Some of you may have noted that, in a previous post, I mentioned doing a loose version of Whole 30. I first heard about this eating plan when Dr. Matthews’s cousin, Lisa, talked about it on her blog. My initial reaction was, “No way.” I mean, it sounded great for folks who wanted to lose a lot of weight or were having serious digestive problems, but I never thought I could handle even getting remotely close to this level of restriction. For those of you who’re unfamiliar, Whole 30 involves cutting out the following for 30 days:
- Dairy
- Legumes (soy, peas)
- Sugar (any and all added sugar, including honey or other carlorie-free sweeteners)
- Alcohol
- Grains (i.e., bread, pasta, rice, etc.)
The purpose, as I understand it, is to do this for 30 days, then slowly reintroduce these food groups to see which, if any, are causing negative reactions/digestive issues. My SIL told me she and my BIL had been doing it with a group from her work and that she’d felt “amazing” and the recipes they’d found were really good. She’d also lost a good amount of her baby weight within the first two weeks. To be 100% honest, I wanted to lose weight. Not a ton, but just the last of what I’d gained during pregnancy. Counting calories had been pretty much miserable and only somewhat effective. I was desperate.
Another factor leading me to believe I might be able to abide by these restrictions is a little gadget called a spiralizer. My MIL got me this one for my birthday, and I love it. (Side note: I also tried the Paderno, which is the most popular spiralizer on the market, and was less than impressed. The one I got is vertical vs horizontal, so gravity works with you and not against you. Then the spiralizer food empties into a tray at the bottom. With the Paderno, you have to use a really low dish or the shelf on the device will push it out of the way and your food goes everywhere.) I love me some zoodles and thought, if I can eat meat and eggs and nuts and fruit and veggies and zoodles, how hard could this be?
The answer: very.
#1, this diet is very time-consuming. Which wasn’t a huge issue for me, as a SAHM with one child who is old enough to occupy herself while I clean, chop, slice, spiralize and essentially spend half my day in the kitchen (poor Natalie!).
#2, I was so. hungry. I ate huge bowls full of fruit, all the eggs and bacon and avocado I could stomach. I only got significantly full once, after eating a huge steak and a giant pile of chunky guacamole salad.
#3, I was tired. My energy levels felt low and I was lethargic for at least a week and a half before my body adjusted, although it eventually did.
#4, I was bloated. All the time. I think all the fruits and veggies in my diet took a toll on my digestive tract. Which, for the record, was fine before I started this diet!
So, when I say I did a “loose” version of Whole 30, that means I was about 80-85% compliant with the diet. On occasion I would have a glass of wine (which is a significant decrease from my usual one glass a day) and there were a handful of “cheat” meals involved. Also, I only did it for 18 days, since we were going on vacation to a family reunion at the beach, where it was virtually impossible to eat this way and not drink alcohol. Trust me on this one. However, I was pretty proud of myself and surprised that I was able to maintain this style of eating for even that length of time. I did enjoy some delicious meals and eventually did feel pretty good, if not as “awesome” as the aforementioned SIL. Here is one of the recipes I really liked:
Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken breast
2 tbsp coconut oil (for sauteing use)
-Flavor layer 1 –
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp fresh lemon zest
1 large red chili pepper, finely chopped & remove seeds (I use fresno red chili pepper)
-Flavor layer 2 –
1 ½ tbsp fish sauce (Whole30 compliant). (I actually wasn’t able to find “compliant” fish sauce, so this was the one ingredient I cheated on)
1 lime juice
2 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp coconut aminos (this is a soy sauce alternative I found at Whole Foods)
Pinch of sea salt
-Flavor layer 3 –
Handful of chopped cilantro & mint leaves (I subbed basil for mint)
1 scallion, chopped (I omitted this because we were about to go out of town and I knew I wouldn’t use the rest)
Directions
Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil over high heat. When hot, add ingredients under Flavor layer 1. Add a small pinch of salt and stir-fry for 2 -3 mins until golden brown but not burned.
Add ground chicken. Stir-fry until the meat is completely cooked through. Season with a small pinch of salt.
Add ingredients under Flavor layer 2. Give it a quick stir (about 5-10 sec.) then turn off the heat. Stir-in ingredients under Flavor layer 3.
Mix everything well and taste and see if more lime juice is needed. Serve w/ cold butter lettuce. (We just had it by itself topped with toasted sesame seeds, which I added after I took the photo but were an amazing addition! You could also serve this over cauliflower rice if you’re doing Whole 30 or regular rice if you’re not.)
![](https://hungryhungryhilary.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_0198.jpg?w=529)
![](https://hungryhungryhilary.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_0199.jpg?w=529)
If you’re ever interested in trying Whole 30 or just want to know what the heck I ate the whole time, I’m happy to share ideas for snacks and meals! Just shoot me a message. Word to the wise, however- when you start reintroducing regular food to your diet, DO NOT DO SO ALL AT ONCE! In other words, don’t eat like you’re on vacation like I did. You may be spending more time in the bathroom than on the beach 😳