Whole30 Tips

As many of you know I have entered the world of Whole30 and am LOVIN it! I can't say it enough, if you are wanting to update your lifestyle habits please give this a try. Is it hard, yes. Will you want to quit, probably but is knowing you are making your body healthier forever worth it, YES. 

I wanted to give a few tips on what has helped us stick with the program.

*images from pinterest.com

1. I highly recommend reading the book. It gives you so much detail on why food is good/bad for you, how to do the program, recipes, tips and so much more. This really helped me because it helped me understand WHY you are doing this program. Knowing that I was making food choices because it impacted my health has really helped me stick with the program.

2. PLAN AHEAD. I can almost guarantee that if you do not plan/prep ahead you will not be able to complete this program. Don't quote me on that and I'm sure there's some super human out there that's able to wing it, but not me folks. I need to have food in the refrigerator, lunch planned out and "emergency" snacks in the event that I won't be home. This is key, and this is one of the most important things. I always make sure I have bacon pre-cooked in the fridge (we bake the entire package for the week and then warm it up on the stove when getting ready to eat), veggies pre-cut, fruit ready to go and chicken, beef, sausage ready to go.

3. If possible, buy in bulk. If you have a Costco or Sam's membership I highly suggest buying in bulk. You can buy organic eggs and meat at Costco and I think the price is much better than if you were to buy that much at a regular store. Just saying.... 

4. Be patient with yourself and the program. I'm not done yet, but going through the detox, slowly seeing results and some days still feeling tired are all normal... for me ;) Be patient with yourself, your body and the program. We are so used to "quick fixes" today that we don't even give things a chance to see results. This is your life. 

5. If possible, do the program with a partner! This is just a bonus, but for me, having my husband do the program with me has been so nice and extra motivating. Having someone right there to eat the same foods as you, help you when you're feeling down and just encourage/motivate you along the way has been an extra bonus, and I'm loving it!

I hope this has been helpful! If you've started, way to go!! If you're thinking about it- do it! 

Day 15- a huge breakthrough!!!

Today marks day 15 of my Whole30 Journey! Wow, I have good news people, today I feel NORMAL. Today I have reached a different level and I am beyond thrilled to tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel. I actually feel happy. Literally, I actually feel like I like people again! ;) 

My husband and I are officially 1/2 way through the program and I am truly proud of us. I am not going to lie when I say the past 14 days of detox have been absolutely horrendous, painful, psycho/crazy awful. Today, waking up and looking at the world in a happy manner again makes me realize how insane these last 14 days of detox have been, I truly don't think I realized it until I reached the "light" today. This may sound totally dramatic, which it probably is, but honestly I have feel so.much.better. today. And to think, I'm not even finished with the program yet! WOOOHOOO! Eating healthy foods is not as hard as it was, I still get the occasional cravings, but I've decided, it's not really that I crave unhealthy foods, sometimes it just seems easier to eat unhealthy. Especially in social settings, but it's really not even that the foods look appetizing. 

Over the weekend I still had low energy, mood swings, some food cravings and bloating. Today I woke up with some detox stomach issues again, not stomach aches (like I used to have) just going to the bathroom....

Today I have:

energy

clarity

happy mood

motivation

*cleaned my house

*worked out

and it's not even 9:00am. ;)

I encourage anyone who reads this blog, which is probably all 5 of you, to read through the whole30.com program and consider it for yourself. Our meals have stayed pretty simple, quick and easy, that just works best for us. Here's an example of a typical food day:

Breakfast:

Tea

Eggs

Bacon

1/2 Avocado

Potatoes

Spinach

Lunch:

Chicken Sausage

veggies (cucumber & carrots)

potatoes

avocado or green olives

If hungry: 

Larabar (apple)

Dinner:

Chicken

Sautéed broccoli

potatoes

1/2 avocado

apple

WATER. WATER. WATER. WATER.

We switch out our meals, always try to stick with organic and if we eat out we end up at Chipotle for a salad. Here's to a great week! :)

Day 5- Whole 30 Journey

Happy Friday!!! I LOVE me some Fridays!! If you are new you can read my first post here about starting Whole30. It has been a long time coming, but this time I really am determined to complete an entire Whole30. My husband is doing it with me, so support system is key.

I promised I would keep an updated journal of my whole journey, so today I am recapping Day 5. Well, technically today is day 5 but you get the point. We started on Monday and this week has been on/off what I thought it would be like. To be honest I thought it would be a lot harder. Headaches, check. Cravings, check. Exhaustion, double check. Yes... all of these have been symptoms this week and it has been a pretty low energy week. Or maybe it's because my husband still makes me wake up at 5:30 to go workout?! 

#1 I have definitely noticed low energy this week. I am exhausted by 9pm and can barely wake up in the mornings. I am hoping over the next week my energy levels increase!! Cravings have been good and bad, it depends on the day and what we've got going. When at work and on a "regular" schedule cravings aren't too bad, it's when we're out and about that I just want to eat anything and everything in sight. It's pretty funny actually- things I never even crave I am drooling over! 

I will say the key for me is having a partner to do this with. I am so thankful my husband decided to do the Whole30 with me, because to be honest I probably would have caved by now. It makes it so much easier knowing that the meals we make we both are eating and we can keep each other in check. My emotions have been.... crazy, psycho, hormonal, emotional a little off. To say the least, one minute I want to be left alone, the next minute I want my husband to hold me, the next minute I'm hot, then cold. This guy... he gets an award ;)

I am writing all of this NOT to scare you, but to be honest. And really it excites me to feel this way because it shows me my body is truly trying to detox and correct itself from all the crud I have filled it with. Knowing that there's another side to this and looking forward to the "shift" in how I feel is what excites and motivates me!! 

If you have started or are thinking about starting: you can do it. Trust me when I say, if I can do this, you can too!! PLAN AHEAD. Stay focused and remember the reasons you want to complete this program!

Pictures found on Pinterest.com

Food Ideas for Whole30

I don't know about you but coming up with meal/snack ideas for a Healthy Eating Plan has got to be the hardest part! As you all know I started the Whole30 Program on Monday but for those who are joining in I wanted to give you some of my food ideas!

Breakfast Ideas:

Hard Boiled Eggs

Green Smoothie (spinach, cucumber, frozen berries & water)

Spoonful of Almond butter

Eggs & Avocado

Snack Ideas:

Almonds or other Nuts

Avocado

Green Apple w/ Almond Butter

Berries & Almonds

Cut up Veggies (Prep ahead of time- you will thank me)

Make your own "Trail Mix"

Lunch & Dinner Ideas:

(Make & cut meats ahead of time)

Salad w/ chicken or steak

Meat w/ Roasted Veggies

Stir fry w/ meat & veggies

Homemade sweet potato fries **homemade

***Check out the Whole30 blog and they have announced potatos can now be part of your meal plan*** This was life changing so last night I did some oven roasted potatos with seasonsing & olive oil and they were BOMB.

You can also follow @whole30recipes & @whole30 for recipes, motivation and ideas!

I know these all sound repetitive and lame, but I'm not the most extravagant cook. Especially when I'm on a strict program I like to keep things simple and to the point. If you want additional ideas, shopping lists and recipes go to Whole30.com for tons of resources, support, ideas and detailed information about the program!! We Can Do It!