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March 3, 2015

A Whole 30 WOOOOOOOORLD {Recipe Files}

Hello, ladies! I have a confession to make to y'all. Last week I started the Whole30 program without telling anyone. EEEK! Yeah, I know, shame on me being a blogger. But, I wanted to try it out to see if it was something I could actually accomplish before I let the world in on my new goal. I've been intrigued by Whole30 for awhile, yet wasn't sure it was something I could complete without failing. After a week though, I've found that even though it's hard it's worth it and something that I am 100% going to ride to the end.

What is Whole30 you ask? The easiest way to describe Whole30 is a short term nutritional reset. Not quite a detox or a diet, but a lifestyle change for 30 days.

While on Whole30 you are not allowed to eat the following foods:
  • "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." {source}

Woof, that's a lot of things Do NOT EAT, right? But honestly, it's not that hard if you plan for it. The hardest part for me is the no dairy and no alcohol. I like some cream in my coffee and a glass of wine to celebrate a special occasion. But, besides that, I've been having a great time finding fun recipes to try to keep things fresh and keep my eats clean. Even though I'm not on Instagram, I found the Official Whole30 Insta page and immediately bookmarked it because the recipes looked so amazing.

I've been LOVING this salad recipe, that I jazz up with a lil chicken or tuna for added protein. I also am inhaling this avocado-citrus dressing [I've cut the orange/lemon portions in half]. I'll put it on veggies, wraps and it was a life saver at the bachelorrette party. I didn't feel as deprived because I was actually able to snack on veggies during the festivities.

Special treats are kind of off limits, so it was a bit of a trial to find something delicious to sip while everyone sipped wine on Saturday. I haphazardly threw things together and was quite happy with my creation. I happily have I dubbed this drink the "Not Prego Fake Wineo" ;)!

It's super simple, I promise. You'll need sparkling water [or if you want a Ginger Ale or Sprite if you drink soda], cut strawberries and minced mint. Pour yourself a hearty class oh drink and then add lots of strawberries [they taste best when slightly frozen] and mint. Stir and enjoy!


This is the sparkling water I used. I normally don't like sparkling water, but with the extras it tasted pretty good.
Let me know if you try it out. If you're drinking white wine, I highly suggest freezing grapes and using them as ice. I served frozen grapes on Saturday and everyone loved them. Frozen grapes are my go to in the summer, tasty and does the cooling job well.

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I'm choosing to document my journey daily so I have something to look back on at the end of the program. I didn't just do this program for Lent nor did I just do it as a diet. I really wanted to try and test my willpower and see what happens when I actually stick to something for 30 days. Feel free to skip if it's too much text, I totally understand. 

Day 1: Today we start Whole30. It was my idea and I am honestly a bit surprised Le Husband jumped on it with me so quickly. I think it mostly has to do with his injury and inability to workout as much as we normally do. There are a TON of food on the DO NOT EAT list and I'm a bit worried I'll be able to get through the 30 days. I know I'm going to miss dairy the most, especially with my coffee, but I'm gonna give it a go. Nothing seems to be making a difference food wise in my body, so this is kind of my hail Mary. Hopefully this documentation will help me when I look back for progress.

Day 2: Ugh, black coffee. I miss my organic creamer. Breakfast and lunch today weren't too bad and I don't really have a headache. I am a lil more munchy though. I don't think I packed enough veggies/fruits to snack on, so I'll have to pick it up tomorrow. There are a bunch of prep recipes I plan to make tonight, so fingers crossed they taste good. I'm following Whole30 on instagram [well lurking since I don't have Insta] and found some tasty meals. Here's hoping I don't get burnt out.

Day 3: The new recipes I created last night were really good today. I'm still waking up tired, so I'm waiting for this amazing NEW ENERGY everyone talks about with this meal plan. I forgot part of my snack and so I had to improvise with just tuna, not what I wanted at all, but I ate everything. Le Husband created a new meal for us, with sausage, marinara and eggplant and I tried zoodles for the first time. Had a bit of a oops, but will definitely be incorporating them more in the future.

Day 4: Work from home day and golly is it hard to stick to just Whole30. I get so snacky when I work from home and I really want a cup of hot cocoa. I guess I could try with almond milk and tea, but can't have cocoa, sad face. We have Sportyspice's bday dinner tonight and who knows how that will go down. My family gives me a hard time about my meal choices sometimes and I hope we can get through the night without the standard food argument.

Day 5: WOOHOO, we've made it to Friday. Last night went okay, but I was starving after dinner. My family has become a bit touchy with Le Husband and my choice of diet and while it's frustrating, I try to balance attending family events and keeping everyone happy as best I can. Tonight should be fun though, we are going to Top Golf for Sportyspice's bday which will be a good time I'm sure. It's gonna be cold and I kind of wish I could look forward to a hot cocoa while golfing, but no such luck. Work was a bit crazy tonight and I really wanted a glass of wine and pizza for dinner, but stuck to our plan of fish and veggies. Le Husband and I both gave it the side eye, because we wanted something heartier, but we ate it and I honestly felt good about it once we arrived at Top Golf.

Day 6: Today was kind of all over the place, diet wise. I didn't really eat ANYTHING until 2pm because I was soooooo busy getting everything together. I'm getting used to plain black coffee, but sometimes I really just want to add a lil cream. Only 24 more days, woohoo! I have to admit that I'm REALLY proud of myself today. I hosted a bachelorrette party and didn't eat ANYTHING that wasn't on my diet. Did I mention it was a WINE & PAINT party? And that dinner was at my favorite Spanish tapas restaurant that also serves some amazing sangria? Yeah, talk about a test of willpower. I wanted to bump starting Whole30 to next week because of today, but Le Husband said no. And honestly, I'm glad he did. I've never said NO for a special occasion and it was great to see that I could enjoy myself without indulging. #thankyoulentfortheextrawillpower

Day 7: Woof, today I was exhausted and cranky. Makes sense since I didn't eat much at all yesterday and worked my lil tail off. It was a busy, icy morning and I just wanted to curl up with nachos and hot cocoa, not together of course. But, I ate my eggs for lunch and then spent an hour prepping for the week. I have to say as annoying as prep is, Whole30 has made me realize I really can MAKE the time to eat healthy. In the past I'd just say forget it and forge around in the morning or eat out for lunch. On Whole30 I can't cheat, so I have to force myself to prep which helps out in the long run. I had a late soccer game tonight, too and even though I've been out for four weeks with trips, I felt pretty good. Must be all that healthy food.

Linking up *here**here**here* and *here*.

34 comments:

  1. Good luck! I have a friend who's on day 18 or 20 right now and she said it's not as difficult as she thought it would be. But really, I think the no wine thing would be the hardest for me. Your Not Pregger drink sounds good though! I'll have to pass it along to one of my besties who is preggers!

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  2. I'm glad that you and your husband are doing it together...I think having to prep two meals that are different would be hard!! I think it's awesome that you are doing it to test your will power - way to go girl and I can't wait for you to complete it!! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston

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  3. Oh my word. What an intense program but when you eliminate all those different things from your eating, you are sure to see awesome results… All the best, friend!!

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  4. i can't wait to keep following you along! It is so much easier when your significant other is willing to do a diet with you......mine.....not so much. Your non alcoholic drink looks so yummy!

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  5. It's really impressive that you're going through with this! Good luck!

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  6. Kudos to you for even trying this. I do not think i could make it.

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  7. Haha love the Not Prego Fake Wino! Such a great idea, you're doing amazing! I don't think I'd ever be able to make it through :-P

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  8. You go, girl! You can do it! I definitely won't be trying anything like that right now with this 31 week bump (and hormones and cravings), but it sounds like it would be an amazing way to "restart" your body/system. One thing I CAN try? That delish looking drink. What a fun mocktail!:)

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  9. No waaaaaaaaay! I'm not sure why, but you continue to amaze me as I read your blog each day, ha ha! I should just be used to that by now! You are super woman! I have zero desire to commit to this whole30 but love cheering on others who do it!
    Do you have Instagram (and if you do, WHY AM I NOT FOLLOWING YOU?!) because I follow a few different whole30 accounts, or accounts that give whole30 recipes I could share with you!
    The food actually looks delish as it makes people get real creative and I LOVE making the recipes for dinner. But again, it's not something I could commit to for a whole month!
    But I'm so prepared to be your biggest cheerleader ;) You go girl!

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  10. Another blog I read, one of the ladies is doing whole30 too. It is rants from mommyland (http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/) you might get some other interesting ideas from there! :)

    Good luck on the rest of your journey!!

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  11. Is it weird that I started singing A Whole New World right when I saw your title? Didn't think so :) Good luck on Whole30!

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  12. I don't think I could do this! Good for you! :)

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  13. Wowsa, that sounds super intense, but if it's something you can commit to...YOU GO GIRL! :)

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  14. Good luck, can't wait to see what you think at the end of your whole 30

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  15. Wow congrats on getting it this far! Sounds like a pretty hard challenge to me but sounds like you're doing great. Not sure how I'd deal with black coffee and no alcohol on the weekends haha

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  16. You're amazing! I don't think I could handle it myself, I don't do well on things that are that restrictive, so I am amazed by the people who commit to it! I'm sure you will love your results!

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  17. I've been thinking about doing Whole 30 for awhile now...but I've heard it isn't so vegetarian friendly. The Pilot wants to try it too, but planning for him to carry his meals on the road is hard enough as it is. I'm still really thinking about it and this post definitely makes it seem a bit more manageable though...

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  18. GET IT GIRL! IDK if I could comit to it I have not done much research into it but looking at what you can not eat alone I would think it would be rough. What have you been eating?

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  19. Good for you, lady!! That IG salad looks wonderful, I love adding citrus to salads. Good luck continuing with Whole30!

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  20. Good for you!! I am so intimidated by the 'do not eat' list... my brain checks out before I can even think about starting it

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  21. I've heard aaaaamazing things about this program. Major props to you girl! That drink looks tasty, but I don't think I could have the willpower...major high five!!!

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  22. You're committed so I gotta hand it to you for your dedication! Good luck and keep us posted. You got this :)

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  23. YES YES YES!!!! you're so right -- it *seems* like you're cutting out a lot of stuff but if you really think about it - all that stuff isn't good for you so why eat it?? looking fwd to your updates :)

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  24. I know you can do this!! Can't wait to follow along on your journey and hear your thoughts/reviews of the experience - I've been wanting to give it a try sometime, too!

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  25. Your willpower is amazing!! Props to you for successfully completing the first week! I don't think I could give up cream and sugar in my coffee every morning. I'm sorry that your family isn't always supportive of your dietary choices...maybe they will understand it more once you've finished the month and have seen the benefits. Looking forward to reading more about Whole30!

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  26. Oh man. I know I wouldn't be able to stick with this, but I'm so impressed with you! :) You can DO IT!!!!!!!!

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  27. way to go! if i ever did this it would probably have to be "whole 3" instead of 30 ... haha! i want to hear more about how it goes for you!!

    xo welltraveledwife.com

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  28. Well look at you! I hope you just rock this challenge. Whole30 is not for me, I just know it. However, I'm a very healthy person in general, so that's my excuse... ;-)

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  29. It takes a while to get into this kind of eating I know but it works!! Good luck girlie!

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  30. I so want to give the whole 30 a try. I think it's so good to learn how to eat extra health! Also loving your mock tail!!

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  31. You go girl!!! I don't think I could do it so I'm always so impressed by people who do! You've got this.

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  32. good for you girl! loved reading about it and love your honesty. I am sorry your family gives you trouble for your diet choices - my in laws, and heck even my mum sometimes, give us shit about what we do or dont want to eat. like, what is so wrong with wanting to be healthy?
    anyway. cant wait to hear more about it (that drink sounds yum!) but i know the whole 30 isn't for me. no beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa or rice? those things aren't bad for you, though i understand why they are cut out because they can cause issues (all grains besides rice and quinoa give me issues!) and its a great way to find out what is giving you problems, but those things make up 99% of my diet! lol.

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  33. That is very similar to Paleo diets. The no diary is the hardest part.

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  34. Good for you! Will is doing a juice challenge right now and I'm trying to do it with him. However, I need lots of protein and a certain number of calories, so I only drink two juices with him and eat food the rest of my meals. It's been fun, but I'd never do it for real, lol.

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