My Whole30 Experience: The Good, The Bad, and The Results

After years of promising myself that I'd get in shape, I ordered the Whole30 book on a whim and decided to do the challenge. A month after finishing, I have mixed feelings about the diet — but I'd do it again. Here's my take on the pros and cons of the Whole30. Let's start with the good.

I proved that I can do it. I've never really stuck with a healthy diet before. I'm very quick to give in to my cravings. I proved to myself that I can stare down a steaming hot slice of pizza and reach for a salad. 

I cooked a lot. I'd say that I typically cook a moderate amount, but we're quick to eat out or order in when we don't feel like cooking. For these four weeks, I cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner almost daily, and I really enjoyed being in the kitchen (for the most part). We discovered some new recipes that we'll use moving forward.

I bonded with Todd. He didn't really need to lose weight, but it helped so much to have someone to talk through the challenges and triumphs. And I loved how much time we spent cooking together and eating leisurely meals on the patio.

I lost weight. I'm currently down six pounds, and although it's not as much as I hoped for, I can definitely see and feel a difference.

I changed my habits. I was afraid I'd go right back to my old ways, but it's been a month and I haven't felt the urge to do that. We've started eating out again, and I have milk and sugar in my coffee and the occasional sandwich, but overall our eating habits are significantly healthier, and my weight has continued to drop.

And now for the bad:

It was a lonely road. It's really tough to go out and socialize on this diet. Technically, you can eat out, but it can be difficult to find restaurants that serve truly compliant food. And of course, drinking is out of the question, so there goes happy hour unless you want to sip a seltzer while everyone else drinks wine. Our social interactions were pretty minimal for the entire four weeks.

I spent so much time in the kitchen. Like I said, I loved cooking so much, but sometimes it felt like I was spending all of my spare time in the kitchen either prepping ingredients, cooking, or cleaning up afterward.

My energy didn't increase. In fact, there were a couple of days I was so tired that I had to take a nap. 

My skin got worse. Significantly worse. Usually my skin is pretty clear, but I had a major breakout a week or two into the diet, and it's only now beginning to go away.

Overall, if you're looking to make a major change to your diet, I'd recommend trying the Whole30. I don't agree with all of the rules, but ultimately it helped me go from merely talking about getting healthy and losing weight to actually doing it. Having explicit rules and a specific goal helped me immensely.

Traveling on the Whole30: 4 Survival Snacks

Being on the Whole30 is stressful. Traveling is stressful. When you put the two together, you're almost setting yourself up for failure.

I had to travel to Boston last week for work, a trip I'd been dreading all month because of my diet. Not only would I have to deal with the stress of traveling solo, but I'd have to find compliant food in the airport, in my hotel, and on the road. Without a car or grocery store, I was at the mercy of my surroundings—and I wasn't sure if I'd make it. 

Luckily, I took the time to prepare myself, packing more snacks than a soccer mom. And I can proudly say that I survived the trip with only a couple of small slip-ups. (Wine turned out to be a necessity—sorry not sorry.) Here's what I sipped and snacked on in those moments when I just wanted a candy bar and a Coke.

Larabars — Not all Larabars are compliant, but a bunch of them only have nuts and fruit. On the day when the office ordered pizza for lunch, I munched on a side salad followed by a coconut cream pie Larabar—and I didn't hate it.

Plantain Chips — You've got to search for a bag that isn't made with cane sugar or non-compliant oils, but plantain chips are sweet, salty, and satisfying. With a can of La Croix, they quickly quell any snack craving. 

Black Iced Coffee — When I lived and worked in Boston, I survived off of Dunkin's large iced coffees with a generous amount of cream and sugar—it was one of my favorite treats. I really wasn't sure if I could switch to black coffee, but it turns out, if it's good coffee, black is almost better. Grabbing a coffee at the airport and in the mid-afternoon at work kept me happy and energized.

Dried Figs — They may not be pretty, but figs are gooey, chewy, sweet, crunchy, and delicious. Perfect for packing and snacking.

Bonus Tip: The Appetizer Menu — Especially at nicer restaurants, chefs tend to embrace seasonal foods and experimentation on their appetizer menus, which often means creative, veggie-packed dishes. When eating out, you may have more luck ordering a couple of appetizers instead of a traditional entree.

Whole30 Week 1: 5 Things I Couldn't Live Without

I just completed Week 1 of the Whole30, a 30-day diet that eliminates all sugar, dairy, legumes, alcohol, and grains. Why would I do that to myself? Because the program promises increased energy, balanced metabolism, weight loss, improved gut health, and—most importantly for me—control over cravings. Todd and I both also wanted to stop being so dependent on eating out, something we do way too often.

So what does that leave? Meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts (except peanuts), and healthy fats like olive and coconut oils. Week 1 felt surprisingly normal for me, and I was almost never hungry (although I have missed my after-work wine). We had taco salad, steak, stuffed peppers, Nicoise salad, and lots more, and spent more time together in the kitchen than we ever have before. We even travelled over the weekend then had friends over for dinner with no problems at all. Here are the five ingredients that kept me going through the week!

• Eggs — I. Love. Eggs. Scrambled, hard-boiled, poached, sunny-side up—you name it. I ate veggie-packed scrambles for breakfast, hard-boiled eggs for snacks, and a frittata for lunch. 
• Avocados — I made guacamole several times throughout the week and piled it on top of fajitas, chopped veggies, and turkey-lettuce wraps. It tastes so good, I feel like I'm "cheating," but it's 100 percent compliant.
• Spinach — Whether eaten fresh in the form of a salad, mixed in with scrambled eggs, or simply sautéed with some garlic and coconut oil, spinach is versatile, delicious, and packed with nutrients.
• La Croix — I was so happy when I learned that La Croix is allowed. We bought several cases at Target and I drink one when I'm craving sweetness. The coconut is by far my favorite, but they're all good. 
• Zucchini — It's in season, cheap, and crazy versatile. Zucchini chips, zoodles, and simply sautéed as a side. We have some growing in the garden, and I can't wait until it's ripe enough to eat!

P.S. This is my favorite recipe from the week. 

Also, this post is why I decided to take the plunge.