Hey guys! Jen here, coming atcha with my Whole30 week 2 recap! This week was a little rougher than last week which I suppose is to be expected. I read in the “Whole30 Day by Day” book that people are most likely to quit between days 10-12. I am happy to report that I have not quit but I can definitely tell you there were some tough days this week. I also had some great days so don’t worry, it wasn’t all gloom and doom. Let’s get on with it shall we?
What I Ate
I prepped for my meals the same way I did in Week One. Having everything all typed out helps me so much since I am a sucker for lists and structured plans like this. I meal prepped a little Saturday night and then a little on Sunday morning to shorten the amount of time I had to spend in the kitchen all at once. I’ve been finding that doing most of my potato and veggie roasting Saturday nights is easy since I can do that while I’m chillin’ on the couch. (#mealprepgoals) Then it’s just a few less things I need to do on Sunday.
I tried out a few new recipes then stuck to some basics as well. This is kind of my plan going into each week because I know if I try all new recipes for the whole week, I’m just going to get overwhelmed and keeping things simple is my goal. Hence those 3 days of chicken sausage and veggies you see below. That was the quickest meal this week hands down. Roasted the veggies on Saturday night and then warmed up the chicken sausage in a skillet real quick and BOOM, lunch for 3 days. The only thing I switched up was the frittata since I used ground beef instead of bacon and turned it into a southwest kind of deal.
Links to some of the recipes listed
Buffalo Chicken Wings (This week I made them with ranch dressing instead of buffalo but I followed this cooking method)
The frittata was so good and I will be making another version for next week. The Zuppa Toscana was also delicious and made 8 servings so we (the hubby and I) ate that several times this week. Everything was filling and satisfying and I can say with confidence I enjoyed everything I ate.
Ok but one thing that is driving me nuts? THE DISHES! I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal because I already meal prep regularly but no, prepping while doing Whole30 is a whole other ball game I guess. We are doing full loads of dishes 2-3 times per week as opposed to the one large load at the end of the week. Occupational hazard when you’re prepping tons of meals I guess.
Reflections
This week I found myself mentally adding up macros and calories in my head. I went to buy the chicken for the wings recipe and when I glanced at the fat content, I almost wanted to put it back. The amount of fat in the wings is something I would never allot for when tracking macros. It’s a hard habit to break when you’ve been doing it so long. I can’t really stop myself from eyeballing my plates and tallying up the calories but at least I am aware I’m doing it and can work on placing my focus elsewhere.
The other thing that was difficult for me was the absentminded snacking opportunities. There is a huge candy jar at work and when I saw other people reach for it, I just naturally wanted to also. I wasn’t hungry or craving it but I just wanted it because it was there. And that’s when I started feeling annoyed. Like really? I can’t have this little peppermint candy? It’s only one. It’s not that big a deal. And I started feeling a little resentful that I couldn’t have something when I wanted it. But the truth is I didn’t REALLY want it. I was only harping on it because I couldn’t have it. After my little temper tantrum, everything was fine and I got over it. But someone needs to invent a Whole30 mint or gum option. Like yesterday. Or if one exists and I am totally unaware, help a sister out and lemme know!
My husband is the most supportive guy ever and he is doing this round of Whole30 with me. I am so grateful for that because doing it alone and watching him eat whatever he wants would have been so tough. Both of us starting having the dreams this week. He kept dreaming he was going to fast food places and ordering non-compliant things and then right when he was about to eat, he would realize he couldn’t have it. My dreams of “cheating” all centered around the gum and mints. I dreamt I was chewing gum and didn’t realize it until later. Then woke up relieved I hadn’t screwed anything up. Crazy (and kinda comical) how our brain does this!
My clothes are fitting better and I am feeling leaner overall which is great! The problem is that it is SO tempting to step on the scale. Just for a quick check. I have to keep reminding myself that the Whole30 isn’t about weight loss and any other non scale victory I experience is just as important, if not more so, than whatever the scale can tell me. I am committed to doing this right so I will stay off the scale but I won’t lie, it isn’t easy!
There was a huge victory this week though. I was so worried about Friday the 12th because we were having a meeting at work that had breakfast and lunch catered. And of course it had to be catered with my favorite things: burritos, chips and salsa and cookies. I was mentally preparing myself all week for how hard it would be for me and trying to strengthen my willpower muscles to be ready. I imagined myself sitting in the back with my sad tupperware smelling the delicious fumes.
When the day finally came and I was helping to set up all the food I was surprisingly calm. There was no part of me that actually wanted to partake in the food and I could not believe it. If you knew how much I love all those things (ESPECIALLY chips and salsa) then you would know how huge this is for me. I ate the compliant food I had with me and didn’t really give it a second thought. I think the main factor behind it was imagining myself indulging and knowing that I would physically feel like crap after eating it. I have been eating Whole30 for the past 2 weeks and it wouldn’t have been worth it to put my body through that.
Non Scale Victories
- Woke up easily in the morning instead of pressing snooze a bazillion times
- Became even more mindful with snacking
- Clothes are starting to fit better
- Passed up on some of my favorite foods when I knew it wasn’t really worth it
- Energy levels are picking up
I’m looking forward to Week 3 and seeing what new things come to light!
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