Day 28: Re-cap

Breakfast: hamburger patty with grilled red bell pepper, brown mustard, & sauerkraut

Lunch: bed of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: iced green tea, apple, banana

Dinner: bed of spinach, sweet potato, chicken breast, bacon, fried egg, tomatoes, Cholulla

Notes: still feeling darned good! Positive attitude, good energy throughout the day, sleeping very soundly, enjoying what I'm eating, although I miss Pizza, bread, and french fries..

Day 27: Re-cap

Sunday was just as good as Saturday!

Sat Breakfast: bed of spinach, bacon, fried eggs, fresh sliced tomatoes, salsa and Black Tea

Sun Brekkies: two hamburger patties covered in salsa

Sat Lunch: two hamburger patties & salsa

Sun Lunch: bed of spinach, two burger patties, fried eggs, sliced tomatoes, sauerkraut

Sat dinner: bed of spinach, two burger patties, fried eggs, sliced tomatoes, sauerkraut, chollula & salsa

Sunday dinner: hamburger patties w/ salsa, sweet potato, Zuchini, and green beans

Notes: it was a great weekend w/ no snacks! Feeling VERY good

Day 26: Re-cap

Saturday

Day 25: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 HB eggs, 3 sausages, salsa, green tea

Lunch: spinach broccoli bell peppers cucumber grilled chicken balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: green tea & apple

Dinner: two hamburger buns w/ spicy salsa

Late snack: Bacon!!!

Day 24: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 HB eggs, 3 small sausages, fresh salsa, green tea

Lunch: bed of spinach with cucumbers, bell peppers , broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack - Apple, Banana, green iced tea

Pre Workout - Texas brisket on Spinach

Late Dinner - fried zuchini w/ spicy meat sauce

Day 23: Re-cap

Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 3 small sausages, homemade salsa, water, green tea

Lunch: Argentinean roast beef w/ roasted potatoes & mixed veggies

Snack: Primal Pac & Apple

Dinner: bed of spinach, large chicken breast, Hatch Chili from Paleo To Go

Notes: Feeling great! Knee not too bad today!

Day 22: Re-cap

Breakfast: 2 hb eggs, 3 small sausage patties, all w/ homemade salsa. Green tea.

Lunch: bed of spinach w/ bell peppers, cucumber, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Primal Pac & Apple

Dinner: salmon & broccoli

Day 21: THREE WEEKS!!!

Breakfast: 2 HB eggs, 3 small sausage patties, fresh salsa, green tea

Lunch: salad of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Paleo Pac

Pre Workout: Half chicken breast w/ salsa

Post Workout: Other half of chicken breast, more of that excellent fresh salsa!

Dinner: steak & sweet potato

Notes: went to Monday night Aqua Fit, MUCH harder than the Saturday class!!! I'd like to hit the Wednesday class for an even three workouts a week, but it's tough to leave work early. Got independent verification that I'm sleeping better ("I thought you were dead, you slept so soundly without even moving"). I feel great, and if my right knee will just get with the program, I could really pump up my mileage & bring on some serious weight loss! In the meantime, I'm feeling great, looking to try some new recipes, and I'm succeeding at Aqua Fit. WINNING!!!

Day 20: Re-cap

Breakfast: (late) bed of spinach, fried eggs, sauerkraut, sausage

Snack: Pear

Dinner: salmon & broccoli, not pictured was the appetizer of french onion soup w/ no bread or cheese - just the broth

Day 19

Day 18

Day 17: Re-cap

Breakfast: two HB eggs, two sausage patties, fresh salsa & green tea

Lunch: salad of spinach with bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, grilled chicken & balsamic vinaigrette

3pm Snack - Paleo Pac

6pm Late Snack - Bacon!!!

8pm Dinner - sweet potato with chicken, bacon, guac & salsa

Day 16: re-cap

Breakfast: two HB eggs w/ two sausage patties & salsa, with green tea

Lunch: salad of spinach, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Paleo Pac

Dinner: filet of Bison, coffee rubbed, with roasted veggies

Day 15: Re-cap

Breakfast: two sausage patties, two HB eggs, green tea

Lunch: salad w/ bed of spinach, grilled chicken, cucumbers, broccoli, bell peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack - apple, orange, Primal Pac

Dinner - bone-in pork chop w/ grilled yellow squash & zuchinni, and grilled green heirloom tomatoes

Dessert - A treat for being halfway through my W30! Grilled peaches w/ a light dusting of cinnamon. Better than peach cobbler!

Notes: I'm halfway, and I feel GREAT!

Thermometer of Success

Food: Good
Exercise: Need More!

Halfway!

I have to say, I'm shocked at how well this is going! I've never felt 'hungry', deprived, or stressed about my food. In Week One I had cravings out the wazoo, but nothing mind bending, except my success & this odd feeling of...happiness.

With that being said, there are things I can tweak, change, and execute MUCH better! I'd really like to tighten up my final two weeks:

The daily 3pm sugar crave! I've been eating a Primal Pac & RxBar (which, together, are 700 calories!), and an Apple. My body is craving sugar, and I think I need to starve that bitch out! I'm now going to bring a daily protein to eat at that time, have my Apple before lunch, and save the Primal Pac & RxBar in my briefcase for emergencies.

I need to stop having double-dinners. I'm hungry when I get home from work at 6pm, so I'll have a 'heavy snack', and then a 'real dinner' around 7:30 or 8pm. I need to not eat so late, and I need to eat just once in the evening. The protein at 4pm may help, and I might try to push lunch later, too.

I need to follow through on my commitment to try two new recipes a week! I need to finish this W30 with half a dozen go-to recipes.

Prep, prep, and more prep! Having 'leftover' stuff in the fridge to easily combine & heat has been a magnificent success. Need more of that!

Exercise has been lackluster. My right knee has been hurting, so I'm reluctant to do too much walking, and the Aqua Fit classes can be tough to get to on-time during the week. Recommitting to three gym visits, at least two of which are Aqua Fit.

Day 14: Re-cap

Breakfast: sausage patty, half a chicken breast, two HB eggs, green tea

Lunch: roast beef with mixed grilled veggies & iced tea

Snack: Primal Pac, RxBar, Apples

Post Workout: Chicken breast & HB egg

Dinner: Outback - Ahi Tuna appetizer (no sauce!), grilled Salmon, broccoli

Day 13: Re-cap

Breakfast: Last of the 'leftover stew' (chicken, bell peppers, carrots, parsnips, bacon, marinara) and my new bacon from US Wellness Meats (which changed my life!)

Lunch: Sweet potato on a bed of spinach, with chicken breast, sauerkraut, & salsa w/ crushed red peppers.

Dinner: Chipotle salad bowl - lettuce, carnitas, salsa, and guacamole.

Notes: feeling good! Very positive! The gut is still learning to process the new way of eating (is that the nice way of saying it?), but the probiotic supplement & fermented veggies will help, too.

Day 12: Re-cap

Breakfast: two bowls of leftovers mixed with marinara sauce. Mix included chicken, bell peppers, parsnips, carrots, and bacon. Also had two HB eggs.

Lunch: hamburger patty, two HB eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, grapes, honeydew, cantaloupe.

Snack: Primal Pac & mix of almonds & cashews

Dinner: grilled chicken & bell peppers with avocado, salsa, and crushed red pepper flakes.

Notes: Aqua Fit class left me wrung-out & dead. 'Might' need to eat a little something beforehand, next time. Right knee has been in pain, trying to moderate between staying active & not hurting it too much. Worried.

Day 11: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 hardboiled eggs

Lunch: Spinach greens, bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette

Dinner: Chipotle salad bowl w/ lettuce, carnitas, hot & mild salsas, and guac

Long, busy, stressful day as I finished new software roll-out at work. I may have had a Primal Pac & Rx Bar, can't remember :(

Day 10: Re-cap

Breakfast: leftover steak w/ salsa & hardboiled eggs

Lunch: spinach greens with bell peppers, grilled chicken, broccoli, cucumbers & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Paleo Pac & Apple

Late snack: Tuna salad w/ celery sticks

Dinner: sweet potato with chicken, guac & salsa

Day 9: Re-cap

Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs, two sausage patties, with homemade salsa

Lunch: spinach greens with grilled chicken, bell peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and balsamic vinaigrette

Work Snack: Primal Pac, Apple, iced green tea

After school snack: sweet potato with ground pork & homemade salsa

Dinner: chicken breast with guac & salsa

Notes: I feel good, but in a rotten mood after a tough day at the office (first day of Remedy change system)

Day 8: Re-cap

Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs with two sausage patties, with Chollula & salsa.

Lunch: spinach greens with bell peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, grilled chicken, and peas with balsamic vinaigrette

Work snack: Primal Pac & two Apples

After school snack: sweet potato with ground pork & salsa (YUM!)

Dinner: grilled salmon, steamed broccoli

Notes: I feel GREAT!

Thoughts

Yesterday was a yummy day! I'm feeling very 'whole food nourished', and most amazingly, I now have TOTALLY different hunger pangs! I used to get twitchy with headaches & really bad moods. Now I realize that was a Sugar Fit, and now I can get a tummy so grumbly I get burps, but no headache, grumpy, or twitchiness! These 'new' hunger pangs almost feel 'good' to have, and I know I'm eating right when they get serious before my next meal. Satiety and Satiation are two very different things, and both can be VERY tough to distinguish from Sugar induced cravings. I feel like I'm in Sugar Rehab, and I'm starting to be able to see the other side. It's like a glimpse of freedom, and I want it more than ever.

Week One Thermometer of Success

Food intake was on track, despite a few challenges.

Exercise output was 2 out of 3, but considering it was my first week back in the gym, it wasn't too bad. I also need to pick up the work-walks & dog-walks.

Day 7: Re-cap

Breakfast: Two hardboiled eggs, two sausage patties, salsa, and green tea

Lunch: Spinach greens with bell peppers, cucumbers, hardboiled eggs, turkey, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Snacsk: Chicken breast w/ guacamole & salsa, Paleo Pac, two apples

Dinner: grilled parsnips & carrotts, with skewers of chicken & bell peppers. Dessert was grilled pears with cinnamon dusting.

Notes: I feel good, though a bit tired. No headache. Slightly short tempered, but good mood overall.

Week One

Holy Crap - I'm on the verge of finishing an ENTIRE week of Whole 30! 25% done!

Wow...

What a difference! I feel clear-headed & energy balanced. I can feel a difference in my sleep quality. And I really LIKE what I'm eating!

Has it been easy? NO! I spent most of last week with a headache & grumpy. Most of the weekend I felt like I needed a nap. On Friday when I spilled my Paleo Pac in my Jeep, I nearly lost my mind! Grocery shopping has become a new, expensive, obsessive hobby. Cooking never ends, and if I have to clean my kitchen & run the dishwasher ONE more time, I might scream!

But I like this. I like the W30 support. It's been good to get back into the gym.

I can't wait to see how I feel next Monday, at my halfway point...

Day 6: Update

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon & white potato hash browns. Hot Green Tea.

Lunch: Grilled burger with guacamole & salsa, with brown mustard. Hibiscus iced tea.

Snack: Tuna salad (using homemade mayo!), with mustard & bacon bits, celery sticks to eat it with. Iced tea.

Dinner: Ribeye steak, grilled brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli, and steamed cauliflower.

Dessert: grilled peaches w/ dusting of cinnamon

Day 5: Update

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with ground pork, and hashbrowns from red skinned potatoes. Sauerkraut on the side, hot Green Tea.

Lunch: chicken salad made from grilled chicken & homemade mayo, served in an avocado boat with bacon. Iced Hibiscus Tea.

Snack: grilled burger with bacon bits, guacamole, salsa, and brown mustard.

Snack two: RxBar

Dinner: grilled Salmon w/ steamed broccoli

Notes: This was Saturday, had my first Aqua Fit class in the morning, went well. Dinner was at Outback Steakhouse.

Day Four: Update

Breakfast: 3 hardboiled eggs, 4 sausage links w/ Chollula, and hot Green Tea.

Lunch: leftover meaty spaghetti sauce over two sausage patties, with two hardboiled eggs & iced green tea.

Snack One: (mostly spilled on car floor) Primal Pac & Apple

Snack Two: RxBar

Dinner (not pictured): ate out at The Red Ox in Hampshire, had Shrimp Cocktail (no sauce), Filet Mignon, assorted steamed veggies, dinner salad with oil & vinegar, one baked white potato with Aus Jus. Several iced teas.

Notes: big interview Friday afternoon, very hangry in car on way home, spilled Primal Pac, managed to stay the course & remain On Plan!

Nearly lost my shit

I had a FOUR hour job interview today, and when I was getting into my car I was hungry & headachy, and my hands were shaky, and I freakin' DROPPED my Primal Pac & the contents dumped on the yucky floor of my Jeep.

Ugh!!!

I pulled into a Starbucks & got an iced Green Tea & an Apple, which was good, even if I was still being a bit stompy-stompy.

Day 3: Re-cap

Breakfast: 3 strips of leftover ribeye steak with salsa, two hardboiled eggs, green veggie juice

Mid morning: Apple

Lunch: salad of spinach greens with grilled chicken, cucumbers, bell peppers, hardboiled eggs, broccoli, and balsamic vinagrette. Plain iced tea.

Afternoon snack: Almonds, two apples, iced green tea.

Dinner: awesome combination of zucchini noodles (yay Spiralizer!), and meaty spaghetti sauce made from grass fed ground beef & marinara sauce w/ no gluten or added sugar. Crushed red pepper gave it some zip!

Notes: headache continues, grumpy but not TOO bad, still sore from Tuesday's stupid workout. Spiralizer is great, takes a bit to get used to the 'touch' to get it consistent, shocking how many Zuch's it takes to make a 'serving of pasta' (4!).

Inspiration & support

Every morning of my Whole 30, I start my day with a lovely email that gives me inspiration & support. They know what I'm feeling (literally) as I go through this process, and I don't feel so 'alone' or crazy. It's awesome.

And, yes, I've had a headache for two days, and I'm irritable. VERY. MUCH. SO.

But this too, shall pass...

Day Two: Re-cap

Breakfast: Two Eggs, three sausage links w/ Cholula, green veggie juice, Green tea

Lunch: Salad w/ spinach greens, grilled chicken, red & green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli & balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Primal Pac, Apple, Green Tea, mixed cashews & almonds

Pre workout: Three thick slices of ribeye steak w/ salsa & Hibiscus iced tea

Dinner: Leftover grilled chicken w/ salsa & one bratwurst

Notes: I was supposed to do my first Aqua Fit class, but found my swim trunks to be missing. After fighting the Day Two headache all day, I lost my shit & had a terrible stompy-stompy fit. Took the dog on a walk instead, and shocked myself by snacking on-plan. Stompy fit seemed to cure the headache, although I was in a foul mood the rest of the night.

Day One: Re-cap

Breakfast: Hardboiled egg, two sausage links (gluten & sugar free), homemade salsa, green cold-pressed veggie juice.

Mid Morning (not pictured): green tea, black coffee, large apple

Lunch: salad of spinach greens, hardboiled eggs, grilled chicken, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, w/ balsamic vinaigrette (no added sugar), and plain iced tea.

Mid afternoon: three bottles of water, a primal pack, and another large apple. Not pictured - large iced green tea.

After school snack: grilled bratwurst (gluten & sugar free), w/ homemade salsa & iced hibiscus & ginger green tea.

Dinner (late): grilled chicken marinated in EVOO & lemon juice, served w/ sliced avocado & salsa, grilled green tomatoes.

TV snack (not pictured): small banana & water

Workout: upper body weights, shoulders, back, tri's, bi's & chest.

Other notes: slight headache, no mid afternoon energy slump. Breakfast needs another egg & sausage link. Did not do office walk or dog walk - knees sore from weekend & knew it was first day @ gym since 2009 - being cautious!

All in all = Day One was a resounding success!

Onward...

W30 - Day 1 @ Gym

First time in the gym since 2009. You'll notice in the bottom left picture, those were my old '09 numbers. Today I started with uppers, and I started at my old weights, and the reps & sets came in just about the same!

I'm SURE I'll be feeling that in the morning, but it'll be a 'good kind of pain'.

My TV snack was a banana, for the potassium, and before bed I made sure to stretch-out pretty well.

Day One = Success!

Onward...

We manage what me measure

I love that old truth that we manage what we measure!

Goals are good, too, and I've outlined a few...

So far, Meal One of Day One has gone well! 90 meals to go...

W30 - Day Zero

Prep, prep, read some more, then continue prepping!

Really, I think the prep work never ends. For me, Sundays groove best. I'll shop with a list, and prep my week, as an old habit.

This week I added some additional food prep, sorted out some kitchen tools, and totally re-organized my pantry.

'Bad' items have been excised, and I've got on-plan choices prepped & ready to go.

Will it work?

I'm pushing hard for it. In fact, tomorrow is also my first day back in the gym.

I'll keep posting my daily successes, frustrations, failures, and victories.