Day 94 & 95 "reintroduction" of gluten and Testimonial

Days 94 & 95 Wednesday & Thursday, December 14 & 15, 2016

Today I reintroduced gluten… I have been looking forward to this reintroduction, because I LOVE pasta!! I started the day off with some cream of wheat. It was pretty darn good. I did not have milk on it but I put a little honey in and stirred. It was good. I also ate an egg on a toasted piece of bread. By the time dinner came around I was watering at the mouth anticipating the spaghetti! It was AMAZ… actually it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. I didn’t get the reward sensation I thought I would get. Thursday I wanted to give it some more tries. I had a piece of toast with breakfast again. Around 11 am I noticed a headache starting (PS I slept for 9 hours last night, I went to bed about 8 pm) For lunch I ate a big plate of spaghetti. I knew I would possibly want to try the treats at my RS church activity later, I ended up eating a donut hole and it tasted ok. My headache lasted all day getting worse and worse. I went to bed around midnight with the headache. I definitely know that dairy and gluten make me feel yucky I will not be "indulging" in those very often.

My conclusion with doing the Whole30 and reintroduction stage, is that I feel so good when eating more vegetables and fruits, healthy meat and fats, I will continue eating Whole30. I will allow myself to not feel guilty or be so paranoid when eating food that I do not know how it was prepared. I will have the occasional treat, but I will do so with an informed mind and know that there may be consequences. I have LOVED most of the recipes that I have made and I also found a LOVE for eggs! LOL my friends all laugh at me about that one. I think that the Whole30 is a great elimination diet to understand your body more. It has been a great challenge and blessing to me.
I would love to answer any questions that you might have. Here are some links

My "Food Bible"
It Starts With Food
Food Freedom Forever
The Whole 30 Cookbook

The Whole 30 website

This article was helpful to settle some of my reintroduction nerves.

Cheers to healthier living!

Day 88 & 89 Whole30 "Reintroduction"

Day 88 & 89 Thursday & Friday , December 8 & 9, 2016

I reintroduced dairy today, something that I have both looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. I had a serving of milk with my breakfast. At lunch I went with a friend to Burger King. I had a side salad with shredded cheese on top. For my main course at lunch I had a chocolate shake! It tasted SO GOOD!! That afternoon I had a cheese stick, which tasted dry and not exciting at all. I had a half of a serving of raspberry yogurt and it did not excite me either. I think it was the brand I had bought. Then that night we went to our church Christmas party and I ate some cheese there. The only dairy item I enjoyed was the shake. That night I felt pretty gassy and bloated.  I also was super tired! I fell asleep on the couch around 9:30 while I had two kids talking to me about their homework… I slept there on the couch until 4:30 am. I was wiped out! The next day Friday I was having a hard time with having a bowel movement (pooping hurt) I felt like I was constipated for 2 days. I think that was definitely the dairy. I have pretty much decided that after I am finished with this Whole30 reintroduction . I will stay Whole30 but not be so strict and it is ok if I let a few of these things in my diet and just know that there might be consequences like my yucky tummy with dairy. I need to be careful though that I do not eat bigger portions and stop the mindless snacking.

Day 76 & 77 Whole30 "Reintroduction"

Day 76 & 77 Saturday and Sunday November 26 & 27, 2016

I introduced non-gluten grains this weekend. I oatmeal for breakfast. It tasted so good! I had almond milk, raisins and walnuts on it. I had some corn tortilla chips with salsa with my lunch. With dinner I had some white rice with my stir fry. The next day I had some of these same things as left-overs.  I didn’t notice that I had any adverse side effects. (I am late about recording this and so maybe I can’t remember it all. I realized I had missed having oatmeal, and the chips with my salsa. I did not miss having rice. I still need to reintroduce dairy and gluten…. We shall see how that goes!

Thanksgiving Whole30ish... style

Thanksgiving was fun because I was super excited to make the things that I knew I wanted to eat. I followed a few of the recipes from the Whole30 book. Near the back there is a holiday meal plan with a turkey and bunch of yummy side dishes. I followed the recipe and directions for the turkey and soaked it in a brine of salt/apple juice/yummy fresh herb bath over night. Then in the morning I put it all in the oven and let the magic happen. I made a sausage/apple/acorn squash casserole, that was dang delicious! Everyone loved it! I also made a balsamic brussel sprout and butternut squash side dish that was yummy. I made mashed potatoes and scooped out a generous helping or two for myself before I asked Greg to mash it up nicely with butter and milk. The gravy was so yummy made from the drippings of the beautifully browned turkey!!  I don't think I have ever tasted a turkey that tasted as good! (I might be a little biased...) I also made a sweet potato dish with the marshmallows and brown sugar (I did not partake of) Ooohhh, I made a couple of pies with my mom's homemade pie crust recipe that Greg loves. I made 2 pumpkin, one banana cream with real honest to goodness homemade pudding. (I really missed not being able to eat that)!! The kids helped me make a chocolate cream pie.  Thanksgiving was so much fun to prepare and watch my family eat! They all helped so much to help it all come together. We had invited a few people from Greg's work. We ended up with 3 extra quests and had a lovely dinner and evening together.

Days 69 & 70 Whole30 "Reintroduction"

Days 69 & 70, Saturday and Sunday, November 19 & 20, 2016

I am reintroducing beans, “legumes”. I made big pot of chili with beans. I added pinto beans, black beans and kidney beans. I ate some Saturday for dinner and Sunday for lunch. It is tasty, rich and full of flavor. I do wish that I was eating some of my yummy cornbread with it, so that might be somewhat of a trigger food for some emotional eating. The cornbread has 3 big ingredients in it that I am avoiding right now, wheat, dairy and corn, so I will not even try that for a while yet. :)

I am feeling fine, no adverse aches, pains or disturbances.

Side note, in my beehive young women’s class I taught about keeping our bodies healthy and why Heavenly Father wants that for us. (The word of wisdom) I shared with the class a little bit about my food journey these past few months. I explained, I feel like I have been handling life and its stressors and the daily trials I encounter in a much healthier and easier way.

Day 64 Whole30 "Reintroduction"

Day 64 Monday, November 14, 2016

After talking with my husband, family and friends. I decided to do more of a slow roll introduction. So… Today I am testing peanuts. I had some peanut butter on an apple again before the gym. Then I have had a couple handfuls of peanuts throughout the day. The taste ok, but I realize that I haven’t really missed peanuts. I have felt good. I have not had any stomach stress. My knees have been sore today. Not sure if it was from the peanuts or the hard leg workout I did at the gym this morning. I also lost my temper a few times with my children.

I read a couple articles on the Whole30 website that really encouraged me today.
If you are interested, here are the links. This first one is about doing a slower reintroduction. This second one talks about how we may be "comfortable" in our whole 30 rules and that once we are being pushed to try reentering the real food world that we want to go back to our safe zone ("training wheels")

Day 62 Whole30 "Reintroduction"

Day 62 Saturday, November 12, 2016

This morning I felt good although I slept in quite a bit. I felt very lazy and did not get my cardio done until after 12 noon. I was hit by a headache around 2pm and it did not go away until I woke up Sunday morning. No medicine helped. I am not sure if it was a reaction to the legumes/peanuts or if I was tired and worn out from taking care of sick kids last week.

Day 61 Whole30 "Reintroduction"

Day 61 Friday, November, 11, 2016

Today is the day I start reintroduction. I am quite nervous!! I am glad to have so much information from my Whole30 books and online. I feel more prepared. They recommend introducing one food group at a time while keeping the rest of your diet Whole30 compliant. The first thing they suggest to reintroduce is legumes, which include peanuts.  I started off the day around 6:30 eating an apple smothered in peanut butter. I felt a little guilty eating peanut butter… It was smooth and creamy and tasted pretty good. After I worked out at the gym. I sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms spinach and heated up some leftover pork and scrambled 3 eggs into it. I added about 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce near the end of cooking to reintroduce soy. Although I don’t really like soy sauce I wanted to see how I would react. It was pretty tasty and I was hungry so I ate it all. About 30 minutes later, my stomach started gurgling and feeling uncomfortable. I had to run to the bathroom and I have terrible diarrhea. I am thinking it is the soy sauce, and that my body doesn’t like that. I realize now that it might be beneficial to separate peanuts from soy, but maybe next time. That’s why I want to take these notes.  For lunch Greg and I went to Red Robin so Greg could partake of the free lunch that Red Robin offered to veterans today. He enjoyed his big ole burger and bottomless fries. I enjoyed my Avo-Cobb grilled chicken salad with Italian dressing. Tonight for dinner we had taco salad. I reintroduced black beans, which is usually how I make my taco meat, mixed into the meat. I piled the lettuce on my plate then the meat and beans then some fresh salsa and tomatoes and cucumbers. So far so good. I don’t know what my upset was from this morning. I was reminded by my sister Jen that soy sauce has wheat in it!! I have been looking up soy today on the inter-webs and found this website and now I really want to keep soy out of my diet!! Anyway, today was a pretty good day aside from the bathroom trip earlier. I will see how the next few days go. I am supposed to wait a couple of days before reintroducing the next food group. I believe the next thing to introduce is not gluten grains, for instance oatmeal, quinoa, corn,...
I will keep you posted.

Day 50 Whole30

I know I probably shouldn't have weighed myself, since I am going for 60 days, but I couldn't resist. I also am starting a healthy eating spiritual challenge with some friends and family and we are supposed to weigh ourselves once a week. SO.... I weighed myself and I am down 20 lbs since day 1!! I feel SO GREAT!!

Also a Happy Halloween. Today I was driving in my car and starting giggling. I was giddy with the thought that I was not going to eat a single piece of Halloween candy! I usually raid the kids bags and take as many pieces as I want and then I stuff my face. This year I am excited to NOT eat any of their candy. :)

Day 31 Whole30

Day 31 Wednesday, October 12, 2016

AWWWW I don't know what to expect!

Woke up at 5 am. And weighed myself. I lost 13.6 pounds!!! Wow! I knew I was losing weight but I thought it might be around 5 pounds. 8.5 inches lost! (I took measurements day 1 of thihg, calf, bicep, waist...) So this total inches loss is all over.

Breakfast 2-egg scramble with veggies and salsa, and a banana. Lunch was left-over ratatouille. Yum Yum!

I am not ready to reintroduce any off plan foods yet. I feel so amazing! My digestion has improved immensely and that in and of itself is a miracle! My knees don't hurt anymore. My hands don't hurt. I have also quite taking my daily anti-inflammatory medicine. I am a little scared to eat "junk food". I have my mom coming into town soon and I think it will be easier to continue eating how I have been eating. My husband suggested I go for 60 days. So that is my plan.

Day 30 Whole30

Day 30 Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. I had a 2-egg scramble with all the veggies and salsa. I did a new class at the gym and it kicked my butt!! It is called “Fierce” and it was FIERCE!! For lunch I ate the last 3 meatballs from last night. I also had a big salad with 2 hard-boiled eggs tomatoes carrots and grapes. I used my apple cider vinegar/oil dressing. Dinner was a new dish, Ratatouille.

I did it as a make it a meal option and added cooked turkey which I seasoned with salt & pepper, fresh garlic, onion and Italian seasoning. I used my homemade tomato sauce that I made a few weeks ago and had frozen. It was pretty tasty! Went to bed around 10 pm.

NOW WHAT?!?!? Stay tuned I will make a post soon about what is next in my plans.

Day 29 Whole30

Day 29 Monday, October 10, 2016

Got out of bed at 9 am… What a lazy gal I am! The kids have today off from school. Breakfast was 2-egg scramble with squash, bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach and salsa. I don’t know if I will ever get tired of eating that meal. :) Lunch was delicious sweet potato with the pork on top. I was out of limes so I tried a lemon squeezed on top. The lime is definitely better. I was feeling really bored and didn’t know what to make for dinner.

This is what the rest of the family had...

I was surprised with what I came up with. I made meatballs following the recipe for the Perfect burger.

I cooked the meatballs in a little mini muffin pan.

It was the perfect size meatball. I then sauteed some onions, mushrooms, and asparagus. Then I wilted a cup of spinach and put the veggies over that. I also ate the last sweet potato.

It was all so yummy and hit the spot. Went to bed around 11 pm. I need to get to bed earlier!

Day 28 Whole30

Day 28, Sunday, October 9, 2016

Woke up at 7 am. Today was fast Sunday for our church schedule. I did not have breakfast. I came home from church in a lot of pain from cramping so I ate some chicken over a salad and with salsa on top. I was then able to take some Motrin. I was super excited about dinner. Smelling it all day. I made the pork carnita’s meat in the crock-pot and we went over to a friends house and I introduced this yummy recipe to them. We put the meat over roasted sweet potatoes and squeezed lime juice over the top. So delicious! This is definitely a keeper recipe for our family. Went to bed about 10:30 pm.

Day 27 Whole30

Day 27 Saturday, October 8, 2016

Woke up around 8 am. Surprise, I started my menstrual cycle! Well, that is some relief there. Breakfast was the last of the spaghetti squash with the meat and tomato sauce and 2 fried eggs on top. Lunch was chicken breast an apple and some grapes. I am behind on journaling and I can not remember what I ate for dinner. Went to bed about 9 pm.

Day 26 Whole30

Day 26 Friday, October 7, 2016

Kids have no school today YAY!! Woke up around 8 am. I am feeling a lot better. 2-egg scramble with lots of veggies and salsa, grapes. Lunch was roast and potatoes. For dinner we packed sack dinners and went to a pumpkin patch play place. I had a container of lettuce that I put chopped chicken chicken on top with salsa and mayo. So it made a chicken salad of sorts. I also had some cut up veggies and a couple hard boiled eggs. It was a lovely day. Went to bed around 11:30 pm, late because Michaela was at a friends house.

Day 25 Whole30

Day 25 Thursday, October 6, 2016

Woke up about 5:10 am. I had a good night’s sleep. For breakfast 2-egg scramble with veggies and salsa. Lunch was spaghetti squash and a chicken breast. I also ate some orange slices and grapes. My doctors appointment went well. I was actually feeling better today than yesterday. When the Medical Assistant was weighing me I told him I could not see my weight and he laughed and said OK turn and face backwards then. After he had done my vitals and asked me to explain what was going on. I could hear him in the next room telling my Dr what we had discussed. I almost laughed out loud when he told her that I had changed my diet recently and I had asked not to see my weight on the scale. He then told her “She doesn’t seem real weird or anything…” LOL He must think I am a little weird in some way… LOL The Dr could not see anything really pointing to cold, sinus, ear infections. She thinks I may be clenching and grinding my teeth at night, which a dentist has told me before. I have a dentist appointment next week so I am going to bring it up there and see what they have to say. She prescribed me a muscle relaxant to help me relax and maybe help the pain subside.  I also talked to the Dr about the possibility of my extreme diet change messing with my menstrual cycle. Disclaimer: I have my tubes tied. I am 2 weeks late on my cycle. I have never been this late and not been pregnant. She did not think it would be possible for me to be pregnant. She ordered a lab test to check for pregnancy. She said it is likely due to the change in my eating and I might totally skip this month.  Dinner was boring... spaghetti squash with chicken breast. I took my muscle relaxant and went bed around 9:30 pm.

Day 24 Whole30

Day 24 Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. 2-egg scramble with veggies and salsa. Lunch was spaghetti squash and tomato meat sauce.  I have been feeling so yucky today with jaw and behind my ear pain. I made a dr appointment for tomorrow.  I knew I needed a good healthy meal so I made some perfect seared chicken breasts. Perfect roasted potatoes, some broccoli, and green salad. I ended up making a big bed of greens on my plate and put the shredded chicken over the top. I ate the potatoes and the broccoli on the side. I made a basic vinaigrette, using apple cider vinegar and olive oil, with salt & pepper and some Italian spices.


It was a different dressing. I am not a fan of vinaigrette anyway, but I was tired of the ranch I had made. It was good enough. I went to bed about 8:45 pm It has been a long day with a lot of pain on the left side of my face.

Day 23 Whole30

Day 23 Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. Breakfast was a 2-egg scramble with veggies and fresh salsa!! :) Lunch was leftover mashed potatoes, gravy, roast and roasted veggies (carrots, butternut squash and onions) Dinner was spaghetti squash with tomato sauce. This is the sauce that I used tonight. It is from ALDI (one of my favorite grocery stores) and it was quit tasty, and whole 30 compliant!

and ground beef. I also ate a banana. Super yummy! I was drooling a little bit over my families dinner. They went to Chipotle (like Cafe Rio) to support their school fundraiser night at the restaurant. Went to bed around 10:30 pm.

Day 22 Whole30

Day 22 Monday, October 3, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. Breakfast was 3-egg scramble with veggies, sadly without salsa. I was out. :( Lunch was the salad with the canned chicken, ranch and salsa over a big bed of leafy green lettuce, arugula and spinach. Topped with cashews. Dinner was taco salad. I had bought the salsa so that was my dressing on my salad. Lettuce, cooked ground beef, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Tasty! Went to be about 9:30 pm. The timeline in the book says I might be getting bored by week three. I feel like my eating is pretty boring, but I am still super excited about the way I am feeling. They suggest trying some new recipes this week. I hope to try Melissa's chicken hash sometime this week. The picture in the book looks yummy!

Day 21 Whole30

Day 21 Sunday, October 2, 2016

Woke about around 8:15 am. I am really feeling sore today!!! I had a 3-egg scramble with veggies and salsa. I also ate a banana. PS here is the salsa that I buy and eat on pretty much anything.

I buy it at Sam's club. I think we went through this entire container in one week! We all like it.

For lunch I had a big plate of salad greens covered in canned chicken that I had mixed with the last of my homemade ranch and the last of my salsa. I also put some cashews and half an avocado on top. It was really tasty. I had some green grapes. Dinner was delicious. We had a roast with butternut squash, carrots and onions in the crock pot. We mashed some potatoes and I took out my portion before Greg added the milk and butter… ;) I had made a gravy from the broth in the crock pot and it was really tasty. Also had a green salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and salt & pepper. Went to bed around 10 pm.

Day 20 Whole30

Day 20 Saturday, October 1, 2016

Woke at 8:30 am. Breakfast 3-egg scramble with veggies and salsa. I don’t remember what I had for lunch. Lol sorry!  Dinner time was while we were at a friends house for a spouse social. I knew there would be lots of yummy looking snacks there, so I brought a salad from my book. Roasted beet, orange, and avocado salad.

It was OK, although the beets are not fun to work with. They stain everything they touch and they taste a bit like gritty dirt. I don’t think I will do beets again…. When we got home from the get together I ate 2 hard-boiled eggs with salsa. Went to bed about 10 pm.

Day 19 Whole30

Day 19 Friday, September 30, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. Breakfast 3-egg scramble with veggies and fresh salsa. I went to the Y and did a new class. Body pump! I am so tired and my muscles are shaky!! It hurt so good!!! Lunch Pork chop and canned green beans, 2 hard-boiled eggs with salsa. After lunch I went golfing with Greg on his day off. It was fun and relaxing. I only lost 3 balls in 18 holes. :) For dinner I had a big green salad with veggies I put my homemade ranch and some salsa on it, and some salmon with lemon squeezed over it. Oh I also had some green grapes. They were super sweet and delicious. I think I will be feeling sore tomorrow! Went to bed around 9:45 pm

Day 18 Whole30

Day 18 Thursday, September 29, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. 3-egg scramble with veggies and fresh salsa. Lunch was the yummy sweet potato and pork. Dinner was Perfect oven baked salmon.

Butternut squash soup and asparagus. None of us like the butternut soup, it had ginger in it and it was too gingery…I might try to make it again without the ginger. I have another butternut squash to use. LOL My kids love salmon and asparagus though. :) Went to bed at midnight. :/

Day 17 Whole30

Day 17 Wednesday, September 28, 2016

I forgot to turn my alarm back on from yesterday, so I woke up at 5:45 am when Michaela’s ride was here for seminary… ooops! Breakfast was 3 hard boiled eggs with salsa and a banana. I was so excited and looking forward to lunch today. I had a sweet potato with the yummy pork from last night on top. For dinner, we had grilled pork chops, green salad with homemade ranch and a cauliflower mash. The ranch is not my favorite. None of us really liked the cauliflower mash.

For me it was the sweetness of the coconut cream, it was weird that it was so sweet. Went to bed about 10 pm.

Day 16 Whole30

Day 16 Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Michaela was sick throwing up in the night so I turned off the early alarm woke up at 6:30 am. Breakfast was a 3-egg scramble which I ate half of before the gym and half after. I put a serrano pepper in it this time and it was a nice little kick. Lunch was the last of the pot roast and some canned green beans, I also had some grapes. Dinner was SO good. Pork carnitas stuffed into a roasted sweet potato with fresh lime squeezed over the top.

I was not sure if I would like it, the seasoning was made up of cinnamon and chili powder. It smelled good all day. After I browned the meat and cooked the onion and garlic I added it all to the slow cooker and it was ready around 6 pm. The kids ate it on a tortilla with cheese and Michaela and I had it with the sweet potato. Went to bed just before 11 pm.

Day 15 Whole 30

Day 15 Monday, September 26, 2016

!!!HALF WAY THERE!!!

To tell the truth I am not sure that I will stop at exactly 30 days. It will depend on what I have going on in my life at that time. I will keep you posted. :)

Woke up at 5 am. Breakfast was 3-egg scramble with broccoli, peppers, squash, onions, and spinach. Lunch- pot roast with cooked veggies, butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. Dinner was “Taco Salad” minus the the tortilla chips. I cooked some ground chicken and seasoned it with bell peppers, onions, garlic, salt & pepper, cumin, paprika and a few red pepper flakes. It was a bit spicy but I had plenty of lettuce to cool it down. Topped with fresh garden tomatoes from my neighbors and fresh salsa. Yummy day. I feel so energetic today, even though I was taking care of a 9 month old baby today. :)

Went to bed around 10 pm.

Day 14 Whole30

Day 14 Sunday, September 25, 2016

Woke up at 7 am. 3 fried eggs, banana and half an avocado. Lunch chicken potatoes, red pepper sauce, half an avocado. We went with some friends on a little Sunday afternoon hike. We had so much fun exploring The Platte River State Park. Dinner was grilled chicken and grilled pork, sweet potato baked fries, and a yummy new veggie side dish, Broccoli, mushrooms, and yellow squash with red pepper sauce.

Went to bed around 10 pm.

Timeline for days 12-15

Like I have said, the book gives a general timeline of what I can expect to feel or do during my whole 30. Days 12-15 says I might dream of junk food... Well, I have definitely been day dreaming of junk food like crazy these past few days. Saturday night I had a nightmare!! I dreamed that I ate pizza and it was SO good. But then when I woke up I felt so guilty and knew I would have to start over and I got overwhelmed. Then I realized it was just a dream! LOL I am glad it was just a dream and I don't have to start over. Thanks for all of your encouragement along the way. :)

Day 13 Whole30

Day 13 Saturday, September 24, 2016

Woke up at 9 am. 3-egg scramble with veggies and salsa. Lunch chicken, potatoes, red pepper sauce, salad with salsa, grapes and almonds. It seems I am getting boring with my eating. But I feel great and energy is awesome. I need to make sure I am drinking enough water. I know this is bad but I did not eat dinner. I was not hungry, and I kind of forgot. Went to bed around 11:30 pm.

Day 12 Whole30

Day 12 Friday, September 23, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. Ate a hard boiled egg and some grapes. Then went to the Y to workout. I felt much better this this morning. I walked a mile to the YMCA and then we worked out and then walked back home. It was great! Breakfast I had a 3-egg scramble with veggies and fresh salsa. I know I might get tired of egg, but haven’t yet. :) Lunch was the rest of the spaghetti squash and tomato meat sauce. I think I was getting tired of eating that. Dinner was a fun event because even though I had leftovers again. I had two friends come over and spend the evening. They brought leftovers from their homes and we combined and visited.  I ate chicken, salad with salsa as a dressing, and I made some more of those yummy roasted potatoes and ate them with the red pepper dipping sauce.They brought some tempting sweets, donuts and peanut m&m’s. I was able to stay away from them and I feel so good about that!!! I had some grapes with dinner. I stayed up way too late with my friends. Went to bed around 12:30 am... ;)

Day 11 Whole30

Day 11 Thursday, September 22, 2016

Woke up at 5 am with Michaela but I laid on the couch while she got ready. Today is going to be a long day. I ate a banana then met my friend and the Y. I almost passed out a couple of times, from lack of sleep. When I got home I had a 3-egg scramble with veggies and felt some energy come back. I dropped my last online class this afternoon, and I know things are going to go more smoothly, especially in regards to my sleep.  Dinner tonight was super delicious. I followed my meal plan. I browned a hunk of beef brisket on the stove top and put it in the crock pot with onions, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. It smelled good all day. I also prepared a nice big salad that was so colorful and pretty. It was nice to sit down to a hot meal that did not need much attention from me during the day. Went bed about 10 pm.

Day 10 Whole30

Day 10 Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. I need to get to bed earlier! I am exhausted. My body feel great but I am tired.

Breakfast I had leftover spaghetti squash and egg again :) and a banana. Today has been so hard to get going. I was working on some homework and I fell asleep and slept for 2 hours. Lunch was leftover chicken, potatoes and coleslaw. I did not get a meal made for the evening, so we all had leftovers. Today was a leftover kind of day. Went to bed around 1 am.

Day 9 Whole30

Day 9 Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Woke up at 5 am. I had such a hard time waking up today! I could barely keep my eyes open to drive the big kids to school. Breakfast was intimidating when I read what I would be eating... Leftover spaghetti squash with the meat and tomato sauce WITH a fried egg on top!

It was so GOOD!! lol
I did make it to the Y and had a good workout, where I felt some energy.
Lunch was the rest of the chicken chowder. I really want a nap!
After school pick up I enlisted the help of Michaela and Anthony in trying to make mayonnaise again. This time I had researched and bought the right tool. Immersion (stick) blender. We made Mayo!! It was such a high point for me, I had 3 mayo fails before this. It turned out so creamy and tasted pretty darn delicious! I used sunflower seed oil so our mayo has a nice nutty flavor to it.

It took forever to blend because you have to pour the oil in VERY slowly. All three us took turns pouring and blending and our arms got tired. :p
This evening was so rushed with kids activities. I did not get dinner done until 8:15 at night. I fed the kids corn dogs before we ran out the door to football, swimming and mutual. It really would have helped if I would have followed the directions for the the food prep it suggested I do the night before... Anyway We had Perfect seared chicken, Roasted potatoes seasoned with olive oil and fresh rosemary, Green cabbage cole slaw, and a roasted red pepper mayonnaise for dipping our potatoes and chicken in. My family LOVED it all! I did not get to bed until 11:30 pm.

Day 8 Whole30

Day 8-Monday, September 19, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. I ate a banana and had a big drink of water before I went to the gym. After I got back I had a 3-egg scramble, to which I added the rest of the cooked butternut squash that I had in the fridge. It was tasty. For lunch I had the rest of the classic chili and an apple. Dinner was so good!! I cooked a spaghetti squash in the microwave. The tomato sauce in the book is so delicious, I doubled the recipe so that I could freeze some for later. I also added some zucchini to the pot.

Spaghetti Squash with meat and tomato sauce. The sauce had so much flavor, it was amazing!! I wanted to eat more even though I was full. (I didn’t though, I listened to my full signal. :)) I also had a green salad with veggies, fresh salsa and my homemade ranch. My legs have not been as shaky as yesterday. I have been wanting to "Eat all things" today though... LOL Went to bed around 10:45 pm.

Sample Meal Plan for Whole30

This is the sample meal plan that is offered in the book. I thought I would have taken advantage of it my first week, but I am glad I saved it for this week. There are a couple pages dedicated to telling you what to prep each day for the meals the next day. I went grocery shopping this morning and got everything I will need for the week. This morning I did not do the spinach frittata, but I had scrambled eggs with spinach in them. :)
I made this chart to print off and have on hand this week.

B	Spinach Frittata (pg 206), side of fruit, avocado	Leftover ground beef & Spaghetti squash topped with a fried egg (pg 149)	Leftover chicken and roasted potatoes, drizzle of pesto (pg 315)	Scrambl-ed eggs (pg 150) with berries, side of steamed spinach (pg 171) with ghee	Leftover Salmon, butternut squash soup (pg 266)	Kitchen sink scrambl-ed eggs (pg 202, using leftover pork and greens), side of applesauce	Leftover carnitas topped with a fried egg (pg 149) pan-fried plantains
L	Protein Salad (pg 161, using traditional On a bed of baby spinach, ranch dressing (pg 316), side of fruit	Protein Salad in hollow bell pepper, sliced carrots, celery and apple with Ranch dressing for dipping	Mexican Tuna (pg 238) in romaine leaves, leftover slaw, side of fruit	Leftover brisket and butternut squash, drizzle of pesto, side of fruit	Greek Salad (pg 278) with boiled eggs(pg 149), side of fruit	No-fuss Salmon Cakes (pg 346) leftover butternut squash soup, green beans w/onions, mushrooms, and peppers	Leftover salmon cakes, cold thai salad (pg 274) with Sunshine sauce (pg 320)
D	Perfect ground meat (pg 152) w/Italian Seasoning, tomato sauce (pg 324), Roasted spaghetti squash (pg 294)	Perfect seared chicken breast (pg 157) Roasted red pepper mayo (pg 312) roasted potatoes (pg 166) green cabbage slaw (pg 282)	Slow Cooker beef Brisket (pg 214) with the butternut squash make it a meal, garden salad w/dressing greek salad (pg 278)	Perfect oven- baked salmon (pg 160) with Broccoli, mushrooms, yellow squash with red pepper sauce (pg 264)	Pork chops with spiced apple- sauce (pg 258)	Roasted sweet potato (pg296) stuffed w/pulled pork carnitas (pg 254) drizzle of avocado mayo (pg 310)	Chicken sausage, pepper, onion, kale frittata (pg206), drizzle of avocado mayo, fruit salad, cauliflow-er mash (pg 270)

I am excited to see how it goes.

Day 7 Whole30

Day 7-Sunday September, 2016

Woke up around 8:45 am Breakfast 3 fried eggs and a banana. We did not make it out of the house all day! Michaela was sick last night and so we stayed home and rested. Greg was called into work. Lunch-leftover chicken chowder. Dinner was crazy, I ended up making 3 meals. I made a pasta and meatball dish for my family because they have been asking for that. (Which I can not eat) Then I made a chicken enchilada dish and brought it over to a friend who needed dinner. Then I cooked some ground beef for me and was hoping to make a tomato sauce so I could have spaghetti squash with meat sauce. But it didn’t come together. I ended up not feeling hungry and probably could have gone to bed without dinner, but figured that was not a good idea. I ended up having a big salad with lots of veggies, 2 hard boiled eggs, salsa and my homemade ranch dressing. It was good. I know I have been eating a lot of eggs, and I am going to try to mix up my protein sources this coming week. I did not take care of myself or my children very well today. I did not drink enough water and was lazy and exhausted! My legs were shaky and tired every time I went up or down a set of stairs, which in my house is a lot! Went to bed around 11 pm.

Day 6 Whole30

Day 6-Saturday, September 17, 2016

Woke up at 7:30 am Breakfast 3-egg scramble with veggies. Lunch chicken and broccoli leftovers. Dinner was super delicious and my whole family enjoyed it. Chicken Chowder I followed the recipe except, I added some butternut squash (Because I had it in the fridge cooked), and I omitted the Jalapeno and the red onion, only because I did not have them on hand. We even squeezed fresh lime juice over it and to our surprise it was just the right touch. I am still amazed at how much the majority us are liking these recipes.

Went to bed around 11:00 pm.

Day 5 of Whole30

Day 5-Friday, September 16, 2016

Woke up around 9 am (No school/seminary for the kids today.) I was in bed way too long! I have a little bit of a headache, but feeling better than yesterday. Breakfast 3-egg scramble with veggies… banana. Lunch was the chicken salad mixture again over the romaine lettuce. It was still yummy today. :) For dinner I grilled some chicken on the grill, I did not do a very good job… It was dry and didn’t have much flavor. I will be trying a different chicken recipe this weekend and I am looking forward to that. I also had some broccoli and butternut squash with dinner. Went to bed around 11:15 pm

Day 4 of Whole30

Day 4-Thursday, September 15, 2016

Woke up at 5 am I woke up feeling dizzy and exhausted, I could not keep my eyes open. I am pretty sure it is a lack of sleep and changing my diet. Breakfast- 3 egg scramble with squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, spinach, salsa, and a banana. I had a bout of diarrhea. Lunch was so satisfying- romaine lettuce, covered in a chicken salad mixture. Canned boneless, skinless chicken breast, with a little bit of my homemade runny mayo, sliced grapes, chunks of granny-smith apples, handful of whole almonds, salt & pepper. It was delicious!

I have had a headache pretty much all day.

Dinner was yummy, We had classic chili and I really liked the flavor.

I survived my first going out to a restaurant with friends. We went to Applebee’s and because I had already eaten a hearty meal I was not (very) tempted to order anything. It was nice to go and visit with friends just for the sake of visiting. Went to bed about 1130 pm.

Day 3 of Whole30

Day 3-Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. Breakfast 3 egg scramble w/yellow squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, and salsa, banana. Lunch-romaine and spinach salad w/ tomatoes, bell pepper, 2 hard boiled egg cilantro, salsa. 2 salmon cakes. I did not get to eat lunch until 2 pm and I was STARVING!! But what I ate was so satisfying. The reason I ate so late was that I was at the grocery store reading labels…

I have had a headache all afternoon. Side note: in the book it has a summary of what you might expect while doing this program every other day or so, based on other peoples reviews. I am supposedly around the time when people go through a stage called “the hangover” I have never had a hangover so I can not compare. But I think that the headache has to do with that. I am pretty sure it is also the fact that I am not getting enough sleep. Anyway, Dinner tonight was leftovers. I needed my family to eat all the non-compliant food, that I can not eat right now, in the refrigerator before it went old and bad. I ate leftover potato and cabbage dish from the night before. Headed to bed 1130 pm. Good night!

Day 2 of Whole30

Day 2-Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. Breakfast 3 egg scramble with bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and fresh salsa Banana. I am hungry! Lunch- romaine lettuce cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, asparagus, cucumber, hard boiled egg (1), leftover salmon cakes (2), salsa. So tasty!! Dinner-Potatoes, cabbage, onions, sausage goulash, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic.

I realized that finding sausage that is whole30 compliant is hard! I found a package called Chef Bruce Aidells, chicken and apple. It was a little too sweet for the potato dish that my family is used to, but it was ok. Every other sausage package I picked up had some sort of sugar in it plus a bunch of other additives.

I had a small headache off and on today. Went to bed 1130 pm. I am still excited! :)