Whole30 Round 2 Day 1 (Day 31) and Action Plan

 Say what!? I thought Whole30 was only 30 days?

This post was originally titled "Whole 30 Day 31" but then I went out of town on Day 31 and jumped off the wagon into a box of handmade tourist-town fudge.

I still have such a long way to go to get back in shape, and to change my eating instincts. I'm still fantasizing about indulgences and I know I have not slayed that sugar dragon yet. A couple weeks ago, around day 30, I was feeling so so good, and was definitely leaning towards committing to a Whole100. That's 100 days of eating strict paleo clean Whole30.

But then I went out of town for a wedding. And I not only fell of the wagon, but I hurled myself off. Two weeks later and I feel physically and emotionally about it.

I am still wanting to do the Whole30 program for 100 days, but because of my 3 week (gasp) hiatus, I guess it will be more like Whole30 + Whole70?

If I do a Whole100, then Day 100 is on Sunday February 8th. 

• If I do a Whole100, then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years will have no dessert, no sugar, no wine, no EggNog!!, and no indulgent snacking all day. Con
• If I do a Whole100, then I get no birthday cake for my son's 3rd birthday. Con
• If I do a Whole100, then our upcoming trips will be that much more complicated foodwise: camping in Arkansas, visit with friends in Houston, two work trips. Con
• If I do a Whole100, then the positive habits I've learned so far will become more habitual and instinctual. Pro
• If I do a Whole100, that's 100 days of no sugar which sure as heck ought to change my taste buds for the better and lessen the cravings (and dependency), and love for sugar. Pro
• If I do a Whole100, and I lose a reasonable 10 pounds each month, that is only a third of what I need to lose. Which is 30% in the right direction. Pro
• If I do a Whole100, that's 100 days of regulating hormones, and detoxing years of processed foods, drive-thru fast foods, chemicals, toxins, and junk out of my system. Only 100 days. And I'm already a third of the way there. Pro

I could go on debating, but I think the answer is clear. For me, right now, this is something I need to do.

I think I just talked myself into it... Are you here to support me and cheer me on? Bueller? Anyone?

Based on my Lessons Learned, and known struggles, here is my

Whole30 Round 2 Action Plan:

1. Planning meals. I'm pretty good at this already, and just need to keep with it. I don't mean endless hours in the kitchen chopping veggies and prepping meals ahead of time (who really has time for that? Is that sustainable long term?). Planning meals to me means having the right food in the house.
2. Plan meals and snacks for times away from the house; work trips and vacations.
3. EAT breakfast! They say 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. According to http://www.health-alternatives.com Vegetable Nutrition Chart, dried Spirulina (seaweed) has 64 grams of protein per cup! I need to know where I can get some of this! Ideas!?
4. A light early dinner will help promote the morning hunger.
5. No coffee at home. Drink tea and hot lemon water instead. I need to give my adrenals a break and regulate my cortisol levels, and save the caffeine for when it's truly needed (work trips).
6. Three (3!) colors at each meal = lots of veggies.
7. 8+ hours of sleep to reduce cortisol.
8. Water, Water, Water, Water, and more Water! It's a rare day when I drink more than 8oz of water.
9. Start exercising again.
10. What else am I forgetting?

What do you think? I completed 30 days in September, can I do 100 days of Whole30 clean eating with no dairy, no sugar, no soy, no legumes, and no grains of any kind?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 30 - Results (Finally)!!!

Tuesday September 30, 2014

Whole30 Day 30!

Breakfast was an apple and plantain chips. Still not on plan according to the www.whole9.com program, or any program for that matter. I need to find a way to eat protein in the morning without gagging. 

I think part of my problem is that my hormones are still out of whack and not regulated. If I'm "healthy" i should be waking up famished, and that rarely happens.

Maybe I should try breakfast smoothies with protein powder? surely there's a protein powder on the market that is soy free, legume free, dairy free, sugar free, and of course, GRAIN free!?

Do you know of a protein powder that's even slightly compliant? 

Lunch and dinner will both be on the go today. Hopefully I can find a decent veggie salad at the airport?

I'm sorry, what? Oh, you wanted those results... ok. So I'm officially down 11.6 pounds and 2 inches. Exciting, but not exciting. I am grateful, really I am. But I also really thought I'd have more dramatic changes. From everything I've read online, a lot of people say the magic doesn't happen until Day 45 or Day 60, and I think this is proof that I need to keep going and not stop at 30 days.

What do you think? What are your day 30 results?

September 2014 - Whole30 - Lessons Learned, and Tools for Success

Here are my Whole30 Lessons Learned (and Personal Advice):

1. It starts with food. It doesn't matter how much or how little you eat, or exercise, if you're eating highly processed and packaged foods full of sugar and chemicals, you're not learning anything or healing your body to its optimum. Seriously. 
2. It starts with food. Read the book!! Otherwise you don't understand the purpose of eliminating toxic and irritating foods known to cause reactions in our body. You're doing yourself a disservice by not reading this.
3. Don't give up. I've started Whole30 quite a few times, and usually around day 6 I'd give up or go out of town or get bored or not plan ahead or whatever. Something clicked this time and I had no desire to quit or give up. 
4. Restaurant eating is possible, but it may slow down the healing and detox process. Get to restaurants early and discuss with the waiters what's on the menu to find something compliant. Acknowledge that the smells and sights of the other's food will be enticing, but so not worth it.
5. Meals don't have to be expensive, complicated, or even recipes. Just grill some meat and veggies and make a salad. Done. Fast, clean, and so ridiculously easy that after a week or so you won't remember any other way of eating.
6. K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple Stupid. Just like above, you don't need recipes, sauces, or substitutions. If you're looking for ways to modify your previous addictions (fried chicken, ranch dressing, ketchup), then you're not healing, learning, or reprogramming your bad food habits. You're making it too difficult and setting yourself up for failure.
7. Don't rely on fruits and nuts. To some people these are triggers (food without breaks) and a temporary substitution for the bad stuff.
8. Leaky gut syndrome? Ever heard of it? Google it... I dare you. 
9. Find a group online for support. Or get a friend or family member to join you. Positive Support is priceless. I've been on a couple Facebook Whole30 groups for almost 2 years now. Most of the time I scroll through and don't get involved in the "Is this compliant" debates, but hearing about others successes and struggles has helped enormously. 
10. Avoid naysayers. This is your journey, not theirs. Don't listen to negativity or confusion, and don't worry about explaining the process to anyone.
11. Olive oil, sea salt, ghee, and guacamole. Yummy. Eat lots of it.
12. It's ok to judge other people's grocery carts. Silently and without them knowing, because we don't want to hurt their feelings. Resist the urge to remove their box of pasta or "tsk tsk" that cereal choice or package of cookies. Resist the urge to ambush them and talk about Whole30 as if you're the newest door-to-door salesman here to change their lives.
13. Trust in the process. 
14. Keep a log. All clean eating, diet, nutrition, weight loss, weight gain, disease managing program will tell you to log and monitor what you eat. This will help you pinpoint specific foods that cause reactions. Who knows, maybe for you it's bell peppers, and for your significant other, it's nothing at all...
15. Plan meals ahead of time and keep lots of appropriate and good food in the house. You'll spend more at the grocery store, but less at restaurants and drive-thru windows.
16. There are some pre-packaged foods on the market place that are compliant. My rule of thumb, if i can blur my eyes and still read the few ingredients, or if there are so few ingredients (ex: Ingredients: Apples, Citric Acid) that I can read the list in half a second, then it's probably compliant and ok. If not: if there are so many ingredients that I have to read and read and get out my reading glasses and ruler, then forget it, I put the item down and back away in a hurry. Seriously. I'm making my own recipes here, not eating recipes from a manufacturing plant!
17. Whole30 has published a few timelines on what to expect when you're expecting. These are guidelines only. Depending on how much weight you have to lose, how much exercising you do, or how many years of processed foods you need to clean out of your system, this timeline will change. I have yet to experience the coveted Tiger Blood, but I know I will one day.
18. Speaking of...Whole30 is apparently very similar to the online fertility diets; I haven't needed this, but I've heard stories of people getting pregnant unexpectedly after they cleaned out the chemicals... just sayin'
19. Resist the urge to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone you know and meet how you can solve their weight problems and ailments with Whole30. If they ask, tell them, otherwise, they need to find this in their own time.
20. There is no right time. If you're anything like me then there isn't a single span of 30 days, for the entire year, that doesn't include some kind of travel, trip, vacation, holiday, or other challenge. And anyway, clean eating isn't about finding the right time. The right time is now, which leads me to my next item:
21. Do the best you can. So what if you're not a #whole30purist stickler for the rules. Some of us live in the real world.
22. It's all mindset. Whole30 is a program and it's a tool. Some programs and tools are better suited to some than others. To begin your health journey, regardless of what tool you choose, you have to be in the right mindset. What do you want? Are you ready to make a change?
23. Don't weigh. Take measurements on day 1 and day 31. Take clear photos on both days in the same tight fitting clothes. Shoes tight? Take a photo of the shoes and your cankles. Take photos of your face. Remember, the scale may only go down 5 pounds, but you may go down multiple pant sizes. It's not about the number on the scale. It's about reducing toxic chronic inflammation.
24. Plan Do Check Act. The age old philosophy originating from Deming and used in Six Sigma and corporate programs around the world, and we can use it here too. Plan your meals and plan to succeed. Do the Program. Check yourself daily, hourly, weekly, whatever you need, to verify that you're complaint and heading in the right direction. And Act on whatever changes you need to make to ensure success (like eliminating nuts or other trigger SWYPO type foods).
25. Reintroduction. Trust this process. Who cares if you're craving wine or chocolate. Take a slow reintroduction process. This is a 10-14 day process. Everyone I've ever talked to (or read online) either learned valuable info from this process, or seriously regretted not doing it. Seriously. You've taken the time, struggled, and succeeded, in removing all the food groups known to cause reactions to our bodies, why dump them back in without finishing the process and learning a thing or two?
26. Do you have any of these ailments: "diabetes · high cholesterol · high blood pressure · obesity · acne · eczema · psoriasis · hives asthma · allergies · sinus infections · migraines · acid reflux · celiac disease · Crohn’s· IBS · bipolar disorder · depression · seasonal affective disorder · eating disorders · ADHD · endometriosis · PCOS · infertility · arthritis · Lyme disease · hypothyroidism · fibromyalgia"? If you answered yes, to any of these.. Do Whole30. You've got nothing to lose! Well, except for dairy, sugar, soy, grains, and legumes. For 30 days. But, you know what I mean.
    And just so I don't get sued... please note that I am not a doctor. You may need or want to check with your doctor before beginning any dietary changes.

Feel the need to buy some Tools for Success?
These items are not necessary, but they sure are fun and helpful:

 This post contains Amazon affiliate links; For more information, read my Disclosure page.

Apple Slicer Because I’m lazy and prefer to eat my apples chopped up. And it's great for the kiddos too.	Potato (Cauliflower) ricer Because I like gadgets, and cauliflower rice is life changing!
Spiralizer Because, OMG These Noodles are Great!	Mandoline OK, I don’t have this YET. But I want one.
Indoor Grill Because some days it’s too hot (or cold or rainy) to grill outside.	Indoor Roaster To roast Turkeys and Chickens with less power than your oven, and free up your oven for other fun stuff. Great for Thanksgiving, Holiday’s and Family Gatherings

Tools to Pack Away or Donate:
Food Scale and Measuring cups. we're not weighing food, counting calories, or calculating points. We are just eating (3 square round hexagon meals).

And while you're at it, hide, donate, or pack away your body scale too. 

So there you have it. Thoughts? Do you have anything to add?

Whole30 Day 29 - Grumpy Case of the Mondays

Monday, Whole30 Day 29

I should be feeling great and excited, but today was a bad case of the Mondays. I was grumpy, depressed, short tempered, sluggish, and just not motivated.

Breakfast was an omelet with leftover pork and sun dried tomatoes. I ended up eating around the pork because it didn't taste good anyore.

Lunch was huge. Chopped cucumber and jicama, 3 applegate beef hotdogs with mustard, and then a couple baked new potatoes with ghee. I was hungry.

Dinner was a few slices of Costco beef with a tablespoon of guacamole and a smoothie (banana, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, jicama, and Knodsen's cranberry juice). 

And then I was up late packing for our next trip... :)

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 28

Sunday, Whole30 Day 28

Day 28! YAY! 

Breakfast was a fabulous smoothie for the family made with pumpkin, coconut milk, rooibos tea, cinnamon, ginger, mace, and cardamom, and bananas. That's probably a third of a banana each.

Lunch was an omelet with heirloom tomatoes, green chiles, and bell pepper; topped with guacamole.

The boys left to ride bikes in the afternoon while I worked on the computer. When they returned Grady and I shared an apple for a snack.

Dinner was simple baked chicken breast topped with sundried tomatoes, green chiles, and chopped tomatoes. The pan had a little ghee added to the bottom, and I sprinkled thyme, and a tiny bit of cumin over the top. We'll definitely make this again and I'll use more thyme next time.

Can you believe it's Day 28?!

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 27

Saturday, September 27

Whole30 Day 27

I made a conscious effort today to stay compliant and true to the book, starting with eating a large breakfast. I chopped up a handful of broccoli, and mixed it in a bowl with leftover Kalua Pig and a couple spoonfuls of sun-dried tomatoes. Delicious! I'm pretty happy about the big bag of broccoli that we bought at Costco. We split the bag into 2 gallon size freezer bags and put one in the freezer. The one in the fridge has been so convenient to add handfuls of broccoli to this meal, and other meals like the salad a few days ago.

After breakfast we headed to the Dallas Arboretum to take a few pumpkin pictures, and get some sunshine and exercise. We did have a snack of dried apples and fruit leathers. And for lunch we grabbed Chik-fil-a nuggets (grilled for me) and regular unsweet iced tea.

Dinner was more cucumber slices and burgers. I added more chopped broccoli, more sun-dried tomatoes, Mrs Dash Table Blend, chopped onions, and garlic powder to the burgers. Pretty tasty! We also finally bought 2 bottles of Tessamae's dressings at Whole Foods and added a little to the plate for dipping.

 

After dinner I made smoothies as a weekend treat for the family. Pretty delicious: frozen bananas, pumpkin, coconut milk, crushed ice, and spices (ginger, mace, cinnamon). I think we'll make this for breakfast again tomorrow too.


Can you believe we made it 27 days already! YAY for clean eating and no chemicals, no sugar, and no toxins! How are you feeling on Day 27?
 
 
 

Whole 30 Day 26 and Exhausted

Friday, September 26, 2014
Whole30 Day 26 and TGIF!

Woke up feeling fine, but my energy depleted throughout the day, so much so that I crashed at 8.30pm at the same time as my kid.

I think these are the reasons:
1. Not drinking much water at all throughout the day.
2. I've barely had any food (breakfast or lunch) at all this week.
3. My body is still regulating and healing after years of fast food, restaurants, and drive-thru convenience foods.
4. Too many bananas and potatoes
5. Possibly fighting allergies/virus

So, root cause equals complacency?

It's time to regroup and start fresh. With only 3 more days left in this Whole30, I think it's fair to say that I'll be extending my Whole30 to a Whole45 or even a Whole60.

Here's one picture from today's meals. Leftover Kalua Pork and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and sliced cucumbers and jicama.

How are you doing on Day 26?
 
 
 

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 25 - Exhausted and Not Hungry

Tuesday, Whole30 Day 25

I'm so tired and just not hungry. My body is playing tricks on me. I was starving by dinner, but then half way through I was stuffed.

Breakfast was the typical. Don't ask. [I promise] I will work on this...

Lunch was an apple and almonds.

Dinner was Nom Nom Paleo's Kalua Pig, super garlic skin-on mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach.

This plate needs more color. Maybe some steamed baby carrots.

For the mashed potatoes,  I first baked them. After they cooled I gave them a rough chop and tossed them in the KitchenAid with some coconut milk and roasted garlic, olive oil, sea salt, and thyme. I was craving ghee to add but we're all out.

I definitely do not have excess energy today. I have focus and clarity, but physically I'm tired. In fact, I'm quite sleepy... That is all. night night.

 
How was your Day 25? Anyone else tired...?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 24 - The Dream Is Free

Wednesday, Whole30 Day 24


My pants are not the slightest bit looser. But my rib cage, under my bra band is 3" smaller, so yay for skinnier areas (that no one sees... ?)!

OK, it's a process right? I'll get there... I'm sure the scale is lower too. First my body has to remove excess water and bloat (in my fingers, toes, neck, and ankles), and then perhaps in my belly. 

In all seriousness though, I've eaten out at restaurants, A LOT, this month, and a lot the past few days. That fact coupled with not eating breakfast like I should, and all my excess weight, means it's probably going to be a while for me to see significant differences.

The important thing is my new relationship with food. My decreasing dependency and craving for sugar and easy processed foods. I have a long way to go, but the ball is rolling steadily, and I am definitely happy.

I took this picture hiking in Sedona Arizona this past weekend, and used the new Studio app and Whole30 remix package to add the text. Love it!

Isn't this quote great? And applicable not only to physical prowess, or clean eating, or increased health, but also to career aspirations, personal projects, and pretty much ALL goals.

OK so back to food and what I ate on Whole30 Day 24...

Breakfast was bad again; A banana and almonds with a coffee (coconut milk, date, and cinnamon). While driving to the office. It's going to take me a long time to get into the habit and desire to eat breakfast. But hey, if that turns out to be the biggest hurdle (as opposed to candy corn and bowls of Halloween candy), I will take it!

Lunch was a big boring salad at Cheddars. I ordered the grilled chicken pecan salad sans cheese and pecans. No dressing, just olive oil and vinegar. Even after a discussion with the waitress about no sugar, no dairy, no grains, she still brought the typical warm croissant topped with sugar/butter. Ugh. It smelled sooo good. 

Dinner was grilled steaks. I was so not hungry at all, but Tim still fixed my plate with a scrambled egg, a couple pieces of broccoli and sliced tomato, and I added a 1/4 cup of guacamole. I ended up eating 2 full pieces of steak!

And the crockpot is running with Nom Nom Paleo's Kalua Pig for tomorrow's dinner... 

Are you struggling with anything on Day 24?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 23

Tuesday, Whole30 Day 23


Breakfast was a banana and almonds again while listening on a conference call and trying to get Grady to play quietly next to me because I let him sleep in and didn't get him to school before the call started. It was a little rough, but I'm glad I got that extra time with him to snuggle.

Lunch was... I don't remember. Shoot. I think I worked through lunch and didn't even realize it. How sad is that!?

Dinner was grilled chicken thighs, baked sweet potato coins with olive oil and cinnamon, and a salad with symphony heirloom tomatoes from Costco, Mrs Dash table blend, olive oil, and lemon vinegar. Yum.

Big Non Scale Victory (NSV) today. After dinner we were playing in the back yard and jumping on the trampoline. Normally I'm a scaredy cat and feel awkward and unstable on the trampoline, so I just walk around it or jump tentatively without my feet leaving the surface. Today was jumping HIGH and even feeling confident enough to bend my knees while jumping. This was a very odd and unexpected NSV, but I'll take it! 



#IamWhole30strong!

I guess I got some confidence and goofiness too because I not only requested this picture to be taken, but here I am actually posting it...


Did you know that trampoline jumping (rebounding) has great health benefits?

According to WebMD, rebound jumping on a mini-trampoline is low impact and can burn 160 calories in half an hour. 

The healthextremist.com website states that rebounding can:

1. Increase white blood cells
2. Stimulate lymphatic system
3. Detoxify
4. Boost energy
5. Improve digestion
6. Improve varicose veins
7. Weight Loss
8. Prevent Cancer
9. Build Bone Mass
10. Reduce cellulite (because of stimulated lymphatic system).

For more information about these items, and to read about NASA's roll in this, and the G-force of rebounding, read this article.


Have you had any surprising or unexpected non scale victories with Whole30?

Do you jump too?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 22 - Travel Recovery and Exhaustion

Monday, Whole30 Day 22

Our flight landed at 5 am, and it took almost an hour to get our car, then an hour to drive my step-daughter to her mom's house to get ready for school. We stopped at Waffle House for Breakfast along the way. I almost cried in the car at the thought of another restaurant meal. In the past I wouldn't have cared, but since doing Whole30, and since coming this far and actually making it 23 days (YAY!) I just wanted to get home and cook a clean meal. But we were all hungry. and Exhausted. So we went to the best place we could find at 6am. I ordered eggs with hash browns (onions and tomatoes), and an orange juice.

It was a rough morning getting home and getting the kids to school and getting ourselves dressed and to work. THANK GOD I work from home and didn't have to dress up.

Lunch was a banana. Not compliant and not good. No excuses.

Dinner was beef and broccoli stirfry made with coconut aminos, garlic, and fresh ginger. It was good, but it was my first time cooking with the coconut aminos, and I could have used more.

We spent the evening shopping at Costco and Sprouts and got all stocked up with healthy food to last us a couple weeks. It feels so good.

Feeling... like I still need to detox. A Whole30 group of 30 days is definitely not going to be enough for me to detox. My skin is brighter, and my nails are growing fast. My neck/jawline seems to be thinner.

My sugar dragon is hibernating...

How's your sugar dragon. Is he slain or just hibernating?

September 2014 - Whole30 Days 20 and 21 - Traveling and Restaurants In Arizona

After dinner yesterday on Day 19, I bet you thought the kitchen was closed? Well almost, at 8pm we packed up the kids, hopped in the car, and headed to the airport for a weekend getaway to Phoenix and Sedona Arizona. I'll share that story in another post. For now I'll focus on the food aspects of the trip and how closely I remained loyal to Whole30.

At the airport we bought bottled waters. Tim bought us a couple apples at Starbucks, and Gracie picked out a bag of pistachios at the bookstore. It felt good to make good choices and not succumb to the usual chips, soda, and chocolate treats.

Our flight was 11pm to 1:30am, arriving in Phoenix at 11:30pm. We picked up our rental car and headed straight to a nearby hotel to get some much needed sleep. Tim had us up first thing in the morning at 7am ("But it's 9am our time" Tim says).

Anyway Breakfast on Saturday, Whole30 Day 20 was at Seed Café. Amazing! I ordered their turkey tomato and spinach burrito wrapped in an omelet. And to top it off I go their Coffee Nut drink which is made with homemade almond milk with dates. It was delicious! My stomach did churn a little after drinking the coffee, so I don't know if my body is starting to react to the almonds, or if maybe it was the acid in the coffee?

Lunch was in Sedona at the Red Rock Café. I ordered their chef salad with oil & vinegar for dressing, and no cheese. I also ordered their homemade fancy homefries because they sounded so delicious (and compliant).

It feels so good, emotionally and physically, to eat clean. I can't imagine life without Whole30 eating. OK yes, I do occasionally miss pasta, and I really miss cheese, but I'm really not missing anything else at all. And with that said... I sure hope the weight starts melting off...

Dinner was at the Cowboy Club in downtown Sedona. I forgot to take a picture, but I ordered the beef filet with sweet potato and veggies. The waiter told me the sweet potato was made with cream and a "little" sugar. I don't know. My body didn't seem to react to the sugar at all, so either there really was a minimal amount, or I am still needing quite a few more weeks of detoxing.


Sunday, Whole30 Day 21

We woke up in our awesome cabin and lounged about, and drank black coffee. Sadly we did not make an effort to go out and get breakfast before our scheduled morning hike. Bad, I know. But we did eat some leftover fruit and nuts, and drank a TON of water. And check out these R Bar snack bars that we found. They "may" contain nuts, but since it's not listed in the ingredients I consider it compliant and a perfect snack for hiking while on vacation.

Lunch was at Oaxaca Restaurant for traditional Arizonian food. The appetizer was great. Grilled Arizona cactus with a Romesco sauce made of red chile peppers and almonds. Yum. I'm not sold on cactus in general, but the sauce was fabulous. And I did my best to eat around the cream sauce decoration.

My main meal was the side salad, again with olive oil and vinegar, and the Oaxaca Posole (A New Mexican & Native American stew flavored with chicken, red & green peppers, onions, herbs & spices). The posole was good, but the chicken was a little dry and the posole in general wasn't as strongly flavored as I hoping. It needed more...depth? Regardless, I felt healthy and rejuvenated after eating, which was good because we had a full day of hiking and adventures.

Dinner was at Open Range Grill & Tavern. I didn't take a picture of my meal, perhaps because subconsciously I knew it wasn't compliant. There really wasn't much on the menu that caught my eye and I was feeling tired of lettuce...  So, I had the meatloaf, potatoes, and broccoli. Good enough.

I did get a picture of the family by the window. Check out that view!

After that it was time to return home to Dallas and continue Whole30.

How was your weekend?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 19

Thursday, Whole30 Day 19

At the risk of repeating myself... Yay Day 19! So excited to make it this far. I'm sleeping really well and dreaming a lot. My skin is looking brighter. My nails are growing faster. I'm not bounding with energy, but I am more energetic and getting little projects down around the house. Our kitchen is always clean these days and we're somehow using less dishes with this clean eating Whole30 program. We're quite happy!

Breakfast today was a banana and half a sweet potato cooked in olive oil. We also boiled some eggs that I'll eat with lunch. Also drank a huge cup of water with a little Knudsen's Cranberry juice added for flavor.

I forgot Lunch today. Or rather I got caught up in work and forgot to eat. Who does that? Who forgets to eat? Odd I tell you...  And definitely NOT Whole30 compliant!

Dinner was great! We had grilled steaks and grilled Spanish squash. Side of Guacamole. And a cucumber tomato salad tossed with olive oil and chopped sunflower seeds.

Well that's it... I won't be posting Whole30 meals for the next couple days, but don't worry, I'll catch you up on Monday!

Are you prepared for Whole30 this weekend? 

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 18

Thursday, Whole30 Day 18

YAY for Day 18!

So excited that I've made it this far, and I'm still going strong and thinking of a Whole60 and even Whole100... can you imagine? 100 days with no sugar, no dairy, no soy, no pasta or grains of any sort? If you've made it to Day 18 of a Whole30 then you probably know what I'm talking about. My skin is clear, and my head is clear, and my clothes are looser. I haven't weighed, but I'm definitely down a few pounds and feeling good. NO, I don't have any Tiger Blood excess energy surges yet, but that's ok. I have years and years of fast food and poor food choices to clean out of my system.

Breakfast today was tough. I did NOT want to eat, but I forced myself. Two scrambled eggs with a handful of spinach, sea salt, and dried garlic, and a handful of shredded sweet potato cooked in olive oil.

I had a cup of coffee today with coconut milk and cinnamon. I didn't really enjoy it very much. I may be off coffee all together. It's just not worth it without a gallon of milk and sugar which is definitely not something I can have. Or want to have.

Lunch consisted of tuna stuffed in mini bell peppers, and a tall glass of water with a splash of Knusen's Just Cranberry juice and a drop of Young Living Lemon Essential Oil for a little liver cleansing. A little sparkling LaCroix added to the drink would have turned this into a nice mocktail cocktail!

 

After lunch I wanted a little something more so I made a smoothie with a cup of blackberries, a banana, a handful of kale, a drop of the Lemon Essential Oil, and 30 drops of Red Raspberry tincture. The smoothie was good, but could have used a little honey. Yes, I'm still trying to slay that sugar dragon.

 

Dinner was so very delicious, in part because I didn't have to cook it! Tim pan fried a salmon filet with crushed pecans. Oh so delicious! Plus asparagus and a salad. 

 

 And now the kitchen is closed. Night Night everyone.

YAY for another successful Whole30 Day. How was your Day 18?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 17

Wednesday Whole30 Day 17


Today was not a stellar day. My 2 year old, Grady, slept through the night, and I slept pretty hard as well, but we still all struggled with waking up in the morning. Today was definitey not an ideal Whole30 day, but it was compliant.

Breakfast - Banana and handful of almonds.

Lunch - One leftover pork rib with baked tomatoes, and a plum.

Afternoon at the corporate office multitasking like a pro. I drank black hot chai tea and avoided the coffee and 8 different flavors of Coffeemate creamer. My weakness. A year ago I would have had 2 or 3 (or 6) coffees in one day with 3-4 creamers in each coffee. Talk about sugar overload and adrenal fatigue...

Dinner was 3 mini bell peppers stuffed with tuna, and leftover chili (which had spinach and bell pepper mixed in). Not very exciting. But clean and compliant.

And now time for bed. EXHAUSTED.

How are you doing with Whole 30?

September 2014 - Whole30 Day 16

Tuesday Whole30 Day 16

Hurray  for Day 16!

I slept fantastic last night. Deep and solid with no toddler interruptions. This morning I got dressed, got the kiddo ready for pre-school, and then jumped right into a conference call. It was 10:30 before I realized that I hadn't had breakfast yet. YIKES.

And then I kept saying, "I'll finish this and then go get breakfast", "just one more thing", and "one more thing" until finally at 1:30 I stopped and went downstairs for breakfast. I work from home which is in most situations ideal.

Lunch consisted of a huge salad and 4 boiled Applegate beef hotdogs. I really enjoy the hot dogs, but I do prefer them to be boiled for a LONG time to really soften up.

The Salad... spinach, arugula, jicama, tomatoes, guacamole, olive oil, sea salt, and a mini bell pepper stuffed with tuna salad:

After lunch I crashed. Big time. I could have napped hard all afternoon if I had been allowed to. So tired. My body is really adjusting to this clean eating, and I suspect the restaurant food is hurting me more than I realize.



Dinner was originally going to be salmon and asparagus, but since we had tilapia last night I opted for country style pork ribs instead.

I can post details of the recipe later, but essentially, I grilled the ribs indoors with olive oil and seasoning to get nice char marks, and then layered the ribs in a baking dish with more seasoning, Whole30 compliant salsa (tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno's, etc), and chopped tomatoes.

The rib tomato mixture baked in the oven for 1.5 hours and came out very fork tender and scrumptious. We served them with another salad: spinach, arugula, tomato, cucumber, olive oil, and sea salt.




It's 9pm and the kitchen is closed. I'm tired, but not as exhausted as I was this afternoon. I did have a small #nonscalevictory today. I jumped on the trampoline with Grady and I got a lot of height and I felt comfortable and strong. It was an odd (albeit good!) feeling of stability that I've never had on the trampoline. 


How's your Whole30 Day 16?