Not my first rodeo--tackling another Whole 30 for June

[bookluvingbabe]

You can call me crazy.

I'm thinking about combining a Whole 30 with a 30 day Food Stamp/Snap Challenge. At a time of year when I'm crazy busy, school ends and camp starts. Oh, and all the good fruit will start coming into season. Not to mention English Peas.

Here's the deal though:

Without the rigid rules, I do well for a few days, even weeks. And then it all falls apart. And then I feel bloated and like crap and I've got headaches and the next set of bad food choices becomes easier and easier.

So I think another Whole 30, with a possible planned head first dive into a bowl of fresh English peas should they become available at a farmers market, is just the ticket for me. Ideally I would extend it to 45 or even 60 to really slay the sugar demons that are lingering.

As for the Snap Challenge--I need to cut down on the food expenses. And the food waste. Trying it for a whole month seems like a good way to start.

(Or I'm just crazy. I mentioned that earlier.)

I'm not starting tomorrow. DH and DS are making me bacon for breakfast as a belated mother's day gift. I'm not giving up bacon just yet!

[Tom Denham]

I like your enthusiasm. I often discourage combining programs, but combining a Whole30 with a budget challenge sounds interesting. I hope it goes well for you.

I'm guessing from what you are saying you know English peas are legumes and off-plan for a Whole30, but just in case a newbie come by and see this post... no English peas during a Whole30. Really. Some people experience even relatively mild legumes like peas as irritating.

[bookluvingbabe]

Yes, sorry not to have been clearer! The English peas are definitely not Whole 30. Probably not even paleo or primal or whatever you want to call it. But they do "call out" to me . It is definitely a brief season here and one I usually indulge in only once or twice a season, if I can even find them.

[RoseKH]

I did my first Whole30 in April and it was amazing! I lost 14.7 lbs and felt great! I fell WAY off the wagon though, and most of the weight is back on already I decided to start again on July 1st, but then I realized that I couldn't, and shouldn't, wait. I have some stuff going on in June, but I started a Whole26-ish today! I also started a blog on my weight-loss saga, and the Whole30 experience. Check it out if you're interested!

[bookluvingbabe]

Good luck! I'm starting up tomorrow with a few challenges coming up: potluck on Saturday, black tie dinner next Monday for work and 2 conferences back to back at work (6 days each) after that. I see nuts in my future and a cooler in my car!

[bookluvingbabe]

Oops. Starting tomorrow. Failed to make coffee ice cubes yesterday and since little boy was up at 4 am, I opted for coffee with cream over not having coffee or waiting for the coffee to cool down enough to drink. Will make the ice cubes as soon as I get home tonight and I'm planning this as a practice day or Day Zero, the day where I remember all the things I should know but have forgotten.

[bookluvingbabe]

Actually started this morning!

Meal 1--bison steak made in clarified butter, baby carrots and coffee.

(The bison steak was tiny and my 6 year old totally stole 1/4 of it but that is portion control for you.)

I'm having more coffee, with coconut oil, now and planning the rest of the day.

Meal 2 will likely be: roasted chicken thighs, sweet potato with coconut oil and a salad of grape tomatoes in a lemon/apple cider vinegar dresssing.

Not sure what Meal 3 will be. DH is picking the kid up from school so I could have a night off and go out. Except we're broke and he made a face when I suggested I could go to a Brazlian steakhouse for dinner. Too much $$$. I'd rather cook at home than compromise and have something less expensive that I don't really want. (Chipotle, I'm looking at you.)

I made beef tongue the other day so I'm thinking I could pan-fry chunks of that in lard, mix in salsa and lemon juice and eat that over a bed of chard, kale and spinach if it hasn't turning slimy yet.

(I also have 5 pounds of ground beef in the fridge to cook this week and a 3.5 pound beef heart. I may have lost my mind at the farmers market.)

Oh, and I stepped on the scale this morning. 182.8. 15 pounds less than where I started the first attempt at a Whole 30 back in January. Hoping to increase my fitness level and see some improvement on that number at the end. I also have a dress I rediscovered that I can't zip up right now. We'll see what happens!

[bookluvingbabe]

Day One went pretty well. I did stare longingly at the pantry where half a bar of 87% dark chocolate lurks after dinner but I had a peach instead. I really want to conquer the after dinner must have dessert craving this time around.

Today presents different challenges. I'm working from home this morning and then heading to school for a creek walk with my son's class. I've already been to the laundromat and I'm just waiting for the clothes to dry here at home.

Meal One: Coffee with coconut oil, one yellow squash and a can of white mushrooms (Native forest) cooked in bacon fact with smoked paprika and smoked bacon from a local farmer. (The farmer swears he uses no sweeteners in the bacon, I'm a bit dubious but I had a morning with no husband or child to share the bacon with. Do you have any idea how little bacon you get when you have to share it with your six year old son?????)

Meal Two: I don't have a plan. I'm hoping for an hour at the gym before the creek walk. I'm not hungry now (see bacon) but I know I will likely be by the time the creek walk rolls around. And it is now 90 degrees so it is hard to keep some cold cuts in the car. And my mini cooler is in the other car.

(This is why you plan. Let me be a lesson to you all... Sigh...)

Meal Three: Likely a reprise of the tongue and salsa concoction. The greens were a surprisingly nice addition though I was out of cilantro so it didn't completely have the mexican feel I was hoping for.

Baby steps...

[Emma]

Heeheee "This is why you plan"

It's SO hard without a plan and I'm putting myself in that same pickle jar today!

I got pretty good at whipping things together at the end of the last Whole30, but I can't do that if we don't have anything in the darn house!!

[bookluvingbabe]

Damn. I really find it hard to eat in the mornings. (I also find it hard to cook when the dishes aren't done and DH is apparently boycotting kitchen duty... But that is another topic!)

Ended up going out for sushi (for the boy) and sashimi (me) after the creek walk. Between the lateness and size of Meal 1, I wasn't hungry until then. I had also fallen on my ass twice which helped me realize that as important as focusing on repairing my relationship with food is, getting myself into shape maybe even more important.

I'm 5'1" and 181 pounds. That is about 20 down from my heaviest. I'd love for the scale to be a lower number (and yes, I know the scale isn't the whole picture. But I don't think anyone would look at me and objectively say that I don't need to lose 40 pounds.) But I also need to be more limber in this 40 something body.

Money is tight and the crossfit box I like wants $700+ for the 12 session on-ramp for unfit/uncoordinated/likely to hurt themselves types like me. That isn't happening and the other crossfit boxes I've looked into have had a strong "we only like 20 something ex-miltary folks" vibe. I believe in going with my instincts so I don't want to invest in someplace I'm not going to be happy.

We do belong to an inexpensive gym that offers some yoga and pilates classes. My June is insane (60-80 hour weeks for work) so the best I think I can do is to make sure I move every day. But July..July I'm doing yoga and pilates 3 times a week.

If I don't invest in me, who will? (Well, I had hoped my in-laws would volunteer to pay for the crossfit after they had volunteered to pay $1800 for DH to keep seeing his primary care physician when he changed to a concierge model and DH declined. Instead they bought us $80 running shoes...)

Challenge for today is a congregational potluck where I'm not even bringing a dish I can eat! Using up some of the canned beans to make a 3 bean salad.