Well, I found myself attempting something a bit crazy this summer. Whole30. Every heard of it? No? Neither did I until a few short weeks ago. I found myself in a rut, trying to eat healthy but having this intolerable sweet tooth that was landing me with a bowl of ice cream every night on my couch. I was tired, stressed, and I just couldn't get my hands on enough sugar.
At work, a friend told me that her sister in-law did this crazy meal plan for 30 days which has some pretty rigid rules like: no dairy, no alcohol, no sugar, no beans. She told me her SIL lost 12 or 13 pounds (I can't exactly remember) following this plan for 30 days and it changed her relationship with food.
Ding.Ding.Ding. That's exactly what I need. I need to end this bad relationship with my food.
So five days after hearing the word Whole30 for the first time, I found myself attempting this crazy 30 day journey. And of course because I have a ton of free time (hahaha) I thought I would document what I ate along the way. The Whole30 program actually recommends that you DON'T track your food (I think because you're over thinking it then) so I think this is one of the many reasons you won't find a lot of menu plans online. If you're thinking about attempting the whole30 program yourself, perhaps you'll find inspiration in my journey.
You can read about whole30 on their website here:
All about Whole30. But here is a really quick summary of what you CAN NOT eat:
1. No Sugar. None. Not even honey. Read your labels!
2. No alcohol. Not even for cooking.
3. No grains, none of them. No rice, Bulgar, oatmeal, quinoa, noodles, etc.
4. No legumes, including peanuts and peanut butter.
5. No dairy. This means no milk or CHEESE!
6. No caarageenan, MSG, or sulfites. Again, read your labels!
7. No Paleo-fied "treats".
You might be asking, what's left? LOTS. I promise! Fruits, veggies, meat, nuts, and eggs. And you'll eat a lot of these items. You'll also learn, there aren't a lot of recipes because you really don't need any. Cook your protein, pair it with a veggie and you're done! And if you are wondering if this is "kid friendly". Yes! My kids (7, 2, and 7 months) usually ate the same meal right along side my husband and I. There's nothing crazy here folks, after all, it's
whole food!
Here are the reasons I wanted to attempt this program:
1. Lose weight.
Ok, big elephant in the room. I'm doing this to
lose weight.
I want to get back to a healthy weight for LOTS of reasons but here are some of my top reasons.
I got gestational diabetes with my final pregnancy. There's a 60% chance that I'll get type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years because of that. Being overweight is one of the biggest reasons type 2 would occur. Obviously, I'd like to reduce my risk of type two!
I want to play with my kids. Without getting winded, without struggling, without getting tired. I got 3 very young children. They deserve active healthy parents that will live for a very long time. I want to see them grow into very old men.
I want to buy clothes "off the rack". I don't want to go to plus size stores or sections. I also really want to go to some trendy second hand places and buy nice used clothes at a discount (that's a lot harder to find in plus sizes). Buying used clothes would be a huge budget saver!
2. Break my sugar addiction.
It's a real thing. I love sugar more than anything. My typical breakfast is sugar: two cups of coffee, each with 3 tablespoons of sugary creamer, two chocolate chip granola bars (candy bar anyone?), and homemade yogurt with chocolate chips, honey, and sweetened shredded coconut added to it (again, candy bar anyone?). No wonder I wanted sugar all day long.
I wanted this program to tame my sugar dragon. I want to be in control of me again, not my cravings.
3. Cure my Candida.
For the past 20 years I've had an off again on again problem with candida (skin yeast infection). Mainly on again. I read that this program resolved candida for some and I was hoping it would do the same for me.
Here's a few before shots. I wasn't going to post these, they make me cringe. But, a friend and I have been having a lot of body image discussions and I need to start feeling good about myself, no matter what size I am. I also need to remember that my family and friends love me for who I am and not based on the number on the scale. They would not love me less if the scale said 900 lbs and would not love me more just because the scale says 120 lbs. They love me for me and I need to start doing the same.
Well, now that that is out of of the way......wish me luck! See you soon! I'll be back with my first week on this journey real soon.
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal,
Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies
sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not
limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur,
sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those
gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways
we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ,
starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all
kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas,
chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also
includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and
all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or
sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir,
yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified
butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing
to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is
totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you
can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got
you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a
pancake, regardless of the ingredients
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.WbAwOMbC.dpuf
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal,
Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies
sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not
limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur,
sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those
gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways
we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ,
starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all
kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas,
chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also
includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and
all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or
sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir,
yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified
butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing
to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is
totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you
can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got
you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a
pancake, regardless of the ingredients
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.WbAwOMbC.dpuf
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal,
Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies
sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not
limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur,
sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those
gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways
we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ,
starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all
kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas,
chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also
includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and
all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or
sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir,
yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified
butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing
to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is
totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you
can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got
you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a
pancake, regardless of the ingredients.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.WbAwOMbC.dpuf
Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial.
No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal,
Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies
sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
Do not consume alcohol in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not
limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur,
sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those
gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. This also includes all the ways
we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ,
starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all
kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas,
chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also
includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and
all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or
sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir,
yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified
butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
Do not try to re-create baked goods, junk foods, or treats* with “approved” ingredients. Continuing
to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is
totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you
can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got
you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a
pancake, regardless of the ingredients.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/#sthash.WbAwOMbC.dpuf
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