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! :)

Day 1 of Whole30 and Salmon Cakes

Day 1-Monday, September 12, 2016

Woke up at 5 am. I hid my scale and won’t bring it out again until I am done with my 30 days minimum. Ate a fried egg 6 am, 2 fried eggs 730 am. Tried to make the homemade mayo, it is really runny, searched online and found some tips… add another egg slowly, put in fridge. We will see if it thickens up… Lunch-romaine lettuce hard boiled egg, diced chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, salsa, apple. Dinner No-Fuss Salmon Cakes, asparagus drizzled with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, handful of cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas and grapes. The Salmon cakes were pretty easy to make. I will include photos from the Whole30 book.  There were 5 of us at dinner tonight and 3 of us really liked the salmon cakes.
Mayo seems to have thickened up some. It smells good, tastes OK. I ordered a hand mixer, it should be here tomorrow. I will try again then. :)

The recipe calls for canned sweet potatoes. I could not find canned sweet potatoes at Walmart that were compliant with the rules. They all were canned in syrup. I just went ahead and bought 2 sweet potatoes. I peeled and diced them and boiled till soft. Then when I added them to the bowl with the other ingredients I used a fork to mash them up coarsely.

Talena's adventure with The Whole30

Today is the first day of my Whole30. You can read more about the Whole30 here.  I am going to post the basic "rules" and I hope to update daily about my experience. 

The Whole30 Program Rules

100%--no slips, cheats, or special occasions

Basic Guidelines

YES: Eat meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and natural fats.

NO: Do not consume sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, or dairy. Do not consume baked goods or “treats.” Do not weigh or measure yourself.

• DO NOT CONSUME ADDED SUGAR OF ANY KIND, REAL OR ARTIFICIAL. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, coconut sugar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.
• DO NOT EAT GRAINS. This includes wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, sprouted grains, and all gluten-free psuedo-cereals like amaranth, buckwheat, or quinoa. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn, and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch, and so on. Again, read your labels.
• DO NOT EAT LEGUMES. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
• DO NOT EAT DAIRY. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)
• DO NOT CONSUME ALCOHOL IN ANY FORM, NOT EVEN FOR COOKING.  (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)
• DO NOT CONSUME CARRAGEENAN, MSG, OR ADDED SULFITES. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.
• DO NOT RECREATE BAKED GOODS, “TREATS”, OR JUNK FOODS WITH APPROVED INGREDIENTS. Continuing to eat your old, unhealthy foods made with Whole30 ingredients is totally missing the point, and will tank your results faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” Remember, these are the same foods that got you into health-trouble in the first place—and a pancake is still a pancake, regardless of the ingredients.
• DO NOT STEP ON SCALE OR TAKE MEASUREMENTS. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic and lifelong benefits this plan has to offer.

*Exceptions to the rule*

• CLARIFIED BUTTER OR GHEE.
• FRUIT JUICE AS A SWEETENER. Products or recipes including orange, apple or other fruit juices are permitted on the program, although we encourage you not to go overboard here.
• GREEN BEANS, SNOW PEAS, AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS.
• VINEGAR. Most forms of vinegar, including white, balsamic, apple cider, red wine, white wine, champagne, and rice, are allowed. The only exceptions are flavored vinegars with added sugar, or malt vinegar, which is thought to contain gluten.

WISH ME LUCK!!!