Pai's Whole30 Log

[Paichka]

Hey all!

So I decided to start this log because I'm going it alone in the Whole30 challenge. Thankfully the hubs is supportive and not trying to derail me, but he's also not participating. The kiddos aren't participating either -- they eat Paleo at home, but I can't control what the daycare feeds them. So, it's just me. I've been eating Paleo since March, after a few months off the wagon -- it's amazing how much better I feel ALREADY. I'm down 11 lbs total, but in honor of the Whole30 I've banished my scale to the back of my closet.

So a little about me -- I'm a 29 year old mom of two (The Gremlin and The Monster), married to my wonderful husband of almost 6 years, Mr. Pai. I'm a captain in the Army, but I've been on school status for three years while I attended law school. I take the bar in 6 weeks, then I report for training at the end of the summer. I'm really looking forward to getting back in the saddle after all this time as a civilian. Anyway, I've always been active -- I rowed in college and got into mid-distance running in a big way during my first deployment, as well as weight lifting. I gained 40lbs with my daughter but lost it all fairly quickly -- I gained another 40 with my son and while most of it came off relatively quickly, I was left with about 10lbs in a tire around my midsection. Between two kids and trying to finish up law school, I wasn't taking care of myself AT ALL -- running on minimum sleep, eating a bunch of crap (snickers bars), and drinking more bottles of wine than I'd care to admit. Seriously, that "make your own carton" of wine at Safeway was designed for me and Mr. Pai.

I decided to try to turn things around. I'd heard about Paleo during my time following Crossfit and reading the boards over on the main site, so I decided to give it a try. In doing research into the community, I found Whole9, and with as great as Paleo has been making me feel, I decided to give it a go. I even joined twitter so I could follow all of the awesome people with all of the awesome blogs. So anyhoo -- here's my log.

I'm aiming for 8 hours of sleep a night, but to be honest, some nights that just isn't feasible. I have to be up into DC for bar review at 9, and I catch a ride in with my dad so I have to leave my house by 6:30, which means I have to work out at 4 -- which means going to bed at 8pm to get the full eight. Some nights I do get a full 8 hours (I woke up at 5 today to run) but most nights it's more like 7. Not ideal, but it's only until mid July, then I can adjust my schedule to work out in the afternoons.

Okay, so...let's get started!

[Paichka]

So today is actually Official Day 2 of the challenge. Here's days 0 and 1:

Day 0:

We went to the zoo on Sunday and went out for lunch afterwards with my dad, hubs, and the kiddos. I'm calling this Day 0 because I'm not sure if my lunch was whole30 compliant (out at a restaurant). The egg was probably fried in canola oil or butter.

B: 1/2 a smooth with coconut milk, strawberries, almond butter (kinda gross tbh -- out of bananas and I put too much ice in the blender)

L: 8oz hamburger with guac and a fried egg

D: 8oz chicken (white meat) with braised kale and pear/onion salad**

**Recipes from nomnompaleo's iPad app and Everyday Paleo. Delicious.

Day 1:

PWO: 4 oz chicken w/ apple

B: 3 eggs w/ 2 strips bacon, 1/2 avocado and salsa

L: 1/4 chicken (dark meat) w/ braised kale

D: tuna steak braised in olive oil w/ pear/onion salad and sauteed zucchini & yellow squash

Day 2 (so far):

PWO: banana

B: 3 eggs w/ 2 strips bacon, 1/2 avocado and salsa

So things are going pretty well so far, I think. I made my own ghee on Sunday from Kerrygold, which was fun, and I've been cooking with that. I need to order some coconut oil (or take my happy tush down to Wegmans -- I bet they have some) or order some grassfed beef tallow. We've been going to the farmers market, and last weekend I bought some gorgeous steaks from the lovely people at Martin's Angus Beef -- unfortunately the beef, while pastured, is grain finished. I'm trying to find a source for 100% grass fed beef where I don't have to order 1/4 of a cow. Ultimately we want to do that, but right now we don't have the freezer space. When we move later this summer, we've already decided that one of our first purchases will be a big freezer for the garage.

take care,

Pai

[Tom Denham]

Welcome!

A guideline you might not like, but which really is best: If you can't get at least 6 hours of sleep, don't workout. Your body will benefit more from the time spent in bed than the time spent in training.

[Paichka]

Tom,

Thanks for stopping in! Re: sleeping, I have one problem that keeps me from just saying, "no working out until after the bar!" -- I'm in the military, so in order to pass my PT test I HAVE to maintain some level of physical activity. I've worked it so that I work out four days a week, and once on the weekends, and like I said, I'm aiming for the full eight hours. My husband is getting a little cranky with me because I've been going to bed immediately after we put the kids down (8pm!), but the crazy 4am workouts will stop once I don't have to go to bar review classes anymore.

I HAVE instituted a strict "all lights off in the bedroom, hallway and bathroom" policy, though, which Mr. Pai is being a peach for accepting. He loves to sleep with the TV on. :-p

cheers,

Pai

[Paichka]

So yesterday went well.

Day 2:

PWO: banana

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2 slices bacon, 1/2 avocado, salsa

Lunch: ~1/2 cup canned salmon, lotsa greens, leftover sauteed zucchini, 1/2 avocado, salsa

Dinner: ~5 oz grassfed tip sirloin marinated in ginger/lime/rice vinegar, and coconut almond green beans (AWESOME)

Sensing a trend? I love avocados and salsa.

I'm a little meh about having bacon every morning -- I'd like to find another meat to have with my eggs. This weekend I'll see what I can pick up -- maybe a bunch of ground chicken or pork would work in place of the bacon. We'll see what I can come up with.

A few days in, I've noticed how much better I'm sleeping -- I DID have kind of a crap workout this morning, though. I should've listened to my body and just taken the day off. I felt weak today, and my weights reflected it. Oh well...tomorrow's a rest day, so onward and upward!

cheers!

Pai

[Summer]

Hi Pai - The brand Applegate has hot dogs (W30 compliant) that are great with scrambled eggs. First slicing them thin, frying them in some type of fat, and then throwing eggs in to scramble. Pretty good, and might give you another variety of meat with your eggs.

[NLK]

I do ground pork and season it like sausage. I haven't done other meats like ground turkey but I'm sure it would be delicious!

[Paichka]

Summer & NLK -- thanks! I'll have to look into Applewood the next time I go to the frou-frou grocery (haven't seen it at Safeway). I'm just going to have to branch out of my comfort zone.

So anyhoo -- still rolling along.

Day 3:

PWO: 1 oz steak + 1 cup canned pumpkin w/ cinnamon (this was absurdly good)

B: 3 eggs, 2 strips bacon, 1/2 avocado & salsa

L: 4oz steak over greens, cucumbers, broccoli slaw, sweet peppers, snow peas w/ 1/2 avocado and salsa

D: chicken & apple hash (whole30 book) over sweet potato hash browns

Can I say that I LOVE cooking with coconut oil? It makes the kitchen smell divine.

Today I ate a fried egg over the leftover chicken and apple hash for breakfast -- so good.

So far, so good. I've been having beastly cravings for a diet coke -- I made up some water infused with strawberries and lemon, but I think I'm just getting bored of water as a drink. I haven't really been craving sweets or anything, just diet coke. The hubs will be drinking one and I SO want to snatch it out of his hands. But I haven't, so hopefully as I get deeper into the whole30 that monster will just go ahead and die.

cheers, all!

Pai

[NLK]

Would seltzer satisfy the diet coke jonesing? I was able to get my husband off diet coke with poland spring seltzer

[Paichka]

NLK -- maybe, I can certainly try that. I think what I want is the sodium, though -- that puckery mouthfeel that you get drinking the diet coke. I do love sparkling water though, so I'll have to give that a try.

So I'm starting over today. I didn't CONSCIOUSLY violate the whole30, but we went to my parents' for dinner last night. Mom had asked what I can eat on the whole30, so I gave her the rundown -- no veggie oils, no added sugars, etc. Since she was making london broil, she said she'd marinate one of the steaks in olive oil/balsamic for me instead of using jarred marinade. I come in, and she says, "I searched and searched all over the store for this, but it has no added sugar!" and showed me the bottle. I read the ingredients, and had to laugh a little bit -- the first ingredient was canola oil, and the second wad dehydrated cane syrup. I thanked her for trying, pointed out the issue, and ate the meat anyway. Oh well. My day yesterday was otherwise Paleo and whole30 compliant -- just the marinade on the meat.

So today is my NEW day 1.

B: peach & pecan scramble with three eggs and cinnamon

Cheers, yall!

Pai

So far today

[Paichka]

Hey everyone!

Went to the Farmer's Market today, got some AWESOME grassfed ground beef, pastured pork, and nitrite free bacon. Mmm. Also three dozen pastured chicken eggs -- I'm baking a breakfast casserole for the week as we speak! Only problem is the price -- veggies are tons cheaper buying local, meat/milk/eggs...not so much. :-p Seriously though, it's worth it -- I snuck a bite of the ground beef after I browned it for the casserole. It was just the beef, an onion, and a little salt...it was DELICIOUS.

I didn't want breakfast this morning before we left -- just not hungry. The first time that's happened in awhile. I grabbed an apple and a handful of nuts, then when we got back I made up a huuuuuge pot of seafood curry, with diced sweet potatoes and kale. Ate two servings. The other two will be two lunches for me next week, along with the leftover chicken and cauli-ous-cous I made last night.

What is this...Day 3 now? Moving right along.

cheers,

Pai

[Paichka]

Checking in for Day 5!

I want to give a huge shout out for It Starts With Food and the Meal Map -- the seafood curry that I made from the master curry recipe was THE BOMB.

I also made some delicious braised cabbage last night -- cabbage, onion, apple, apple cider vinegar, ghee. Warm and a little sour and a little sweet all at the same time. I ate a serving of it last night with dinner, and divided up the leftovers between breakfast and lunch today. Tonight I'm grilling some chicken quarters and maybe some zucchini. I'll probably make some potatoes for the hubs, since he's not on the Whole30 journey with me.

Oh, and I have RESISTED THE URGE to get on the scale, but I'm comfortably back into my size 8 jeans, and I'm noticeably trimmer through the waist. Moving right along!

[SummerGirl]

HI Paichka

I really enjoy reading your log!

Sounds like things are going great with your Whole 30!