I just finished day 10 of the Whole 30 “diet”. I’m 1/3 of the way there WOOHOO. I’ve discovered a few things during my first 10 days.

1. Dang near everything at the grocery store contains some sort of added sugar. If it’s in a package (can, carton, bag, wrap, etc.) it has added sugar. I did find a few “packaged” items that did not contain added sugar. Steak. Olives. Canned Coconut Milk. Salsa. Balsamic Vinegar. Almond Butter. Olive Oil. Coconut Oil. Nuts. Prosciutto ($5 for a tiny package). I went to the store in search of turkey lunch meat to help make eating protein a little easier for some meals since it wouldn’t need to be cooked. I was also in search of ham to change up my eggs a little bit in the morning. I COULD NOT find any turkey or ham that did not have added sugar. Even the “natural” brands that don’t have this, that, and the other thing had added sugar. This brings me to point #2.
2. Whole 30 is a pain in the A$$. Seriously. It takes so much preparation and it’s nearly impossible to find anything “ready-made” that is also Whole 30 compliant. I spend much of my day cooking food (basically all 3 meals require cooking), searching for new recipes, and meal prepping for my long days at work when the only meal I have time to cook is breakfast.
   

   I definitely had the healthiest shopping cart in the entire grocery store.

3. Fruit is a satisfying “dessert”. Not as satisfying as ice cream, brownies, and cookies but still satisfying.
   

   Dessert & Entertainment!

4. Eating healthy isn’t hard. I’m talking about actually EATING healhy (chewing, swallowing, enjoying). This has nothing to do with the preparation!
5. Steak is my new favorite meal. I don’t know how I’ve made it 26 years without ever cooking a steak (I’ve eaten many), but I’ve now realized steak for dinner is one of the easiest meals to prepare and I won’t be leaving it to Daniel any more.
   

   Love me some crispy kale!

6. Crispy kale is so tasty! And brussel sprouts. And sweet potatoes. I’ve always liked these foods, but they truly are delicious and I have a newfound love for them. Minus crispy kale….I’ve only discovered it recently but it will remain in our home long after my Whole 30 ends.
   

   So. Many. Veggies.

7. It’s actaully EASIER to stick to an extremely strick and restrictive diet. I’ve never made it 7 days without eating some kind of sweet treat. I don’t know how many times I’ve said I’m only going to eat sweets on the weekends and I NEVER stick to it. I don’t even make it two days. I’ve now made it 10 days on the Whole 30 diet. No added sugar. No grains. No legumes. No dairy. I guess it’s similar to school. I always did better when I had tougher classes, more homework, and more stress!
8. I’m capable of saying NO to unhealthy food at an incredibly tempting work potluck. There was so much good food and I just sat in front of it all eating my  chicken and veggie skillet.
9. The desire to have a baby will make you do some crazy things! Like going on the Whole 30 diet and cutting out almost all of your favorite foods and stomping on your sweet tooth. This also sometimes means eating hard boiled eggs, avocado, and tomatoes for dinner after a LONG day at work when you have nothing else. I’ll try anything if it might help me have a baby!

 

Check out the photos below for some Whole 30 tips.

Basically it’s my at home organization to keep me compliant!