Shadrach and I managed to survive the first week of Whole30. Woohoo! I’m so glad we survived and stuck with it. It was hard and there were moments I think we were both ready to give up. We did not kill each other but I think there were times Shadrach looked at me and wondered what he got himself into.
It’s been a little harder for him this week, especially since one day he felt very light headed and nauseous. We are thinking it’s because of low sugar or caffeine withdrawals. I found the right balance of foods and quantities for him so he wouldn’t feel too tired or light headed. So I’m spending A TON of time in the kitchen. Much more than I have ever spent in the kitchen. I have pretty much had to cook three meals a day. I’m hoping in gets easier as the days continue to pass.
Instead of giving you an overview of the whole week, I kept a bit of a journal of each day. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t kept things updated on social media like I planned. I just didn’t seem to have the time or energy to put into it like I wanted. I did manage to get a few pictures of our meals, though.
Day 1 – Monday
So, we kicked off Whole30 today. I thought for sure that it would be hard, but it’s turned out not to be that bad. My mom and I did our grocery shopping and stuck to our list. Everything cost A LOT more than I imagined it would. Hopefully, next week will be a little cheaper. Shadrach mentioned that Whole30 can cost up to $800 in groceries for the 30 days! So, after seeing how much our groceries were, I wouldn’t be surprised if we spend that much. Overall, today was a good day.
Day 2 – Tuesday
I woke up this morning feeling fine. I kept expecting things to be hard and to feel terrible. The book explains things day by day and usually by day 2, the cravings should be getting tough. I seem to be dodging that for right now. Other than feeling a little tired this afternoon, overall, I feel fine. I’m being extra diligent to drink enough water and eat all three meals.
Lunch seems to be the hardest meal of the day for me to eat. I’m so used to just snacking throughout the day but I’m being intentional in sitting down and eating. It just seems to be a lot later in the day then I want. Also, yesterday I thought the coffee with only almond milk in it wasn’t too bad. Today, I really wanted my sugar. I’m hoping at the end of the 30 days that I will get used to plain coffee.
Day 3- Wednesday
Okay, I feel like I spend my life in the kitchen! It takes a lot more work than I thought to make sure we all have food to eat. I didn’t realize how much we depended on upon packaged and processed food to help speed up the process of getting meals on the table. I’m used to cooking dinner a few nights a week, but having to cook three meals a day, is A LOT! I’m hoping it gets easier as we get further along and I figure out how to do some meal prep over the weekends.
Overall, today, I felt fine. I just get a little tired in the late afternoons/early evenings. Other than that, I haven’t really craved anything and I feel like I’m getting plenty to eat. I’m still hoping the coffee gets better, though.
Day 4 – Thursday
Today was okay. I just feel tired all the time and I wake up really foggy headed but it clears up after I eat breakfast. I just feel like I could nap all day long. In all honesty, I love naps anyway, and before this even started I could easily take a nap every day. So maybe that isn’t a symptom of detox, but who knows.
For our dinner, I prepared a meal using the crockpot to help save some time in the kitchen. The meal turned out pretty good. If nothing else, Whole30 foods have good flavor and there is plenty of it. I’m just starting to miss cheese and bread. Potatoes just don’t seem to cut it for me.
Another thing is, with my coffee not being exactly what I want, I have cut back to just one cup a day. Maybe that could be considered a good thing. I keep thinking back to what the book said about the first week and I really haven’t had any tough cravings or felt too terrible. Let’s hope it stays that way. Maybe I wasn’t eating as bad as I thought before starting this. 🙂
Breakfast! Scrambled Eggs W/ Spinach and Green Peppers, Roasted Potatoes, and a Banana.
Day 5 – Friday
I learned something today. If I do not sit and eat a good lunch, the cravings are rough in the afternoons and evenings. I am so tired and the thought of spending more time in the kitchen than necessary make me want to cry. So I skimped on lunch. I just ate an apple with almond butter and some carrots and Whole30 approved ranch dressing. No protein. Boy was that a mistake. The cravings today have been horrible. All I have wanted was bread and cheese and something sweet to eat.
I guess it all hit me a little later than the book stated. I am ready to throw in the towel and say, “Forget it!” Don’t worry, I won’t, but man do I want to. I’m going to stick it out because Shadrach and my mom are doing this with me and I need to support them as much as they are supporting me. Plus, I have you all following along. If nothing else, having you here, checking in, has helped me stick to it
Tomorrow will be a real test, though. We are heading to the Pumpkin Patch and its the first time I’ve really ventured out. I guess we will see what happens. Its a little scary thinking about navigating a meal out of the house.
Day 6 – Saturday
I survived the test of leaving the house and having to deal with a meal. I prepared lots of approved foods and took them with us to the Pumpkin Patch. There were apple slices, carrot sticks, mixed nuts, Lara bars, and plantain chips. It was great that we had this food because it prevented us from getting too hungry and making a poor choice. I just keep reminding myself that if I cheat, even a small thing, I have to start all over at day one! I don’t want that! So I am sticking to the meal plan and approved foods.
I discovered once again that not having a good lunch really messes with me in the afternoons and evenings. While our snacks helped prevent us from eating out, it wasn’t enough for me. I needed meat and a whole meal. So, I know this coming week that I will be intentional about my lunch time and make sure it is a full meal.
I spent the evening in the kitchen again. I made pork chops with sautéed potatoes and California mix veggies. It was a pretty good meal. That craving for something sweet was so strong this evening. I almost just wanted to give up, again, but I stuck with it and just tried to distract myself. Let’s hope week 2 goes a bit smoother than things are going right now. I think if I had my way, I’d just sleep through the next 30 days. Ha! I know, it’s not possible but it would be nice. 🙂
Day 7 – Sunday
Today was our cheat day! JUST KIDDING! I wish there was a cheat day but Shadrach and I stuck to our meal plan. I think for me this has been the best day so far. There were a few, brief moments of craving food I can’t have, but overall it seems to be getting easier. I know that each day will have its own trials and difficulties. I’m just trying to take it all one day at a time. 🙂
Dinner! Spaghetti Squash, Ground Hamburger, and Tomato Sauce.
Let me recap the top three things I learned this week:
1. Whole30 requires a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and prepping.
2. I don’t like my coffee with just almond milk in it. I like my dash of milk and a bit of sugar.
3. I can’t skip eating a good lunch. It turns me into a cranky monster that craves all junk food.
There you have it. Seven days complete, only twenty-three more to go. I certainly hope this all gets easier as the day’s pass. The amount of time food preparation takes and the cravings are so tough. It’s not exactly how I envisioned this week going. I know that after the 30 days are over we will have gained some new healthy habits. I hope we will feel like a million bucks! If you are new here and are wondering what I’m talking about or you are interested in why we are doing Whole30, check it out here.
I promise this week I will be checking in and posting bits of our journey on social media, so make sure you are following us, especially on Instagram and Facebook! I hope you have a great week!
* We are not being compensated to review or provide our opinion on this program.
Laura Ramnath
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One of my coworkers is basically on a Whole 30 diet but she’s been doing it since the beginning of September. She said it was hard at first but now its become her lifestyle and she doesn’t miss sugar or creamers in her coffee. I’m not completely doing Whole 30 but we have cut out a lot of bad carbs at home and replaced with loads of fruits and veggies. I am also down to just 1 packet of Sugar in the Raw in my morning cup of tea instead of the usual 3 – not too bad 🙂
I hear it does get easier as you go through it. I am still missing sugar and milk in my coffee though. 🙂 That’s awesome that you guys have cut out a lot of the bad. You are basically half way there to Whole30! Did your garden do well? Are a lot of the veggies your eating from that? Thanks Jameka for stopping by! 🙂