My First Week on AIP: What I Learned, Loved, and Struggled Through

I just finished my first full week on the AIP diet—and wow. This week was full of shifts, surprises, and small wins that reminded me how powerful food can be in helping us heal. Not a suplement, not a lifetime pill or an MLM product that keeps proprietary ingredient secrets – God only knows whats in there. BUT, food. Getting back to the basics.

For those new here, AIP stands for the Autoimmune Protocol, a powerful elimination diet designed to reduce inflammation, support gut healing, and identify food triggers that might be flaring up autoimmune symptoms – like inflammation, joint pain, brain fog, fatigue – you name it! It removes grains, dairy, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, nightshade vegetables, and processed foods—basically, all the things that could potentially cause inflammation. Yes, this sounds hard but here is the truth: I was tired of feeling bloated, foggy, and inflamed. So I jumped in.

Why I Started the AIP diet

I started the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) diet because I was tired of feeling inflamed, fatigued, and not fully myself. Even though I live a clean lifestyle and cook from scratch, I knew something deeper was going on with my body—aches, sluggishness, skin flares, and other signs that something wasn’t right. I wanted to get to the root of the inflammation instead of masking symptoms. AIP felt like a reset—a way to remove triggers, support healing from within, and better understand how food affects my body. This journey is about long-term health, not just short-term fixes.

The Prep Was Everything

I won’t lie—week 1 was intense. The key to surviving and thriving was planning and I didn’t do as much as I needed to. I made a weekly meal plan, batch-cooked a few staples, and made sure there were always compliant food in the fridge.

I leaned hard on basics: grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, some veggies – ok just cauliflower rice, sweet potatoes, bone broth, and coconut everything. I even found a few compliant pantry items like cassava flour pasta and gum-free coconut milk (Native Forest for the win).

What I Missed

Coffee. Let me say that again: COFFEE. Breaking up with caffeine was rough those first few mornings, but I started replacing it with herbal teas, my homemade anti inflammatory tea and my energy gradually leveled out. I didn’t realize how much I relied on caffeine to push through my days until it was gone. But instead of crashing in the afternoon, I actually felt stable by day 5. Say that again, stable – I don’t think I’ve ever felt stable haha.

Also, eggs—I didn’t realize how much I depended on them for fast meals. But I’m learning new breakfast ideas and things that actually sounded good was helpful.

Unexpected Wins

By day 5, I felt it and saw it! I mean that before and after picture is just 5 days apart. That really blew my mind. That lightness in my joints. More energy in the gym. Less puffiness. And surprisingly, less overwhelm over all. Because I had a plan and a system, I wasn’t making 100 decisions every day. I just followed the plan, prepped once, and coasted.

I even made AIP-friendly ice cream with coconut milk and mango, so this girl still gets a treat at the end of the day. 🙌

But, overall the flavor wasn’t there this week and it made me want to quit. Next week’s goal is to start finding more flavor and joy in the food and try to only make one family dinner. I just know that cooking 2 dinners a day isn’t sustainable.

My Takeaway

This first week reminded me that healing is a long game, but one that’s so worth showing up for. I’m proud of myself for doing the hard thing and not quitting when it got uncomfortable. If you’re considering starting AIP, know this: you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be committed and the results will follow.

I’ll keep sharing my progress, wins, and favorite AIP-friendly meals—because this is not just a detox; it’s a clean start. And it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for my health.

Leave a comment below and let me know if this is something you’ve been thinking about or have any questions!