Grace's Whole30 April 2018

[WZRDREAMS]

Starting weight – 215lbs.

I’ve been hitting the croissants, girl-scout cookies and booze hard the last month. Time to re-slay that sugar dragon.

Hubs is going to participate more this time because while I was January Whole30-ing he was ordering take-out and gained weight, which he is unhappy about. He promises to eat with me rather than separately. Last January Whole 30 (2017) he lost weight just by being supportive and eating with me, so he wants that contact high again.

Day 1 April 1, 2018 – Easter Sunday

Coffee hour: Black coffee. 

Brunch: 2 poached eggs; hash: sweet potato, kale, garlic, shallot, carrots (olive oil). YUM! Made up for the crappy coffee hour and missing out on Easter Chocolate.

Snack: seaweed, carrots and 1 tbsp almond butter. Seltzer with blood orange.

Dinner: Pan cooked salmon, olive oil. Sautee veg (meant to be stir fired, but frozen cauliflower rice has too much water!) cauliflower rice, shallot, carrot, zucchini, roasted chicken morsels. tasty!

Meal prep: hard boiled a bunch of eggs and roasted a 6.66lb chicken (garam masala, salt, pepper, limes, onion, garlic, 350degrees, 2 hours)

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 2 April 2, 2018 – Monday – Back to work

Breakfast: Salmon left overs, 2 hard-boiled eggs. Black coffee.

Lunch: Just salad: mixed greens, green apple, butternut squash, beets, grilled chicken, walnuts, and olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing. Chicken leg.

Snack: Seaweed snacks.

Must stop at Whole Foods on the way home and get some compliant stuff: sausage, bacon, salted cashews & almonds.

Dinner: Hub made lamb stew: lamb, shallot, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth. La Croix.

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 3 April 3, 2018 – Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, banana. Cold Brew coffee with Coconut milk

Lunch: Lamb stew left overs, la Croix, orange

Emergency food items for the desk drawer: epic bacon bites and roasted and lightly salted mixed nuts.

Snack: Tea, nuts, Turkish apricots

Dinner: Pan cooked pork chops and roasted vegetables (carrots, red onion, cauliflower, broccoli)

Grocery pick-ups: walnuts, red onion, light olive oil.

Mid-Week Meal prep: Made Mayonnaise. Made chicken salad: mayo, diced roasted chicken, celery, chopped Turkish apricots, walnuts, red onion.

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 4 April 4, 2018 – Wednesday

Breakfast: 1 poached egg on top of left over roast vegetables. At work: 2 hard-boiled eggs, small banana. Cold Brew coffee with Coconut milk

Lunch: Just salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, and olive oil, hard-boiled egg & balsamic vinegar dressing. La Croix, orange.

Snack: mixed nuts and 2 Turkish apricots.

Dinner: Roasted sweet potato wedges & broccoli; sautéed kale with garlic, almond slivers and lemon juice; fried cauliflower rice with red onion, carrots, garlic & shredded roasted chicken breast; AND a roasted chicken apple sausage. It was dang good.

Day 5 April 5, 2018 – Thursday

Breakfast: Black cold brew coffee. Fruit in an office meeting: 5 grapes, small slice melon, small slice watermelon, 2 strawberries, one black berry, small slice mango.

Lunch: Dinner Left-overs:  fried rice (cauliflower, red onion, carrot, garlic) with shredded roast chicken breast, 3 sweet potato wedges, La Croix. Ice coffee.

Snack: Epic Bacon bites.

Dinner: Roasted sweet potato wedges & broccoli; fried cauliflower rice with red onion, carrots & garlic; and a roasted chicken apple sausage. Seltzer.

My face already looks thinner. No Booze and water weight y’all.

Day 6 April 6, 2018 – Friday

Breakfast: Black cold brew coffee. 2 hard-boiled eggs, small banana.

Lunch: Just salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, sweet potatoes and olive oil, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix, orange.

Dinner: ?? Left overs probably. I can’t remember!!!

Day 7 April 7, 2018 – Saturday

Brunch: 2 eggs fried in bacon fat. 2 strips of compliant bacon (baked) and some baby arugula salad with green goddess dressing. Cold brew coffee with almond milk.

Late lunch/Snack: chicken salad, Seltzer, nuts. Almond milk smoothie with one small banana, strawberries and some pineapple.

Hub and I went to the store together to get food for dinner and we had some fun reading labels looking for compliant things. His support is always helpful.

Dinner: Hub made steak, and we had steamed broccoli sautéed in the pan drippings.

Meal Prep: Made chicken stock. Baked some potatoes.

Day 8 April 8, 2018 – Sunday

Brunch: 2 poached eggs; home fries w/ sautéed yellow onion, (coconut oil). One chicken apple sausage.

I also made an omelet for hub with a non-compliant sausage and broccoli and butter. He’s cheating a little but he’s not really on Whole30.  He’s not stressing about 100% compliant meats and small amounts of dairy.

Snack: seaweed, Seltzer. Almond milk smoothie with ice, one small banana & 2 strawberries.

Dinner: Salmon baked in tinfoil with asparagus and lemon, with garlic olive oil. Roasted baby yellow potatoes.

 

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 9 April 9, 2018 – Monday

Breakfast: 3 hard-boiled eggs. Black coffee.

Lunch: Dinner left overs: Salmon baked in tinfoil with asparagus and lemon, with garlic olive oil. Roasted baby yellow potatoes. Unsweetened ice tea with lemon.

Snack: Orange. Epic bacon bites.

Dinner: Sweet potato noodles with sautéed compliant chicken apple sausage shrimp, carrots, shallot, ginger and garlic. Ghee and olive oil. Seltzer.

Day 10 April 10, 2018 – Tuesday

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, mixed cut fruit: mango, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry and pineapple. Cold Brew coffee and ice tea.

Lunch: No lunch because I’m having an MRI at 3 pm and can’t eat for 4 hours before hand.

Had a salad at 4:45 after my appointment: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, olive oil, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix.

Picked up the ground beef at Whole Foods along with some more roasted salted almonds and some Lara Bars.

Dinner: Stuffed peppers, ground beef, potato, and broccoli. Chicken soup with carrots, celery and onion. La Croix.

Day 11 April 11, 2018 – Wednesday

Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, one Lara bar, 2 slices of bacon. Cold Brew coffee, black. Work meeting: fruit – blue berries, black berries, melon, grapes.

Lunch: Dinner left overs: Stuffed peppers, ground beef, potato, broccoli.

Dinner: Roasted sweet potato noodles, red onion and butternut squash with sautéed zucchini and chicken apple sausage. La Croix.

Day 12 April 12, 2018 – Thursday

Breakfast: Black iced coffee. 3 fried eggs, sweet potato fries, 3 pineapple chunks, 5 black berries, blue berries, 3 small slices mango.

Lunch: Dinner Left-overs:  Roasted sweet potato noodles, red onion and butternut squash with sautéed zucchini and chicken apple sausage. La Croix.

Dinner: Wild Cod coated in lemon juice ghee mixture and dredged in cassava flour, pan cooked in ghee and olive oil. Roasted brussel sprouts and asparagus (tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon zest, garlic powder.... which I over cooked, but were still tasty). Perrier grapefruit seltzer.

Husband has been doing really good not cheating (much). He hasn't had any bread/grains/legumes, and has only cheated with the occasional cheese and non compliant sausages. He is however fighting the sugar dragon and kind of losing... he keeps fresh squeezing orange juice which he is diluting with water. It's his version of an infused water. Under normal cirmstances he LOVES plain water so it's obviously a crutch. I've talked to him about what this really is, but he's not really doing Whole30 so I'm not giving him any grief over it. Since he is squeezing the oranges himself he can't mindlessly drink it (kind of like making your own chips). 

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 13 April 13, 2018 – Friday

Breakfast: Black cold brew coffee. 2 fried eggs, one roasted red skin potato, 2 pineapple chunks, 5 black berries, blue berries, 3 small slices mango.

Lunch: Just salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, sweet potatoes and olive oil, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix, orange.

Dinner: Husband made a roast and brussel sprouts and I had a baked sweet potato.

Day 14 April 14, 2018 – Saturday

Brunch: iced cold brew and an RX bar. Went to the Brooklyn Quilt Guild Show and Brooklyn Flea Market at Industry City. Had another Cold brew there and didn’t get back home till like 3:30pm. The weather was utterly gorgeous.

Late lunch/Snack: Tacos: red cabbage leaf shells with the left over taco meat, shredded chicken, cilantro and fresh lime juice. Pretty good! The cabbage has the right crunch and stability but is a bit tricky to get the leaves off the head whole without tearing.

Meal Prep: Made chicken salad with the last of my mayo, celery, Turkish apricots, red onion, shredded chicken and lots of spices.

Dinner: One large steamed artichoke, 2 poached eggs on a bed of arugula, with a shamefully sad hollandaise sauce.

Day 15 April 15, 2018 – Sunday

Church: Black coffee. Once it cooled it was pretty good actually. I usually hate hot black coffee.

I bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies (Samoas, I know… lots of sugar) to keep as a food freedom forever treat. I know they are delicious and there are only 12 in the box, and I can totally enjoy them one at a time. NSV – The box lives on the top of my fridge but I’m honestly not tempted. I’ve got this.

Lunch/Brunch: a scoop of chicken salad with arugula and crushed walnuts.

Meal Prep: I baked another package of paleo bacon. I ate a slice and saved the rest for later.

Dinner: I Spatch cocked a chicken!! I had a thigh and leg portion with roasted brussel sprouts and I also made baked sweet potato chips (mandolin sliced, tossed in coconut oil, salt & chopped rosemary, then baked 5~7 mins per side). Seltzer. I also ate a small handful of slated roasted nuts while cooking.

Day 16 April 16, 2018 – Monday

Breakfast: Black hot coffee. 2 fried eggs, one roasted red skin potato, 2 pineapple chunks, 5 black berries, blue berries, 3 small slices mango.

Lunch: Dinner left overs: baked chicken (thigh & leg) with simple salad of arugula and purple cabbage with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Snack: hand full of nuts & seltzer with lime while cooking dinner.

Dinner: 2 Chicken apple sausages (I was so dang hungry by the time we ate at 9 pm),sautéed kale with garlic and shallot and splash of homemade chicken broth, a baked sweet potato with ghee, chopped compliant bacon pieces and scallions. Seltzer.

NSV – even though I was hungry in the run up until dinner, I was fine waiting. I didn’t feel tempted by the usual office snacks.

Day 17 April 17, 2018 – Tuesday

NSV – My skinniest jeans feel comfortable about the thighs and waist. I feel slim in a way that I think is probable one part non-bloat and one part weight loss. I’ll be curious to see the scale at the end of April.

Breakfast: 3 fried eggs, mixed cut fruit: 3 slices mango, 5 blackberries, blue berries. Cold Brew coffee

Lunch: Just Salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, olive oil, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix.

Snack: orange and medium banana.

Dinner: Roasted veg – carrots and brussel sprouts at 375 for 25 minutes (the brussel sprouts were mushy and gross, I think I need to roast them higher temp and shorter time) and baked tilapia with garlic and herbs. Perrier grapefruit seltzer and a handful of nuts while cooking.

Hub made his own dinner which was a casserole/bake made with non-compliant butcher counter sausages, Idaho potatoes, canned tomatoes, and whole garlic cloves.

Husband also made a delicious chicken stock and then left it on the counter to cool, forgot it overnight and was mighty pissed in the morning when he realized what happened. He’s been really getting into staying mostly compliant… he’s been avoiding typical fast lunch foods in favor of meat plus veg combos. He still isn’t hueing to compliant sausages and processed meats, but he is choosing quality over convenience. Even though he’s not really doing a whole30, it’s been nice to have the company at most meals.

Day 18 April 18, 2018 – Wednesday

Breakfast: 3 hard-boiled eggs, old Brew coffee, black. One medium banana.

Lunch: Hale and Hearty Salad: Arugula, red onion, carrots, cucumbers, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, Kalamata olives, bell peppers, roasted beets, olive oil and lemon dressing. Unsweetened ice tea.

Dinner: We ordered from our favorite Chinese restaurant (the one we dine in at) that has a menu item I trust to be compliant: steamed green jade with roast pork and steamed vegetables (green beans, broccoli and asparagus). Perrier grapefruit seltzer.

Day 19 April 19, 2018 – Thursday

Breakfast: Cold brew coffee. 2 poached eggs over arugula, left over roast carrots, and shredded purple cabbage with two slices of compliant bacon cut into pieces. One medium banana at work.

Lunch: one navel orange. Salad: Mixed greens, red onion, carrots, cucumbers, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, Kalamata olives, bell peppers, roasted beets, olive oil and lemon dressing. Unsweetened ice tea.

Dinner: Pan seared pork chops with compliant applesauce, seasoned with tarragon, herbs de Provence and rosemary; sautéed purple kale with garlic, baked sweet potato with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ghee.

Day 20 April 20, 2018 – Friday

Breakfast: Black coffee. 3 fried eggs, one roasted red skin potato, 4 fried sweet plantains2 pineapple chunks, 10 black berries, 3 small slices mango, once slice orange.

Lunch: hot bar… roasted chicken, roast pork, on a bed of arugula and mixed greens with roasted cauliflower and roasted carrots, roasted baby potatoes, La Croix.

Snacks: Mixed nuts and 2 Turkish apricots.

Dinner: I was depressed about personal stuff so I just ate a left over pork chop and a carrot.

Day 21 April 21, 2018 – Saturday

Brunch: iced cold brew with almond & coconut milk. A has of a diced potato, the rest of the purple kale, shallot, garlic, and a diced chicken apple sausage.

Dinner:  Went to a church meeting at a local Italian restaurant where it was not possible for me to choose the meeting location or the menu. I had notified our administrator in advance that I’m on whole 30 so I was expecting some dishes I could work with. I had some of the anti-pasta (olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers) the salad that was dressed with oil and balsamic, and a bowl of steamed mussels that were in a red broth (which I didn’t consume). I also had a chicken cutlet that had a light breading that I meticulously scraped off. I probably ended up consuming some trace amounts breading and there may have been wine in the broth (though I couldn’t taste any… it seemed very light) but I’m choosing not to stress about it too much. I made the best choices I could under the circumstances and there was certainly plenty of temptation at that table.

Day 22 April 22, 2018 – Sunday

Church: Black coffee.

Lunch/Brunch: I hung out with my knitter friends in the afternoon and ate a bunch of cut veggies and fruit. Before I headed over I ate a chicken leg. 2 cans of Spindrift seltzer.

Meal Prep: I Spatch cocked a chicken again!  It’s marinating for 48 hours a la “heroine chicken” from No Crumbs Left. I also made a fresh batch of mayonnaise and a batch of chicken salad (hub loves it).

Dinner: Tacos: Butter lettuce leaf shells with taco meat, cilantro and fresh lime juice. Tasty! I also baked a sweet potatoes worth of chips (mandolin, coconut oil, salt, herbs de province) which I ate while watching West World. Also, seltzer.

[kirkor]

1 hour ago, WZRDREAMS said:

Black cold brew coffee

Do you make your own? I've got a batch in a mason jar right now -- trying a 5:1 ratio (fluid ounces of water to weighed ounces of grounds). I didn't have coarse ground stuff so we'll see how it goes. I anticipate straining will be a mess lol

[kirkor]

On 4/23/2018 at 9:48 AM, kirkor said:

I anticipate straining will be a mess lol

ugh, happens every time

A lot of work for little reward:

[WZRDREAMS]

On 4/23/2018 at 11:48 AM, kirkor said:

Do you make your own? I've got a batch in a mason jar right now -- trying a 5:1 ratio (fluid ounces of water to weighed ounces of grounds). I didn't have coarse ground stuff so we'll see how it goes. I anticipate straining will be a mess lol

Hi Kirkor!

I do about 50% of the time (if I'm not running late and/or kinda lazy). I use coarse grinds in a mason jar and I strain trough cheese cloth and a strainer basket into another mason jar and then store in the fridge.

I've also bought ready made (check the label!) and I also sometimes get it at coffee shops. I don't bother to ask if the "almond milk" at coffee shops is sugar free so I usually drink it black if I buy it there. Otherwise if I have almond milk it's stuff I pour at home. 

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 23 April 23, 2018 – Monday

Breakfast: Black hot coffee. 3 fried eggs, roasted potatoes,  5 black berries, blue berries, 4 small slices mango. 3 strawberries.

Lunch: Just Salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix.

Dinner: Spaghetti squash noodles with garlic, ginger, onions, and chicken apple sausage. I also pan fried a green plantain in coconut oil (I even mashed them to make them thin) and kosher salt.

Day 24 April 24, 2018 – Tuesday

NSV – I threw out some smarties that I was saving for after. I’ve decided candy isn’t going to be in my food freedom forever life. I prefer to have a regular glass of wine and the occasional croissant.

Breakfast: 2 egg omelet with broccoli, ¼ cup blackberries over arugula and purple cabbage with green goddess dressing. Cold Brew coffee with coconut and almond milk.

Lunch: Just Salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, olive oil, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix.

Snack: nuts, epic bacon bites, olives.

Dinner: Heroine chicken, boiled baby potatoes and red carrots. Seltzer.

The Heroine chicken was good, but I’m not sure it is worth the hype. The marinade is a bit oily and the lemon barely noticeable over all the peppercorns. I would halve the pepper, double the lemon, and not bother with the 48 hour marinating time.

Day 25 April 25, 2018 – Wednesday

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, a few roasted potatoes, 2 pieces of plantain (no sugary syrup), one slice orange, 3 slices mango, 5 blackberries and 1/8 cup blue berries, cold Brew coffee, black.

Lunch: Just Salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix. RX bar – mixed berry and 4 pieces of epic bacon bites.

Meal prep: backed a package of bacon.

Dinner: Pan cooked Steak with roasted baby potatoes, carrots and asparagus. One piece bacon. One scoop chicken salad with 3 pieces of walnut crushed on top. Seltzer and 3 macadamia nuts.

Day 26 April 26, 2018 – Thursday

Breakfast: Cold brew coffee with almond milk. 2 hardboiled eggs.

Lunch: Left over chicken (thigh and leg) & roasted potatoes and carrots. Unsweetened ice tea. One navel orange ... it was room temp and it was AMAZINGLY delicious.

Snack: epic bacon. Chicken salad.

Dinner: Pan seared pork chops, seasoned with tarragon, herbs de Provence and rosemary; roasted butternut squash noodles with salt, pepper, olive oil & garlic powder. Blackberries & grapes as desert.

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 27 April 27, 2018 – Friday

Breakfast: Cold brew coffee with almond milk. 1 fried egg, sautéed butternut squash noodles and 1 slice bacon.

Lunch: Just Salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix.

Dinner: Steak and roast vegetables: potatoes, asparagus, and broccoli. Seltzer.

Day 28 April 28, 2018 – Saturday

Brunch: iced cold brew with almond & coconut milk. Home fries cooked in bacon fat with sweet onion, kale sautéed with garlic, 2 slices bacon & two fried eggs.

Ice tea, unsweetened.

Dinner: baked lemon garlic cod with roasted baby potatoes. Seltzer.

Day 29 April 29, 2018 – Sunday

Lunch/Brunch: iced cold brew with almond & coconut milk. Kale sautéed in olive oil and bacon fat with garlic, one fried egg and one chicken apple sausage.

Snack: I hung out with my sewing friends in the afternoon had a bottle of seltzer and an RX mixed berry bar.

Dinner: roast pork with steamed vegetables, seltzer.

Day 30 April 30, 2018 – Monday

Breakfast: Iced Cold brew. 3 fried eggs, roasted potatoes, 5 black berries, blue berries, 4 small slices mango, 2 strawberries.

Lunch: Just Salad: mixed greens, celery, carrots, grilled chicken, toasted almonds, & salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon dressing. La Croix.

Dinner: Sautéed kale with garlic, onion, and two chicken apple sausages. Side of roasted baby potatoes. Seltzer.

[WZRDREAMS]

Day 31 May 1, 2018 – Tueday - Conclusion.

Tuesday morning ending weight: 198-200 lbs. (depending on how I stood on my janky scale... feet firmly planted it was 198). That's a ~16lb loss! I' surprised and delighted as I wasn't expeccting to crack through the 200lb mark. I suppose I shouldn't be though, and I'm half way to my goal weight (doctor suggested) from where I was at the beginning of my 1st whole 30 last year. 

Going forward I am going to endeavor to nurture my healthier eating habits. I am going to mostyle stay away from dairy, breads and added sugars. I am going to limit my alcohol consumption (that will be the hard one).