Category: Whole30

The Journey of Whole30

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It’s July. We’ve successfully completed Whole30. Only one minor hiccup during the whole process (Worcestershire sauce made it into some mushrooms on night). 

Major takeaways:

  • More energy
  • No breakouts
  • No headaches
  • Regulated blood sugar levels 
  • Less tired

The list seems small, but those are major wins. And they were sustained after the first 10 days of Whole30.

I definitely think this program will teach you how you don’t realize how bad certain foods made you feel. 

I don’t think I lost weight, which wasn’t my goal. But the Boyfriend says his pants fit different. Better. 

How will be change our food lives:

  • Less takeout
  • Better food choices when eating out
  • No food deprivation, but practice mindful eating
  • Whole30 weekdays, and free weekends

Personally, I will probably eat less gluten and carbs. Less processed foods. Less sugar. But cheese is coming back, and half and half in coffee is happening as I write this. 

For those of you who plan to start Whole30, I do have some advice. 

  • Buy the book. It will answer lots of questions. And it gives you recipe ideas to get you started. 
  • Your psychological attachment to certain foods is strong. Good moods, bad days, anger, stress and sleepiness all make you reach for certain foods due to the emotional connection. Being from the South, my connection to certain comfort foods was very strong. It’s a part of your upbringing. Notice those things. Note the emotions that send you into a craving frenzy. 
  • Make sure you find good people to encourage you. Lots of people won’t understand why you actively chose to give up all the “best” foods. But stick to your guns. Especially the first 10 days. 
  • Meal plan. Map out, at least a rough draft, what you will eat each week. This helps you not overspend at the store. Plus you know what main dish goes with what veggie sides. Don’t be like me, and try to wing it. 
  • Make enough dinner each night to pack your lunch for the next day. You will be cooking a lot. So the less prep you do after cooking dinner, the less you will resent Whole30. I cooked 88 meals during the month of June. My life would have been considerable better if I made sure dinner covered lunch every day. 
  • The weekends are you saving grace. Prep veggies. Cut fruit. Grocery shop. Make the fancy meals you won’t make during the week. The weekends always made me feel free to be creative. Plus I didn’t have to make meals back-to-back-to-back. 
  • You will get angry. Eliminating things you like will make you feel bad. Cooking all the time will be annoying. It’s ok to be angry. The Boyfriend endured lots of complaining about cooking every single meal. But he always thanked for my efforts during my rageful moments so that helped A LOT. Gratitude is a major anger kicker. 
  • It will get easier. The cooking. The planning. The not eating certain things. It will get easier. Know that I didn’t believe either during the phase of detox. But clarity and ease will come. Don’t. Give. Up. 

When you complete your Whole30, let me know and we will celebrate. 


I celebrated with a Whiskey Fix from Heights Taco. But if you choose to not have alcohol after your Whole30, we will cheers over unsweetened tea with lemon. 

Day 27: Almost. There.

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I really can’t believe it’s almost over. So much work is finally coming to an end. The amount of time I spend cooking will go down considerably. I do want to make sure we continue to eat well for lunch and dinner. But I miss eating breakfast in the cafeteria of my office, and the Boyfriend doesn’t really like breakfast. He usually saves his breakfast for lunch time.

Tonight’s supper was a pan fried pork chop seasoned with a garlic, sea salt and peppercorn rub and a side of roasted broccoli and sautéed mushrooms. 

I was weary the pork chop would be weird since it wasn’t dredged in flour, but the rub made it delightful. And those crispy edges were a highlight for me. 

The thing I wanted to share with you is my night time snack. 


Every night I enjoy a cup of decaf black coffee with a sweet Whole30 compliant treat. 

Some nights it’s a Larabar. Tonight, it was a sliced banana with a smear of almond butter and sprinkle of allspice and cinnamon. Tasted like a delightful spice cake. Just what I needed to round out my savory meal. 

The Whole30 encourages you to kick you sweet tooth habits. And I have for the most part. But sometimes you need a treat, and this is what I’ve been choosing. 

Main thing is I’m not going to feel guilty for loving an almond butter smeared banana. Or a Larabar. Whole30 has taught me I control whatever I eat. Nobody else. Just me. I choose bananas over cake. Or grilled chicken over fried chicken. Or sautéed veggies over French fries. 

My relationship with food hasn’t changed. I still love it. But I definitely respect it more than I did. I’ve always known the food I eat fuels my body, but Whole30 has given me a clear view of what life without certain things can be like. 

I can say confidently there will be Whole30 approved meals in our weekly routine. I can also say I know we will incorporate things we haven’t eaten in 30 days. The occasionally sweet treat. The celebratory beverage. The vacation foods. But we will have the knowledge that we can do Whole30 choices anytime we want. And do it well. 

I feel empowered to be in control of what I’m eating now that Whole30 is ending. There will probably be a few days of no-so-good choices, but then we go back to what we know. 

Meat. Eggs. Vegetables. Fruits. Nuts. 

Day 26: Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

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Only four more days. I can’t believe it. 

Last night, I want out to eat with my best friend. Haven’t seen her in a while, and we need some catching up time. I had a delicious grilled shrimp salad from my favorite restaurant. You can check it out on my Facebook page. So good. 

But tonight’s supper was no slacker. After a day spent kayaking on Greers Ferry Lake, dinner was a must. The Boyfriend was hangry. You know, so hungry he was angry. I’ll be honest. I’m usually the hangry one in the relationship. When we first started dating, I had to remind him I wasn’t one of those girls who doesn’t eat. 

Shrimp Stuff Mushrooms

What you need:

  • 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and uncooked
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, gills and stem removed
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Lime juice

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prep the mushrooms by removing the stem and scraping out the gills. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a baking pan, and then drizzle olive oil on the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. 

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add a little coconut oil. Toss in the onion, jalapeño and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. While those cook down a bit, chop up the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the hot pan. Season with garlic powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook until the shrimp turn slightly pink. 

Top the mushroom with the shrimp mixture. Squeeze half a lime over the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and squeeze the remaining half of the lime over the warm shrimp stuffed mushrooms. I served the mushrooms alongside a homegrown tomato slices. 

This was absolutely delicious. Full of big flavors. I scored major points with the Boyfriend. He came right out of this hangry state. You have to add this recipe to your meal routine. It’s one of those that can be easily adapted to what you have on hand. I invented it because I didn’t want to go to the grocery store. 

So that means I have no idea what we will eat tomorrow. Seriously. It could be a big problem.

How was your weekend? Anyone starting Whole30 soon?

 

Day 23: Seven Days

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Only seven days left on the island. 

I won’t know how to act. Which was made clear tonight because my attitude has been sour. At least I admit it. 

Hormones are to blame. 

Whole30 has given me freedom from monthly hormone headache. They were debilitating. For days, I would sit with my head pounding. It was awful. 

I had hope Whole30 would help me, but I had no idea I wouldn’t get them at all. That, in itself, pays for the countless meals and label reading and Nazi-like eye I have on restaurant menus. 


Tonight’s dinner was chicken taco salad. Ground chicken with taco spices, mixed greens, sliced cherry tomatoes and guacamole. Very tasty. 

We are still having our boiled egg and fruit breakfasts. And mostly leftovers for lunch. 

I can’t wait to go back to a less strict way of life. I’m exhausted. 

My tiger blood phase is no match for girly hormones. 

Day 22: Grocery Store Blues

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I absolutely did not want to go to the grocery store tonight. 

It was one of those days where I just wanted to come home and be done with the day. 

I didn’t feel creative. Didn’t want to cook. I’ve lost count of how many meals I’ve made. 

But I went to the store. The Boyfriend and I went without eggs in our breakfasts, and it was a tough morning for me. 


We grilled some pork chops, and I had baked some sweet potatoes a couple days ago. So dinner came together quick tonight. I whipped up a side salad with a homemade red wine vinaigrette. 

A very tasty dining experience. 

It’s later than I’d like to be writing, but Whole30 has given me more sustainable energy. I’m not falling asleep on the couch at 8 p.m. But I do sleep soundly, and I wake up feeling more refreshed. 

Still trying to figure out what happens after Whole30 is over. Still taking suggestions.