[esperanza]

I just lost a super long post about this. ARGH!!

Long story short, I'm currently in the middle of my third whole 30. It's not easy- not going to lie. But it also makes you realize how you use food for emotional support. The first time was the hardest. Here are some of my tips/thoughts.
-If you can, do it with someone else. Having my dh do it with me makes a big difference.
-Plan and prepare!! Super key. You have to figure out what you're going to eat. You need to have emergency food along that is compliant- it's really hard to find it when you are out.
-Google "whole 30 x store" to get some grocery list ideas. It's too depressing to wander through the store reading labels and seeing all the things you can't eat. I like this one (she has other stores too):
https://littlebitsof.com/2016/03/who...es-must-haves/
I recently found her list and got some of the sausages, turkey burgers, and chicken chili lime burgers. So nice to have something quick on hand that is compliant.
-The first round I bought a lot of special ingredients and made fancy recipes trying to find things that we liked and were different than the same old, same old. Honestly it left me feeling like w30 was expensive and so labor intensive. This time around, I'm keeping it much simpler. I haven't bought any ingredients I wouldn't otherwise have and have just made simple recipes.
-Love the coconut larabars. When I did my first round, I told my friend they tasted like the coconut girl scout cookies. She thought I'd totally lost it. Ha! But your taste buds really do change!
-I eat more than 2 fruit servings a day. Sorry, but I just have to have a little joy in my day. I can't be that hard core.
-Not gonna lie. I'm still waiting for all the energy it promises. I know that for me, the two things that really affect me are sugar/grains. That's what I crave. I can eat dairy, gluten, all of it. And my body does feel better in the sense that I'm not eating as much and eating healthier, but I'm still frustrated that it promises all this energy and I'm still falling asleep every afternoon. I'm sure it's related to not getting enough sleep, but I wish there was some kind of energy boost for me!!
-I really miss being able to eat out. Not that we do it much at all anyway, but just knowing the option isn't there makes you miss it more. The first time we got the compliant food at Chipotle, and it was such a disappointment. So sad.

Here are some recipes we like:
https://littlebitsof.com/2017/01/che...-chicken-parm/ Just found this one and really really liked it. Feels like eating regular food.
https://laughingspatula.com/sheet-pan-fajitas/
https://thelemonbowl.com/mustard-lem...-and-potatoes/
http://bravoforpaleo.com/2015/12/30/...reakfast-bowl/ good for a change from eggs
https://lexiscleankitchen.com/zesty-chicken-bites/

Definitely try to make extra dinner food so you have something for lunch. And plan! Did I mention you don't want to be caught without compliant food on hand when you're hungry? You are going to miss the convenience of grabbing something easy from the fridge, so plan ahead and have food ready to go.

Join the Whole 30 FB and instagram pages. I like the FB posts about each day and what you're probably thinking/experiencing. The whole 30 founder also has a cookbook out. I didn't get a lot of good ideas from it, but definitely worth seeing if they have it at your library! Hope this helps! It's hard but good.