Whole 30: 7 Days Down

When I declared my New Year’s Resolutions at the end of December, I told you that I’d be embarking on the Whole 30. I chose to wait until after the Chevron Houston Marathon to start my clean eating journey, so here I am on day seven. So far, so good. I haven’t had any major cravings, I’ve cooked more in the last week than probably ever before, and I’m feeling good physically. I have been a little lower energy on some of my runs, but I have some planned adjustments for next week and will see how that goes. Overall, here are a few things I’ve learned.

Cooking doesn’t have to take time. 
I tend to go out to eat way  more than I should, which I why I started this challenge. I’ve always made the excuse that it’s because I don’t have enough time. False, I cooked breakfasts in 7 minutes, reheated leftovers for lunch in 2 minutes and made dinner in less than 10. I now know that the time excuse isn’t a thing.

I’m a creature of habit.
I enjoy my routines and rituals, and have been able to adapt them to be Whole 30 friendly. Instead of stopping for a soy latte after teaching yoga, I bought a french press and have been making fancy coffee (black) at home instead! Instead of an evening glass of wine with my hubby, I’ve been making “cocktails” of kombucha and La Croix.

Telling people makes it easier.
I found that by creating conversations around doing the Whole 30 helped make me stay accountable. When I went to a baby shower this weekend, I was open about doing the challenge and somehow that made opting for fruit over cake so much easier!

Pack snacks.
This one takes me back to my days of being on a super strict budget in Hawaii. I’d always pack Luna Bars in my purse when heading out to the bars with my girlfriends. Having an accessible snack was perfect for beating the late night muchies that I simply couldn’t afford. Last week, I stocked up on nuts, apples, Lara Bars, RX Bars, and Epic Bars so I’d always have a quick snack when on the go. So far so good!

Find Whole 30 Friendly Establishments.
I love food, and I love eating out (I live in Houston, can you blame me?). While I have definitely cooked much more than usual, I’ve also discovered an arsenal of menu items at local restaurants that work for me!

• Snap Kitchen: Snap actually has a list of Whole 30 friendly menu items to make shopping even easier! I loved everything I tried and will definitely be back for a few more.
• True Food Kitchen: With a trendy atmosphere and super Whole 30 – friendly menu, we’ll definitely be coming back here, even when 30 day is up. The wait staff was knowledgeable and able to easily walk me through everything that was approved, or menu items that could easily be adapted.
• Local Foods: This is already one of my fave restaurants, and luckily with so many salads on the menu, a lunch date with mom was a cinch!
• Ono Poke: Okay, so I’ve been so excited about this place opening up down the street and with a focus on raw fish, its perfect! I just needed to skip the sauce and rice and I was good to go.
• Pondicheri Bake Lab: This is one of my favorite places to work in Houston, and honestly, I was a little worried to pop in on week one. There are so many tempting delicacies, but luckily the staff walked me through what I could eat. Between soup, tea and a super delicious raw bar, no complaints (or cravings) from me!

So, onto week 2. Hoping its as ease-filled as week 1!