Day 2 Wrap Up

Mental Check-In

As expected, today was harder. The cravings hit in full force and we were both very hungry by dinner time. Cheese, cake, chocolate... I wanted all of it. I used my "I can do anything for 30 days" mantra over and over again.

I am breastfeeding/pumping, so I'm always worried about any diet changes messing with my supply. Jacob's gotta eat! When I noticed my output was a little lower today, I started second guessing myself. Luckily, it seems to just be Jacob's eating habits but I will still have to keep an eye on it over next few weeks and really listen to my body when it says to eat more!

Physical Check-In

Still some left-over stomach pain, but it's starting to subside. I'm feeling less bloated and have the same amount of energy as before we got this going.

The Food

Breakfast: Veggie Scramble and Fresh Strawberries
I sautéed zucchini, tomatoes on the vine, and spinach in some EVOO and added in whisked eggs for a yummy scramble mixture. I'm really warming to black coffee (it helps to get quality coffee, ground fresh) and have further confirmation that I genuinely like the taste of coffee - not just cream and sugar.

Lunch: Leftover Blueberry Glazed Porkchops, Asparagus, and Fresh Salad (no picture)
Eating lunch at my desk during a meeting about clients was not quite as exhilarating as the patio at Whole Foods.

Dinner: Surf and Turf
This was originally just intended to be surf, but we were hungry! Luckily, we had some leftover (paleo-safe) steak at home to add to our meal.

The shrimp/avocado salad boats turned out awesome. Michael made pico earlier in the day to save some time (onion, tomato, green bell pepper, lime juice, salt, pepper). We mashed up two avocados and the shrimp was defrosted and served cool.

Each "boat" consisted of a leaf of romaine lettuce, 1/2 an avocado, topped with 5oz shrimp and pico de gallo. Both of us had two boats and a side of steak. It was quite a meal but neither of us felt overstuffed afterwards.

Day 1 Wrap Up

Mental Check-In

Overall, day 1 was pretty easy. We had delicious food, I got to try a new recipe, and we felt full at the end of the day! I don't think everyday will be so easy, but I'm excited that we're off to a good start :)

Physical Check-In

After a weekend of eating yummy rich foods, having a few Karbauchs, and treating ourselves to multiple desserts, my stomach was achy. Bleh. I had pains throughout the day today, but I'm hoping this will resolve as I continue eating on track.

The Food

Breakfast: Eggs on the Vine (no picture)
Simple and easy. I just heated some EVOO in a pan, cut up a whole tomato on the vine into chunky pieces, sautéed it with salt and pepper, then added 2 beaten eggs to scramble it altogether.

Lunch: Whole Foods Salad
One of my favorite treats! It was a little different having to avoid the black beans, corn, edemame, and croutons, but the salad still hit the spot. I grabbed some spinach, romaine, and mixed green lettuce, then added in broccoli, shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, and lemon pepper chicken. I topped it off with a mix of oil and vinegar.

The best part was getting to enjoy my lunch on the patio. After spending my morning in a windowless office, it was a welcomed reprieve.

Snack: Mixed Nuts
Don't worry, I won't show this picture multiple times :) Cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios.

Dinner: Blueberry Glazed Pork Chops with Asparagus and Salad
I seasoned the pork chops with salt, pepper, cayenne, oil, and vinegar, then cooked them over medium-high head for 8-9 minutes (5 on first side, 4 on second side).

While the chops were cooking, I started the asparagus (oil, pinch of salt and pepper; sautéed for 10-12 minutes) and the blueberry sauce (fresh blueberries straight in the pan over medium heat; stir and add a few shakes of nutmeg; continue stirring as it cooks for a few minutes, then add water; takes about 10 minutes altogether).

We put the salad together as we plated the food (too much Food Network): spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1/2 small avocado, and lime juice. The whole meal was sweet, savory, and fresh!

Whole30: Day 1

I did a lot a pre-prep to get started. I went on a shopping trip last week to get anything that could be dry stored or frozen over the next few weeks. I also bought in bulk to save money.

 

Protein

·        6 lbs of lean ground turkey (separated and stored frozen in 1lb increments; 2lbs of which were seasoned into turkey breakfast sausage).

·        3lbs sirloin steak (separated into 3 packages and frozen)

·        1 pork loin

·        1 lb frozen shrimp (to be added to salads)

·        3 lbs HEB organic chicken (frozen box)

·        2 lbs boneless pork chops (separated into 2 packages and frozen)

·        1 lb tilapia (frozen and stored)

·        4 cans tuna (no extra additives)

 

Vegetables (because I fear buying too many fresh vegetables and not using them before they spoil)

·        3 lbs frozen broccoli

·        2 lbs frozen brussel sprouts

 

Fruit (for non-dairy smoothies, which I think is technically questionable but still allowed)

·        1 lb frozen mango

·        2 lbs frozen mixed berries

 

Nuts/seeds

·        Almonds

·        Cashews

·        Pistachios

·        Pumpkin seeds

·        Sunflower seeds

 

I also made a detailed meal plan for this week so we would know what fresh ingredients to get from the grocery store. Then, I went back to work yesterday, Michael had a solo day with both boys, we celebrated my sister’s birthday last night, and the fresh shopping trip just didn’t happen. Whoops. So, we begin with a slightly amended plan.

 

	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Breakfast	Eggs on the Vine (2 scrambled eggs mixed with one tomato on the vine)   1 pink lady apple	SausVeg (turkey sausage and grilled zucchini)   Strawberries and mango	Spinach Tomato Scramble (2 scrambled eggs with spinach and cherry tomatoes)   1 pink lady apple	SausVeg (turkey sausage and grilled zucchini)   Strawberries	Egg Baskets (eggs fried in bell pepper rings)   Grapes
Lunch	Eating Out: Whole Foods Salad	Left over (pork chops, sprouts, and spinach salad)	Salad with Tuna (romaine, bell pepper, cherry tomato, apple)   Carrots	Left over (spaghetti squash and broccoli)	Left over (pork loin over spinach salad)
Snack	Mixed Nuts and Seeds	Grapes and nut mix	Nut mix	Carrots and nut mix	Apples with almond butter
Dinner	Blueberry Glazed Pork Chops with Brussels sprouts and spinach salad (bell pepper, avocado, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice)	Lime Shrimp Salad (romaine lettuce, shrimp, avocado, pico de gallo)   Side of raw zucchini and carrots	Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Tomato Sauce   Side of steamed broccoli and berries	Savory Pork Loin with Roasted Vegetables   (sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and bell pepper)	Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potatoes  Side of broccoli

Whole30

Last year, a few of my co-workers did a Whole30 challenge. I couldn’t help but think: “Are you crazy? How can you sustain that? How can you go 30 days without a bite of dark chocolate? No tortillas? No butter? That just doesn’t seem possible. I’m tired of all these fad diets.” So, it’s a bit laughable that I’m starting the same program today.

I’ve been slowly changing my eating over the past few years to be more well-rounded, plant-based, and limited in processed junk food (get that Star Crunch out of our house!). However, Pregnancy/severe morning sickness puts me in a spiral. When the only thing you can hold down is French fries, you tend to eat a lot of French fries. When you can start adding other things back in, they tend to be the things that accompany French fries. You know, Chick-fil-A nuggets, soda, ice cream, oreos… the works. Unfortunately, I can’t blame the works on pregnancy. Those are choices. MY food choices and I feel ready to choose differently.

I’ve spent the past 12 weeks trying to shift slowly back into healthier eating and I’ve done alright. Not fantastic, but I’m actually craving healthier foods again. In comes the Whole30. For many, the challenge is a kickstart into a totally Paleo lifestyle. For me, it is an experiment in eating. If I’m making healthier choices, I want to make the right ones for my body and how it functions.

Paleo enthusiasts taut – this is how we humans were made to eat! I agree, to an extent. Humans are the only animal to drink another animal’s milk and it’s not really made for our bodies. However, I’m still trying to figure out why I can’t have my beloved black beans.

I’m using these next 30 days to see how my body responds to a very basic diet. At the end of the 30 days, I’ll slowly start adding foods back in. I assume I may find a few foods that just don’t agree with me and I will remove those from my diet. If none of them agree with me, I guess I’ll join the ranks of Paleo eaters.

The rules (as outline here: The Whole30® Program | Whole9 | Let us change your life.)

1.      Eat good food! This includes lean proteins, good fats, lots of vegetables, and fruit.

2.      Eliminate foods that you probably enjoy a lot but that may not be helping you.

a.      No added or artificial sugar

b.      No grains

c.      No legumes (with the exception of green beans, snow peas, and sugar snap peas)

d.      No alcohol

e.      No dairy

f.       No white potatoes

g.      No MSG, carrageenan, or sulfites

3.      No paleo-fying junk food

4.      Do not step on the scale until the 30 days are over.

I’m going to use this blog to document what I’m eating, how I’m feeling, and what I’m taking from the experiment. Hopefully it will hold me accountable too finish the darn thing. I can do anything for 30 days and I’m ready to go!