We have made it through another week of the Whole30, here’s how I have been planning, experimenting and feeling during this journey so far.
If you have been following me the past few weeks, then you all know that I have been chopping, dicing and experimenting my way through the #Whole30Jan. Last week we touched on WHY I decided to do the Whole30 this year, and a few things that I have learned so far. This week I decided to dig a bit deeper and touch on a few things I have learned about the #Whole30Jan thus far. I do want to make a slight disclaimer- THIS is just what I have learned so far, everyone’s Whole30 experience is completely different. SO while what happens to one person, won’t necessarily happen to the other.
So let’s get real for a minute and let me ask you all a question: Do you ever stress eat, or just eat because you are bored?
I would have never identified this without doing the Whole30 because before doing it, I would have just called myself a snacker or grazer. You know the chips, candy, soda, etc… all the bad things that taste oh-so-good, that you reach for when you are bored AF out of your mind. Thankfully now I am realizing that while I was (keyword was) a bored eater, I am learning to make much healthier decisions and reach for things like:
- A banana with almond butter if I am craving something sweet
- Half an avocado with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes when I need something salty
- Bell Pepper slices with fresh guacamole when I am craving something savory
Either way, ANY of the snacks above are Whole30 approved and they hit the spot in a pinch. Another thing that has been hitting the spot in a pinch- more like an emergency are THESE bars. I bought this awesome assortment and have found that I LOVE Chocolate Coconut and Chocolate Sea Salt. These awesome bars are packed full of protein and the ingredient list is minimal= #wholefood and Whole30 approved. Love!
// SUGAR IS A REAL B**CH! //
So before the Whole30 I have to admit I didn’t really consider myself a sugar freak. I don’t really have a sweet tooth thankfully, however, I must admit every once in awhile my body would crave cookies, sugar, sour candy, energy drinks- but literally it would be once in awhile. I never was one to always need dessert or eat anything after dinner. For me, sugar wasn’t the problem BUT Diet Coke was my major vice. For the first week of the Whole30 I was thinking that the urge for a soda would be major, however, I was able to replace the need for bubbles with my trust La Croix. But something happened this week and let me just say JUNK FOOD DREAMS are real. I am talking dreaming about dancing cookies and cupcakes, 3 tier cakes and an endless supply of Rockstar Berry Zero Calorie energy drinks. According to the Whole30 timeline– this is totally normal around Day 12-15. Seriously dreaming about Snickers and Cookies is pretty much weird AF. Like a vivid dream where I am bathing in chocolate- WEIRD! But on the bright side, I was just thankful I passed Day 10-11 of just being pissed a the world about all the shit I can’t actually have but have been accustom to- you know, chili cheese fries, diet coke, carrot cake-all things BAD for you!
// FAT IS MY FRIEND. SCRATCH THAT FAT IS MY BFF! //
Now I have officially learned that FAT is my BFF. Fat is my friend. Fat will be your saving grace on the Whole30 diet. I have always been one to LOVE avocados- but now knowing I can eat them literally with ALL the meals has been so helpful. Eating tons of healthy fats like avocados, coconut cream, coconut oil, bacon( yes bacon for the win) have totally helped me feel fuller after meals. Remember in week 1 when I said I was literally HUNGRY all the time? Well now, I have officially learned what my portions sizes of fats, proteins, veggies- need to be.
- Protein- 1-2 palm sized protein sources (chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, eggs, etc). Basically, protein takes up ⅓ of your plate.
- Veggies- Veggies are major and should take up the other ⅔’s of your plate overall. I have learned I like WAY more veggies than I thought. Cauliflower has officially become my BFF. BTW riced broccoli is MAJORLY yum!
- Fats- healthy fats should make up about a thumb portion. This would be ½ to 1 full avocado, a thumb-sized amount of ghee (which is literally amazing and better than butter) coconut oil, coconut cream, etc..
- Fruit- Now fruits because they are natural sugar and can raise your blood sugar levels are limited to 1 fruit a day. For me, I am loving apples, bananas, and oranges when I need a bit of fruit in my life.
You can check out the Whole30 Meal Planning Template HERE
Now that I have learned my official portion sizes and what I need to eat to fuel my body so that I am not trying to fight the urge to snack- life is GOOD! I learned for me- breakfast usually is consisted of eggs, some sweet potatoes, and spinach, with a full avocado OR something simple like diced chicken & apple sausage and a bit of kitchen sink scrambled eggs ( basically scrambled eggs, with spinach, kale, tomatoes, and mixed with a bit of avocado). I have found that with a healthy breakfast I officially am full for about 5 hours until lunch. Which brings me to the next thing I have learned…
// FEED YOUR BODY = EATING EVERY 4-5 HOURS //
So one thing that I have totally learned through all of this is that I am not on a diet. Diets restrict calories and almost put you in a mindset to fail. For me I have learned that the Whole30 is a lifestyle change- and one that I plan to keep up (maybe not so extreme, but totally similar). With that being said, I have learned doing this so far is that my body likes food- and it NEEDS food every 4-5 hours. Once I got over the whole “I am on a diet” mindset- I started to figure out the right amount of food I needed to feed my body and make sure that I wasn’t snacking or eating because I was bored AF at times. Everyone is a bit different, but for me it means adding a bit more fat (instead of ½ an avocado I needed a whole) and adding a thing like a sweet potato to my breakfast. Either way listen to your body, your needs, and FEED YO SELF!
// GOING OUT TO EAT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE //
So for me, this was a MAJOR one. I wasn’t home one day for lunch and I was panicking because I didn’t want to cheat and have to start ALLLLLL over. Thankfully I found this guide to eating out and O-M-G it was helpful. Trust me you guys it’s NOT impossible and you do not have to avoid eating out at all costs. For instance- Chipotle is acceptable and surprisingly YUMMY! At Chipotle a Whole30 approved meal would their carnitas (since it’s the only meat not cooked in a bad oil), lettuce, ALL the salsas (except the corn) and of course GUACAMOLE! Now I never thought I would enjoy something like that- I am more of a chicken, cheese, sour cream, rice kind of gal– and legit it was SOOOOOO good. Like shockingly good and VERY fulfilling! So at the end of the day, I learned NOT to let being on Whole30 as my excuse of not being able to go out and enjoy my food while embarking on the hardest week of this lifestyle change.
So while we wrap up week 2 of the Whole30, I have to admit next week I am SUPER excited. I ordered this book and it FINALLY comes. This couldn’t have arrived at a better time, especially since I want to use my Instant Pot more for meals and save time- double score! Thank you all for following along, and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share my healthy journey with you. I am looking forward to sharing my changes and update of Week 3 next week, but in the meantime, if you want to see more Whole30 goodness be sure to check of my group of blogging pals that have been rocking this journey with me. You can also follow along on social media with all of us using hashtag #Whole30Jan. Check out the links below and see how my fellow #Whole30Jan girls did.
- Kristin @ Taz and Belly
- Jaime @ Sunflowers and Stilettos
- Heather @ My Life Well Loved
- Jennifer @ Life In A Greenhouse
- Lindsey @ Life Lutzurious
- Ashley @ Two Peas In A Prada
- Lauren @ Lauren McBride
- Lauren @ A Lo Profile
- Tessa @ Tessa Lindsey Garcia
- Anna @ Fluerdille
- Kendra @ Citizens of Beauty
Images via: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5
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