Started February 8

[bebeaccia]

Melinaka - absolutely LOVE your last post. it's killing me though as I instantly wanted to go out and RUN. I am def going to try and get out there as soon as I'm okay from a lung capacity perspective. The only thing I seem to be able to do right now are my squats... grrr.... if I feel better tomorrow, i'll try and hit up a Yoga class, but no promises until tomorrow. Congrats on Bonefish. I love that place. Great healthy options for sure and super great that you are finding waitresses that are understanding.

 

Very interesting thread on the skin irritations. The other day I woke up with one of those super painful pimples in my ear. Ya know the ones I'm talking about.. they ones that happen once every couple of years and they are super sensitive. I work from home, so rarely wear makeup or makeup removers, so I'm wondering if this is something that is due to the things we are eating.. ie., add'l fats??? Not sure, but I do see a pattern.

 

I also have It Starts With Food and I would highly recommend it. I kind of did things backward. I didn't know much about the W30 so went and downloaded the second book to my kindle. The 30 Day Guide to total health and food freedom. After getting through that I noticed there were a ton of reference to the ISWF book so after about 5 days into the program I downloaded that book as well and WOW... INTERESTING!!!! The portions on sugars and grains I found so incredibly interesting.

[Melinaka]

OMG I just scrolled down... that was a NOVEL I wrote. lol

Bebeaccia you get me inspired too. You and Kelli have convinced me to read ISWF.I think it will be a good shelf reference to hold onto.

Hmmm....seeing how you're not able to run and you are enjoying your squat challenge - I propose a plank challenge

Who is game and how should we define it?

[Melinaka]

P.S.

Skin irritations

could it have anything to do with the liver removing toxins on this diet?

[bebeaccia]

^{hmmm.. okay.. what are you thinking about for a plank challenge? You seem like you're in pretty good shape, but I'm willing to try it. Here is a copy of the squat challenge I've been doing. I started it Feb 8th}

[bebeaccia]

no idea what just happened to my post.. the font is tiny

[Melinaka]

Bebeaccia -

The squat challenge didn't show up with your post.

Perhaps make the plank challenge something based on challenging ourselves but some measure of comparison between competitors. To start, let's just see how many seconds each of us can hold a simple plank. Therefore we'd each have our own baseline to move up from. So, say today you timed yourself as holding a plank for 1min 48sec. Tomorrow you have to exceed that record by 1 second minimum.

We can tweak the rules as we go if we find we're crushing these.

This isn't hard and fast to begin! Feel free to make your own proposals everyone.

Winner?

How to decide?

First thing to come to mind = some kind of Survivor hold out finish?

I'll offer to take a handicap if you're worried

Like doing a more difficult plank.

[bebeaccia]

Good morning Day 18 buddies:

 

Melinaka - yes, I would love to do a plank challenge. Let me see what I can do later today. btw.. so proud of you for drinking black coffee. I'm not there yet, though that is my goal. I've been adding the O365 light canned coconut milk to mine. It doesn't sweeten it at all, but does cut the bitterness a bit and it's completely compliant. But, I would love to just walk up to a coffee shop counter and order a black coffee. So convenient.

 

Feeling pretty crappy upon waking this morning and now have a sore throat and headache to complete the full bronchitis experience. Gonna call Doc in an hour or so to see if I can get it. I keep thinking that eating so clean and healthy would help me heal faster, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I feel cheated in a way. I want to feel all of the great benefits of this program and being sick... well... to be honest, it just plain ol sucks. I am trying to focus on all of the great things I'm feeling.... no cravings, no hunger (I really have to convince myself it's time to eat cuz I'm just not feeling any hunger pains through the day) and did I mention SO happy I'm not using any artificial sweetener. Those things alone are awesome and I remain focused on them.

 

Today my brother is coming over with some homemade organic chicken soup. Poor guy.... he called me last night to check in on me (at the request of my Mom...lol) and said he wanted to bring me some soup. This was me.... "um.. I'm on a very strict healthy eating plan right now"... him.."It's completely organic, no grains, no fats, no MSG.. .only organic chicken, W30 compliant veggies and seasonings". ... me..."BRING IT OVER". It was really sweet of him. The only thing I haven't asked him yet is if he put any cooking spray on the bottom of the pan. It was like a Spanish inquisition for him, but he took it in stride.

 

Droning on this morning....

Looking forward to hearing from everyone.... so motivating.

 

p.s. Did anyone try any new recipes yesterday? I made homemade Caesar dressing. It was incredibly delish. Heidi, it was the recipe from the link in the daily email. So good.

[bebeaccia]

Good news... bad news....

 

Bad news.... went back to doctors today and now have pneumonia. Got a bunch more meds and hope to be feeling better soon. Not sure how steroids are going to effects my W30, but I definitely am going to take them as I need to get well.

 

Good news.... the docs office did weigh me... I told them NOT  to tell me what the scale said so they didn't. Unfortunately, they included my weight on my paperwork and I saw it when I was reading my stats. The scale is definitely down. Not a ton, but enough that I'm happy and motivated to keep going for the Whole 30. I'm not starting W30 over because I did not weigh myself, so to speak... this was an error that fell in my lap. A technicality.

 

Hope you are all doing well today. 13 more days !!!

[Melinaka]

Yikes! Gosh Bebeaccia - so very sorry... that's serious. Well, the new Rx should do the trick and even though you can't fully appreciate the new health from Whole 30, rest assured you'll feel like a million when that bronchitis and pneumonia go away.

So you got 2 gifts - a sneak peek at the scale AND some delicious soup. Lucky

LOL, I'm so engrossed in our diet that I don't even know what day we're on. I was thinking 17 . I could go forever! Haha!

I just added a great health article on the Whole 30 portion of my Pinterest page. It talks about body weight fluctuations, water retention, etc. Some rather comforting info. Too much to include here.

That caesar dressing sounds great. I signed up for the emails. I don't get them though. They're not in my spam folder either. Anyone else have a problem?

Funny you should mention the coffee Bebeaccia. This morning's was so bitter I should've added coconut milk. Yuck.

Today was the once a week organic farmer's market. In addition to perfect veggies I splurged on some local ground pork and a whole chicken. I'm excited to try those!

Here we go. Day 19 tomorrow. We're pros! ELEVEN days remain. We are over the hump.

Bebeaccia - get better and then we'll do the planks.

I ran a mile for you today. OMG. Killer with 3 miles of strong headwinds but the return was speedy!

[ShannonM816]

 I signed up for the emails. I don't get them though. They're not in my spam folder either. Anyone else have a problem?

 

So, there are two different emails available -- the Whole30 Daily is one that is meant to go along with a Whole30, starting with day 0, going through day 31. It costs $14.95. If you've signed up for it and paid for it and not received it at all, definitely email [email protected] from whatever email address you signed up with and let them know you haven't gotten it.

 

There's also a Whole30 newsletter, called Wholesome, which has Whole30 tips, post-Whole30 tips, recipes, and other stuff. It's totally free, and comes about about every other week. If you signed up for it and haven't gotten it, you may have just managed to sign up between issues and will get one soon.

[samnkelli]

I signed up for the daily email for $14.95 but didnt receive it on day 3. Checked spam, junk, etc. and it was no where to be found. I emailed whole30 daily and they resent it. I've received it every day since. Weird. I rely on them to keep me on track and I love being able to click the link that says "You did it, you completed day __" each day....

 

Get well bebeaccia!!

 

Have you guys tried ghee/clarified butter in your black coffee? You have to put it in the blender to make sure it emulsifies. I add a touch of almond milk (compliant). It is creamy and foamy. delish!

[bebeaccia]

Good morning fine people. WE ARE ON DAY 19 !!!!! So incredibly proud of all of us.

 

Melinaka - THANK you so much for running a mile for me yesterday. That made me feel great. I truly appreciate it and if you could do some exercise for me today that would be great too...lol. I'll be happy if I can just do my squat challenge today. I'm up to 75 today... not a lot but since it is currently the only exercise I'm getting, i'll take it. The doc says I should be feeling better by Wednesday so I'm hoping that by mid next week I can start getting some light workouts in. BTW, I could so relate to what you were saying about not sure what day we are on. This eating is really starting to become a way of life now and it feels great. I love not feeling weighed down by the foods I was eating. Despite my current health condition, I'm feeling good overall.. meaning the nutrient rich foods feel really good in my body. This makes me happy. I've been trying to think of reasons why I would ever want to go off of this eating plan. Oh well.. we still have 11 days of the official program to figure that out, but it's really nice how the brain is changing. hey.. so sorry I jinxed your coffee. I am super proud of you for being able to drink it black.... lol. One last question... where is the organic farmers market that you go to? I know we are both from FL but not sure if we are in the same geo. I'm in the FLL area and I have a heck of a time finding great produce... nevermind proteins. We do have whole foods, but I'd much rather buy from a local farmer.

 

Samnkelli - I've heard about ghee in coffee but for some reason it doesn't sound appealing. I may give it a try though as I've def seem a lot of posts on people using it. I'm curious on how it would change the taste of the coffee. I'm getting really used to coffee with only the 365 light coconut milk and while it doesn't create any sweetness, it's nice how it cuts down on the bitterness.

 

anyway... as usual, I'm rambling. I always have the most energy in the morning. Plus, I'm HOMEBOUND so have lots of time.

 

Happy Day 19 !!!!!

[Heidi Bergy]

I signed up for the daily email for $14.95 but didnt receive it on day 3. Checked spam, junk, etc. and it was no where to be found. I emailed whole30 daily and they resent it. I've received it every day since. Weird. I rely on them to keep me on track and I love being able to click the link that says "You did it, you completed day __" each day....

 

 

Same thing happened to me one day, but it happened to be a day that I forgot to go back in the evening and click the "I did it" button.  I assumed it was my error for not replying!  I didn't even think to ask them to resend.  I've received all other days fine though.  So much great information in them.  I'm thankful that I decided to subscribe to those e-mails!

[Heidi Bergy]

Happy Day 19th, Girls!

Thanks for all of the ideas and positivity!  Love reading all of your posts-- even when I can't keep up with logging in to respond or contribute every day.

Bebeaccia-- I feel ya, girl!  Was at the allergist this week for this skin stuff.  FIVE prescriptions later.... UGH.  I just keep telling myself that this is the part of Whole 30 where "Dr's orders trump plan rules".  I'm on a steroid script as well.  I guess the way I look at it is that I'm still doing the very best things for my body by continuing my Whole 30 plan and even if the prescriptions happen to stunt my full "Tiger Blood" feelings, I'm still feeling so much better than I would otherwise.  I don't feel the need to start over due to the meds.  However, I will consider doing another round of Whole 30 when I'm all better! 
 

Also--- making the Jalepeno Popper Chili you posted about this weekend!  AND I'm so glad that you suggested trying the Caesar dressing from the e-mail.  Tried it last night and even the hubby was a fun!  He ate two giant plates of salad.  Yay.  I must say that I really DO notice the absence of any kind of sweetener in the dressings.  Even the tiniest bit really does help cut the acidity and bite from the citrus and vinegar in dressings.  So that's been a bit of an adjustment for me as a cook.

 

Melinaka-- That's for the running tips & information!  Trying to be diligent with my progress.  Still not in the phase of enjoyment when it comes to running!  Ha.  That does happen at some point, right?  Where you WANT to run.  I wonder if that will ever kick in for me? 
How do you track your runs or fitness activity?  Do you have a Fitbit or?  I see people all over the place with Fitbits.  Haven't purchased one personally and I always wonder how valuable those are to an average person. 

Bebeaccia- I think you asked about new recipes that anyone has tried.  I follow "Whole 30 Recipes" on Instagram and they post some great ideas.  Some are too involved for me to bother with them and lately they've all required the Spiralizer (I have a small handheld spiral thingamagig but not this bad boy they keep referring to)... BUT still some great inspiration there!  Last week they posted a breakfast that I'll be trying over the weekend.  Sweet potato "rice" with an egg on top and sliced avocado on the side.  They show it with a sunny-side-up egg, but I think I'll do a poached egg.  Last week I reheated a baked sweet potato and topped it with a poached egg for breakfast and it was REALLY good!

Have a wonderful day, friends!  Stay strong.... feel great... be healthy. 

 

[samnkelli]

Bebeaccia, just try the ghee in the coffee thing -- just once. If it's not your thing, that's ok but I swear, you will be surprised at how much it makes your coffee taste (and feel) like you've added cream and cuts down on the bitterness. It blends and looks like a latte (light color) with a foam on top. I add about 2 tablespoons of ghee  + a bit of almond milk for a 6 cup pot of coffee. Blend blend blend using a hand blender or a regular blender on HIGH for about 30 seconds. I drink it right after I workout in the morning since I am up super early and know I wont be eating meal one for a couple hours....and it helps satisfy my hunger until I get to work. 

 

Yesterday was a bit rough for me -- I was super tired and had a headache all day. Went to bed early and got a solid 9 hours of sleep. Feel better today but still a little tired. Hopefully it was just another way of my body adjusting, healing and doing it's thing. 

 

Has anyone else tried RX bars? Primal Pacs? I know they should only be used for emergencies or on the go type snacks but man, those RX bars are GOOD! I ordered a box of 30 of various flavors off Amazon. I think they are way better than Larabars. Each package says: "3 egg whites, 6 almonds, 4 cashews, 2 dates, NO B.S.". Ha. Good to know...nobody wants B.S. in their protein bar. 

 

I've read that you guys are having some skin issues? Did you have them before W30? I know I did....Im 45 and was still getting acne on my chin like a teenager. I read something on Dr. Google that acne on the chin is caused by digestion issues (who knows)...and since Ive started W30, not one blemish and I'm so pleased about that. I hope it clears up for you guys too, if you are having problems!!

 

Heidi - must try the sweet potato with egg. Isn't it funny the combinations of food that we are now trying?? I mean, sweet potatoes with egg? Love those two things!  I, too, get all my recipes off Pinterest. It's a literal gold mine on there...I told myself I would not repeat a meal (dinner) during W30 because I wanted to try new things and tend to repeat because I get lazy. I've made a couple of breakfasts that were not great (and barely edible) but dinners have been successful. I love the Chicken with Broccoli recipe by Jay's Baking Me Crazy. Fast and easy are usually keys for me. 

 

How is everyone else? Seems like we are only 3 or 4 on this board....did everyone else fall out?  

 

Have a great day! 

 

Kelli

[Heidi Bergy]

Hi Kelli!

 

OK... so do you have a Whole 30 board on Pinterest with recipes?  If so, I'd love to follow it!  How would we find ya on there?  My name is the same as here "Heidi Bergy" on Pinterest. 

I haven't tried RX Bars but will totally look for them.  I've had a couple of Larabars.  I only use them when I need to eat a quick lunch on the road from work to the gym.  Usually I do a Larabar and a hard-boiled egg with sugar snap peas or something because it's all portable and easy to munch on the go.

Yes. My skin issues started long before W30.  Actually part of the reason I decided to start W30 was to see if made a difference in my major eczema flair ups.  Like perhaps I had a food sensitivity or allergy develop that I didn't have previously.  I've had numerous Dr. appts and allergy testing with no great results, but my skin issues as far as the eczema are concerned haven't cleared or minimized at all with W30.  So I don't think it's food related.  I, too, however have noticed improvements in the little blemishes that occasionally popped up!  So that's a definite improvement!

[samnkelli]

https://www.pinterest.com/samnkelli/p-a-l-e-o-the-whole-30/

 

Heidi: there is the link to my Paleo/Whole 30 Board. 

[bebeaccia]

Hi all:

Tomorrow morning when we wake up we'll be 2/3 of the way there. Really feels effortless at this point, which feels so awesome. I have to admit that I'm new to Pinterest so still learning how to navigate around the site.

 

Heidi - I'm so sorry about the allergies and eczema. I know you were hopeful that the W30 was going to rectify that. They put me on a steroid yesterday... something like a prednisone and I have to say it has made me a bit more hungry today than I've been in the entire 19 days. I'm still being compliant, just interesting to have an increase in appetite. I'm drinking LOTS of chamomile to work through it.

 

I think the meds they have me on are WORKING... THANK GOD. I think I may finally be seeing a light at the end of this tunnel. I'm still resting a lot, but hoping after the weekend I'll be able to get back to Yoga and walking at a minimum. I should be completely off of all meds by Wed so that will give me a solid week to kick into high gear with the program. I'm about certain I'm going to extend beyond the 30, just because I honestly can't think of any reason why I shouldn't. I am having too many positive benefits to think about anything else right now. We'll see though. Next week i'm going to start reading about the reintroduction and see what that is about.

 

Kelli - thanks for the tip on the ghee w/coffee. I may try it tomorrow with my morning cup. To answer your earlier question I believe there are 4 of us that are active on this post. I've only been on it for about 11 days, so not sure if some others know if there were more out there. In any case, we can be the 4 musketeers  .. and of course there are always room for more if anyone is on the Feb 8th start. 

 

Melinaka - How was your day? Did you work out today? I'm so envious... marathon girl !!!!

 

 

TTYL

 

Hope you are all having a nice evening.

[bebeaccia]

Good morning all:

Can you believe it.... DAY 20 !!!!! I'm so excited this morning. I'm starting to feel SO MUCH BETTER. The meds are finally kicking in and I feel like I'm on the road to recovery. Today I'm going to try and venture out for a bit... maybe even get some laundry done. Still going to lay low as I know my body is still healing from the pneumonia.

 

You guys..... I want to say it again.. I'm feeling so good. As I mentioned in my post last night, I'm really feeling like this plan is just effortless. To the point where I'm considering doing a W60... though I have to discuss this with my boyfriend as I know he is missing certain things. He's been a real trooper. He is a previous professional title winner body builder and has his own way of eating that included rice and very little fat. I think if he and I could get to the gym together next week and he could get some positive strong feelings from the program that he may join me a little longer. I think some will also depend on how we both feel when we step on the scale. Though that will def NOT be the only barometer... that is for sure.

 

Had a heated debate with my sister yesterday about the scale...lol.... it was interesting though and is starting to reconfirm my feelings of how that scale affects my life.

 

oh hey.. I tried the ghee in my coffee this morning. I didn't taste too much of a difference so may have done it wrong. I'll probs just stick to the light coconut milk and maybe even black so that it's easy to order when I'm finally out and about.

 

Well..i posted a bunch last night and again now, so i'll sign off for now and CONGRATS to all of us on making it 2/3 of the way through our 1st W30. So incredibly proud.

 

Let me know what you guys are doing for exercise or any fun recipes. Would love any tips on how to navigate pinterest. May call my bro for some tips & tricks as he is on it a lot.

 

Hugs all.

[Heidi Bergy]

Morning, Ladies!

 

Bebeaccia-- I laughed when I read your comment about ghee in your coffee this AM as I was literally sipping a cup of ghee in MY coffee!  I started drinking black coffee somewhere around Day 5 and have been OK drinking it black.  Experimenting with different brands & types to find what I like best.  No idea what I did when brewing my coffee this AM but it was SO bitter!  So I dumped the whole batch into the blender and ghee'd it up!  I think it actually helped tremendously.    But I did blend for a good couple of minutes.

 

I got up early on this beautiful, sunny WI morning!  It was 36 degrees when I went out for my walk/jog... which is SO warm for a February morning here!  It felt really lovely to be outside and not doing the exercise on an indoor track.  Later I'll do some squats and arm stuff here at the house.  So that's my workout for the day.

Making the jalepeno popper chili today.... minus the jalepeno (haha!).  I'm not a huge pepper fan.  But the rest of the recipe sounds SO good.

Pinterest.... Bebeaccia, what's your user name on Pinterest?  I'm not sure how much you know about it, so I'll just give some basics.  Cuz I love me some Pinterest!    Think of your Pinterest profile page as a room that has a bunch of bulletin boards.  You can create, add, change those boards to fit you.  I think Pinterest automatically plunks some on your profile to help you get started, but you can edit them to change the names or just straight up delete them.  When you "pin" something to a board, it basically saves that pin which links you to the website for whatever the content is that you've saved.  It might be recipes that are posted on a blog somewhere.... or just a pretty picture of an Easter tablescape that you want to save as inspiration for the holiday.  When you open your Pinterest... whether on a laptop or in the app... it will automatically take you to a Pinterest homefeed page.  This is where they share pins with you based on the things you've been saving or searching.  It's also where you'll find some of the pins that people you've selected to follow have pinned recently.  If you click on the circle with your picture (usually top right of screen, I think), you'll head to YOUR Pinterest profile page and see your boards.  You can also search.  You can search people (pinners), topics, etc.  Not sure if any of that helps!  Oh, and you can click and drag the boards on your profile page if you want them in a certain order.  As you keep adding more boards, it's sometimes nice to have an order so you can find things easily.  I've even started a "Pinterest Eats I've Actually Tried" board to help me track the recipes that I've made from Pinterest and whether we liked them or not... or how I tweaked them.

Sorry.  Pinterest rant over! 
Hope you find some great Whole 30 pinspiration.

[Melinaka]

Hi Ladies!

I get so excited when I read all your emails. You make me feel like responding right away. And the board? I get lost in there reading for hours.

2/3rds of the way! Say it isn't so! lol Whole 30 is like an old friend now. I found the hardcover Whole 30 book at Target yesterday.THIRTY DOLLARS!OMG. Amazon here I come.

...and I am SO excited for dinner tonight. Three people asked me to go out tonight but I am eating dinner at home! I was up late last night making Heidi's Pinterest Marinara & Meatballs. The sauce tastes amazing! I used Pomi,sauteed the onion and garlic in olive oil,& threw a huge handful of homegrown basil and dried oregano in. I simplified the meatballs for my son. It's just the local pork,almond meal,garlic,seasoning,and marinara. Baking them per recipe? Love it! So easy and no added oil. That's my new go to!

Everything is in my crockpot in the fridge. I'll let it simmer all afternoon.

Bebeaccia - congratulations! Woo hoo!Feeling better. I'm so happy for you! Now you really get to enjoy your progress.

...I chuckled over your comment about persuading your bf to do a W30. Yes, despite what we should've learned about the scale, that and his gym workout just might do the trick. So -He's that enamored with white rice??? Sweet potatoes don't interest him?

Heidi, first of all: wow!Go Girl! I don't know how you do it... going out for exercise in the cold. I wimped out one day last week due to weather...but in my defense found out there had been a tornado touchdown in our woods when I would've been running. LOL

Tracking! I love my Garmin Forerunner. I've been loyal to them since I tried their watches. They last. This is my second in a decade. At times it may be slow to find satellites but it is an incredible tool. For me it initially meant freedom from mapping a run with the car odometer first and having the same boring run. Then I of course became absorbed in numbers... comparing and analyzing my performance over time thru seasons and experimentation. So useful! It tells you exactly how far you've run, your pace, steps per minute, total run time, and can be paired with a heartrate monitor. It has alerts you can set to warnyou that you've slowed down, training programs you can set and follow... It's one of the best. Hope that helps!

Kelli, I can't find Rx Bars.Where do you find them and are there certain bars that aren't W30 approved? Right now I'm using Larabars. I like them but can't find two flavors I want: banana bread & carrot cake.

Heidi! Great tips on Pinterest!I needed that tutorial too. One of these days I'll clean and organize my boards

Off to enjoy this beautiful Day 20!I hope all of you are too

[samnkelli]

Melinaka, Amazon has the RX bars or you can buy them direct from the company (rxbar.com). I dont think they are sold in any chain grocery store but could be wrong. I bought mine from rxbar.com, (sample pack).   According to the website, all ingredients in the bars are compliant; Melissa of Whole30 doesnt promote them but Ive read several W30 boards and members that say they are a better alternative to larabars.  See below from the website. 

 

Are RXBARs Whole30 Approved?

All of the ingredients in our bars (excluding Peanut Butter) are Whole30 compliant and they are allowed during a Whole30. 

A big part of a Whole30 is understanding the psychological relationship you have with food. The Whole30 Team does not want people to eat the bars to quench a sugar craving or replace dessert during the Whole30, which is why they don’t promote them as a Whole30 Approved product.

 

What does Melissa say about RXBARs during the Whole30?

 

“As an on-the-go or emergency food? Yes. As a replacement for your mid-day sugar boost, daily late-night treat, or to satisfy your Day 3 raging Sugar Dragon? Although it’s not a Whole30 rule, we'd strongly suggest no."

True test coming up for me tonight -- got a last minute call from our friends to come celebrate their son's birthday. There will be cake. and beer. I love both of these things. But I love love love cake....and these friends know it. No chance I will have any, Ive worked too hard and feel too good to even think of it! But man, I love cake.

Day 21 coming up!! Talk to you all tomorrow!

[bebeaccia]

Good morning Day 21 friends:

 

samnkelli - thank for the info on the RX bars. I was wondering about too as I look for them in all the local health food stores. I had purchased 2 compliant larabars before Day 1 or W30 thinking I'd have them for an emergency and surprisingly, I've never felt the need to eat them at all. They are still sitting in my cabinet. interesting, huh. How did you with the cake/beer last night. I just know you didn't have any. You sound very determined. I've been thinking a lot about sugars and alcohol - def things I like as well. I really get frustrated when I think about sugars in particular and how they don't provide any nutritional value at all and are designed to make us crave more. yesterday I read the info on sugars and artificial sweeteners again in the ISWF book and find it fascinating. it helps keep me motivated.

 

Heidi - thank you so much for the pinterest tips. Totally appreciate it. How are you doing with the running? Oh and how did the Chicken Popper chili come out last night? I'm going to start my crock pot up soon with some, but will add a few extra peppers as I enjoy the spice a lot:). I def found it a bit sweet last time I made it (prob from the red pepper and sweet potato), but still yummy just the same. It has been fun trying out new recipes.

 

melinaka - I can relate to your comments around reading the posts. I find them so interesting. I check out folks that are farther along with us and have been posting in some discussion on folks that are a week behind us to try and give them support. it's so funny to hear how people are doing as pretty much everyone is in the same boat with their feelings, experiences, etc. Talked to my BF this morning (he has been away this weekend) and he was so proud of himself. He told me he was drinking black coffee this morning and that it wasn't too bad. he's someone who always loved his coffee loaded with cream and sweetener, so that is a big step for him. He's been having to eat out the past few nights and has been able to make some really great choices. He went to Outback one night and ordered a naked steak, steamed veg and the baked potato. Had a basic salad and added EVO and vinegar. he did say that he's missed the bread, but I'm really proud of him for doing this on the road.

 

My day at a glance.... I'm still a bit house bound as I don't want a relapse on this pneumonia recovery. i'm going to put the chili in the crock pot soon, do a little croqueting and catch up on lifetime/hallmark movies. OMG.. I'm turning into my mother... lol. Being in this health situation is So limiting and frustrating but I'm definitely on the mend and feel better every day. If all continues in this way, i'm def going to get to a slow yoga class mid week and start walking again. I miss being active. Oh ... I have been staying with my squat challenge. I'm up to 85 today. By the end of the 30 days, i'll be doing 140, which is fun. It's not much, but it's better than nothing

 

What's everyone else up to today?

 

YIPEE on DAY 21 !!!!!!

[Melinaka]

DAY 21!!!!

A VERY good morning to you ladies!

I wanted so bad to post late last night. I was THAT excited. You see, I still worry about my will power most off occasions and I'd avoided going out to be with friends who were around my beloved margarita (lol! No, I'm not an alcoholic. I could totally drink the sweet sour concoction with no alcohol... there was just something about the combo tastes AND THE SALT

BUT...

last night I went out. Not to ONE bar, but 2. As I drove in to park at the first, I argued with myself. Would I stay compliant? Would it be easy? I'd checked the menu beforehand and of course ONLY found the cocktails online. Well - they had Pellegrino! I had 2 My date was super nice about my odd diet and lengthy can't haves and we shared a steak fajita.I just ate the steak and veggies.

The best part?

I didn't even MISS the margaritas. I watched couples around us sharing pitchers and thought about whether I'd want to have some after W30. Know what? I couldn't decide. Wow,this is amazing. I can hardly believe I've slayed the sugar dragon!

BTW, second bar? I just sat and watched my friends' band and caught up with old friends. Not a thing to drink.

So Kelli - a huge happy congrats to you too! CAKE! OMG... tough one, but there was that tiger blood ruling our choices. *Insert Happy Dance*

Speaking of sugar demons

Thank you for the RX Bar link and info. I'm going to peruse the flavors and think about whether or not I should order them. Maybe... because I have a bad habit of not paying attention to meal times.

Something else I was excited to share:

I finally made prosciutto egg cups. OMG THE REYNOLDS BRAND JUMBO FOIL CUPCAKE LINERS ARE A GOD SEND! Get them! NO mess in the baking pan. Zero! And the prosciutto and egg peeled right out.

Heidi! The marinara and meatballs? DELICIOUS! I could eat the marinara by the bowl all by itself -it's THAT good. Thank you! I can't wait to hear about your jalapeno popper chili night.

(Do tell, how's the running going? I want to hear about that too!)

Bebeaccia,

140 squats by the end of W30! THAT is impressive. LOL, my thighs are screaming just thinking about that!!!!!

Have you done the wall challenge? Back against the wall, deep bend of the knees, hold for as long as possible. Pure torture

Wow! You're going to keep your bf's support past day 30 I think! That was great commitment he had away from home. Congratulations to him! And - happy for you. It's wonderful to have that continued support at home! And even if he goes off plan, he truly knows HOW to be supportive and exactly what you get from maintaining.

You're too funny! Turning into your mother. How's the crocheting going?

Hmm. Plans for the day? Laundry,laundry,more laundry,enjoy my son's company, and maybe sneak in a run. Yesterday's run had me so happy! It felt great. Air was perfect: cool and crisp. No strong winds making it a wind resistance workout ;)and of course just feeling amazing on our 20th day of eating right. I kept pushing myself,then letting off on the speed, recovering without stopping, and then upping the efforts again. Made good time!

...but no squats! LOL! I don't want to trash my legs for my run Maybe an off day.

Talk to you soon! Have a fantastic day everyone

[samnkelli]

Hi guys. Happy day 21.

 

Congrats on no margs, Melinaka!! Wow! Very impressive!! Still going strong here too. No cake, no beer. Crazy.

 

I made bone broth yesterday and a huge batch of compliant minestrone soup today so I'm totally souping it this week. Also made roasted cauliflower rice and i loooove it. I sort of burned it but it still tastes great! Ha! I never really cared for the cook in the skillet cauliflower rice  

 

Are you guys researching/planning your reintroduction this week? I want to start reading tips/info, and get a plan in place...thoughts?

 

Random fitness question -- have any of you heard of or tried Orangetheory Fitness? Tell me what you think.....

 

 

See you on 22!