8.31.2015

Whole 30 - Results



Do you remember that time I blogged for a couple of weeks in a row and then the blog went dark? Yup, I stopped before the grand finale of Whole 30. And I'm sure if you have been following this journey, you may be thinking that I failed or didn't finish. However, I am proud to say that I completed my first Whole 30. Hallelujah!

I finished my first round at the beginning of this month. Honestly, I am so proud of myself and it became so much easier the last couple of weeks. Whole 30 is all about some NSV (non scale victories) so here are a few of mine:

- clearer skin; much clearer skin
- more energy
- better sleep (although I do take sleeping pills when the need arises)
- a recovered love of cooking (but I would still pay a chef if I had the money)
- better nail growth
- clearer nostrils (were my allergies caused by food?)
- clearer thinking (no mid afternoon slump)
- #DRINKALLTHEWINE (a few months postpartum, I developed an allergy to my beloved wine (like body starts burning/tingling and a rash/hives start creeping up my neck). It is safe to say that I can drink wine again with zero issues. This truly is a huge NSV - many people who have rashes and skin issues find their symptoms disappear once they implement this eating plan.

I really wish that I had taken measurements prior to starting, but I did not. Anyways, I dropped 10 lbs when I weighed on day 31 and was down 13 lbs by the end of the week (23 lbs total since I began working out regularly). My weight loss looked like much more than 10 lbs and I squeezed into pants 2 sizes smaller than when I began. Boom.

I decided not to continue a second round (football season is RIGHT around the corner) and wanted to maintain an 80/20 ratio of eating compliantly. I do plan on starting another round after the holidays (maybe before then if AU doesn't make it to a championship).

In my mind I think I did a pretty decent job this last month. During employee appreciation week I passed on breakfast goodies, sweet snacks, and mac & cheese/bread during the catered lunch - but did eat about half a serving of banana pudding. YUM! I actually have done quite well, but this weekend was a different story. It was a very social weekend for us and I indulged in multiple meals (pizza, wine, shaved ice, "butter" and even had a couple of oreos when I skipped lunch at work one day). This really was A LOT of junk in a short amount of time. Ick.

Aside from feeling guilty, I instantly became lethargic and could not breathe through my nose Friday night until Monday afternoon. It was so bizarre to feel as awful as I did that at one point I wondered if I was becoming ill. Reintroduction has not hit me as hard as it did this weekend. Needless to say, dinner on Sunday evening and meals today have been Whole 30 approved.

With that in mind, I still plan to apply an 80/20 approach to my eating. It is very doable with the proper planning. Eating out is more difficult, but definitely possible. If you have any questions about the program, feel free to reach out. I will have one more Whole 30 post about items I feel are necessary for a successful round. That post may not come out until next year, but it will happen!



8.10.2015

Whole 30: Weeks 3 & 4


I kept weeks 3 and 4 quite simple by repeating a bunch of the recipes in the previous weeks. Therefore this post will not have a meal plan breakdown, but I will share any new recipes that I tried. Week 3 was a sad week as I found myself out of town for an unexpected funeral. Because I was traveling and staying overnight at a friend's home, I brought some food with me. It quickly became a joke that I bring my own food and can't have altoids, but I didn't cheat! Plus, it was good for some of us to chuckle through the tears.

A few compliant recipes to try:

Almost 5 Ingredients Pizza Spaghetti Pie - SO delicious! My husband loved it and we both had leftovers for breakfast. Yum! I had never cooked spaghetti squash before, but it turned out great.

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken & Gravy

Baked Chicken with Garlic Marinade - I came across this marinade recipe and decided to use it before the chicken breasts in my fridge went bad. It was light & tasty - a perfect summer marinade.

Salads, eggs, bacon, sausage, apples, avocado and roasted veggies continued to be in the rotation.

Have you never roasted veggies? I firmly believe it may be the only way to consume them. Cut up any veggies (I like to mix it up with okra, sweet potato, butternut squash, broccoli, and carrots) and toss them in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Then season them with Chef Paul's Magic Vegetable Seasoning Blend (funny story - I was grocery shopping with my husband and he asked someone where the "Magic Mike's Seasoning" was. HAHA!). Once seasoned, throw the veggies on a foil lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes (turning halfway). You won't be sorry.
8.02.2015

Whole 30 - Week 2


Woo hoo! I made it to the second week and I still have #dishesuptomyeyeballs. This week I completely cut the snacks out. Progress! I also ventured outside of my kitchen and ate at Five Guys & Longhorn Steakhouse. Our family also went out of town to my BFF's daughter's pool party, which meant I packed my own snacks (instead of indulging on the pizza & homemade cake) and looked ahead of time for compliant restaurants in the area.  P.S. Longhorn Steakhouse has a gluten free menu that makes it a little bit easier to order compliantly.

Monday:
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole w/Apple & Almond Butter
Salad (spinach, chicken, apples, cucumbers, avocado, strawberry vinagrette dressing)
Baked, Seasoned Chicken Wings, Sauteed Green Beans & Broccoli

Tuesday:
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole w/Carrot Sticks & Guacamole
Salad (again)
Crock Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken & Roasted Okra

Wednesday:
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole w/Carrot Sticks & Guacamole
Salad (again)
Cracklin' Chicken & Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Thursday:
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole w/Apple & Almond Butter
Leftover Cracklin' Chicken & Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Crock Pot Tacos w/Onions & Bell Peppers in a Coconut Wrap


Friday:
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole w/Apple & Almond Butter
Five Guys: Double patty burger in a lettuce bun w/mustard, peppers & onions
Leftover Crock Pot Tacos w/Onions & Bell Peppers in a Coconut Wrap

Saturday:
Eggs, Bacon, Veggies
Cucumbers & Guacamole, Peach, Cashews
Five Guys (again): Double patty burger in a lettuce bun w/mustard, peppers & onions

Sunday:
Peach
Longhorns: Flo's Filet (no seasoning, no marinade), broccoli (no seasoning), baked potato (salt & pepper)
Steak, Baked Potato w/Ghee & Roasted Brussel Sprouts