Frustrated

[whole30tryingit]

Okay I am struggling with this. Today is Day 9. I have stuck to plan 100%. Yesterday I was so tired all day. I am feeling down as I feel like it is very expensive. I have spent triple what I normally spend to feed my family of 5. I decided to try this for my health and also to see if it helped my migraines. Also we are traveling this weekend. I have read the ISWF book and I have read travel tips. I guess because I feel tired I am feeling like this is too hard, expensive and involves too much planning/thinking ahead. Anyone else felt these things and overcame them?

[missmary]

You are on day 9. It is tough at first, but I want to encourage you to hang in there. I'm maybe 9-months+ from my first whole30 (and eating this way all the time). I feel SO MUCH BETTER! But it didn't happen all at once. It also got a whole heck of a lot easier and cheaper once I got a little ways into it. I now know how much produce and meat to buy so I don't run out and get stressed and I don't let it go bad either, and, once I bought all the staples (the fish sauce and the coconut aminos and the coconut oil and the ghee*) my grocery bill calmed down.

*none of these are required, by the way, they just make it fun/interesting. Focus on meat/fish/eggs and vegetables. They are what's important in the food department.

You can do this! Give it enough time to work it's magic,

[annabel]

It is a lot of work when you first get started with it and involves loads of planning. (I probably spent 2-3 weeks planning before I started my Whole30). But my shopping trips take about ten minutes now as I only visit the produce and meat section Can you enlist any of your family to help with some of the meal choosing and meal prep?

If you used to eat out regularly and are eating at home instead, definitely factor that into your budget (and any alcohol that you would be drinking otherwise). I eat a lot of eggs, partially because I like them, but also because they're cheap. Frozen veg is another budget saver.

I kind of figure that anything that's worth doing should be a little bit difficult. If you have strong reasons for doing this then focus on those reasons.

[Moluv]

It can get cheaper for sure. At first (2+months ago) I was making a lot of recipes and buying a lot of ingredients and sometimes my kids didn't even like what I made. Once my tastebuds changed I started liking much simpler food too and our meals became much more basic. Like meatballs and steamed veggies or raw veggies even. I even buy all grassfed/free range meats and mostly organic produce and I'm spending about the same- I think the big price difference is not buying snacks and so many varieties of food.

If you can get over the hump it will be worth it. Just think- you wouldn't feel like such garbage right now if the things you had been eating before were not affecting you negatively. Make simple meals, rest as much as you can, and do your best for yourself and your family.

[Samster]

I think I know how you feel because I felt the same way the first 30 days as I was buying a lot of stuff and was extremely picky (drove my wife crazy). This July will be my first pure whole9life (much preferred term than Paleo) anniversary (with a few exceptions around the holidays) and I gotta say that it gets better every day. In ISWF they stated in the "What to Expect" section that it might take longer than just 30 days to feel the difference and reap the fruit; and it's very true. As far as budget goes, that too got much better as I finally figured out what to buy from where at what cost. It took me a while as well to figure out the amounts I need per week or month. So I'd join fellow commentators here in telling you to hang in there, but quite frankly if after a month or two you KNOW FOR A FACT that you're not feeling any better, maybe this is not a good fit for you. The planning part also seemed confusing in the beginning and took too long, but then again, once you figure what your needs are and where to buy your stuff from, you won't even need planning; it will become second nature.

[whole30tryingit]

Thanks everyone. I didn't think about the cost of a lot of those staple items in the beginning. That is a good point. I have always cooked for my family so that part is not a change for us - but I do find it frustrating when our kids don't like what I make and keep requesting spaghetti and tacos, etc. I know I just need to do the versions of these meals that is in the ISWF. I don't know what my problem is - I think it is just hard - I dove right in and didn't think about it much but just did it. I will say that all the days I felt really great except for day 8, I was SO tired. Thanks for all your encouraging words. It really does help to know that others have been through this and feel great (and figured out how to not spend a fortune!) We are traveling out of town this weekend for one of our daughters tournaments ... any advice? There will be no cooking. We will be eating out every meal.

[Marie Davis]

My kiddo is only 2, I just tell her we don't have any noodles or crackers. She then usually asks for eggies or taybos (tomatoes).

I figure we're saving $30-$40/week in WINE, and countless more on quinoa, rice, gluten free noodles (we cut wheat in January), and the sugar cured meats that we love. Also, cheese

My grocery bill was the same, but the veggie and fruit drawers are full

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

I agree it gets easier as you go....I'm still waiting for it to get cheaper, but then I'm in a "blended" household so I have not been able to completely eliminate nonW30 foods.

As far as eating out, bunless burgers over salad was my go to for dining out during my 30. Breakfasts, I'd stick with hard boiled or poached eggs, that way you don't have to wonder what the eggs were cooked in and steer clear of most restaurants cured breakfast meats. Other than that, pack a lot of complaint snacks! If you can stock a cooler with cooked protein, cut veggies, nuts, etc. That way you won't have to worry as much if you can't find much compliant food on the road.

[Tasha Bird]

I felt like crap for two weeks! But I'm finally feeling good now and it's worth it. My migraines are totally gone.