Well I am officially 8 days into Whole30!! I wanted to give you guys a little write-up as to how I've been feeling, what my go-to foods have been, and just a general overview of the past week.

Let me start by saying that this time around has been MUCH easier than the first time.. I don't know if it's because I knew what I was getting myself into, or that there are so many more recipe options out there now, or that we are now allowed white potatoes (it's probably the potatoes) but I am not finding it nearly as difficult as when I did it before my wedding in 2014. 

Let's start with the foods I've been gravitating towards:

BREAKFAST:

- scrambled eggs with veggies topped with avocado and hot sauce - 

- yam or white potato hashbrowns with sautéed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes with a poached egg -

- yam or potato hashbrown patty with avocado and a poached egg -

- banana/egg scramble with almond milk, almond butter, and shredded coconut -

LUNCH:

- green salad with grilled chicken and a balsamic/dijon dressing -

- green salad with oranges, avocados and tuna - 

- leftovers from dinner -

SNACKS:

- mixed nuts -

- apple or apple pear with almond butter - 

- turkey slices -

- apple or cashew lara bar - 

- banana -

- pineapple -

DINNER:

- coconut chicken with sweet potatoes -

- coconut thai chicken with bell peppers and zucchini over top of cauliflower rice -

- spaghetti squash with grilled chicken, marinara and vegan parm cheese -

- grilled chicken with sweet potatoes and roasted veggies -

- cobb salad with avocado, egg, chicken, and bacon -

This is pretty much the gist of how my week has gone. I also drink lots of green tea throughout the day and will have water or soda water with lemon at lunch and dinner. The biggest worry I had was my sweet tooth (if there's cookies or chocolate in the house it won't last more than an hour). But I have surprisingly been okay! I have had a couple minor cravings which were easily tided over with a lara bar (or half) and it really does the trick. 

Now onto how I've been feeling.. I'm doing this with a few other bloggers, and a few of them were saying around day 4 or 5 that they were super bloated and (sorry) had a serious case of the shits. I was like 'wuuhhh? not me!', then BAM! It hit.. around day 6 I was bloated and my bowels were that of a Mexican tourist. Now that I'm onto day 8 I think I'm over that.. It really is just your body detoxing and adjusting to eating real food! Other than that I have been feeling actually really really good, better than ever you might say. Being self employed I can have good days and I can have bad days.. Since embarking on whole30 it has been nothing but good days. I feel more motivated, more focused, I have more energy, and (other than when I come down with a carb craving) I'm happier. I'm doing things other than just going for drinks - Danny and I went to the movies on Friday, and me and my girlfriends went snow skiing on Saturday - any other time I would have opted for sitting in a pub with some pints but not being able to drink forces me to think outside the box and do actual fun or physical activities - which kind of actually scares me, because it makes me wonder if I should be adopting this as a lifestyle even after the 30 days. I think what has really been a factor in the change in my emotions is the sugar. Before, I would get bored.. have some sugar.. feel down.. not want to work.. have some more sugar, feel more down.. and it goes on. Also cutting out alcohol.. I am definitely a one glass of wine a night kind of gal, and I really feel that cutting that out has been a HUGE factor in my change in emotions and overall happiness. Last night instead of coming home and plopping on the couch with a glass of merlot, I made a cup of green tea, cleaned the kitchen, washed our bedding, took Gigi on a walk, and did all of our laundry - allowing me to feel fresh and ready for the week.

In terms of my physique, I definitely feel like it's having some effect.. Within the first three days the scale showed 3 lbs less than when I started.. but that could just be my normal fluctuation. I've yet to weigh myself again, but overall my body feels really good.

I have 22 days to go and will be sure to continue posting my meals on IG stories and giving you guys weekly updates! Still undecided on having a glass of champagne on my birthday.. I'll keep you posted..

xx

Tessa