Whole 30 Diet Journal

My family decided we were all going to do the Whole 30 diet as our New Year's Resolution. Ever since the previous holidays, we haven't been keeping each other accountable for what we ate. We pretty much ate what we wanted, when we wanted it because, hey who cares? Not only did I feel bad about how I was treating my body, I felt it in the way I would go to work and my energy level was terribly low. My cravings were nonstop, even into the night. I wanted a change and I knew I had better start soon. 
The Whole 30 diet occurs within a month-long period. During the month you are allowed to eat all fruits, veggies, and meats (as long as it doesn't contain sugar). You are not, however, allowed to eat any bread, dairy, legumes, or sugar within the time frame. 
This diet is not a long-term thing. In fact, I've read several studies on how whole 30 is not the healthiest diet because your body will start to need the nutrients such as wheat and calcium. But, the diet is supposed to help you open your eyes to see how much sugar you're intaking on a daily basis. By the end of the 30 days, we will implement a few things back into our diet and see how our bodies react. If we have any problems with it, we know that our bodies do not need it. 
Whole 30 is sort of like a restart.

Haha! *Which one of these things does not belong?* We went shopping the day before we began and you can see we had a last hoorah.

I think the hardest thing about the diet is actually finding things that you CAN eat! The first week we actually cheated by accident because we didn't realize the sausage we were eating had a small dose of sugar in it.
Evidence:

  
Without any further ado, here are some meals that were my favorites!

|| Breakfasts ||

The first week I didn't do as much cardio or strength training as I normally do, just because I knew I needed t give my body a break with all the changes that were about to take place.

Breakfast the first morning was egg frittatas. And boy, they were GOOD. They also smelled delicious too. Mom and I love green peppers, onions, and sauteed kale, so we made a separate batch for us. We just made my sister's and dad's with salsa and spinach.

I made myself fruit bowls most of the time, at least when I wasn't eating eggs. 

One morning we decided to make a really big breakfast with banana pancakes and almond butter. Check out how easy it is to make almond butter.

|| Lunches ||

Consisted mostly of salads or previous dinner leftovers. 

|| Dinner ||

One of the dinners we stuffed bell peppers with an Italian mixture of cauliflower rice, tomato sauce, and ground chuck. Our sides were potatoes and steamed broccoli. 

|| Snacks ||

Snacking throughout the diet is not recommended, especially if you want to lose weight. But during the first week, we allowed ourselves to. 

Check out my book review of Marissa Meyer's Renegades!

My mom's birthday was on the 4th day of the diet and we couldn't cheat. So, my sister and I decided to make a fruitcake! 

One of the things I missed the most was coffee. I have come to appreciate black coffee, y'all. Yes, at first it was NASTY, but it is much better than the approved bullet coffee. 

Bullet coffee is made with ghee, which is purified butter. Yes, I drank butter in my coffee. The first few sips weren't that bad. But when it got colder, you could taste the oily substance that made the "creamer." 

When it is all over will I continue to drink coffee? Yes, and I will drink it with sugar, but I will not have it every day like I was starting to before the diet. 

One of the thngs you are allowed to eat is almond butter, but it has to be without sugar. That made it harder to find. Read how I made almond butter myself!

I hope this inspired you in your eating habits, even if you don't want to commit to the Whole 30, you can still eliminate the sugars and processed junk we put in our bodies. So far, this diet as changed the way we eat and purchase our foods. Even my dad is checking the list of ingredients before we purchase food! I love it. 

Oh, and my family made a special outing to Trader Joe's, which is one of my favorite stores to shop now. 

Do not get overwhelmed when trying to lose weight. If you desire change, then it all comes down to one thing: it's what you eat.

Here is my testimony of my weightloss journey and how you can take care of your living temple.

♡ Anna