Whole 30 - Week 1

As someone who has been eating primal/paleo for about a year now, I can honestly say that when I stick to the program, I definitely feel the benefits.  I feel energetic, full without snacks, and just all around good.  The trouble comes when I let it slide a bit, and I eat out a bit - a burger here, gelato there - I mean, I live on the beach - it's hard to avoid... plus it's just so much easier to not have to cook for yourself.  The problem was, I was getting into trouble a bit too often.

So, my husband and I decided that Valentine's Day, which we were spending at the Florida State Fair, would be our last big cheat day, and immediately afterwards, we were going to do the Whole 30 cold turkey.  For those who don't know, Whole 30 is based on the paleo principles, but it's a program designed to be a "nutritional reset" that takes place over 30 days.  You must eliminate: all forms of sugar (including natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey), dairy (except for ghee), grains and alcohol for the full 30 days.  

There are some further "rules" - like you should have a palm-sized portion of protein and fill the rest of your plate with vegetables at every meal.  You're also not supposed to drink your meals (ie smoothies).  For my husband and I, we've chosen not to stick to those rules so strictly.  I'm not a big fan of protein at breakfast - I can do it once or twice a week, but it just wasn't sitting well with me.  And we seem to be doing okay with our "slightly modified" version for the time being, so I'm not stressing too much.

I know the big question on your mind though - if I eliminated all those things, what the heck have I been eating over the past 7 days?  Here's what:

 Day 1

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon (not processed with sugar) & mushrooms

Lunch: shrimp stir fry

Dinner: spinach salad with chicken, almonds & strawberries







Day 2

Breakfast: Omelette with wilted spinach & bacon

Lunch: smoothie (Carrot, mango, spinach)

Dinner: Ranch chicken with broccoli







Day 3

Breakfast: fresh fruit with Bulletproof Coffee

Lunch: taco meat with fresh guacamole

Dinner: lunch leftovers, with sweet potato medallions







Day 4 (probably the most boring day)

Breakfast: Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Chicken Sausages

Lunch: Coconut Chicken with mango salsa & broccoli

Dinner (not pictured): leftovers







Day 5

Breakfast: smoothies (horrible picture! I forgot to take one earlier)

Lunch: Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce

Dinner: broiled chicken with avocado dipping sauce






Day 6 (probably our most delicious day yet!)

Breakfast: cinnamon-dusted apples, with almond butter, sprinkled with coconut

Lunch: chicken fajitas

Dinner: wings with sweet potato medallions







Day 7

Breakfast: Baked blueberry-coconut-almond

Lunch: grouper with spaghetti squash & carrots in a ghee-garlic sauce

Dinner: canned salmon with homemade paleo mayo




So, we're a week in, and I'm feeling really good!  You're not supposed to look at the scale during the entire month, but we're ignoring that rule too.  So far, I've lost 5 lbs, and my husband has lost 10!  I find that I'm not really hungry in between meals very much, but if I am, I'll grab something more satisfying that will keep me going a little bit longer.  The only bad thing so far that I've experienced is some muscle aches, starting around Day 5.  I'm feeling a bit better now - but I think it's a signal from my body that I need to drink more water.

All in all, I'm feeling great!  It does take a little more work to eat this way - definitely menu planning and cooking a little extra so that we're not constantly slaving over a hot stove.  But so far, it's been worth it!  I can't wait to see how I feel over the next three weeks!