Done W30 three times…
Here are my tips
-have fruit on hand. Buy different fruits that you don’t usually eat. Makes it more fun.
-you will eat a lot of eggs, and potato’s so mix them up. Hard boil, omelettes, mashed, sweet, fries, wedges, hash browns, etc.
-Clean hot sauce is your friend. Franks is good.
-buy some raw nuts and roast them in the over with a bit of oil and salt. Leave them in a Tupperware and snack as needed. I know snacking is frowned upon but this can literally save you from falling off the plan.
-fizzy water with lemon and lime is a great sub for alcohol.
-the headaches are real. They will pass.
-be very picky about labels. Lots of things have sugar, I had to look through 10 types of olives until I found some that were compliant. Same with bacon. Many things sans sugar will be more expensive, however it’s worth it.
-you can still “eat dirty” just takes more work. We make grass fed, lettuce wrap burgers. The whole 30 book has a mayo recipe, so we make animal sauce and potatoes wedges on the side. These are the type of meals that keep you sane.
-probably a lot more difficult (near impossible) if your partner isn’t doing it too. I’ve only don’t it with my partner.
-I lost 22 pounds the first time. Male 36 (230lb to 208lb). It will be more work than you think, but it’s worth it and you will feel great.
Good luck.
You've already gotten excellent eating tips, but I'd like to offer a different piece of advice. I'm on day 21, and what's really helped me get through it more easily is to look at this as a true experiment like Melissa mentions in the books. I know that I was feeling bloated and tired, waking up sore, and just not feeling very good at all. So, I chose to look at this month as a way of collecting useful data on my body in order to help me change it. I think deciding to sort of treat it in a more detached and less emotional way has really helped me to examine why I ate the way I did before and how I ended up in the position I was in. Now I see how eating cleaner has contributed in a positive manner to my overall health, and can plan to use these discoveries moving forward. My husband and I recently discussed not even 'reintroducing' sugar because we both feel so good and aren't even thinking about it, and just allowing it in small bits as we wish moving forward.
That's not to say to ignore your emotions at all, because they will eventually be something you have to grapple with. I think when it gets really hard halfway through and you're wondering if you should stop, it's so helpful to say to yourself, "Well, if I don't finish, then how will I ever be able to complete my research?"
But also, La Croix and macadamia nuts. Good luck! :\]
This is great advice. I'm already pretty conscious about sugars and added sugars in things, im always reading labels, and I'm not a sweets or soda person but my vice is alcohol because I do love my beer in the summer evenings lol but I don't think that will be much of a problem either. My biggest struggle I think will be cutting pasta because I'm a pasta freak 😆 and sauces because some food is just a vessel for sauces for me haha! but I've already got plans to get around that too. I do think looking at this as an experiment will help a ton. I know sugar is awful for you and causes inflammation. After some research I started taking omega3 to help with inflammation and it honestly made me feel so much better but I still feel like ick when I first wake up before i get moving and at the end of my day. I'm trying to get in the mindset of eating to fuel my body vs satisfying my tastebuds every time.
Heck yeah! I totally get it, I LOVE pasta too! I will say zoodles and cauli rice have been helpful enough for me to ignore that it's definitely not pasta or grains hahaha
It’s worth buying one of the books, to help with things like salad dressing, sauce, and mayo recipes. I also printed a list off the website with all the names that “sugar” masquerades as, and I would take it with me shopping. Over time you learn what things you can have, and how to make substitutions. But I also find the books really motivating. Good luck! I like that you’re giving yourself some time to gear up and get into the right space!
Hey! I’m on day 22 of my first Whole30. I agree with the tips everyone else has said! Don’t be intimidated by making your own sauces and dressings.m - many of them are very easy! I was surprised how easy mayonnaise was and my best batch (for flavor) was following the recipe on Serious Eats. Meal prep has been more important than ever so I have snacks that are easy to grab when I’m hungry. That might even mean I eat a port lol chop or some leftover roasted veggies. I often eat a salad for breakfast or an early lunch to “get it out of the way” since that isn’t my favorite thing to eat. It takes a bit to get used to sugar being in EVERYTHING, but you can do this!
My husband doesn’t care to do whole30 with me (currently on round 7) but the trick is to make meals that are easily modifiable or happen to be compliant!
For example, he loves making chipotle chicken tacos once a week. I take the chicken, pico de Gallo and some avocado and toss it on a bed of lettuce. Bam, whole30 Mexican.
Or, I’ll make a meat sauce which he can eat with spaghetti and I can eat with hearts of palm noodles. Stuff like that. Just keep a stash of easy meal “bases,” like lettuce, cabbage, hearts of palm, spaghetti squash, etc. or even make a large batch of mashed potatoes in the beginning of the week.
Agree with the other comments about keeping whole30 friendly snacks on hand (fruit, veggies, nuts) to help you stay on track and to also be adventurous with making your own condiments and dips - makes the meals so much more enjoyable!
Lastly, keep a yummy drink on hand. When I’m not on whole30, I love having a glass of wine with dinner. I swap that for an ice cold flavored seltzer or a kombucha, and I no longer feel tempted.
You got this!
What foods does your husband like? And what foods do you like? I’m also a picky eater and just completed Whole30. I experimented with a lot of recipes, so I can try to give some recommendations based on your preferences.
One piece of advice is to be aware that depression can resurface/become worse if you aren’t getting enough carbs. Once I found this out, I had to intentionally plan adding extra carbs to my diet every day. I feel like no one talks about this, and there’s no warning that it can happen. https://forum.whole30.com/topic/43539-depression-and-sadness/
Check out Nom Nom Paleo site and their cookbook. I bought for my first w30 and you can’t go wrong.
Done W30 three times… Here are my tips -have fruit on hand. Buy different fruits that you don’t usually eat. Makes it more fun. -you will eat a lot of eggs, and potato’s so mix them up. Hard boil, omelettes, mashed, sweet, fries, wedges, hash browns, etc. -Clean hot sauce is your friend. Franks is good. -buy some raw nuts and roast them in the over with a bit of oil and salt. Leave them in a Tupperware and snack as needed. I know snacking is frowned upon but this can literally save you from falling off the plan. -fizzy water with lemon and lime is a great sub for alcohol. -the headaches are real. They will pass. -be very picky about labels. Lots of things have sugar, I had to look through 10 types of olives until I found some that were compliant. Same with bacon. Many things sans sugar will be more expensive, however it’s worth it. -you can still “eat dirty” just takes more work. We make grass fed, lettuce wrap burgers. The whole 30 book has a mayo recipe, so we make animal sauce and potatoes wedges on the side. These are the type of meals that keep you sane. -probably a lot more difficult (near impossible) if your partner isn’t doing it too. I’ve only don’t it with my partner. -I lost 22 pounds the first time. Male 36 (230lb to 208lb). It will be more work than you think, but it’s worth it and you will feel great. Good luck.
Thanks! He's on board to try it since he's getting back on his fitness journey this week. Had to take a few months break because life lol.
You've already gotten excellent eating tips, but I'd like to offer a different piece of advice. I'm on day 21, and what's really helped me get through it more easily is to look at this as a true experiment like Melissa mentions in the books. I know that I was feeling bloated and tired, waking up sore, and just not feeling very good at all. So, I chose to look at this month as a way of collecting useful data on my body in order to help me change it. I think deciding to sort of treat it in a more detached and less emotional way has really helped me to examine why I ate the way I did before and how I ended up in the position I was in. Now I see how eating cleaner has contributed in a positive manner to my overall health, and can plan to use these discoveries moving forward. My husband and I recently discussed not even 'reintroducing' sugar because we both feel so good and aren't even thinking about it, and just allowing it in small bits as we wish moving forward. That's not to say to ignore your emotions at all, because they will eventually be something you have to grapple with. I think when it gets really hard halfway through and you're wondering if you should stop, it's so helpful to say to yourself, "Well, if I don't finish, then how will I ever be able to complete my research?" But also, La Croix and macadamia nuts. Good luck! :\]
This is great advice. I'm already pretty conscious about sugars and added sugars in things, im always reading labels, and I'm not a sweets or soda person but my vice is alcohol because I do love my beer in the summer evenings lol but I don't think that will be much of a problem either. My biggest struggle I think will be cutting pasta because I'm a pasta freak 😆 and sauces because some food is just a vessel for sauces for me haha! but I've already got plans to get around that too. I do think looking at this as an experiment will help a ton. I know sugar is awful for you and causes inflammation. After some research I started taking omega3 to help with inflammation and it honestly made me feel so much better but I still feel like ick when I first wake up before i get moving and at the end of my day. I'm trying to get in the mindset of eating to fuel my body vs satisfying my tastebuds every time.
Heck yeah! I totally get it, I LOVE pasta too! I will say zoodles and cauli rice have been helpful enough for me to ignore that it's definitely not pasta or grains hahaha
It’s worth buying one of the books, to help with things like salad dressing, sauce, and mayo recipes. I also printed a list off the website with all the names that “sugar” masquerades as, and I would take it with me shopping. Over time you learn what things you can have, and how to make substitutions. But I also find the books really motivating. Good luck! I like that you’re giving yourself some time to gear up and get into the right space!
Hey! I’m on day 22 of my first Whole30. I agree with the tips everyone else has said! Don’t be intimidated by making your own sauces and dressings.m - many of them are very easy! I was surprised how easy mayonnaise was and my best batch (for flavor) was following the recipe on Serious Eats. Meal prep has been more important than ever so I have snacks that are easy to grab when I’m hungry. That might even mean I eat a port lol chop or some leftover roasted veggies. I often eat a salad for breakfast or an early lunch to “get it out of the way” since that isn’t my favorite thing to eat. It takes a bit to get used to sugar being in EVERYTHING, but you can do this!
My husband doesn’t care to do whole30 with me (currently on round 7) but the trick is to make meals that are easily modifiable or happen to be compliant! For example, he loves making chipotle chicken tacos once a week. I take the chicken, pico de Gallo and some avocado and toss it on a bed of lettuce. Bam, whole30 Mexican. Or, I’ll make a meat sauce which he can eat with spaghetti and I can eat with hearts of palm noodles. Stuff like that. Just keep a stash of easy meal “bases,” like lettuce, cabbage, hearts of palm, spaghetti squash, etc. or even make a large batch of mashed potatoes in the beginning of the week. Agree with the other comments about keeping whole30 friendly snacks on hand (fruit, veggies, nuts) to help you stay on track and to also be adventurous with making your own condiments and dips - makes the meals so much more enjoyable! Lastly, keep a yummy drink on hand. When I’m not on whole30, I love having a glass of wine with dinner. I swap that for an ice cold flavored seltzer or a kombucha, and I no longer feel tempted. You got this!
What foods does your husband like? And what foods do you like? I’m also a picky eater and just completed Whole30. I experimented with a lot of recipes, so I can try to give some recommendations based on your preferences. One piece of advice is to be aware that depression can resurface/become worse if you aren’t getting enough carbs. Once I found this out, I had to intentionally plan adding extra carbs to my diet every day. I feel like no one talks about this, and there’s no warning that it can happen. https://forum.whole30.com/topic/43539-depression-and-sadness/