Whole30 Two: Day 10

• Breakfast: 2 chopped HB eggs, salsa, carrots. Coffee with unsweetened coconut milk.
• Lunch: Spinach salad with 2 chopped HB eggs, pistachios. Sweet potato chips. 1/2 large Macintosh apple.
• Dinner: Sliced chicken apple sausage lightly sauteed in coconut oil. Sweet potato rounds, roasted w/s&p. Frozen blueberries in coconut milk (meh).

Notes:

Whoa! I feel GREAT! Overall, I'm satisfied with my meals. My taste buds are really waking up. My head is clear. I've probably lost 5 lbs. 

The bump on my neck is nearly gone.

My skin is not clear. I have blemishes under my nose from the constant use of tissues with lotion on them.

I've been shopping around on Pinterest for some new recipes. I'm excited to make Apple Bumpkin Bake this weekend (http://www.thefoodieandthefamily.com/2012/07/01/apple-bumpkin-breakfast-bake/), among other things found on other Whole30 blogs.

Whole30 Two: Day 9

• Breakfast: 1egg omelet with roast beef and green peppers. Coffee, black.
• Lunch: Spinach salad with leftover ranch chicken and sweet potatoes and carrots. Macintosh apple. Black cherry seltzer.
• Dinner: Grilled sirloin strip and green beans. Monkey salad (minus coconut flakes). 

Notes:

Holy fullness, Batman! After my meals, I feel quite full. There's a distinct difference today!

Cheerfulness is aaaaalmost here. I can feel it casting some sunshine over my cloudy days. 

The bump on the nape of my neck is reduced by half. Still not a zit. I'm not concerned, so long as it is getting smaller.

Whole30 Two: Day 8

Day 8? Where has the time gone?

• Breakfast: 1 egg omelet with Applegate Roast Beef and green peppers. Coffee, black.
• Lunch: Spinach salad with taco meat, salsa, green peppers, carrots. 1/2 pear. Coffee, black.
• Snack: Terra chips, black cherry seltzer
• Dinner: Baked ranch chicken breast (made with homemade dry ranch dressing mix) with roasted sweet potatoes. Cashews.

Notes:

I'm feeling better now than I was this weekend. Maybe making a few more real meals will help.

Stomach pain in morning. I don't want to cut out nightshades, but I may avoid peppers for the rest of the Whole30.

You know how some people compulsively read signs aloud on road trips? Well, I'm compulsively mouthing the names of all the yummy things I see as I move through the world right now. Last night, I passed by a number of stores and restaurants on my way to the subway station and found myself whispering "muffins" and "blow pops" into my scarf.

Speaking of my walk, my workplace's security office sent out a message about someone getting robbed at gunpoint along my route to the subway. So that's cool.

New bump on the nape of my neck. Not a zit, so far as I can tell.

Whole30 Two: Day 7

• Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 1/2 orange pepper, pistachios
• Lunch: Spinach salad with 2 slices of Applegate roast beef, carrots, and orange peppers, with a drizzle of evoo and S&P. Cherry pie Lara Bar.
• Dinner: Taco salad w/salsa dressing, green pepper, cucumbers, diced tomatoes, iceberg+spinach mix.

Notes:

Yawning is almost gone.

Cravings for sweets are still powerful.

I used this recipe for the taco seasoning. It was too spicy for my family, so next time, I'll cut out the red pepper flakes and just put a teensy weensy bit of cayenne pepper. Lo loved it, but she kept taking breaks to cry about the spiciness. We're not used to heat!

Brief, stabbing stomach ache around 8:30. Not unusual for me, but unexpected on this diet. Could I have a problem with nightshades?

Whole30 Two: Days 5 & 6

• Breakfast Day 5:  2 eggs fried in ghee, raw carrots, coconut flakes, coffee.
• Lunch Day 5: Chef Aidells Apple Smoked Chicken Sausage, carrots, spinach, 1/2 pear.
• Dinner Day 5: 2 slices of Applegate Organics - Organic Roast Beef, California Blend steamed (frozen) veggies, Monkey Salad w/o coconut milk
• Snack Day 5: Almonds

• Breakfast Day 6: 2 eggs fried in ghee, medium sweet potato, coffee
• Lunch Day 6: Avocado Egg Salad, carrots
• Dinner Day 6: 2 HB eggs and California Blend Veggies
• Snack Day 6: Cherry Pie Lara Bar

Notes:

I'm not sure if "Kill All The Things" was Whole30-related or just because my whole family was down with another cold.

I've started tracking my food for a health insurance reward program, and it seems my fat intake is too high, my calorie intake is too low, and everything else is too low. Not enough calcium, not enough Vitamins, not enough iron. This is upsetting to me. I don't know how to do this or if the numbers should matter.

I have to make the food more exciting. So far, I've been winging it, and it's going to get boring.

Whole30 Two: Day 4

• Breakfast: 2 over-medium eggs fried in ghee, raw carrots, cashews. Coffee, black.

• Lunch: Spinach salad with eggs, beets, carrots. Banana. Terra Exotic Vegetable chips. Lemon seltzer water.

• Dinner: 1 medium sweet potato with 1/2 avocado and ghee toppings. leftover tuna salad. cashews.

Notes:

Not sick of spinach salad or eggs yet!

I'm not as weirded out about having odd things for breakfast anymore, or just throwing shit together for lunch or dinner. Food is mostly delicious when it's fresh and easy to prepare. At least for me. Ever had raw carrots and cashews mixed with runny egg yolk? Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

Those Oreos still sound dang good. Dreaming of a bowl full of cookies, drowning in cold lactose-free milk. Mmmmmmmm.

Whole30 Two: Day 3

• Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 1/2 canned beets, cashews, S&P, all diced up together. Good, but could have used a little ghee and a warm up. Coffee, black.

• Lunch: Spinach salad with tuna salad, one egg, carrots. Pear.

• Dinner: Leftover chicken cutlet smothered in Victoria marinara. Raw baby carrots. Cashews. The family had chicken noodle soup with saltines. I saw they broke into my expensive raw cashew stash before I got home. Mixed feelings.

Notes:

My stomach feels the same today. A little sour. 

Lo ate a beet off my plate this morning. She refused more, but I was pleased.

I felt very tired mid-morning.

Cravings. Stacy told me that there are Oreo cookies in her house, and they're all I can think about. Day 31... Oreo party. Mmmm.

Whole30 Two: Day 2

• Breakfast: Two egg omelet, with leftover steamed broccoli and cauliflower, a thumb's-worth of pistachio meats. 2 cups of coffee, black.

• Lunch: Spinach salad with leftover chicken cutlet, carrots, leftover broccoli and cauliflower, and compliant balsamic vinegar. 1/2 cherry pie Lara bar. 

• Snack: Lightly salted roasted almonds. They were not 100% compliant because roasted in vegetable oil.
• Dinner: One chicken apple sausage (not 100% compliant because contained fruit juice as a sweetener), green beans, handful of pistachios, banana. I made tuna melts with cucumber slices for the family.

Notes:

It was quite difficult to decide to do this second round of Whole30, but now that I'm doing it, it feels easy(-ish). I'm allowing myself little cheats, so long as I mostly comply.

I see Lola intently watching me eat, so I make a big deal about how delicious my food is. Even though she says, "I don't like eggs. I don't like broccoli," I am pleased that she is observing me. That is one of my biggest motivators when doing this Whole30 business.

My stomach is feeling better overall, but I had a sour stomach after dinner last night.

Still lots of yawns/caught breaths. Probably related to residual sinus congestion.

Cravings for sweets really kicked in in the afternoon and evening. I've really been over-indulging in sweets for a couple of months, so this makes sense. I had a banana and that nipped the craving in the bud last night.

I went to bed around 10 and had a bit of trouble falling asleep. I've been thinking back to my first few months of motherhood, which were extremely difficult for me, so a few of my lowest moments kept hounding me. Regrets. I have a few.

Whole30 Two: Day 1

• Breakfast: Two HB eggs, a handful of baby carrots, a thumb's-worth of pistachio meats (Trader Joe's has these for a fair price.) Coffee, black.

• Lunch: Spinach salad with two HB eggs, carrots, leftover steamed broccoli and cauliflower, 1/2 avocado. Terra Exotic Vegetable chips (1 serving).

• Dinner: [Anticipated] Chicken cutlets (made with coconut flour and fried in coconut oil), boiled & mashed sweet potatoes w/ghee. 
  [Edit: I had the cutlets and canned green beans instead of sweet potatoes. I prefer breadcrumbs to coconut flour, but it was good in it's own way.]

Notes:

I'm starting a day later than I'd planned to, because I went to breakfast with T's grandma yesterday, and there really wasn't anything compliant on the menu. So I enjoyed eggs and home fries and cinnamon raisin toast... and later chocolate coconut milk ice cream, macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, etc.

Quick little inventory on things that are bothering my body, going into this:

• Intermittent stomach sensitivity because of either an allergic reaction or a 24-hour stomach flu last Wednesday, compounded by a cough and congestion. For about a week since, I've had a sour stomach and occasional waves of nausea. Antacids have made me upchuck.

• Chronic (compulsive?) yawning for about a week, maybe because of the congestion.

• My self-esteem is rather in the dumps, along with my energy level.

It Starts with Food.

I'll be doing my second whole30, starting on MLK, Jr. Day. Here's how I'll be using this coming week to prep:

1. Incorporate breakfast. I'll take a couple of minutes (literally) each morning to make scrambled or fried eggs. I'll eat these on a bed of fresh spinach or with some microwaved (20 secs) canned beets. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 
2. I'll stop drinking beer and wine. It can be done!
3. I'll reread my blog from September and spend time on the Whole9 blog and the helpful guides there. Then I'll make a meal plan and grocery list. Good links:

• http://whole9life.com/2013/08/the-whole30-program/
• http://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/
• http://whole9life.com/2013/02/multiple-whole30s/
• http://whole9life.com/2012/01/seasonal/

Why am I not just jumping in? Because it's damn hard. And I want to succeed. 

Last time, I attached oral health to my Whole30 challenge. I'll do this again, but I'm also adding a

nightly body scan meditation. I'm reading Mindfulness for Dummies and I found some good apps 

to guide me until I'm comfortable doing it on my own.

I'm not a lazy jerk, and I'm tired of feeling like and acting like one.

Day (-74): Check-In

A lovely MN friend and her husband have started their own Whole30, and it's inspired me to reflect.

Lasting Benefits

• I'm still taking my coffee black, and I actually PREFER it!
• I'm still splurging on cage free eggs and chicken and wild caught fish, and I avoid buying pork products almost completely.
• I rarely buy out-of-season produce, which has me feeling a bit limited of late, I admit.
• I am no longer under the delusion that "all natural", "low fat," or "no added sugar" mean anything or that there's moral behavior among manufacturers of children's food. 
• I check labels.
• I don't buy tuna with soy added or pasta sauce with sugar. My go-to sauce brands are Rao's and Victoria's (whichever's on sale).
• I buy Lo whole fat dairy products without worrying that I should be switching to low fat versions. 

Non-Lasting

• Eating breakfast. 
• Avoiding processed foods.
• Abstaining from alcohol, sweets, and snacking.
• Bringing healthy lunch from home daily. 
• Using and valuing leftovers.

I've mentioned to friends that I'm tossing around the idea of doing another Whole30, and they've suggested maybe doing a modified version, but I really trust the science behind the Whole30 (see the book *It Starts With Food* by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig). Ultimately, as my friend Stacy and I have discussed, I hope this leads to a paleo diet with the occasional cheat.

Oy. I do not want to talk myself out of doing something, even if it's just cutting out sugar and alcohol again or cutting way way back on grains and cheeses. I'm close to making a move. Stay tuned (if you wanna).