kirbz

@Cassandraruth17 Based on my understanding of the program, yes this would generally be very much Whole30 compliant. There is a rule that says you should avoid recreating baked goods, junk foods, or treats, even if they are made with compliant ingredients. But I don't think there would be any problem with making an awesome cauliflower fried rice. This would give you just what the meal template calls for - lots of vegetables, meat, and fat. The only reason you would maybe avoid it is if you have an unhealthy relationship with fried rice and you desperately need to make this in order to prop up your craving for fried rice...

Perhaps also consider this alternative fried rice option: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/mexican-cauliflower-fried-rice-paleo-whole30/. I haven't specifically tried this recipe but I've tried quite a few from Paleo Running Momma and I LOVE them all!

If folks are looking for a brown gravy recipe, the one included with this meal is absolutely amazing: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-salisbury-steak-meatballs-whole30/! My fiance, who is not doing Whole30 and who loves gravy, loves this recipe. When we make these salisbury steak meatballs, we double the gravy recipe so we can save a bunch for other meals for later!

I can definitely relate. On my latest attempt at Whole30, I struggled with appetite the entire time! So you're definitely not alone! But hang in there! It's worth it! Sometimes, just finding a new recipe author (or trying something new in general) can help. So here's my very favorite Paleo blogger, who has a section on her site dedicated to Whole30. Here is her website: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/diet/whole30-diet/. And here are some of my favorite recipes: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes-paleo/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-salisbury-steak-meatballs-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/stuffed-acorn-squash-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/cauliflower-fried-rice-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/citrus-grilled-shrimp-zoodles-paleo/ I also LOVE Mel Joulwan (author of the Well Fed cookbook series). Here are some of my favorites from her: https://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/ (I like the Tex-Mex variation) https://meljoulwan.com/2013/10/19/wf2-recipe-elvis-burger/ https://meljoulwan.com/2009/06/09/the-best-chicken-you-will-ever-eat-ever/ I wish you the very best!

My local Costco carries a brand called True Story that has packages of peppered chicken breast chunks, as well as snack packs of compliant deli turkey slices. For post-workout, you could easily cube and season some sweet potato and put it in a small bag with a few chunks of the peppered chicken breast or a packet of the turkey slices. Include a frozen water bottle to help keep it cold in her backpack/duffel bag and voila! Just eat a few bites of each straight out of the bag! If you can't find the product, you can just make and cube some chicken breast yourself and do the same thing.

The recommendation is to drink half your weight in oz per day. So, if you're 140 pounds, you want to be drinking 70 oz of water every day. It's more than most people think so it might be worth buying a large water bottle (perhaps one sized so that you have to drink one or two per day) and keeping track!

I haven't specifically tried these recipes but Paleo Running Momma makes some seriously good stuff! I've served many of her dishes to SAD eaters and they all love them! Here are a couple recipes that might work for you: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/chicken-spinach-artichoke-dip-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/buffalo-chicken-dip-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/baked-spinach-artichoke-dip-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/bacon-deviled-eggs-paleo/ But, really, everything from her Appetizers page looks amazing and would probably be well loved! Good luck to you and enjoy!

For what it's worth, I didn't experience any side-effects on my first Whole30, despite that I ate a truly awful diet before starting Whole30 (think Cocoa Puffs/Lucky Charms for breakfast and tubs of ice cream for dessert). Generally, I'm just a person who isn't strongly affected by foods. Perhaps your friend is the same?

I'm a HUGE fan of Paleo Running Momma and Mel Joulwan! Here are a few of my favorites: Paleo Running Momma: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/twice-baked-sweet-potatoes-paleo/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-salisbury-steak-meatballs-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/stuffed-acorn-squash-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/cauliflower-fried-rice-paleo-whole30/ https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/citrus-grilled-shrimp-zoodles-paleo/ Mel Joulwan: https://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/ (I like the Tex-Mex variation) https://meljoulwan.com/2013/10/19/wf2-recipe-elvis-burger/ https://meljoulwan.com/2009/06/09/the-best-chicken-you-will-ever-eat-ever/ Enjoy! And best of luck to you!

Hi! My favorite post-workout meal is a few chunks of chicken breast and a few chunks of sweet potato cooked up in spices. I often have them in a baggie in my car and quite literally eat them on the road home. I don't feel like I ever really have to make extra time for my pre- and post-workout. To make things even easier, I buy pre-cooked chicken breast from my local Costco (they have a brand called True Story that sells packages of chicken breast chunks cooked with pepper).

@HoustonLivingMy go-to pre-workout meal is a hard-boiled egg and a handful of coconut flakes. My go-to post-workout snack is a handful of chicken breast cubes and a handful of sweet potato cubes. :-) I hope that helps!

When I first started fiddling around with Whole30, I felt the same way. I would honestly feel nauseous at the thought of even eating that quickly after waking up at all, and even more so when I would think about eating leafy greens or chicken. I would quite literally gag as I was eating foods early in the morning. It does get easier. I still struggle a bit in the mornings, but mostly due to timing (I'd rather sleep in that eat). I rarely feel nauseous and leftover BBQ chicken and steamed vegetables is even occasionally downright appealing in the mornings now! My favorite breakfast is basically hashbrowns and eggs. I spiralize 1/2 sweet potato and 1/2 russet potato, cook it up in ghee with salt, pepper, and a garlic/onion seasoning). I think cook three eggs over-easy and plop those on top! All I can say is, it does get easier. Hang in there and keep trying every morning!

I think it's normal to be nervous! It's human nature to fear change and this is a big one! But don't be too nervous! This is exciting and can be fun and will likely open up a whole new world of food for you! And you'll experience some amazing benefits! I wouldn't fear the side effects too much. They don't happen for everyone (they didn't for me, except maybe a low grade headache on this most recent round) and they typically only last a few days! You can do this! Let us know if you have any questions!!

@Hope4Overcomers and @wp3 Thanks for the suggestions on Larabars and RxBars! To be completely honest, I'm kind of an all-or-nothing kind of person, so they don't really appeal to me. One, I don't like the taste of them (I've tried a variety and they're really just meh). But mostly, if I'm doing Whole30, I'm trying to be healthy and the healthiest option for me is a Wild Zora meat and veggie bar. So I'll be eating those. If I'm not on Whole30, I'm gonna take a Nutrageous or a Snickers bar!!

I'm on Day 19 now and have settled into a pretty good rhythm. I don't have Tiger Blood yet but I wasn't really expecting it because I've been struggling with my appetite and meal planning and have, as a result, skipped too many meals to realistically expect that particular benefit to come along for me! I have been regularly exercising though, and I feel strong, so that's a good victory for me! My toughest challenge is a two-night/three-day backpacking trip I have coming up next week. I'm getting everything together to be compliant, but mentally, I don't want to be. I know from my first Whole30 that I don't have any food sensitivities, so why can't I have a Snickers bar on the trail!? I'll be working really darn hard (it's one of our toughest trips yet with a log of mileage and elevation gain). I deserve it! But, I committed to 30 days so I'm gonna do it. Guh.