DAY 1
Dinner Day 1
I didn't find this first day to be too challenging. As I have stated before, this isn't that different from how I normally eat. However, I must admit that I am a complete quesophile as well as a coffee junkie. The only thing that was hard about Day 1 was not having coffee. While I realize that I am allowed to have coffee during my Whole30, I can't drink it black. I am a cream and sweetener type of girl. If I'm being honest, I would drink a quad caramel sauce mocha every day if my waist line and pocket book could afford it. It is a little sad to admit this but by the end of day 1, I had a pretty raging headache that I can only assume was from a lack of caffeine. First world problems WORKOUTS - Today I went through a pretty extensive warm-up and then did my WOD at Crossfit - Run 200m, 15 cleans, 10 Jumping Pull-Ups (5 Rounds for time)
DAY 2
Dinner Day 2
This was dinner tonight. This is a little something I like to call "The tail end of the groceries" a.k.a "We need to go shopping" BUT it still tasted delicious. It was a mixture of ground turkey, ground beef, garlic, mushrooms, water chestnuts, organic tomato paste, avocado and green onions. Served with lemon pepper green beans. I'm feeling this whole30 thing out as I go and constantly researching. Not sure if I was supposed to have tomato paste but the only ingredient was organic tomatoes so I think it was fine. So far it is proving easier than I thought it would. Although I really wanted a glass of red wine tonight. Okay, let's be honest... I really wanted 2 or 3 glasses of red wine tonight.
Workouts
Today it was a chilly 32 degrees but sunny. I decided it was the perfect day to get outdoors for a run. I did a 5k around my neighborhood.
DAY 3
Snack Day 3
I had hoped to get a better picture than this but it was the only one I remembered to take. This is not an uncommon snack for me on any given day. At some point throughout the day I will usually have anywhere from 1-3 hard boiled eggs. I LOVE them. Can't get enough. I hated them for many years and now I am surely making up for lost time. Eggs and avocados...Two of my best fatty friends!
Today I learned that I am such a coffee junkie that I can actually tolerate just having my coffee with a splash of approved almond milk and with putting a little bit of cinnamon in with the coffee grounds. If you know me at all, then you would know what a sacrifice this is. I should stop my whining now. Overall I am loving this challenge so far.
Workouts
Today is did a wod at home. Run 200m, 21/15/9 Kettlbell Swings, Vertical Rows, AbMat Sit-Ups, Run 200m.
DAY 4
We have done the last three days just trying to use up the very last of our groceries while we waited to get paid so that we could go grocery shopping. I was actually pretty impressed with what we were able to throw together. But today we went major grocery shopping and got ourselves set up for the next week or two. I love to photograph food. It is just a naturally beautiful subject. Today I felt great and had a lot of energy. I still really want a glass of wine 🙂
Lunch Day 4
DAY 5
Breakfast Day 5
I was so full of energy that I had a really hard time falling asleep last night. My mind was reeling with new recipe ideas, workouts, blog posts I wanted to write etc. It took me forever to finally fall asleep and then I still woke up bright and early ready to tackle the day. I'm not sure if the increased energy is a direct result of the Whole30 or not, but I'll take it. I felt a little thinner all over today. I think the dairy bloat has subsided and my insides are already thanking me for treating them so well this week.
Snack Day 5
Workouts
DAY 6
Dinner Day 6
Workouts
20 minutes Tabata Intervals - 20 seconds work - 10 seconds rest
Warm Up
4 rounds - High Knees
4 rounds - Mountain Climbers
4 Rounds - Squat Jumps
4 Rounds - Burpees
4 Rounds - Jumping Lunges
4 Rounds - Speed Bags
4 Rounds - Speed Skaters
Cool Down
DAY 7
Breakfast Day 7
Workouts
DAY 8
Dinner Day 8
Workouts
For the double-unders in the WOD, I just tripled the number of the jumps for each round. Example, instead of 50 DU for the first round, I did 150 single jumps. Time 6:23. My sis got me the WODBOOK in the picture below. It's pretty awesome and so is she.
DAY 9
Dinner Day 9
Workouts
DAY 10
Snack Day 10
DAY 11
Breakfast Day 11
DAY 12
Lunch Day 12
DAY 13
Lunch Day 13
Workouts
Later in the day I did a "Deck of Death" workout.
I saw the idea on BL last night and loved it. You take a deck of cards and assign an exercise to each suit. Then you randomly flip the cards and do the corresponding exercise the number of times on the card. You keep doing this until you have gone through all of the cards. Face cards are ten reps. Aces are 11 reps. This works out to be 95 reps of each exercise. It is a butt kicker. But it was a super fun way to mix things up. I assigned mine like this:
Spades - Jumping Jacks
Hearts - AbMat Sit-Ups
Diamonds - Kettlebell Swings
Clubs - Double Unders
It took me 23:24 to complete (In the name of full disclosure I did not do 95 double unders. On about half of the DU cards I just tripled the number on the card and did single jumps.)
DAY 14
Breakfast Day 14
Dinner day 14
Workouts
In the evening I did another "Deck of Death" workout but I forced my husband to do it with me.
Spades - Tricep Extensions
Hearts - Bicep Curls
Diamonds - Mountain Climbers
Clubs - Abmat Sit-Ups
For added torture, we used jokers and did 10 Burpees when we flipped a Joker card
It took me 29:20 to complete and it took my husband 24:37
DAY 15
Snack Day 15
Workouts
Today was another morning at the gym. Thursdays are usually skills training days. Today I working on Snatch balances, and squat snatches. I was more focused on perfecting my form today than I was on the weight that I was lifting.
Later in the day I went on a brisk 2 mile walk with my bff. It was so cold outside but also really sunny. I love winter days like that.
DAY 16
After 15 days of holding strong and feeling all the wonderful changes taking place from the first half of my Whole30 experience, I gave into temptation. I started the day off strong. I went to the crossfit and the wod was really intense. By the end of it, I had a raging headache but I felt so strong and accomplished. The headache stayed with me all day, even after I came home and ate a healthy breakfast. My first mistake was not getting up early enough to eat before I went to the gym. I also think I may have overdone it just a bit with my workouts this week. My second mistake was poor preparation heading into week three. We were getting short on groceries and I was getting bored with my food choices. None of these things are meant to sound like excuses. I am just explaining the things that in hindsight may have contributed to my demise. Breakfast, lunch and snacks for Day 16 were right on target... Then... This happened.
Workouts
DAY 17
Read my second Whole 30 daily journal - HERE
Carol S. says
Awww, glad you had a beer or two. I like your blog, I'm working the low carb angle and need inspiration. It's a real balance...everything in moderation...but don't beat yourself up. You're doing amazing workouts and nutrition almost all the time. Keep going!
SamantainSoCal says
What about water flavored with cucumber, mint, etc? Don't know all the restrictions, but I figured fruit was out.
Unknown says
Can you have seltzer water? I finally kicked my diet coke habit a few years back with calorie free sprkling water and adding a squeeze of lemon and some fresh mint or lime with afew smashed berries.
Also really pungent flavorful teas like spicy chai or ginger can be a comforting soothing drink- i also love them iced
Good luck on the rest of the challenge!
Ttrockwood@yahoo.com
CarolineCalcote says
I have so enjoyed being a few days behind you on the Whole30. Today is Day 9 for me. So many thoughts about your post!
Your mocha obsession during the first few days was just like my caffeine free Diet Coke obsession. I thought about them constantly for the first several days, but now I've mostly forgotten about them. I have only been drinking coffee and water so far, but I bought a couple of Kombuchas to try. I've never actually had kombucha, so we'll see. I should make some tea, which I like, but I've just been lazy about making it. Luckily I have found that to me, a little coconut milk in my coffee is totally drinkable. But this morning my body went on auto-pilot and reached into the cabinet for a Splenda and put it in my coffee before I realized what I was doing! I poured it down the drain. Geez. It was total muscle memory.
I haven't tried almond milk because I thought it wasn't Whole30 compliant, but after looking at the ingredients of the Unsweetened Silk almond milk and reading more on the forums, I see that it is technically compliant but not recommended. I'm going to be buying some for a recipe for the blog this weekend, so maybe I'll try a splash in my coffee (I'm all about following the rules, but maybe not all of the "recommendations", haha).
I'm jealous that you found compliant breakfast meats. I can't find any organic, free range, no-sugar bacon. I bought some of the low sodium bacon which doesn't have any sugar, but it is factory farmed so I'm using it very sparingly. As far as sausage, I just made my own. But I also can't find organic, pastured pork. As far as I know, there is not an organic butcher in Tampa Bay! But I'm continuing to look and ask around. I ate too much pork my first week (best quality Whole Foods pork, which still isn't the best) and I'm trying to cut down on it from here on out.
Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Kyndra H says
Caroline - Thanks so much for the kind words. I have gotten past the coffee thing much to my surprise. I actually drank a cup of black coffee today. I never thought that would happen in my life. I have cut back on the almond milk as well. I love water and always have consumed a ton every day but I just have a taste for something else and can't wait to fulfill it. Before I started this I would have never thought that I would miss drinks over food. Strange.
As far as finding the compliant breakfast meats, it was definitely a challenge. We found the sausage at Trader Joes and then the next time we went there, they didn't have it anymore. The bacon we finally found at Fred Meyer of all places. I shouldn't have been too surprised because they seem to have an ever expanding naturals and organics section. I haven't been eating too many breakfast meats. I've been sticking to mostly beef, turkey, chicken, and fish.
I've cut back on sweet potatoes and will only have them once per week until I am done. It is the sweetest thing I have tasted since starting this and I just can't get enough of them. It is one area where I have trouble with portion control. So I have limited them and been mixing them in with my roasted vegetables.
Overall I am loving it so far and would definitely do it again.
Anonymous says
Is there a link somewhere that explains exactly what the whole30 is?
Anonymous says
If you like cinnamon in your coffee (we love it), break up a cinnamon stick and put a little piece in with the grounds when you make it. It works really well. TerrySz
Melissa says
I would love to do this! Keep up the great work!!
Brittney Davis says
That mustard chicken and flank steak looks AMAZING! I think I will have to try to make some of that on my own!oneand20.blogspot.com
Elle says
I started my whole 30 on January 1st too and so far so good. Making sure to preplan is very important for me.
Have your tried coconut or almond milk in your coffee? With a sprinkle of cinnamon? Might work.
Alyssa Slenderella says
I'm on day 12 of my Whole30. Meal planning is key!