I was also starving for about five days. But I wasn’t restricting myself, and if I felt hungry, I would eat! It takes a while for your body to adjust to not having all the processed crap and around day five I started feeling a lot more even.
Our Meal Plan for the Week
A lot of your wanted to know what we are eating, and, to be honest, I kept it super simple the first week so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed.
- Breakfasts – Eggs, potatoes, some kind of veggie (usually whatever was leftover from the night before)
- Lunches – Taco salad – I cut up all of the veggies on Monday and cooked a pound of ground beef with a homemade taco seasoning. I snagged some guac from Costco and used that for an easy “dressing.” I loved having lunches ready. It took a lot of thinking and stress (and dishes) out of the mix. We also ate chipotle salads while out over the weekend.
- Dinner – most meals were simple. Lost of roasted veggies, meat in the oven, little prep work. Next week I have some more involved recipes planned, now that I am in a groove!
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- Cracklin Chicken, sweet potatoes and broccoli
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- Garlic lime chicken with roasted carrots
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- Spanish steak and onions with roasted potatoes – cooked by Mr G
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- Rotisserie chicken from whole foods and salad – the plain flavor is compliant. Total life saver!
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- Dig Inn – Living in NYC has its perks, and Dig Inn is an awesome place to get a yummy, compliant meal.
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- Grilled chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes
- Snacks – I know snacks are not “approved,” but in an attempt to not spiral into bad habits and old thoughts of restrictions, I kept lots of fruit, avocado and cut veggies available. A handful of almonds or a Lara bar was all I needed to get me through! I also made sure to have some sparkling water in the fridge at all times. It seriously helped me when the afternoon craving for a diet coke kicked in!
Five Tips to Have a Successful First Week
Meal Plan
Whole 30 is not something you can just wing. Especially the first week. You need to have your groceries bought, a relatively clear schedule and know what you are going to be eating when. It really makes the world of difference! Have some “emergency” foods like hard boiled eggs, cut fruit or nuts on hand for if you are in a rush.
Out Source
It helps to know your limits. One day this past week, I knew we would be out late taking photos and visiting my in laws. So, I made a plan and cooked some potatoes in advance and picked up a rotisserie chicken on our way home. Whether it is spending a little more to buy compliant almond milk for your coffee than making your own, or grabbing chipotle when work is rough one day, give yourself a little grace.
Do the Dishes
This may seem obvious, but DO NOT LET THE DISHES PILE UP. Immediately after a meal, clean up. There were a few days where I had to run the dishwasher twice! If you are someone who leaves dishes till the end of the day, you will get super overwhelmed and spend more time than necessary worried about the never ending pile in the sink. Just do it!
EAT!
Please, eat. Don’t go into a Whole 30 with the intention of restricting calories or not listening to your body. Those first few days of the transition are HARD. And you will eat way more than you normally do, both from snacking less and because your body is going through a lot! Make extra of everything, so you can be sure to have enough. If your stomach is growling, feed it! Half an avocado is my go to snack. A little salt and a squeeze of lime make it extra tasty!
Keep It Simple
Don’t start off the 30 days with seven dishes you have never made that use 20 different ingredients. Simple proteins with easy sides are what you need. Eat all the eggs! Batch cook so you aren’t cooking every single night. Double up recipes so you have lunch the next day. Take the shortcuts you need to make your life easier. Because that first week is anything but a walk in the park. Just being honest!
Whole 30 Must Haves
Have you ever done a whole 30? Would you try it out?
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