Monday, July 18, 2016

Whole30: A Diary {Week One}

I'd like to blame my friend Kim. And my BFF Pattie.

Really, though, I should blame myself. I was the one who had been letting my eating habits slide. I was the one who had been grabbing mini candy bars from the office stash, going out for cocktails on the regular. I was the one who was suggesting the trips to the ice cream stand and buying the makings of watermelon margaritas. I was the one getting tired of myself.

So when I saw my friend Kim have good results on Whole30 and when my BFF Pattie shared a link to someone's experience with Whole30, commenting that maybe she could do it, too, I was in a place where I felt jealous and ready. I was jealous of someone doing better than me and I was prepared to do something about it.

 I told Pattie that if she was really interested in Whole30, I would do it with her. The goal wouldn't be to lose weight, per se, (though I wouldn't complain about that) but to gain a sense of pride and control in the way I was eating.

 She said yes (as any good BFF would) and agreed to wait until I returned from vacation. July 11 was day one.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on



For those who aren't familiar with Whole30, it is a 30-day elimination diet that aims to reset cravings and see how your body reacts to certain foods. Grains, sugar, sugar substitutes, legumes, dairy, alcohol and soy are not allowed.

day 1 | There's a Diet Pepsi in the refrigerator. It's cold. Like, really cold. I can tell by looking at the can. I bet it would taste so good. Gah. I want to drink you all. With breakfast. Oh, yeah. Breakfast. I made scrambled eggs, which would taste much better with cheese. This is going to be hard.

day 2 | My head. My mother-freakin' head. It hurts so, so, so badly. It's caffeine withdrawal, I know it. I had my morning caffeine but no Diet Pepsi with lunch. I need that afternoon caffeine or I will cut someone. Someone like my husband, who commented that losing weight is hard. Please note: Mark has never had to lose weight in his life and can drop 5 pounds looking at a Weight Watchers advertisement.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on

day 3 | Sad – that's what my plastic container from the hospital salad bar looks like. Granted, the contents are merely toppings to what I've brought from home but still. It's a far cry from my usual to-go containers and the one that I would have gotten that day had it not been for Whole30 – a DIY funnel cake from the hot bar.

day 4 | Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh. My training plan called for 6 miles with the last 3 miles ran faster than the first 3. On these types of workouts, I like to overachieve and run each mile faster than the previous one. It was smooth sailing until mile 4.5 when I hit the wall. No energy at all. The good news is that I no longer have a headache nor do I want to lob the Diet Pepsis in the fridge (ones Mark put in there for me on Sunday night) across the room. Or at Mark's head. 

Bonus: I was that person at work today, the one who burns crap in the microwave. I had put a sweet potato in for 6 minutes, the average time at home, but apparently too long at the office. It was burnt and hard, and it smelled. BAD. I spent 15 minutes apologizing. 

A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on

day 5 | I can tell I'm not as hungry between meals. It's a good thing. The only problem is that I don't think I'm eating enough. At least that's what I tell myself when I have yet another mediocre run. Again, it was good till the half way point but my attempts to push it the last two miles were poorly reflected in my pace. 

Note: I'm violating Whole30 rules and tracking my intake on MyFitnessPal. 1) I don't want to break my streak (now 428 days) but 2) I want to see my macro breakdown to ensure I'm eating enough protein.  

The one thing I have no trouble doing is peeing. I went to bed early because I had plans to meet the girls at 7 a.m. the next day to run, and I spent 9 p.m. to midnight going to the bathroom every half hour. I swear that I didn't have too much water at dinner. 

day 6 | I still miss Diet Pepsi. I wanted one after my run and again on my way home from the grocery store. I never realized how much I was addicted to it. Oh, and speaking of the store. Holy. Cow. I spent $45 at Kroger, another $60+ at Aldi and I joined a veggie delivery service that's another $30. I am not sure if I'm buying more vegetables than I need but I have to eat something – and eat something different.


A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on

day 7 | So proud. I went to church with Mark and the boys, and I resisted the table with the donuts. I grabbed a cup of coffee (black) and watched as everyone enjoyed the fellowship (aka sugar). Instead, I wait it out to have a salad at home. I go for some Thai flavors in the dressing – "clean" mayo, red curry paste and rice vinegar – but sort of fail. Live and learn, I guess. And I have another 23 days to try to get it right.

Has anyone else done Whole30? Tips? Results?

8 comments:

  1. Good job!! The first week is for sure the hardest. I'm proud of you!

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  2. Things I miss: (in no particular order) chocolate. peanut butter. corn on the cob (my sister in law gave us some and I'm having to not eat any), picking up any package in the grocery and not having to read the label, Cherry Pepsi (or Coke), not having to explain why I'm not enjoying the office doughnuts... But YAY for Whole30!! lol. I think we can make it.

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  3. I did it. It was rough at first, but it got easier. I can definitely tell a difference. I don't do dairy but a little cheese some times, and I don't do ice cream unless it is homemade by my FIL. I almost totally eliminated beans/grains/legumes from my diet. :)

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  4. you're doing AMAZING! your pics on instagram look great. i def party too much in the summer - i'm working on it (not really).

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  5. I've done it four times and have been eating paleo for three years. Make sure you follow the meal template (protein the size of your hand, cover the rest of the plate with vegetables, quantity of healthy fat the size of your thumb), especially with the fat. It seems like a lot when you start out but that's what's going to tide you over between meals.

    You can have caffeine! Just drink black or green tea, or unsweetened coffee. I never have tried to quit caffeine on Whole30. Ow.

    As others have noted, the first week's the hardest. You're rocking it. Keep going!!!

    Here are some of my Whole30 blog links (with recipes):
    http://thesethingshappentootherpeople.blogspot.com/search/label/Whole30

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    Replies
    1. I would kill someone if I gave up caffeine. My husband said he would move out if Whole30 included no coffee. I miss(ed) the carbonation of diet soda but I've done better replacing it with sparkling water and indulging in cold-pressed juice.

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    2. My "indulgent" Whole30 drinks were kombucha and Starbucks single-variety coffee made on the Clover.

      Your avocado soup from this week sounds good. Recipe?

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    3. I have picked up some kombucha a time or two, and I really liked it. I might even try to make it. Eek!

      The recipe is here: http://whole9life.com/2012/07/summer-soups/. I did add a half of a jalapeno to it, and I think I could even go to a full one.

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