Weigh In Wednesday & Whole30 Week 1

 

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Hi all! Remember, no weigh in until the end of Whole30. I'm currently on Day 11! Yay for double digits and for being 1/3 of the way "done." Honestly the first week was very manageable and I felt great! No cravings, no headaches, no stomach issues, no cranky/angry feelings. It all felt very normal. 

Once the weekend hit, I knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge. I still wasn't having any cravings but I do think my brain was expecting to go out to eat and maybe a milk stout (gah!).  It just didn't seem like a "normal weekend." By this point, I was starting to feel a little more tired than usual particularly in the afternoon. For a few days, I felt like I wasn't staying asleep the whole night but things are starting to get back to normal!

This is accurate.

Here's a look at a few "typical" meals these past few days. As always, we've been keeping it simple!

Breakfast

I've shared this before but holy YUM! Sweet potato (topped with cinnamon & coconut oil), egg, compliant prosecution. Add berries or some greens = best breakfast ever!

Same as above!

Today's breakfast: egg muffins chocked full of veggies, compliant/sugar free bacon (I finally found some at Whole Foods!), blueberries & blackberries.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! I eat eggs more days than not, vegetables, protein, and usually some fruit like berries/cuties/banana (if no sweet potato), & black coffee. I find that if I eat just fruit or a similar carb heavy breakfast, I get hungry quick! Fats and protein for fullness & flavor!

Lunch

Spinach salad with berries & homemade tahini dressing + chicken breast + bacon

The BEST chili spaghetti EVER! Chocolate chili + spaghetti squash. Carrots and cashew butter (may be better than peanut butter).

Tuna salad over greens + "mashed" potato (with ghee) + tomatoes and pickles

Probably my favorite lunch so far - Chicken salad (recipe from Andrea @ A Doctor in the House). I topped mine with a few hemp hearts for crunch. Banana & tomatoes.

Also, fun fact! La Croix water is Whole 30 approved! It's great for when I'm wanting some carbonation or to switch up my water game!

Dinner

Dinner is pretty typical for us - most of our dinners looked like this before the Whole30 anyway. We don't do a lot of casseroles or fancy things. Just proteins and roasted sides. 

Shrimp + lemon basil noodles, sweet potato, and berries/cashews.

Chicken sausage & peppers, avocado, and sauteed rainbow chard! 

Yeah, so we eat a lot of leftovers which is GREAT! Neither one of us is picky as long as there is food and we can throw something together quickly. Nick has been working a lot so we usually don't have time to prepare a meal and eat together anyway.  We just do what we can! 

Snacks

The Whole30 encourages participants to limit snacking and rejects the now popular "eat 5-6 meals a day" thing which I tend to agree with. It does allow for pre & post-workout snack/meals IF you need them, depending on your level of training.

If I feel particularly hungry (like I would chicken and broccoli, not I want a cupcake), then I eat a snack. I try to grab some tomatoes, carrots, etc. first. If I'm about to workout or I get home from Crossfit, I may opt for a banana/apple with almond butter, 1/2 a Larabar with nut butter, an egg muffin, etc. I think in the future I'm going to try to eat more protein like some chicken breast if the snacking bug strikes, just to see how I respond. 

Banana + almond butter + coconut flakes + hemp hearts

I swear there are only two of us living here!

Pros

• I'm still not having cravings for junk food/sugar/etc. In the past, I would CRAVE specific foods - like bean burritos, mac and cheese, pizza, etc. and right now, I just don't have that. I love the Whole30 for that result alone. I've felt imprisoned by my food thoughts for a long time, so to feel some relief from it is just amazing! 
• I'm feeling "tighter" especially in my belly area. My pooch is slowly going away (thanks, Crossfit!). 
• My energy is starting to pick back up after a few days of tiredness. My sleep is starting to get better, as well. 
• I'm still eating the same amount of food as I was before the Whole30 - I don't feel deprived but I also don't feel like I'm "overdoing it" because I'm hungry all the time (the past few days have been a bit different though....see below).

Cons

• For the past 2-3 days, I've had some weird stomach cramps that come and go. It feels like hunger pangs except theres no way I'm hungry because I either just ate or mentally just don't want to eat.
• I've been leaning on compliant condiments (hot sauce and paleo mayo) a lot to add more flavor to my food. I think I need cut back a bit and embrace the natural taste of food/add more spices.
• I have to watch my servings of potatoes and nut butters. These are things I really love and will have a tendency to load up on if I don't watch it. I've done a really good job of watching portion control so far but just need to keep it in the back of my mind as the new wears off this challenge.

This week

• I hoping my belly pangs start to subside and I get the famous burst of energy soon. I'm still anxiously awaiting all the wonderful results people talk about!
• Just keep doing what I'm doing. I feel happy with things so far!
• Try a few more recipes or maybe take Whole30 out to dinner to a real restaurant - Valentine's Day is Saturday! It would be nice to have someone else prepare a dry grilled steak and veggies :) hint hint, Nicholas. 
• Get my training runs in - I've been having trouble with my back (going to the doc tomorrow!). I'll update tomorrow about Crossfit and running :)

Any Whole30ers have these weird belly pangs? Any remedies for upset stomachs?