HB Does Whole30: Week One Recap

One week down, three more to go!

I’ve got to say, it feels like I’ve been on Whole30 for wayyyy longer than a week. I think because I’m coming from a place of “eating whatever I want,” it seems even more extreme than my previous Whole30s. That’s not to say it isn’t going well, though! There have definitely been some highs and lows, but overall I’d say it’s been a great week. Here’s a quick recap of the good, the bad, and then some.

the good

The food is is actually awesome. One of the reasons the Whole30 has become my go-to “reset” is because not only is it effective, it’s also delicious! You’re not stuck eating grilled chicken and steamed broccoli – there are so many incredible recipes and meals out there that make me sometimes forget I’m even on Whole30. 

I’m never hungry. On that same note, the combination of lots of vegetables + protein + healthy fats keeps me SO full, so I can focus on other things throughout the day instead of wondering when I’m going to eat again.

Dining out isn’t impossible. I’ve already known this from past Whole30s, but I dined out about 3 times over this past week and it was a breeze (more about that in this recent post about Maintaining A Social Life During Whole30).

I’ve been sticking to my goals. For the most part I’ve been 6 for 6 on my goals for this round of Whole30! I still have a few things I want to work on on a week-by-week basis, which I’ll chat about a bit below.

the bad

The cooking never ends. Even with meal prepping ahead of time, I still find myself needing to cook like, all the time. I’ve always cooked from home quite often, but the difference with Whole30 is that it’s all ingredients that have to be strategically flavored/cooked/combined (as opposed to throwing some almond butter on toast and calling it a day). I guess I didn’t realize how much I relied on more convenient food before.

I get sick of meat and eggs. This is something I anticipated because it happened with my previous two Whole30s as well. This time I want to do a better job at switching things up (more veggies, seafood) because when I get sick of certain foods is when I tend to start craving grains, sugar, etc.

I’m not feeling much different physically. Annoying, right? I’m actually not discouraged, though, because the physical results of Whole30 often don’t come until much further down the line (this timeline does a great job of explaining the different stages of Whole30). It sucks right now, but I’m using it as motivation to keep moving forward so that I WILL eventually experience those non-scale victories I’m aiming for.

biggest takeaways

Yep…meal prep is still essential. I already knew this, but this week just confirmed it. For me it doesn’t necessarily have to be a full-out prep fest that will last me 7 days at a time, but just having some veggies/meats prepared ahead of time really help. Oh, and frozen vegetables have turned out to be a lifesaver too!

I have to take it one day at a time. I’ll be honest, there has definitely been a handful of times I thought “why the eff am I doing this? I want…no NEED a bagel in my mouth immediately.” But I have to keep reminding myself to not look at the 3 weeks ahead of me and instead focus just on THIS day. I also give myself little pep talks, similar to my tips about owning the Whole30 and this not being forever.

Potatoes are my BFF. Dude, did you know how many things you can do with a potato?! It’s such a lovely, versatile little vegetable that satisfies my need for carbs in a Whole30-approved way. Which reminds me that I want to put together a post later this week dedicated to this Hash Brown Avocado Toast!

 goals for next week

Experiment with new recipes and add even more vegetables. This is related to how I get sick of meat and eggs. Just gotta make sure I keep switching it up!

Exercise more. I didn’t really exercise much over the past week (unless you count the 2239 miles I walk in NYC each day), and this week I’m excited to hit the gym and maybe a class or two.

Be more intentional about focusing on how I’m feeling mentally, not just physically. Since I haven’t felt much different physically yet, and may not for another week, I want to take the opportunity to “hash out” my thoughts in multiple areas of my life. There are just a few things I’d like to get some clarity & start making decisions on, and I’ve found that doing the Whole30 is a great chance to gain new perspective.

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That’s all for this week’s recap! As always be sure to follow me on Instagram (+ Instagram Stories) for more of a behind-the-scenes look at my Whole30 journey 🙂 xoxo GG