I can hardly believe that I had enough will power to make it a week with No grains, beans, dairy, sugar, or alcohol. (The no alcohol part was easy it was everything else that kinda kicked my a$s.) If you are curious as to why I started the Whole30, please check out my first post and my week 1 Whole30 menu plan.
Since I am exclusively breastfeeding my 4 month old baby during my journey, I am really trying to make sure I am eating when I am hungry. While the Whole30 guidelines suggest to cut out snacking if possible, when I am nursing Baby D every 2-3 hours during the day and every 4-5 hours at night I am getting hungry and feeling like I need a little bit more food. I am not worried about snacking this time through my Whole30.
One of the most important things I have been doing was making sure I have a minimum of 90ozs of water daily. I have also been enjoying Green Tea in the afternoons and a Sweet & Spicy Tea from Good Earth at night.
I also got 4 good hour long workouts in this week. My goal is between 4-5 workouts per week. I am also adding in strength training to my cardio starting this coming Monday.
Days 1 & 2
The first two days weren’t as bad as I thought they would be. I was eating big meals 3 times a day with a snack or two depending on my hunger.
- Breakfast: Banana, cucumber, and 3-egg omelet with olives and pico de gallo.
- Lunch: A super easy salad to which I added grilled chicken.
- Dinner: Balsamic chicken with sweet potato mash and roasted veggies (broccoli and zucchini).
- Snacks: Carrots with almond butter and two hard boiled eggs with a tomato. Ended the night with tea.
- Breakfast: After a rushed morning I made a quick smoothie (Almond Milk with frozen mixed berries and spinach) and ate a banana.
- Lunch: Salad with roasted veggies, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado (which was so creamy I didn’t need dressing) and chicken.
- Dinner: 4 chicken sausages with leftover roasted veggies and sweet potato coins.
- Snacks: Mango, strawberries, and carrots with almond butter.
Days 3 & 4
These days were hard as I was more tired than usual and had a headache upon waking up and going to bed. I didn’t feel hungry these days after my meals at all. But I was feeling my energy return which is very nice. I did seem to notice all the things I couldn’t have at the grocery store more. I wasn’t hungry for them, but if you would have handed me a PB&J sandwich I would have kissed you while I enjoyed every bite!
- Breakfast: 3 eggs with Pico de Gallo, cuties, and mushrooms.
- Lunch: Shredded pork with Pico de Gallo, avocado, and carrots.
- Dinner: Crockpot chicken, with a bit of organic clean balsamic, sweet potato coins, steamed cauliflower with Janes Crazy mixed up salt.
- Snacks: Larabar (which isn’t the best Whole30 snack but it was perfect for me in a pinch and a banana with a spoon of almond butter.
- Breakfast: 3 egg scramble made with orange bell peppers and mushrooms. Banana on the side.
- Lunch: Salad with tuna, olives, peppers, avocado, sun dried tomatoes, and sugar snap peas.
- Dinner: Turkey with taco seasoning, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, water chestnuts, carrots, onions and salsa.
- Snack: Dates, raisins, cashews.
Days 5 & 6
Finally, no headache and feeling great. This is also the first time in a long time that I actually truly felt the hunger cue saying I was full and didn’t need to finish my food. I had peeled 3 hardboiled eggs, but I only needed to eat two. It was a good feeling to listen to my body and not eat mindlessly. Day 6 seemed to bring a huge hunger. I felt like I couldn’t eat enough. I tried to eat more fats and protein to satisfy my hunger longer.
- Breakfast: 3 hard boiled eggs (only needed two) with sweet potatoes, and cauliflower.
- Lunch: Leftover turkey taco crumble. (See day 4).
- Dinner: Tuna salad with avocado, olives, cucumbers, sun dried tomatoes, romaine.
- Snacks: Banana, cashews, raisins.
- Breakfast: Running late… Two hard boiled eggs, small handful cashews, and a banana.
- Lunch: Salad with nitrate-free bacon, roasted turkey breast, chicken, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, olives.
- Dinner: Grilled chicken breast with guacamole and green beans with ghee.
- Snack: Sweet potato with almond butter.
Day 7
End of week 1. I am still learning the balance of my meals. How much protein and fats I need to keep my body full and happy longer. Baby D seemed to have a lot of gas after Day 6, but did just fine Day 7. Not sure what caused it, but I like that I have these pictures to look back on if I need to troubleshoot. As far as breastfeeding, I am happy to say my milk seems to be adjusting fine. Baby D has days where he will eat from both breasts at a feeding, and other days where he seems satisfied after just one breast, but I am not worried at this point about supply at all. I have noticed his eczema rash is gone which only further makes me believe it was a reaction to the dairy in my diet. I love all the energy I have.
I did have one big bump into day, but I am happy to say I didn’t cheat despite all the cheating my mind was doing. We have previously made plans to meet friends at our favorite local pizzeria. How I longed to reach across the table and scarf down one of the delicious pizza pies, but I stayed strong and ate a chicken breast with a dry salad. It did not satisfy me at the time, but once I got home I was fine and the craving had passed. However, that pizza seemed to spark my imagination, as visions of cupcakes and even soda pop played with my cravings all day.
- Breakfast: 3 eggs with a sweet potato.
- Lunch: I ended up with a chicken breast and salad with no dressing.
- Dinner: Kitchen sink salad using up much of the remaining produce, and added a pan seared chicken breast. Also had roasted cauliflower & brussel sprouts.
- Snacks: Banana, with almond butter, and coconut flakes.
I am happy to say I am ready for week 2. I am hoping the cravings go away this week as I settle into my month on the Whole30.
If you want to see what I am eating every day – follow me on Instagram as I post my meals nightly!
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Good for you! That is no easy task.
Oh geez, I admire you for eating chicken at a pizzeria!! Sounds like it’s going to be up and down, with some easy and more difficult days thrown in. Good luck!!
Wow! You did great!
Congrats on doing so well with the challenge!
You’re doing awesome! You can do it! It’s tough no matte what plan you do when you’re use to eating pretty much whatever you want. 🙂 I’m not cutting out anything, just everything in moderation. Counting calories, it’s the only thing that seems to work for me. And portion control isn’t easy for me, because I was so used to eating 2nds, and 3rds. 😉
You’re a brave, strong woman! More power to you in sticking to this plan! You’ve made it further than I would have in half an hour – sugar is evil but oh so good!
You go girl! That would be so hard for me to do.
I’m so impressed! You are doing awesome–with food and breastfeeding. I’m pretty passionate about breastfeeding and love hearing about a momma who is able to make it past the 6 week mark! Yay for you!
This looks like such a great eating plan. You’re doing awesome!
mmm everything looks so tasty thanks for all the pics we ate like this for the month of jan and i dropped 10 lbs.
Congratulations on your journey! I don’t limit myself to certain types of food but I do eat as clean as possible. Even months later I still marvel at craving fresh vegetables rather than candy!
You’re off to a great start!
I couldn’t do this. You are so much stronger than I am.
Looks like tasty foods!!
Wow! That’s impressive! I couldn’t do it..I mean I guess if I had to..maybe!
I’m really curious about the Polar watch of yours. What is that? I’m wanting something to help me track during the day better.
Thank you for blogging your journey! Beginning my first Whole30 tomorrow and being a breastfeeding mama also, am following your experience as a guide as I start out on my first week!