My Whole 30 Experience — Stuck in North Idaho

My Whole 30 Experience - via Stuck in North Idaho

Lot's of people have been jumping on the Whole 30 bandwagon. At first I was critical, thinking it was ridiculous to cut out so many of your favorite foods if you didn't have to. My motto with food has always been everything in moderation, and for the most part I've been pretty satisfied with my outcomes.But over the past few months, things that I normally ate in moderation weren't quite as moderated. Sweets in the office, drinks with friends and cool summer treats were becoming regular pieces of my routine rather than occasional treats. My stomach was upset a lot, I felt bloated, chubby and a little out of control. I needed to get back to normal.After reading several personal stories, not of those wanting to lose weight, but people like me who had been overindulging a bit too much, I started really thinking and reading up on Whole 30. It was exactly what I needed. I simmered on the idea for over a month, and casually referenced it to coworkers, friends and Kyle to gauge their reactions - I mean, it does sound a little nuts. I got Kyle on board for moral support and a little over two weeks ago we dove right in.

So far...

Week 1The first week was really hard. Everyone said the second week would be the worst, but by far I think the first was. I had to create a new routine with meals, planned snacks and adjust to Kyle's new work schedule (more on that another time).In the evenings I craved my lime popcicles and on the weekend I really wanted a glass of wine. I struggled to find recipes that sounded satisfying and easy (because I hate making extravagant meals), and it was hard. But we pushed through and were rewarded with a much happier second week.Week 2While the second week was still challenging, I managed to find a balance to meal preparation and our new morning routine. I'm getting up 30 minutes earlier so I can make fried eggs, turkey bacon and fruit, and pack a healthy salad and snacks for lunch. Tuna has been our saving grace for lunchtime protein.During Week 1 Kyle really struggled without carbs. He started training for the Coeur d'Fondo and has been working out a lot - therefore needing a lot of calories. He tried some replacements for energy, but had no success. Because he is only doing it to help me out, I was okay with him adding back in some whole grains for energy. He now has healthy sandwiches for lunch, and toast or oatmeal with breakfast. I haven't missed carbs at all (except on Taco Tuesdays) so it hasn't had an effect on me. Now, if he added wine back into his diet, I'd be screwed.

Things I miss...

Not much surprisingly. There are a few things that I'm really excited to integrate back into my diet, but I think one will have to be in extreme moderation.

Wine (and whiskey and vodka): I don't think I have to explain this.
Butter: I REALLY love baked potatoes with butter.
Cheese: This is the one I'll have to be careful with. One of the benefits of the Whole 30 is that it acts like an elimination diet. Because I was having some tummy issues (which I'm not anymore) I'll have to really watch my dairy consumption. I'm 99.999% sure that's the culprit.
Ice Cream: It's been really hot and ice cream has just sounded so good the last few days. As the temperatures cool I know this craving will naturally subside, but as long as it's hot I know this will be a battle for the same reason as cheese.
Taco Tuesdays and Pizza: 'Nuff said.

Things I don't miss...

Everything else. As I'm typing this I'm trying to think of anything else that I really miss and I can't think of anything. I probably would have had a list as long as my arm last week, but not today. I hope this continues, I want these healthy habits to stick around for a while.One side effect I wasn't counting on was the social aspect. So much of our social lives revolves around food and getting drinks with friends. We haven't done much of that. I'd like to say at least we're saving money, but we've been going through produce so fast that our grocery budget is a good $30-$50 higher than usual. So we probably come out about even on food expenditures, but have been a little bored. It has been nice to co-cook meals together though :)We're now two days in to Week 3 and so far so good. I feel some energy coming back and feel like I'm happier to eat these healthy meals rather than pouty over the things they're missing. I'm far less bloated and, like I mentioned earlier, have had zero GI issues.I'm really excited to read about reintegrating food into our diet and making a plan for that. We're officially done on August 25, so I'll report back then!XOAndy