Whole30 Challenge: One week in

So it's clear that blogging everyday isn't going to work! But I will try to check in a few times a week, or at least weekly. I am one week into the Whole30 Challenge and feeling really good about it. Here is a smattering of thoughts and notes about my first week:

• I'm down five pounds. May be water weight, but my pants are fitting better already, too!
• My heart palpitations are still there, but not nearly as frequent as they had become.
• It takes a lot of planning to be able to incorporate protein (meat, eggs, seafood) into every meal. While it's not ideal, I've had to resort to some convenience foods (e.g., chicken sausage from Trader Joe's) to be able to stick as closely to the plan as I can. My protein smoothies aren't compliant, either, but they are working right now. (My almond milk is unsweetened but many versions contain off-program additives, and they really don't want you to drink your calories at all. I'll wean myself off of them... eventually.)
• Along those lines, I have become an obsessive label reader. Sugar is in EVERYTHING.
• It hasn't been a perfect week, but I'd say I'm 97% compliant in terms of eating "approved" foods. That said, I'm still finishing the book (doh!) and learning I do need to scale back on fruit and make sure that I'm not using it to get my sugar fix. The better plan is to learn to ignore those sugar cravings, unless I'm truly hungry, in which case a veggie/protein snack is my best bet. (For the same reason, my protein pancake breakfasts aren't Whole30 compliant... ah well!)
• My family was great this past weekend about trying to accommodate my diet. In fact, everyone has been great about it so far.
• I'm doing pretty well at using up the produce I'm buying, which historically has not always the case. I think it's partly my efforts at meal planning but just as much that I have so few alternatives!
• I think I'm going to try to switch from coffee to black tea. I just don't love coffee without creamer (soy or dairy), but tea I can drink as dark and "uncreamy" as possible. So, that's in process this week.
• I am surprised at how easy it has been to avoid alcohol and sweets. Every once in a while, I'll have a pang when I see something I enjoyed eating before Whole30, but nothing has tempted me enough so far. (And let me tell you, I've faced down homemade cakes, cookies and pies... potato chips... my favorite cheeses... Halloween candy galore... Pillsbury crescent rolls... the crusty skin of potatoes roasted in margarine... of course the funny thing is that as I'm typing this out none of it sounds that appealing!)
• I am already thinking long-term past these 30 days, envisioning how best to keep this up as a lifestyle. But let's see how I feel at 29 or 30 days in first before I make any firm plans! I do know that I want to stay close to this eating plan. It's so much better for me to be focused on eating whole foods, and lots of veggies, versus convenience foods.
• I need to learn to prepare seafood. Until then, I'm going to attempt to make homemade mayo and try poaching some tuna to make tuna salad. (Canned is legit but doesn't sound as appealing as the real stuff.)

So that's my update for now! I will keep checking in and will post pictures of meals or recipes I find particularly exciting or helpful.