Amy Rose

I've truly embraced the habit of weekly meal prep, so much that if I would look in the refrigerator and NOT see an array of containers with colorful food choices -- I'd know I was having a nightmare. A daily breakfast of protein & veggies is a basic part of my life now. And I've turned my back on all things dairy -- it's not worth the suffering.

Congrats on all your new food adventures, @Mama Pajama! You are rocking this new lifestyle! Check out InstaPots if you don't have one yet. On my last Whole30, I promised myself that I would buy an instapot when I reached my 21-day mark and I was thrilled when I got it (on sale even!). It speeds up cooking, and provides even more food adventure for former non-cooks like me. Plus, there are some great Whole30 Instapot recipes on Pinterest.

About breakfast -- this week I planned to fry up some eggs each morning with bacon and veggies, but every morning I opened the refrigerator and thought, "Hey, beef and tomatoes! That looks great!". So that's what I've been eating for breakfast and it keeps my tummy happy and full for six hours until a late lunch. Then my lunch keeps me well fed until later in the evening when I have just a bit of meat and veggies around 7:00. The beef & tomatoes recipe is one of my favorite Sunday-prep things: just a pound of ground beef, browned, plus a can of diced tomatoes, a can of quartered artichokes and pepper, garlic salt and onion salt. Simmer on the stove for half an hour or so and store in the 'fridge -- makes four nice meals. You can skip the artichokes or add more veggies to your own liking, too (mushrooms work great).

I feel your pain, @LIEvans! I showed up at the office this morning and the water had been turned off (someone's working on it somewhere). This means no coffee for me. Perhaps I should explain a bit more -- THAT MEANS NO COFFEE!!!!! I am trying to be civil about it, but I would prefer Total World Destruction to this. Being nice to people just makes it worse. They have chosen a poor day to get on my last nerve, to be sure.

Well, despite my good intentions – I made mistakes over the weekend. Not huge ones, just small poor choices because i wasn't paying attention. I considered just overlooking them and forging on as if nothing had happened. But NO – that is not the Whole30 Way! It’s everything or nothing. Period! I will own my mistakes, and I will restart today. I will remain 100% compliant and do this right. I have a full refrigerator of good food (Sunday is my prep day) and I am ON IT! Also, I’m practicing mindful eating and it has already changed the way I feel about the foods I eat. It allows me to truly taste each bite and appreciate the differences in texture and temperature between veggies and meat and fruit. I’m surprised by the experience, and I’ve found I stop eating sooner when I am truly paying attention. Good luck to everyone. Get lots of sleep -- that's my secret to juggling everything in life and in the Whole30.

Thanks so much for this recipe @Crimsann! I hadn't seen this one before, and I'll add it to my prep plans for the weekend. My favorite recipe is this breakfast casserole, since you can add whatever veggies you have on have on hand and then easily heat up a great breakfast every day of the week: https://crazytogether.com/easy-delicious-breakfast-saved-whole-30/ Good Luck to us all!

Hello, all! I am starting my second Whole 30 today, and pretty pumped that there are so many of us to help each other along. I am 62, healthy, and generally very happy with my life. I'm living in beautiful Greenville, SC with my husband, two dogs and two guinea pigs. My four kids are grown and on with their own lives, so I get to concentrate on myself again. My first W30 was in March of this year. It made such a change in the way I felt physically, mentally, even emotionally -- I have to continue! The focus for that first Whole30 was, "I need this healthful change to my life so I can continue my life adventure." I think I'll keep that theme again, and expand my changes into meditation and some added movement this time around.

Quick check in (I should be working right now) -- just had to tell you all about my NSV this weekend. I've been disappointed with my jeans that I just bought a couple months ago because they're stretched out and don't fit well already -- what a waste of money. So went to buy a replacement yesterday and realized that I've dropped a size! No wonder those pants didn't fit Also, can't get this smug look off my face, but I earned it! Good Luck to all -- Eat Well!

That's just how I felt about yesterday's Lara Bar, Cherry Pie flavor. Ewwwww. Lara says there are only 3 ingredients and one is unsweetened cherries, but that is NOT what it tastes like! I like their other flavors, but this one was a bomb.

Thanks, @Kiralyn D! I've put your recipe in my collection for this weekend.

These last few days have gone by so quickly, but I am 100% on plan and feeling great. I still haven’t made the Chicken Hash, though I did buy all the ingredients last weekend. Maybe I’ll do it tonight. (Note to self: COOK on the weekend like you plan to do – weeknights are for eating, not cooking) Because I love rewards, I bought myself a beautiful pendant necklace that is designed for mindfulness and centering. It has already helped me recall that I have successfully completed a Whole 30, and that I am focused on completing this one, too. In the moment of food-choice, it helps me to be mindful and choose well. In the last couple days, my mind has started to clear and I have become mentally sharper and more productive at work. This is such a relief – I was afraid I was slipping into a brain fog of old age where all the “youngsters” would outpace me and I’d just be pathetic and useless. But NO – it was the food I’ve been eating. Not sure if it was the sugar, the grains, or the additives but I feel like my old self again -- intelligent and perceptive. I can’t put into words how relieved I am about the return of my brain function. It’s the key to my self-esteem. (OMG – I never realized that until I just told you – how weird). On a lighter note: got a great deal on an Instant Pot (the one I’ve been wanting was on sale yesterday at Amazon), and this will give me more choices for cooking. I need all the help I can get. Looking forward to playing with it over the weekend, so if anyone has a favorite Whole30 Instant Pot recipe, please post it. @LizaQ- honey, you are not supposed to drink a bottle of Caesar Dressing with your breakfast, even if it is W30 compliant. Just sayin' Eat Well – Enjoy!

Hello, all – I hope you are having a good time with this journey. Still 100% on Whole 30, and very comfortable in my success. Feeling better during the day and sleeping well. I do need more sleep now to feel rested. My usual night is 7 hours, but I will increase it to 8 hours a night from now on – it’s a lovely gift. Speaking of gifts, I’ve added a twist to my Whole 30 – Four Day Wins (idea courtesy of life coach and author Martha Beck). For every four days I am 100% on this eating plan, I get a present. Since I've mastered the first 4 days I will buy myself a sweet little house plant. After the second 4 days (ending on Monday) the prize will probably be some stencils for my bullet journal. These presents aren’t expensive, they’re just a physical trophy for my good behavior. There’s a lot of psychological reasons for doing this – check out the book “The Four Day Win” – but . . . yay, presents! I haven’t decided what the next prize will be after that. Maybe something for the shade garden, or an inexpensive watch band, or a new embroidery kit, or more colored pencils. Something inexpensive to make me smile, and to mark my progress. @mirjam.have you tried Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Tea? It's the bomb! And it's an herbal tea, so no caffeine to worry about -- perfect for afternoons and evenings when you want a little something great. Good Luck to everyone. Make plans to power through your weekend. Eat Well!

Successful day three. Yesterday’s horribly ugly mood is long gone and I’m feeling much better. I finally got around to making the white chicken chili recipe tonight. It’s in the crockpot right now and my kitchen will smell heavenly by breakfast time. Also, stopped by Trader Joe’s this evening and picked up some frozen cauliflower rice. Grabbed an extra jar of ghee so I won’t run out, plus some lovely frozen cod for a later date. I didn’t stay long, though. Way too many goodies in that store. Good luck to everyone! Eat Well!

Thank you for the tip about NomNomPaleo.com, @Aud1. That will be a great resource for recipes and Whole30 tips. Here's a terrific quote I brought back for everyone: Your only job during the Whole30 is to focus on making good food choices. You don’t need to weigh or measure, you don’t need to count calories, you don’t need to purchase everything organic, grass-fed, pastured, or local. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 rules in any setting, around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress… for 30 straight days. Your only job? Eat. Good. Food. -- Melissa Hartwig, the headmistress of Whole30

Day 1 was a complete success in my world. Plenty of good food, three meals, no snacking, no hunger. And I slept so well last night -- one of those NSVs that I like very much. Tonight I need to make White Chicken Chili in the crock pot. Served over cauliflower rice, it has become a staple in my new diet. I'm not fond of spicy food, so my "chili" turns out more like a flavorful chicken soup, but I enjoy it. @KelK95 here's a lunch suggestion -- layer cooked chicken, chopped avocado and your favorite salsa (watch out for additives in the store-bought stuff). You can make this stacked lunch with as much or as little food as you want. The fat in the avocado will keep you satisfied all afternoon! And you could add your favorite lettuces, veggies, etc if it makes you happy. Lunch is a celebration. @Hope4Overcomers, as the laziest cook you will ever meet, my daily prep is minimal -- dish out prepared food, heat it up. This is only possible if you cook enough food on the weekend to last the week. I make two larger recipes -- White Chicken Chili and Beef & Tomatoes are my favorites -- and I buy a roasted chicken from the grocery and strip off all the meat. This guarantees I have great options waiting for me every time I open the refrigerator. At Trader Joe's -- ghee and frozen cauliflower rice are the bomb!