I’m down to the last 8 days of Whole30.  I’m feeling good, feeling healthier and excited to keep up eating clean after the challenge is over.  I know I won’t be perfect and I do see some grains in my future, but I’m going to try real hard to keep it to a minimum compared to how I was pre-Whole30.

I’ve noticed a huge difference in my output at Crossfit this past month.  I’ve PR’d (personal record) a few new lifts, which is super exciting.  I’ve jumped from 95 pound deadlift to 185 pound deadlift.  That’s huge!  I’m sure I’ve just reached more confidence in what I’m doing, but I know a lot of it is what I’m putting in my body.  I’m not tired or feel sick while I’m working out anymore.  It’s awesome.  It really does matter what you eat and how you preform.

Here’s week 4 of what I plan to eat on Whole30.  There is a lot of repeats from previous weeks, but I’m a creature of habit.

Most of these recipes are ones I’m making up or I have made it the previous weeks and you can find the recipes here from week 1, week 2, or week 3.

Two weeks are down.  I’m still tired of water, but no longer want a diet coke.  I don’t even think it’ll taste good at this point.  I just want something other than water.  I found a Tazo passion fruit tea and according to everyone online it is compliant.  So I’m going to pick some of that up this weekend to try.  Maybe that’ll get me through.  I even found someone who said to make it with sparkling water – hmmm…. maybe that’d be tasty.

Day 8 (Jan. 9)

breakfast: banana, water and tea with two little pups really wanting some of the banana
lunch: chicken salad
dinner: chicken and potato

Day 9 (Jan. 10)

breakfast: two eggs and half of a small tomato cooked with ghee and a banana
lunch: chicken
dinner: fried chicken cooked in almond flour and coconut oil, smashed potatoes from Pioneer Woman, and broccoli.  I didn’t get a picture – oops!

Day 10 (Jan. 11)

breakfast: didn’t eat anything – I wasn’t hungry and desperately needed to go grocery shopping so I just drank water
lunch: ground sausage – I still wasn’t hungry thanks to my numbing migraine
dinner: again, still didn’t feel good so I just left it.

Day 11 (Jan. 12)

breakfast: sausage, 1 egg cooked with a dab of ghee, half of a white potato (I really need to add more veggies to my breakfast. I always remember the ingredients for lunch and dinner while I’m at the store, but can’t seem to get breakfast down)
lunch: cooked chicken that I seasoned, boiled carrots and the remaining half of the potato with ghee
dinner: I can’t remember – I really need to write these things down or always take pictures.  Probably something with chicken because that’s my go-to.

My lunch was so good!  I actually felt full and couldn’t finish the potato.  It was such a nice feeling!  I’m not going to lie – I haven’t felt hungry too much this Whole30, but I haven’t felt full either.  I’m not talking uncomfortable, sick-to-my-stomach full.  Just normal satisfied full.

Day 12 (Jan. 13)

breakfast: steamed carrots and a sad looking banana (but someone on Instagram made a great point – better a sad banana then stopping for pastries.  So right!  So I am proud of my little banana)
lunch: fajita chicken
dinner: shrimp and slaw

Day 13 (Jan. 14)

breakfast: 1 egg, 1 egg white (for the less eggy taste), seasoned sausage, boiled carrots and another overdue banana
lunch: shrimp sauteed in EVOO and boiled carrots – all of it cooked in coconut aminos (I usually add brown rice to this dish, but since I can’t on Whole30 and didn’t have time to prep Cauliflower rice I went without.  It was actually pretty good.  Simple, but good.)
dinner: HUGE taco salad.  I sauteed onions and tomatoes in coconut oil then added poached chicken that I shredded and then let simmer in my taco seasoning blend.  A bed of red leaf lettuce was on bottom and homemade guacamole was on top.  Then I added some boiled carrots.

Today was a good day.  I was loving my carrots (obviously! ha!) and I felt satisfied after every meal.  I went to Crossfit after work (before dinner) so I grabbed a handful of unsalted cashews to give some extra power while working out.  I didn’t crash or feel weak at all and it was leg day.  Lots of squats, lots of lunges and some sit-ups added in for fun.

Day 14 (Jan. 15)

breakfast: I wasn’t too hungry when I woke up so I made something small – 1 egg and 1 egg white fried in coconut oil and boiled carrots on the side.  I didn’t eat all of it – just not hungry.  So the pups got a little paleo treat!
lunch: I have my Kiwanis meetings on Thursdays and we meet at a Mexican restaurant.  So I tried to be careful, but I’m sure I wasn’t in compliance.  I had fajita chicken with veggies, big bed of lettuce and guacamole on top.
dinner: this is what I get for not taking pictures or writing it down…. I can’t remember what I ate last Thursday.  Some sort of chicken dish probably.  It’s my go-to.

I really enjoy eating out.  J and I can get out of the house for a little bit, have a date night, and just be around people.  So when we go and I order food knowing that it’s not prepared correctly and knowing it’s not the best choice of meat then it makes it less fun.  Plus… I can’t stand to look at the bread the next table is eating or having to say no cheese on my salad.  Cheese is so tasty.

Maybe in bigger cities there are more options for places that actually have organic foods on the menu, but in my small town, we don’t have that luck.

I kept seeing people talk about Chipotle has compliant meals you can order to give yourself a break from cooking… that’d be nice, but there is one problem.  The closest Chipotle is 112 miles away in Memphis, TN.  The next closest is in St. Louis.  Bummer!

I’ve come up with a few tips that could really help someone like me when they’re first starting Whole30 on how to eat out.

Whole30 Eating Out Tips

1) Ask the server how it’s prepared.  Is it cooked in olive oil (good!) or another type of oil that isn’t Whole30 approved?  Did you know most steaks are cooked with butter in restaurants, which is not Whole30 compliant (unless it’s clarified butter and no restaurant near me is doing that)?  How is the chicken prepared – in a marinade made with soy sauce and sugar?

You are paying for a service – it’s okay to ask these questions.  If the server doesn’t know then ask all your questions and make them go find out.  It won’t hurt them to be a little more knowledgeable about their employer (not like ewww they don’t serve the right kind of oil, but so they can tell the next person without any hesitation).

2) Just say no to bread.  That’s the easiest thing to do, but if you’re like me then the people you’re eating with want the bread.  I’m not tempted by the bread basket being there as long as it’s not sitting directly in front of me.  But if you are then have the wait staff only bring enough pieces so everyone with you can take one then if they want more just have them ask for the another ONE, not a whole basket.

3) It’s okay to make modifications.  Ask for no cheese, no butter or the sauce on the side.  Most kitchens will be happy to make adjustments for you.

Remember YOU ARE PAYING.  So it’s okay to ask questions, make changes to the menu and know how you’re food is prepared.

Want to know something?  It’s okay to send back an order if it’s done wrong.  YOU ARE PAYING.  I feel like I’m screaming that at you, but it’s the truth.  If you have asked for no cheese or no sauce and it comes out covered, then send it back.  You can be nice about it, but still do it.