Dear Melissa: I’m Bored of My Whole30

Dear Melissa,

It’s Day 25 of my last Whole30, and I’m OVER IT. No foods sound good, and I can’t imagine what to make for dinner—it’s like pregnancy food aversions, except I’m definitely not pregnant. I want to finish my Whole30 strong, but how can I do that if feel like I just hit the wall? – Shelly, at my Santa Monica book signing event

Dear Shelly,

This phenomenon is especially common when you’re approaching the end of a longer habit change, like 30 consecutive days of Whole30, a meditation challenge, or a decluttering effort. In the beginning, it’s new and exciting! In the middle, it’s feeling more automatic and you’re really seeing the benefits. But in the last week, your brain senses “the end” on the horizon and starts demanding a reward. You’ve been SO DEDICATED. You’ve worked SO HARD. And now you have to work hard for six more long days? You’re cranky. You’re bored. You’re OVER IT.

Except you’re not over it! You feel awesome. You feel proud. You want to keep your promise to yourself and see your commitment through. You just need to jump-start your brain into feeling excited again. Here are three ideas for just how to do that.

Find new, drool-worthy recipes

If you’ve been eating the same five meals for the last 25 days, well no wonder you’re bored. Now’s the time to:

• Scour The Whole30 Slow Cooker, The Whole30 Fast and Easy, or Cooking Whole30 for a new recipe that sounds extra-tasty
• Browse our website and bookmark a few photos that make your taste buds excited for dinner again
• Ask your Whole30 bestie, the @Whole30 community, or @PBWhole30 on Instagram to send you their top three favorite Whole30 dinner recipes
• Take something you’ve been cooking and make it taste brand-new by subbing curry sauce for tomato sauce in your ground meat and veggies, or putting your breakfast eggs over a salad instead of sweet potato hash

Find ONE new jazzy ingredient

Sometimes, finding just ONE new Whole30 Approved or compatible ingredient can change the whole game, making dinner exciting again.

• Order some nutpods so your morning coffee is creamy-dreamy again
• Pick up a jar of Yai’s Thai Green Curry Sauce for Thai-inspired curry in a hurry
• Scour your local grocery store for a Whole30 Approved sauce from Noble Made
• Put some kick in your veggies with Primal Kitchen’s Spice Queso Dip

Order Out

Sometimes it’s the idea of making your own dinner-for-one for the millionth night in a row that has you feeling down … so try ordering a Whole30 Approved “Wholesome” bowl from Chipotle, ordering Whole30 Approved fresh meal delivery or finding a local partner in your city. Check out our state-by-state options here.

Finally, here are two other scenarios that you may be experiencing in the last week of your Whole30 … and some tough-love tips, from me to you.

Go The Extra Mile

Be honest… have you let yourself fall into a Whole30 rut? Have you been eating Applegate hot dogs for last three weeks straight? Are you leaning on meat sticks too hard? Does your Chipotle delivery guy know you by name?

There are lots of Whole30 convenience foods these days, and you don’t always have the capacity to prepare a home-cooked meal from scratch. But if this is your context, there are plenty of things you can do to get out of this rut. You’ll be surprised how just a little effort here goes a long way towards exciting your taste buds and making mealtime FUN again.

Cook a delicious Whole30 dinner, set the table with the nice place settings, and pour yourself a Whole30 Approved Humm kombucha in a fancy glass over ice (garnish with a lemon or lime wedge for extra credit).  Go the extra mile for yourself and see if it doesn’t recharge your motivation for these last few days.

Let Yourself Relax

It’s also entirely possible you’ve taken this in the other direction, making Instagram-worthy recipes from scratch three times a day, seven days a week. You’re shopping daily, prepping non-stop, and spending hours in the kitchen, because you want to do the best Whole30 that’s ever been done. Cool! I admire your dedication and efforts! But it’s okay to take it down a notch, okay? I don’t want you to burn out with just a few days left.

If you’re going to take your healthy Whole30 habits with you into your food freedom, it has to be sustainable. Which means sometimes, you’re microwaving sweet potatoes and Applegate hot dogs, drizzling the whole hot mess with some Primal Kitchen Ranch, and eating it off a paper plate. Because THAT’S Whole30 too, and wouldn’t a night off from the kitchen feel good right about now?

So there you have it… SIX tips for jazzing up the last week of your Whole30. If you have a favorite tip or trick for keeping your Whole30 fresh and tasty, share it on Instagram with the tag #IAmWhole30.

Best in health,
Melissa

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