Whole 30 Week 1 + My Why January 1, 2017 | ** See my full recap post with all meal plans, shopping lists, supplies and Whole30 results HERE** Hi Friends! Happy New Year! This post makes me wildly nervous to write because it’s so far out of my comfort zone, but since I share so much about my life on this blog, it didn’t feel right not to share this journey as well. So, here we go…I’m starting Whole 30 Week 1 today! A lifestyle change in regards to eating has been on my heart for many months now and this is finally the time to make something happen. I would love for you guys to follow along on this journey with me…here’s more about it all… My Why: This feels a little bit like confession (you Catholics know the feeling I’m talking about). My relationship with food is completely unhealthy. I’m an emotional eater and food has always been my love language. I need to step back and evaluate why I eat, what I eat and really understand how and why my body reacts to food groups. This pregnancy has really magnified my unhealthy habits and I know for certain that I can do better for this sweet baby girl and for myself. I’m totally hooked on sugar, eat Chickfila multiple times a week and am 100% lazy when it comes to preparing fresh and healthy food for my family. I want to come away from this with a new perspective on food, learn how to naturally flavor food and experiment in the kitchen with new recipes, and create an overall healthier lifestyle for myself and my family. My Whole 30 Plan: Start Simple. I’m trying not to get stressed and overwhelmed with all of the rules and options. I’ve done some research, but to be honest, there are tons of things that I still don’t know. I’m confident that I know the basics and I’m going to keep my initial recipes simple while I learn how to use “approved” ingredients to flavor our food as our taste buds adjust. I’m going to actually use a grocery list (true story, I NEVER go to the store with a list) and actually plan out each meal (never do this either). I’m planning to spend some extra time in the kitchen prepping food and will also be mentally be prepared to each leftovers. I’m also going to give myself some grace. Not all of the recipes will turn out and sometimes my plan won’t actually go as planned…and that’s okay. I will have backup snacks on hand just in case and I know that what I eat is always a choice. Whole 30 FAQ: When I asked over on Instagram if you guys would be interested in a Whole 30 post, here were some of the questions and concerns that I got in reply… What is Whole 30? Whole 30 is a lifestyle and not a diet. In fact, there’s no weighing yourself during the entire 30 days. The program requires you to get back to basics (meat, seafood, fruit, veggies, root veggies, and nuts) and ditch foods that are known to cause inflammation (processed, sugar, alcohol, dairy, legumes and wheat). The premise is that by cutting out these damaging foods, you give your body time to heal, while eating clean foods that are nourishing and easy to digest. Read more of the specifics HERE. Is it safe to do while pregnant? Yes, 100%!! If I told my doctor that I was cutting out sugar, ditching fast food and eating more fruits and veggies, I’m sure he would jump for joy! Where do you find recipes and inspiration? PINTEREST! Pinterest has been a lifesaver when it comes to finding shopping lists, creative recipes and meal plans. Make sure to follow my Whole 30 Board HERE. Is it easy? Umm I cannot think of one thing about this program that’s going to be easy for me. It’s going to be challenging both mentally and physically for me to reset my body. Meal planning, prepping, cooking and eating with intention are all foreign concepts to me, so to say this is going to be hard feels like a bit of an understatement at this point. Whole 30 really puts it into perspective though when they say: “Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.” Is it healthy? Yep! Although you can have things like bacon and potatoes, it’s still about moderation. Since I’m pregnant, I won’t be counting calories down to the every macro, but I am well aware of what I will be consuming and still know that eating more than 1-2 pieces of bacon a day is not overall healthy. If you do have a few pounds to shed, you can definitely use this 30 days to get rid of it. Some people note that the weight comes off easily and unexpectedly since they are ridding their body of so many toxins, but most people don’t even note the weight so much as how good they feel. Although I’m no doctor, I would suggest using an app like “My Fitness Pal” to track your eating and make sure that you are still getting a well balanced diet while on Whole 30. It will also track your caloric and fat intake if you are trying to lose weight…but still no scale for the month! So, this first week isn’t going to be perfect (although I’m NOT cheating) as I learn the ropes, but here’s my best shot at a meal plan. I feel like getting in a groove will help and learning my way around pantry staples will only make this journey continually easier as the weeks go on. Let me know what you guys think of this format of meal planning. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a neat way to do a digital shopping list, BUT I did roundup all of the recipes I’ll be executing this week and you can go in a fill in your shopping list should you choose to follow along. Each day is outlined below and all recipes are linked back to their original source. They are also all on my Whole 30 Pinterest board HERE. My Whole 30 Week One Meal Plan Monday Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs + Easy Salsa Lunch: Taco Salad Dinner: Dairy Free Loaded Baked Potato Soup Tuesday Breakfast: Loaded Breakfast Casserole Lunch: Taco Salad Dinner: Dairy Free Loaded Baked Potato Soup Wednesday Breakfast: Loaded Breakfast Casserole Lunch: Egg + Avocado Cups Dinner: Loaded Enchilada Sweet Potatoes Thursday Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs + Easy Salsa Lunch: Broccoli Salad Dinner: Loaded Enchilada Sweet Potatoes Friday Breakfast: Breakfast Salad Lunch: Broccoli Salad Dinner: Smoked Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup Saturday Breakfast: Breakfast Salad Lunch: Loaded Sweet Potato Fries Dinner: Smoked Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup Homemade Condiments: Avocado Chimichurri Sauce (use on eggs, Breakfast casserole and baked potatoes) Cilantro Lime Jalepeno Dressing (for Taco Salad) Creamy Almond Date Butter (use for snacking on Apples or in smoothies) Whole 30 Shopping Lists: Whole 30 Approved Shopping List Trader Joe’s Staples Other Things That I Plan To Do for My Whole 30 Week 1: Hard Boil 1 doz eggs (to have as snacks and as healthy add-ons) Stock up on fruit to have in moderation (they say it’s key not to use fruit as a crutch to satisfy your sweet tooth). Clean out my pantry and fridge. Store foods that will keep through the month and part with anything else. I’m so excited to get started! To take control of my relationship with food and really get back to basics when it comes to what I’m putting into my body. It feels great to not have the pressure of the scale haunting me during this process and solely basing my success upon how I feel. I would love for you guys to join in, tune in and follow along during this next 30 days. Please leave any Whole 30 recipes that you love below in the comments or tag them on Instagram using the hashtag #SYSWhole30! Also, would you guys be interested in this weekly post being a linkup? Leave me any and all feedback!! Cheers, friends!
Cassie Bustamante says January 2, 2017 at 7:15 AM i’ve done whole 30 a few times and been happy each time… i eat so much less sugar, now i drink my coffee black, and have much healthier habits. i always slip at the holidays and am feeling it now… not ready to jump all in to whole30 right now but am cleaning up my eating for sure! i will have to check out these recipes! oh and my bad habits lately come from quitting SC, being home more, and being a bored and emotional eater… i am bored and killing time, and feeling inadequate, so i will just see what’s in the fridge….
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 12:03 PM So many of those eating habits are similar to mine. Not being in a traditional office setting (i.e. my desk faces my pantry lol) is definitely a challenge and I need to overcome this mental game. I might be emailing you for some recipe suggestions since you’re a seasoned pro! Happy New Year, sweet friend…excited to see what you do in 2017! xoxo
Jessica berrier says January 2, 2017 at 7:51 AM Yes!!! I have been so interested in trying this, but could never get organized enough to give it a real shot. Your post helps so much! I definitely struggle with emotional eating as well! Thanks for posting!!
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 11:55 AM Jessica- I feel ya girl. I’m an unorganized, emotional eating mess! lol. Cheers to hoping that I can press the reset button and kick those bad habits to the curb! Would love for you to join in! xoxo
andrea says January 2, 2017 at 7:53 AM Hi! I, too, am pregnant and have been looking to start Whole 30 so was excited to see you will be starting on that journey. Are there any items or foods you plan to avoid because you are pregnant? For instance a lot of recipes I see call for over easy eggs…is this safe to have while Pregnant?
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 11:55 AM Andrea– Great question!! I don’t think that over-easy eggs are recommended for pregos, so I will likely just have mine well done or skip that part all together. I also have aversions to the smell of preparing things like chicken and beef, so I’ll be relying on my hubby to handle those jobs. Other than that, I would track your calorie intake on My Fitness Pal and make sure that you’re still getting enough calories and healthy fats to keep that bun baking. Since portion sizes are smaller, I think tracking things and listening to your body (i.e. eating when hungry) are both super important. Would love for you to join in! xoxo
Nicole says January 2, 2017 at 8:09 AM I’m 27 days into Whole 30 and feel amazing. Definitely not easy to do over the holidays, but it gave me a good reason to say NO to so many things I would have (over)indulged in. I have learned to enjoy cooking more and experiment with flavors. I think my greatest accomplishment so far has been getting my teenage son to eat zoodles!! ???? Good luck! Looking forward to following your successes!
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 11:03 AM Honestly this is the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard #1 you did this during the Holidays!!! There should be an Olympic Medal for that and #2 a teenager eating zoodles !??! Amazing, mama! Congrats on your W30 wins!!! xo
Valerie says January 2, 2017 at 8:51 AM I’ve been doing Whole 30 for about 3 years now and have never been healthier! No need to count calories, as you will automatically eat smaller portions because the food is high healthy fat and nutrient dense, which is very satieating. PLEASE be sure to read the book and not just use the Whole 30 website. It is chock-full of useful information and easy recipes. Having identified numerous food sensitivities, I’ve permanently eliminated the offending foods and am inflammation and pain free. Food preparation is a chore if you’re not used to cooking from scratch, but like anything new, it gets easier with practice. Stick with it as this new lifestyle is so worth it and the best gift a mom can teach her children.
Sara says January 2, 2017 at 7:20 PM I totally second the comment above that recommends reading the book! Reading the book makes the rules easier to understand and less overwhelming in my opinion! It does a great job of explaining what’s ok to eat and why. I’ve done it 3 times and have come out of each one feeling happier and healthier! Best of luck!!
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 10:52 AM Ah thanks for this—I’m going to Prime the book today! So happy to here that you’ve come out of it on the other side 3 times…that’s amazing!!
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 11:01 AM Valerie–such good feedback from a pro! Definitely getting the book and diving in to more specifics. Understanding the science always helps! I spent so much time in the kitchen yesterday that my legs were literally aching…lol! Prepped a lot though, so the rest of the week should be fairly easy. Would love to hear some of your go-to recipes! xoxox
Emily Evans says January 2, 2017 at 11:09 AM You will do great! I did my first Whole30 in May and LOVED it. The planning ahead is key. Always know what you will be having for breakfast, lunch or dinner (and always have compliant Lara Bars or nuts, pickles, olives etc in your car). I was never able to find the compliant bacon at a reasonable price so I passed on bacon which was fine. I also discovered ghee which I LOVE now (compliant butter). I am starting my second Whole30 today as well! I’d love to hear your tips and recipes. I probably made this one recipe about 15 times during my WHOLE30- it was an organic pulled pork in the crockpot and I put it on salad with salsa (my husband would eat but with a roll). This time around I want to have more of a variety but overall- if you eat the same thing everyday its still a Whole30. Just stay true to the guidelines. Good luck!
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 10:58 AM Emily– Such great tips! I’m definitely going to be making some emergency snack packs for on-the-go. Since I’m pregnant I definitely want to listen to my body and have something compliant to eat when I’m hungry during the day. I’m looking up the recipe you mentioned now…that sounds SO good!!! Good luck this month and Happy New Year!! xoxo
Jessica | Petal + Ply says January 2, 2017 at 12:33 PM A lot of these recipes look delicious! Like Cassie, I’ve done the Whole30 several times before and my husband and I plan on starting again soon. Cassie and I are both part of a Whole30 group board if you need more inspiration! https://www.pinterest.com/cassie_busta/whole-30-recipes/
Jessica | Petal + Ply says January 2, 2017 at 12:35 PM This is one of our favorites! http://paleofoodiekitchen.com/2013/06/cashew-beef-stir-fry/
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 10:53 AM ooooh yum…just repinned!!! Thank you!!!! Yes, please please add me to the board, would love more inspo! xo
Justin + Erica | Real Simple Good says January 2, 2017 at 1:25 PM What a great post! Thanks so much for linking to our Trader Joe’s Must Have post! 🙂
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 10:52 AM It was a wonderful post and great resource! Thanks!!! xo
Crystal Tingle says January 2, 2017 at 9:03 PM I started Whole30 today! Im excited because I have sugar over load after the holidays. I did Whole30 back in July. I loved it. I felt so much better and lost 15 pounds. My complexion even improved.
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 10:50 AM oh my goodness those are amazing results! Funny you say that because one of the results that I’m hoping for is some radiance back in my skin! Fingers crossed and good luck on your journey!!! xoxo
Layne Spears says January 3, 2017 at 8:18 AM Hi! I love your blog, and am so happy I stumbled upon it a year ago! My husband and I are also doing whole30 this month. Our favorite quick breakfast/mid-day snack are egg muffins/egg cup frittatas. You can find tons of recipes on Pinterest- meat and no meat. I’m pregnant, so trying to lower the amount of meat I’m eating so we just used grape tomatoes, onions, spinach in ours. Good luck and I hope you feel healthier, happier, and overall great!
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 10:49 AM Layne- Yay! I’m so happy you found this little space, too! I made a fritta type casserole this morning and it was decent (mostly user error, I think 😉 ..any favorite egg cup recipes? Also, how do you keep your hubby on track? Mine is already rocking the boat lol!
Lauren says January 3, 2017 at 6:00 PM This was a great post! Committing to preparing healthier foods for yourself and your family is an excellent way to kick off 2017! I have an amazing crockpot recipe for Paleo Buffalo Chicken Chili that you HAVE to try! It’s on my blog under the “Food” category. Check it out, it is so simple and so yummy! You will totally love how you feel eating this way! Cheers! http://www.landoflou.com
Style Your Senses says January 3, 2017 at 9:40 PM Lauren- thanks so much for your encouragement! And omg YUM–just pinned the Chili…will absolutely add it to next weeks meal plan! Thanks again! xoxo