1 week down, 3.143 weeks to go! The first week wasn’t easy, but honestly it was easier than I remembered from the previous rounds. This is likely because we knew better what to expect. What is definitely the same is how much of our time we are spending in the kitchen, and it is a lot! Don’t tell my husband, but I’m actually starting to enjoy cooking. Weekends are always the hardest during whole30, but they are a good reminder that we need hobbies that don’t involve spending money, drinking, and eating.
How do we feel?
I feel pretty great, I’ve had some low energy levels but overall I’ve been able to make it through workouts and my days about normal. Honestly, I do already feel significantly slimmer than just a week ago. I feel more confident already, and I feel motivated to get through the next few weeks. On the other hand, I would have loved to go out and have a margarita, chips and queso after church this morning. Or even snack on pita chips and hummus at home all afternoon!
P is hanging in there. This whole thing is less exciting for him, but he is being so helpful during our many hours in the kitchen. Luckily, he doesn’t get as hangry as me because he has reported multiple times the he is always hungry. He has noticed some swelling around his mouth which according to our doctor friend Google is likely a case of Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). We are leaning toward this being due to the fact he was averaging 2 bananas and 1 avocado a day or maybe from the compliant hot sauce he is literally putting on everything. We are starting by toning down on the bananas and avocados. This has been rough since these were his Whole30 go-to’s.
Things we loved from week 1
- Trader Joe’s – we had only been once to just check it out. This week we did a majority of our shopping there and we think we understand the rave. BUY YOUR COCONUT AMINOS HERE. So cheap compared to everywhere else. We bought 4 bottles!
- Cassava Flour tortillas – TACOS, need I say more?
- Zoe’s Kitchen W30 approved menu – This was a great break from cooking and SO delicious.
- Pre-cooked breakfast – My baking sheet got me through the week, and it was good!!
- Larabars – We are now buying these by the box.
- Days without cooking – these are rare during W30, cherish them.
- Bacon – stumbled upon some compliant bacon, almost cleared the shelf.
- Our pellet smoker – we didn’t have this during our last rounds and it’s made cooking in bulk on the weekends so easy and fun!
- Feeling slimmer in just 8 days 🙂 – I know, I know it’s not about losing weight BUT it is about feeling better and we both feel better when we lose a little weight!
- Spindrift Sparkling Water – we bought the half tea & half lemon flavor which was perfect replacement for P’s usual Arnold Palmer fix.
- Paleo Running Momma. I added two of her recipes she featured on Whole30 Recipes Instagram to our menu for Week 2!
This we didn’t love (or could do better)
- Nori sheets – yuck. Sorry if people like these, but I added them to some zoodles and I made this week and I did not enjoy them.
- Forgetting my lunch – on Monday I’m bringing two lunches in case this happens again.
- Trying to find compliant ingredients – we went to three different grocery stores trying to find Arrowroot Flour and didn’t find it. I guess this is what we get for trying to avoid Whole Foods (the store).
Financial Update
It’s a good thing we are motivated to save some money because we found out this weekend that we are in the market for a new (to us) car. This is an expense we knew would be coming our way sooner rather than later with two cars with over 180,000 miles. We were hoping to make it through Junkless June without worrying about this but no such luck. The update from the mechanic when we went in for an oil change and tire rotation was, “if you were waiting for the wheels to fall off this thing you are pretty close.” So, it is time and like any good FI-focused family we are in search for a gently used car we can afford to pay cash for.
Other than that, no major slip-ups on the financial challenge. Our cheap entertainment of the week was attending a AAA baseball game while enjoying a nice bag of sunflower seeds! This was a nice night out of the house for a total cost of $25. We also went to the dog park, went swimming at the gym, and played a board game at no added cost to the weekend. Oh, and did I mention we did a lot of cooking and cleaning in the kitchen? Now off to spend the rest of the day meal prepping and online car shopping!
I’m right there with him though, and thirsty, SO thirsty. Why am I so thirsty? I couldn’t get enough to eat or drink today. Despite our hunger, tiredness, and thirst we both made it to workout after work. We enjoyed a night off of cooking while eating leftovers. 
