I finally bit the bullet and attempted my first ever Whole30 this past month. In case you don’t know what it is, it is not a diet but more of a month long detox of 4 simple food groups. I was very intimidated to do this because to be honest, I rarely cook anymore and usually eat my MIL’s cooking or eat out. I maaaaybe cook once a week. I knew if I was to do a Whole30, I’d have to be responsible for every single one of my meals for 30 days. That might have been scarier to me than the actual act of denying myself some of my favorite foods! ha ha.  So the  4 “simple” food groups were  legumes, dairy, sugar, and grains….which turns out is in EVERYTHING I EAT !!! Yes that means no soy sauce or rice which is a staple in my Asian diet!

So…why did I do this? Well I’ve had it on my informal bucket list for years! With my recent health scares and a dietbet that my cousin started, I thought this was the perfect time to try it out. I was curious to see if I would be able to do it and also what affect certain foods (if any) has on my body.

Well I am less than a week out from being done!!!! I honestly can’t believe the end is near. Let me tell you in the beginning it is SO UNBELIEVABLY hard. I thought about giving up several times. But by the end, I was sailing through birthday parties and even Disneyland with only a tiny ounce of regret. I feel like I have absolute control over my eating habits (which is an amazing feeling to have). My cousin was also doing it at the same time and we both agreed we felt invincible while doing this knowing how much self control and willpower we have when we put our minds to it!

So even though I still have a few days left, I think it’s safe to talk about the results (I will update if I see anything else different). For one thing, even though you are not supposed to do this to lose weight, it is an added benefit. I was able to meet and surpass my dietbet goal (lose 4% of my weight in 4 weeks) and am actually only a few pounds away from my PRE-KIDS weight! My coughing seems to be under control but I think that might coincide more with my restarting my medication again this past month.  My stomach itself has been so “calm” this past month too. TMI but I am very regular now and never have any stomach pains which probably means I am somewhat lactose intolerant. Boo.

I am not sure what I will do after my Whole30 ends. I think I may try to eat better at lunch time and keep eating at my MIL’s and just eat whatever on the weekend. I am more aware now though about when I am full and when I am eating just to eat or not waste food (I’m sure I’m not the only mom that finishes her kids foods!). Whole30 really has changed me in a way (for the better!) and I am really glad I did it. I highly recommend it for anyone who feels like they might have a bad relationship with food or who thinks food might be the culprit of any health problems or who just wants to challenge themselves to see what they are capable of!

Lastly, I will end with the products/foods that really helped me get through my whole30. Most of these products are no/low cook for my lazy self!

From TJs:
Chomps Beef Jerky sticks
RxBar Blueberry
Ginger Kombucha
Dehydrated Beets (although this might be considered a chip in which case it is now banned)
Turkey Burgers
Mini bell peppers
Rack of lamb (in the frozen section)

From Whole Foods:
Garlic spread (I forgot the brand but I think they only sell 1)
TessaMae’s Mayo and Ranch dressing

I also survived on La Croix (or Target’s cheaper copycat version) and finally tried sweet potato toasts (topped with avocado) – highly recommend!

Here are some of my meals I cooked. Most of these are freezable so I would make a large batch and eat them spread out so I wouldn’t get sick of them. (I apologize in advance for these horrible photos lol. I just took them in the phone usually in the evening with no natural lighting)

Paleo chili (I converted to the instant pot)

Best roasted vegetables ever (if you’ve never made roasted vegetables like this you have to try! Def don’t skip on the tomatoes in this recipe)

Egg, Sweet Potato, Kale, Sausage hash – I can’t seem to find where I got this recipe from but it’s basically what’s in the title hehe. I couldn’t find compliant breakfast sausage so I just took ground pork and add some “sausage” type spices to them. This was easily my favorite and easiest recipe on Whole30 and I will def be keeping this in my freezer for a quick and easy breakfast!

Other than that I ate a lot of tuna/salmon salad. I bought the tuna that’s in olive oil and dumped it on a pile of mixed green. Added compliant mayo and lemon. Super quick and easy! Hardboiled eggs. Steak. Oh and I REALLY loved the frozen turkey burgers from TJs. I ate a lot of lettuce wrapped turkey burgers or just ate it over a bed of greens for an easy meal. I made ketchup with the mayo + tomato paste!

Let me know if any of you have done or will do a Whole30. I would love to hear your experience!