My Whole30(s)


If you have not heard of the Whole30, you are MISSING OUT!  The Whole30 Program is the brainchild of Dallas and Melissa Hartwig over at Whole9.  It's a 30-day challenge to eliminate all processed and allergenic foods and eat only a strict Paleo diet.  It's helped change my life - see how on the My Journey (Thus Far) page.

What You Need To Know To Succeed


Helpful Info Sheets


Whole30 Compliant Recipes


My Whole30s.... 

I'm posting the entirety of my first Whole30 posts here as they give you an idea of what to expect each day and links to some great resources.  Please note that 'The Timeline' that is referred to is based off of the original Whole30 Timeline.  Further W30s of mine will not be written in as much detail on this page, but will include links for updates. 
 

My First Whole30 - JUNE 2013

Prior to starting remember to take your measurements (weight, clothing size and measurements of waist, hips, bust, thighs and biceps), a "before" picture, and jot down any symptoms you experience.

June 1, 2013 - Whole30 Day ONE!! 
  • See pictures of My Meals for today 
  • Tips & Tricks: The Whole30 Meal Planning Template (aka: The Plate) is your guideline of what to eat every time you eat - whether it's a meal or a snack (although you're encouraged to only eat 3 meals a day with no snacking). The basic rule of thumb for The Plate is 1-2 palm-sized sources of protein, fill the rest of your plate with veggies and add a serving of healthy fat. I've downloaded the Meal Planning Template and laminated it and it's posted on my kitchen cabinet. You can get it here: http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf 
  • You May Be Feeling: Scared, nervous, overwhelmed. It's normal to feel that way about such a big change and commitment. Plus, you've got to learn a whole new way to plan and cook your meals. You may even have to cook two separate dinners during these 30 days if no one else at home is doing it. That's a lot of work! But... YOU CAN DO IT! And, we're in it together!
  • The Whole30 "Timeline": So, what's the big deal?! This is easy!

June 2, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWO!!!
  • See pictures of My Meals for today
  • Tips & Tricks: Take a look at the website of the creator's of The Whole30, The Whole 9 Life:  http://whole9life.com/ 
  • You May Be Feeling: Like your bowels are a bit off! Don't be alarmed if your poop is a different smell, has a different look/color or is a different consistency. Your body is starting its detox process. Don't be surprised if you feel...
  • The Whole30 "Timeline": The Hangover.

    June 3, 2013 - Whole30 Day THREE!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: If you're feeling hungry then you're doing something wrong!! Make sure you're eating enough healthy fat. And, eat as much as you want of compliant whole foods. Don't worry about calorie counting and food portions! 
    • You May Be Feeling: As I noted for Day Two, your body is now detoxing from your old diet and you may feel like you have a hangover (headache and nausea). OR, you may feel like you're getting a cold or the flu (headache, nausea, body aches, stuffy head, exhaustion, etc...). Depending on your body and your previous diet, this detox may last a few days or even up to a few weeks. 
    • The Whole30 "Timeline": The Hangover. 

    June 4, 2013 -  Whole30 Day FOUR!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: If you're feeling drained and not ready to make major Paleo meals, try my tinfoil packet meals! 
      1. Go to the store and pick out your protein and veg for the week.  
      2. When you get home spread out 2 foot pieces of tinfoil (7-21 pieces depending on how many meals you'll be using these for each day of the coming week). 
      3. Put your meat and veg in the center of each piece of tinfoil.  Add 1-2 T of grass-fed butter, ghee or animal fat.
      4. Pull up two sides of the foil so they meet in the middle and roll down until you get to the food.  Roll up each loose end.  There's your packet!
      5. Keep out your food for the next 2 days and pop the rest in the freezer.  
      6. When you're ready to eat, pop the packet in the oven at Gas Mark 4-5 for 20-40 minutes depending on your meat/veg (you'll find the perfect heat and timing as you go along).
      7. Remember to take the packets you need out of the freezer for the next day. 
    • You May Be Feeling: Really irritable.  Count to 10 every time you think about killing anyone!
    • The Whole30 "Timeline": Kill ALL The Things!

    June 5, 2013 - Whole30 Day FIVE!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Remember to look at ingredients on the minimally processed things you're buying such as coconut milk or lunch meat. Typically you want less than 5 ingredients as then you know it's pretty close to whole and minimally processed. Watch out for sugar in all of its various verbiage (such as "dextrose" and "sucrose", etc...). The W30 strictly prohibits only 3 additives: MSG (aka monosodium glutamate), sulphites (often hiding at the end of other words such as gobbledygooksulphite) and carrageenan. Although, of course, you don't want any additives in your food if possible.
    • You May Be Feeling: Cravings!
      Cravings are normal and will likely get worse before they get better. :0( At this point in time, these cravings may be more psychological as everyone wants things they can't have! You may even be tempted by things that would never have interested you before. Some ideas about cravings: Make sure you're eating enough so that you're never actually hungry (the goal is to eat enough at each meal that you don't become hungry until it's time for your next meal.). Up your healthy fat intake at each meal. Find a substitute (crunchy carrots for crisps, green tea for coffee, etc). Distract yourself with other projects, a walk, etc.
    • The Whole30 "Timeline": Kill ALL The Things!  

    June 6, 2013 - Whole30 Day SIX!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Check out the Whole9 forum for extra support and information! http://forum.whole9life.com/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Like this isn't worth it and you're ready to quit. Keep it up! You CAN do it.
    • Whole30 "Timeline": I just want a nap!

    June 7, 2013 - Whole30 Day SEVEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Wondering why grains are prohibited on the Whole30 / Paleo / Primal diet? Take a look at this article to find out more: http://whole9life.com/2013/02/grain-manifesto/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Drained. Sleepy. Exhausted. Tired. No energy. My advice? TAKE A NAP! Seriously... just do it!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": I just want a nap!  

    June 8, 2013 - Whole30 Day EIGHT!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: If you need a reminder about why sugar is bad (since you're craving that chocolate ice-cream right now) hop over to Robb Wolff's page for an article written by Kevin Cann called Sugar is a Drug: http://robbwolf.com/2012/12/21/sugar-drug/
      If you want to know a bit more about sugar, take a look at Mark Sisson's Definitive Guide to Sugar: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-sugar/#axzz2VdZfqjqE 
    • You May Be Feeling: You may wake up in a panic after having a dream that you downed a full tub of chocolate ice-cream (can you tell what I'm dreaming about?!). Food dreams - especially ones where you're being non-compliant - are common at this stage!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!!

    June 9, 2013 - Whole30 Day NINE!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Two things today that you can see pictures of by clicking on the links......
      First up, Lemon Water! Put a bit of pizazz (yes, I really did just write that) into your water by using a filtered sparkling water with freshly squeezed lemon. Not only does it taste great and give you a healthy alternative to soda, but there are several medicinal reasons to drink it as well. Read this article to find out 10 health benefits of lemon water: http://www.healthextremist.com/health-benefits-of-lemon-water/
      Second, do you have any bags of half eaten nuts, unsweetened dried fruit and unsweetened coconut hiding at the back of your pantry? Mix it all up and *ta-da* you've got your very own Trail Mix when you need a quick pick-me-up snack. One caution - nuts and dried fruit are two of the foods you should limit, so don't go overboard.
    • You May Be Feeling: Like the "hangover" and "kill ALL the things" PLUS the "I just need a nap" stages happening all at once and are dragging on forever - certainly a lot longer than the W30 Timeline said they would. They may certainly still be giving you grief... but it won't last forever! One day (soon!) you'll notice a glimmer of something feeling a bit different and you'll realize that there IS light at the end of this detox tunnel!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!! 

    June 10, 2013 - Whole30 Day TEN!!!
    • No food photos as I was a BAD Whole30er! While I ate all compliant foods, I didn't use The Plate and I snacked the whole day... A few handfuls of trail mix here and there, 5 pieces of bacon, a bowl of sweet potatoes with ghee and salt... I'm in that wilderness period (about days 8-16, aka Boundless Energy! Now Give Me a Damn Twinkie!) where I've always quit before. I've gotten over the worst of the detox so I'm getting hungry again. However, I don't have that boundless energy yet (FAR from it) so I don't have the gumption to cook. Today I didn't even want to open a package. It's a bit of a viscous cycle: no energy to cook proper meals, no proper nutrition to get energy! What are your favourite Whole30 compliant EASY meals?
    • CONGRATULATIONS! You're 1/3 of the way there!
    • Tips & Tricks: Whole9 has a new Whole30 post out today... Read it!
      http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: A bit sluggish. I think of this period (around days 8-16) as a bit of a wasteland... You aren't feeling terrible as the detox symptoms are subsiding, but you certainly aren't feeling that boundless energy. It's hard to stay motivated during this period. It's time to grit your teeth and stay the course... even if you don't wanna! ;0)
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!!  

    June 11, 2013 - Whole30 Day ELEVEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Wondering why we don't eat dairy on the Whole30? Take a look at Whole9's Dairy Manifesto for answers: http://whole9life.com/2013/03/the-dairy-manifesto/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: You're just plodding along.... Sorry to tell you, you just need to keep plodding! We can all do this together! ;0)
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!!  

    June 12, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWELVE!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: What to say when you're telling someone how you eat? I don't like calling it the Paleo "diet" as it's not really a diet in the popular sense of the word. If you just say Paleo no one really knows what you're talking about or they automatically think "caveman". If you give the list of what you can't eat (grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, processed foods...) then you get the inevitable argument about why you should be eating x, y & z. I like the term JERF (just eat real food), but if you call it that you get people looking at you strangely. I've mostly settled on saying that I just eat whole foods and nothing processed. For the most part my family & friends have been accepting and accommodating. If I'm eating at someone else's home I ask what they're serving and tell them what I can't have. Or I tell them that any meat or fish and veg with nothing on them works great. Or I just bring my own! How do you explain how you're eating?
    • You May Be Feeling: Like you're starting to see the light... You've noticed a small change here and there - clear skin, better bowel movements, higher energy levels, a flatter tummy... Keep track of those small victories for the times you're struggling - they'll give you a reason to keep going!!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless Energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!  

    June 13, 2013 - Whole30 Day THIRTEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Do you have Pinterest? Check out my boards for tons of good Primal / Paleo recipes & info: http://m.pinterest.com/dedeanne1/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Great!! Congratulations, you've made it to the point where you're detoxed and the "cravings" you have are purely psychological. When you start reaching for the Twinkie, remember what you went through to feel this good. 
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!!  

    June 14, 2013 - Whole30 Day FOURTEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Let's talk about SWYPO. If you've read 'It Starts With Food' (the W30 primer, if you will), the Whole30 forums or Whole9's blog you'll know what this means. For the uninitiated, however, SWYPO stands for "sex with your pants on". Think about that analogy for a minute... What they're getting at is that sex with your pants on is only a poor imitation of actual sex and will never live up to the real thing. So, what's that got to do with the Whole30? It's the term they use to talk about Paleo-izing all the foods we love but can't have: bread, pizza, pancakes, cakes, ice cream, candy, etc... Those things are great if you want to stick to a Paleo diet AFTER your Whole30. During it, however, they encourage eating only whole real food in it's natural form. It's about retraining your brain and your taste buds. Read more about it here: http://whole30.com/2011/10/sex-with-your-pants-on/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Like things are backsliding. As with most things, changing your diet and, thus, the way you feel can be two steps forward and one step back. When you're thinking about giving up do four things: 
      1. Review your goals - will you be able to achieve them if you give up? 
      2. Think about the progress you've already made and give yourself kudos. If you keep going that list will grow. 
      3. Remember your detox... Do you REALLY want to go through that again? 
      4. Distract yourself. Find something else to do to get your mind off food. 
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!!  

    June 15, 2013 - Whole30 Day FIFTEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • CONGRATULATIONS! You've made it half-way there!!!
    • Tips & Tricks: "Food with no brakes". Another Whole9 saying that makes a lot of sense. Remember all those standard American diet (SAD) foods that you would eat...and eat...and eat?! Those would be considered food with no brakes; you can't help craving, and then eating, more. What were your SAD foods with no brakes? Do you have any Whole30 foods with no brakes?
    • You May Be Feeling: Excited! You've made it to the half-way point. Keep up the amazing work! I'm proud of all of us. :0)
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Boundless energy! Now give me a d@#& Twinkie!!!  

    June 16, 2013 - Whole30 Day SIXTEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Take a moment today to find a new recipe in a Paleo cookbook, on a blog or Pinterest or, if you're really adventurous, make one up (make sure whatever you try is not SWYPO)! Cook it up and tell us how it went... Epic fail? Total culinary genius?! It's time to start learning about new foods and tastes that you might not have liked before. You may be surprised how your taste buds have changed. 
    • You May Be Feeling: Absolutely amazing! Congratulations, you've reached the downhill slide of the Whole30. Enjoy feeling better than you've ever felt and not having any cravings - you deserve it! Now take the last half of this W30 to turn this into a lifestyle choice instead of a 30-day detox diet. You'll be glad you did!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood 

    June 17, 2013 - Whole30 Day SEVENTEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Wondering why legumes aren't Paleo legal? Check out this post: http://whole9life.com/2012/09/the-legume-manifesto/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Like crap!! Who made up the Timeline as obviously it's a load of crap!! You thought detox was bad... Now you're figuring out that you really have only been on Days 2-3 for the entirety of the last SIXTEEN DAYS!! Does that mean you STILL have to go through the stages of Days 4-16 of the Timeline?! What a depressing thought!
      Well, no one said this was going to be easy. There could be a lot of reasons why your detox lasted so long. But, the positive thing here is that THIS IS WORKING! How exciting is that?! So, keep it up. It's time to buckle down, grit your teeth and Whole30 on!!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood  

    June 18, 2013 - Whole30 Day EIGHTEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Two Words - infused EVOO. I love it!! You can use it as a dressing or an after-cooking marinade while getting a serving of healthy fat in. My favourite is basil. What's yours?!
    • You May Be Feeling: A bit perkier. Enjoy it! 
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood  

    June 19, 2013 - Whole30 Day NINETEEN!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: One of my favourite things that I discovered when I got into Paleo/Primal was Coconut Oil. There's sooooo many things you can do with it! This awesome blogger compiled a list of 101 Uses for Coconut Oil (she's got a ton of other great posts as well!) - check it out: http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: A bit hangry (hungry + angry). Hang in there! You're almost 2/3 of the way done.
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger's Blood  

    June 20, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • CONGRATULATIONS! You're 2/3 of the way through!!
    • Tips & Tricks: Whole30 not going as well as you'd like? You may need to tweak what you're eating even more. Whole9 has come out with three more shopping lists for some specific health issues. Check them out! http://whole9life.com/2013/06/expanded-iswf-shopping-lists/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Ready to be done! Keep on keeping on. You're doing great!! :0)
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood  

    June 21, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-ONE!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today  
    • Tips & Tricks: As you're cleaning up what you're putting IN your body, you may be interested in cleaning up what you put ON your body. Check out my Lavender Coconut Lotion Bars. To Make: Heat coconut oil and add in lavender essential oil. Pour into silicone molds (mine is originally for muffins) and let cool overnight at room temp or in the fridge for faster solidification. 
    • You May Be Feeling: A few hiccups in your "tiger blood" feeling. Now that you've gotten into a routine with your eating, evaluate if there's anything you should tweak. Or remove. Don't try adding anything back in until after the 30 days are up and you have read up on the reintroduction phase!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood 

    June 22, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-TWO!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: We have just over a week until the W30 is over. Now is the time to start thinking about how (or even if) you're going to transition back to "normal" eating. Hopefully, by now, your definition of "normal" has changed! If you're still having health issues, you may want to continue on for a Whole45 or longer. 
    • You May Be Feeling: Anxious for the coming week to be over.... Patience!!!
    • Whole30 Timeline: Tiger Blood  

    June 23, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-THREE!!!

    June 24, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-FOUR!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: I was introduced to the term YOLO the other day: You Only Live Once. The person who introduced me to it said that it's often used by young people to justify a stupid action/choice. As a Paleo/Primal/Whole30 person, however, we should look at it as the reason to keep up with our newfound healthy living. We only have one body & one life: use them wisely!
    • You May Be Feeling: Floating on air. Don't bother coming down... I hear the air is better up there!
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood  

    June 25, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-FIVE!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Your supplements... Do they pass the Whole9 Supplement Evaluation Checklist? Click here to find out: http://whole9life.com/2012/02/supplement-evaluation-checklist/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Psychological cravings. As the end draws near and "regular" food is in sight, you may be thinking about those few things that you've really missed and that you've been dying to have. That, however, is the wrong philosophy. Hopefully these last 25 days have taught you that food really is where it starts and so you'll be more cautious about what you put on your fork next week. This isn't a DIET, it's a LIFESTYLE so remember that when the 1st arrives! 
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger blood 

    June 26, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-SIX!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: If you like to walk for exercise there's a great website/app that tracks your walks (via satellite on the app or you plug in what you've done on the website) called MapMyWalk. They also have other ones such as MapMyRun, MapMyRide, etc. I use this app every time I go further than the driveway! You can even connect with friends so you can support each other. You can find me on MapMyWalk.com here: http://www.mapmywalk.com/profile/9781520/ 
    • You May Be Feeling: Like you've got the energy to ramp up your fitness. Do it! 
    • Whole30 "Timeline": Tiger Blood  

    June 27, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-SEVEN!!!

    June 28, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-EIGHT!!!

    June 29, 2013 - Whole30 Day TWENTY-NINE!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today
    • Tips & Tricks: Check out some of my favourite Primal/Paleo resources to help you continue on your journey after the Whole30 is over. http://practicingprimal.blogspot.co.uk/p/resources.html
    • You May Be Feeling: Excited! Just one more day. =0)
    • The Whole30 "Timeline": HolyOprahIt'sAlmostOverWhatAmIGoingToEatNow?!?!?!  

    June 30, 2013 - Whole30 Day THIRTY!!!
    • See pictures of My Meals for today 
    • CONGRATULATIONS! We made it! We all have a right to feel very proud of ourselves. :oD 
    • It's time to take your "after" measurements. Here's mine: Lost 10.5 pounds. Lost 1/2 inch on each bicep and my waist. Lost 1 inch on each thigh, bum/hips and boobs. 
    • A friend asked me today what the pros/cons of the Whole30 were for me... The cons - going through detox, unable to drink socially, finding foods when eating out. Pros - better skin, more energy, hardly any bowel issues anymore. Also, I like "healthy" food now and have not been craving sugar like I was. 
    • Next Steps for me: I plan to continue eating Paleo through July, but not Whole30 as we have our second wedding anniversary and I'm visiting home for a week and a half. I WILL be having some alcohol, ice cream (my one truly off-road item!), dark chocolate, honey and some Paleoized baked goods during July. Beyond that, I'm planning on doing another Whole30 soon.


    My Second Whole30 - AUGUST 2013 

    Check out this blog post for a recap of the month! 


    My Third Whole30 (aka: Whole90) - SEPTEMBER 2013

     Why I quit my Whole90 at Day 40 

     
    For further support on your Primal / Paleo journey, follow along on my Facebook page, Practicing Primal and sign up for updates from the blog on the right side of this page.

    No comments:

    Post a Comment

    Thank you for taking the time to read Practicing Primal today. I am so excited to share my journey with you. Feel free to leave comments (I love them!).... Change the "Comment As" box to show who you are OR just sign your name on your post!