Whole30 – Day 8

Day 8 was another day off from work for me, but it was hardly a relaxing day.  I did my grocery shopping and got all of my meals (except breakfast eggs) cooked and ready for the week.  I’m hoping my meat selection is better this week but I still feel like I didn’t buy all that much meat, but more than the previous week.

I’ve learned that I really love roasted brussels sprouts.  Who would have guessed?  Those little things are darn delicious.  I remember my friend D telling me she thought they “tasted like candy” and I always thought she was a little crazy.  It’s okay, I might just be crazy too.  I wouldn’t call them candy but they are pretty good as far as vegetables go.

I thought about something the other day and they forgot to write about it.  This Whole30 way of eating really isn’t so strange.  Our grandparents must have eaten similar to this.  There wasn’t soda, energy drinks, chips, candy, and highly processed foods everywhere.  Not to mention when these things became available they were intended to be a treat, not something people ate every day, every meal, and snacks too.  Of course mass marketing is at least partially to blame and the fact that in most households all adults work rather than one staying home to take care of cooking and cleaning.

Week 2 Meals

From left to right, top to bottom, here’s what I’ve cooked for the week.  Spinach and tomato frittata, stuffed acorn squash (from the popular Facebook video post, find it here)  I omitted the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese to make it compliant.  Crack slaw, egg salad with home made mayo and celery, sautéed green beans and mushrooms, roasted brussels sprouts, cauliflower rice, and Thai chicken soup.

Breakfast

For breakfast I finished off the last bit of crack slaw I had leftover from week 1 and added two freshly poached eggs on top.  I was at a loss for what to eat for my fat so I added some almond butter hoping it might make it a bit like pad thai.  It missed the mark but wasn’t horrible and I got the nutrition I needed so that’s a win in my book.

Lunch

Lunch I had a bowl of the Thai chicken soup I made with a fresh squeeze of lime on top and a serving of green olives on the side!

Dinner

For dinner I finished what I had left from the first week which was some balsamic sweet potatoes with brussels sprouts and cold thai salad.  I also topped some lettuce with the egg salad which was really good.

I feel like my appetite is decreasing lately but it could just be the difference between being home and being at work.  I guess I’ll find out tomorrow when I head back.

I was happy today that my stomach issues are better again.  It’s confusing to me how one day I will be having the worst time and then it just disappears.  All part of the stomach healing and processing new/different foods I suppose.

I know weight loss is not supposed to be my goal, that feeling better is, but dammit I want to lose a pound or two.  I found this on the Whole30 web site and it has given me hope!

“In a survey of over 1,600 Whole30 participants, a full 96% lost weight and/or improved their body composition.  20% lost between 1-5 pounds; 37% lost 6-11 pounds; 21% lost 12-15 pounds and 11% lost more than 16 pounds in just 30 days!  7% reported no scale change, but an improvement in body composition (muscle gained and/or fat lost). And of the 4% who didn’t lose any weight, many weren’t trying – several were pregnant at the time of their Whole30 program, a few reported they were on a “mass gain” program, and some stated they “didn’t have any weight to lose.””

Whole30 – Day 7

One week down!  That’s amazing.  It both feels like it’s gone by quickly and has also felt like forever.  I can’t believe I’ve stuck with it 100% since starting and I’ve also managed to keep up with my blog.  Both amazing feats if you ask me.

Today was a day off which was nice to just kind of relax.  I did get my shopping done and I’ll be cooking tonight.

Look at all this produce.  Never in my life have I bought, and actually eaten, so many vegetables in a week!

My stomach has been bothering me again today…way too many trips to the bathroom and I only managed to eat two meals today.  Partly because of the stomach issues and also because I’m at home and not in my normal work routine I think.  Also, I just wasn’t all that hungry.  I know I’m supposed to eat anyway but I didn’t today.

I posted the infamous Crack Slaw recipe today so go check that out and give it a try.  I don’t know exactly why I’m so obsessed with it but they call it crack for some reason.  And luckily this crack only has positive side effects!

Breakfast

Breakfast was spinach and scrambled eggs topped with ranch dressing.  Nothing fancy as I’m finishing up what’s in my refrigerator.  I finished off my third 10oz bag of spinach with this meal.  I don’t know about you but I’ve never eaten that much spinach before in my entire life.  I really like it wilted in coconut oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Dinner

Dinner was crack slaw and my last avocado which has seen better days but wasn’t actually bad yet.  I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel here…literally.  I do have more hot sauce in my life now after shopping though and that makes me happy!  I’m a hot sauce fiend, especially for Frank’s Red Hot Sauce it’s my favorite and it’s compliant.  Sometimes you get lucky and the things you already loved you can still eat.  I can’t wait to cook tonight and have more new yummy foods to try.

Even with the stomach issues today was not too bad of a day.  Grocery shopping was pretty easy because I mostly stuck to the produce and meat sections and saw little temptation.  I did see some amazing looking spiced cider and a caramel apple that both caught my attention for a brief second but my willpower prevailed.

I’m not sure if what I’m feeling is a Whole30 side effect or just some random thing but my breathing feels different.  I’ve never been a loud breather and my sinuses are usually pretty clear but for some reason I feel like I’m breathing better.

I did have one disappointment today however.  During Whole30 you aren’t supposed to weigh yourself.  I didn’t break the rules but I figured taking some progress pictures would be okay.  Now I totally understand why you’re not supposed to weigh yourself.  When you’ve been trying so hard for a week (or however long it’s been) and have been doing so good and you compare yourself to where you were the week before and you don’t see a difference at all….yeah, that’s a letdown.  I’m not discouraged but I am confused.  Here I was thinking my pants felt looser (and maybe they are I don’t know) but I swear I couldn’t see any difference in those photos.  Lame!  I won’t be doing that again until day 31.  I’ve learned my lesson.  When they say comparison is the thief of joy they couldn’t be more right.

Crack Slaw

Here is it folks!  What you’ve all been waiting for, the infamous crack slaw recipe.

This is not my recipe, I found it on Facebook somewhere and there seem to be a lot of variations online.  This version I’m posting here is not Whole30 compliant but I made the changes to make it compliant.  So I’ll post it exactly as it’s supposed to be and then in parenthesis tell you what I changed to make it okay.  I love this recipe so much I’m making it again this week, for the second week in a row.  It’s so versatile I can literally eat it for any meal.   One of my favorites is breakfast with a runny yolked egg or two on top.

Crack Slaw

1lb ground beef

1lb ground turkey (my store has 20oz packages so I use the whole thing)

1 package cole slaw

1 package broccoli slaw (I could only find a kale broccoli combo, it’s so good)

4-6 tbsp of soy sauce (no soy allowed on Whole30, you can use coconut aminos but I can’t find any in my area so I used the juice of one lemon)

3-4 tbsp of sriracha sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce since it’s compliant and Sriracha isn’t)

Cook the ground meats in a pan and add seasoning, then add hot sauce and soy sauce or lemon juice (whichever you are using), lastly add in the slaw mixes and cook until it becomes soft.

Here’s what it looks like…pure amazingness!

Jalapeno Lime Shrimp

I know what you’re probably thinking right now, “You cooked twice in one week, let alone in one day?” You must be feeling feverish right? Well, I’m just trying to get ready for a week back to work after 10 whole days off. They weren’t completely off since I did still have school, but it was relaxing none-the-less. I worked out a ton (crossfit rocks, I’m sure I’ll be doing a post about that real soon too), read a few books (currently really into the Stephanie Plum series), bought a new/used beach cruiser and actually had sunny enough weather to use it, and did homework.

I found this recipe through Pinterest. The original can be found here on the Alaska from Scratch blog.

Here’s the recipe:

Jalapeno Lime Shrimp

Ingredients

            1 tablespoon olive oil

            2 tablespoons butter

            1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

            1 small onion, chopped

            1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

            2 cloves garlic, minced

            2 tomatoes, chopped

            1 cup chicken broth

            1 pound shrimp, peeled (I removed the tails, but that is up to your preference)

            1 lime, zested

            juice of half the lime

            3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

            salt to taste

            lime wedges, for serving

           

           

Instructions

To a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and butter. Stir in the red chile flakes. Saute the onions and jalapeño until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute. Toss in the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Then, add the shrimp to the skillet and season with salt, cooking and tossing until shrimp just turn pink and are cooked through but still tender, being careful not to overcook. Add the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed. Serve promptly with crusty bread, or over rice or noodles.

I served mine over cauliflower rice (paleo friendly). The next time I make this I will attempt to try to remember that it is worth it to spend more on the shrimp and not have to peel them yourself, what a pain! Also, I’d opt to use ½ cup of chicken broth rather than a whole cup because mine turned out much runnier than the original picture. It’s very good though, very limey and of course I added extra garlic (because that’s what I do)!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

I’ve recently ventured into the world of paleo eating/cooking. I’m not exclusively eating paleo, but I am as much as possible (or when I’m not cheating). I recently ate nothing that wasn’t part of the paleo diet for about two weeks and noticed a big drop on weight, not to mention the fact that my stomach would no longer tolerate the “bad” foods. But, I’ve been on vacation (at home, a staycation if you will) and although I’ve managed to do pretty good I did have a few cheat nights.

Tonight I’m cooking for my work week. Getting ready to get back into the swing of things. My friend G posted this recipe on his Facebook the other day and I wanted to try it out. It’s a repost from another Facebook page called $5-10 Dollar Meals – Cheap Eats which you can find here.

For some reason my local grocery store doesn’t carry one pound packages of chicken breasts, and the smallest I could find was just over 1 1/2 pounds. So, I adjusted the spices ratio accordingly and made the entire package. For the record, I was able to purchase everything (except the garlic powder, I was out) for $12.95. Not within their $10 range, but our grocery store here is insanely expensive. If you live somewhere that is not out in the sticks you could probably make this exact recipe for $8 or less.

Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Oven Baked Fajita


1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips


2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder


1 1/2 tsp cumin


1/2 tsp garlic powder


1/2 tsp dried oregano


1/4 tsp seasoned salt


1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)


1 medium onion, sliced


1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips


1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.
Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

I’m also thinking it would have been better to let the chicken breasts marinate in the oil/spice mixture, but it was still really good!

Post Juice Fast

Yay for solid food!  Although, I have to tell you, so far it’s not tasted nearly as good as I had imagined it would in my head.  Starting out fairly slow though.  My breakfast was an orange, and I just got done making my lunch, my portabella pizza that I’ve been craving this whole time.  It was pretty delicious, but still not real pizza.

Portabella Mushroom “Pizza”

1 Portabella Mushroom

Marinara Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Spinach

Brush enough olive oil to coat each side of  the portabella.  Sprinkle with garlic powder or any other seasonings you want to use.  Then place into the oven, set to broil, five minutes on each side.  Remove from oven and add marinara sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you want on there.  Add back into the oven and keep a close eye on it so that the cheese doesn’t burn.  Heat just until sauce is hot and cheese is melted.

Ok, now the grand totals for my weight loss!  As you know I started out at 146.4 and my final weigh in this morning was 134.8.  That’s a total weight loss of 11.6lbs!  I also measured my stomach, hips, and thighs, and I lost a total of 4 1/2 inches.  To put it into another perspective, my BMI went from 20.42 to 18.8.  That’s a big difference, and it gives you more of an idea since that takes into account height and weight, not just weight.

I’m happy with my results!  I’m really hoping that I will be able to keep most of the weight off.  I realize that there will be some weight gain just due to the fact that I’m eating solid foods again, and they take some time to travel through the body.  I plan on still drinking juices from time to time, maybe even one a day.  I think it’s a good way to get all of my fruits and veggies. 

Would I do another juice fast?  I would have to say yes.  It’s been a little challenging to not eat food, but overall my experience was not a bad one.  I’m thankful for the fact that my stomach has shrunk down again.  I know that it doesn’t take that much food to fill my stomach.  I just need to remember to eat a little, and save the rest for later.  That’s a tough one because I love food.  But I’m going to do my best!