My friend Alysia and I decided to convince our significant others and eachother to try the Whole30 challenge. It's 30 days of clean eating - and it supposedly changes people's lives. I figured I'd record my experience somewhere, and why not here?
Day 1: Let's do this!
Breakfast: Breakfast stack with Japanese sweet potato, sauteed spinach, onions, homemade sausage, and an over easy egg.
Lunch: I messed up here. I went to make tuna salad, and looked at the label... and Bumblebee tuna has soy in it! So, I threw together a random bunch of stuff for a "salad." Endive, Beet stems, tomatoes, shallots, avocado, sausage and Mitchell's Fresh Salsa. I called it "failure salad." It was actually really good.
Dinner: Slow cooker chicken Cacciatore with onions, mushrooms, and lots of crushed tomatoes.
Mood: Breakfast took FOREVER to make, and I was bummed about the tuna fiasco, but overall, things were good. I got home late, but I had a little snack of celery + cashew butter to hold me through.
Day 2: Did I drink a bottle of booze in my sleep last night?
Breakfast: Dan made an awesome breakfast bowl with zoodles, sausage, salsa, egg, and avocado.
Lunch: Raw vegetables, Cashew Butter, and tears.
Dinner: Coconut water, an apple chewed really slowly, tea, and more tears.
Mood: I spent the entire day nauseated. I loved the breakfast bowl, but about a half hour after eating the feeling came back. At lunch, I wasn't hungry but I tried to to eat and managed to keep down some carrots, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. It was suggested that I try and eat some fat, so I slowly ate a spoonful of cashew butter while trying not to throw up. I failed, and vomited spectacularly around 2PM (about a half hour after the cashew butter went in). Felt a little better after, but went home and took it easy. I ate a thinly sliced apple and whined. The Whole30 forum has mixed reviews on what to do if you're nauseated, but I decided to listen to my body and skip dinner. I was just going to throw it up, and it's no sense wasting the food. Dan and I snapped at each other, because he didn't know what to make for dinner that was compliant, and I tried to give him advice but just ended up sounding bratty. We made up though.
Day 3: This is not fun.
Breakfast: I cooked up some sausage, egg, and Japanese sweet potato. I felt so nauseated, I asked Dan to eat it, and he couldn't either. We both felt like crap. I drank two mugs of bone broth and that was delicious.
Lunch: I didn't want to pack a lunch, so I just put together an assortment of snacks, some bone broth, peppers, and vegetables. I ended up going to a meeting, and ate two oranges instead of the chocolate croissant that I desperately wanted to eat.
Dinner: Seared steak with baby kale, tomatoes, pepitas, and Tessimae's balsamic dressing. It was awesome, but I felt a little sick after.
Mood: Snippy. Snappy. I wanted to snap at everyone. Dan felt worse. It was a another tough day.
Day 4: I think I can do this.
Breakfast: Sweet potato, Bacon, and scrambled eggs with salsa. I couldn't eat it. I was just too nauseated.
Lunch: I went to Chipotle! It was very tasty.
Dinner: Taco salad with sweet peppers.
Mood: Still nauseated this morning, but it went away as I got up and walked around. I survived eating out, even though I felt pretty nauseated after. Before cooking dinner, I grabbed a coconut-covered date and munched on it. My appetite was instantly back. Instead of eating a ton of dates (I bought a whole box) I made dinner and ate it all. I'm excited that I tricked my body.
Day 5: Ok, goodnight.
Breakfast: Half a date and a Paleo frittata with leftover taco meat, onions, and tomatoes. The frittata recipe was so easy and good: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1983505174/easy-paleo-frittata
Lunch: Roasted Brussel sprouts with dijon dressing, bacon, walnuts, and cranberries. Adapted from this recipe here: http://bravoforpaleo.com/2013/08/15/brussel-sprout-salad-recipe/
Dinner: Roast chicken dinner with garlic smashed potatoes, gravy, and roast vegetables.
Mood: I'm happy that I didn't mess up any meal today, and they all tasted AWESOME. But, I'm tried. I slept after lunch for 3 hours, and stayed up until 11 because I just couldn't get to sleep. I was happy that my roast chicken was mostly the same as before we went whole30 - I just subbed the butter with ghee and used arrowroot powder instead of flour in the gravy. Overall, a good day, but I'm glad that I didn't have to go to work today because I just have ZERO energy.
Day 6: Kill all the things.
Breakfast: Paleo frittata with salad and bacon.
1st Lunch: Leftover brussel sprout salad with leftover roast chicken.
2nd Lunch: The other half of the first lunch that I couldn't eat, with sweet potatoes.
Dinner: Kalua slow cooked pork from So Let's Hang Out with asian veggie lover's salad. Both turned out ok.
Mood: I want to throw stuff. I'm not hungry (again) and just plain grumpy. Everything sucked. Whole 30 sucked. Just... mindless grumpiness.
Day 7: I want to lie around and cuddle.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with marinara sauce, an orange, a cucumber.
Lunch: Tuna salad made with avacado instead of mayo because I can't make paleo mayo :(
Dinner: Olives, prunes, compliant deli turkey, coconut, and sprouts.
Mood: I just want to stay in bed. Thankfully, I have MLK day off, but Dan doesn't. I tried to use my time to do chores, laundry, etc, but I just didn't feel like doing anything. I finally got some energy when Dan came home, and we went shopping and had a buffet of compliant snacks. It was like when I had non-whole30 bad days, and we'd just snack on crap for dinner - but healthy. Nothing was pretty enough to take a photo. It was just all really blah.
So, there's my first week. It's sucky. I'm not having a good time. But, it really ISN'T hard. I'm sure it'll be easier once I get over my carb flu and my hormones balance out.
Day 1: Let's do this!
Breakfast: Breakfast stack with Japanese sweet potato, sauteed spinach, onions, homemade sausage, and an over easy egg.
Lunch: I messed up here. I went to make tuna salad, and looked at the label... and Bumblebee tuna has soy in it! So, I threw together a random bunch of stuff for a "salad." Endive, Beet stems, tomatoes, shallots, avocado, sausage and Mitchell's Fresh Salsa. I called it "failure salad." It was actually really good.
Dinner: Slow cooker chicken Cacciatore with onions, mushrooms, and lots of crushed tomatoes.
Mood: Breakfast took FOREVER to make, and I was bummed about the tuna fiasco, but overall, things were good. I got home late, but I had a little snack of celery + cashew butter to hold me through.
Day 2: Did I drink a bottle of booze in my sleep last night?
Breakfast: Dan made an awesome breakfast bowl with zoodles, sausage, salsa, egg, and avocado.
Lunch: Raw vegetables, Cashew Butter, and tears.
Dinner: Coconut water, an apple chewed really slowly, tea, and more tears.
Mood: I spent the entire day nauseated. I loved the breakfast bowl, but about a half hour after eating the feeling came back. At lunch, I wasn't hungry but I tried to to eat and managed to keep down some carrots, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. It was suggested that I try and eat some fat, so I slowly ate a spoonful of cashew butter while trying not to throw up. I failed, and vomited spectacularly around 2PM (about a half hour after the cashew butter went in). Felt a little better after, but went home and took it easy. I ate a thinly sliced apple and whined. The Whole30 forum has mixed reviews on what to do if you're nauseated, but I decided to listen to my body and skip dinner. I was just going to throw it up, and it's no sense wasting the food. Dan and I snapped at each other, because he didn't know what to make for dinner that was compliant, and I tried to give him advice but just ended up sounding bratty. We made up though.
Day 3: This is not fun.
Breakfast: I cooked up some sausage, egg, and Japanese sweet potato. I felt so nauseated, I asked Dan to eat it, and he couldn't either. We both felt like crap. I drank two mugs of bone broth and that was delicious.
Lunch: I didn't want to pack a lunch, so I just put together an assortment of snacks, some bone broth, peppers, and vegetables. I ended up going to a meeting, and ate two oranges instead of the chocolate croissant that I desperately wanted to eat.
Dinner: Seared steak with baby kale, tomatoes, pepitas, and Tessimae's balsamic dressing. It was awesome, but I felt a little sick after.
Mood: Snippy. Snappy. I wanted to snap at everyone. Dan felt worse. It was a another tough day.
Day 4: I think I can do this.
Breakfast: Sweet potato, Bacon, and scrambled eggs with salsa. I couldn't eat it. I was just too nauseated.
Lunch: I went to Chipotle! It was very tasty.
Dinner: Taco salad with sweet peppers.
Mood: Still nauseated this morning, but it went away as I got up and walked around. I survived eating out, even though I felt pretty nauseated after. Before cooking dinner, I grabbed a coconut-covered date and munched on it. My appetite was instantly back. Instead of eating a ton of dates (I bought a whole box) I made dinner and ate it all. I'm excited that I tricked my body.
Day 5: Ok, goodnight.
Breakfast: Half a date and a Paleo frittata with leftover taco meat, onions, and tomatoes. The frittata recipe was so easy and good: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1983505174/easy-paleo-frittata
Lunch: Roasted Brussel sprouts with dijon dressing, bacon, walnuts, and cranberries. Adapted from this recipe here: http://bravoforpaleo.com/2013/08/15/brussel-sprout-salad-recipe/
Dinner: Roast chicken dinner with garlic smashed potatoes, gravy, and roast vegetables.
Mood: I'm happy that I didn't mess up any meal today, and they all tasted AWESOME. But, I'm tried. I slept after lunch for 3 hours, and stayed up until 11 because I just couldn't get to sleep. I was happy that my roast chicken was mostly the same as before we went whole30 - I just subbed the butter with ghee and used arrowroot powder instead of flour in the gravy. Overall, a good day, but I'm glad that I didn't have to go to work today because I just have ZERO energy.
Day 6: Kill all the things.
Breakfast: Paleo frittata with salad and bacon.
1st Lunch: Leftover brussel sprout salad with leftover roast chicken.
2nd Lunch: The other half of the first lunch that I couldn't eat, with sweet potatoes.
Dinner: Kalua slow cooked pork from So Let's Hang Out with asian veggie lover's salad. Both turned out ok.
Day 7: I want to lie around and cuddle.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with marinara sauce, an orange, a cucumber.
Lunch: Tuna salad made with avacado instead of mayo because I can't make paleo mayo :(
Dinner: Olives, prunes, compliant deli turkey, coconut, and sprouts.
Mood: I just want to stay in bed. Thankfully, I have MLK day off, but Dan doesn't. I tried to use my time to do chores, laundry, etc, but I just didn't feel like doing anything. I finally got some energy when Dan came home, and we went shopping and had a buffet of compliant snacks. It was like when I had non-whole30 bad days, and we'd just snack on crap for dinner - but healthy. Nothing was pretty enough to take a photo. It was just all really blah.
So, there's my first week. It's sucky. I'm not having a good time. But, it really ISN'T hard. I'm sure it'll be easier once I get over my carb flu and my hormones balance out.
I hope it balances out for you soon! I felt pretty much the same way when I gave up soda and caffeine.
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