So what's this Whole30 thing? In a nutshell it's a 30 day nutritional reset program. It's designed to put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism and improve your over all health and body composition. Yes, it is an elimination program!
NO Sugar
NO Dairy
NO Legumes
NO Grains
NO Alcohol
You get to eat fruits, vegetables, protein and healthy fats including nuts, sweet potatoes, white potatoes and dried fruits. This isn't a diet, there is no counting calories or portion control, you eat if you are hungry but that doesn't mean you eat handfuls of nuts and dried fruit. You still have to make smart choices. Weight loss is a byproduct of the program but not the main goal.
You have to be in the right mindset to get through Whole30. I first learned of Whole30 this past summer from my sister and at that time I thought it sounded crazy. No bread, no sugar, no wine!! But my curiosity was peaked and I started to learn more but the timing and my mindset wasn't ready to commit. After not really being on point with my nutrition for the last few months and coming off the holidays, January felt like the perfect time to reset! No traveling this month, no big events and let's face it it alway feels good to start the new year on the upswing!!
My husband got on board with me and we are mid way through week 2 and honestly, I don't feel like I'm counting down the days. I am cooking more and we have been eating some amazing meals! You can go out on the Whole30 but honestly it's so much easier to control your food at home, it's just not worth it. The upside we will be saving money. :)
So here's how the first 10 days went with some of my favorite meals.
Day 1 I woke up so excited that the first day was easy! I did my first grocery run and got used to reading labels. :) I made the most amazing sausage, pepper and potato skillet for dinner. I prepped some food to be prepared for the week and thought I got this!
Chicken Apple Sausage with Potatoes, Peppers and Onions
Day 2-4 not so easy! I was so hungry!! Seriously, I felt like I was eating a ton (more on that further down) and I kept referring back to the book and googling why was I so hungry?! Well, I am a huge carb girl and carbs filled me up so I learned that increasing my healthy fats would hep satisfy me. This at first seemed so wrong. I had been limiting my fats for so long and now I can put avocado on top of everything!! Also, I tend to eat throughout the day (more like 6 small meals) and on this program they want you to eat 3 large meals and limit snacking. This is a whole new way of thinking for me and I realized my body was going to take sometime to adjust.
Yams are the best! I recommend you bake 3-4 at a time and keep them in fridge. You can cut one in half, dice the potato with spinach and top with eggs. Or add them to omelet or egg scramble. Yams really give you that satisfaction of having grains!
Crispy Carnitas was another huge hit with the family.
I bought a spiralizer back in November and barely used it until now. It's so worth the investment as zoodles are an awesome answer to spaghetti!
Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Red Pepper Sauce
Day 5-6 I felt headachy throughout the weekend, nothing terrible but just a small headache that hung on but Monday woke up feeling great. I don't have that constant hunger (thank goodness), I lots of energy and I'm happy. I have no doubt that we can complete the full 30 days!! It's funny I thought I would be missing my wine and that I would be thinking about breads and treats but I'm not at least yet! LOL
I'm exercising a lot and feel great. I decided to go old school and go back to Turbo Fire this month. I wanted a cardio workout program with big calorie burns and this is a great one. The workouts are longer than I am used to it but knowing that in advance let me plan accordingly!
Lunches have been either big salads topped with chicken or leftovers from dinner the night before.
Sunday night I made my first brisket with potatoes and carrot. The house smelled great as it cooked all day in the crockpot and it felt like such a hearty Sunday dinner.
Day 7-10:
I find myself going to the store more often and I am sure it is because of all the fresh produce we are eating. I have also found this program has awoken my love of cooking. I am enjoying trying new recipes and honestly this is a very doable challenge. We are a third of the way through and going strong!!
This was one of my favorite meals of the week!
Romesco Sauce with Garlic Shrimp and Zoodles
More great Whole30 recipes coming as well what I miss the most and snack ideas. :)
If you want more information or have questions feel free to email me at marciadeangelis@sbcglobal.net or message me on Facebook.
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