I have to admit that this late in the game, I feel repetitive in my blog woes. And it shows with a lack of readership. Not that I'm looking for a million people to read my online babblings, but there comes a point where I really feel like I'm just talking to myself about the same things...
Anyway, today was a rush of meals. I was on the go most of the day and that made things complicated as far as meals are concerned. Fortunately, I have a few prepared foods in my fridge that I can grab in a hurry. Leftovers are my friend. Sometimes my best friend that saves me from drive-thru temptations. Whenever I cook anything, I put the leftovers in single-serving containers. This means I go through A LOT of containers, but it saves so much time later on. I also keep a half dozen hard boiled eggs in the fridge at all times. Those things really come in handy when I'm rushing out the door.
I do a ridiculous amount of dishes. I'm going through Dawn like crazy with all the pans I wash on a daily basis. At the risk of offending the feminists out there, I have to admit that maintaining a clean kitchen makes me feel all sorts of domestic and helpful. I spend a lot of time in that kitchen; I might as well keep it a pleasant work space, right?
It's been a tough couple of days with my toddler. She's teething and her good sleeping streak has officially ended. That makes for some sleepless nights for this momma. Motivation and patience are waning lately, but sticking to this plan is more important than my sleep deprivation-based food cravings. And, as with most habits I have forfeited over the past 4 weeks, they are getting easier to work through. One of the best weapons I have to fight food cravings is physical activity (how predictable is that, right?). It is so tempting to do the minimal daily requirements after a night of no sleep, but a light walk or a trip to the park helps to fight exhaustion-induced junk food cravings like you wouldn't believe. That and watching less TV. Go figure.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Hard boiled eggs and cantaloupe
Lunch: Leftover Cold Thai salad
Dinner: Rotisserie chicken and carrots
Monday, June 29, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Round 2, Day 22: One Week Left
I have just over a week left of my Whole30. I'm getting more comfortable with this idea as my last day approaches. I'm getting a battle plan together and it helps me to feel confident moving forward. Sugar will be the last thing I add back into my diet, if I decide to do it at all. I have learned so much about the negative effects of added sugar that I'm not anxious to dive back into that pool.
I was discussing the impending end with Jonny today. Of all the support and love that I've gotten, his has been the most constant and sincere. He has been around during the roughest parts of this program and still pointed out all the good that has come of it. If you want to start this program, having a supportive partner is right up there with preparation in terms of importance. I could not have gotten this far without his calming voice during the tornado of emotions that have dotted the last 22 (+) days.
Today has been relatively uneventful, and that's kind of awesome. It was another night of very little sleep, so I struggled in the motivation department this morning. I'm fortunate enough to have an opportunity to nap most days. I don't always take it, but today I couldn't resist. And I needed it. Sleep is important, people. It's more important than catching up on dishes or vacuuming the living room or chatting on facebook. Sleep is your partner in health. Respect that relationship. I've recognized that making good health decisions is made a hundred times easier after having had enough sleep. I often receive friendly mockery from my friends as I retire to bed earlier than anyone's grandmother. But I know my child, and I know her sleep habits. I do what I need to in order to get an adequate amount of shut-eye. It's worth it to me.
And I know they still love me.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Egg salad over mixed greens
Lunch: Cold Thai Salad with Sunshine Sauce
Dinner: Pot Roast and veggies (I'm so thankful for friends that have us for dinner and still respect these food boundaries of mine.)
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Round 2, Day 21: Hanger Pains
I've heard it said a thousand times: "It takes 21 days to establish a new habit." So by today, this whole new life of mine should be habitual.
Well, not exactly. Turns out recent studies have shown that it actually takes 66 days to form a habit; 8 months if it's a complicated habit (pretty sure this reformed diet counts as a complicated habit). This explains my confusion and frustration that I still crave sweets and my favorite junk foods occasionally. I'm told this is actually very normal at this point. Quitting something cold-turkey creates this last-ditch effort by the brain to resort to old habits. Fortunately for me, reading up on the W30 website has me all sorts of prepared for this. I might grumble when I do it, but I'm getting pretty good at turning down stuff that I would normally eat.
The other thing I've learned about establishing new habits is that there are three major checkpoints along the way: 30 days, 90 days, and 365 days. So in theory, if I can get through those checkpoints, by this time next year these healthy habits will be cemented. With every checkpoint, I'm getting closer to becoming my best self, and that is something to look forward to.
I skipped lunch today. Truthfully, I slept through lunch today. Baby E was up for a couple of hours last night and still woke up fairly early (toddler logic confuses me). By the time lunchtime came around, I preferred sleep to food (another first for me) while my tired toddler slept. When I woke up to her baby babblings, it was just after 4pm; far too late for lunch. I grabbed a Lara bar to get me through until dinner and left the house to run some errands.
BIG mistake.
Suddenly my plan for salmon tonight seemed unappetizing in comparison to the smells and sights of prepared dinners and baked goods as I wandered the aisles of Costco. My determination to make it to Day 30 kept my gaze straight ahead through the store and into the check out lanes. I was getting hangry; something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Fear not, Friends; dinner was made and it was delicious. I was back to normal in no time. No more skipping meals for me.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with leftover chicken and potatoes. I feel that I should mention here that I find the combination of eggs and chicken in the same recipe really. . . awkward. It's probably all in my head, but I'll likely not do that again.
Lunch: Well. . . you know. . .
Dinner: Roasted salmon in a tomato mayo sauce and sauteed fingerling potatoes.
Sorry for my lack of pictures. Like I said, by dinner I was hangry. Photography was the last thing on my mind. HA!
Well, not exactly. Turns out recent studies have shown that it actually takes 66 days to form a habit; 8 months if it's a complicated habit (pretty sure this reformed diet counts as a complicated habit). This explains my confusion and frustration that I still crave sweets and my favorite junk foods occasionally. I'm told this is actually very normal at this point. Quitting something cold-turkey creates this last-ditch effort by the brain to resort to old habits. Fortunately for me, reading up on the W30 website has me all sorts of prepared for this. I might grumble when I do it, but I'm getting pretty good at turning down stuff that I would normally eat.
The other thing I've learned about establishing new habits is that there are three major checkpoints along the way: 30 days, 90 days, and 365 days. So in theory, if I can get through those checkpoints, by this time next year these healthy habits will be cemented. With every checkpoint, I'm getting closer to becoming my best self, and that is something to look forward to.
I skipped lunch today. Truthfully, I slept through lunch today. Baby E was up for a couple of hours last night and still woke up fairly early (toddler logic confuses me). By the time lunchtime came around, I preferred sleep to food (another first for me) while my tired toddler slept. When I woke up to her baby babblings, it was just after 4pm; far too late for lunch. I grabbed a Lara bar to get me through until dinner and left the house to run some errands.
BIG mistake.
Suddenly my plan for salmon tonight seemed unappetizing in comparison to the smells and sights of prepared dinners and baked goods as I wandered the aisles of Costco. My determination to make it to Day 30 kept my gaze straight ahead through the store and into the check out lanes. I was getting hangry; something I hadn't felt in a long time.
Fear not, Friends; dinner was made and it was delicious. I was back to normal in no time. No more skipping meals for me.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with leftover chicken and potatoes. I feel that I should mention here that I find the combination of eggs and chicken in the same recipe really. . . awkward. It's probably all in my head, but I'll likely not do that again.
Lunch: Well. . . you know. . .
Dinner: Roasted salmon in a tomato mayo sauce and sauteed fingerling potatoes.
Sorry for my lack of pictures. Like I said, by dinner I was hangry. Photography was the last thing on my mind. HA!
Round 2, Day 20: A Brain Spill
I'm officially a third of the way through this program. I'm really excited about this, but in a different way than I thought. I'm surprised (kinda) that I'm not really looking forward to adding in the foods that I've been doing without for a month now. I feel so great overall that I'm timid about disrupting that harmony. Right now I'm just pleased that I've made it this far and have grown in ways I didn't foresee; I'll handle the end of the W30 when it ends in 10 days.
I want to share some thoughts that have been swirling in my mind for a while. It began when I read the following in a Whole30 daily email:
"For most people, body image and body satisfaction are irrevocably linked to self-esteem, self-worth, and depression. Poor body image leads us to distrust our own bodies. In contrast, by completing the Whole30, you are finally learning to listen to your body. To trust your body. To change your relationship with food. Now, it’s time to think about changing your relationship with yourself."
I must have read that statement about 16 times. This one statement encompasses my core motivation for beginning this process in the first place. I am so much more of a numbers person than I ever thought I would be. My motivation for "getting healthier" has always been about how much weight I need to lose, hidden beneath the guise of improving my lifestyle. Every time I've tried to move toward this skewed version of healthy, I quit if the numbers aren't matching my expectations and revert back to old habits. Some of the processes I've used to lose weight have been anything but healthy. I don't think this is unique to me. In conversations with many of my girlfriends, I've realized that most of us think of health in terms of size. Do we all realize "skinny" is not the same as "healthy"? The media is doing a terrible disservice to the women (and men) of this country by creating this awful illusion. We have been conditioned to believe this as a solid truth. This illusion is so ingrained in us that fitting into these particular parameters (such as weight and dress size) is almost second nature. There are some alarming statistics regarding this topic. It is damaging. It is terrifying.
It's time to set goals of being truly healthy, strong, and happy instead of setting our sights on a particular number on a scale or on the tag of a dress. For me, this means figuring out what the habits are of the best version of myself and then live so that I will become that version.
I picture the best version of myself as someone who is active and motivated; someone who wakes up refreshed and ready for the day; someone who doesn't have brain fog at 2pm and needs a nap. My best self is conscious of what she puts in her mouth and what she feeds her family. She listens to her body and is confident. She consumes sugar minimally and carefully. She is healthy, she sleeps well, she is optimistic. She is happy. And she's a great cook.
As I think of attaining these goals rather than physical ones, I feel a refreshing sense of optimism. I can already see some of these things coming into fruition. Most days, I wake up much more bright-eyed than I used to, my energy levels are steady, and brain fog is a thing of the past. With these goals in mind, I am far less freaked out about ending this program in 10 days. I will still measure and weigh, but much less often than I used to because those things are not what my journey is about.
As a side note: BRINE YOUR CHICKEN PEOPLE. This is the step that I used to skip but will no longer. No matter how you're cooking it, if you are making chicken, brine it. No more dry, flavorless chicken! TA DA!!
What I ate:
Breakfast: Leftover roasted potatoes topped with poached eggs
Lunch: Salad greens with remaining leftover Mexican tuna boat filling, eggs, grapes, green onion, and homemade ranch dressing
Dinner: Seared chicken breast and a sauteed sweet potato with wilted kale. I was flying solo for dinner so I made something simple and basic.
I want to share some thoughts that have been swirling in my mind for a while. It began when I read the following in a Whole30 daily email:
"For most people, body image and body satisfaction are irrevocably linked to self-esteem, self-worth, and depression. Poor body image leads us to distrust our own bodies. In contrast, by completing the Whole30, you are finally learning to listen to your body. To trust your body. To change your relationship with food. Now, it’s time to think about changing your relationship with yourself."
I must have read that statement about 16 times. This one statement encompasses my core motivation for beginning this process in the first place. I am so much more of a numbers person than I ever thought I would be. My motivation for "getting healthier" has always been about how much weight I need to lose, hidden beneath the guise of improving my lifestyle. Every time I've tried to move toward this skewed version of healthy, I quit if the numbers aren't matching my expectations and revert back to old habits. Some of the processes I've used to lose weight have been anything but healthy. I don't think this is unique to me. In conversations with many of my girlfriends, I've realized that most of us think of health in terms of size. Do we all realize "skinny" is not the same as "healthy"? The media is doing a terrible disservice to the women (and men) of this country by creating this awful illusion. We have been conditioned to believe this as a solid truth. This illusion is so ingrained in us that fitting into these particular parameters (such as weight and dress size) is almost second nature. There are some alarming statistics regarding this topic. It is damaging. It is terrifying.
It's time to set goals of being truly healthy, strong, and happy instead of setting our sights on a particular number on a scale or on the tag of a dress. For me, this means figuring out what the habits are of the best version of myself and then live so that I will become that version.
I picture the best version of myself as someone who is active and motivated; someone who wakes up refreshed and ready for the day; someone who doesn't have brain fog at 2pm and needs a nap. My best self is conscious of what she puts in her mouth and what she feeds her family. She listens to her body and is confident. She consumes sugar minimally and carefully. She is healthy, she sleeps well, she is optimistic. She is happy. And she's a great cook.
As I think of attaining these goals rather than physical ones, I feel a refreshing sense of optimism. I can already see some of these things coming into fruition. Most days, I wake up much more bright-eyed than I used to, my energy levels are steady, and brain fog is a thing of the past. With these goals in mind, I am far less freaked out about ending this program in 10 days. I will still measure and weigh, but much less often than I used to because those things are not what my journey is about.
As a side note: BRINE YOUR CHICKEN PEOPLE. This is the step that I used to skip but will no longer. No matter how you're cooking it, if you are making chicken, brine it. No more dry, flavorless chicken! TA DA!!
What I ate:
Breakfast: Leftover roasted potatoes topped with poached eggs
Lunch: Salad greens with remaining leftover Mexican tuna boat filling, eggs, grapes, green onion, and homemade ranch dressing
Dinner: Seared chicken breast and a sauteed sweet potato with wilted kale. I was flying solo for dinner so I made something simple and basic.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Round 2, Day 18: (Insert Catchy Title Here)
I've added more starchy vegetables and examined my meals against the meal template on the W30 website and made appropriate adjustments. I must admit that I'm feeling so much better. Energy levels are up, cravings are down. All good things.
I went to Theater in the Park last night (hence the late post today) with some good friends of mine. They brought candy. I didn't care. I brought water and no snacks and I was totally fine NOT eating. Imagine that! I didn't have to eat to be happy last night. Slowly my life is ceasing to revolve around binge-eating and "junk food days" to revolving around relationships with friends and memories with my family. I'm still obsessed with (ummm....passionate about?) food, but it is a much healthier relationship than before. I get really dancing-in-the-kitchen excited when a recipe I've just made is friggin' delicious. I love learning new techniques and working with new foods. I love when I cook for people and they appreciate the food that I created. It's hard work sometimes, but oh-so-worth it. And if other people think it tastes good, then I know I'm not going crazy because I haven't eaten processed things in over a month now.
Last night a friend of mine asked if I snacked at all between meals. The answer is no, I don't, unless I am legitimately hungry. And if I am legitimately hungry, that usually means I hadn't eaten enough or the right combination of things during the previous meal. For some reason we as a society have been lead to believe that eating 5 small meals a day is healthier, and snacking is good if it's the right stuff. While this might be true for diabetics and others who need to maintain a certain blood sugar level throughout the day (although there's debate out there about that as well, but I'm no expert on that topic. . . ), for most of us average Americans, snacking between meals (or eating more than three complete meals a day) is unnecessary. The body needs to be able to burn off stored fat and it can't do that if we are giving it sugars and simple carbs to burn off instead. As I have moved through this program, I have slowly taught my body to use food as fuel much more efficiently. Therefore, snacks are superfluous. I honestly haven't even thought about eating between meals in several days now. I can remember times where I would eat all morning long, mostly out of boredom. Breaking free of that habit is worth giving up the sweet treats I used to indulge in in the name of "snacks".
What I ate:
Breakfast: Egg and Hamburger Scramble (So....leftovers from last night scrambled all together)
Lunch: I'm drawing a blank here; I honestly don't have any idea what I ate for lunch yesterday. . .
Dinner: Root Vegetable and Chicken Curry (OH MY GOSH. THISWASSOGOOD!!!!)
I went to Theater in the Park last night (hence the late post today) with some good friends of mine. They brought candy. I didn't care. I brought water and no snacks and I was totally fine NOT eating. Imagine that! I didn't have to eat to be happy last night. Slowly my life is ceasing to revolve around binge-eating and "junk food days" to revolving around relationships with friends and memories with my family. I'm still obsessed with (ummm....passionate about?) food, but it is a much healthier relationship than before. I get really dancing-in-the-kitchen excited when a recipe I've just made is friggin' delicious. I love learning new techniques and working with new foods. I love when I cook for people and they appreciate the food that I created. It's hard work sometimes, but oh-so-worth it. And if other people think it tastes good, then I know I'm not going crazy because I haven't eaten processed things in over a month now.
Last night a friend of mine asked if I snacked at all between meals. The answer is no, I don't, unless I am legitimately hungry. And if I am legitimately hungry, that usually means I hadn't eaten enough or the right combination of things during the previous meal. For some reason we as a society have been lead to believe that eating 5 small meals a day is healthier, and snacking is good if it's the right stuff. While this might be true for diabetics and others who need to maintain a certain blood sugar level throughout the day (although there's debate out there about that as well, but I'm no expert on that topic. . . ), for most of us average Americans, snacking between meals (or eating more than three complete meals a day) is unnecessary. The body needs to be able to burn off stored fat and it can't do that if we are giving it sugars and simple carbs to burn off instead. As I have moved through this program, I have slowly taught my body to use food as fuel much more efficiently. Therefore, snacks are superfluous. I honestly haven't even thought about eating between meals in several days now. I can remember times where I would eat all morning long, mostly out of boredom. Breaking free of that habit is worth giving up the sweet treats I used to indulge in in the name of "snacks".
What I ate:
Breakfast: Egg and Hamburger Scramble (So....leftovers from last night scrambled all together)
Lunch: I'm drawing a blank here; I honestly don't have any idea what I ate for lunch yesterday. . .
Dinner: Root Vegetable and Chicken Curry (OH MY GOSH. THISWASSOGOOD!!!!)
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Round 2, Day 17: Burger and Fries
I'm sitting here with my fancy pants drink (sparkling water, muddled strawberries, lime juice), watching cooking shows for recipe ideas (Food Network is like freaking crack, people), and all I can do is smile because I'm really pretty happy with my life. I haven't felt that in a long time. Not that I've been completely unhappy and now suddenly I haven't a care in the world. I still have rough days, but I feel like I've been a little lost, and now I'm slowly figuring out a direction and I really love it.
I love to cook. LOVE. IT. I'm not sure if this is a natural result of sticking to the program for this long or if it's something that has been brought out of me because of it. In either case, it makes meal planning something I really look forward to. I do it a week at a time so I don't go too crazy. Having a daily meal plan has been incredibly helpful. Every night I know exactly what we're having for dinner and I know it's something nutritious because I've taken the time to really plan it out. Then I can look at what proteins I need to pull out of the freezer for the next night. It's an organizational step that I couldn't possibly do without.
So meal planning: Yay! Grocery shopping: Mehhhhhhh. Sometimes I don't mind it at all; in fact I really enjoy it. Other days, especially when I'm at bigger chain stores like Hy-Vee or Hen House, I just notice all the things I want to eat but can't and I get pretty ticked about it (my usual go-to store is Sprouts. It makes me happy and there are far fewer temptations there). I'm really hoping my food envy will improve as I near the end of this program. I can tell it is getting better, but my concerns still linger that once I'm done, I'll go back to old habits and this will all have been for nothing. . .
But as my dear husband reminds me constantly, there are so many things I have already learned in such a short amount of time; I have improved my ability to compose well-rounded meals, I'm becoming a better cook, my passion for nutrition that has been dormant since my days as a Taco Bell-craving pregnant woman has been brought out again, my energy levels are steady now, etc., etc., etc. Sometimes my Whole30 myopia takes control and I can only see the expectations not being met. Thank goodness for friends and family who see the improvements and can remind me that this has done nothing but good things for me so far. I really can't wait to see what the next two weeks will bring.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs over greens and leftover Mexican Boat filling
Lunch: Sunshine Sauce with apples and celery, cantaloupe (we have A LOT of cantaloupe. I'm not mad about it), and a small salad.
Dinner: "Hamburger and Fries": Hamburger patty, roasted portobello mushroom cap "bun" topped with roasted red pepper aoli, and roasted carrots
 |
| I've been craving a burger and fries for a while. This dish had more flavor without the bloat and swelling that I normally get from Five Guys and the like. Oh. My. Heaven. This was SO GOOD. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't had the real thing in a while, but even my husband and daughter found this appetizing. That's saying something. So, the recipe is below. You're welcome. |
Portobello Mushroom Burger and Roasted Carrots (Thanks to W30 book for the inspiration)
Serves 3
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Six portobello mushroom caps
1 clove garlic, minced
5 T cooking fat (olive oil, ghee, etc.), divided
4 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Combine beef, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and garlic powder in a medium bowl until just combined. Form into three patties. Press thumb into the center of the patties to make a dent about half the thickness of the patty to ensure even cooking. Put patties into the freezer while preparing the vegetables.
3. Clean mushroom caps, line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place them upside down. Drizzle with 3T cooking fat, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside
4. Toss carrots in salt, pepper, and 2 T cooking fat. Place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Be sure not to crowd them or they'll steam instead of roast.
5. Roast mushroom caps and carrots in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and flip them over. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes until they are fork tender.
6. During the second 10 minutes, remove hamburger patties from freezer. Using a grill pan or skillet, sear patties on high for 4 minutes each side. Transfer to oven safe cooking dish or baking sheet.
7. Turn oven down to 350, remove veggies, cook hamburger patties for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked to desired temperature.
8. Place burger patty between two portobello caps, dressing as desired with tomato, lettuce, etc.
You might need a knife and fork for this. . . or a lot of napkins.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Round 2, Days 14 & 15 aaaaand 16: That Time We Went to Tea Drops
Well, I'm officially halfway through. YAY!! This is both exciting and terrifying. I haven't yet figured out how to resolve those fears of failure after being set free, but I also know that I don't need to worry about it quite yet. There are other concerns that are taking priority at the moment.
I've had some issues with lower leg swelling again, the junk food cravings haven't gotten easier, and my energy levels still haven't returned to normal. It is really disheartening. But instead of giving up, I took to the W30 website and solicited some advice from the people on the forums who've gone through this already. Turns out my diet is probably lacking in starchy vegetables. Who knew? Thank goodness for people who've done this before.
Despite the return of junk food cravings, there has been an obvious shift in my relationship with food. Especially when going out with friends, which has been a lot lately since so many friends have been visiting in the last few weeks.
Recently, my sister and my sister-in-law and I went to Tea Drops in Westport for a bubble tea (despite my conviction that sugar isn't something to promote, Tea Drops is AMAZING. Go there). Bubble Tea, of course, is not even close to W30 compliant. I had an iced herbal tea which was. . . NOT a bubble tea. Not. even. close. But still, I had fun with my sisters, and we made some pretty good memories. Besides, I know when I look back on these times, I know I'm not even going to miss the food.
I'm not going to pretend like the last few days have been easy. Not even close. I feel like I've had a total relapse and I don't know why. I had it in my head that it would be easy sailing after that really tough first week. Not so. My best resource has been the online forums. I would seriously advise anyone starting the Whole30 to connect online.
So onto the fun stuff:
What I ate (I won't bore you with three days worth of meals, so here are the highlights):
I've had some issues with lower leg swelling again, the junk food cravings haven't gotten easier, and my energy levels still haven't returned to normal. It is really disheartening. But instead of giving up, I took to the W30 website and solicited some advice from the people on the forums who've gone through this already. Turns out my diet is probably lacking in starchy vegetables. Who knew? Thank goodness for people who've done this before.
Despite the return of junk food cravings, there has been an obvious shift in my relationship with food. Especially when going out with friends, which has been a lot lately since so many friends have been visiting in the last few weeks.
Recently, my sister and my sister-in-law and I went to Tea Drops in Westport for a bubble tea (despite my conviction that sugar isn't something to promote, Tea Drops is AMAZING. Go there). Bubble Tea, of course, is not even close to W30 compliant. I had an iced herbal tea which was. . . NOT a bubble tea. Not. even. close. But still, I had fun with my sisters, and we made some pretty good memories. Besides, I know when I look back on these times, I know I'm not even going to miss the food.
I'm not going to pretend like the last few days have been easy. Not even close. I feel like I've had a total relapse and I don't know why. I had it in my head that it would be easy sailing after that really tough first week. Not so. My best resource has been the online forums. I would seriously advise anyone starting the Whole30 to connect online.
So onto the fun stuff:
What I ate (I won't bore you with three days worth of meals, so here are the highlights):
 |
| Poached eggs and a side of cantaloupe. I used to HATE cantaloupe. . . not anymore! |
 |
| Sunshine sauce (a sort of hummus substitute) and fruits and veggies. This sauce is going to be a staple in my house. It's a MUST. |
 |
| Mexican Tuna Boats and Cauliflower mash. This was the first recipe that I felt was a little blah. It's definitely a lunch recipe or something I might heat up in the future. That mash, though? EW. I added garlic and that was a HUGE misstep. There was so much garlic it hurt my tongue. Gross. I didn't think "too much garlic" was a thing. . . |
Friday, June 19, 2015
Round 2, Day 13: Potlucks and Pork Chops
Sometimes I forget that even though I'm eating so much better than I was before, I'm still going to have days that just. . . suck. Today was one of those days. The lack of sleep was catching up to me, and the junk food that surrounded me this morning was more tempting than I had expected. Shouldn't this be over by now? Shouldn't cookies and processed snack foods not even phase me by now?
Well, obviously the answer is "no". Two weeks isn't going to erase 34 years of sugar addiction. In this world of instant results, this process seems painfully slow. However, it's something that is so much more beneficial long-term. I have to keep that in mind every time I make a choice not to eat things I shouldn't.
Well, obviously the answer is "no". Two weeks isn't going to erase 34 years of sugar addiction. In this world of instant results, this process seems painfully slow. However, it's something that is so much more beneficial long-term. I have to keep that in mind every time I make a choice not to eat things I shouldn't.
I've gotten several texts and emails from people who are interested in starting the Whole30 program themselves. It's rewarding for me to see other people become interested in what I'm doing. It means that I'm not so crazy afterall, right? I started this blog in order to keep me from losing momentum and to help with my accountability. I'm thrilled that I have caused even one person to become interested in starting this program for themselves. I haven't regretted it a single day.
It's around this time in the program that finding a W30 group is suggested. Things are becoming routine; leftovers are starting to get boring; but finding a group of people who are fighting the same battle is a good way to become re-energized. I love the ideas suggested in the W30 forums regarding W30 group gatherings; pot lucks where everyone takes home leftovers, dinners where everyone takes turns hosting, etc. Having a team is a great way to get support and gather ideas and commiserate on the hard days.
So, hey, if you want to take on this challenge, I'll host the first pot luck.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Kitchen sink scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, and avocado
Lunch: Leftover spaghetti squash
Dinner: Pork Chops with Spiced Apple Sauce and a side of cauliflower mash
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Round 2, Day 12: Try and Act Surprised
I am a stress junkie, and I have a problem.
Now that I don't have food to "solve" my problems psychologically, I've noticed how often and how easily I stress myself out. I am a perfectionist, even when it doesn't matter. My need for "multi-tasking" consistently challenges my ability to listen as others are speaking. I lose it over the slightest derailing of my carefully-planned day. I am often inflexible when I have an idea in my head and others come along and try to change it. Granted, this isn't every minute of every day, but these things happen often enough that I feel the need to find a solution.
Case in point:
Last night was rough in the Miller household. Little Baby E decided to have a party from 3am to 6am. Thus, not a lot of sleep for already-tired parents. I was groggy making breakfast, irritated that I didn't have much to work with (another grocery shopping trip is in my future, but there are odds and ends still to use up before then. We are on a budget, you know. That means it's slim pickings in our house). I complained to my husband as I was packing the diaper bag. I don't even remember what it was about; I just needed SOMETHING to be wrong to justify this bad attitude. By the time we were out the door to take a walk with my sister, Andrea, I was one crabby chica. That's putting it mildly, really. The very idea of walking out in the sweltering heat added fuel to the raging fire that was my attitude on this Thursday morning.
I was a pouty, sobbing, baby. I might as well have sat crossed-legged on the floor, arms folded, face in a permanent scowl. I was beyond approachable. If anything came into my little crabby circle, they were going to hear about how awful my life was this morning. And taking a walk was NOT going to help.
I thank the Lord everyday for understanding friends who see through the grouchy (thanks, Danny), and a sister who pushed for the walk anyway, insisting I would feel better afterwards.
It was rough. Halfway through, I wasn't sure I was going to make it. It was SO HOT. By the end of the two-mile loop (no judging, you marathon runners. This was tough for me), I was a sopping wet mess of sweat, but I felt so. much. better. Although I was still tired, I felt far less like sobbing and/or screaming at everyone. Exercise is cathartic. It's something this stress junkie needs in her life.
I am going to make a goal to help cut down on my self-induced stress as I move forward in this program; I'm going to laugh out loud more, identify my triggers and try to avoid them if possible, listen to uplifting music, breathe before I react, be more kind, and take more walks.
I almost feel better already.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Poached egg over leftover chicken hash with a side of strawberries
Lunch: Lara bar (don't ask. I was still crabby and needed a nap)
Dinner: Spaghetti squash with homemade tomato meat sauce.
Now that I don't have food to "solve" my problems psychologically, I've noticed how often and how easily I stress myself out. I am a perfectionist, even when it doesn't matter. My need for "multi-tasking" consistently challenges my ability to listen as others are speaking. I lose it over the slightest derailing of my carefully-planned day. I am often inflexible when I have an idea in my head and others come along and try to change it. Granted, this isn't every minute of every day, but these things happen often enough that I feel the need to find a solution.
Case in point:
Last night was rough in the Miller household. Little Baby E decided to have a party from 3am to 6am. Thus, not a lot of sleep for already-tired parents. I was groggy making breakfast, irritated that I didn't have much to work with (another grocery shopping trip is in my future, but there are odds and ends still to use up before then. We are on a budget, you know. That means it's slim pickings in our house). I complained to my husband as I was packing the diaper bag. I don't even remember what it was about; I just needed SOMETHING to be wrong to justify this bad attitude. By the time we were out the door to take a walk with my sister, Andrea, I was one crabby chica. That's putting it mildly, really. The very idea of walking out in the sweltering heat added fuel to the raging fire that was my attitude on this Thursday morning.
I was a pouty, sobbing, baby. I might as well have sat crossed-legged on the floor, arms folded, face in a permanent scowl. I was beyond approachable. If anything came into my little crabby circle, they were going to hear about how awful my life was this morning. And taking a walk was NOT going to help.
I thank the Lord everyday for understanding friends who see through the grouchy (thanks, Danny), and a sister who pushed for the walk anyway, insisting I would feel better afterwards.
It was rough. Halfway through, I wasn't sure I was going to make it. It was SO HOT. By the end of the two-mile loop (no judging, you marathon runners. This was tough for me), I was a sopping wet mess of sweat, but I felt so. much. better. Although I was still tired, I felt far less like sobbing and/or screaming at everyone. Exercise is cathartic. It's something this stress junkie needs in her life.
I am going to make a goal to help cut down on my self-induced stress as I move forward in this program; I'm going to laugh out loud more, identify my triggers and try to avoid them if possible, listen to uplifting music, breathe before I react, be more kind, and take more walks.
I almost feel better already.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Poached egg over leftover chicken hash with a side of strawberries
Lunch: Lara bar (don't ask. I was still crabby and needed a nap)
Dinner: Spaghetti squash with homemade tomato meat sauce.
Round 2, Days 10 & 11: Cake and a Restaurant; The Double Whammy
Yesterday marked Day 10, which means I'm 1/3 of the way through the program! I'm honestly surprised I've made it this far.
My sister's birthday was also yesterday. We had a small family gathering that I knew would involve cake and a traditional (non-compliant) Andrea's Favorite Birthday Meal. Making adjustments to the recipe for dinner was the easy part, and everyone seemed very accommodating, which I am always to grateful for. However, the idea of sitting around watching everyone eat cake, pretending like I don't mind at all, made me a little bit crabby. Normally on the Whole30, desserts--even substitute desserts with approved ingredients--are discouraged. It's really against the rules altogether. So I made a fruit salad to eat while everyone else ate cake. I was surprised at how truly easy it was to refuse and be OK eating my little salad instead.
I'm far less irritable around other people's food choices since starting the program. I used to feel jealous and even resentful when people ate things I couldn't eat. I can honestly say that my perspective has absolutely shifted. I no longer see myself in this food prison; I see it as making better choices for myself and for my family. If that means I refrain from eating things I know aren't good for me, then I recognize that as my own decision, not anyone else's. In that sense, my feelings of control over my own life have a really stabilizing effect.
Case in point: Tonight I went out with some really close girlfriends I've known for years. The restaurant of choice: Jose Peppers. That's right, we were going to a "Tex/Mex" eatery. Nothing about that spoke "healthy and W30 compliant." I perused the online menu and picked out a few options I thought were easy enough to be altered and that would satisfy my palate. I chose the steak fajitas, no cheese, no tortillas, no sour cream, fruit instead of beans and rice, and instead of guacamole (because they put cottage cheese in their quac... WHAT? Good thing I asked), I opted for an avocado and pico de gallo. Our server had to come back with a written list of ingredients twice. Poor guy. He was such an amazing sport about it, too. My friends were really accommodating and I didn't feel at all like I was any kind of embarrassment (well...mostly. right Lis? JK. I love you!) Once the ordering was all done, I could relax. I felt so much more in tune with the conversation and the company. It was a refreshing change from my usual focus on chips and queso. Lisa, April, Chelsea, Audrey, you girls are magic. Thank you for letting me be me tonight. The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, and I didn't leave with cheese gut. It was well worth all the questions and the hassle.
Making food, preparing menus, and all the work that goes into sticking to this program has almost become second nature now. This is almost a dangerous thing. Being too comfortable can lead to justification of things that would normally be on the border of W30 rather than well within the rules. In order to combat this mindset, I've been reading through the W30 book again to reacquaint myself with the rules. I'm as good at justifying rule-bending as anyone, but this is about breaking bad habits, so I'm determined to make sure I stay true to the program.
Speaking of breaking bad habits, my scale addiction is also fading, which is nice. I'm much more focused on how I feel vs. the numbers. As much as I'm looking forward to Day 30, I'm also terrified of it. It's a little weird. There's security in so many hard and fast boundaries and rules. Setting me "free" into the world without so many lines drawn is scary to think about. But I have 20 more days to figure that out. The fear that is plaguing me a bit now revolves more on a lack of results. What if I get to the end of this and I haven't lost a single pound or a solitary inch off of me? I think this is becoming more of a fear lately because the positive effects of eating healthier are becoming more routine. The "new" feeling has been fading a bit as this becomes more routine than special project.
Since I have two days in once post (again), here are some highlighted meals:
 |
| Here is my fruit salad I ate along side the cake-eaters. Blueberries, strawberries, jicama, and basil. So fresh and really vibrant. YUM. |
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| Leftovers lunch. Leftover stuffed pepper filling sauteed with cabbage, leftover cauli mash with CARAMELIZED onions this time instead of the burned stuff, ruby red grapefruit. The mash/onions combo is my new favorite thing. |
Monday, June 15, 2015
Round 2, Day 9: At Least There Wasn't Fire
First, a disclaimer: If you feel at all uncomfortable with anyone sharing personal "girly" details, you should probably just skip this one. I'll see ya tomorrow. No hard feelings.
Two days ago, George came to visit. . . I caught the Girl Flu. . . It's Leak Week. . . I'm riding the cotton pony. . . Aunt Erma is here. . . You get the drift.
The reason I feel the need to mention this is because there is a dramatic change in how I'm responding to this monthly drama vs. last time. The crabby food cravings are definitely present, but far less obnoxious. They were easy to get a hold of, actually. Best of all, my moodiness is far easier to control this time around. I'm usually a mess of tears or rage, sometimes both simultaneously (my poor spouse). I'm honestly not sure if it's my improved diet or the feeling of organization I have felt lately that made the crying easier to avoid and the yelling easier to breath through. I wasn't really expecting these kind of improvements, so I wanted to document it for future reference. I'm not saying it's been a walk in the park, but I feel an overall sense of control over my emotions. It's a pleasant surprise. I'm not sure I could have dealt with the moodies AND a serious lack of chocolate.
I went on a walk with my sister today. Not only was it good company and fun conversation, but it felt great to get a little bit of a workout in. Gym attendance is difficult with a toddler going through an attachment phase, so I'm going to set up the Xbox tomorrow to get an aerobic exercise in at least three days this week. Just so everyone knows. . .
I babysat all day today, from 8am to 6pm. When I got home, it was a rush to get dinner done. I was EXHAUSTED and my bright, shiny toddler was fading fast. I had to work quickly among the chaos. My caramelized onions got the brunt of my lack of focus. I don't really mind a charred pile of shallots, but it's not something most people (including my husband and daughter) wish to consume. I didn't cry; I didn't throw away my pan; I didn't even get mad about it. Instead I determined I'd try to make this recipe again soon just so I can fix that grievous error.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with a side of strawberries. This was definitely not enough. Usually I have veggies or another protein with the eggs, but my lack of preparation made this difficult this morning. Lesson learned.
Lunch: Leftover Stuffed Bell Peppers
Dinner: Banger Sausage Patties, Cauliflower Mash, and caramelized (um...mostly burned) onions.
For the recipe, follow this link. I think next time I'll sear the patties first and omit the lemon. (Oh, and not leave the onions unattended). Otherwise, I really loved this.
Two days ago, George came to visit. . . I caught the Girl Flu. . . It's Leak Week. . . I'm riding the cotton pony. . . Aunt Erma is here. . . You get the drift.
The reason I feel the need to mention this is because there is a dramatic change in how I'm responding to this monthly drama vs. last time. The crabby food cravings are definitely present, but far less obnoxious. They were easy to get a hold of, actually. Best of all, my moodiness is far easier to control this time around. I'm usually a mess of tears or rage, sometimes both simultaneously (my poor spouse). I'm honestly not sure if it's my improved diet or the feeling of organization I have felt lately that made the crying easier to avoid and the yelling easier to breath through. I wasn't really expecting these kind of improvements, so I wanted to document it for future reference. I'm not saying it's been a walk in the park, but I feel an overall sense of control over my emotions. It's a pleasant surprise. I'm not sure I could have dealt with the moodies AND a serious lack of chocolate.
I went on a walk with my sister today. Not only was it good company and fun conversation, but it felt great to get a little bit of a workout in. Gym attendance is difficult with a toddler going through an attachment phase, so I'm going to set up the Xbox tomorrow to get an aerobic exercise in at least three days this week. Just so everyone knows. . .
I babysat all day today, from 8am to 6pm. When I got home, it was a rush to get dinner done. I was EXHAUSTED and my bright, shiny toddler was fading fast. I had to work quickly among the chaos. My caramelized onions got the brunt of my lack of focus. I don't really mind a charred pile of shallots, but it's not something most people (including my husband and daughter) wish to consume. I didn't cry; I didn't throw away my pan; I didn't even get mad about it. Instead I determined I'd try to make this recipe again soon just so I can fix that grievous error.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with a side of strawberries. This was definitely not enough. Usually I have veggies or another protein with the eggs, but my lack of preparation made this difficult this morning. Lesson learned.
Lunch: Leftover Stuffed Bell Peppers
Dinner: Banger Sausage Patties, Cauliflower Mash, and caramelized (um...mostly burned) onions.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Round 2, Day 8: A Message to the Perpetual Scale-Stepper
I went to my parent's house to make dinner tonight. An opened bag of potato chips watched me the whole freaking time. Snacking while I make dinner used to be a normal thing for me. I'm not usually hungry when I do it. Even if it's a healthy snack, like carrot sticks, it's mostly mindless eating, so it is a habit I'd like to break. I've been trying to use any waiting times (letting something simmer, oven cooking times, etc.) to do something more productive like cleaning up the kitchen from my inevitable dinner-making messes. It's been helping with the mindless eating while I cook and helping make the end-of-meal clean up not nearly as tedious.
Part of the Whole30 plan is to stay away from scales and tape measures for the entire 30 days. The reasons behind this are something I whole-heartedly agree with (if you are a habitual weigher, read this explanation. It's amazing). No one's worth or health should be determined by a number. I can't tell you how freeing it has been to not even think about stepping on a scale. Back a few weeks ago when I was counting calories, I was more than a little scale-obsessed. Sometimes I would weigh myself a few times a day just to see if there was any change. My entire day would be determined by the number on that piece of metal and plastic. It's the worst kind of prison.
I totally get it; the curiosity to see results is sometimes overwhelming. I asked my husband to hide the scale (along with all the junkfood we had in our house), which he so kindly did for me. I really don't have an option to find out my weight right now and see if I've made any progress, but I'm absolutely OK with that. Without the scale to measure my "progress", I've become much more aware of how my efforts are making me feel, and that's wonderful. I've noticed that I'm sleeping better (especially on the nights when Little Miss Toddler sleeps for longer stretches), I have more energy, my skin is clearing up, and I have less and less of a desire to eat things that take away from this feeling and from my hard work. That is so much more motivational than stressing over a 1lb gain.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with onion, spinach and bell pepper with a side of chicken apple breakfast sausages
Lunch: Strawberries and a LARA bar on the go; we were late to church. . .
Dinner: Melissa's Chicken Hash, because I just had to make that for my family!
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Round 2, Day 7: The Day I Ate at a Restaurant (Dun Dun DUUUUNNNNNNN)
Today was good. So good that I'm a happy kind of exhausted right now and it's only 9pm. No shame in going to bed early, right?
I went to one of my favorite sushi restaurants for lunch today. Honestly, I was a little nervous. What if they didn't have things I could eat? What if the server didn't really know the ingredients of something I order and I went off-plan unknowingly again? What if the only things I can eat there suck really bad? Fortunately, I know this place pretty well. It was the perfect training-wheels opportunity to stay W30 compliant and still enjoy myself. I ordered sashimi and a salad without dressing. I wanted to come armed with coconut aminos (a healthier version of soy sauce), but I ran out of time and couldn't get to the store before meeting my friends at the restaurant. The experience was fine as far as the food goes. Having something to dip the fish in would have made a big difference (also having a different server would have made a big difference, but I digress...), but I was prepared (mostly). I looked at the menu ahead of time online and selected a few things I thought I could have. I think this was the first time I can remember going to a restaurant where the food was secondary in terms of priority. I really enjoyed the social interaction more than the eating. It was kind of awesome. It was also my first restaurant experience since starting the W30 and it was overall pretty successful. WIN. I can totally do this.
I finally got to cook again tonight. It was Heaven. It's so weird, but if I can get my 60 minutes of alone time in the kitchen cooking food, I feel like the rest of the evening goes by so much more smoothly. I get so crabby when I can't prepare dinner in a peaceful space. On tonight's dinner menu was stuffed bell peppers. Ohhhhhhhh, I was so doubtful as I looked over the recipe. For me, stuffed peppers usually contain meat, rice, and a whole lotta cheese. This recipe had neither of the latter. I just knew these were going to be sub-par.
NOPE. They were friggin' delicious. There hasn't been a single recipe I've tried out of this book that has been disappointing. Everything is so dang good. I didn't even miss that cheese.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Deconstructed Turkey and Spinach Omelet (meaning I screwed it up so it was more like REALLY overdone scrambled eggs with stuff in 'em.)
Lunch: Sashimi Combo Plate with Avocado Sesame Salad
Dinner: Stuffed Bell Peppers
I went to one of my favorite sushi restaurants for lunch today. Honestly, I was a little nervous. What if they didn't have things I could eat? What if the server didn't really know the ingredients of something I order and I went off-plan unknowingly again? What if the only things I can eat there suck really bad? Fortunately, I know this place pretty well. It was the perfect training-wheels opportunity to stay W30 compliant and still enjoy myself. I ordered sashimi and a salad without dressing. I wanted to come armed with coconut aminos (a healthier version of soy sauce), but I ran out of time and couldn't get to the store before meeting my friends at the restaurant. The experience was fine as far as the food goes. Having something to dip the fish in would have made a big difference (also having a different server would have made a big difference, but I digress...), but I was prepared (mostly). I looked at the menu ahead of time online and selected a few things I thought I could have. I think this was the first time I can remember going to a restaurant where the food was secondary in terms of priority. I really enjoyed the social interaction more than the eating. It was kind of awesome. It was also my first restaurant experience since starting the W30 and it was overall pretty successful. WIN. I can totally do this.
I finally got to cook again tonight. It was Heaven. It's so weird, but if I can get my 60 minutes of alone time in the kitchen cooking food, I feel like the rest of the evening goes by so much more smoothly. I get so crabby when I can't prepare dinner in a peaceful space. On tonight's dinner menu was stuffed bell peppers. Ohhhhhhhh, I was so doubtful as I looked over the recipe. For me, stuffed peppers usually contain meat, rice, and a whole lotta cheese. This recipe had neither of the latter. I just knew these were going to be sub-par.
NOPE. They were friggin' delicious. There hasn't been a single recipe I've tried out of this book that has been disappointing. Everything is so dang good. I didn't even miss that cheese.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Deconstructed Turkey and Spinach Omelet (meaning I screwed it up so it was more like REALLY overdone scrambled eggs with stuff in 'em.)
Lunch: Sashimi Combo Plate with Avocado Sesame Salad
Dinner: Stuffed Bell Peppers
Round 2, Days 5&6: The Days of the Leftovers
I'm playing catch up this morning from the past two days. It's been a crazy busy 48 hours. I haven't really had time to cook the things I have planned out, so I've been living on leftovers, random snacks and impromptu meals. I've been feeling the effects of that. I've been snacking more, my energy levels have been all over the map, and I have a general feeling of disorganization. I don't feel as aligned with my life as I've previously been. Today I've resolved to organize myself again and get on top of this sense of chaos in my life.
It's getting much easier to say "no" to temptations for the most part. Yesterday I had a stressful morning with two cranky toddlers. I would have given anything to eat a cookie (or any kind of baked good, really). I was a little pouty about it, to be honest.
One positive body change I have noticed is an obvious lack of swelling in my lower legs and ankles. Almost constant adema has been a perpetual problem for me for years, especially in the hot summer months. It used to be so bad that I couldn't wear flats or flip-flops because they made the swelling so much worse. Lately I've had one or two days where my ankles have been a touch swollen, but the improvement overall has been HUGE. I even wore flip-flops for an entire day without feeling like I had elephant feet by the end of the day. It's been an amazing feeling. I party a little bit about it in my head everyday. It's a big deal, people.
Now that I'm feeling much more confident with recipes and cooking, I need to add some physical activities. I have an UP24 band by Jawbone that I've been relying on for a measure of my physical activity, but my steps have been a little...lame...lately. I've decided to increase my focus on exercise this week.
I've had a few people ask me for the Whole30 mayo recipe and the chicken hash I keep raving about, so here they are:
Melissa's Chicken Hash
Ingredients:
1 T cooking fat, like Ghee or olive oil
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in 1-inch dice
1/4 cup of walnuts, roughly chopped
1 granny smith apple, cored, peeled and large-diced
1/2 sweet potato, peeled and grated
Two generous handfuls arugula
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. In a large skillet, heat up cooking fat on medium high heat. When cooking fat is hot, add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown on one side, making sure not to crowd the pan, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add walnuts to toast, shaking the pan occasionally so the walnuts don't burn. Turn chicken to brown on the other side.
3. Add apple, sweet potato and red pepper flakes. Cook until apples are soft, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add arugula and cook another 30 seconds or until wilted. Add more salt to taste
Serve immediately.
Whole30 Mayo:
I'll refer you to the following link for the base mayo recipe. To make cilantro lime, add 2T of finely chipped cilantro and substitute the lemon juice in the recipe for lime.
http://whole30.com/2014/05/mayo/
What I ate:
Ummmm... I don't remember... but here's two pictures:
On the left: Breakfast yesterday; Rando leftovers topped with two fried eggs and a side of strawberries.
On the right: Leftover potato salad and hot dog with a drizzle of mustard (which is DELICIOUS by the way. I'll never know why I haven't liked mustard before now...) and a side of raspberries. No, this isn't my toddler's lunch...
It's getting much easier to say "no" to temptations for the most part. Yesterday I had a stressful morning with two cranky toddlers. I would have given anything to eat a cookie (or any kind of baked good, really). I was a little pouty about it, to be honest.
One positive body change I have noticed is an obvious lack of swelling in my lower legs and ankles. Almost constant adema has been a perpetual problem for me for years, especially in the hot summer months. It used to be so bad that I couldn't wear flats or flip-flops because they made the swelling so much worse. Lately I've had one or two days where my ankles have been a touch swollen, but the improvement overall has been HUGE. I even wore flip-flops for an entire day without feeling like I had elephant feet by the end of the day. It's been an amazing feeling. I party a little bit about it in my head everyday. It's a big deal, people.
Now that I'm feeling much more confident with recipes and cooking, I need to add some physical activities. I have an UP24 band by Jawbone that I've been relying on for a measure of my physical activity, but my steps have been a little...lame...lately. I've decided to increase my focus on exercise this week.
I've had a few people ask me for the Whole30 mayo recipe and the chicken hash I keep raving about, so here they are:
Melissa's Chicken Hash
Ingredients:
1 T cooking fat, like Ghee or olive oil
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in 1-inch dice
1/4 cup of walnuts, roughly chopped
1 granny smith apple, cored, peeled and large-diced
1/2 sweet potato, peeled and grated
Two generous handfuls arugula
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. In a large skillet, heat up cooking fat on medium high heat. When cooking fat is hot, add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown on one side, making sure not to crowd the pan, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add walnuts to toast, shaking the pan occasionally so the walnuts don't burn. Turn chicken to brown on the other side.
3. Add apple, sweet potato and red pepper flakes. Cook until apples are soft, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add arugula and cook another 30 seconds or until wilted. Add more salt to taste
Serve immediately.
Whole30 Mayo:
I'll refer you to the following link for the base mayo recipe. To make cilantro lime, add 2T of finely chipped cilantro and substitute the lemon juice in the recipe for lime.
http://whole30.com/2014/05/mayo/
What I ate:
Ummmm... I don't remember... but here's two pictures:
On the left: Breakfast yesterday; Rando leftovers topped with two fried eggs and a side of strawberries.On the right: Leftover potato salad and hot dog with a drizzle of mustard (which is DELICIOUS by the way. I'll never know why I haven't liked mustard before now...) and a side of raspberries. No, this isn't my toddler's lunch...
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Round 2, Day 4: A Hash Obsession is Born
I woke up feeling completely disenchanted by this entire "clean eating" thing. The idea of having eggs for breakfast in any form or fashion was completely nauseating. Despite the fact that I went to bed on good terms with my healthy food, I was getting more and more disgruntled thinking about scrambling another stupid egg. I think I must have been inspired during my menu planning session last week because today's breakfast recipe was completely egg-less and didn't sound half bad. It was also very fortunate that my active toddler decided to be wide awake by 6am (or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself that I'm not totally mad about that). Since I had to leave to babysit at 8am, I actually had time to make this new breakfast dish.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. It was DELICIOUS. I'm seriously obsessed. Chicken and apples and shredded sweet potatoes and a bit of toasted walnuts... YUM. It was savory-sweet and full of flavor. I was actually surprised at how stinking good this thing is. What a breath of fresh air! Ok, so I'll admit that maybe I was so excited to get away from eggs for breakfast that it wasn't as good as I thought, but still, that little change in routine completely set the tone for the remainder of the day.
It was a great day.
My energy levels are starting to pick up (FINALLY!!!!) and I could have sworn the pants I was wearing needed to be tugged up a few times to stay on. Even if I'm not really changing physically, I have hit this unexpected turn in my emotional and mental health since I started this.
I went to the pool today. In a swimsuit. In front of a bunch of skinny people. And I didn't even care. I hardly thought about what I looked like in my bathing suit. I didn't wait until the very last second to change into my suit. I didn't spend all my time sucking in my stomach or sitting up awkwardly straight to make everything "spread out", I was absolutely comfortable in my own skin. I talked with friends and played with my crazy little water baby and didn't care if someone else didn't like the way I looked.
Besides, if they are focused just on the way I look, they obviously don't know how cool I am.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Melissa's Breakfast Hash (Seriously, people. Make this recipe. It's crazy good.)
Lunch: Leftover kale salad with sweet potatoes and a side of grapes
Dinner: W30-friendly hot dogs and potato salad made with homemade cilantro lime mayo.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. It was DELICIOUS. I'm seriously obsessed. Chicken and apples and shredded sweet potatoes and a bit of toasted walnuts... YUM. It was savory-sweet and full of flavor. I was actually surprised at how stinking good this thing is. What a breath of fresh air! Ok, so I'll admit that maybe I was so excited to get away from eggs for breakfast that it wasn't as good as I thought, but still, that little change in routine completely set the tone for the remainder of the day.
It was a great day.
My energy levels are starting to pick up (FINALLY!!!!) and I could have sworn the pants I was wearing needed to be tugged up a few times to stay on. Even if I'm not really changing physically, I have hit this unexpected turn in my emotional and mental health since I started this.
I went to the pool today. In a swimsuit. In front of a bunch of skinny people. And I didn't even care. I hardly thought about what I looked like in my bathing suit. I didn't wait until the very last second to change into my suit. I didn't spend all my time sucking in my stomach or sitting up awkwardly straight to make everything "spread out", I was absolutely comfortable in my own skin. I talked with friends and played with my crazy little water baby and didn't care if someone else didn't like the way I looked.
Besides, if they are focused just on the way I look, they obviously don't know how cool I am.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Melissa's Breakfast Hash (Seriously, people. Make this recipe. It's crazy good.)
Lunch: Leftover kale salad with sweet potatoes and a side of grapes
Dinner: W30-friendly hot dogs and potato salad made with homemade cilantro lime mayo.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Round 2, Day 3: IKEA and the Tube of Fish
I miss cheese, you guys. And white bread. I miss those two things the most right now. I especially miss those two things together in the form of pizza. Holy crap, I love pizza. It's weird that I miss those things even more than I miss chocolate.
I'm technically in the second week of eating this way so I've read that this cravings stage is normal and will subside in a few days. THANK. GOODNESS. Let me say first that I love cooking these new recipes. I get excited about sharing what I've made with friends and with those of you who read this blog. I find so much enjoyment in being in the kitchen and creating delicious food. It's peaceful and beautiful and so much fun. I respect the ingredients and the positive effect they have on my body and mind. And yet, when I think about pizza, I give my healthy food the silent treatment. "You jerks," I whisper into my fridge, "you will never be pizza."
I went to IKEA with some friends today (that whole place smells like cinnamon rolls. It's the meanest trick ever). At the end of our trek through the store, we stopped to feed the kiddos. No surprise, there are ZERO on-plan options at IKEA (there is, however, creamed fish in a tube... Ummmmm...). I sat at the table while my daughter (and everyone else) ate a hot dog right next to me. It smelled delicious. Honestly, I wasn't tempted; I was envious. This was the first time I realized that eating this way is very, very simple and actually very easy. . . if you don't ever leave your house. Being in the outside world? That's a totally different story. In my house, there are no snack foods, no bread, no sweets. Out there, smells and pictures and other people eating things I've even forgot existed are everywhere. I'm looking forward to when the draw of those things isn't quite as strong.
Before you worry too much, let me reassure you that I have no plans of staying holed up in my house with my safety foods until I feel brave enough to go outside. I might, however, think twice about taking a trip to IKEA during big cravings days and/or after a no-sleep night. Moving forward, I know I'll have to pack healthy snacks for me to eat when I'm faced with situations such as this one.
As for now, I hope that my healthy foods and I can have a good heart-to-heart in the morning.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Kitchen Sink Scrambled eggs with the remaining Cucumber Cups filling
Lunch: Leftover Salmon over a bed of greens with leftover Cucumber Cups
Dinner: More leftovers. We have leftovers coming out of our ears right now. It's the best! It makes the end of a stressful day so much easier.
I'm technically in the second week of eating this way so I've read that this cravings stage is normal and will subside in a few days. THANK. GOODNESS. Let me say first that I love cooking these new recipes. I get excited about sharing what I've made with friends and with those of you who read this blog. I find so much enjoyment in being in the kitchen and creating delicious food. It's peaceful and beautiful and so much fun. I respect the ingredients and the positive effect they have on my body and mind. And yet, when I think about pizza, I give my healthy food the silent treatment. "You jerks," I whisper into my fridge, "you will never be pizza."
I went to IKEA with some friends today (that whole place smells like cinnamon rolls. It's the meanest trick ever). At the end of our trek through the store, we stopped to feed the kiddos. No surprise, there are ZERO on-plan options at IKEA (there is, however, creamed fish in a tube... Ummmmm...). I sat at the table while my daughter (and everyone else) ate a hot dog right next to me. It smelled delicious. Honestly, I wasn't tempted; I was envious. This was the first time I realized that eating this way is very, very simple and actually very easy. . . if you don't ever leave your house. Being in the outside world? That's a totally different story. In my house, there are no snack foods, no bread, no sweets. Out there, smells and pictures and other people eating things I've even forgot existed are everywhere. I'm looking forward to when the draw of those things isn't quite as strong.
Before you worry too much, let me reassure you that I have no plans of staying holed up in my house with my safety foods until I feel brave enough to go outside. I might, however, think twice about taking a trip to IKEA during big cravings days and/or after a no-sleep night. Moving forward, I know I'll have to pack healthy snacks for me to eat when I'm faced with situations such as this one.
As for now, I hope that my healthy foods and I can have a good heart-to-heart in the morning.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Kitchen Sink Scrambled eggs with the remaining Cucumber Cups filling
Lunch: Leftover Salmon over a bed of greens with leftover Cucumber Cups
Dinner: More leftovers. We have leftovers coming out of our ears right now. It's the best! It makes the end of a stressful day so much easier.
Round 2, Day 2: The Party Scene
So Day 2 was actually yesterday, but late-night antics with some girlfriends kept me up past midnight and sleep was priority over my blog post.
Speaking of late-night antics, last night's festivities included a pot-luck style snack fest. I have to admit that I was more than a little nervous about it. Would I be able to resist the sweet treats that were sure to be invited to the party? Would my offerings be ignored in favor of more tasty morsels? Would I completely lose my composure and tell myself that I've already started over once, I can certainly try again (I had a nightmare about that the other night. These are the real fears of my subconscious, folks!)? Well, I am fortunate that my group of girlfriends is supportive and wonderful and not only did they eat what I brought, but they also brought "Steph-friendly" items. I was seriously touched.
I've had people ask me why I've gone so completely public with this. Why I've exposed dangerously personal and embarrassingly real details about my experiences. Why I feel the need to document meals and thoughts that might otherwise be kept private. If you are one of these people, know that I don't take offense to the questions. Strange as it may seem, I feel a little bit weird about it, too, sometimes. In reality, I'm making this a public struggle because I need the motivation; I need the support; I need the cheerleaders and the team of people who make this hard thing a little easier. Imagine if I were to keep this to myself and I was presented with sugary goodness at the get-together last night. I would have caved. I probably would have given in several times during the program. I know me too well. This "shouting from the rooftops" approach helps me feel accountable. Best of all, it makes it so much easier to reach out for help when I need it.
One of the biggest changes I've noticed since starting this program is how much easier it is getting to ignore the sweet stuff that would have beckoned me in the past. There were definitely some delicious-looking snacks there last night, but it was so much easier to refrain and stick to snacking on fruit and drinking water (have I mentioned how incredibly thirsty I've been since starting this thing? I cannot get enough water lately). The best part is how I felt last night driving home and this morning waking up. Besides having a nasty headache from the lack of proper sleep (Little Miss Toddler woke up at 6am. Not so fun when one goes to bed well after midnight), I didn't have the Sugar Regrets that usually follows a fun night out. I felt pretty great, considering.
Another check mark in the "W30 Is Great" column.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Potato and Spinach Hash topped with fried eggs
Lunch: Sauteed Kale with Sweet Potato and the remaining Shepherd's Pie leftovers
Dinner: Salmon smothered in homemade cilantro lime aoli and topped with seasoned chopped tomatoes. I didn't get a picture because I was in such a rush to get out the door. Don't worry, there's plenty of leftovers to photograph.
Party Snacks: Oven roasted red potatoes and carrots with avocado garlic aoli; Thai Cucumber Cups
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Round 2, Day 1: Getting Saucy
*Deep breath* Here we go again. . .
If you are reading this, you haven't given up on me; you haven't gotten bored; you haven't gotten tired of my constant babbling or my mediocre food photography and for that I am extraordinarily grateful. I owe much of my success with this program to my circle of supporters.
Today, I'm tired.
SO
TIRED.
It's 9pm and I feel like I should have gone to bed an hour ago. I'm anxiously awaiting the days where I have more energy than a two year-old on Twizzlers. Until then, I'm going to push through until this and hope I don't fall asleep in the process.
In the Whole30 book, there are several recipes within recipes for sauces and dips. Initially, I was so overwhelmed by this thought that I avoided any of those recipes strictly out of fear. I'm happy to say that I've started tackling those recipes and I'm having so much fun with it. I feel downright domestic. Martha Stewart would be so proud.
My sister made cookies today. I LOVE my sister's chocolate chip cookies. Better than the cookies is the dough. Oh. My. Gosh. It's the first time during this program where I've had an honest to goodness desire to eat something off-plan. W30 doesn't allow for any kind of junk food "substitutes", even if the ingredients are all allowed. The reason behind this is that it goes against the spirit of the plan. The point of what I'm doing is to break food habits, not replace them. By so doing I won't resume those habits after the 30 days is over. Luckily, my toddler was getting fussy and it was time to take her home to bed.
Phew! Crisis averted. Now onto the GOOD things I ate. . .
Breakfast: Kitchen sink scrambled eggs made with leftover shepherd's pie, topped with avocado, and a side of raspberries.
Lunch: Leftover rotisserie chicken, a banana, and a plum. (Shoveled in my face on the way to church.)
Dinner: Roasted chicken, cabbage slaw, and red potatoes with an avocado aoli and a cilantro lime aoli.
If you are reading this, you haven't given up on me; you haven't gotten bored; you haven't gotten tired of my constant babbling or my mediocre food photography and for that I am extraordinarily grateful. I owe much of my success with this program to my circle of supporters.
Today, I'm tired.
SO
TIRED.
It's 9pm and I feel like I should have gone to bed an hour ago. I'm anxiously awaiting the days where I have more energy than a two year-old on Twizzlers. Until then, I'm going to push through until this and hope I don't fall asleep in the process.
In the Whole30 book, there are several recipes within recipes for sauces and dips. Initially, I was so overwhelmed by this thought that I avoided any of those recipes strictly out of fear. I'm happy to say that I've started tackling those recipes and I'm having so much fun with it. I feel downright domestic. Martha Stewart would be so proud.
My sister made cookies today. I LOVE my sister's chocolate chip cookies. Better than the cookies is the dough. Oh. My. Gosh. It's the first time during this program where I've had an honest to goodness desire to eat something off-plan. W30 doesn't allow for any kind of junk food "substitutes", even if the ingredients are all allowed. The reason behind this is that it goes against the spirit of the plan. The point of what I'm doing is to break food habits, not replace them. By so doing I won't resume those habits after the 30 days is over. Luckily, my toddler was getting fussy and it was time to take her home to bed.
Phew! Crisis averted. Now onto the GOOD things I ate. . .
Breakfast: Kitchen sink scrambled eggs made with leftover shepherd's pie, topped with avocado, and a side of raspberries.
 |
| Avocados and eggs. My new favorite combination. |
Lunch: Leftover rotisserie chicken, a banana, and a plum. (Shoveled in my face on the way to church.)
Dinner: Roasted chicken, cabbage slaw, and red potatoes with an avocado aoli and a cilantro lime aoli.
 |
| That slaw was crazy good. |
 |
| My Sauces. So proud. |
Day 6: Day 1?
Today was a disaster, my friends. Even hearing my own name made me crabby. That could be my fit-throwing brain again, or it could be that I've been cheating and I didn't even know it.
Turns out the ham I've been eating for breakfast almost every morning has been cured in sugar (I shouldn't be surprised. Sugar is added in almost everything we eat nowadays). I bought it before I started the Whole30 and had assumed it was on plan. Today I discovered that it isn't. Not even close. I'm so disappointed.
I have to start over.
I feel like "disappointed" doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling. I feel defeated. Frustrated. Angry. Sick to my stomach. Like everything I have done--all the hard work, all the blog posts, all the meal planning, all the abstaining from trigger foods and being so, so careful--has been a waste. I almost feel like a total fraud.
So now what? I figure I really have two options:
1. Pretend, justify, and keep going onto Day 7 tomorrow. After all, I can just stop eating that one thing and move forward. No one else needs to know about it. It's just ONE thing I was eating and I didn't even know it was off-plan, so why should I start over?
2. I can be honest with myself and realize the truth of the matter: I started this to detach myself physically and psychologically from harmful and inflammatory foods. If I kept going like nothing happened, I could be cheating myself out of the full potential benefits of this program.
I toiled over this for a long time. I cried and I got mad and I complained to my husband who told me whatever I decided to do, he would be behind me 100%. Eventually, I decided the best thing would be to start over at Day 1.
So tomorrow, I begin again. Round 2. This is still a gut-wrenching choice, but it's the right choice. I'm coming to grips with it. In the end, I know I'll be grateful. Right now, I kind of wish I would have eaten that Wendy's when I had the chance. . .
Ok, ok. Not really. The benefit to having a week's worth of "bonus" Whole30 days behind me is that I have a perspective on the positive changes that improving my diet has brought me, despite my little mishap. I am still optimistic that things will continue to improve.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Day 5: Someone Take Me to Wend---nevermind...
I woke up in a fog today. I was groggy and irritable and I felt really out of sorts. I felt another "Kill All The Things" day coming on. I got a little less than seven hours of sleep, and Baby E slept pretty well so I know that this is just another phase of my body getting used to not having sweets and processed foods. I know that my brain is mad because I usually give it the things it tells me I want; the things I usually crave. I know that this is normal. I know that my brain is now throwing a giant hissy fit because I won't give it those things it thinks I want. It's OK. I have a toddler. I can deal with hissy fits. I know that I'm doing so much good for my body. I know that my health choices are just so wonderfully fulfilling and making such positive changes and blah, blah, blah blah.
I. don't. care.
I reached a point today where the "fun" part of this is wearing just a tad thin. The newness is still present but fading. I sat on the couch of my friend's house where I was babysitting and thought about the leftover chicken thighs in the fridge, all cold and. . . healthy. Blech. In that moment, everything that I had been so darn excited about during the last 4 days seemed underwhelming. Bland. Boring, even. Just as boring as that plain chicken in the fridge waiting to be consumed.
I wanted Wendy's. I wanted a burger and fries and some kind of (ANY kind of) cold, carbonated beverage. "Ugh!" I pouted to myself, "whyyyyyyyyyy?"
I was prepared for this. I knew this was coming. I've read about this. Being prepared for this helped that craving to suck a little less. Kinda. I distracted myself and went about my day anyway.
I didn't eat lunch until almost 2pm. I wasn't even that hungry, but I know that bodies need nutrition and I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I ate anyway. I wasn't that mad about it, either.
Huh. Weird. . .
Dinnertime rolled around and I was really excited about it. It's like I gained a little bit of momentum thinking about taking a recipe I hadn't tried yet and making it for other people. Two of my good friends and my parents came to my house for dinner. The end result had mixed reviews, but I LOVED it. And I loved creating it. I loved being in the kitchen and cooking with friends and chopping vegetables and laughing and trying to maneuver around my two-butt kitchen.
It was good and fun and energizing. It reiterated for me why I'm doing this. It was good for me to show other people what I'm doing and that I don't have to just eat steamed broccoli and plain chicken breast. I can experiment with different flavors and tastes and it's exciting. It's sustainable. It's something I'm so grateful to have been introduced to.
At the end of the day, I didn't want to kill all the things.
Yay me.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Southwest eggs and ham again. Seems to be my breakfast staple.
Lunch: A bed of mixed greens with leftover chicken thighs topped with homemade guac and cilantro lime mayo.
Dinner: Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
I. don't. care.
I reached a point today where the "fun" part of this is wearing just a tad thin. The newness is still present but fading. I sat on the couch of my friend's house where I was babysitting and thought about the leftover chicken thighs in the fridge, all cold and. . . healthy. Blech. In that moment, everything that I had been so darn excited about during the last 4 days seemed underwhelming. Bland. Boring, even. Just as boring as that plain chicken in the fridge waiting to be consumed.
I wanted Wendy's. I wanted a burger and fries and some kind of (ANY kind of) cold, carbonated beverage. "Ugh!" I pouted to myself, "whyyyyyyyyyy?"
I was prepared for this. I knew this was coming. I've read about this. Being prepared for this helped that craving to suck a little less. Kinda. I distracted myself and went about my day anyway.
I didn't eat lunch until almost 2pm. I wasn't even that hungry, but I know that bodies need nutrition and I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I ate anyway. I wasn't that mad about it, either.
Huh. Weird. . .
Dinnertime rolled around and I was really excited about it. It's like I gained a little bit of momentum thinking about taking a recipe I hadn't tried yet and making it for other people. Two of my good friends and my parents came to my house for dinner. The end result had mixed reviews, but I LOVED it. And I loved creating it. I loved being in the kitchen and cooking with friends and chopping vegetables and laughing and trying to maneuver around my two-butt kitchen.
It was good and fun and energizing. It reiterated for me why I'm doing this. It was good for me to show other people what I'm doing and that I don't have to just eat steamed broccoli and plain chicken breast. I can experiment with different flavors and tastes and it's exciting. It's sustainable. It's something I'm so grateful to have been introduced to.
At the end of the day, I didn't want to kill all the things.
Yay me.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Southwest eggs and ham again. Seems to be my breakfast staple.
Lunch: A bed of mixed greens with leftover chicken thighs topped with homemade guac and cilantro lime mayo.
Dinner: Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
 |
| No joke, I LOVED this, but I also really love sweet potatoes. Not everyone was as enthused about it as I was. Meh. More for me. |
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Day 4: My Tiny Sanctuary
Four days in and I've decided that I've become obsessed with food. This in an of itself isn't new, but there's a positive shift to it that is. My previous obsessions have been unhealthy and very love/hate. This time my obsession with food is a positive one. There's something really empowering about making things from scratch and assembling meals that are really healthy and not at all gross. My time in the kitchen preparing and cooking meals (and I'm pretty sure the amount of time I spend in the kitchen has increased by 158%...ish) has become a peaceful time in a my very own (tiny) sanctuary. My husband has been incredibly gracious to allow me this time and space to prepare and cook in peace; at least for dinner. He watches the baby while I toil away in the kitchen. It's a great, great system.
Well, at least I think so.
I've noticed that lately that I end my days happier and just a little proud of myself. I attribute that to an increase in healthy eating in addition to my "sanctuary time". I have more energy to clean up at the end of the day after my toddler has tornadoed her way through the house. WIN.
Ok, ok. I can't hold it in any longer.
I
MADE
MAYONNAISE.
That's right, people, I figured out what I was doing wrong yesterday and I made mayonnaise. And then I celebrated. Then I told a friend who responded with, "interesting." At first I wanted to reply, "WHAT?? No, no, no. This is HUGE!!! Don't you GET IT??" But it made me understand that successfully making my own mayo isn't that special or important. The special or important part is that it was a major hurdle that took me four tries to overcome. That mayonnaise represents my ability to overcome varying obstacles now and in the future. It will be something I will look back on to gain perspective when I feel like I'm failing at this. That fact makes it a big deal. At least to me.
Onto the fun stuff. Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with homemade avocado salsa and ham.
Lunch: Leftover sauteed kale and sweet potato topped with more of that delicious salsa.
Dinner: Seared chicken thighs, roasted red potatoes, and cilantro lime mayo.
Well, at least I think so.
I've noticed that lately that I end my days happier and just a little proud of myself. I attribute that to an increase in healthy eating in addition to my "sanctuary time". I have more energy to clean up at the end of the day after my toddler has tornadoed her way through the house. WIN.
Ok, ok. I can't hold it in any longer.
I
MADE
MAYONNAISE.
That's right, people, I figured out what I was doing wrong yesterday and I made mayonnaise. And then I celebrated. Then I told a friend who responded with, "interesting." At first I wanted to reply, "WHAT?? No, no, no. This is HUGE!!! Don't you GET IT??" But it made me understand that successfully making my own mayo isn't that special or important. The special or important part is that it was a major hurdle that took me four tries to overcome. That mayonnaise represents my ability to overcome varying obstacles now and in the future. It will be something I will look back on to gain perspective when I feel like I'm failing at this. That fact makes it a big deal. At least to me.
Onto the fun stuff. Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with homemade avocado salsa and ham.
Lunch: Leftover sauteed kale and sweet potato topped with more of that delicious salsa.
Dinner: Seared chicken thighs, roasted red potatoes, and cilantro lime mayo.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Day 3: KILL ALL THE THINGS
My toddler was up in the middle of the night from midnight to 3am. I hadn't been to bed until almost midnight to begin with, so when I woke up this morning with a little less than five hours of sleep under my belt, I wasn't exactly optimistic about the day. My normal reaction to a lack of sleep is to make convenience (and sugar-laden) foods and limp the day along until I got a chance to take a nap. Since I have cleaned all those foods out of my kitchen, that just wasn't an option today. I stifled a groan when I remembered that we ran out of eggs last night, so I did the unthinkable: I went to the grocery store hungry.
I was strangely in a good mood as I walked up to the front doors of my local Hy-Vee. The first thing I saw when I waltzed into the store was a huge display of baked goods. I would love to say that I marched right past those tasty-looking loaves of sweetened breads and cookies with all the will power of an Olympian, but that wasn't entirely the case. I reacted more like I was trying to avoid an ex-boyfriend I spotted across the dairy aisle; I ducked my head and practically ran the other direction. Still, I made it out of there with exactly what I needed for breakfast and nothing more. Another smiley face sticker on my mental "Way To Go" chart.
I was strangely in a good mood as I walked up to the front doors of my local Hy-Vee. The first thing I saw when I waltzed into the store was a huge display of baked goods. I would love to say that I marched right past those tasty-looking loaves of sweetened breads and cookies with all the will power of an Olympian, but that wasn't entirely the case. I reacted more like I was trying to avoid an ex-boyfriend I spotted across the dairy aisle; I ducked my head and practically ran the other direction. Still, I made it out of there with exactly what I needed for breakfast and nothing more. Another smiley face sticker on my mental "Way To Go" chart.
The rest of the day went basically without incident. I dealt with my cranky toddler better than I had anticipated, and the rainy day slums didn't create a sense of snackiness that I had expected it to. Day 3 was already a success and I was pretty excited about it.
And then came the mayonnaise.
There's a recipe in the Whole30 book for homemade mayo that I've been dying to try. You can't get more foodie than making your own mayo. More than a little excited, I followed the simple recipe using my immersion blender. The mayonnaise broke halfway through. I was NOT going to be defeated, so I tried again with my food processor. Again, a failed attempt. This time because I left the egg sitting on the counter top. So I tried a third time with my blender and yet again, I ended up with a soupy, oily mess. What followed was a screaming, fit-throwing, husband-blaming thirty minutes that ended with me sobbing like a child in the middle of the kitchen. I was angry and yelling and covered in oil. My food processor ended up in the trashcan. It was so embarrassing.
I was warned about this. The Whole30 book has an outline and an explanation behind the behaviors that typically happen during the different stages of the program. Usually the "Kill All The Things" day doesn't hit until Day 4 or 5, however. Darn me and my overachieving.
There's a recipe in the Whole30 book for homemade mayo that I've been dying to try. You can't get more foodie than making your own mayo. More than a little excited, I followed the simple recipe using my immersion blender. The mayonnaise broke halfway through. I was NOT going to be defeated, so I tried again with my food processor. Again, a failed attempt. This time because I left the egg sitting on the counter top. So I tried a third time with my blender and yet again, I ended up with a soupy, oily mess. What followed was a screaming, fit-throwing, husband-blaming thirty minutes that ended with me sobbing like a child in the middle of the kitchen. I was angry and yelling and covered in oil. My food processor ended up in the trashcan. It was so embarrassing.
I was warned about this. The Whole30 book has an outline and an explanation behind the behaviors that typically happen during the different stages of the program. Usually the "Kill All The Things" day doesn't hit until Day 4 or 5, however. Darn me and my overachieving.
The best thing about this breakdown (maybe the ONLY good thing about this breakdown) is how quickly I bounced back from it. It was the most amazing experience to feel in control of my emotions again after such a weak, out-of-control moment. On a typical day, I'd pout into a bag of chips or a cookie from Whole Foods (everything from there is healthy, right??) and spend the rest of the evening in a junk food fog. Instead I felt optimistic and determined.
It was freaking awesome.
It was freaking awesome.
What's not freaking awesome is that mayonnaise recipe that I haven't yet conquered. With a little help from google and the Whole30 site, I think I know exactly what to try for next time. This mayo will not beat me.
What I ate:
Breakfast: Leftover salmon patties over a bed of greens topped with fried eggs and a side of raspberries.
Lunch: Wilted kale with almonds and lemon juice topped with baked sweet potatoes.
 |
| This was SO GOOD. Can't wait for leftovers tomorrow. Seriously, people. Try this. |
Dinner: (See breakfast. Dinner was a little bit of a fail. Thank goodness for leftovers).
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Day 2: Full Speed Ahead
What I ate:
Breakfast: Three eggs and two slices of ham.
Lunch: Leftover chicken caccitore (Still delicious. Seriously.)
Dinner: Salmon Patties and sauteed potatoes
How I felt:
I learned from yesterday's mistake and increased my breakfast. I wasn't quite as starving by lunchtime, which was good. I actually felt that choice helped me not be quite so tempted by all the junk food and snacks that were around me today. I made Mac&Cheese for the babies (I babysat today, for anyone who was confused) and wasn't at all tempted to take a bite or eat what they didn't. I call that a win.
I'm learning that there are seriously no "short cuts" with this program. My evening ran long and I had to rush home, get dinner started, take care of a toddler who was getting fussier by the minute, and figure out how to keep the house clean. The kiddo finally went to sleep around 8:30 so Jonny and I got to sit down together for dinner by 9pm. On a normal day, we would have ordered out or bought ready-made dinner items from Hy-Vee. I've found that I've had to rearrange some priorities for this to be successful, but it's been so worth it. The food is delicious so far and I feel like I'm honing in on some kind of random kitchen skills I didn't think I had.
I'm finding it hard to plan things with friends without saying things like, "We have to find a place where I can actually eat something," or "yeah, well, I can't eat that, so..." or even worse, "well I'm doing this thing where I can't eat dairy or added sugar or..." I'm desperate to stay positive about this. This isn't about what I can't eat; this is about breaking my psychological dependence on food. I still want to have fun; I still want to be with friends; I just want to find a way we can do that without it centering around eating bad things. I'm forever grateful to my amazing husband and family who have been supportive and encouraging...for both days...
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| Breakfast today |
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