BetterEveryDay Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Whole 30 starts tomorrow! I did the Whole30 (well, more like a Whole 21 or so, really) last year before my wedding and experienced some wonderful results - better sleep, better energy, etc. I wasn't able to do a thorough reintroduction, though, due to my (less than) Whole30 ending right as I was leaving for my destination wedding trip (basically exactly what Melissa says *not* to do!). Since that time, while I have mostly healthy eating habits, my sugar dragon has kicked up and I find myself going crazy (especially at night) on certain foods (hello, nuts!). I'm really excited to use this period at home as an opportunity to dial in my health and do the Whole30 the right way this time around! Excited to connect with everyone else doing the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 Welcome aboard the whole 30 quarantine train Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted April 10, 2020 Author Share Posted April 10, 2020 Day 1 in the books! I had a matcha-collagen peptides latte in the morning. Late breakfast was a big salad with chicken, for lunch chicken-avocado burger and collard greens in ghee, and for dinner chicken meatballs with veggies, olives, marinara sauce (a day of chicken...we had chicken that was expiring, what can i say! lol). I was craving something sweet in the afternoon but the feeling passed and other than that, today really wasn't difficult. Here is hoping it stays that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Sounds like you had a great day 1. The chicken meatballs sound delicious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 Day 2 - Matcha in the morning with arctic char and a salad, made ground turkey meatloaf with carrots and potatoes for lunch, and had a salad with deli turkey for a late dinner. So far, so good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 On Day 6 now! I've been keeping my own written log that is much more thorough but I will just share some general thoughts so far and as I go along because I've found it helpful reading others'! Day 3 - I was a bit tired. I had to order out for dinner - my first meal on the W30 not prepared by myself. I hate to be one of "those people" when it comes to ordering but I was able to ask questions and modify a salad with grilled chicken. I asked for olive oil and vinegar instead of the dressing it came with and omitted a few of the salad toppings and it was fine. I felt a little irritable all day. Day 4 - Woke up earlier than normal and felt energized. Had a good run and workout in the morning. It was Easter and so I had dinner with family. My mood was much better all day than the day before. My mom was cooking, so I asked in advance what the menu would be and how prepared so I could adjust. Their dinner was lamb, but it was prepared with butter and breadcrumbs. Rather than asking for that to be prepared differently, I just brought a piece of salmon with me to grill. My mom set aside some of the mashed potatoes before adding any other ingredients, and I added some ghee/coconut oil I brought to it. The other side was asparagus which was prepared only with evoo and seasoning so was thankfully compliant. I wished I was enjoying wine with the others, but no one cared or commented about me not drinking, which I appreciated. (In the past, I've experienced significant pushback from friends and family when I don't drink, unfortunately. This is one reason I think that doing this during the quarantine will be easier for me). Same for dessert. It was offered to me, I politely declined, and that was it. I really didn't want it much, actually. I know that if I had started eating a little ice cream or cake, normally I would find it hard to stop. But feeling satiated from dinner and having not had any to begin with, I was more or less fine with passing on the treats. Day 5 - Slept well and woke up early again feeling alert and energized. When I did a HIIT workout in the afternoon, though, I felt a bit sluggish towards the end, like I was just going through the motions. I was very satisfied all day and felt happy and motivated to continue. Day 6 - So far today I've felt good. I haven't really had any strong cravings these 6 days, and this morning again I was very energized. Just tried the "egg roll in a bowl" I've read about a few times for lunch - it was really good! I'd make it again. I love cooking and this sheltering in place has given me much more time to cook than I normally have, so it's been fun experimenting with more involved recipes. Usually I make simple dishes without a recipe, just based on what I have and am feeling at the moment (or that my sweet husband wants - which is normally the same two things...I swear that man could eat the same meal for the next 30 years and he won't get bored! I require a bit more variety...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 It's Day 13 - I'm almost halfway there! Some great NSVs so far: I have rarely been bloated (something that regularly happens to me otherwise...), I'm waking up easily in the morning and sleeping well, my skin looks great, my sugar cravings are gone (!!). My energy levels have been a bit varied - at times I've felt so alert and fantastic, but at other times quite tired. I did a HIIT workout yesterday and felt that I was dragging myself through it...I don't have sustained boundless energy like the W30 timeline suggests, but hopefully I will feel that soon! And if I don't, I'm still thankful for the benefits I have felt and regardless I know that I am doing the right thing for my body. Last night I ended up working late and was in the zone and by the time I had dinner and finished it, it was 10pm. Now, I used to eat late dinners or snack late at night all the time - more often than not, frankly. Anyhow, last night I did for the first time since I've started this and I really did not like it! I just felt so full when trying to go to sleep an hour later and I ended up staying up later than that even reading because I just felt...too full. And then this morning I was not hungry in the morning as I have been this past week and a half. So this morning it dawned on me that, actually, I really prefer to keep my mealtimes away from my bedtime. Sage advice I've heard so many times, but it just never resonated with me until now! I think going forward I'll just have something quick and convenient (maybe a couple epic bars and an apple?) earlier in the evening if I'd tied up, rather than waiting to make dinner late instead. Our neighbors invited us to their vacation home (it's a few hours driving from us) to quarantine with them there for a week or weekend. I really resisted this idea because I think it would be far more difficult for me to maintain this Whole30 while staying in someone else's home. There's just not the same level of control there for me, and I really rather wouldn't be a burden or annoyance to them. At the same time, my poor husband is dying to for a change of scenery and really wants to go. I'm not sure how we will ultimately come out in this, but I'm so committed to this program that is already producing so many wonderful results for me. If we do go, I suppose I'll just bring many epic bars and other such snacks, and order a big grocery haul for their vacation home so that way I can make sure we have lots of options that I could eat or tailor to my diet without inconveniencing them. This commitment I've made to myself is so important to me, but my husband is just as important...so I'll find a way to accommodate both if need be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Day 22 and still going strong. Here's some notes: Day 14: We decided not to go to the neighbors home (for reasons unrelated to my whole30, but of course I was secretly quite pleased with this result). Had a dream about eating Ben and Jerrys - so relieved upon waking and realizing I did not, in fact, spoil my hard work! Felt tired in the afternoon. Day 15: Noticed how well I have been sleeping, and that I have become very "regular" in my digestion. Felt energized in the morning but tired again by late afternoon. Oddly craving salty potato chips (which I do not ever eat or want in my normal diet - I'm really more of a sweets person). Made a baked potato for dinner, felt quite bloated after eating it. Day 16: Woke up still feeling bloated and my stomach was hurting a bit. Also had a headache and tired in the afternoon again. Noticed that I have no more sugar cravings though! Had a great HIIT workout despite being a bit sleepy. Had strawberries in my salad for dinner and they tasted incredibly sweet! Day 17: Woke up with a bit of a stomach ache. Went back to sleep and it was fine when I finally got up. Slept very well, as usual lately. It's a Saturday, so I ended up meeting up with a few friends. We ordered takeout (sushi) everyone else shared a number of rolls but I ordered plain grilled salmon and steamed veggies. Not particularly exciting, and I hated being "that person," but I successfully navigated it so I'm proud of myself. Later on when everyone had non-compliant dinner and snacks cooked by one of the friends I had an epic bar I had brought with me. Ate a later, compliant dinner when I got home. The biggest challenge for me was not drinking when everyone else was. It's not that I particularly wanted the alcohol, but rather just the social aspect of holding one. Once these 30 days are up, I will likely take a drink in the future and then if anything just take three sips of it over the course of an hour. Day 18 (a Sunday): Woke up feeling energized and alert. Again met up with friends. Ate beforehand, managed to order a compliant (but boring with everything removed!) salad, and for dinner I stopped back at my house to eat a compliant meal under the guise of taking out the dog (Lol). Later in the day I forgot and started to chew a piece of sugarfree gum - one second in I realized and spit it out. Perhaps this means I should restart (regardless, I'm not going to). Everyone was quite drunk towards the end of the night, but I didn't mind. I felt much more energetic than I would have if I were drinking, and everyone kept remarking how fun and exactly the same I acted drinking or sober. Weird that they even commented really, but glad that they were supportive! Day 19: Relieved to be back in the work week. My skin is looking fabulous! Not bloated at all. Amazing energy the whole day - Tiger Blood?! I can see that I must have lost a little weight (or changed body composition at least). My abs are looking more defined. Very intense day at work, but I stayed alert and focused the whole time. Actually, I had a bit of trouble falling asleep this night - maybe because of the sustained work focus into the night. Day 20: Feeling fantastic! Skin looks great, body is more toned, I have been so satisfied with my meals hours before bedtime (when I used to snack right up until I tried to sleep - that sounds horrible to me now!) I feel so in control of my eating (sugar dragon, mainly) and in touch with my hunger signals. Thinking of extending the 30 days longer! Day 21: Feeling again great energy the whole day. Still felt hungry about an hour after dinner, so had a second dinner. Regretted this later, just too full! I'm still learning what the right portion is, I guess. Overall though, I really have been quite good about having 3 meals a day and not snacking. It's a great way to eat, I'm planning to continue that way indefinitely. Day 22 (today!): Wonderful energy, again. Have a headache and feel a little bloated, but I think that's due to my lady cycle coming on. I am so happy with how my Whole30 has proceeded so far and I'm really excited to see how much better it can get. I put some thought into reintroduction - I am going to reintroduce alcohol, for sure, even if just in small amounts. Next, non-gluten grains, but break it up (rice day, corn day, quinoa day) then legumes, also broken up (beans, peanut butter, soy). I'm not going to reintroduce gluten (I cut this out end of last year anyway, and I don't miss it) or dairy (oooooh I miss this one so! I also allegedly cut this out end of last year, but I've neverless had it a couple times anyway in the past few months and boy did my stomach hurt! - so I already know what the results are without reintro testing). So my reintroduction will probably take place over the course of about a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 Yippee! I did it! I don't feel like recording a day by day for the rest, but in a nutshell, it wasn't too difficult and I felt, for the most part, really good for the remainder. I did have a migraine for the final few days, which was a bummer. I did experience many NSVs as a result of this - my skin cleared up and has looked fantastic; I've hardly been bloated at all; sugar cravings completely gone! No longer feeling like a slave to the pantry (especially at night); I look leaner and more toned; greatly improved digestion; my mood has been so stable and I find myself laughing more (to myself sometimes, which is not something I would typically do); most of all - sleep! I've been falling asleep so easily, sleeping deeply, and naturally waking at an early hour. I lost 7 pounds (and believe me - I at a LOT and never restricted myself in terms of how much I ate, except for nuts/nut butter) - and really this is a good amount on me because I'm a relatively small person. This has been a great experience and I plan to do it at least once a year going forward. Now for reintro! So far I reintroduced alcohol (but barely). I nursed a patron and water yesterday during the day and nursed a red wine at night, but didn't finish even half of either. I just didn't want to. But I was happy to partake by just holding them and having tiny sips here and there. I think this week at some point I will do legumes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueautumn Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 YAY I know its been almost 2 weeks but I really wanted to say CONGRATS to finishing. I miss sleep so much - you give me hope that one day I will have it back in my life lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterEveryDay Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 8 months later...I am back at it! Starting my R2 today. Since my first Whole30, I’ve definitely had my ups and downs. I have tended to eat more W30 in many ways since I did my first, but every now and again I’ll slide back into bad habits. Like the last two weeks - somehow I got hooked on chocolate and popcorn again! So, here I go! This time I am going to try to cut out caffeine as well (but taper down over a week or so, I think, to avoid the headaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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