Whole30 Round 2 Begins!!

Since my first whole30 ended at the beginning of June, I have started working out almost daily at my company's gym and have tried to keep eating as healthy as possible. I have lost another 6 lbs and another inch off of my thighs and while that is great, I know I could be doing better for myself. So today I started another round with a vow to not only eat right for the next 30 days, but to also exercise which is something I didn't really do during my first round.

So, this morning I kicked off day one and did a lot of of cooking during my Sunday food prep time.

Whole30 Results and...the rest of the story

The results are in!! I applied for a new job at the beginning of this process and because of everything listed above, I had the confidence to go through the interview process. Yesterday, on my last whole30 day, I was told I got the job which is a huge promotion. I will be leaving the position I've had for 9 years! Oh and I guess I should also mention I lost 15 lbs, 3.5 inches from my stomach, 3 inches from my chest, 2 inches from my hips, and an inch from each thigh!!! All of those numbers are just icing on the cake!

Here is my whole story...

In 2004 I was having horrible mood swings and I just didn't feel good. That year I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started on medications. That started a 12 year battle with medications to control my sleep, medications for my mood, medications to counteract the side effects of other medications. I gained 100 lbs which I was told was a side effect of all the medications. The doctors had to keep switching my medications because nothing seemed to really work.

Things changed when we brought a puppy into our home and my allergies got out of control and to diagnose it my ENT ordered a full gambit of allergy tests. Other than the dog, we found out I had a huge reaction to yeast and mold. My allergist recommended that I go on a yeast free diet. I went home and immediately started researching what kind of diet that entailed, but also the symptoms of a yeast allergy. I noticed that there are a number of psychological symptoms to anaphylactic shock. I started thinking about the times when I felt the worse with depression and anxiety and realized that those were the times I was eating what was the worst for a yeast allergy- fast food and preservatives. I immediately started to clean up my diet. Luckily my psychiatrist was very open minded and willing listen to my theory that I wasn't bipolar, just having an extreme allergic reaction and the reason we couldn't find a medication to help me was because we were trying psychiatric drugs on a physical problem. He tapered me off of my medication and I continued cleaning up my diet. 

In March of this year I was official dismissed as a patient of the UNC Neurosciences Clinic and have been medication free for almost 2 years. I have struggled though when it came to sticking to eating clean. I started paying attention to the mood swings I would have and think about how they were caused by slipping in to old habits. That is why I chose to do the Whole30 program. I needed something to give me the kick in the butt that I needed to do what is right for me, not just for 30 days, but to be the first 30 days of the rest of my life.

I can't help but think about all the years that I have wasted by not trying to eat clean when I first started having problems, but I won't think about it too hard. At 33, I have a long life ahead of me and this 30 day period wad just the start!!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30- LAST DAY!!!

Finally! Today is my last official day! I am excited and saddened at the same time. I really am not interested in reintroducing some things to my diet, but I know I need to do the reintroduction just so I know what the effects are of certain foods I may eat (or may not be able to avoid). So...I will do the introduction but then I am going to go back to how I'm eating. I am planning on staying paleo and mostly whole30 from now on. I'm going to work for a 90/10 balance.

I am starting to feel like myself after being sooo sick for the first few days this week. Yesterday I went walking for the first time after three days of barely moving. I managed to get 6 miles done without feeling too bad, although I am a little dehydrated still.

Stay tuned for before and after pics, measurements, and weights.

Yesterday's recap:

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs
Bacon
Steamed broccoli

Lunch:
Chicken soup

Dinner:
Tuna salad w/ olive oil mayo and
fresh spinach leaves

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 32- new challenge I overcame

So, if you have been following my journey you know that I have to do 34 days due to non-compliant

bacon in the beginning. I am now on day 32 and while I have had many challenges, I hit the hardest one yet on Sunday morning. I woke up that morning with a slightly sore throat, but by that afternoon I was running a fever. Now, I am the type of person that can have full blown pneumonia and never run a fever so this was really unusual. I spent all day Sunday and Monday in bed and napped more than I have ever napped before. To make matters worse, I didn't drink enough water on Saturday because of the BBQ I hosted and was already dehydrated before the fever kicked in. Don't worry though, I got through it and stayed compliant even though a few tears were shed out of misery and frustration! I sipped herbal tea and the broth from chicken soup, gargled salt water, and discovered the wonder of an epson salt bath to help with the leg cramps I had from dehydration.

I am now feeling about 75% better and am thankful I didn't make myself more miserable by reaching for comfort foods I would have in the past. As I am wrapping up my first whole30, I'm thinking about everything that I've learned from this process and I'll be sharing those tidbits over the next few days. Here are a couple to get me started:

1. coconut is extremely versatile i.e. coconut oil, coconut aminos, coconut milk....
2. The term SWYPO (Sex With Your Pants On) makes me smile but is a great analogy and we all too often try to make substitutions to what we are eating but those substitutions aren't always good.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 27- in the home stretch!

I am finally sleeping better!!! It took more than 20 days for me to have that non-scale victory, but it has finally come. I have the fitbit flex on my wrist and have been using it to track my sleep. Previously I would have 12 times or so a night of 7.5 hours of sleep that I would be restless, but the past 4 nights I have only been restless 1-2 times. That leaves me feeling fabulous in the morning with extra energy. I am putting that energy to use this week too with having a BBQ at my house tomorrow for 12 people and I'm serving a ton of whole30 compliant food....ribs with cherry bbq sauce (I'll have regular sauce too just in case), deviled eggs, broccoli salad, cut veggies with paleo ranch dip, compliant hot dogs, bacon wrapped sweet potato bites....I can't wait!!!

Unexpectedly I have become a foodie! I have always loved food, but I feel that now I have stripped all the sugar and the other crud from what I am making, I have gained a greater appreciation of the natural flavors! I have added a recipe section to my blog that I am going to start posting my recipes on and am very excited about having pins of my recipes as opposed to me looking at other people's pins.

Day 26 recap:

I made chicken salad yesterday morning intending on it being for
lunch, but it looked so good I decided to make a breakfast of it! I then had an equally fabulous lunch with 2 hamburgers topped with Tessemae's ketchup, half of a sweet potato topped with cinnamon, and a salad of spinach, strawberries, blueberries, avocado, and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. Dinner was beef stew made by my dad who again was excited that he made it without using flour or cornstarch to thicken it so that I could have it.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 26...more challenges I overcame!

I've been missing the last couple of days because I had to go into my office to work since I had to be onsite for some job interviews (I normally work from home full time). I really learned from some of the office eating mishap stories on the Whole30 forum and really made the effort the past two days to

Burgers, guacamole, spinach, apple and cashews

coconut shrimp, sweet potato, broccoli

make sure I had plenty of food with me and a couple compliant snacks (just in case). I made it through Tuesday without hiccups and even went out to eat for my mom's birthday that night. We went to Outback and since I went there on mother's day, I knew just what to order (steak grilled w/o seasoning, steamed broccoli, and a sweet potato plain). It was still yummy and nice to know that I can go out with my whole family and still stick to my healthy choices. They were advertising a new cocktail and I have to admit that the thought of alcohol makes me a little sick right now...and that is good. I actually have a yeast allergy and shouldn't have any alcohol, but before the Whole30, I would still indulge in a glass of wine or two on the weekend and wind up feeling horrible for days afterwards. I should hear about both of the new positions I interviewed for by the middle of next week. Hopefully it will be good news to celebrate along with the end of my whole30 (whole34 really).

Yesterday I was in too much of a hurry in the morning and didn't eat enough for breakfast. I only ate
about 2 eggs and half of the sweet potato hash...no other veggies. I paid for it and stayed hungry the rest of the day even after eating proper portions for lunch and dinner. That really cements for me that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day!!

The salad my dad prepared...so yummy!

My son and I often eat dinner with my parents on weeknights. I chose my whole30 start day purposely because they were going to be out of town for the first couple of weeks. They are back this week and each day I've called my dad to ask what he was making for dinner to see if I could eat any part of it and if I couldn't I brought my own. Yesterday my dad sent me a message through facebook
and was so excited that he was making a dinner I could have. He grilled chicken and we had grilled chicken salads with locally grown lettuce, strawberries, and blueberries. He also added walnuts and avocado. It was so great and felt so good to know that my dad was now thinking about the whole30. My mom has also expressed interest in reading the book and trying the whole30. I am so glad my family supports me and it definitely makes the process so much easier.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day 22 and more revelations

Friday was a rough day where it seemed like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I missed lunch and really felt the repercussions by 3 that afternoon. It was a firm reminder that I am no good at helping other people solve their problems if I don't take the time I need for myself and that includes fueling my body. I guess that is why the book was so insistent about us taking the time to sit down and eat at a table. Taking that time not only helps you slow your eating pace down, but also gives you a great stress break. I'm so glad I've figured that out.

I also bought my first Lara bars on Friday. I will definitely be saving them for my backpacking trip because they seem a little like Paleo crack! So yummy and addictive!

A mug of chicken bone broth w/ breakfast

Right now I am planning a menu for a party I'm having next Saturday to celebrate my son and my mom's birthdays as well as my mom's retirement. I will be doing a bulk of the cooking myself and everything that I'm making is going to be Whole30 compliant. I figured that would be my best defense against the cakes that I'm ordering for dessert. I am planning on making a compliant lemon custard with raspberries so I can have something too. Fingers crossed!!

I had my first cup of chicken bone broth with breakfast. It took me a couple sips to get used to the

idea, but then I decided that it was great! I have a hard time eating first thing in the morning still. I'm hungry, but just don't feel like eating (if that makes sense). I'm going to start sipping on a cup of bone broth first thing in the morning to see how that might help.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 day ?: who cares!!

Good Morning!!! I have reached the point that I am so happy with how good I feel I don't even care what day of my Whole30 that I am on! So, according to my calendar it is day 19. My son said that he can tell I am enjoying this so much that he thinks I will just not stop after 30 days. I will go through the re-introduction period though just to help me figure out what my body doesn't work well with, but I can definitely see me staying pretty compliant to the program.

Slept great last night despite an increased amount of joint pain (not sure why: weather? nightshades?). My dad was released from the hospital last night. He had a really really bad infection in his mouth and they think they have it under control. I feel like I have handled my stress a lot better this week, perhaps because of regulated blood sugar.

Made another batch of nomnompaleo's cherry bbq sauce last night. My son and I love this sauce!! We have had it on steak and chicken and my son asked if I could put it on ribs this weekend. It is simple to make and sooo very tasty!

I work from home and my team is having a meeting today and they wanted to have a breakfast potluck. I elected to not go to the office and will be calling in from home so I will not be tempted. I do have to go to the office next week for two days for round 2 of the interview process for a fabulous new job. Luckily we have big refrigerators and microwaves at work so I can bring everything I need to eat right.

Day 18 recap:

Breakfast:
Deviled eggs
Cucumbers
Sweet potato hash

Lunch:
Roasted chicken
Roasted cauliflower
Collard greens

Dinner:
Chicken legs w/ cherry bbq sauce
Deviled eggs
Steamed broccoli
1/2 Sweet potato with cinnamon

Whole30 day 16: Weekend recap and another eating out on Whole30 adventure!

Good morning! I finally discovered Tazo's Passion Iced Tea bags yesterday....sooo yummy!!!! It will

be a great sugar free drink for me to enjoy this summer! This was an eventful weekend for me. Saturday I celebrated my son's 12th birthday. We went to almost every sporting goods store within 3 counties of us and then had lunch at Chipotle. I found out by reading numerous other blogs that a salad with carniats at Chipotle was safe for Whole30. It was so yummy and nice to know that there is another restaurant that I can eat at and still make great food choices!

I had my parents over for dinner last night. Stuffed peppers, salad with home made balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and a dessert of berries topped with coconut cream and toasted coconut was all a big hit. Cooking such awesomely flavorful dishes are a great way to win your family over on the Whole30 adventure.

The highlights of my Whole30 food this weekend!

I took another set of pictures yesterday (day 15 for me) and am so amazed at the changes I see! I have decided to step up my activity level for the rest of the program. No...I am not becoming an admirable crossfitter...I'm just going to start adding in more strength and resistance training in to my daily routine of walking.

Have a great day folks!!

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30: Two weeks in words of wisdom

Things are going really well for me even though I am feeling a little under the weather on my 15th day of my first Whole30. I thought I would share the top 5 things that are helping me the most on this journey:

1. Bacon...Here is a link to the bacon that is whole 30 approved http://pedersonsfarms.com/product/uncured-no-sugar-hickory-smoked-bacon-natural-paleo-bacon/ ...if you use the search on the top of the page you can find some near you. We have 2 Whole Foods stores, both about 30 min from my house and only one of the two carries the sugar free kind. This bacon has been a savior for me during this process.

2. prep for an hour over the weekend. This morning I made a batch of mayo, boiled 9 eggs, made sweet potato hash, and browned a lb of ground turkey with taco seasonings, and cut up green peppers all in less than an hour. The turkey I can use on salads for taco salads. The boiled eggs are handing to have for breakfast (I make them in to deviled eggs) or to put in tuna or chicken salad. Prepping is a huge time saver and gives you quick fix options for the week.

3. When I do have time to cook, I make a little extra. Last night I grilled steaks for my son's birthday and while the grill was going I grilled some sweet potatoes and some chicken (that I will add some cherry bbq sauce to this week).

4. Every time I leave the house I take a bag of almonds or cashews, an apple, and a bottle of water for my purse.

5. Tea with lite coconut milk (I like the light one in tea because it cuts the bitterness but doesn't add coconut flavor). There are lots of different flavors of tea and it provides a great break from water.

Any time I start questioning what I am doing and if it is worth it I read the success stories on the Blog or in the Forum on Whole30.

Whole30 day 11 and feeling stronger

I was down for the last few days because I haven't been walking as much. Where I work they encourage us to get 10,000 steps a day on our Fitbits (roughly 4.5 miles). For the past few days I have been short on my goal each day, but then it dawned on my last night that while my quantity is down my quality is up!! Saturday I got my steps while pushing a lawn mower (something I had not done in over 15 years!) and even yesterday while I didn't do distance, I climbed 10 flights of stairs (w/ a knee that needs replacing I often struggle with the 3 steps into my house). I definitely view my increased activity level as a #nonscalevictory !!!!

I have to admit that I had a huge temptation last night though. I took my son to see a musical at a theater in a nearby town. In the lobby they sell hot cinnamon sugar roasted almonds. I love them! I bought some for my son and when he handed them to me to hold while he went to the restroom, I looked longingly at the bag. I heard a little voice in my head say "just one. no one will know." I didn't though, because while no one else would know if I had one or not, I would know! I would know and I cannot do that to myself. I love that mentally I have been strong enough in my willpower to resist temptations.

Here is my recap of my food yesterday:

Breakfast:
Deviled eggs (3 whole eggs worth)
Sweet potato hash
a handful of blueberries

Lunch:
Steak with cherry bbq sauce
Grilled veggie kabobs
Sweet potato hash
Dinner:
Spaghetti sauce with smoked chorizo sausage, peppers, onions, and broccoli slaw served on zoodles (julianed zucchini)


Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 Day 10

Good morning everyone! Day 10 for me. I didn't sleep well last night for the second night in a row. I am sure our crazy weather is to blame and my body just isn't used to sleeping with the warmer temperatures yet. Because it was a rough night, I got off to a slow start and am feeling like I am dragging a bit. I ate a good breakfast and am hoping I can get out of my funk soon. My son also wasn't feeling well this morning so I am hoping we aren't coming down with something. Anyway...I'll keep carrying on and maybe my lunch time walk will help perk me up :-)
Here is my recap of day 9:

Breakfast:
2 proschiutto egg muffins (w/ peppers and onions)

blue berries

Lunch:
Chicken breast with cherry bbq sauce
Roasted cauliflower
Grilled zuchinni

Dinner:
Steak with cherry bbq sauce
Roasted brussel sprouts
Grilled veggie kabobs

My 12 year old requested that I make larger batches of the cherry bbq sauce (Nomnompaleo) because he loves it so much!! I am loving that he is really enjoying this experience! It really makes me feel good as a mom to know that I am teaching him healthy options.

Wishing you love and sunshine,
Sarah

Whole30 Day 9- survived my first weekend and eating out

I am now on day 9 of my first whole30 and it hasn't been without challenges but the rewards outweigh any negatives! My dad normally mows my yard for me since I have had so many knee surgeries (1 on the left,8 on the right) and have arthritis. He is out of town so Saturday since I had less pain (due to reduced inflammation thanks to my diet) and more energy I mowed HIS yard and 2/3 of mine. Then I kept the momentum going and cleaned the house, made dinner for my mom, and some egg muffins for breakfast this week.

Sunday was the big challenge....eating out. You CAN eat out when you are on the Whole30, you just need to do a little research. Go to the restaurant's website ahead of time and look at the menu and the ingredients list. Call and ask questions. Lastly, don't be afraid to ask your server (nicely) for substitutions or changes.

Friday:
Breakfast:
3 deviled eggs (6 halves)
orange

Best dinner date ever!!

Lunch:
Chicken salad

Dinner...I had a date who ran with my suggestion to go shopping together at Whole Foods and cook
dinner together:
pork roast
mango salsa
brussel sprouts and roasted sweet potatoes sauteed in garlic and olive oil

Saturday:

Breakfast:
2 egg fritatta with sauteed peppers, onions, garlic, spinach and coconut milk

Lunch:
3 deviled eggs
sweet potato with cinnimon

Dinner:
baked chicken breast with home made cherry barbeque sauce
balasalmic roased brussel sprouts with bacon
roasted cauliflower with garlic

Sunday:

Breakfast:
3 eggs scrambled
2 slices of bacon
orange

Lunch at Outback Steakhouse:

My Mother's Day meal at Outback Steakhouse

Steamed broccoli (hold the butter)
baked sweet potato (plain)
Steak grilled with salt and pepper only

Dinner:
Spicy coconut shrimp
fried plantanes
grilled zuchinni
pumpkin custard (dessert)

Start of Whole30 day 6...um...er...maybe not

So morning of day 6...or should I say day 3 since I found out that I didn't look close enough at the

nitrate free cruelty free  bacon that was in my sweet potato hash for the first few days and found out that it too had sugar. That is what I get for trying to shop with my son who rushes me in the grocery store. I was so bummed about it that I had a hard time falling asleep last night. Then my dog had an upset tummy in this middle of the night which kept me up for a couple hours during the time of night when I normally get my best sleep. I went to make breakfast of scrambled eggs with green peppers and ham...Boar's head ham is supposed to be compliant, but almost all the varieties at my local store had a sugar or honey glaze. I bought the boiled version since no sugar, and just before I was about to put it in the skillet I looked at the package and noticed that it has MSG in it. sigh....I cried. Maybe I should also mention I have possibly the biggest job interview of my career this afternoon. I'm trying to get out of this funk but

I'm am on the verge of saying "to hell with it!"

Or I was until I called my mother for support. Instead of getting support though, I got comments like "It is too hard and too restrictive." and "I don't think you can do it for 30 day. You should stop now and just try my diet." What?!?!?! My mom has been "dieting" for years and hasn't lost any weight. She eats to few calories and doesn't eat a balance between protein, fat, and good carbs. Newsflash mom...there is a reason you aren't losing weight. Stop subscribing to the archaic idea that you can lose weight alone by just cutting calories!

I am no longer sad. I'm angry and I am going to stick with this and add 3 days on to the end of the 30 to make up for the first 3 I messed up on.

Here is my day 5 recap:

Breakfast:
3 deviled eggs (6 halves)
apple
chai green tea with coconut milk

Lunch:
sweet potato hash (sans bad bacon)
leftover asian beef lettuce wraps

Dinner:
Chicken salad (chicken, olive oil mayo, apples, celery, chives, raisins, chopped pecans, and a touch of vinegar)
fresh spinach leaves

Happy Whole30 Day 5!!!

As you can tell by the title of this post, I am in a good mood this morning. I slept great last night and this morning the sun seems a little brighter and the birds chirping a little less annoying! I'm guessing that means I am officially out of the detoxing slump that everyone goes through during their first few days on the Whole30 program. I struggled last night when I was watching my favorite TV show without my usual bowl of popcorn. I thought about eating an apple or having some nuts but

I used a modified version of the recipe from Nomnompaleo.

ultimately came to the conclusion that I wasn't hungry, just used to the mindless eating! I am so happy I had that realization. Regardless of how much weight I lose, that realization has helped make this process worth it!
I feel like I have a ton of support and resources to make this life change, which makes it all easier. There are a large group of us that all started around the same day that have a running support group going on the Whole30 forum. My 12 year old son is also a very good sport and has actually been enjoying his new breakfast and dinner options. We have also started eating dinner at the table instead of in front of the TV like we normally do on nights we don't eat with his grandparents.

Here is my day 4 recap:

Breakfast:
Sweet potato hash
2 eggs scrambled in coconut oil

Lunch:
Leftover speghetti sauce and zoodles with leftover meatloaf cumbled in.

Dinner:
Asian beef lettuce cups with broccoli slaw

Whole30 Day 3 Recap...bring on the new day!

Good Morning! I am on the morning of Day 4 of my first Whole30 and I have to say that while I was still sluggish this morning waking up, once I started moving I started feeling a lot better. I feel like I am over the fatigue mountain and on my way down. Hopefully by Saturday I will be fully energized! I am really struggling right now with the temptation to step on the scale. For the last two years I have been counting my calories and weighing daily and it helped me lose 40 lbs. It is so hard to break that habit. I hid the tiles on my fitbit that allow me to count calories and talk about the calories I burn, so I guess that is a start!

Best thing I have learned yet is to not fear coconut milk! It goes a long way to cutting the bitterness of coffee or tea without making it sweet.

My 12 year old son loved the zoodles!!

Here is what I ate on day 3:

Breakfast:
Sweet potato hash
2 eggs scrambled
Fresh blueberries

Lunch:
Taco salad (lettuce, roasted corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, salsa, ground turkey season like taco meat)

Dinner:
Paleo meatballs, spaghetti sauce and zoodles (julianed zucchini noodles)