Preparations
Preparations for the Whole30 are done. Well, actually shopping was done in two days, planning was done yesterday, and food preparation was done last night. Today, is the big day! All real food all the time!
As I mentioned previously, this is going to be a challenge for me, but I’m up for it. I’ve read the book a couple of times (well, specific parts a lot of times,) and I think I’ve made a pretty good plan.
But, I’m going to be real honest, it was hard doing the preparations for me. I’m not a meal planner, not a great cook, and not that great with raw meat. But, I’m going to be sharing the whole journey with you…the good, the bad, and the messy.
Goodbyes
Yesterday and last night, I said goodbye to my beloved favorite foods and drinks. Every time I ate something, I kept thinking, “This will be the last time I have you for 30 days…or maybe FOREVER.”
Goodbye to my beloved whipped berry cream cheese, my tea sweetened with Truvia and Cashew Milk, my dark chocolate almond squares, and my Zone Perfect Bars. Goodbye to my air popped popcorn, my steel-cut oats, and my yogurt.
I will miss you all, but I hope to replace you with foods that make me feel better, and that are better for me.
Oh! And goodbye my Red wine!
What I did
So, what did I prepare ahead of time? And buy? Here’s what I’ve got to make it through the first week.
- Fruits – Apples, oranges, bananas, plantains, lemons, tomatoes
- Vegetables – Fresh Sweet potatoes, Yellow squash, Zucchini Squash, Cucumber, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Onion, Limes, Avocados, and Frozen Broccoli, Cauliflower, Artichoke hearts
- Spices and herbs – Basil, Cilantro, Mustard seed, red pepper flakes, coconut aminos, garlic, yellow mustard
- Nuts – Pecans, Almonds,
- Fats – Sunflower seed butter, Coconut oil, Coconut Milk (in cans,) Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ghee
- Meats – Ground beef, Chicken cutlets, Steak strips, pork slices, eggs, canned tuna
Preparations
- Hard boiled 10 eggs
- Made a jar of salsa with 6 Campari tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, 2 garlic cloves, and onion
- Made Pesto sauce with Pecans, Basil, Spinach, lemon juice, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and 3 cloves of garlic. I then poured it in an ice cube tray for individual serving sizes, as directed in book.
- Washed the rest of my avocados, a few lemons, limes, and oranges (I like to wash before I peel them.)
I also took some before pictures and weighed myself for the last time in 30 days. That’s really not going to be too hard to stick to, since I normally just go by how my clothes are fitting anyways.
I have an outline of my meals, but again, I’m going to be honest. I might not stick to it, depending on what I’m in the mood for. I have plenty of choices, so I’m not worried yet. I’ll let you know my exact meals, and how I felt next Thursday, so I hope you’ll come back.
Otherwise, you can follow my daily progress in my Facebook Group. And I may even share my before pictures and weight there. Maybe.
Also, if you’re interested in purchasing either book I’ve been reading, you can purchase through my Amazon Affiliate link. No extra charge to you, and a few cents to me. I haven’t been sponsored or asked to do this challenge, it’s just something I wanted to do for my health.
Have you done the Whole30? Or thought about it? Have you tried another healthy eating plan?
Candy Kage says
Enjoy your next 30 days and keep us informed how you feel along the way.
Shann Eva says
Will do. Thanks Candy.
Ashley Pitts says
Ohh, I really want to try this!
Shann Eva says
Join me!
jessica--a monkey and his mama says
Good luck girl! Especially with the wine…that’d be hard for me. and cheese. I love cheese.
Shann Eva says
Oh yes, cheese. Mmmmm.
Sarah Elizabeth Finch says
I did one and had the hardest time with the goodbyes too. Good luck!
Shann Eva says
Thank you Sarah!
Pete Cataldo says
Good luck! It’s a total grind and it’s not easy at all … but it is so worth it in the end. You’ll notice so many wonderful, interesting and even some scary new and awesome changes to the body after the month is up.
Shann Eva says
Great to hear. Thank you, Pete.
Elizabeth Edgar says
Aww, I am so sorry you had to say goodbye to red wine. Good luck and you can do it! I’ve never done whole30, but I would love to try that one day. Right now, I focus on drinking more green smoothies and watch my portions. One step at a time.
Shann Eva says
Yes! Definitely. Thank you.
Janella Panchamsingh says
good for you i have been tempted to try this I just may
Tiffany Griffin says
I’ve haven’t tried the whole 30, but I’ve done something somewhat similar (no diary, no grains). I did it for about 3 months because I wanted to find out if what I was eating was causing me to break out (turns out it was dairy). It was difficult at first, but one thing I noticed as time went on was that I didn’t crave food anymore. It blew my mind. lol. I ate because I was hungry, and not because I was craving something in particular. It’s great that you prepped ahead of time, because that makes eating smart so much easier.
Shann Eva says
That’s awesome to hear, Tiffany.
Rebecca | Happily the Hicks says
Looks like you’re ready to rock these next 30 days!! I know it will be hard, but it will be worth it in the end.
Shann Eva says
Thank you!
Becky @Disney in your Day says
Good luck!! hard boiled eggs were very useful for me to have around. I definitely missed wine the most though :/ I’m going to do 21 day fix again when I come back from Disney in about two weeks, so I’m trying to enjoy my favorite “bad” foods now!
Shann Eva says
Yes! I had a last hurrah too.
Crystal @ Dreams, etc. says
Good luck with the Whole 30! I considered doing it recently, but there was a time when I really restricted my eating. It wasn’t a healthy mindset and I’ve worked hard to change that, so when I read the website I really tensed up. I wasn’t going to do it because I felt like I needed it to uncover any food issues, I was going to do it in support of a family member who was doing it, so I just decided not to. It’s been really helpful for him, though. I hope it’s helpful for you too!
Shann Eva says
It really does focus you on food, so I think you made the right decision. You’ve got to do what’s best for your own health.
Mistle says
I have heard so many things about the Whole30 diet. It doesn’t look overly hard to stick with but giving up my wine….yeah that probably wouldn’t happen. So I give you praise!! I can’t wait to hear more about your journey!
Shann Eva says
Yes, wine will be hard…but chocolate even harder. Thanks, Mistle.
Channing Callahan @ Echanning says
I almost went the Whole3o route at the end of last year when I was dieting and exercising heavily. I ended up doing the paleo thing and that fizzled out really quickly once my weightless plateaued. I’m now on nutrisystem and it has really been the best thing for me. I lost like 20 pounds and I’m getting closer to my goal weight. I’m really interested to see how this works out for you.
Shann Eva says
Awesome. That’s great to hear. I’ll keep you posted.
JeeYoung says
Good luck! I can’t wait to follow your journey. I’ve done paleo but have always wanted to try whole 30!!
Shann Eva says
Thank you so much!
Heidi ~ morethan3wishes.com says
It sounds like you are well prepared! For me, it would be hard to say goodbye to the red wine… All of the food that have ready to go sounds delicious. Best of luck and enjoy!
Shann Eva says
Thank you! Wine actually hasn’t been very difficult….yet.
Pam @ Hodge Podge Moments says
I want to try out Whole 30 sometime. I recently finished the book and it was full of things that made me think. Maybe once we’re done with our upcoming move!
Shann Eva says
Yes!
Shann Eva says
Ha! Very true. I hope your diet helps you feel better. I know it helped one of my friends with inflammation.
Shann Eva says
Thank you!