I Tried Whole30. Here’s What Happened.

I don’t cook often, and when I do, it’s less than inspiring. The majority of my meals in week one were just Whole30 approved ingredients thrown together on a plate. Think: A mildly seasoned turkey patty, spinach and potatoes… yum.

I was bored of the food I was eating so I didn’t eat much of it, meaning I was basically hungry at all times and angry at myself for the entire decision. Bagel Fridays at the office went from the best day of the week to the most challenging, as I tried not to snap at my coworkers for daring to eat those sweet carbs right in front of me.

By the end of the week, despite being hungry more often than not, I actually felt great. My stomach wouldn’t hurt when I woke up in the morning, indigestion was a non-issue and I genuinely felt like I had more energy to go on runs or hit the gym.

Despite dropping two pounds in the first week and feeling better, I couldn’t just go on eating a minimum-calorie diet, so I set a game plan—a thorough trip to the grocery store later, and my fridge was stocked. I wouldn’t let week two be a repeat of week one.

Week Two

Week two was still a balancing act despite my game plan. I had planned out meals and recipes, but the cooking part of the deal was my downfall.

Cooking is time-consuming, and when I’d get home from work hungry, making a perfectly portioned meal with protein and thoughtful side dishes kind of flew out the window. But at least the ingredients were in the fridge, right?

In week two, I also began training for a Spartan Race that was at the end of my Whole30, so I really needed to up my calorie intake if I was going to survive.

The healthy diet I was sticking to was definitely making me feel great and since I had stopped complaining every two minutes, my friends and family actually bought into it. Within a week and a half of starting Whole30, I’d conned influenced four other people to take the journey—and believe me, I was glad to have the company. Hearing them struggle through the first week and telling them it gets better actually made me feel better, too.