Whole30 2.0: Couples Challenge

I you know me or read my blog (or maybe both!), then you know that back in June, I completed a Whole30 Challenge.

If you don't know what a Whole30 is, let me give you the quick and dirty summary:

• 30 days
• Real Food
• No sugar, dairy, soy, carbs, or processed food
• Incredible metabolism reboot
• You must make a plan!

That is the Whole30 in a nutshell. If you want to know ALL about it, read about the Whole30 on their website, where you can download all the information needed to complete the challenge; it's free and not a gimmick.


I completed a Whole30 this past summer with great success. You can read about my adventures here, here, here, here, and here.

When I finished my Whole30, I was 15 pounds lighter, had higher energy levels, and just generally felt amazing! I was so pleased with my results, and I can tell you this: I lost another 15 pounds after the Whole30 was over, just because my metabolism was rebooted after all the disastrous hormone tinkering of the previous year.

Hubster participated in what he termed "a third of a 30" last June, and by this, he meant that he ate Whole30 dinners with me. But he still had toast at breakfast and lunch wherever he pleased. But about two months ago, he suggested that we do a Whole30, and this time, he would be all in.

I have to admit, I am apprehensive about taking on a Whole30 during my working life. If you are a teacher, are married to a teacher, or have a close friend as a teacher, then you know how all-consuming the job can be, and how sometimes things like careful meal planning go out the window when you have a stack of papers to grade that is oh-so-tall.

But Hubster and I are going to get a Whole30 done, which means that I have gone into full planning mode to get ready for it.

The tough part about the Whole30, in my opinion, is staying ahead of your hunger. By this, I mean having a careful plan so that when you are hungry or busy or on the move, you have access to the kind of food you can eat. This is the only way to keep from cheating on the middle of a Whole30 and having to start again--because really, no one wants to say they lost their self-control over a bag of pork rinds, just because you got to that I'm-so-hangry-I-can't-think point while at the gas station.

When I plan for a Whole30, I take a day-by-day approach. I print out the Whole30 shopping list and a weekly calendar.

And let me just say this about the shopping list--I know it sounds super by the book and nerdy to do this, but seriously--the Whole30 shopping list has some awesome ideas on it for things to buy, like fruits and veggies that would never occur to me otherwise.

I sit down and plan out ALL the meals for the week, as well as write down all the events and such we have planned. This helps me figure out how I need to plan around things like dinners out or evening class or project night.

We're planning to begin our Whole30 journey on the Monday after the Superbowl. You know, get our last kicks in with hot wings and drinks, then take our thirty days of clean eating by storm. I am excited to see how many inches and pounds we can shed, as well as experience the energy boost and mental clarity that comes with operating on real, good food.

To give you an idea of the delicious food you can eat on the Whole30, here's a peek at some of our menu items:

• steak and mushrooms
• stir fry and cauliflower rice
• roasted cauliflower and red pepper soup
• stuffed bell peppers
• beef kabobs
• coconut curry chicken
• salmon patties with roasted veggies
• pot roast
• eggs with sweet potato home fries

These are just a few of the delicious recipes that will provide us with some tasty eats over our Whole30. Check out their website for more information, or ask me about the Whole30--I am a big believer in what it can do for you because I know what it did for me.

Cheers to Whole30!