Whole 30 Week 1-ups and downs

                                             🎉 We made it through an entire week! 🎉

 The first few days had their ups and downs. There were a few days I definitely wanted to throw in the towel! (and a few I was not very fun to be around!)It was hard to get used to a very different way of eating, as well as giving up a lot of bad habits. For the first week I felt like I spent A LOT of my time either planning, cooking, shopping for or thinking about my meals. I had some frustrations when I prepared meals and didn't like them. It was a bit tough eating Whole 30 when I was around other people eating the foods I would normally eat. It took some getting used to not having snacks in the evening-that bowl of sugary cereal or chips I'd normally have.

I noticed a few positive changes already though and Mike could really tell a difference in how he felt.   I could quickly tell that eating a higher protein, filling breakfast helped start my day better with fewer mood swings and crankiness. (Don't get me wrong...there was definitely a few bouts of crankiness in there!) I noticed as the week went on that I was needing fewer snacks between meals. I felt full but not that miserable over-full feeling. Mike noticed quickly that he was having more energy and feeling much less shaky throughout the day, especially before meals. He started checking his blood pressure and it was into a healthy range which was much lower than it had been just a few weeks before! That made him very happy and motivated to keep going!

Here are a few observations I made about my own week.

~It was very clear how much I depend on foods being sweetened, even meats! I could quickly tell how much I missed having sweet sauces added to my meats.
~I could see how much my moods quickly shifted if I didn't eat enough or the right things at meals.
~Going without Coke Zero wasn't nearly as hard as I expected. I started drinking unsweet tea instead and enjoyed it. I've been brewing an individual black tea bag along with a flavored herbal tea for some flavor.
~Having friends do this with me was a HUGE HELP! My friend, Holly, started about a week before me and my friend, Darla started a few days after. Having them to text and share ideas or just vent about my feelings was such an encouragement to keep going! If you're going to do this, I highly recommend you recruit a buddy to do it with you.
~While I want to try new foods and new ways to prepare them, I needed to find some foods I liked and work around those. I started out going too far off my tastes and was just discouraged and frustrated. Things got much easier as I started to figure out foods I liked.


Here are a few of my meals that I really enjoyed.

 I microwaved a potato and topped it with chili. www.laurafuentes.com/paleo-chili-recipe-all-meat-veggie/ 
It was filling and my boys even enjoyed the chili.

 This is a salad from Chipotle. I was really concerned about being able to eat out with friends. This is their pork carnitas with guacamole and salsa. It was so good! It allowed me to have lunch out with a friend!

 This pot roast was very flavorful and easy. I seasoned it and seared it in the pan then added the veggies and roasted it in the oven.

There were a few meals I wasn't as happy with. I tried spaghetti squash but didn't get the right texture. The flavor with the meat sauce (spaghetti sauce from Sprouts with ground beef) was good but I need to try again to get the right texture. Lunches were a bit hard. I would've loved to have just grabbed a sandwich or fast food but couldn't. After some trial and error I found a few salad dressings I liked and that helped. 

One of my big concerns was holidays and eating meals with other people. We successfully navigated that when we had friends over for Easter. I made taco meat using my own seasonings, guacamole and salsa. Mike and I had taco salads while our friends had soft tacos. I found a dressing recipe I could modify enough to taste like Catalina dressing and added some plantain chips for crunch. It was a great meal and we enjoyed spending time with friends. Passing on the cheese dip and chips and the brownies was a bit tough but we managed! Then, there's all the darn candy my kids have now! 😅

At the end of the week, I re-evaluated my meals I had planned for this week. I made a breakfast casserole that's pretty good. I'm planning some meals this week that are close to things we normally like. Tonight I'm going to make stir fry with a teriyaki sauce recipe I found. Later this week I'm going to cook some pork chops and steak tips. I've found some ways to thicken sauces which will help with flavoring meals. I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out. 

In spite of a few rough times, I'm happy I'm doing this. It's been good for me to learn some new ways to cook and to branch out of my norms. I'm learning a lot about how foods can be affecting my and family's body. I highly recommend the book It Starts with Food. Its been very eye-opening and motivating to work at making changes for myself and my family. The boys have liked most of the dinners I prepared (I added some things for them sometimes).  I'm helping them start to make better choices for snacks and meals as well. I look forward to seeing how we continue to grow through this. 

I've started week 2 and feel much less overwhelmed and more knowledgable already. I'm getting into a good routine with meals and it doesn't feel as time-consuming. We can do this!

Whole 30 Here we go...

Tomorrow is the BIG day! I took a trip to Sprouts this evening and got all stocked up on fruits, veggies and meats. I was nervous about how much it was going to cost, but it really wasn't too bad! It helped me to remember that this is all healthy, real food and to think of how much we will save by not eating out as often. (We went out twice this weekend and spent over 1/2 of what I spent on all this food! I'll save at least $5-10/week by not getting drinks at 7-11 or On-Cue.)

I came home and made a recipe I'd been wanting to try for Chicken Detox Soup. http://www.aspicyperspective.com/chicken-detox-soup/. It was really good! Since I started with dinner tonight, that means that on Day 30, I can eat a cheeseburger, fries and a shake. 😉 Mike really liked the soup too and it made enough that I can eat it for lunch a couple days.

I spent some time this evening getting prepared for the week. I fried some of the sausage I had made to have it ready for breakfasts and made these yummy looking egg "muffins" with sautéed red onions, mushrooms, spinach and mini bell peppers, and a little taco seasoning. We tasted the sausage and it was really good. I'm looking forward to trying the egg muffins tomorrow. It'll be an easy breakfast to heat and go since we have an early appointment tomorrow.

 For lunch, I made some chicken salad using the chicken I boiled to make broth, some whole 30 mayo, celery, grapes, slivered almonds and a little avocado. I'll have it on top of cucumber slices. I also made some delicious blackberry vinaigrette dressing using light tasting olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice and some fresh blackberries. 

Dinner will be grilled chicken marinated in pineapple juice and coconut aminos (I had never heard of it until recently. It's an alternative to soy sauce), grilled pineapple, potatoes and salad. 

I've got some unsweet flavored teas that have caffeine to help me do without my normal Coke Zero. I've been cutting way back on Coke Zero already and have been fine. I never believed it that diet soda caused more sugar cravings but I actually can tell that I'm craving sweets less as I've cut back. So, that's progress already.  

Mike and I are both feeling motivated and ready to see how this helps us. I think I'm prepared, both physically and mentally. I hear that's a key to being successful. I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that I'm making choices that will benefit all my family. Wish me luck! (or better yet, say a prayer for us!) 😁

Whole 30...Lets do this!

Mike and I have decided to do the Whole 30 challenge a try. (Let me clarify, Mike talked with a co-worker who had completed the Whole 30 and had great results so he wanted to do it. After much reluctance, I agreed.) If you've never heard of Whole 30, this explains it, http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/. It's basically a 30 day commitment to eating whole foods and avoiding things that may be causing negative affects in your body. (added sugar-real or artificial, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes) It's not about weight loss (though that's often a result) but about changing your eating habits and attitudes towards food.

For anyone who knows me, this is NOT natural for me.  I love sweets, Coke zero, and most forms of "junk food".  I've always been naturally pretty thin and haven't really struggled with my weight. So, I've used that as an excuse to eat whatever I want. While my health isn't bad, I know I could be healthier, have more energy and be in better shape. Also, the big 4-0 is looming around the corner and I know staying healthy isn't going to get any easier. 

I started doing lots of reading online about the Whole 30 and read a post saying that to help yourself be successful in the program, it's good to know your "why?".  I thought through that and came up with my reasons why I want to do this. 

1) Mike. 

 ~If he is motivated to want to get healthier, I want to support him in that. It would be much harder for him to do this on his own while the rest of us ate whatever we wanted. He's generally healthy but he would like to lose some weight and have more energy.  He works very hard at his job and is often pretty beat when he comes home. He would like to feel like he has more energy to enjoy being with our family after work. He has some family history of health problems and doesn't want to be unaware that he needs to keep himself in good shape. So, even if he was my only reason, that would be enough. But, there are more. 

2) My own physical and emotional health.

~I'm a busy mom and, like all moms, often am tired and want to just sit in peace and quiet. There's nothing wrong with that, from time to time. But, I am pretty sure if I were eating a healthier diet and not indulging in so many processed foods I would have more energy. I struggle with mood swings off and on also. I'm hopeful that eating better will help with my moods as well. I know theres no guarantee that my health will continue to be good but making better choices certainly can't hurt. 

3) My boys. 

~13, 1l and 8 year old boys are active and always up for adventure. They loved exploring national parks last summer. They love camping, hiking, swimming, anything outdoors. I know the time we have with them at home is quickly passing and I don't want to miss out on as many fun things as possible.  They're starting to be in the adolescent years when they will be able to go on longer hikes and explore new places. Mike and I know we will have to work at it to be able to keep up with them. 

4) Breaking bad habits. 

~ Like I said, I have built up a lot of bad habits of eating anything I want without thinking of how it affects my body. I have gotten into a bad habit of cooking what is easy or going out to eat. I need to break the hold that sugar, diet soda, and snacking has on my life. I want to begin to change those habits in my boys now too. I'm not going to expect them to follow the diet completely but I do plan to begin changing some of the ways we all eat. 

5)Last, but of greatest importance, I want to honor God with my whole life. 

~ My deepest desire is to live a life that honors and pleases God. Taking good care of my body is definitely a big part of that. If the foods I'm eating aren't helping me to be the best wife, mom, friend, mentor, Christian, that I can be...something needs to go! I am not a slave to my desires or cravings, but am a slave to Christ. He is a worthy master. Food is not. 

After a couple weeks of reading and planning, we are starting this coming Monday, April 10th. I have two weeks worth of meals planned. I intend to either duplicate that for the next two weeks or reevaluate and plan more. It worked out great that my good friend, Holly, had just decided to do this also. It's been very helpful having her as a support and encouragement. We've shared meal ideas and recipes. It will be great to have someone I can text if I begin to struggle or I want to quit who will encourage me to stick with it. I've already purchased some sauces, spices, drinks and snacks. I've made my own mayo, sausage, and chicken and beef broth (why is there sugar in beef broth?!?).  I'm going to Sprouts again (this week was the first time I ever set foot in a health food store!) this weekend to stock up on my meats, fruits and veggies. I'm feeling motivated and excited to see how this has positive effects on me and my family. I started weaning myself off coke zero and have only had two all week and shockingly, I've been fine! 

If you are interested in keeping up with this journey or considering doing it yourself, stay tuned. I'll be posting about my meals and how I'm feeling. Seriously, if I succeed at this...ANYONE can! 😉

Here are my menus for the 1st two weeks. Yep, I have a binder. 😀