I’m two weeks into my third and a half round of whole 30 (the last round I attempted, half way through, I found out I was pregnant and morning sickness hit so I never finished) but this is my first round since having Teddy and also as a breastfeeding mom so I wanted to share my thoughts and what has worked for me so far.
Thoughts
Surprisingly, this has been my easiest round so far and I really haven’t had to think too much about it. During previous rounds, I’ve had countdowns and knew exactly what day I was on and couldn’t wait to quit multiple times. This round, anytime I’ve been curious about what day I’m on, I’ve had to go to my calendar and count to figure it out. It feels much more like a way of life than a diet. Maybe that’s because I have a few rounds under my belt so I know what works for me or maybe it’s because my body really needed this reset to get back on track. Either way, I’m really loving it and aside from special occasions or occasionally going out to eat, I feel like I could eat this way forever. My husband would probably have different feelings.
Whole30 + Breastfeeding
I’ve made a few changes and exceptions for myself since I’m breastfeeding my almost nine month old and I was really afraid of my supply dropping. So far, I haven’t noticed any changes in supply and our breastfeeding journey is still going strong. I’ve included tons of sweet potato, fruit and extra healthy fats this round. Not only am I worried about my supply taking a dip but anyone who is responsible for producing food for another human knows that it makes you ravenous. You are literally eating for two. I’m glad that I waited until Teddy was established with eating solids because he’s taking in a little less milk so there was less pressure on me, especially since I need to pump enough milk to send to daycare with him.
So the whole30 police would probably have me arrested, but smoothies have saved me this round. They’re not technically allowed on whole30 but I make sure to keep them heavy on healthy fats and veggies and lighter on fruit. I add 1-2 things from each of the following groups and blend in my nutribullet.
Veggies: spinach, power greens blend, frozen cauliflower
Fruits: frozen banana, frozen fruit mix, frozen blueberries
Healthy fats: coconut milk, flax seed, chia seeds, almond butter, coconut butter, avocado
Liquid: almond milk, cashew milk
The combination of spinach and blueberries will turn it this lovely gray color. Don’t be alarmed.
They keep me full for a really long time, are easy to drink on the go, they come together quickly and bonus: Teddy LOVES them too. I have one almost everyday and it really helped me stay out of my breakfast rut that I’ve fallen into in past rounds where if I saw one more egg, I was going to scream/vomit/quit. If I know I’ll be out for a while, I might also have a hard boiled egg or two.
In addition to smoothies, I’ve had a whole30 latte and I swear this thing is what gets me out of bed every morning. I’m addicted to coffee and giving up creamer has always been the hardest thing for me but this is so freaking delicous, creamy and filling that I might never go back to plain old half and half again. I use this recipe but basically you just brew a cup of coffee, add two scoops of collagen, a spoon full of ghee, and I like to add a little almond milk creamer. Blend it all up and you have a beautiful, frothy latte better than anything you could get at Starbucks. And I love Starbucks, so that’s saying a lot. Collagen has some protein in it and is supposed to be great for hair and skin which have both been a struggle for me post-partum.
Whole30 + Baby Led Weaning
We’ve been doing baby led weaning with Teddy for the past few months and I’ll probably write more about our wonderful experience with that in another post but including him in the process has been really helpful. Because he eats what we eat, making sure we’re eating healthy is more important than ever. He still eats whatever is being served at daycare but I love knowing that when he’s home with us, he’s getting exposed to fruits, veggies, healthy fats and proteins. In addition to feeling better and losing weight, being a healthy role model and offering him healthy options has been a huge motivating factor for me this round.
Favorite Meals and Recipes
Breakfast:
- Smoothies
- Hard boiled eggs with a handful of nuts and a piece of fruit
- Scrambled eggs with spinach and bell peppers in ghee
- Fried eggs over leftover potatoes and veggies
- Banana egg scramble with almond butter
Lunch:
- Leftovers
- Hard boiled eggs with a salad
- Grilled chicken salad with dump ranch
- My favorite chili recipe, slow cooker jalapeno popper chili
- Whatever I can find in my fridge
- Fried eggs over arugula with avocado
Dinner:
- Slow Cooker Meatballs & Marinara Sauce with spaghetti squash
- Easy Weeknight Paleo Chicken Drumsticks over arugula with roasted potatoes and avocado
- Chick-fil-a nuggets with roasted sweet potatoes and veggies
- Pan seared strip steak, baked sweet potatoes with ghee and roasted broccoli
- Lettuce wrapped burgers with homemade ketchup and mayo with baked potato/sweet potato
- Applegate hot dogs with sauerkraut, avocado and baked potato
- Lettuce wrapped chicken fajitas with mango and avocado
- Shephard’s Pie
- Roasted sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, grilled chicken and avocado bowls
Condiments:
Lunch is definitely our biggest struggle, especially on the weekends since we tend to be out and we’re used to grabbing something while we’re out of the house. Making enough food for leftovers is a huge help but we always seem to run out by the time Friday rolls around. We’ve gone out to eat a few times since and have ordered what I hope is compliant from Chipotle, Five Guys and Zoe’s Kitchen. Condiments are a huge help for me and if you spend an hour over the weekend making a batch, it makes a big difference because then you can keep the rest simple throughout the week.
Non Scale Victories
So far, my skin has definitely improved. I was getting acne worse than high school since having Teddy and it’s seemed to clear up. I feel like I have more energy. While I’ve been hungry between meals and had to snack, I haven’t been ravenous like I was before after breastfeeding. As far as weight loss, you’re not supposed to get on the scale until the 30 days are up so I’m not sure if I’ve lost anything yet. No real change in the way my clothes fit but I feel better overall.
I’ll report back at the end of the 30 days!
Baby Mama Eats 
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