Days 7 & 8 - Grumpy Has Set In

Yeah, I've hit the end of week 1 grumps.  Read all about it.

Day 8 - Monday, May 6 (Happy Birthday, HLM!)

Breakfast: Black coffee, water, monkey bowl

Lunch @ Sweet Peppers Deli, repeat of last week: Chicken grill salad, no cheese or croutons, except I was legit and asked for straight up oil and vinegar; fruit cup; unsweet tea with lemon.

EARLY Afternoon Snack: Sea salt almonds, WATER

Supper @ Staffords after baseball: Salad, which was actually a really nice assortment of veggies, with BBQ meat (no BBQ sauce) and about half a packet of Italian dressing...not Whole30 approved :(.  What can I say, not all establishments have oil and vinegar.  Plus, I had to watch everyone else eat ewwy, gooey sandwiches with french fries, so Italian dressing seems pretty mild in the face of that.  SIGH...

While I was attempting to put AH to sleep, which was taking forever, for some reason I suddenly imagined a sugar cube disolving on my tongue.  Yeah, I have issues.  Right now I'm sitting here with the jar of almond butter, a spoon and my unsweet tea.


Day 7 - Sunday, May 5

Breakfast: Black coffee, water, sea salt almonds later in the morning

Lunch from Hardees: $6 Thickburger, no mayo, ketchup or bun; exotic chips

Supper @ my mom's for my grandfather's birthday:
Here's where the grumpy set in.  First of all, it's a party.  Usually at parties I'm all, "Woo hoo, it's a party!  Let me eat a ridiculous number of yummy calories!"  And when you're the only person abstaining, it stinks.  Second, I planned ahead by having knowledge of the menu.  I planned in advance to limit myself to grilled fish, sweet potatoes, salad, and fruit.  When I got there I was all excited by the site of oil-based slaw.  Then my dreams were shot down when I was told it had sugar in it; so I didn't have any.  Then I saw that the salad had shredded cheese mixed all in it.  I nearly cried.  But I ate it anyway.  Then I made my stupidest choice: 2 deviled eggs, which I know contained mayonnaise.  Then I realized as I was eating the sweet potatoes that they were probably cooked in butter.  So then I was having a full-blown pity party in my head.  I cannot even eat 100% legit by planning ahead?!?!  I would like to point out that I passed up pasta salad, fried fish, hushpuppies and THREE kinds of dessert, yet I'm sitting there beating myself up over small amounts of butter, cheese and mayo.  At that point I realized that the only way to eat 100.0% Whole30 for the duration is to prepare every single morsel at your own home with your own two hands.  That is not a reality for me.  So I will celebrate what I consider 95%+ compliance, and I will move forward.

I also had a moment when I realized my friend was at day 21, and here I was BACK at day 7. 

Forward, march!

My Whole30 Thoughts to Date

You may be thinking, hey lady, you've only been doing this Whole30 thing for 7 days.  But actually, all my tries combined, I've made it over 30 days.  But this time I intended to make it consecutively and say I'VE DONE IT!

Know that it takes at least a week to see any positive changes in your body.  Which is hard for me who needs immediate confirmation that sacrifices are paying off.  After the 1 week mark I notice I feel thinner and the bloat is almost gone.  But I don't know about pounds lost because you are not allowed to weigh until you make it the entire 30 days.

Black coffee is easier if it's flavored.  However, the hubs hates flavored coffee, so I only make it on weekends when he's working.  The rest of the time it's good ole' Folgers black.

Yes, that is a Jerry Springer coffee mug.  It was free (my favorite), but it's a great shaped mug.

Make sure you have a support system.  And I don't mean people just cheering on this "crazy diet" you've decided to try.  (I've heard that phrase a ridiculous number of times by now.)  You really need someone who's doing it with you or at least a similar challenge.  The first time I had Jack and Sara.  The failed attempt in April was alone; not shocking.  This time I have Michelle and Angel, who is trying something different but similarly limiting.  We spend A LOT of time talking, texting and emailing about recipes,  products, challenges, GRIPES, etc. 

Speaking of texts, last night one of us almost caved on Diet Coke.  I took a trip down memory blog lane the other night, and it really helped me have some faith in myself.  I never thought I could give up sweet tea or Dr. Pepper, but I did in 2010.  Actually, I never thought I would LIKE Diet Coke, and now here I am writing it love letters every week that I can't have it.  Oh yeah, and I never thought I'd like skim milk...nearly 15 years ago.

And speaking of time, this eating plan takes tons of prep work.  I spend Sunday mornings pouring over Pinterest and "granola" blogs looking for recipes that I might legitamitely make. 

Our trip to Whole Foods in Bham last weekend was something.  First, they were out of coconut aminos, which is the only thing I wanted to buy in Bham.  I seriously wanted to have a cry baby fit right there in the aisle.  We also tried Fresh Market and Golden Temple for it with no luck.  Golden Temple was one of the strangest stores I've ever been in (um, is that a pentagram on that mortle and pestle?), but it is where I acquired the date sugar!

The funniest and grossest has been kombucha.  I egged Michelle into buying it, and OMG.  Worst drink ever.  Tastes like vinegar mixed with pond water.  Michelle chugged 1/2 the bottle to feel better about the money she spent on it (just another reason we get each other; frugal rules!).  Notice the sludge in the bottom of the bottle.

 

So eating like this at home is interesting.  The first 20 days, I altered food just for me.  Then I decided to subtlely get the males in the house on it too.  (Let's be honest, the 2-yr doesn't eat normally enough to get her on it.)  I haven't bought bread in 3-4 weeks.  Afternoon snacks have consisted mostly of fresh fruit and Larabars.  I have let E have low-carb yogurt because otherwise we're running out of snack ideas and ways to get him full.  I've also let him have ranch dressing because it's the only way he eats salad.  His sandwich box in his school lunch now consists of rolled up lunch meat, a boiled egg, grape tomatoes and baby carrots.  The first day he was NOT impressed.  "My lunch was a piece of junk!" he said, channeling Si from Duck Dynasty.  He has complained less over this 3-week period.  It was actually a good day the day I packed a bowl of tuna salad with a fork (no crackers, no bread).  He wants it every day!  Of course, due to mercury it will be a once a week lunch item.  

Their usual morning breakfast has been eggs and cereal with skim milk.  I tried getting them on eggs and bacon, and for some reason they resisted.  Doug, not being very supported, went out and bought them cereal after less than 2 weeks.  More to come on this issue, GRR.

So one more thing.  I FINALLY have the coconut aminos, a soy sauce alternative, in my cabinet.  After 3 stores in Bham, lo and behold the health food store in Columbus had it.  Elizabeth was kind enough to deliver, but there is certainly a trip there in my future. 

Cauliflower fried rice, here I come!

Day 6

Day 6 - Saturday, May 4

I woke up like I do most weekend days: CRAVING A DOUGHNUT!!!  But alas, I did not cave.

Breakfast: Black coffee and an "indulgent" monkey bowl...2 bananas!

Lunch: Leftover shepherd's pie and 2 boiled eggs

Afternoon snack: Strawberries, kiwi and almonds

So would I have ever had this as a Saturday afternoon snack if I wasn't on Whole30?  Heck no.

Supper: My 2000th salad with boiled eggs and salad shrimp; sweet peppers; pickles; exotic chips and sweet potato chips.

 

 

So yeah, I suspect the chips are not 100% Whole30, but they are my saving grace.  I love them soooo much! 

You'll notice a lot of olives, pickles and boiled eggs in my food logs.  That's what I eat while we're getting supper ready. 

Days 4 & 5

Day 5 - Friday, May 3

Breakfast: Black coffee, water, gas station bacon and smoked sausage *

Lunch at Taste of China: I would have NEVER been able to join my coworkers for a Chinese buffet if this particular Chinese buffet had not had a mini Hibachi station.  I was able to get a big plate of steak, chicken, onions, bell peppers, snow pea pods, zuccini, and mushrooms with garlic sauce (I closed my eyes, crossed my fingers, and hoped it didn't have soy in it).  While I waited I ate crab sticks wrapped in bacon (man, I'm out of control with the bacon) and fried bananas.  Two things about the fried bananas.  First, I once again hoped the oil they fried them in was ok.  Second, they were amazing.  They ended up on my "dessert" plate too, which also consisted of fresh pineapple, orange slice and grapes.  For some reason I thought srircha was an approved condiment, so I had a smidge with my stir fry (dude, that stuff is really hot!)  I realized later it's not approved as SUGAR is the second ingredient.  Sneaky, sneaky sugar.  :(

Afternoon snack: I was starving by 2 pm even after eating all the above.  I had a coconut Larabar.

Supper: Our supper was so good tonight.  We made bacon-wrapped chicken, substituting date sugar for brown sugar.  Then we just had simple iceberg wedges on the side.

OMG, I just realized I ate bacon at EVERY MEAL today!  hahahah


Day 4 - Thursday, May 2

Breakfast: Black coffee, water, banana, mini cashew cookie Larabar

Lunch @ Oby's: Chicken club salad, grilled, with no cheese and with the only legit dressing -- straight up oil and vinegar

 

I'm 99% positive that prior to yesterday I've never eaten that entire salad before.  But minus ranch and cheese, it was a lot less filling. 

 

Supper @ No Way Jose after baseball: Pollo Con Queso -- NO Queso.  You can imagine the ribbing I took.  It was 2 thin chicken breasts with mushrooms and bacon and a side guacomole salad.  Unfortunately the plate came with sour cream and I had to sacrifice some lettuce to the sour cream divide.  NO CHIPS, NO CHEESE DIP, NO TORTILLAS, NO DIET COKE...man. 

 

BEVERAGES:

To know me is to love me.  But to love me is to know that I'm polydipsic -- I drink all the time.  Previously, my day went like this: Coffee with flavored creamer, Diet Coke, more coffee with flavored creamer at work, maybe a glass of water, then Diet Coke with lunch, a to-go DC for the afternoon, and then finally my decaf unsweet tea at home.  (Sometimes followed by another DC at 9 pm.)  How horrified are you right now?  Ok, so on a good day there was a lot more water in there.  I mean, how else would I be the all-time-water-bottle changer?  My new routine is so stinking boring: Black coffee, water, more black coffee at work, more water, unsweet tea with caffeine at lunch, more water, then decaf unsweet tea at home.  The 3 drink rotation is getting a bit old. 

 

  

Day 3 - Wednesday, May 1

Breakfast:
Black coffee
Sassy water
Banana
Lunch:
Bulldog Deli chicken grill salad (no cheese or croutons), balsamic vinegrette (mistake, pretty sure it had sugar in it), unsweet tea
Snack:
Mixed nuts (minus peanuts) at a work reception while I stared longingly at the cookies, cake and ice cream and my work BFF Angel got mad at me for hogging the almonds ;)
Supper:
Garlic-stuffed olives
Shepherd's pie with fauxtatoes (cauliflower and turnip blended with vegetable stock - this recipe needs a bit more work) [pic]
Apple with almond butter
Unsweet, decaf tea
WATER

Don't worry, I didn't eat the part with the shredded cheese.  And Jack called during supper and immediately said, "She can't eat that, it has mashed potatoes!" 

My Whole30 - Take 3

Sometime in March, Jack, Sara and I had lunch.  Sara had just purchased It Starts With Food and was talking about how she was about to start the Whole30.  We were intrigued and decided to give it a shot.

Here's a quick cheat sheet:

EAT: Meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, healthy fats
NO: Dairy, soy, legumes, grains, starches, processed foods, sugar (including artificial),alcohol


I started my first attempt at Whole30 on Monday, March 18.  I made it 20 days before caving after getting sick from (suspected) food poisoning.  Let the record show I made it longer than both Sara and Jack :)  Here is a log of my meals for reference:

At the end of that 20 days, my stomach was the flattest it's been in Y-E-A-R-S! but I had only lost 3 pounds.  So like the dork I am, I fell off the wagon for the next 9 days, gaining back all the pounds and bloat.  Yuck.

I started over in April only to fail again after the Warrior Dash when my body demanded that I feed it carbs, ha.  The only thing I was successful at sticking with was drinking my coffee black for 6 weeks minus 2 exceptions.  And considering how many cups I drink a day, 2 exceptions is very low!

So my third attempt started yesterday (Monday, April 29).  This time Michelle will be joining me, and I THINK that is the motivation to make it the entire 30 days.  I've also tried to implement a Whole30 approach for the family with some exceptions.  More to come on that.

Here is what I'm eating this go round:

Day 2 - Tuesday, April 30

Breakfast/Morning Snack:
Black coffee
Sassy water
Lunch: 
Salad (lettuce, carrots, grape tomatoes) with balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Turkey deli meat *
Boiled egg
Unsweet tea 
Monkey bowl (cut up banana, unsweetened coconut, natural cashews) [pic]
Supper:
Black olives 
Stuffed peppers (red, green and yellow - eat the rainbow!), sweet potato and green beans [pic]
Decaf, unsweet tea
Water

Day 1 - Monday, April 29

Breakfast/Morning Snack:
Black coffee
Sassy water (detox water made with lemon, cucumber, ginger, and mint)
Banana
Lunch:  
Leftover taco lettuce wraps
Unsweet tea
Afternoon Snack:
Apple
Supper: 
MORE leftover taco lettuce wraps
Bacon *
Almond butter
Decaf, unsweet tea
Water

* Bacon and deli meat that "normal" people around here buy are not 100% Whole30, but living in a podunk town isn't completely conducive to being compliant.

Travel is near!

Y'all, I miss blogging.  My new job coupled with the adoption has just thrown me for a loop.  However, I do plan to blog when I can during our trip, so here is a new blog just for the trip:

http://redtigerbaby.blogspot.com/

Hope you'll follow along!