Christie's Whole40 (Mother's Day) Challenge

[Christie Mawby]

So here I am, 4 days in and bested by my maternal instincts to not let my 3 year old burn his mouth on a cup of hot chocolate. Oh well. It isn't really a failure, more of a "mommy responsibility trumps all" kind of thing.

It is my first "slide" on my second attempt at a whole30 type challenge. I know I do not need to restart after a simple temperature test of hot chocolate. I am still adding the extra days on at the end. So instead of ending mother's day I will end on the following thursday. Which is cool. By then I will not want to end so adding extra days is sort of a non-issue.

I am starting to love (while still despising) the simple black and whiteness of Whole30....you either did it or you didn't. No bartering, no grey area...yes or no. So, while I would like to negotiate why a small chocolate egg would be okay when compared to a large order of fries - I don't need to because it won't matter. It is simple. Annoyingly simple. I rage at it and love it at the same time.

I am hitting this one a lot differently then my first crack at a Whole30. I am not "logging" my food....well I am writing about what I eat on my blog, but my posts aren't related to food volume. I am also trying to be brutally honest with myself.....which TOTALLY sucks. I have also walked away from every food/paleo/diet page I follow on Facebook. I need to ditch the clutter.

I have my, now dog eared, copy of It Starts With Food covered in page flags to remind me of what I am doing and why. I also started a blog....because for some twisted reason writing about my feelings in a completely public forum is way less intimidating then doing it privately in a book. Yeah, I am that messed up.

Anyway, I am off to scan the forum.

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

accountability by whatever means necessary! Good luck on the journey!

[Christie Mawby]

So I am attempting to make the Citrus Carnitas from Well Fed today. I seriously hope they turn out, I have been fantasizing about these for a week.

[Christie Mawby]

HOLY CRAP!!! The carnitas were AHHHHMMAAZZZINNGGG. Seriously. I could eat the entire batch of them by myself. Definitely a "share with family guests" recipe! I now have a girl crush on Melissa J. because of her cooking. Well Fed is definitely moving up in my cookbook rotation.

[Christie Mawby]

Well, I made it through the weekend! Yeah. I am pretty sure the hardest part was not eating all the food I prepped ahead of time for this week. My kitchen smells like a food bazaar it is amazing.

I am on more of an even keel with the whole "withdrawal" issues although I am still running low on energy and my sleep has been less than spectacular. This go around has been so much harder than the first one, but that could be because I went on a full blown sugar bender before starting and we have things in the house that we don't normally have (like left over easter bunnies). So far all bunnies are safe in their protective packaging.

I made a big batch of kale chips for this evening, just want something to nibble while the husband is chowing down on handfuls of popcorn.

I managed to sit and quietly drink my coffee while he slammed down a Cinnabon cinnamon bun today....I was tempted but just kept drinking my coffee.

Anyway, it's supper time now so, I hope you all had successful days as well.

[Christie Mawby]

Day 7....28 Days to go...well really there is like 38 but I don't want to put that kinda pressure on myself, at least not in the beginning.

So here I am in the "lull" of the afternoon. I have booted the kids downstairs to play toys. I have water with lemon. I have my laundry outside to "freeze dry" because I live in the arctic. I am trying not to fall asleep. A few days of crappy sleep really takes a toll on your body.

My eating today has been the most "bang on" since starting this whole debacle last week - look at that it only took me 7 days to get my act together. Yeah me.

Today has been a good day for fullness....weird how actually following the template will do that for you. Still having issues getting in two cups of veg in the morning. Beyond throwing a whack full in the pan with my eggs or having left overs (which I do all the time) I am sort of at a loss. This morning I had kale. It was ridiculously strong for first thing in the morning, but still better than the brussel sprout incident earlier. I have learned my gag reflex is very active before 8am.

I had a massive lunch today, which is probably part of the reason I have the sleepies today, that and the fact I haven't been to the gym in a week. I must remember to keep the starchy veggies to the morning because they zap me in the afternoon.

I have a slight addiction to coconut milk and coffee so I have to cut that back to a single cup - no one needs more than two cups a day and I am averaging three this week (hello crutch). On to herbal teas for my warm beverage in the morning....maybe even just hot water and lemon.

I seriously wish my kids still napped. A 30 minute nap would fix everything.

Huh, I wonder if I took the steak out for tonight's stirfry?

[Christie Mawby]

Day 8...

what can I say? I had an amazing breakfast....two eggs, some zucchini, and some sweet potato. then I did an awesome workout at the gym....well mostly awesome....my butt gave out doing squats which is always hilarious. Then I came home at a super duper lunch....tomato soup, salad, the last of my pork.

Then I spent the afternoon yammering with the beans about random things....they are 3 and 5 the content of the conversation is what is important, the fact that I sat and played and talked with them is.

I tried to transplant a spider plant and accidentally unearthed the other 4 plants in the basket so, I got to clean potting soil up off my floor, out of my sink and in my garborator...it was awesome.

For dinner was a ginormous helping of cauli-rice and stirfried veggies and steak. It was delicious.

I am starting to get bloated (that's how you know it's working) feeling. Last night I accidentally gassed my husband in bed....then I laughed so hard I peed a little. Ahhh, the Whole30, bringing couples together.

I am about to log off and go technology free for a bit....there is an interesting podcast on tonight and the hubs is lost in some ocean/alien/sea creature movie. Seems like a good time for a candle, the blinds closed and some ear phones.

Chow my lovelies....I am not even going to blog tonight. I am tired. I will do a super long one tomorrow.

[Christie Mawby]

So today was another good food day. I am really starting to hit my stride with meal planning and prepping my food through the day. I am also hitting my stride with workouts...or at least I feel like I am busting my ass, I don't know what my trainer feels. We did cleans, deadlifts, pull-ups, and a bunch of other things today. I was sore from yesterday, I am fine more sore today. I keep telling myself it is worth it, or it will be worth it. I am almost starting to "look forward" to the gym.

Tonight is meal planning/grocery list preparing night. Our goal is to get everything we need for two weeks and try and keep it under $300. Even as I write that I know it won't happen, good food is not cheap.

Anyway, I spent the morning in the gym and the afternoon in the pool with the kiddos and to say I am tired would not fully express the total level of delicious physical exhaustion I am currently feeling!

So, good night and we can do this again tomorrow.