Okay so I missed a week of posting, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t going strong! We are almost done with our Whole 30 and honestly…I’m looking forward to being finished. I’ll explain why in a bit. 

 What are we eating?

This week I was desperate for changing things up a bit. We tried a Buffalo Chicken Wing recipe from THIS paleo cookbook and they were actually freakin’ amazing. Tasted NO different than the awful fried stuff, which my husband and I used to chow down on every Sunday back when I was in college. I’ll always love hot wings, but it’s awesome to know I can make a healthy recipe and still indulge. I plan on making these for Super Bowl Sunday this week, too! Of course, the kids didn’t eat them given their heat, but I made a separate dinner for them to enjoy. I also made a one pot meal with chicken, broccoli, and tomatoes in a “cream” sauce using Trader Joe’s canned Coconut Creme (I always have some of this on hand, it’s the best ever for dairy free cream sauces!). I would’ve love it over zucchini noodles, but of course I didn’t have any zucchini so we ate it alone (also equally as good). All of us were feeling a little sick, so we had my chicken soup as well. We kept our breakfast and lunches generally the same, as well as snacks. This has been getting a little boring for me at this point, but my husband has been really enjoying knowing exactly what he needs to eat everyday. It’s helped him stay on track and avoid any pit stops for junk food while he’s on the road. 

How do we feel?

Overall, I’m feeling good. I can honestly tell you I didn’t cheat with the exception of needing a few cough drops one night in order to stop coughing and go to sleep. But guys…I felt the aftermath of those cough drops for days. I was desperate and all I had were Burt’s Bees Honey cough drops. There’s obviously “honey” and “sucrose” (aka, sugar) in them, and I think even the smallest bit of it sent me over the edge. I was sick to my stomach for DAYS. I keep trying to figure out if it was from something else, but this is the only thing I can think of. I also determined my body REALLY would benefit from a probiotic, so I’m on the hunt for a good one. I also have more energy, with the exception of the nights my kids drive me crazy and wake up (they recently went through like a week long phase of this..BOTH of them. Even my 3 year old. It was brutal).

My husband feels AMAZING. And guys, you should see his before and after photos!!!!! It’s unreal how different he looks! I won’t share for his privacy, but if you could see them they would convince you to try out Whole30. He’s so determined, he plans on making it a Whole60 and working out during the next 30 days. It’s insane what changing your diet can do for your body. He didn’t even exercise this past month! I’m so so so soooooo proud of him because this has always been his struggle. He looks so damn good!

 What’s the plan after Whole30?

Going forward, I plan on changing my diet to paleo. I feel like a paleo diet allows a little more than Whole30 because I can actually make things like paleo pancakes, paleo cookies, and paleo pizza. I’ve been dying for my paleo cookies all month, so as I slowly introduce things back into my diet I plan on making a batch. Again, my diet wasn’t too far off from this from the start, but I felt like I just needed a “cleanse,” for lack of a better word, after the holidays.

I definitely plan on sticking to most of the values we’ve adapted to Whole30…making sure my meals are balanced is key. I also really loved the Primal Kitchen condiments, and I plan on keeping them stocked in our house at all times! I’m definitely finding a healthier creamer that tastes better than NutPods. That was probably my least favorite thing about the entire 30 day duration. I just wanted GOOD coffee!

I already know my body doesn’t handle grain and dairy well, so I think I’ll focus mainly on avoiding sugar going forward. It really amazed me just how many things sugar is hiding in! Even bacon! I was a big label reader before, and now I feel like my brain has been trained to read them even more. I honestly don’t see myself straying too far off from a paleo lifestyle after these past 30 days. But I suppose we’ll see!

Next week I’ll share some “survival tips” as a busy mom if you’re interested in trying Whole30. In the meantime, check out my fellow Whole30ers to see how their journeys are going!

 Kristin @ Taz and Belly

Jaime @ Sunflowers and Stilettos

Heather @ My Life Well Loved

Jennifer @ Life In A Greenhouse

Lindsey @ Life Lutzurious

Ashley @ Two Peas In A Prada

Jamie @ Makeup Life and Love 

Lauren @ A Lo Profile

Tessa @ Tessa Lindsey Garcia

Anna @ Fleurdille

Kendra @ Citizens of Beauty

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve teamed up again with my favorite #Whole30Jan bloggers to bring you an AWESOME Whole30 giveaway. Make sure you check out their blogs below and enter to win the Rafflecopter giveaway below!

You can use #Whole30Jan on Instagram to find the bloggers I’m teaming up with on this Whole 30 challenge: Life in the Green House , Taz & Belly, Life Lutzurious, Lauren McBride, Sunflowers & Stilettos, Fleurdille, A Lo Profile, Makeup Life & Love, Two Peas in a Prada, Stilettos & Diapers and Citizens of Beauty.

Our giveaway includes:

$75 Whole Foods gift card

Whole30 Book

Case of RX Bars

Primal Kitchen Whole30 Pack

Clearly Kombucha

Kasandrinos Olive Oil

Enter via the link below! GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway