4/4 Start & Hello!

[amalee09]

Hello all, I'm on day 5 here but wanted to start a thread to introduce myself and see if others are doing an April W30 as well. I'm also doing the Whole 30 Day by Day reading and journaling and today's guidance recommended I reach out to others doing the Whole30 who could offer support in those weak moments. I don't currently know any friends or family that are doing a W30 right now so I took it as a call to action to connect here. 

A little bit about me... I'm a 37 year old corporate professional living in Minneapolis. I'm a huge foodie and also care deeply about health and wellness. I've experimented with other ancestral / paleo style diets, intuitive eating, and calorie / macro counting in the past, usually with some success but also some compromises (I'll save those details for another day). A big part of what is drawing me to Whole30 now is that I have a strong desire to find my individual "food freedom" without the label and rigid rules of a specific diet, but in order to do that I know I need to go through this process of food discovery that the Whole30 affords so well. Beyond these 30 days, I'm firmly committed to a diligent and patient reintroduction as part of this learning process. So far, I'm loving the food I'm eating and haven't been experiencing too many cravings. The tough part for me is the energy swings that occur at the beginning. I can go from feeling energized and focused during one part of the day to feeling crushingly tired later on. I know it's all part of the process of rewiring my body and mind, although I'm definitely eager to be on the other side of the adjustment period. 

Would love to connect with others who started this past Monday or are doing an April W30 and are around the 1 week mark! 

-Amanda

[Rebecca001]

I started on Monday but unfortunately I have not succeeded and will be restarting (again) tomorrow. I have done lots of W30s and have also done a long term paleo lifestyle, but I’m finding it hard recently and struggling to do more than a few days before turning to those foods I am addicted to. It’s definitely a habit I have broken before and can break again. 
how are you getting on? 

[amalee09]

Nice to meet you Rebecca! I hear you on the cravings. They haven't been too bad this time around for me, but I have really been craving a glass of wine most nights. I don't have too much of a traditional sweet sugar dragon, but definitely miss savory/salty starchy foods. It sounds like you're pretty seasoned when it comes to eating this way... Out of curiosity, do you have some favorite go-to meals when you start a fresh W30? Do you keep it pretty consistent, or do you like more variety? 

I've been doing pretty well... Think I finally turned a corner on energy levels yesterday, but definitely still on a little bit of the roller coaster. I'm sleeping longer, but maybe a little restless. I also tend to get some digestive issues the first week, but those seem to be clearing up. I'm not sure how science-y this is, but I'm telling myself that it's my microbiome readjusting to healthier food options and not relying on so many carbs. 

Hope you have a great weekend and wishing you the best with your restart. Please do keep in touch here... I know we're a few days off, but perhaps we can still motivate each other! 

[Rebecca001]

I do tend to have a few things that I always put in the menu. There’s a citrus pork carnitas recipe (I modify it a bit because we really like belly pork so I tend to do it with that instead of a joint of pork), any sort of chimichurri chicken. In prep for my week I have done a huge pot of ratatouille because I find it really versatile, either I do a scoop of it and crack eggs into it and add chilli, or I do meatballs with it, things like that. I’m really enjoying meatloaf recipes at the moment as well (meatloaf isn’t a popular thing in the uk like it is in America) and I find them really good to prep and have in the fridge. And things like lamb mince burgers with mint as well. 
In fact, almost  anything which can be prepared in advance. I tend to do a big cook up, eat it at all meals for a few days, then cook up again something different. 
 

I also do like a shake/smoothie and I know they aren’t technically allowed but I do coconut cream/canned milk, almond milk, spinach, kale, frozen berries, matcha powder, cucumber, squeeze of lime. It looks horrible like brown sludge but they taste ok once you get used to no sweetness. I will have that if I’m running in the morning as I can’t eat before a run.