Day 21: Turning Into a Lifestyle

Broccoli mush

Today marks the 3 weeks! I am proud of myself for making it this far and it's crazy that I only have 9 more days to go. Honestly, the more and more I eat like this the more I feel like it's turning into a way of life. After my 30 days I think that I will keep eating like this with a few modifications. Such as buying almond milk from the store. Yes, it is technically a processed food but I think I can live with myself if that's the worst of the worst of the processed foods I eat/drink. Overall though I will continue to eat a lot of veggies and meats and stay away from sugars. Especially sucralose and all of those "fake" sugars like Splenda. I will also stay away from grains... I feel a lot better not eating bread, pasta, cereal, bagels, etc. I don't feel as sluggish and my energy levels are really maintained throughout the day. But I think there is a level of enjoying life and enjoying food while you're at it.

Peaches minus the cream

Because my day was lacking of veggies yesterday I tried to incorporate more of them in my meals today. However, I ate a lot more fruit than I should have today... My breakfast was this experimental broccoli egg mush thing. I took leftover broccoli and grilled some onions and sautéed them together. Then I whisked 3 eggs and poured them over top. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. It actually tasted pretty good. I am used to doing that with spinach but not broccoli. 

Chicken broth stewing...

I had a peach and a banana as an afternoon snack. And again I only had 2 MEALS?! Ugh. I am not sure if it's stress or what but I am having to force myself to eat 3 whole meals. For my last week my mission is to eat 3 good meals. I started Whole30 off strong and now I feel like I am failing. But hey, I am doing my best and I really do feel better. I hate to admit it but I am looking forward to taking the after pictures and getting on the scale. I know it's not about weight, but I am excited to see some of my hard work pay off. I feel my hard work paying off on the inside but it will be nice to see physical changes. In other news I am making my own chicken broth in my crockpot. It still has like 15 hours to go but I'll let you know how it turns out...

Day 20: Football, Franks, and Burgers

The eyes of TX are upon you!

Today was a great day for my personal life, but not so great for Whole30... I had a great Saturday because I ran some errands, got some reading done, and WENT TO MY FIRST UT FOOTBALL GAME! I was really excited but I have to say - the tailgate was not as fun without drinking. It's just such a social part of tailgating. Ice cold beer in one hand and a burger in the other. I did not experience this and I cried a single tear because of it. Someone had to pour some champagne on the ground and dedicate it to me (aka their homie). It's sad because I have not gone 30 days without alcohol since I turned 21... But to be honest the upside to that is I am not going to be hungover tomorrow. And I need to accomplish a lot tomorrow so I can't afford to be hungover.

SO DELICIOUS

Anyways, I got off to a great start this morning with meal 1: sweet potato hash browns with 2 fried eggs on top. I took the sweet potato and peeled it and then julienned it into tiny little strips. The latter was very difficult - well more difficult than I thought it would be. A sweet potato is not the softest and squishiest of vegetables. It was manageable though and the end result was fabulous. I seasoned the hash browns with salt, pepper, allspice, and some cinnamon. Sooooo tasty! I recommend them to anyone who loves sweet potatoes.

#selfie

I had some fruit and cashews halfway through the day, like a few hours before I left for the football game. I was expecting BBQ at the game and thought I could just snack on that. Well there were really only sausages. So I ate two of those with some yellow mustard... and no veggies. Today was a very veggie-less day. Sadly. It's strange because the longer I have been doing this the more and more I enjoy eating vegetables. Meal 1 is still the hardest time for me to eat vegetables, but I have become accustomed to it. I didn't eat anything at the game because I wasn't hungry after those sausages, which was probably for the best because I am not sure what I would've eaten. Let's just say that sporting events are very conducive to eating like a rabbit.

After the game I went bowling with my friend Tyler and I got a hamburger without the bun, with lettuce, pickles, onions, and mustard. It was actually quite pathetic looking. But it did the job. However, yet again I didn't have any veggies. You can't count the little pathetic scraps of white colored "lettuce" on top of my hamburger patty. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for good 'ol veggies. I hit the 3 week mark tomorrow!! Woo hoo!!

Day 18 & 19: Major Slackin Goin On...

My post-work snack

I apologize for not posting for the past few days. I have been busy busy busy. Trying to get through
my first week of school and last week of my internship. It is going to take a while to get used to my new schedule, which is going to change next week when I go back to working part time at the law firm. Needless to say, and will probably come as no shock, my Whole30 has really been lacking this past week. I know i've said this repeatedly but I really need to plan. I have this Monday off and it is going to be devoted to meal planning.

Olive oil infused with lemon!

So over the past two days I have been sticking to Whole30, except I really struggle in the mornings to eat vegetables. I have been snacking on some meat and fruit in the morning, which I know is not good. I had broccoli and steak this morning for breakfast so that was kosher with the Whole30 program. Went out to lunch and got a cobb salad with turkey. I have found that it isn't super difficult to go out and eat on Whole30 - except I feel like I constantly eat cobb salads. And I modify a lot of things when I order them. I also find eating out kind of a waste of money because I struggle paying $11 for a burger when all I am really going to eat is the patty. Plus, what am I supposed to do about condiments? Bring my own homemade ketchup? Eh... I don't think that's possible unless I carried around a little cooler in my purse. So after my Whole30 I might go back to eating regular condiments every now and then.

Fruit > Cake

Today was the last day of my internship and the lovely people I worked with decided to get me and the other intern a cake, cards, and a certificate. BUT the best thing that happened was a lady named Bonnie, who knew that I was doing Whole30 and couldn't have cake, went out of her way to cut up a bunch of fruit and make a fruit plate! It was amazing. Strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi, and pineapple. Soooo tasty and I didn't really crave the cake. Well scratch that - I wanted a piece. But after it was all said and done I felt just as satisfied with my fruit. It is very refreshing to know that there are people who support you and what you're trying to accomplish. I am blessed to have such a supportive network of friends and family to help me on my Whole30 journey. And if any of you are going to start Whole30 and need a buddy to do it with I would be glad to join you! It really has changed the way I view food, and I can't ever see myself going back to the way I ate before this...

Day 17: I Got 99 Problems and Grad School IS ONE

Today was the last first day of class... unless I miraculously decide to go get my PhD and be Dr. Mullins someday. Pssh. I only had one class today but I am seriously going to have to get used to my new schedule. I will especially have to get used to sitting in one classroom for 3 hours at a time. Wednesdays, except for today, are going to be hellacious because I have class from 9-12 and then 2-5. That's a good amount of sitting on my ars. I gotta get to exercising and soon.

#selfie

Another thing that I am really going to have to get used to is my eating schedule. I failed today, yet again, to prep anything. I also somehow lost the icepacks that I bought so that's a bummer. Six bucks that i'll never get back. So I scrambled this morning to eat a little chicken with BBQ sauce and an apple. That was at like 9... and I didn't eat again until a little after 4?! Holy shit. It was intense. I don't even know how I made it through the day. I guess I was running on adrenaline. Meal 2 was better than meal 1 because I ate green beans instead of fruit.

So tonight I redeemed myself by grilling up some steak on ze George Foreman and boiling some broccoli. I didn't eat a meal 3 because by the time I got home and settled it was already like 8:30 pm. Ugh. I feel so out of whack. I really need to get my meal prep in check! I need to cook a ton of stuff on Sunday and Monday night so that I am prepared for the week. I also did a bunch of dishes tonight. Ran the dishwasher and did some by hand.

Okay - I apologize that this post is more boring than watching an old person try to eat corn on the cob without their dentures...wait that sounds actually kind of exciting, no?... but I am tired and it's been a long and hectic day. I have not been doing so well during week 3 of my Whole30 but I am hanging in there... by a thread.

Day 16: The Day I Saved One Life... And Took Another

Wellp, today was the first and hopefully only day that I will ever break the Whole30 program. Before you start gettin' all judgmental and shit you must know that I broke my program in order to save a life. I don't know whose life, but a life nonetheless. I donated blood. Yes, that is how I saved a life. An entire pint of blood was drained from my body today. And what's funny is when I asked the lady how much she took out and she said a pint all I could think about was fucking ice cream. Go figure.

More like death newtons

So here's how it went down. I have O+ blood and there is currently a shortage. As any good citizen would do I decided that it was my turn to give blood - at any cost. The last, and only time, I attempted to give blood (which was 6 almost 7 years ago in military technical school) I passed out in the chair almost immediately after the needle went in. Not because I am a pansy and am afraid of needles, I was just an emaciated little stressed out 18 year old. Anyways, because of this the lady was extra cautious and made me chug, yes chug, an entire can of fruit punch flavored gatorade before even giving blood. Boy was that a sugar rush. After giving blood she made me sit in a chair and eat a snack. Snack - the death word. Out of all of my choices I decided a Fig Newton was the best way to go. It's Fig flavored and a fig is a fruit, right? Cool. Needless to say I felt ashamed and proud all at the same time. The downside was that about 5 hours later I had the worst stomach ache of my life. Sugar overload and my body didn't like it.

Cobbbbbbbb Salad

On the flip side, I went out to lunch today and was treated to a very tasty cobb salad - without the cheese of course. Chicken, avocado, egg, bacon, lettuce, onions, and lemon/oil as the dressing. Twas quite delicious. I was full for the rest of the day and came home feeling like cooking would be the death of me. So I ran over to HEB and got one of those already made rotisserie chickens without any seasoning and ate some of that. I paired it with some of my homemade BBQ and lemme tell you, that ish is good. Side note: if you're going to attempt to make the BBQ sauce (which probably none of you ever will) go a little easy on the cider vinegar. It comes out rather strong if you use the recommended amount. Overall, my day was eventful and I now look like an addict of some sort because both my arms have puncture wounds in them - oh, because I also got vials of blood drawn at my doctor's office this morning. Ya, anyone say heroin-addict-look-alike? I only kid. I only kid.

Day 15: Monotonous Hell

Okay, well maybe hell is too strong of a word. I don't really feel like I am in hell but I don't really feel focused on Whole30 this week. I am halfway through and I am just so overwhelmed with other crap going on in my life that I am kind of giving the cold shoulder to the program this week. I stopped taking pictures of my food, I still haven't made the mayo or any type of dressing, and I haven't cooked 1/4 of the meat that I have in my freezer. Needless to say I am really slacking here people.

Shout out to Haley Calhoun!

Today I ate leftover hard-boiled eggs and green beans for breakfast. Leftover pork loin and brussel sprouts for lunch. By the time dinner rolled around I wasn't even hungry! I forced myself to eat some chicken and a pear - no veggies!! Ahhh. I am literally falling apart at the seams. I am starting my second and final (thank God) year of grad school on Wednesday and I am just trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am not going to have a life (click the link, it is hilarious) until approximately December 12th or 13th... That's ages away. I am taking more interesting, yet more challenging courses this semester. Which on the one hand is great because this is probably the last year of education that I'll ever receive (via a university), but bad on the other because my ass is about to be grass. I will probably have between 200 and 500 pages of reading to do - per week! FML. At least the topics are interesting to me.

Hokay, but back to my diet. I am just not preparing the food the way I want to be. I desperately need to do dishes because shit do you go through an ass-ton of tupperware! I mean jeez Louise people. I go through plastic containers like it's nobody's business. And my tiny little dishwasher can't keep up. Plus I am lazy. So word to the wise - if you're gonna do Whole30 get your container game in check. I am determined to finish the last 2 weeks of my Whole30 strong. Like I mentioned in my previous post I am more than likely to extend because I am just not getting the desired results after 30 days. I need to get my ass on a stair master and quick...

(To all my G-rated readers, I apologize for all the profanity in this post. I am tired and cranky and that turns me into a sailor...)

Day 14: Sex with Your Pants On...

I don't know if this is the 14 day slump or what but I am feeling stuck. The second week is over and I am just feeling so monotonous. According to the Whole30 timeline days 12-15 tend to be described as:

Days 12-15: Boundless energy! Now give me a damn Twinkie.

Hurray! The slump is over! Your pants fit again! Your energy levels are better than normal – you’re downright Tigger the bouncing tiger! But something weird is happening. You’re dreaming. Not crazy nightmare or strange surrealist dreams, either. Incredibly 

Fluffy gooey goodness

normal and realistic dreams – about donuts. Or Twinkies. Or Snickers.* In your mind, sometimes you get caught and feel guilty. Sometimes you just brazenly eat the contraband. But then, the feelings start following you into the waking hours. Suddenly, you’re craving things you don’t even like. (For me, it’s Diet Coke and Twinkies, for Melissa Hartwig, it was fast-food cheeseburgers!) Your co-workers’ heads transform into giant Girl Scout Cookies as you gaze on in disbelief. Seriously, you’ve almost hit the halfway mark, and now this?! All joking aside, though, this phase gets really intense and for some people. This is the part of the program where our minds try to drive us back to the comfort of the foods we used to know. Our food relationships are deeply rooted and strongly reinforced throughout the course of our lives and breaking through them is really big deal. Journaling can be especially enlightening and helpful during this phase, and helpful for reflection later. Take some time to jot down what you’re craving, how you’re feeling and what tools you’re using to work through the cravings.
 *The cravings people get, and the dreams they often have, rival those of pregnancy. One person told me they craved pickles and Doritos (together) during this phase! 

Okay - so my pants are fitting a little differently, and I am having a more steady energy pattern. But all in all I feel strong cravings. Mainly for one thing and one thing only - pizza. I don't know what it is but I love pizza. I never really thought I had an unhealthy relationship with pizza but I apparently do. I want to try to make a "healthy" version using cauliflower crust or coconut/almond flour. Buuuuut you can't do this on the Whole30. This is called having Sex With Your Pants On (SWYPO).

I want this...

Apparently cauliflower crust pizza is like a gateway drug for the real deal. And I get that, but it's hard. I feel like this unhealthy relationship I have with food, mainly salty hot greasy food, is something that may take longer than 30 days to "deal" with. Today has been a day of contemplation. I am contemplating extending my Whole30 to Whole45 or possibly even Whole60. I am not feeling the results I want inside and not achieving the physical results outside. I know it's not about weight loss, but let's get real people - of course I want to look better. This also means I need to start going to the gym. Something that I am going to add to my routine 1 September... So today may have been a low point in my program, but there is always tomorrow, which just happens to be my halfway point!! That is if I decide to only stick to 30 days. Just gotta push through it!

Day 13: Such a Saucy Saturday

Did some more experimental cooking today. I made the BBQ sauce from the Well Fed 2 cookbook. So far this cookbook has pretty much been my bread and butter (so to speak) when it comes to cooking. I have really enjoyed all of the recipes I have made thus far and am looking forward to making more!

Po lil' joey...

I had to go to Sprouts to get some last minute ingredients that I didn't have: dates and sunflower seed butter. I have never had a date. I've been on plenty of dates but I've never eaten one. Ha. Ohhhh, get it? I couldn't find any fresh ones so I just got dried Medjool dates and they were reasonably priced, surprisingly. Come to think of it I am not sure I have ever seen a fresh date. Is that something people eat? I tried one on it's own before putting it in the BBQ mixture and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was like a little healthy candy. If you haven't tried one then you should get on that. They also actually had sunflower seed butter, which I wasn't expecting. It's kind of a greyish/greenish color and tastes just like a bunch of ground up sunflower seeds - obviously. I am not sure I would make a SB&J with it or anything but it was good. OH they also carry ground kangaroo meat, in case anyone is interesting in being super exotic. Tastes like chicken?

I also got some Kombucha and tried that. I didn't get the one with the chia seeds though. I wasn't ready for that. It was pretty good actually. Just like a carbonated tea drink thing. Not bitter because it was sweetened with fruit juice. Speaking of fruit juice, I bought some organic unsweetened cherry juice to drink and to put in my tea. It is really tasty and it's nice to drink somethings besides water. Cherries are my favorite and I can have them every which way. I was going to buy some dried black cherries but they were too expensive. I was used to buying the ones in the bag but those have an ass load of sugar. I'll have to just splurge and buy the ones at Sprouts or go without those sweet lil' treats. Technically I am not supposed to be buying anything to "snack" on. That goes against the Whole30 program...

Speaking of which... I actually did something today that I am not supposed to do. I only had meal 1 and meal 2. I woke up at 0600 to feed the dogs and fell back asleep until about 1000. Didn't eat meal 1 until like 1130 and then I didn't eat again until like 1730. Soooo that's bad. Maybe I'll have a late night small small meal 3. But we'll see. I can't be perfect every day ;) My meal 2 was really good though because I got to use my new BBQ sauce on my leftover pork loins. I was pleased and now I am content. Go checkout my recipes tab for the BBQ sauce recipe. Next sauce is going to have to be the mayo. I've put it off for way to long.

Day 12: Grillin & Chillin

Cute lil' guys

Friday. Thank God for Friday's. When you work 5 days a week Friday has such a different meaning. It's fabulous. Fabulous Friday. Food wise today was a good day. Nothing special or out of the ordinary included in my diet. I have a good amount of leftover and thawed meat that I need to eat so I keep eating the same things over and over again. I have been slacking on recipe experimenting and sauce making. I still have yet to make the mayo! Something that I am dying to make. And I want to make the BBQ sauce so I can make BBQ pulled chicken in the crockpot (you know who you are). Won't be the exact same without a bun and some cheddar cheese but it'll still be dee-lish.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with some of those small red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers. Those are so convenient and I think they have a better taste than bigger bell peppers. I would recommend experimenting with them because they can for sure go in more things than just eggs. An added bonus is that when you cut them they sometimes turn out like cute little flower things (see picture above).

Lunch was a salmon salad because I still have some of that sockeye and it's still good, but I have to eat it fast. It's strange how much flavor and satisfaction I can get from a gown of kale mix, spinach, salmon, olive oil, and lemon juice. Before Whole30 I would've added nuts and cheese and some heavy low-fat dressing that I thought was semi healthy because it had zero calories. It's amazing how much healthier you can be if you make your own sauces and dressings. Salads become so unhealthy once you douce them in Ranch dressing. Or even fat-free or low-fat balsamic vinegar, which contains a good amount of sugar in it. It does take more effort to make your own stuff but once you make a jar it can last you. Bottom line is that I need to get on that shit. Get off my lazy butt. Especially with classes starting next Wednesday. I won't have a ton of free time...

Hey! Can we have some?

I am dog sitting for Jim and Marianne this weekend. Bully #1: Simon. Bully #2 Barkley. They're my pals. Bonus - they have a nice gas grill that I grilled some pork loins on. I must admit that today was the very first time I have EVER grilled on a real grill. I mean, I own a George Foreman but let's be real people - it doesn't compare to a grill. My pork loins turned out good for my first time. They were a little dry because I think I might've left them on the grill a little too long. But hey, I'm learning. Simon and Barkley sure looked like they wanted some pork! Just look at those faces. Adorbs.

Day 11: Quite an Eventful Day

Today was a very interesting day for my Whole30 experience. Only the second day since I started that I went out to eat, and boy I went out to eat. I met some friends for lunch at a taco place and instead of getting a taco without the tortilla I decided to get a jicama salad with a side of grilled chicken breast. Sadly I didn't take a picture of it, but it was essentially some jicama sticks, cucumber, and mandarin oranges on a bed of carrots... Needless to say it had no lettuce or spinach and it was pretty pathetic looking. More and more I am feeling like a rabbit. So I failed at lunch at being really creative with my Whole30 because I could've gotten away with eating a taco minus the cheese and tortilla with sauce on the side. Oh well - you live and you learn.

One of these things is not like the other

After work I met up with my friends to hang out for the evening (how old lady did that just sound?). I took
some leftover chicken and carrots in my lunchbox, so that I could have that for dinner. I was around alcohol more than usual today and it was tough to not partake - not gonna lie. Going to a bar and sitting there drinking water isn't as fun as sippin on a nice cold one. And sometimes people ask why I am not drinking. But there are many reasons people don't drink. Medicine, pregnancy, other health reasons, religion, personal choice. Whatever the reason may be, not everyone drinks. But it is a VERY social thing to do and it was hard to not join in tonight. We went to Top Golf and the group ordered some chips, guac, quesssssso, beer, and wings. I decided to enjoy some rabbit food (aka carrots and celery), while every once in a while being super adventurous and dipping it in the guac.

Overall it was a tough but good day. I feel confident that I can finish the rest of my days out strong. I am feelin good but it will be nice to have a glass of alcoholic drink every now and then.

Day 10: Double Hump & Double Digits Day

Today I hit double digits and I am almost halfway there... I am almost to 15 that is. I have to admit I get really confused with the whole "30 days" thing. This may sound super blonde (don't get offended all you blonde people, this isn't your first rodeo) but I feel like 30 days should just be 1 month. I started August 11th and I want to finish September 11th... Wait now I am rethinking that. Okay I am just typing as I go people. So technically I will be done September 10th. But that's a wednesday and I don't like that. So I am going to be done September 12th, which is a Friday so I can have a celebratory alcoholic beverage. Don't judge me. Now that we got all of that cleared up, I know you
guys were super concerned with when my stop date was...

Today was a good day for food. I enjoyed my meals and I felt like I was satiated all day today, which is what matters. Breakfast was some chicken and carrots that I slow cooked in my crockpot while I was sleeping. It was quite simple to prepare. Last night I cut up some carrots, celery, and onion (into big chunks) and tossed them in the bottom of the slow cooker - oh and 1 lemon quartered. I then covered the whole chicken that I got from Sprouts in a rub made from paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and some thyme. Then I just plopped the chicken into the crockpot, turned it on low for 8 hours, and slept. Now I've read a few places that you're only supposed to cook chicken for 6 hours. But this came out juicy and flavorful and I was quite pleased with it. I think next time I will try different spices so that I can get a different kind of flavor. Overall it was a success. I love my slow cooker.


Lunch was a salmon salad. I took some of the leftover sockeye I baked the other night and laid it on a bed of kale mix and spinach. Drizzled some olive oil and squirted some lemon over top for the "dressing" and it tasted really good. Simple but filling. Dinner was the crockpot chicken and carrots with some applesauce and cinnamon. I did snack on some fruit today... possibly a little too much. I had cantaloupe, raspberries, and blueberries. They were really good and probably only 2 servings, which I think for the entire day is fine. I also bought some Rooibos tea and some magnesium (powdered form). Rooibos is an herbal non-caffinated tea that has antioxidants, and magnesium is supposed to be the "anti-stress" drink... I am about to take some before I go to bed so I will let y'all know if I am feeling less stressed. HAHA - ya right ;)

One more random note... I had some random cravings today about having whipped cream and gum and little things like that. It's only day 10 but sometimes it feels like I've been doing this for forever. I wouldn't say I am a person that has a crazy sweet tooth either. But I really really miss lattes. Like a lot. And it's fall and Starbucks is about to release the PSL on 25 August... it's going to be so hard not to get one. I think after Whole30 I will indulge on PSLs every once in a while. Shit happens. Pumpkin spice happens.

Kimchi, Kombucha, and... Sauerkraut?

Yummm cabbage

Today I did some research and figured out some possible solutions to my... issue... I am going to try a few things and hope they help. First, I am going to start eating naturally fermented foods such as kimchi and sauerkraut. According to Whole30, " raw fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut and kimchi... provide a rich source of nutrition and digestion-enhancing enzymes. The fermentation process also provides natural probiotics, helping the intestinal tract maintain a healthy balance of bacteria by increasing the “good guys.”" (It Starts With Food p.157) And they recommend including these fermented veggies in your diet a few times a week. 

Doesn't look as glorious now does it?

Second, I am going to try Kombucha - even though Wikipedia says: Drinking kombucha has been linked, in rare cases, to serious side effects and deaths, and improper preparation can lead to contamination. Seems legit... All the health nuts are drinking it so why the hell not. It is approved on Whole30 as long as it doesn't have any added sugars. So I am gonna give it a try. If it'll help get my regular, by all means let's do it.

Third, I am going to order some fish oil from this website (I am getting the starter kit). In liquid form. Yes people, liquid (flavored) fish oil. Yumm. This is supposed to, for lack of better words, lube up my system. Ya, shit just got real. No pun intended. Third and a half, I am going to start taking super enzymes, or digestive enzymes. These are supposed to help with digestion. Duh. Whole30 has a supplement evaluation checklist that you can use to see if the supplements you take are Whole30 approved. They also have a list of specific supplements they take and why they take them. But supplements are a topic for another post.

I hope mine turns out like this...

Of course I am not going to do these things all at once. Especially because I probably won't purchase my fish oil until I get paid, and I may not even like the taste of Kimchi. I am going to trythis recipe (omitting the sugar - obvi) and see. It's kinda creepy though because you have to store it in a dark place for like 3 days. I guess when you personally pickle or ferment something it's different than just grabbing a jar of pickles off of the shelf. Or out of the 'frigerator if you're Kevin and love your Claussens. But something's gotta happen soon, and I am willing to take dire measures (aka ferment cabbage in the crevasses of my apartment) in order to get my gut bacteria in order. Guess my body is just getting used to changes like anything else...

Day 9: Spice It UP!

Spice-adise... get it?

Today after work I found my new favorite place. The spice aisle at HEB. No I am not talking about
the one with all the little red caps and random Mexican spices. I am talking about the Mecca... well the Mecca of plain 'ol grocery stores. It's really neat because they have all of these fresh and organic spices and some spice mixes in these big jars and you can get baggies and put as much or as little as you want. Okay, now I am sure you all have seen these types of things before and just kind of walked by because it looked expensive. Well it's actually cheaper. And you can control how much you want. I bought like 10 spices (half of the names I couldn't even pronounce) for like $5. 'Twas amazing. One huge plus of Whole30 is that it is forcing me to try new things that I would've never tried before. Like the spice arrowroot. It's in a few of the recipes I am going to try and I still have no idea what it is. My advice to all of you is pick a new recipe with some new and exotic spices! It really does make a difference.

My breakfast was something that I used to eat almost every day with Kev (minus the chicken). Good 'ol spinach and eggs with some garlic powder and basil. They sometimes get a little soggy because of the water in the spinach, so you have to be careful. But it's a great way to get your green veggies and your protein. I put it in this neat little cube thing I got from the Container store. Sistema makes them and I love them. You can also find them at Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. They clip in place so you don't have to worry about them opening in your bag. They carry a bunch of different types and microwavable ones and soup bowls and ya. Check 'em out on Amazon as well. My next investment is going to be in one of their salad containers. They're neat but they're like $15 so yaaaaa.... not really rolling in the dough at the moment.

Colorful, tasty, and healthy

If there was an award for most Ghetto Whole30 dinner tonight's dinner would probably win. I got some of the leftover ground turkey, tomato paste, and green chile sauce and put it all together in the microwave. To me, that is pretty ghetto for some reason. I just didn't feel like cooking tonight. That's one thing that the Whole30 will do to you - force you to cook like a madman. I am constantly cooking and dicing and chopping and stirring and washing and frying and sautéing and sizzling and drizzling and scooping and plopping and freezing and... well yea you get the picture. My hands are so

pruney from washing them that I desperately need some hand salve or some straight up vaseline. Ew. Overall though, I am very pleased with how I feel on Whole30. I definitely have more energy and it's sustained energy. Meaning I don't really feel the 3 o'clock slum. The one complaint I do have (stop reading now if you're a pansy or embarrassed easily) is that my bowel movements are just not as regular as I thought. What is up with that? I eat so many veggies and it's like nuh'in. Ok that's enough TMI for the day. That's all folks...

Day 8: One Week Down...Three To Go!

Dear readers, (all 6 of you) I apologize for not posting yesterday... I was lazy and tired and I failed you. Forgive me... or don't. No matter, I will keep posting when I have time. Speaking of time, I am starting my second year of grad school next Wednesday so posts may begin to be shorter and more sporadic. Hang in there with me though.

Snack time <3

Alright, so yesterday I hit the one week mark! I would say the first week was the hardest... I am not sure if it
was the change in diet or change in my life that caused it, but my stomach was all over the place for the first 3 or 4 days. It's gotten a lot better over the last few days, but what's still really hard is eating. That sounds weird but I honestly have to force myself to consume breakfast still! What is that? I think it might be that I am eating too late. Since I am not starving throughout the day I will almost forget to eat and that's bad. I am doing 100 million other things and then I look at the clock and its 7:30 at night and I haven't even started cooking dinner. Another side effect of eating too late are these crazy vivid dreams I've been having. Not all of them are bad, but I wake up remembering them almost to a tee. It's very strange...

Hokay, so I pretty much had ground turkey and leftover cauliflower rice for two meals yesterday. With some added green chile, which I am very pleased is Whole30 approved. It feeds the New Mexican inside of me. Leave all jokes about that one at the door please. Plus, HEB (the TX supermarket) has Hatch green chile everywhere right now. And it's cheap. Like 78 cents a pound or something like that. I need to cook some green chile chicken stew with approved ingredients. I'll get right on that.

Freezer section at Costco

I went to COSTCO yesterday and bought like 15 pounds of meat. Haha. My freezer seriously looks like a mini meat market. I bought sockeye salmon, pork loins, ground beef, chicken breasts, ground turkey, and a small child. Kidding on that last one. Obviously. Needless to say I am set for at least 2 weeks! Protein, protein, protein baby. I made the sockeye salmon with an olive oil, lemon, and dill sauce on top. Came out pretty tasty. I had that for dinner last night with some leftover sweet potatoes. I also splurged and bought a big ass container of cashews. Mmmm mmmm. Gotta love me some cashews!

Day 7: Sunday Eggday?

I am six years old

I ate a total of 6 eggs today. Yes, 6. That's a lot and that is probably why I feel like a freakin hot air balloon right now. Word to the wise: do not consume 6 whole eggs in one 24-hour period. You'll be bloat Mcbloaterson. Ew. The reason for this insane egg day = laziness. I didn't feel like thawing any meat for protein so instead I subbed eggs. Bad choice. For being such a planner, self professed apparently, I am doing a horrible job at meal planning. I really need an entire day devoted to making like 5 recipes all at once and stocking my fridge. Or making more meals in the crockpot. I have been slacking.

Purpley goodness

Today wasn't a very eventful day for food. Until dinner that is. I went over to a family friends' house (Jim and Marianne, AKA my family from another mother) for dinner and we had an amazing meal. The protein was Barramundi, which I had no idea existed until yesterday (funny story about that coming up soon), and it was great. I didn't use to like fish, except for maybe fish sticks. But now I enjoy white fish, salmon, tuna, and possibly even some more extravagant fish like swordfish? Who knows. Needless to say I like the "meatier" fishes but I am definitely not a fan of shellfish. Anyways, the veggie selection was great. Marianne made brussel sprouts with bacon and I stole the extras - they were that good. I haven't had bacon in probably 6 months or longer. We had purple potatoes, or as Wikipedia likes to call them "blue swedes". Purple power foods people!

Itty bitty bits of cauliflower

OH I almost forgot - I also made cauliflower rice today for the first time. I will post the recipe in my recipe tab tomorrow for y'all. Here is a recipe that uses a cheese grater to get the rice texture. I think it was a pretty good success. The recipe calls for blending or processing your cauliflower florets for like 10-15 seconds, but my Nutri Ninja kicks some serious ass. It blended those lil' bitches in like 2. So the consistency may need to be perfected. But overall I think it is something I will definitely cook again. And I honestly don't even think it tasted like cauliflower. I want to make some without the onion and garlic and put the Taj Mahal chicken over top of it. I think that would make a superb meal. It definitely does not replace rice but it is a good way to eat cauliflower. The Well Fed cookbook also has a recipe to make mashed cauliflower.
I'll have to try that one out as well.

So before I go let me quickly tell you my Barramundi story... (now that it's been built up it really is going be anti-climatic for you guys but whatevs) A couple of days ago when I went to Sprouts I wanted to buy 1 lb of talapia because it was on sale and I want to try and eat more fish. So I got some from the butcher dude, checked out, and went on my merry way. When I got home I was looking at my receipt and noticed my talapia cost $13. I was like aw hell no. So I checked the sticker on the fish and it said Barramundi. I was unaware that animal even existed. I really wasn't that upset because today I got to take it back to Sprouts for a full refund. They were nice about it and apologized. It all worked out in the end.

Derp

This weekend has flown by and I am exhausted, bloated, meh, and bleh. Tomorrow it'll be a full week of Whole30 and I am feeling better in some ways and meh in others. I always feel full, which is nice because I don't snack and I don't feel like snacking. It's great. I also don't have energy levels on a roller coaster schedule, with the ups and downs. I consistently feel plentiful throughout the day... Almost too full of food. I've noticed I consume smaller portions on Whole30 not on purpose but I just eat until my body feels full and I don't feel gross after eating. It's a pleasant experience. Goodbye week 1 and hello week 2.

Apologies for the random cat pictures - he's just too cute not to include!

Day 6: Busy Busy Bee...With No Honey

My new cooking space

Today was a very busy day. I got a lot of stuff hung up in my apartment and I am very pleased with the results. So most of my day was consumed with drilling, hammering, screwing, etc. Wow, I've never thought about it before but hardware terminology sounds very dirty. But anyways, I stuck to my meal 1, 2, and 3 today but they were a little too spaced out. When I woke up this morning I just was not hungry, per uuuzsh. It's strange that I feel like I have to force myself to eat in the mornings. I wonder when that will change... if ever. Maybe my body is still adjusting to what I am eating. Who knows. Forcing myself to eat breakfast is not the worst thing in the world. Breakfast, or meal 1, is important because it stimulates ze metabolism. And everyone knows we could all use some of that - with our slow ass metabolisms and shiiiiit.

Colorful and sweet

Hokay - so breakfast was scrambled eggs with these little sweet peppers and onions. 'Twas quite delicious. My lunch was chicken, zucchini, and squash. Funny thing is chicken is pretty much the only meat that I have had this entire week. Except for one steak and some ground turkey. Not to worry though because I have some more meat in my freezer that i'll bust out this week. I think tomorrow I am going to venture out and make cauliflower rice! I am really looking forward to it and I will be sure to blog about it. I am curious to see if you could make some kind of sushi with it. I am not sure it would actually work, but we'll have to see what the consistency is.

I ate all the veggies...

Funny thing happened last night... I had what I like to call a "Whole30 nightmare". What is that you ask? Well it's when you dream about food that you can't have on Whole30. There are two different versions. One, you dream about foods you can't eat as if they're floating around in your mind, like in space. Two, you dream about yourself consuming foods you can't eat. My nightmare was the second one. I was eating cookies and ice cream and sushi and all sorts of shit. And I woke up thinking it was true and I actually felt guilty. Haha. It's funny how the mind works. Everything is peachy until someone tells you that you can't have something and then you crave it. But to be honest I haven't really had that many serious cravings to the point where I need to eat an entire carton of raspberries or something. Things I do miss: rice, coffee, and CHEESE...

Day 6:

• Eggs
• Sweet peppers
• Onion
• Chicken
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Green beans

Day 5: Bad Bad Breakfast

This morning I did something that I haven't done thus far on Whole30. I ate my breakfast without veggies. I know, I know. It is very shameful. I was running late this morning and my fridge was pretty veggie-less, so I really had no options. I went to work and got 2 scoops of scrambled eggs with the green sauce and I ate the fruit I had brought with me - strawberries, blueberries, and a banana. OK so fruit is not satan's sugary candy or anything, but Whole30 has some stuff to say about fruit.

I don't even like this candy

Newsflash, fruit has sugar. Wow. But isn't sugar supposed to be bad for you? Whole30 doesn't
approve of sugar, right? Wrong. They don't approve of added sugar but they do approve of the fructose in fruit. Get it. FRUctose. FRUit. Anyways, in the book they say:

Fructose is the sweetest of all naturally occurring carbohydrates—almost twice as sweet as sucrose. You consume fructose in a variety of sources, including table sugar (sucrose), honey, fruits, some vegetables, and in processed foods and drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. (It Starts With Food p.159)

Thus, eating fruit will allow you to feed your tastebuds with natural sweeteners instead of fake and processed sugars. This sounds great, right? I can just eat a shit ton of fruit and get the sensation of eating cupcakes or twizzlers. That sounds fabulous. Who wouldn't love that? Well, Whole30 cautions against the over-consumption of anything, especially fruit (in my own words). They say:

There is one potential issue with fruit consumption. Because of the natural sweetness of fruit (especially in fruit juice and dried fruit, which concentrate the sugar), fruit may promote an unhealthy psychological response, especially in folks still battling their sugar dragons. We’ve seen many people use fruit to prop up their sugar cravings, telling themselves it’s OK because fruit is “natural” and healthy. The scenario often looks like this: It’s 3: 00 on a Thursday afternoon. You’re at work, and you’re hungry, cranky, and tired. You’d normally reach for a Snickers bar, a muffin, or some Oreos right about now, but you’re trying to eat healthier and you know those are poor choices. So instead , you eat a dried fruit and nut bar. There is just one problem with this situation. Your brain doesn’t know the difference. (It Starts With Food p.159)

RAAAAAWRRR

I thought this was pretty powerful because it reminds me that Whole30 is about getting rid of those habits that you think may be "healthy" but truly are not in the long run. So the conclusion I came to was fruit is not "bad" for you, and I will continue to eat fruit (because I love it) but in moderation and not in place of a mid-afternoon snack. I will also not eat it in place of a vegetable... that's a no no on Whole30. They say veggies are mandatory and fruit is optional. So that's that. That was the cardinal sin that I committed this morning. NO VEGGIES. AHHHHH.

I ended up getting my veggies at lunch. Broccoli and green beans. I cooked my broccoli and when I opened it at my desk everyone in the office was disgusted by the rancid smell. It was awkward... I was like "Who me? Nah, I aint got stinky ass broccoli". But I did, and it was obvious. So that happened. The rest of my day was devoted to getting through work and going to Sprouts for groceries. I got a ton of stuff and I am really excited to cook this weekend. More to come about my shopping list and how much it cost in my next post...

Day 5: 

• Eggs
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Chicken
• Broccoli
• Green beans
• Leftover Taj Mahal chicken
• Pineapple

Day 4: Day of Firsts

WARNING: I am going to do a double post for 2 separate days in 1 day. This may be "taboo", but who cares. It's happening.

Yaaa Buudddddy

Day 4 was a day where I experienced new things. First off, I took a field trip from my regular internship location to a Holiday Inn where we were helping out with a seminar. Therefore, I was not in my comfy little cubicle with my handy-dandy refrigerator and microwave. Rushing out the door to drive to the hotel, I decided to grab chicken and broccoli for breakfast. Now I know what you're thinking... broccoli... for breakfast? Yup. In Whole30 they say to not think of your meals in terms of breakfast, lunch, and dinner because that's limiting (they may have provided more in-depth reasons, but that's the one I remember). Think instead of meals at meal 1, meal 2, and meal 3. This means you aren't required to have eggs every morning of every day. Mix it up. As long as you still get your protein, veggies, and fat. Meal template is available here.

So anyways, I had to eat it cold with the fork that I had stashed in my purse. I was getting some weird stank eyes while eating it because others were indulging in kolaches (TX style kolaches are kinda like pigs in a blanket) and donuts. I must admit - this was a tough morning. It was like a cartoon where the scent coming off of those kolaches and donuts put me in a trance and I just wanted me some non-approved food! I literally felt like this...

Womp womp wooooomp (trombone sound)

I fought through the cravings and stuck with my plan. Eye on the prize. At lunch, I partook in another adventure and went to Chile's for my first meal out. Eating out was something that I was initially worried about when doing Whole30, but my mind was put to ease after seeing my mom go out and about and still stick to Whole30. Sadly Chile's does not offer mixed vegetables, or any other vegetables other than broccoli for that matter. Random note - I have been eating a lot, and I mean a lot, of broccoli lately. I am surprised my bowels are still intact. Sorry if that's graphic... This is real life people. I don't have a filter. And if I do it has really big grates on it.  So anyways, I got broccoli and steak. 6 oz sirloin that was actually pretty good. Eating out is something that I am going to have to get used to though. It's the small details that I tend to overlook. Like getting my broccoli plain instead of with butter - something I almost forgot to ask my waiter for. I'll post more about eating out as it comes up, but my first experience was a success...

Tastes better than it looks...

Around dinner time came another neat experience. I cooked my first recipe from the Well Fed 2: More Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat cookbook!! I highly recommend getting this cookbook and the first Well Fed cookbook. They have great rubs, sauces, and dressings; as well as meat and veggie recipes. My friend Bonnie came over, and we made a chicken curry dish and it was tasty. I have never really had curry before. I mean, maybe I've tried a bite of something with curry on it or something while traveling but never an entire meal, and definitely never from scratch. It was a huge success and really simple to make. If you're looking for an exotic meal to spice up (literally) Whole30, then this is a great recipe. If you're a curry-virgin like I was, I would err on the side of caution with the curry powder and remember: less is more.

Day 4:

• Chicken
• Broccoli
• Steak
• Broccoli
• Taj Mahal chicken
• Strawberries

P.S. you can find the Taj Mahal Chicken recipe in the Recipe tab on my homepage.

Day 3: Things Are Lookin Up

This is not good for the environment

Today was a much better day. I woke up before my alarm and I felt rested. I had a positive attitude while I brushed my teeth and combed my hair. I prepared some lunch and snacks for the day. Things were good. I didn't have any protein on hand so I had to get some from the cafe at work. 2 scoops of scrambled eggs later, yes scoops, I was a happy camper. Some salt, pepper, and salsa verde made it muy bueno. So as a reminder, for Whole30 I am supposed to have 1-2 servings of protein, a thumb size amount of fat (approx 1 tbsp), and a crap ton of veggies (aka fill the rest of my plate with veggies). Eggs = protein. Cucumber = veggies. Breakfast = lame sauce.

#hipsterfoodpic

Lunch was a salad (mixed greens) with carrots and cucumber with oil and vinegar for dressing. For my protein I bought a chicken breast at the cafe, cut it up, and tossed it in my salad. Twas pretty tasty but I couldn't finish it because I was too full. It's strange but I have felt really full since I started Whole30, which is something I didn't think I would feel. I have been really anxious and stressed out though so that could be contributing to the sour tummy that I've been feeling.

Cravings - I had some today... I crave random little snacks like dried cherries, or mini muffins. I think the rest of this week is going to be hard but after that I should get used to eating like this. Right? I also crave alcohol. Ew. Satan's juice is calling my name. It's strange because I used to have a glass of wine to calm down and since I've been so anxious I have to find other ways to relax. I should really start working out but I have no time. I know that's everyones excuse but whatevvvvvva.

Cookin on my new stove!

Day 3:

• Scrambled eggs
• Salsa verde
• Cucumbers
• Strawberries
• Mixed greens
• Carrots
• Chicken breast
• Broccoli

OH and today I got a new stove, got my dishwasher fixed, and got my lock/key fixed. Everything is falling into place. I went to the Mecca (aka IKEA) after work today as well and got a bunch of neat stuff for the apartment. Now I just need someone to help me put some stuff on the walls. I used my new stove and it works really well. Almost too well. I almost burnt my little chicken strips! I cooked with coconut oil for the first time tonight and lemme tell you, shit is da bomb. I think I used a little too much because it was almost like I was frying the lil chicken strips, but it gave them really good flavor. It's Whole30 approved and GOOD FAT. Yes, I said it. There is such a thing as good fat. It's a little expensive, but totally worth it. Especially when you cook often. Suggestion: get your hands on some good quality coconut oil and cook with it. Lube up fellow chefs!