Day 4

Well, I didn't have a chance to make a post yesterday so here is a little catch-up.

Day 4 (Thursday)

I ate:
2 hardboiled egg whites, banana
almonds
shrimp
guacamole
mixed veggies (from night before)
apple
dinner last night?
Yup, Mi Cocina. Sans chips, tortillas, rice and beans. We both got the 50-50 fajitas and we have found that Mi Cocina will sub sauteed veggies in lieu of rice and beans. The pico and guac they serve on the side is just fine as well. It was yummy and I ate my ENTIRE meal, which is not something I normally do with a fajita dinner.

Then I made dessert: Cinnamon apples.

Saute sliced and cored apples in some coconut oil till soft and starting to brown. Add preferred amount of cinnamon and nutmeg (the recipe I was using said to use apple pie spice but I don't have that at home) and saute for a couple more minutes. Serve up nice a warm.

We added a little splash of unsweetened coconut milk in ours and it made a nice little juice at the bottom of the bowl.

Energy? My workout was stellar. Got up at the right time, killed the workout, used a heavier weight than I have before. Hubs and I are both finding that we don't get that early afternoon downer that you usually get sometime after lunch. And I'm in a great mood when I get home from work.

Hunger? Yup, it was the grains...didn't feel like a starving child waiting until lunch this time since I had the eggs. There was cake in the teacher workroom...but I resisited. I told myself that if I cheat on this diet it wouldn't be for a sheet cake from Kroger.

Day 3

I wanted cheese.


But I ate:
plain oats, coconut milk
banana
cocktail shrimp
cucumbers (prepped with oil and vinegar)
guac from dinner yesterday
iced tea
a LOT of raspberries
cinnamon flank steak with mixed veggies (forgot to take pics...but it wasn't too complex...just a some cinnamon and ginger sprinkled over the steak)

Energy? Slept GREAT. No workout this morning. But energy has been up up up all day.


Hunger? I got REALLY hungry for lunch. That's when I started wanting cheese. It is likely that I am getting so hungry for lunch due to the insulin-spiking grains in the morning. Gotta work on that.

Still wasn't too hard on Wednesday. Feeling really good.

Day 2

I ate:

plain oatmeal with unsweetened coconut milk- tasted bland but only because my body is conditioned to want a sugar taste. I bet in a few days it will taste better.
almonds
pork, parsnip, and pepper leftovers
cucumbers w/ a touch of olive oil and vinegar and salt
pear
unsweet tea (I almost caved and went for the diet coke when I started getting a headache and sluggish...but I went for a big glass of tea)
dinner: Mexi-salad with fresh guacamole
(ingredients- ground beef, diced tomatoes, a bunch of spices, organic salsa, romaine lettuce, peppers, avocados, lime, cilantro, garlic)
orange

Energy? veeerry tired this morning. it was hard to get going with the morning workout. this is normal I believe, because my body is craving (addicted to!) the insulin-shock-response. as I stated above, almost caved and got a diet coke. Energy went UP as the day went on! Didn't feel drained at the end of the day like I normally do.

Hunger? I wasn't abnormally hungry. I got hungry for lunch but full after I ate. Same for dinner.

Mexi-salad was really good, the beef mixture was FABULOUS. The secret ingredient is....CINNAMON!! I forgot to take a pic but here is our aftermath...

Link to recipe here. Very tasty and very filling.

Rather than post some boring nutritional info, I thought I would share a quote from the blog of this gal in Austin who has practiced this diet and has some killer recipes to share as well.

"It's not that I have an immense amount of willpower or that I like keeping myself on a short leash. It's because I really like who I am and how I feel when I eat properly. I think I'm more patient, calmer, more optimistic, and more confident. I like when my stomach isn't bloated and when my thinking is clear. And, if I'm totally honest, I also really dig feeling smug when I snarf big piles of protein, veggies, and coconut oil."

Can't wait to get there!

Day 1

This was Monday, Day 1 of the Whole 20-something.

I ate:

oatmeal - since I just can't give myself anymore time in the morning to add in cooking and really don't like eggs by themselves anyway, this is the ONE allowance I am giving myself. And hopefully, I can do it every other day, alternating with a boiled egg and some fruit.

some almonds

leftover turkey (breast meat) and green beans (not the best but we hadn't done our shopping yet)

apple

pork, parsnips, and peppers for dinner.

red tea (for dessert?) unsweetened.

This dish was amazing! I don't love peppers but they really flavored the other things in it nicely.

Basically, chop up boneless parsnips, boneless pork chops, peppers and grape tomatoes. Heat up some EVOO and add the ingredients in the order listed above, saving the tomatoes for the last 5 minutes. Season with garlic powder, sea salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes (go easy!) and a light dusting of italian seasoning and cook about 15 minutes. BAM! Put it on a plate and fuel up.

Parsnips are interesting. They look like white carrots. When you peel them they smell like really ripe, fresh carrots. When you cook them, they taste and have the texture similar to a potato. I liked them!!

I felt:

Morning workout was sluggish but I ate like crap on Sunday. Energy throughout the day. Didn't even feel tired until I got into bed.

Whole30...or eating like a cavewoman.

Well, considering I probably have about -10 followers out there now due to my (or lack of) blogging habits, I'll go ahead and get crazy.

Hubs and I are going on a diet. Really, everyone has a DIET. It is just that the DIET varies from person to person.

Reasons:
1. HEALTH
2. energy
3. athletic performance
4. aesthetics
5. digestive health
6. emotional health
7. physiological health

The Diet: the Whole30...or in our case Whole20-something because we are doing this till Christmas break.

I could post a lengthy explanation, or I could give you the website because those of you who actually care would probably rather see it at the source.

But basically, we are these people with a stove.

And WAY less hair.

And body odor.

And more clothing.

And we smile.

But the gist is this:

Certain food groups (such as grains, legumes, and dairy) have a negative effect on your overall health. Eliminating these inflammatory, insulin-spiking, calorie-dense but nutritionally sparse food groups for a while will help your body heal and recover from whatever effects these foods may be provoking.

We are eating REAL food-meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed. No sugar or sugar subs, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, or white potatoes.

No weighing food or portioning it out...we will eat when we are hungry but only these things.

If you question the benefits or reasoning go to the site. Please don't tell me that whole grains are good for you (I have seen the little pyramid the government has created for us). Yes, they have benefits. But there are negative effects as well and the good things they have can be found in other foods and food combinations. Or just ask me your questions! I'll be happy to answer the best I can.

Until then, I MIGHT use this blog as a daily food tracker or post yummy recipes or little informative nutritional tidbit.

or a rant about how much I want ice cream.

cake.

french fries.

diet coke.

OH....DIET COKE!!!!!!!

I'm in mourning.

Meet me!! Please meet me!!

Well it is meet the teacher night at work...since I have a very small number of kids (most of whose parents I communicate with on at LEAST a weekly basis), not many parents are dropping by. I did as much work as I could possibly make myself, I am stalled on one task b/c I need a question answered but every other person in the building has parents to talk to!

Meet the teacher didn't start until 6 which meant I had quite a bit of time to burn up here at school. I watched an episode of Glee on Hulu while I was working on things...I am so pumped for the season premiere TOMORROW!!! yipee!!!

oh Grrrr...just tried to load pics...stupid thing isn't letting me.

It was going to be funny, I was going to say I was excited about the Modern Family premeire as well. I was going to say "guess who Tommy's favorite character is?"

--Insert sexy pic of Gloria--

And I was going to say "guess who my favorite character is?"

--Insert ridiculous pic of Manny in a tux or equally old-mannish attire--

hahaha!

Actually, Tommy's favorite character is Phil. I think he relates to him. Ergh, does that mean that I'm like Claire?

Don't answer, that's rhetorical.

We had a nice weekend. Friday was GrapeFest year 2 with the Allen's. We decided it is now a tradition. Our kids are going to have a sleepover at some sucker-of-a-grandparent's home for GrapeFest year 342380.

Saturday I slept in, read The Glass Castle in my PJs, made Migas, layed out with gals from lifegroup (Bonnie and Caity), ate lunch with same gals, went shopping w/ mom and grandma.

Made grandma buy some stylish blouses. (why do old people call shirts, blouses?)

Bought the neph (nephew) some awesome converse-ish shoes from B-Gap (why I didn't just write nephew in the first place, I don't know) and a hip argyle sweater. To go with the Converse. I love preppy punked out. Especially on an infant.

Went home Saturday night...Tommy and I watched the most depressing movie of all time, "Solitary Man" with Michael Douglas. He was in it, we didn't watch it with him. To clarify.

Sunday, helped Jen and Greg (sis and bro-in-law) move some things to storage. Have I mentioned they are moving to Houston? No bueno. But bueno for their lives. As in jobs. Then we ate indian food and life was good. Austin loved his shoes.

Well, I better go stand in the hall JUST IN CASE a parent of mine is wandering around like a lost puppy.

Goodnight!!!

...the captain, couldn't keep his eyes off you...

The Sound of Music is randomly on tonight and I about went nuts over the Baroness schraeder's gown at the party where the Von Trapp kids sing "So Long, Farewell."

I mean, look at this gown, it is so flawless!!

And the perfect blonde "do"...the gloves...the handsome Austrian naval captain...wait, what? I mean, it's just an awesome look.