Whole 30 Progress

WHOLE 30--My Journey

So you've probably seen me posting my Whole 30 food photos or mentioning it in some of my fitness posts. I decided to give this a try in January after hearing many people rave about how they felt. I turned 47 this year and I've noticed lately that many foods really bother my stomach. I eat pretty clean and exercise regularly but still seemed to have troubles with certain foods. SO it seemed like the perfect thing for me to cut out sugar, grains, legumes, and dairy.

Even though my health and fitness has been going well, the holidays did get the best of me. I try to follow the 80/20 rule for nutrition, which means 80% of the time I am on track and 20% of the time I am no. Don't get me wrong I didn't miss a day of working out but the eating....yeah it got a little out of hand with too many treats and such! It made perfect sense for me to start this after the New Year to get back on track.

What does Whole 30 look like for me so far?

For the most part I am eating pretty similar to the plan I had been following, which consisted of using the fix containers.I plan to PUSH the "reset" button on my metabolism, systematic inflammation, and the downstream effects of the food choices I've been making, especially over the holidays! I plan to eat REAL FOOD....I will eat meat, seafood, eggs, tons of veggies, some fruit, and plenty of good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. I will eat foods with very few ingredients, and all will be pronounceable and unprocessed. I love that I also have a WHOLE 30 shopping list. (Trader Joe's and Aldi are my favorite shopping places so far!)

I will NOT eat and AVOID for 30 days...and by committing these foods and beverages it will help me regain my healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help me discover how these foods are truly impacting my health, fitness and quality of life!!! (my real reason for doing this!)

• 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. 

And this is the most difficult rule for me so FAR: 

One last and final rule: You are not allowed to step on the scale or take any body measurements for the duration of the program.

But look at the foods I CAN EAT!

PROGRESS So far....

I am currently on day 14, and will be starting week 3 tomorrow. Check out my post from my first day:

Whole 30 day 1 has been a success! I felt like I ate pretty healthy, but the main reason I chose to try this is because I have become very sensitive to foods. I'm eliminating sugar, grains, dairy and legumes, and pushing the "reset" button with my metabolism, systemic inflammation and the downstream effects of the food choices that I've been making! I usually comoletr the Ultimate Reset (which I ❤) but chose to try this after some encouragement from friends.

I am not willing to give up you daily shakeology so that will still be incorporated into my whole 30 meal plan. ❤💙Today's meals included kitchen sink scrambled eggs, Greek salad and classic chili. I can honestly say I haven't been hungry today. I'm looking forward to completing this program and I'll apologize now about all of the food photos, but I need accountability! 😜

Here are my first two weeks of Meal Plans:

I am currently planning for week 3 and hope to have that posted soon. I encourage you to try this plan if you've been thinking about it. I feel good knowing I am eating whole foods and love the way I'm feeling and the energy I have!