My Whole30 PLUS Journey

[Edward F]

Awesome job! I have completed the Whole30 twice and it’s no joke!

[Throwin Darts]

I ate no processed foods for the month of January. All it was was fruit, nuts, eggs, steak, fish, chicken and veggies. I cooked with avocado oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I lost 8.8 pounds, had a big boost in mental clarity, especially in the afternoons, and overall felt really great.

Went on a hunt the first weekend and Feb and ate some processed stuff and immediately felt terrible so I'm back on nonprocessed and will stick with it. An added bonus is the simplicity of it all. Grocery shopping is really easy. Meals are super easy. Throw some eggs on the cast iron each morning and eat some fruit. Snack on fruit and nuts. Lunches and dinner are grilled steak, fish or chicken and veggies. That's it. No recipes.

[Michael]

5 days left. I'm pretty used to the eating by now. Jennie is not. She's probably not even eating enough calories, just because she said she's tired of meat, potatoes and vegetables. I could eat that everyday, forever, I think.

Men are typically more simple creatures when it comes to eating. Give me a protein and a side of veggies and I'm good. One of my main go-to meals is ground venison (maybe seasoned lightly with Fiesta sausage seasoning), 2-3 eggs and an avocado. I can also pan sear a pre-portioned salmon fillet or maybe a NY Strip steak or even a can of sardines or smoked oysters and put it on a bed of spring mix with an avocado. Even my preferred sides are as simple as roasted asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, diced sweet potato, etc.

My wife is a fairly simple person, but she still seems to prefer more complex dishes. Even when we were doing keto together, she always printed out "keto" recipes to try (many of which still had refined and processed "keto friendly" ingredients.)

I do most of the cooking, so I try to strike a balance to help her keep on track.

[Michael]

I ate no processed foods for the month of January. All it was was fruit, nuts, eggs, steak, fish, chicken and veggies. I cooked with avocado oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I lost 8.8 pounds, had a big boost in mental clarity, especially in the afternoons, and overall felt really great.

Went on a hunt the first weekend and Feb and ate some processed stuff and immediately felt terrible so I'm back on nonprocessed and will stick with it. An added bonus is the simplicity of it all. Grocery shopping is really easy. Meals are super easy. Throw some eggs on the cast iron each morning and eat some fruit. Snack on fruit and nuts. Lunches and dinner are grilled steak, fish or chicken and veggies. That's it. No recipes.

Awesome! Congrats on the success!

I like to buy various HEB bulk nuts and make my own trail mix. I usually get macadamia nuts (expensive!), salted pistachios, raisins (they do have quite a bit of sugar), salted shelled pumpkin seeds, maybe some roasted almonds, maybe cashews, walnuts, pecans and maybe some dried fruits (most have added sugar). I could justify the cost (about $45-50/week) because it was healthier and cheaper than the processed snacks that I used to eat, but I have to be careful of the caloric density and quantity that I was eating! It didn't help that I started adding some yogurt covered raisins (lots of added sugar) and/or dark chocolate covered nuts (also lots of added sugars) to the mix.

Since I've started tracking everything I eat (17 days, now) I pretty much quit buying the mix and have only been eating 12-15g of pecans or walnuts per day (a little bit of Hawthorne Effect, I suppose! )

[SaltwaterSlick]

Way to go Curt!! I’m very proud for you and Jennie!! You’re a good man sir for the original motivation to do this to begin with. I’m praying for a good outcome for Jennie with this!

[curtintex]

Well...today is day 30. The challenge is complete. Neither of us cheated on our eating plan not once. I worked out every day but Sunday and many times, twice a day. I cold plunged almost every day. I journaled every day. I prayed every day. There were some tasks that didn't always get done....I ate lunch out a couple of times but still didn't cheat, I didn't always get two workouts in, I missed a couple of cold plunges, etc. I weighed this morning and have lost 10lbs in the last 30 days. Most importantly, I feel really good.

Thank you all for your prayers and support and advice. I learned a few things through this challenge. Number one, I miss working out on a regular basis and will keep it up. I love the soreness and tight muscles and sense of accomplishment. Number two, Jen is a helluva partner to have for something like this, as she was always encouraging even when she was ****** at the world for having to eat eggs for the 15th morning in a row. Number three, I love cold plunging....I don't know why, as it never gets easier. Number four, there is no reason for me not to be fit and healthy. I'm fine with eating for fuel rather than pleasure and I love to workout.

I started this thread so I'd be held accountable to y'all and it helped. Thanks again.

[curtintex]

Done!!!

[Clintk]

Congrats

[ThisLadyHunts]

Who’s that skinny guy in the picture with your wife?

[SaltwaterSlick]

Dang Curt, your picture lost 10 pounds just in your face!! Of course Jennie makes you look better too, so there is that...
I'm truly proud for you guys! Now the next task is just turning those well learned habits into a lifestyle. You guys keep up that attitude and prayer in your lives, and it will happen almost naturally! I will continue to pray for God's grace upon you guys!

Edit to add: THANKS!! For taking us along on this journey!! Hope this thread is an inspiration for others!!

[Texas Grown]

Congrats to you and Jennie again Curt! Has Jennie already set sights on a Whole60?

[TeamAmerica]

Good stuff! Hope you continue the good habits. You wife looks genuinely happy in the pic (or totally delirious!).

[KRB]

Great Job , I always feel better when I am disciplined in what I am doing. I have been on the weight loss rollercoaster my whole life . I have pants from size 32 to 40 and all in between that I have had to put in rotation thru out my years .

I am vertically challenged and love food and sit at a desk and get lazy and comfortable !

My eating has been pretty awful the last few years and I reached my heaviest I had ever been . I finally broke down and committed to make a change for the 5th or 6th time in my life

I committed to the Carnivore Lifestyle almost 9 weeks ago . Today I am down 30lbs and feel better than I have when I exercised non stop and ate what I wanted ( lots of carbs and sweets).

I have found it very easy to follow and allowing my body to stay in Ketosis and not rely on Carbs for energy. This has been a game changer for me . I can fast for over 24 hours with no cravings. Typically eating one good meal a day . sometime 2 smaller meals. I have found eating out is really not an issue as most restaurants have many options if you get creative .

I plan to keep at it as I have more weight to lose and I have recently started exercising more as well .

Your thread has been a great reminder to us all at how important our health is . Thanks for sharing your journey !!

[Smell the Glove]

Good work!

[Chew]

Great job, Curt. You're face looks different already. You look like we need to go to Africa or New Zealand on our next adventure