This is where I’m documenting my Whole 30 eating regiment as outlined in the book, It Starts with Food. For the next 30 days, I’ll be following a gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, soy-free, alcohol-free diet. It’s called a Whole 30.

My husband warns that it may be flavor-free. Here’s hoping that Mr. Right is wrong in this instance. I’ll be posting my food log here in a haphazard way.

Day 1 Friday

Breakfast: Fajita omelet with sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms, topped with salsa and about 1/2 an avocado. Small black coffee.

Lunch: Sauteed chicken nuggets, seasoned with Jamie’s Spice Mix (NYM Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook), steamed spaghetti squash, Easy Slowcooker Red Sauce, broccoli di cicco. Water with lemon and lime slices.

Dinner: Large dinner salad with roasted beets, avocado, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, cashews, nicoise olives, and leftover chicken that I cooked at lunchtime. It was even better cold! Making that again. Sparkling water with lemon and lime slices.

Impressions: I’m glad that I researched this diet and did my shopping before starting. I also slowly started eliminating the things that I’m now avoiding. So, I wasn’t going to give my body a shock.

I really didn’t eat all that different today than I normally do except that I would have added cheese to my omelet, snacked throughout the day, added cheese to my lunch and dinner salad, drank a glass of wine during dinner, and eaten a slice (or more) of pizza that I made for the fam.

It’s love to make pizza that you’re not going to eat.

It Starts with Food gives you a template for building your meals. It’s more than enough food! In fact, I was full before I ever finished a meal. I went ahead and finished (most of the time) since I knew I wasn’t going to snack in between meals.

Boy, was it tempting to snack! I wasn’t hungry between meals, but I wanted to eat! Sweets, especially. A trip to Walmart was torture. It seems like there is candy at every corner. Which makes me wonder about our nation….

I bought a couple Larabars for emergencies during my grocery shopping earlier in the week. I don’t typically like them, but I figure desperate times may call for desperate measures. I’ll hold out as long as possible.

(SPOILER: I ended up loving Cherry Pie Larabars by the end of my Whole 30, but decided to make my own. My kids and husband love these Mamabars.)

Now to figure out what to eat tomorrow…

Day 2: Saturday

Breakfast: Monkey Salad; Skillet eggs with ham, kale, peppers, green onions and tomatoes. (After the fruit I was so full, I gave half the pan of eggs to my son.) Black coffee. Lots of water throughout the morning.

Lunch: Salad with leftover chicken from yesterday, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, avocado, and vinaigrette. Water. Coconut milk latte after lunch.

Dinner: I made roasted sweet potatoes as the starch in my taco salad, topped with seasoned taco beef, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole. Another banana and cashew salad for “dessert”.

Impressions: I awoke this morning with a pretty bad headache. That kind of surprised me. This is to be expected due to the “detox” nature of the program. But, I thought that I had slowed down enough on my cheese, bread, sugar eating to counteract it. No, I guess not. I reread their timeline. Yup. Just call me Charlie Sheen.

Hubby asked me if I was going to do this forever. It’s too soon to tell. I probably could. It’s not that hard. At least not yet. I’ve found pleasure in plenty of new to me foods (like cashews and coconut chips) that I don’t feel deprived. I am always very full at mealtimes which I kind of like.

I realize how mindlessly I eat, though. I had to remind myself not to nibble while I was making meals for the family. As a good chef should, I taste as I cook. That isn’t always good to do if I’m making a different meal for them than I am for myself.

I’m looking forward to trying coffee with a little cocoa powder in addition to my cinnamon and coconut milk. I would love to break sugar’s hold on me, as good as it is.

According to the timeline the coming week is going to get a little rough. Glad I’ve got freezer meals for my family and kids who can cook!

Day 3: Sunday

Breakfast: Vegetable Eggs Scramble (broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, green onions), Fruit Salad (orange, kiwi, almonds). Lime Water.

Lunch: Taco Salad, take 2 with spinach, carrots, broccoli, green onions, grape tomatoes, seasoned taco meat, guacamole, and vinaigrette. A handful of cashews and a handful of coconut chips, followed by a banana later.

Dinner: Spinach Salad with grilled chicken, roast sweet potatoes and squash, green onions, shaved apple to remind me of cheese, toasted hazelnuts, red wine vinaigrette. Next time I’ll ditch the squash and use balsamic in the dressings.

Impressions: I didn’t really have a headache today, just a dull roar every once in awhile. I didn’t drink as much water as I have other days. I should have though. I tried adding dried mint to my lime mineral water for a very fake mojito. Dried mint? No go. Wishful thinking. It floated on the top like leaves in a swimming pool. Ewww. Need to spring for some fresh mint or go buy a plant.

I’m trying to give my breakfasts some variety. I got a great deal on eggs, so I’m being creative with them. But, I need to incorporate other proteins besides eggs. Gonna start looking for ham without all the additives.

I love cashews and coconut chips. I love the batch of bananas I bought. Monkey Salad. Nuf said.

Today I was definitely craving sweet, but I’m trying not to overdo on the fruits. That’s why I had sweet potatoes. Ha!

My hips hurt significantly this afternoon. Kind of discouraging.

Day 4: Monday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad. Black coffee.

Lunch: Spinach salad with grilled chicken (I bulk grilled several days’ worth last night), avocado, tomato, hard cooked egg, and leftover squash and sweet potato. I tried balsamic vinaigrette this time, homemade, reusing the bottle. Lime water.

Dinner: Date night at Chipotle – salad with carnitas, guacamole, and mild salsa. A spoonful of coconut butter when we got home for a little sweet.

Impressions: As you can tell by now, my interests in vegetables lean toward salads and leafy greens. I calculated how many meals worth of greens I would have left before I needed to restock. Trader Joe’s has some good mixes for a great price, so I timed it to land on date night. We did double duty of Chipotle and Trader Joe’s.

A friend has encouraged me not to let yesterday’s pain deter me. It hasn’t been thirty days and the idea is that it takes awhile to get the offender out of your system.

I will say that I do feel a lot more alert than I have in quite some time. The house is cleaner and I feel a little more with-it.

I’ve also done a lot more label reading lately. There are hidden sugars in everything. Bacon for heaven’s sake! I know that sweet bacon is a nice treat, but I had no idea how difficult it would be to find sugar-free bacon that was also nitrate/nitrite-free. US Wellness Meats has it, but I can’t afford that.

So, I’m learning a lot about our food supply through all this. As if I needed to learn more! I feel like The Girl Who Knew Too Much. There are so many hidden things in the foods we eat. Hidden things that probably don’t always need to be there.

I did splurge on some sugar free, nitrate/nitrite-free sliced meats, namely proscuitto and roast beef so that I can mix breakfasts up just a bit. I’m getting a little weary of eggs.

Edited to add: I had a Larabar (Chocolate Coconut Chew) with decaf after date night. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but it was really good!

I wish I had eaten it sooner in the evening. It was probably a little too close to bedtime, about an hour or so. I woke up groggy and couldn’t walk straight. Not sure if that was the blood sugar issue, just a part of the diet to be expected, or the fact that I dreamt I drank a few swigs of hard cider and had a vicarious drinking binge.

But, I did love the Larabar. I’ll be getting that one again.

Day 5: Tuesday

Breakfast: Proscuitto Egg Cup (without the cheddar), Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Monkey Salad. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: Chicken Salad Wraps (chicken salad had chicken, apple, almonds, green onions, homemade mayo, and shredded carrot, all wrapped in napa cabbage leaves. Water.

Dinner: Meatballs with Pork, Beef, Mushrooms, and Onions, Spaghetti Squash, Red Sauce, Steamed Broccoli. I made a salad, but didn’t need it so I saved it for tomorrow.

Impressions: Today was tasty, but it was a lot of work. I think that eventually (soon?) I will come up with some quick(er) meal ideas and get on the ball with advance prep. If I had only known about this plan when I did my freezer cooking a few weeks ago….

Breakfast continues to be the challenge. My typical breakfast is very heavy on fruit, dairy, and grains. And I like my little food rituals, so that’s hard to get out of the mindset. This morning’s proscuitto egg cup was very tasty. I’d never had proscuitto, so I’d call that a win.

Busting out, I am.

I even tried my hand at homemade mayonnaise. I made a half-batch of this recipe, but used lemon juice instead of the vinegar. I imagine it will take awhile to get used to a different flavor than my beloved Best Foods. I’m kinda proud of myself for trying something new.

(update: I ended up trying three or four different mayonnaise methods and combinations before I landed on this one.)

So far it’s really fine. I don’t want to go bake Christmas cookies or anything. That would be hard, but I’m mindful that these alternatives to the regular stuff I eat are really good for me. I’m curious to see where this goes.

Day 6: Wednesday

Breakfast: Snacky plate of roast beef, cashews, cucumbers, orange slices, pepper. Black coffee.

Lunch: Skillet Eggs and Greens, avocado with vinaigrette. Water.

Dinner: Baked sweet potato, salad with grilled chicken. Water. Decaf coffee with coconut milk for “dessert”

Impressions: This is really not that hard — if you plan ahead.

I didn’t mean to spend time in the kitchen on Wednesday; my meals were mostly premade. But, the produce box was coming and one thing led to another. I was in the kitchen for the bulk of the morning, often with several helpers. We cleaned out the fridge, roasted beets, made lemonade (for the kids), made vegetable trays, and otherwise futzed in the kitchen.

Foodwise, I’m fine. I am more alert and sleeping much better. In fact I don’t need as much sleep as I did which is very, very weird. I can’t even sleep in if I want, because I’m sort of awake. Plus, all the water I’m drinking is making me get up. If not for a little cheese, chocolate, and wine, I could probably do this long term.

It’s interesting, that’s for sure.

Day 7: Thursday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs with proscuitto, leeks, and Trader Joe’s Power to the Greens (baby kale, spinach, and chard), Monkey Salad. Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Salad with roast beef, tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, avocado, cucumber, and vinaigrette. Water.

Dinner: Almond-Crusted Chicken Tenders (The recipe is in my new cookbook which is very paleo-friendly. More than 2/3 of the recipes are gluten-free), Cauliflower, Sauteed Vegetables. Water with Lime.

Impressions: Has it really been a full week? I had to do a double take on that. It’s becoming pretty natural now this Whole 30 gig. I am loving my meals, loving the new flavors. This food is definitely not boring.

Tonight I cooked with coconut oil for the first time. I’ve used it in baking before but have been hesitant to use it on savory foods. I sauteed the vegetables in coconut oil and then pan fried the chicken. Amazing dinner. Amazing. Definitely going to make this again for the fam.

I think the fact that I am eating ZERO processed foods and NO sweetener is really bringing my taste buds alive. I remember this from other times when I’ve eliminated certain foods. It seems previously subtle flavors get new life. I had hubby try the chicken tonight and he said the flavors were subtle, but good. So, I know I’m on the right track.

I also am holding out hope that I might be able to limit our family’s general sugar intake and start making some more drastic changes for the better. I thought I was feeding my kids well before. But, now that I’m reading more labels, I realize that there are still some chinks in our armor.

(SPOILER: We ended up doing a sugar fast a year later as a whole family)

I’ve noticed that I’m better able to wake up the morning, something that previously was quite difficult. I have more energy than I did a week ago. Not sure if that is because of what I’ve taken out, added in, or both. Either way, I’m quite pleased.

I’m tempted to stand on the scale, but they say not to. I know that my tummy doesn’t have as many rolls as it did a week ago. That is pretty exciting.

Day 8: Friday

Breakfast: My favorite Skillet Eggs, today again with prosciutto, leeks, and spinach. My favorite Monkey Salad (coconut, cashews, and banana. Water. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: Leftovers from last night. Water.

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas in Cabbage Leaves, Guacamole. Water. Half a Larabar with a cup of decaf with coconut milk. (Make your own Larabars to save money.)

Impressions: So, I’m into the second week — and I’m surviving. It is, indeed, amazing. I feel good, I’m eating well, I’m not pouting.

At least not too much.

There are some little ritual foods that I miss, like a nice glass of wine after a fun day with the family, pizza on Fridays, popcorn on movie night. I’m just praying that wine and grain (and dairy) are not my problems. I could lose the soy, I have no problem with that. 😉

In the meantime, I’m keeping a stiff upper lip. This really isn’t that hard. I’m thankful to be able to eat so well and to choose exactly what goes on my plate. Not much of the world’s population has that great privilege.

Dinner was good tonight, though I’m growing weary of making two meals every night. Next week will be different. I may choose to go over budget a little in order to make sure I have choices. Thankful that I went under last month when I least expected I would be doing this.

Day 9: Saturday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Large Salad with tuna, egg, green beans, beets, tomatoes, olives, avocado. Water. Coconut Coffee and 1/2 Larabar for dessert.

Dinner: Tri-tip, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli. Water.

Day 10: Sunday

Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Sauteed Mushrooms and Peppers. Monkey Salad. Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Leftovers of Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli. Cooked Chicken from the freezer.

Dinner: Roast Chicken, Sauteed Sweet Potatoes and Shallots, Asparagus.

Impressions: I’m stunned that it’s been ten days already. I feel really good. I’m able to wake easily. Most nights I’ve slept well, too. Last night I stayed up late reading a mystery novel and kind of had my mind in another dimension. Plus, kids were up in the night. But, most nights, I sleep like a log.

I did want to eat potatoes, bread, cheese, and a number of forbidden foods today. Instead, I went to Sprouts for more vegetables. I find that pretty funny actually. I guess that’s a good thing.

Yesterday I bought the family baguette, per hubby’s request, for their lunches. That was a bit hard. And today I made them tostadas. I exercised great restraint on all counts. Most of the week, though I’m going to try to make our meals overlap more. It’s the ultimate in service to make mashed potatoes you can’t eat.

(Grab this protein freezer cooking plan or this one to help you get ahead.)

So far, the benefits far outweigh the costs, though.

I’m extremely thankful that my random comment on facebook two weeks ago led to a support group of women doing the same thing. It’s been so great to bounce things off each other and to help each other with sourcing. Amazingly helpful. Use the buddy system!

And I’ve found that the instagram hashtag #whole30 has been inspiring as well. I get a little miffed that some folks are posting cheats. My own sister posted a pizza! But, overall it’s a good thing. (You can follow my antics @jessicagfisher)

Going into the week, I have my shallots and proscuitto all chopped and ready for the pan and a new supply of spinach, chard, and cashews to make my very favorite Skillet Eggs and Monkey Salad.

Day 11: Monday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs (with proscuitto and shallots), Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Cumin-Scented Cabbage Salad with Roast Chicken and Cashews

Dinner: Chipotle’s only 4 soy-free ingredients: Lettuce, Carnitas, Guacamole, and Salsa (Yes, all their meats and their veg have soy!)

Impressions: I am not afraid to say that the same breakfast everyday makes me quite happy. It’s like things are “normal” almost. And I do love eggs cooked on greens. I’m varying it with the aromatics, but overall it’s the same as the recipe.

It is wearying making double meals for me and for the fam. As much as I wanted things to overlap, so far this week, they aren’t.

I spent more money at Trader Joe’s tonight getting more options and easy meals for the kids. I am going grossly over what I like to spend. But, like I’ve said, we’re not eating out as a family. Just date night, so our dining budget is going toward more things to eat at home.

I’ve been thinking about ways to reduce the kids’ intake of sugar. Having cut my own really shows me the difference. I would like to give them a chance at not being so dependent on it. Tonight I let FishBoy12 bake up the last cake mix we had. I’m going to purge the house of the junky sugar and then try to convert them to fruit and dark chocolate for dessert. And also move dessert backed up against dinner instead of so close to bed.

Yes, we’re dessert people. And I’m okay with that. Only now my dessert is 1/2 a Chocolate Coconut Chew Larabar and a cup of decaf with coconut milk. Never thought I’d live to see the day.

Day 12: Tuesday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs (with proscuitto and shallots), Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Cumin-Scented Cabbage Salad with Roast Chicken and Cashews. Water. Decaf with Coconut Milk. 1/2 a Larabar.

Dinner: Boules de Picolat, Asparagus, Chard with Mushrooms and Shallots, Berries and coconut milk.

Impressions: So, I’m getting in the swing of things. I’m okay with eating the same thing for breakfast. Two weeks ago I was skipping breakfast or having a piece of toast or some yogurt.

Now, I’m getting it down to a science. I make the same thing, basically, mixing up the aromatics and the greens, saute in a little oil, crack a couple eggs, cover and walk away. I make my coffee and Monkey Salad. And voila breakfast in twenty minutes. That seems like a long time, but it’s good and hearty.

My hip/thigh pain is lingering. It hasn’t been terrible. I’ve rode the exercise bike almost every day, except today. And the pain was back. Sure wish I could figure it out. I have a fabulous support group on Facebook, including friends and fellow bloggers. They are the wind beneath my wings on this thing. We chatted about whether or not I should start omitting nightshades as well. Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cayenne, and paprika) can cause inflammation. I’m undecided. That would certainly reduce my field of ingredient choices by a tad. But, it’s not summer so maybe I should just go for it.

I’ve been out of ripe avocados for several days. I bought half a dozen on Sunday, but none are ready. It makes a big difference. Adding 1/2 an avocado to my meals has really helped me fill up and hold out for the next meal. Today was really hard not to snack or have something sweet at the end of the meal. I broke down and did that at the end of lunch and dinner.

Feeling like James Brown…. instead of Charlie Sheen. Thank you very much.

Day 13: Wednesday

Breakfast: The Same Thing, you guessed it. Skillet Eggs (with proscuitto and shallots), Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Salad with chicken, oranges, avocado, cashews, and green onions. Amazingly good with this dressing.

Dinner: Taco salad with ground beef, watermelon radishes, carrots, avocados, and salsa

Day 14: Thursday

Breakfast: The Same Thing, you guessed it. Skillet Eggs (with proscuitto and shallots), Monkey Salad but I added a handful of blueberries, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Repeat of yesterday’s lunch. Totally good.

Dinner: Randomness: Steamed broccoli, leftover taco meat, a handful of cashews, a spoonful of coconut butter, a handful of blueberries, and a handful of coconut chips.

Impressions: I look like I’m lagging, in part due to hormones. I guess this diet can’t cure all our ills, can it? I am nervous about my book signing on Friday and that is taking its toll as well. Looking forward to a new day tomorrow, my favorite breakfast, and salmon for supper.

Day 15: Friday

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Fajita Vegetables, Monkey Salad with blueberries, Coconut Latte

Lunch: Repeat of yesterday’s lunch. Again. But with walnuts.

Dinner: Grilled Salmon, Baked Sweet Potato, Steamed Broccoli. Clarified Butter over all. YUM!

Impressions: Hanging on. My energy is not what it was earlier in the week. I blame Eve. I think I’ll feel better after the book signing is over. Trying not to think about my favorite meals that I usually have when I go “home”.

Day 16: Saturday

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Avocado, Fajita Vegetables, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Salad with Tri-tip (at a restaurant, meat was sweet)

Snack: banana

Dinner: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad

Impressions: This day we were out of town for the day. Breakfast was early, lunch was late, dinner was very, very late. Despite my communications with the restaurant before hand, I think I got some ingredients I shouldn’t have. The meat tasted sweet. I ended up with a headache and a seeming relapse of early detox symptoms. Bummer!

In other news, this was the first breakfast my husband ever witnessed. He’s usually at work or asleep on the weekends when I eat. He asked me when I was going to go plow the other 20 acres. My meal appeared to him to be prime for a farmer. And this was a small breakfast! Ha!

Day 17: Sunday

Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Fajita Vegetables, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage, Sauteed Vegetables

Dinner: Quick and Easy Texas Chili (from my cookbook), Avocado, Salad

Impressions: I felt pretty sickly/tired most of the day. I ran errands, grocery shopped, and read books with my kids.

Day 18: Monday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage, White Sweet Potato Hashbrowns, Avocado, Tomato

Dinner: Leftover Chili and Hashbrowns, Salad, Monkey Salad

Impressions: I’m feeling a little miffed that I don’t feel good. This is supposed to be the stellar week. I think I had a relapse from whatever rogue ingredient was in my restaurant meal on Saturday. Feels like I’m starting all over again. And could one thing have such power?

In other news, I really liked the white sweet potatoes. I had never seen them until Saturday at Sprouts. I only bought one to try, but wish I had bought more. They are closer to regular potatoes than the garnet “yams” that are really sweet potatoes with a fake name. (Thank you, America Marketers for confusing our lives even more.) The white ones are still “sweet” but not as sweet as the red ones.

Day 19: Tuesday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Seasoned Beef Patty, Sauteed Mushrooms, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado. Pina Colada Smoothie.

Dinner: Meatballs, Spaghetti Squash, Green Beans. 1/2 Larabar.

Impressions: I still am getting headaches. I think it’s from sleeping poorly. Like with a four-year old next to me. I started back to exercising today. I had stopped since someone suggested that my pain was from that. But, a week off that only makes me feel lethargic. Not really sure what my problem is.

I’m still enjoying the food. If it weren’t for feeding my people things that I’d like to eat, too, I could do this forever.

I’m not sure what I will do in 11 days. But, I think it will include a slice of cheese, some yogurt, and a scoop of homemade ice cream. (Dairy is the first thing to reintroduce. Can ya tell?)

I’m glad I’m doing this. I’m learning a lot. It’s giving me clarity about how I don’t want to feed my family going forward. Like I think we need less sugar.

Day 20: Wednesday

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, sauteed mushrooms and spinach, avocado, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage, leftover spaghetti squash and green beans. Blackberry Banana Smoothie.

Dinner: Date night at Chipotle – Carnitas salad with salsa and guacamole

Impressions: I’m 2/3 of the way through. I continue NOT to feel as marvelous as I did last week. The headaches continue, but the restaurant wrote back to say that there was no msg or sugar in the spice mix. I think it’s how I’m sleeping.

Not much else to report. I’m ready to be done. But, I will keep at it.

Day 21: Thursday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Vegetable Beef Soup, Monkey Salad.

Dinner: Grilled Salsa Verde Chicken, Salad with Avocado, Oranges, Cashews, Scallions, Radishes, and Carrots.

Impressions: I have no true complaints with this diet. The cravings are in check. I’m eating well.

My hip pain, I think, is related to stretching and exercising. Someone suggested I stop riding the exercise bike. I quit for a week. The pains increased with a vengeance. I exercised (the shred) and the hip pains went away. I have other pain, but not those.

Overall, I think this is a very healthy diet. I’m eating more vegetables than I ever did. I think that is one thing that all nutritionists agree on. I don’t believe that I’m eating that much more meat than normal. So, I have an improved opinion of paleo as a whole. I thought it was just a bunch of meat.

If this is paleo, then I think some people are overdoing their meat and underdoing their veg. I see what folks post on instagram and know that they aren’t “doing it right”. I think they’re spending too much time making “legal” desserts, which I think misses the point. At least from my reading, it seems like the idea of a Whole 30 is to break food’s hold on you, not to find more things that you can’t live without — or create “legal” substitutions for those things.

While I don’t plan to do this forever if I don’t have to, I hope that it’s giving me a better appreciation of food and teaching me moderation. One can hope.

Day 22: Friday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Vegetable Beef Soup, Monkey Salad.

Dinner: Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad with Avocado, Oranges, and Cashews

Impressions: I discovered that turnips don’t agree with me. It took eating them in my soup two days in a row to realize this. I couldn’t understand why my stomach hurt so bad, especially since I’ve eaten some of the same foods so often throughout this first three weeks. I am glad to discover that!

If turnips didn’t show up in the produce box, I probably would not buy them. I guess they get added to the list of things to share with friends, next to parsnips and collard greens.

Other than turnip stomach, I’ve been doing well. I have good energy and I am sleeping well. I haven’t figured out my body aches and pains, but at least it’s not for lack of trying.

I’ve been doing some thinking about what I want to do on the other side of my thirty days. There’s a protocol for reentry. Day 31: Dairy (hello, yogurt, cheese, and cream in my coffee). On Day 34, I can add in gluten (hello scones, baguette, and pizza). On Day 37: grains (maybe rice and oats, but honestly, I don’t really care). On Day 40: legumes (meh. I honestly haven’t missed beans).

Even though I am looking forward to some of my old favorites, I don’t want to abandon this new way of eating. I am sleeping better and am curious why. I do have more energy and I’d like to keep it. So, I don’t think I’ll go back to the same old ways. But, I would like to know that I could enjoy those things on occasion.

Likewise, I’m reconsidering how I want to feed my family. To eat for 22 days only “real food” is a pretty amazing accomplishment, if I do say so myself. I am trying to find ways that I we could afford better quality meats and dairy. I am scheming how to reduce my kids’ sugar intake. It’s been a good three weeks.

I’m okay with it ending, but I don’t plan to abandon it, either.

Day 23: Saturday

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Leftover Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage, Sweet Potato Fries, Avocado. Coffee with Coconut Milk

Lunch: Salad with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, and Avocado, Monkey Salad.

Dinner: In-N-Out Burger – double meat, mustard, onion, chiles, extra tomato, wrapped in lettuce. Baked Sweet Potato with clarified butter and lots of salt and pepper

Day 24: Sunday

Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Sweet Potato Hashbrowns, Blueberries, Coffee with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Chipotle (Carnitas salad with salsa and guacamole)

Dinner: Sauteed Sausage, Leeks, and Mushrooms, Leftover Hashbrowns, Broccoli di Cicco.

Impressions: I have exactly one week left. The positives so far have been good sleep and a greater sense of alertness. On the negative, the body aches and pains haven’t gone away. Instead they seem to fade with regular exercise. Like my experience with the turnips the other day, though, I wouldn’t know that unless I was doing this strict diet. So even that is a good thing. At least I know what it is now.

I am eager to get this down — and get back to the French trifecta (wine, cheese, and baguette). Here’s hoping they don’t make me feel bad.

Despite my eagerness, I do plan to make some changes in our family’s diet. I know that I rely heavily on starches to fill everyone up because those are cheap. I want to up the fruits and veg some more and reduce our reliance on heavy carbs. I’ve got some ideas on how to replace/eliminate some of our sugars, too.

Overall, this has been a great experience. I’ve learned a ton so far in three weeks. Here’s to a good finish.

Day 25: Monday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Tea with Coconut Milk (I’m quitting coffee)

Lunch: Salad with Tuna, Avocado, and Tomatoes, Pomegranate-Cherry Smoothie

Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Scalloped Sweet Potatoes, Asparagus

Day 26: Tuesday

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Leftover Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus, Avocado

Lunch: Leftover Grilled Chicken, Broccoli di Cicco, Avocado

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce, Sauteed Baby Artichokes

I’ve been in pretty serious pain for the last two days. My hip pain got worse somehow and has spread down my leg and around to my back. Clearly it’s not food. I even took out coffee as a last ditch effort to see if it was the caffeine. I confess, I’m discouraged.

But, I’m glad to know what it’s not. That’s the plus side. I have an appointment with a new doc scheduled for the 1st as well as chiropractor on my list for tomorrow. It’s time to figure this thing out — before I worry myself to death.

I’m sorry I can’t be more enthusiastic about this diet. I know there are plenty of folks who can and will benefit from it. I have learned a ton and I’ve slept well. So, that counts for something!

That said, if it’s not helping with the thing I really need to get figured out, I want to have my bread and cheese! Oh and a glass of merlot. I’m going to stick it through the 30 days, and I am going to be more intentional about future food choices.

Day 27: Wednesday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Water.

Lunch: Sauteed Sausage, Mushrooms, and Shallots, Tomato.

Dinner: Chipotle Salad with Carnitas, Guacamole, and Salsa, Water.

Impressions: Today was my third day of constant pain in my hip. It was also my third day without coffee. Between my back, hip, and caffeine-withdrawal headache, I’ve been moving pretty slowly. I don’t have the Tiger Energy that I should have at this stage of the Whole 30, but there are extenuating circumstances.

In light of those, it’s been harder to get excited about what I’m eating. And I’ve been craving other things that I didn’t previously. Shopping in Trader Joe’s tonight was really hard. Especially on the dessert aisle.

In other news, I did go to the chiropractor. I found a chiropractic orthopedist who specializes in sports medicine. He was able to pinpoint all kinds of things wrong with me, right down to injuries that I had sustained probably in college. I knew exactly what he meant in checking the range of motion in my neck and jaw. He also had a diagnosis for my hip.

And, yes, I wish I had gone last summer. But, oh well. Here we are. After few weeks of treatments, I should feel a lot of relief. Here’s hoping.

In the meantime, I’m plugging away at the diet, going to finish it to Day 30 and then work on the reintroduction phase.

Day 28: Thursday

Breakfast: Skillet Eggs, Monkey Salad, Water, English Breakfast Tea with Coconut Milk.

Lunch: Skillet Meatloaf, Sweet Potato Hashbrowns, Spinach Salad, 1/2 Larabar.

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash, Meat Sauce, Avocado.

Impressions: Can you believe it’s Day 28 already? Wow! That went fast.

I feel like I’ve “messed up” this experiment a bit. Since my pain was present throughout the month and turns out not to be food related, I think the “data” has been compromised. Aside from good sleep and energy, I really can’t report accurate findings since I’ve been in so much pain, particularly in the last week. I feel like three days of my life disappeared.

I’m going to guess that the pain also has me craving my comfort foods, none of which are Whole30 approved. LOL.

That said, I’ve learned a ton. I intend to do a sugar overhaul for our family in the coming weeks and months. I’m hoping to keep my meal rhythm going: regular meals, no snacks, no eating right before bed. I think that made a great difference in my sleep and energy levels.

I have had lots of gas throughout this eating regiment (TMI?) and a fair amount of stomach upset, so I think that will compromise my findings next week when I reintroduce other foods.

I guess we’ll see, eh?

Day 29: Friday

Breakfast: Fried Eggs; Sausage, Leeks, and Spinach; English Breakfast Tea with Coconut Milk

Lunch: Five Guys Burger wrapped in lettuce with tomato, mushrooms, and onions

Dinner: Grilled Chicken; Salad with Mango, Roasted Chiles, and Avocado; Asparagus

Impressions: Almost there!

Day 30: Saturday

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Leftover Asparagus, Avocado, Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

Lunch: Salad with Chicken, Avocado, Oranges, Cashews

Dinner: Protein-style In-N-Out Burger, and a few French fries (gasp)

Impressions: I reached my thirty days. I’m totally glad I did it, but I’m also totally glad it’s done. I celebrated with five fries tonight. I figured six hours was close enough since I omitted lots of illegal foods before my official start date. AND the fries were white potatoes and cottonseed oil, not huge offenders. And I only ate five.

I’ll be entering the reentry phase tomorrow with dairy. I’ll add gluten back in on Wednesday. Grains come back on Saturday. I’m sure sugar and a glass of wine might make it in, too. I’m going to be intentional, though, so I can gauge any weird reactions.

I’m having sweet dreams about what to have tomorrow. I’m thinking: yogurt, Dubliner cheese, and cream in my coffee. See ya tomorrow!

Ready for a Whole 30?

If you made it to the end of this record, you deserve a medal! Considering doing a Whole 30? Then check out my list of recipes as well as my synopsis of what I learned.

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