The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
I always have a hard time remembering what each day was like when I look back on each round of Whole30 I’ve done. So for this round, I’m going to keep a journal right here on my blog! Check it out daily 🙂
Day 0
I’m absolutely dreading tomorrow. I have eaten so badly for weeks that I can’t imagine Day 1 going well. I’m thinking headaches and starvation! Ugh, but I’m so bloated and my joints are so swollen, I don’t care. I just want to be at day 10! Not looking forward to this, but I know it’ll be worth it. My breakfast and lunches are ready to go. Nothing else to do, but get some sleep!
Day 1
Day 1So… today wasn’t all that bad! I had a ton of energy all day. And I never got a headache! Not sure what that is all about, but I’m not questioning it. I only had 1 cup of coffee too. I was starving a large part of the day, but I just kept busy in order to ignore it. My meals were delicious and I’m sure will fill me up once I get my gut shrunk back to its proper size.
I wasn’t able to make it all the way to dinner. I was starting to feel faint, so I had a pecan pie Lara bar. Yum! It powered me through to our family dinner. We did go out to eat, but I had steak, plain potato and salad with vinegar and oil. And I went to bed feeling quite satisfied. 🙂 Can’t wait to see how I feel in the morning!
Day 2
Day 2Not as bad of a day as I thought. The joke is that Days 2-3 are “The Hangover”. But my mood was pretty stable and I had a productive day. However, I realize I do need to eat a little something before the gym because during my workout I’m STARVING. So I’ll add some nuts to my coffee pre-workout.
For lunch, I enjoyed a salmon salad since I already had a lunch date planned. I whipped up some dump ranch and took that with me. Quite satisfying and delicious! In the afternoon, I hit a sort of wall… but brewed some coffee and seemed to power through. Felt a rush of energy that got me through my crazy evening. I was able to stay focused and be alert all the way to bed time. Whew!!
Day 3
Well… day 3 started off a little different. I wasn’t completely worn out, but I did feel a little off compared to previous days. Just felt a little grouchy and less excited about life. But, I kept my nose to the grindstone and got stuff done and had a surprisingly productive morning. Worst part I’m experiencing… how fat I feel! When did this happen!? 🙁
And then it hit. The haze and then the headache. I could no longer think or stand the bright lighting in my office. A headache started behind my right eye and quickly made its way to my temples and down my neck. No amount of caffeine helped. At that point, I know the next best thing is sleep. So that’s what I did.
An hour and a half later, I felt like a new woman! No more headache and recharged. Whipped up our lunches for the next few days along with dinner. Burgers and fries!! After dinner, I was left feeling satisfied and ready for the rest of the evening. Whew! Made it through!
Day 4
Today was my yoga morning, so the extra sleep was nice. I woke up to a flatter stomach, which was nice. But clothes are still tight… patience, patience. Food is tasting really good, which is another one of my favorite parts of the program. I also noticed I wasn’t as hungry today. Honestly, I could have gone without dinner, but it smelled too yummy.
No cravings today! I didn’t even think of eating bad! What a miracle. My head was fuzzy toward the end of the day, which made work tough. In the evening, I zoned out and planned our meals for next week, but I realized my fuzzy head made the task harder than normal. I’m ready to feel better already!
Day 6
When I woke up this morning, I was starving, so I ate some almonds and coconut on the way to the gym. Glad I did, that mixture powered me through my first “long run” in months. A mile and a half may not seem like much, but I’m just at the beginning of training. So it was rough, to say the least! But I got to enjoy a lovely breakfast with my dear friends after. I was feeling nervous to go because the place has such great breakfast options (non-compliant). But when I got there, the server told me about the special, so I enjoyed a 5 oz ribeye with eggs and dry hash browns. It was perfect, and I left there with a clear head and still flat stomach!
It promised to be a busy day — after breakfast, I had to head into my part-time job. So I ran home and whipped up lunch and packaged up leftovers (Tuna Zoodle Casserole) for dinner. It turned out to be a great evening. My energy maintained through the night and I wasn’t consumed with hunger or the urge to snack like I have a lot of the time. All in all, it was a good day and I’m feeling less puffy and less pain.
Day 7
So, I forgot about the whole “I Need a Nap” week… and definitely didn’t think it’d happen to me this week. But it did. I slept for 10 hours and then took TWO more naps! Whoops. Also, I had cheating dreams! My dream was that coworkers brought pizza into the office, including DESSERT pizza. In my dream, I was on Whole30, but I couldn’t say no! I woke up feeling so guilty and angry with myself, but soon realized it was all a dream and I laughed. 🙂
All in all, it was a good day. No cravings and I was home all day. Didn’t even think about food until I was hungry. That is such a big deal to me! Love it! So glad I planned out all my week 2 meals already. Did some food prep, but mostly focused on other projects. I’m getting that clear head back and I love it!
Day 9
Worst day EVER. I woke up feeling awful. Dizzy and almost like I had the stomach flu. Decided to stay home sick and sleep it off. Felt a little better after that, but still not myself. Forced myself to eat leftovers (Layered Taco Casserole) for lunch, but really just no appetite. My head was foggy and I was exhausted ALL DAY. Felt so frustrated all day.
But, I kept reminding myself this is how I felt on days 8-9 of my very first round. So maybe it’s the same thing? I don’t know, but that’s all I had in my head all day to keep me moving forward. Even though it was a really rough day, I made it through! And there is silver lining — I had no cravings through all of the crap today. 🙂
Day 10
Still not feeling 100% — but holding on to the notion that it won’t last much longer… One thing that is much stronger this round is my lack of desire to even think about food! It’s very bizarre, but I like it. Can tell I’m heading into those bleak days… bored. Not quite to Tiger Blood status. Hurry up! Oh, and super excited about my clothes that had gotten too small now starting to feel looser again!
Day 12
I might be getting a glimmer of Tiger Blood. I felt pretty focused today and had steady energy without much coffee. And very focused on life outside of food. Really enjoying Whole30 foods and don’t miss non-compliant things at all.
I struggle with back pain and have continually put off doing anything about it. I stopped taking any pain relief pills because I just hate even acknowledging the pain. After 12 days on Whole30, the pain has gone down significantly. I realize this is something I should take care of, so I did finally get in to see a chiropractor. As I explained when pain is high and when it’s low, he reassured me that doing Whole30 is definitely beneficial for it. That being said, I’m on the road to correcting posture.
Day 13
This isn’t part of Whole30, but I am training for a half marathon also — starting from the beginning. Well, this morning I ran 2 miles no stop!! So pleased with the energy and performance. It’s a small step, but feeling really good about it. Pain in back and joints was minimal.
It was a busy day and I wasn’t feeling any Tiger Blood. But the lack of cravings makes it worth it. Seth and I teamed up and made this amazing dish for dinner — sweet potato chili loaded fries. And it was everything I dreamed it could be 🙂
Day 15
I can feel the Tiger Blood coming… I think. I overslept today, but woke up quickly and decided to head in for a fast workout, which was well worth the effort. My mood is fantastic these days. And my face is starting to clear up, which is one of my favorite parts of Whole30. I can also tell it’s more narrow than it was. Hooray! Clothes are feeling looser. I’m ready for Tiger Blood!
Day 16
TIGER BLOOD. It hit me today. What’s it feel like? You’ll know once you experience. No, but seriously. If I have to define it, it’s this over whelming energy that doesn’t make me feel jittery or flighty. I just feel determined, clear-headed and able to accomplish things and be productive. For a girl like me with too much on her plate, it’s a dream come true. Today was a good day. Whole30 food tastes awesome and no part of me ever wants to go back to crappy food 🙂
Day 18
Food is just less and less of a concern in my mind. Let me explain. I used to obsess about food all day long. Counting the hours to my snack, inhaling my food and wanting more, grabbing a treat any time I went to ANY store. It’s embarrassing really. I’m almost ashamed to admit all of this to a bunch of strangers, but what the heck. If I’ve learned anything it’s that I’m not unique so I’m sure more than just me suffer from this crazy relationship with food.
So now, over half way through my 4th round of Whole30, I eat when it’s meal time. I’ve found that I have a passion for cooking and creating — compliant meals of course. Eating “cheat foods” isn’t even a 
desire, and that is just big stuff for me! This evening, I attended a dinner with my Little (I’m a “Big” sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters) and of course the food was catered in. And it was breaded chicken with macaroni and cheese, potato salad, beans, and cookies. So yeah, not a single compliant thing. Any other time in my life, this is when I’d throw in the towel (I’m a sucker for mac & cheese!), but I just shrugged it off. While my Little enjoyed her grain-loaded dinner, I had my RxBar and some water to tide me over until I could get home and eat some compliant food. And guess what! It didn’t even bother me!
Day 21
I know I mentioned a few days ago, food is not really a thing in my mind anymore… But guys, I’m serious! My husband left for a work trip today and I literally just forgot to eat. I was so busy doing things around the house, and no one was there saying “I’m hungry”, that I had to force myself to stop and make food! This is WILD! And clearly, I was so busy, made possible by that TIGER BLOOD 🙂
Day 23
It was an emotional day today. One of my best friends buried her mom and our group of friends went out in support. I’m the worst emotional eater, and funerals usually have plenty of those comfort food items that are so non-compliant. But I didn’t fall into the trap. 23 is not 30! It seems that removing food as my emotional crutch is allowing me to think clearly, process and move on. And not feel badly after! Weird spin on putting on a sad day, but I can’t open up that box right now! 🙂
Day 24
Whole30 is a lot easier when you are only cooking for one person! I mean… I didn’t say that 😉 To all those moms out there doing Whole30 and cooking for their families too — you’re an inspiration!! Energy levels are still incredibly high which is great and with hubby gone, I’ve made a lot of progress on housework this week!
And creating these menus ahead of time for you all has helped me like you wouldn’t believe. I’m finally settling my plan ahead/don’t plan ahead debate during Whole30. Final verdict: PLAN AHEAD. Make a menu , set yourself up for success! I have a piece of paper sitting on our counter and I get groceries twice during the week. This round has been so much easier because of this not so simple prep work — but it’s WORTH IT.
Day 26
Being at home and off of work typically causes me to fail, but not when I’m on Whole30. And not when I’ve planned ahead! So this day was smooth sailing… I even ran 3 miles EASY. Getting that half marathon prep underway! Meals were consistent and satisfying. Hardly a thought to what might be around the corner (beyond Day 30) — anyone else feeling that?
Day 28
Been trying some new recipes this round and finding some yummy things! I really enjoyed this breakfast skillet I found on Pinterest. And the leftovers were fantastic! Seth has been happy with them too. And like I said before, the cadence of making dinners and having lunches ready the next day is so nice. This Sunday was no different — Potato Lasagna!
And, it’s also Super Bowl Sunday! I know I know, why did you do a Whole30 that fell during that time?! Well, here’s why I’m so grateful we were doing this on this particular “holiday”. I struggle with moderation when it comes to food. And Super Bowl Sundays are an enemy for me — tons of food, full of grains, dairy and sugar. I don’t get full, I just keep eating. And then I feel like crap for a day or two. So this year, we had a party, but we grilled steaks and had some leftover Whole30 sides. I was able to enjoy some of the fruits and veggies that people brought and I didn’t even want the dips. I felt so em powered! Talk about food freedom!
Day 30
So it wasn’t until after lunch that I realized… it was day 30!! Holy cow. I made it a month and it was painless. Sure it was work, I’ll say that. But in the end, the benefit far out weighed the cost. I didn’t plan meals for these last two days and all of the prep work I’d done the last 30 days allowed me to seamlessly whip up compliant food for each meal and, obviously, caused me to lose track of the days!
We enjoyed a spicy shrimp scampi dinner and went to bed feeling satisfied with a happy gut and a body that is far less puffy than it’d been the previous 2 months. Can’t wait to get on the scale tomorrow!!
Day 31
Because I’ve done Whole30 before and completed the slow roll, I am already aware of how the different foods will make me feel. Dairy will be added back at some point… and I’m sure I’ll have some sugars. But I’m over grains and legumes. The puffiness/inflammation they cause is not worth it, plus I can finally say I don’t miss them!
S, for that reason, I’ve continued with Whole30 meals today and will the remainder of the week. To be honest, non-compliant food doesn’t even sound good at this point. I’ll stick with Whole30 until Saturday when we celebrate the 5th anniversary of our first date by going to a local farm-to-table cafe. But even there, we’ll keep it “clean”, but probably not compliant 🙂
As far as the scale is concerned… well, I lost all the weight I gained over the holidays and vacation. That’s a whopping 16 lbs! I’m embarrassed to say I started this round at the same weight I was last April when I did my very first round. But that’s the truth. So 16 lbs later — I’m feeling awesome and ready for the next adventure (that won’t center around food!)
Let me hear from you!
Would love to hear from you and how your round(s) went or are going. Did you discover some new recipes? Please share — that’s the best part about Whole30, the community we create because of it. I know many of you have tried it. Even if you don’t share with me, share with your friends. I see so many benefits from this great program and firmly believe everyone should give it a try at least once in their lives!
