Whole30 - Day 5 (5/2/15)

Mood: Calm, and aware
Difficulty level: easy
Energy: Very low
Stomach: OK today, no tummy ache!
Overall: It was an easy day for Whole30

I started the morning with 1/2 an RxBar, and a walk with my uber supportive love

I came home and made 2 scrambled eggs over leftover smokey cilantro lime meatballs from the fight night party the night before (recipe for meatballs coming soon!!)

Then, it was off to a family day at the beach! We normally pack sandwiches, chips, soda and beer… welp, that was certainly out for me.

Lunch:

I packed myself macadamia nuts for a snack and an RxBar plus some refreshingly bubbly Perrier. My energy was so dragging today… I drank my Perrier, then laid under the umbrella in the shade and took a nap!

Dinner:

My hunny made steaks on the grill, and I added rutabaga, garlic broccoli and roasted baby creamer potatoes. 

Rutabaga is SO easy! Peel it, chop it, steam it with salt, pepper, garlic powder and an herb of choice - I used fresh rosemary. Yum!

Dessert:

I really wanted something sweet after that - I had 4-5 small dates and some fresh raspberries.

Overall, a very good, though very LOW energy day.

Whole30 on...

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Whole30 - Day 4 - 5/1/15

It’s hard to keep up with posts everyday on here, but if you’re interested in the day to day, in real time, follow me on Instagram: @HealthyYumE

In my previous post, I talked about a hard night… it was hard to comply, and I had some difficulty with deciding whether or not Whole30 was the right thing for me. Well, since then, I think it really is. I need the time away from alcohol, that is for sure, and this ‘Whole’ thing provides me with that motivation and acceptability. I also need to get my relationship with food in check, which is not a new concept for me. I don’t speak of it on this blog, but I used to write another… all about my recovering from an eating disorder. My whole life I have battled with having a healthy relationship with food and my emotions, and I guess it is something (although recovered for over 2 years now) that I will always have to work on maintaining. Following this program is helping me do that, and recognize when I have gone with habit to eat and/or drink instead of nourishing my body with food and enjoying a cocktail to enjoy it, and not to drown out other things.

Whole30 - Day 4 - 5/2/15

Mood: Slightly anxious, and a little grumpy
Difficulty level: Moderate
Energy: Low
Stomach: OK
Overall: It was a challenge to remain compliant today, but a good challenge to have been able to overcome

I venture to assume most people in America and beyond were aware of the Boxing fight that happened Saturday night. I am not into boxing, in fact when I “watch” it I close my eyes because I cringe and watching people get hurt/hit. My boyfriend’s best friend invited us over for a Fight Night party. I was anxious about whether or not I could stick to the program, because as typical sports event parties would go, there was going to be a lot of alcohol and a lot of food. Ugh. (—> that “ugh” right there… that is why I need this program. Seriously? its just food…what is really to stress over?)

Breakfast:
I started the morning with the last of the egg bake I made earlier this week plus a banana and good ol’ black coffee… confession, I was so out of it I forgot to take a pic!

I relaxed for a couple hours on the couch because I seriously felt HUNGOVER! As part of my relaxing, I made an awesome, tasty, refreshing raspberry-lime mint “cocktail”

4-5 mint leaves, 5-6 raspberries, 2 wedges fresh lime - muddle together, add ice and 8 ounces soda water — SO REFRESHING and Delicious!!

I also received my shipment of Whole30 complaint RxBars! Woohoo!

At around 11:30, I made my way on to being productive with my bunny at the gym. It was probably the slowest workout I have had in months…  I really did not have the energy to “go” as I usually do, but I made it happen and I was happy that I did. I came home to more relaxation, and some leftovers...

Lunch: awesome leftoverness… recipe in previous post here

I had to prepare a pot luck item to bring to the Fight Night party. I decided that if I was going to bring something, I needed to make sure it was Whole30 approved!

Whole30 approved, and DELICIOUS! 

Smokey Cilantro-lime Meatballs —— YUM!

Cilantro-lime meatballs — recipe coming soon!

Dinner: 

At the fight night party, I stuck with it! I brought soda water and lime to make a mocktail and avoid a cocktail! I ate 5 of these delicious meatballs with sauce. I wasn’t even tempted because I decided before we got there that I was going to stick to my own thing, and that I did.

Snack at the party:

I did good! I grabbed fruit from the HUGE array of party food

It was a successful day, and more proof to myself that I can do this (and that I can benefit from doing this, having NOTHING to do with the scale and pounds…)

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Whole30 - Day 3

Whole30 - Day 3 (5/1/15)

Mood: Calm, but a little emotional
Difficulty level: HARD!
Energy: Low-Moderate
Stomach: A-OK! Woohoo!
Overall: It was an easy day for Whole30, but a hard evening and I will elaborate down below :)


So I am a day late in posting. I didn't have the energy to write last night, and I had some mixed emotions on how I felt in result to "surviving" my Whole30 night.

The day was easy; I had a prepared, Whole30 compliant lunchbox full of breakfast, lunch and soda water for the work day.

Breakfast: Egg Bake (picture/recipe in previous post) and black coffee

Lunch: Roasted potatoes with ground sirloin w/ peppers and onions (DELISH recipe in day 2 post) plus avocado on top and a banana

Snack: LaraBar - Coconut Cream pie

Dinner:

The night was hard, and emotional. I attended an awesome Graduation dinner and ceremonial event for young boys of The Write Field 4.0, a mentoring program that lasts the duration of the school year. My amazing boyfriend  is a mentor, and I was his guest. There was a cash bar and a buffet with salad (honey mustard on romaine, or raspberry vinaigrette over mixed greens, rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, mango meatballs, breaded chicken with marinara, and cake).

I was so torn when I sat down. I thought, why am I even doing this, Whole30? Why can't I just eat like a normal person, and not worry about a stringent meal program of any kind? Why have I, so many times in my life, felt as though I had to restrict things in order to be "good". More importantly, why have I had to restrict things in order to not allow FOOD to make me feel GUILTY? I seriously contemplated giving in and drowning my sorrows in a glass (or 3) of wine.

I got salad (best choice was mixed greens with vinaigrette, although I am sure that was not Whole30 compliant), a few potatoes (which looked like they just had olive oil on them…), 2 mango meatballs I didn't plan to eat (but knew my boo would, and he did) and a piece of chicken in which I scraped the breading off of - I had 1 bite of DRY chicken and pushed it aside. I did NOT get a glass of wine :)

I did it. I stayed compliant (or as compliant as I could… I am sure the tiny bit of vinaigrette I ate won't kill me or my Whole30 on day 3…

I realized… it was never the Whole30 program that was making me feel guilty or controlled. It is NOT food, it is ME, and it is my LOUSY RELATIONSHIP with food (and wine).

Food should be FUEL. Wine should be a treat. Neither should be a coping mechanism, and neither should make me feel pressured, guilty or anxious.

Keep Calm and Whole30 on…

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