Whole30: Day 15

Are we still doing this?

That's kind of how I am feeling at this point. I skimped on the sleep last night and have felt like I was moving in slow mo ever since. I got in a workout but didn't really give it my all. Then I half-assed cleaned and cooked the rest of the day. I spent all of 30 minutes in the garden. I'm going to hit the hay earlier tonight and hope it makes a difference.

Breakfast: Chuck-eye steak and scrambled eggs with spinach
Lunch: A smoothie.
Dinner: Citrus chicken with sauteed greens and an after dinner Larabar

Let's address the smoothie. I had just come in from the garden. I was hot and tired and I wanted no part of cooking. Also, I miss smoothies. I know these are just excuses and that a smoothie isn't really what you're supposed to be partaking in during a Whole30 but I'm gonna make my own rules here and call it good. My smoothie consisted of coconut milk, frozen banana, avocado, and cacao powder.

Also it ended up being so thick I had to eat it with a spoon. Is this totally SWYPO? I'm saying no. It's not my idea of a treat. Paleo pancakes on the other hand....I'm really wanting some of those. 15 more days!!!!

Physically: Besides being tired from lack of sleep, my clothes fit better which is awesome!
Mentally: Good.

Whole30: Days 13 & 14

Whoa. Let's take a breath and attempt to catch up.

 

 

Day 13 eats:

Breakfast- Repeat of the day before. Rainbow chard, smoked salmon, fried eggs.
Lunch- Buffalo Chicken Salad with cherries and pistachios (eaten as a picnic at the river because Summer Solstice y'all!)
Dinner- Hodgepodge of bacon and avocado, banana and almond butter, and a Larabar.


Day 14 eats: TRAVEL DAY

Breakfast- Bacon and eggs and Larabar
Lunch- Larabar
Dinner- Chipolte
Snack - 2 more Larabars

Obviously I have a Larabar problem. I'm working on it. I found a thread that really helped out when deciding what to eat at Chipolte. I went with a carnitas salad with double meat and double guac. So yummy. So much food. I was so full! I really didn't need those Larabars. Nope. Not at all.

I don't need this either but it sure does look good!

Whole30: Day 12

And I feel fantastic!

Seriously. Amazing.

I did have a moment today. But more about that later.

The morning started out bright and early with a bang. Running with a friend at the track in order to get her prepared for her first 5K. 3.1 miles later with no walk breaks and she was victorious!

Breakfast consisted of rainbow chard from the garden, a bit of smoked salmon, and two backyard eggs fried in coconut oil. And coffee. Of course coffee with coconut milk.

 

 

After that I got blonded. My roots were certainly showing. And not my Southern roots. I'm loving this tank I got on sale at Academy. I think it was like $9? Very cute and perfect for my workouts.

Lunch was a leftover lettuce wrap stuffed with pesto chicken and hot sauce. And a Larabar. And then I attacked a bag of pistachios. This was the resulting carnage.

After lunch I had a cup of coffee. I didn't need that cup though. My energy was through the roof. It's just a habit of having an early afternoon pick me up that I need to break.

Dinner was classic and perfect. Grilled ribeye, sautéed portabellas and salad with homemade dressing. After dinner I had a moment. I really really really wanted to fix up a treat. Something made with Whole30 compliant ingredients to satisfy that after dinner urge. I talked myself out of it. I wasn't hungry I just wanted that sweet hit. I did end up scarfing two bananas. I know that's not what I needed to do but it was better than giving in to the alternative.

Physically: Not bloated, not tired, skin is looking great. Workouts are improving. Sleep is improving. Aaaahhhh! And happy! Very very happy!

Mentally: Happy!

Whole30: Day 11

This week has been crazy! So crazy that I haven't really been paying this blog the proper attention it deserves. Where are the shiny pictures you ask?

I haven't had time to take hardly any!

Breakfast: Larabar
Lunch: Pesto chicken in a lettuce wrap with Tessamae's Hot Sauce
Snack: Bananas and a handful of almonds
Dinner: Chocolate Chili with shredded cabbage

Tomorrow is my last day of having to be somewhere early. Thank goodness because I am ready to go back to a big breakfast. I miss eggs!

Mentally: I'm on top of it!
Physically: My energy has returned fully. Yay! I've been getting my workouts in regularly.

This truly feels like an accomplishment. My last Whole30 attempt ended on Day 11. I'm not quitting this time.

Whole30: Day 10

Woohooo! I can feel the fog lifting. I actually don't feel like crawling under the covers and not moving for days. I got up early. Had a lovely humid hot as balls run. Came home and whipped up a quick breakfast for the kids and I. Spent a good chunk of the day with them at the pool and not even the sun and water could wipe me out.

Breakfast- Quickie scrambled eggs with fish sauce and some sliced avocado on the side plus a Larabar.

Lunch- A salad from a local place. It was super yummy and totally compliant.

Dinner- Burger wrapped in romaine with two Bubbies pickles and some pistachios.

Physically- I'm still bloated but my energy is returning. My skin is clearing up.
Mentally- Feeling sharper and much more awake than the past few days. The cravings aren't horrendous so I'm dealing.

Whole30: Day 9

And I was still exhausted on this day. I got up early and worked out. Took an afternoon nap and was in bed asleep by 9:45. Total and utter worthlessness.

So here is what I ate.

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Scrambed eggs with fish sauce and basil and a few cherries.

Leftovers- Creamy Basil Beef with Portabellas and Sweet Potato Home Fries

Buffalo Chicken Salad made with Tessamae's Hot Sauce, avocado, sprouts, and Paleo Ranch.

I also had a plum and a Larabar.

Hoping the fatigue is gone by tomorrow.

Whole30: Day 8

I was at work a few days ago and was really tired of drinking water. Like done with it. I spotted a bottle of kombucha and was like....SCORE! I hadn't had any 'booch in forever and immediately grabbed it. Then I paused. Is this magical elixir Whole30 approved?

I scanned the web briefly and came across this excellent post.

Can I Have _______?


On to the day's eats.

Breakfast: Chocolate Coconut Chew Larabar
Lunch: Leftovers from dinner- Pesto Chicken and Salad
Snack: Applegate Farms Wieners and Sauerkraut
Dinner: Creamy Basil Beef & Portabellos with Sweet Potato Home Fries

Physically....I'm freakin exhausted. Straight up wore out. So tired I don't want to do anything but sleep. Much less blog.

The end.

Whole30: Day 6

Have you ever seen the Whole30 Timeline?

Last night and today I am very certainly in KILL ALL THE THINGS MODE!

I tried to funnel all that rage into something productive. Like say, tear apart my boys room and put it back together. 6 hours later it was rearranged, purged, cleaned, and ready for some putty to fix all the things that boys do to walls. I have a few other spots in the house that need it so might as well get it all done at once. All that focused output of energy seemed to calm me down a bit.

Breakfast: One scrambled egg and one banana.
Lunch: One Key Lime Pie Larabar and two slices of ham.
Dinner: Steak, broccoli, red bell peppers, onions, garlic, coconut aminos.
Snack: Macadamia nuts.

Whole30: Day 5

Again no exciting or fancy pictures!

Day 5 was another travel day. It was long. And hot. And very tiring.

Breakfast: Bacon, kale, and egg scramble. Coffee with coconut milk.

Lunch: Ham, sprout, avocado wraps with almonds

Dinner: Filet Mignon with brussel sprouts and bacon. This was at Greenhouse Grille in Fayetteville. It's a terrific organic restaurant and you should try it if you are ever in the area.

I was definitely feeling better on this day. Lighter, not so bloated, but my headache returned in the afternoon. I'm thinking today it was dehydration. Must drink more water!

Whole30: Day 4

Well this day wasn't very exciting. And I wasn't very hungry. In fact I was just tired. Really tired. Fatigued even. All energy gone. Tank empty. Ugh.

Here is a rundown of what I ate with no fancy pictures. Because I'm tired.

Breakfast: Coffee, small skillet cooked round steak, sweet potato hash, fried egg.
Lunch: Larabar and a nectarine.
Dinner: my cabbage shrimp one pan dinner recipe.
Snack: two bananas

I hope this tiredness goes away so I can resume normal activities.

Whole30: Day 3

Travel day!

How do you Whole30 on the go?

Easy. You eat a big breakfast of bacon and salad eggs and you pack a cooler.

My lunch:

 

 

Ham slices wrapped around avocado and sprouts, bell pepper strips, hard-boiled egg, and almonds. Coconut milk in the jar. I know myself well enough to know I will be jonesing for some coffee so I brought my own addition. 

The kids lunch. Udi's GF bagel sandwiches, nuts, hard-boiled eggs (none of us will eat a hard yolk unless its in egg salad), red pepper strips, GF fig bars, and Clif Bars. My kids aren't strictly GF but for the most part they don't ingest a lot of it.

I had hoped to have dinner at Greenhouse Grille in Fayetteville. They have an amazing organic menu and I knew I could tweak something to fit my needs. Their parking lot was packed! And at 7pm with a 3 hour drive ahead of us I knew we couldn't wait. We ended up at Café Rue Orleans. I really wanted boiled shrimp. Which they were out of. I settled for a filet and sautéed veggies instead. It was really good so I didn't complain too much about the lack of crustaceans.

No snacking on this day or the evening before. I'm still fighting the occasional headache and bloat. But mentally I'm feeling strong. Bring on Day 4.

Whole30: Day 2

I pigged out last night!

No worries. It was all compliant. But I sure did have the evening munchies.

After my bowl of chili, I had two bananas and five slices of ham wrapped around avocado and sprouts. It was delicious but obviously too much. I know I am so used to having a sweet evening snack that I am going to have to work hard to break that habit. Even if the snack food is stuff I am allowed.

This morning started off with a trip to the garden for some rainbow chard. Oh, and a big cup of coffee to wake me up. I realize this is not part of the Whole30 principles, but I'm trying! I stayed up late binge watching Orange Is The New Black.

 

The chard was sautéed and plated along with some warmed smoked salmon and two over easy eggs. Dear Mother Nature, I love breakfast!

 

 

I was feeling snacky mid-morning. What is with me and the snacking!? I had a small handful of raw almonds and a banana. Lunch was leftover Chocolate Chili with raw cabbage. The cabbage adds this wonderful crunch. I've been eating it like this for a while and really, who would have thought?

 



Afternoon=more snacking. Small handful of macadamia nuts.

Dinner= Leftover roast chicken, salad, asparagus, and a small sweet potato. Yes, it was as good as it looks. Roast chicken is the best.

I've got a tall glass of water to keep my mouth busy, my copy of It Starts With Food by my side to glance at when I feel the urge to snack, and more Orange Is The New Black to watch.

Physically I am feeling tired. I got a lot of garden work and other chores done today but had no real energy to speak of. I'm broke out like a 15 year old boy and I am convinced it is from the yucky food I ate a few days ago. My belly is bloated. Oh poor me. And I have a headache. Forgot to mention that. I'm looking forward to seeing how my skin and belly react to this super clean diet.

Emotionally I'm okay. Really wanting chocolate sometimes. Other times I could care less. Willpower is pretty high right now. Day2 is done.

Whole30: Day 1

After spur of the moment deciding last night that a Whole30 was just the thing I needed, I was thankful I had done all that food prep yesterday. It made today go rather smoothly.

My last Whole30 ended tragically on Day 11 but good news...I still have my awesome binder!

 

Filled with lots of Whole30 guidelines and reassurance.

 

 

 

I'm relying on this binder, my copy of It Starts With Food, and Well Fed to get me through this. 

 

Yesterdays prep included:

making Chocolate Chili from Well Fed

grilling chicken thighs

baking a whole chicken

 

 

 

chopping onions

hardboiling eggs

making Paleo mayo from Nom Nom Paleo*

and slicing red peppers

 

 

 



 I got in a good full body workout this morning then commenced with breakfast. Breakfast was  coffee with coconut milk, sweet potato, scrambled egg, and sausage. Do I have to drink my coffee black? Cause I'm pretty sure coconut milk is allowed. Someone please tell me its allowed!

Lunch was quickly thrown together by grabbing some grilled chicken thighs, Paleo mayo, and numerous veggies and mixing it all up into one awesome chicken salad. I ate it on a bed of romaine and sprouts. For a minute I had a mini-panic attack about the sprouts. But they were totally compliant. Why wouldn't they be? They are green for goodness sake!

 

 

 

 

Despite being a bit tired, I skipped my normal afternoon coffee. Boooo! Dinner will be chocolate chili with shredded cabbage. I'm really looking forward to that. I love chili. Even in Summer. But lucky me, its cool and dreary out today so its really a perfect day for chili!

 

 

 

*I've tried more than a few Paleo mayo recipes, and Michelle's consistently works for me. 

What If?

After a day of terrific eating followed by less than stellar snacking, my belly hurts. As I'm laying here contemplating that it was my choice to make my belly hurt, I wonder- why not start now? Why not do a Whole30 before my Whole30? You know, the one I plan on starting in August

Is it because I'm scared some super fun Summer activity will come up where I want to drink?

Probably. That's most likely the only thing stopping me from kicking off a Whole30 right now.

I spent a good portion of the day prepping Whole30 compliant foods just so I wouldn't have to cook much this week. But I had no intentions of starting a Whole30. Or did I?

I wish I had someone to do it with me. But I suppose this has to be one of those things I do on my own.

I think I'll sleep on it.

Sending It In

Earlier while out running errands, I stopped at the bank for a money order. Next stop was the post office with an envelope containing that money order addressed to Little Rock. I dropped the envelope in the box and became a bit emotional as I did.

In that envelope was the down payment that enabled me to schedule myself to have abdominoplasty in September. Just to clarify, that is a tummy tuck.

Whoa. Hold up. Plastic surgery?

Aren't you a Primal Hippie?

Why yes, yes I am. I believe in all things natural and do my best to live that way. But once you see the state of my belly after three kids, multiple large weight gains and losses, and two cesareans you will understand. I do plan on showing before pictures, but only until I have after ones to go along with them.

The loose skin on my abdomen cannot be touched by a clean diet and all the ab exercises in the world. I am only 31 and have a lot of years left to be rocking my body. I work hard, I eat right and I deserve to be completely happy with every part of my body. I'm not happy with my belly. I haven't been for 11 years.

I have a terrific surgeon in Little Rock and plan on keeping you updated on what I'm doing to prepare for my surgery.  I'll just go ahead and tell you that I will complete a Whole30 in the month leading up to it. For the summer though, I will keep to my workouts, limit my alcohol, stay away from grains, and try to live as primal as possible.

It's exciting, scary, emotional, and downright life changing.

Have you had any cosmetic procedures? If so, I would love to hear about your experiences.

In My Coffee

This is sad.

I'm starting to believe that dairy and I are incompatible.

Waaaaaaaaaa!

I discovered this during my last attempt at a Whole30. I made it 11 days. Go me! Not.

Anyways...

I would wake up in the morning with a flat belly (well as flat as my belly could get) and upon having my first cup of delicious caffeinated manna with a splash of raw cream I would blow up like that girl from Willy Wonka. "You're turning violet, Violet!"

I should have known considering that when I cleaned up my diet four years ago, ice cream began to give me fits. Meaning it sent me to the bathroom within minutes of consuming it.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not at the point where I will turn down a delicious piece of Brie or a slice of gluten free pizza topped with three different artisan cheeses.

But for the most part, I'm avoiding dairy.

That means coconut milk in my coffee, almond milk in my smoothies, and leaving the cheese off of most of my meals.

I think I'll survive.

Hello!

It's been close to a year and I think its time to revive this little blog.

No I didn't quit blogging all together.

My main blog is The Tiny Farm Co. & Academy where I write about homeschooling, tiny farming, soap making, food, and family. I've truly neglected this space. Mostly because I began to neglect myself. I never made it thru that Whole30. I've been on the wrong side of primal eating for the better part of a year now. Trying to stay true but slipping more often than not.

It's all gonna change.

We say that a lot, but since January I've been getting in my workouts regularly and have dropped 20 pounds. My eating still tends to include some grains like quinoa and rice and corn but otherwise its pretty primal. I took a hiatus from alcohol during the entire month of January and its helped me drink in moderation since then.

I have some big plans and changes coming this Summer and Fall that I absolutely have to be in tip top shape for. I'm planning my last attempt at a Whole30 at the end of August. Our business is sponsoring a 5K over July 4th and I am the race director. I'll be having surgery in September. Oh and hitting the beach in August as well!

Lots going on! Lots of things I need to be properly fueled for. I'm ready.

Friday

Early morning chicken chores are just a day to day norm around here. Keeping chickens gives the kids their very own very important responsibilities. It also enables us to know where our breakfast comes from and to take responsibility for that as well.

 

These beauties are the product of happy healthy well cared for hens. We treat them well and in turn they feed us well. Eggs are a very large part of our diet around here.

 

It was a very happy day when these new books arrived. I've already made three things from Against all Grain. We have a portion of a pig coming in a month and I plan on putting Beyond Bacon to work then.

 

 

One of my very favorite things is butternut squash soup. I am particularly fond of the recipe in Practical Paleo. I had someone give me two big beautiful butternuts and I used one to make this batch. I love pairing this soup with a steak that has been grilled to perfection. The flavors compliment each other so well.

 

And in keeping with my love of orange veggies, I made some spectacular sweet potato hash. Aren't vegetables pretty?


I am sorry to admit that I didn't succeed with my Whole30. I'm not going to make excuses. I'm not going to beat myself up. I did not completely fall off the Primal wagon. But I haven't been super strict Whole30 either. When I feel like the time is right, I will give it another go.

Whole30 Restart

Tomorrow I am restarting my Whole30. Although I have kept it very clean there have been a few circumstances where I am pretty sure I ingested an off plan ingredient.

Like that burger at the theme park. Bunless as it was I am convinced it was just a soy patty masquerading as a sirloin burger. Or the dinner at a friend's house. I think there was some dairy in there.

Tonight is our  anniversary so I am going to raise my glass and toast seven long yet wonderful years of marriage. At least the beer is homebrew and we know what went into it.

Tomorrow will be the start of another Whole30 attempt so September 6th will be my official end date. I always do better with even numbers anyways. But its too bad because I had just gotten used to drinking my coffee sans cream.

To add some visuals to this post, here are a few meals I ate over the past 5 days of almost perfect Whole30 eating.

Salad eggs are a favorite. Obviously.

Egg salad made with Paleo mayo from Nom Nom Paleo's fabulous recipe collection.

A yummy chicken dish from Practical Paleo with a sweet potato topped with ghee.

Salad eggs and a bit of ham steak.

Chicken topped with a coconut veggie reduction and a sweet potato on the side.

Whole 30 Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of the Whole30. I attempted one of these a few months ago and didn't make it past day 2 before giving into the temptation of a glass of wine. I'm a bit more motivated now and am really and truly interested to see what my body can accomplish with 30 days of no dairy, alcohol, or sugar. I cut the grains out a long time ago so that is a non issue.

Day 1 consisted of black coffee. Salad eggs for breakfast. Carnitas and avocado for lunch. A peach and two slices of Applegate farms turkey as a snack. And one giant ribeye with mushrooms and sweet potato for dinner.

 

 

Good luck to any and everyone participating in a month of uber clean eating!