Tara's Whole30 - July 2012

[Tara Hively Burch]

I'm tracking my Whole30 meals here so I can keep better track of what I'm doing right & not so right. This is my 2nd Whole30 (first was in January), so I know I CAN do this, but I want to do better on the reintroduction of dairy and a few grains this time (no gluten for me!), and learn how to ride my own bike without falling clean off the thing like I did for a few months after my first go-round.

I am very, very fortunate to have great local sources for grassfed/finished beef and free-range pork and poultry (among other things, like bison, rabbit, lamb, etc.). I'm trying to work on my sweet tooth this time around, so it's going to be very hard for me with the abundance of perfectly ripe, in-season fruits right now. I'll have to limit myself somewhat so I don't unintentionally feed that sugar demon!

Sunday, July 1:

Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with onions, zucchini, and tomato, with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: grilled chicken over a green salad (salad mix, carrots, grape tomatoes) with a homemade ranch dressing (olive oil, coconut milk, herbs/spices), peach

Dinner: taco-seasoned ground beef over a green salad with avocado, homemade ranch, and salsa; watermelon

I think I had another peach sometime after dinner, but I didn't write it down at the time--will keep better track after this. I know I should cut back on the fruit some. I am using the recommended portion sizes for proteins, fats, and veggies.

Monday, July 2:

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata (homemade pork sausage, onion, kale, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, eggs) with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk. Tried coffee with coconut milk, and it will be an acquired taste if I decide to stick with it. . . we'll see.

Lunch: leftover taco salad from last night; fresh cherries

Dinner: planning on a Thai-style stirfry from the hot plates section of Well-Fed, using grilled chicken, broccoli, carrots, and purple cabbage with sunshine sauce, served over a bit of roasted spaghetti squash.

That's it for now--I'll be back tomorrow!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Okay, catch-up time from the last two days. . .

Tuesday, July 3:

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk.

Lunch: leftover Thai stirfry (chicken, broccoli, carrots, purple cabbage, onions, garlic, sunshine sauce), peach

Dinner: 2 hardboiled eggs, carrots with homemade ranch dressing, maybe 1/2 cup of baked sweet potato, watermelon

I may have also snacked on some cashews and a few dates--I should have tracked this before now so I'd know for sure!

Wednesday, July 4:

(late) Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk.

Late lunch/afternoon snack: cashews, a couple of dates, hardboiled egg, carrots with homemade ranch dressing, cherries

Dinner: scallops seared in clarified butter, steamed green beans, watermelon, about 1.5 tbsp of coconut butter

And so far today. . .

Thursday, July 5

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk.

Lunch (planned): Roasted spaghetti squash topped with homemade spaghetti sauce (from "Paleo Comfort Foods"), green beans, cherries

I think I need to pay closer attention to making sure I'm getting the right amount of fat--that's an easy thing to overlook. Will try to track that more carefully (and plan accordingly).

Later!

[Carie Skeahan]

This log looks really good. How are you feeling?

[Tara Hively Burch]

This log looks really good. How are you feeling?

Hi, Carie! I'm feeling pretty good now, actually. Monday and Tuesday were just about awful (really bad migraines--I get them anyway, but they were worse than usual & didn't respond as well to the medication), but since then, I've been feeling good, but a bit more tired than I normally am. Some of that might be missing my morning coffee, and some of it is likely the loss of sugar & sweeteners--but that's a good thing. This morning, I was able to get up early enough to get in a brief cardio workout, so things are moving in the right direction. Thanks for asking!

Okay, here's the update:

Thursday, July 5 - continued

snack before Tae Kwon Do class: hardboiled egg, carrots with homemade ranch dressing

dinner: grilled chicken, steamed broccoli with a little clarified butter, 1/2 sweet potato, watermelon. I think I also snacked a little on some cashews & a couple of dates after dinner--I need to watch that kind of thing so it doesn't get out of hand.

Friday, July 6

breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

lunch (planned): Roasted spaghetti squash topped with homemade spaghetti sauce (from "Paleo Comfort Foods"), broccoli, cherries

afternoon snack (planned): I packed a baggie with cashews, dried unsweetened cherries, and coconut flakes to take to the movies. My husband and I are planning to go see "Moonrise Kingdom" this afternoon.

Dinner tonight is going to be a green curry with chicken, cauliflower, red pepper, and carrots, I think. At least, that's what I have ready to go at home--the veggies and chicken are pre-cooked and everything's ready to throw in a pan.

That's it for now--back later!

[Carie Skeahan]

So glad you are feeling better!

I love that you ate a pre-workout snack. Nice job!!!!

Your food log really does look good...you are going to be very successful at your whole30. I can't wait to read your "success story"!

Just out of curiosity, do you take magnesium? Have heard great things about it in terms of helping migraines.

[Tara Hively Burch]

Yes, the pre-workout snack definitely helps! I take Tae Kwon Do with my 7-year-old son, and we go to a "family" class where it's mostly kids, with maybe 4-5 grown-ups. Sometimes it's hard for this 40-year-old to hang with the kids, especially when we start doing squat thrusts between our punching & kicking drills. Our class is at 6PM, and we don't have time to squeeze in dinner beforehand, so that snack is a good, quick way to make sure that both my son and I get something nutritious into us before class.

I am taking Natural Calm (unsweetened, of course)--I've used it off & on in the past, but have really tried to stay consistent during this Whole30. I definitely notice better sleep quality when I'm using it.

As far as my migraines go, I actually expect them to significantly decrease (in quantity and severity) if I stick with the Whole30 guidelines. I once quit gluten for 3 months, and didn't have a single migraine during that time. One would think that that's all I'd need to know to cut gluten forever, but sometimes I'm just not that smart. I caved big-time during vacation a couple of weeks ago and had pizza and garlic knots--they were SOOOO good. Of course, shortly after that, I felt like I had a ton of bricks in my gut, and I stayed away from gluten the rest of the trip.

[Tara Hively Burch]

Friday's meals went as planned.

Saturday, July 7

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Snack: cashews, peach

Lunch: leftover Thai stir fry (chicken, broccoli, carrots, onion, purple cabbage, sunshine sauce)

Dinner: steamed clams & mussels with clarified butter for dipping; steamed green beans, peach

Went to the farmer's market on Saturday morning and got wonderful local berries, peaches, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, eggs, ground pork, and a pork shoulder. :-)

Sunday, July 8

Breakfast: grilled chicken, broccoli, sweet potato, coconut butter

Once I finish my breakfast, I'm back in the kitchen for a weekly cook-up. More later!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Sunday, July 8 - continued

Lunch: remainder of leftover Thai stirfry, peach

Afternoon snack: unsweetened green tea, one pack of dried (unsweetened) mango, some cashews (hung out at Starbucks for a bit)

Dinner: Everyday Paleo's "Beyond Easy Pulled Pork" with BBQ sauce (ISWF) and green beans. YUMM. And a bowl of berries with coconut milk.

Monday, July 9:

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: leftover green curry from Friday night, fresh cherries

Dinners this week will be easy-peasy -- we got a ton of baby lettuces of various kinds, and we'll be topping them with protein (chicken, taco beef, or hardboiled eggs) and extra veggies, with a drizzle of homemade dressing (either ranch or balsamic--maybe a sesame ginger as well). I think tonight is grilled chicken salad, but will update for sure tomorrow.

I'm feeling pretty good--not "fabulous" yet, but I'm sleeping really well and I have more energy than before. I also just love the feeling of *never* feeling guilty about what I'm eating. With this plan, if you eat what you're supposed to eat, guilt is pretty much out the window. I recognize that I have to be careful with fruit, particularly dried fruit--I have a tendency to "crack out" on dates and dried mango, so now I'm not allowing myself to have quantities of them in the house where I can easily overdo it. But with the fresh fruit, I'm letting myself enjoy the bounty of summer, without letting it push the veggies off my plate. I hope that's good enough. I know that the fresh local fruit won't last, and then I won't be as tempted to eat so much fruit.

Here's to continued success in week 2!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Monday, July 9 - continued

Snack: a few cashews

Dinner: instead of the planned salad, I took advantage of the leftover pulled pork from Sunday. Dinner was the pork with BBQ sauce, green beans, and a small sweet potato with coconut butter. And, for the first time since I started the Whole30--I only had 2 servings of fruit yesterday.

Tuesday, July 10

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk (anyone noticing a trend here?)

Lunch: leftover pulled pork with BBQ sauce, broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato

My son and I have Tae Kwon Do class this evening, so I've brought us a snack of hardboiled eggs and carrots with homemade ranch dressing. Dinner will likely be a salad.

And on the workout front--I'm trying out kettlebells for the first time. I did an introductory workout yesterday morning, just to learn the basic form & moves, and WHOA. I am feeling those squats today in my glutes, hamstrings, and adductors, and that was just from LEARNING the moves. I can't wait to see how I feel after an actual workout! (No, really--I love the "good sore" you get from a solid workout!)

Off to work--hope everyone has a great day!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Tuesday, July 10 - continued

I ended up having a hardboiled egg before Tae Kwon Do, but nothing else--we were running a bit late!

Dinner: mixed greens topped with shredded carrots, grape tomatoes, roasted golden beets, and homemade ranch dressing; peach

Wednesday, July 11

Did my first beginner's kettlebell workout this morning. I'm sure I'll feel it later, as I'm still sore from just the learning-the-moves bit on Monday! I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

I've packed a lunch that looks just like yesterday's, but I'm not sure when I'll eat it. My son isn't feeling well today (threw up this morning and has been pale and lethargic ever since), so I plan to leave work at lunchtime to take him to the doctor. My husband's with him now. Poor thing. . .

Will check in again later. Have a great day!

[Carie Skeahan]

Tara, I hope your son if feeling better. Sick kids are no fun.

I must say, I truly enjoy reading your log. I find myself not even focusing on your food, but rather your energy and positive spirit. I am even a bit inspired to look for a kettle bell class in my area. I do kettle bell stuff in WODs, and it is always my favorite part of the WOD. I bet a whole class of kettle bell fun would be AWESOME!

Give your son a hug from all of us and let us know how you are feeling…

‘oh, by the way…have you tried bone broth soup? Perhaps you can make a batch for the family in the event this tummy ailment ends up making its way through the whole house….

[Tara Hively Burch]

Wednesday, July 11 - continued

Lunch: leftover pulled pork with BBQ sauce, broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato

Dinner: salad with grilled chicken, shredded carrots, sliced strawberries,and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Thursday, July 12

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: (at a restaurant for a co-worker's last day) sirloin steak, steamed veggies

and later at home--1/2 sweet potato with some coconut butter, fresh cherries

That's it for now--more later!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Carie, I think you were posting while I was still writing! My son's fine today--he threw up a few times yesterday morning, then was eating toast and fruit by lunch, and was (in his words) "freaking hungry" by dinnertime. He was his normal goofy self this morning. Oh, to have the resilience of youth!

Thank you for your kind words. I've found that the Whole30 really doesn't have to be hard, if you plan ahead and make sure to have plenty of compliant foods ready to go at all times. I'll admit I was nervous about eating at a restaurant today--so much so that I *almost* wanted an excuse not to go (my son being sick would have been a perfect one), but now I'm glad I did it. I found that if you talk to your server and explain clearly and politely to them what you want, it can work out. My server today was so sweet--she came back to the table a couple of times to clarify exactly what I wanted. When my meal arrived, it was perfect.

As for me, I'm feeling good--still need to get more sleep, but I have good energy, no more headaches, and I'm feeling fitter with each passing day. I know it's only going to get better, and I'm very much looking forward to that!

I do need to try bone broth. . . I have plenty of resources near me to get bones from happy cows and chickens, but to me, broths and soups are cold-weather foods. Guess I should try to branch out, huh?

Speaking of branching out, I tried some olives this week for the first time (well, the first time not on a pizza, where I occasionally forget to pick one off)--I was really trying to expand my good fat options. Well, let's say that olives won't be one of my options. I tried a bite of a black olive because my husband said he thought they were pretty mild, and I ended up spitting it out--I *really* didn't like it (as in, I'm pretty sure I was going to throw it up if I didn't spit it out). At least I gave it a try. I'm happy with all things coconut, and I like nuts & avocado, so that will have to be enough for me, I think!

[Carie Skeahan]

"freaking hungry" that is hilarious and totally something my boys would say! Hahahaha!

Too funny about the olives. At least you tried it. I do not like seafood. I soooooooooo wish I did because it is so good for you, but I can't do it. I can't even get past the smell to even try it. Good for you.

I know what you mean about the bone broth soup. I like to make a batch, pour it in ice cube trays, freeze, then pop 2-3 cubes in a coffee cup, microwave and drink it. It's just a little bit, kinda like having my morning coffee. And, bonus, my boys like it and do the same. I was sure there was no way they would eat the stuff. Hahahahaha!

Great job…you are doing wonderfully!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Thursday, July 12

Dinner: leftover pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce, broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato, coconut butter

Friday, July 13

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: grilled chicken, broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato, fresh cherries

I have a busy weekend ahead--my mom and stepdad are coming to stay with us Saturday & Sunday nights, and we'll be driving up to northern Virginia (2-2.5 hour drive each way) on Sunday for a big get-together with my mom's family. This is one of those family gatherings that revolves around food (is there any other kind?), but I'm prepared. Typically we grill out burgers & hot dogs, and everyone brings side dishes and desserts. I know there will be a veggie tray there, and I signed up to bring another veggie side (possibly a green salad with roasted beets, nuts, balsamic vinaigrette, and--for others--feta cheese on the side), as well as a fruit tray. I'll also bring my own condiments for the burger. Potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, and various desserts will be on offer, but I don't foresee much of a problem avoiding those--they just aren't that appealing to me right now.

Today I finished my first week of kettlebell workouts, and I'm looking forward to trying some slightly different things next week. I really like the kettlebell so far--you work your whole body with pretty much every move, so you can get a solid workout from head to toe VERY quickly. And let's face it, it's just plain fun to sling a weight around! At least, it is when one of my cats hasn't decided to stretch out right at my feet, because then I'm scared to death I'm going to drop a weight on her, or clip her with a swing or something. Trying to remove a cat while you're also trying to exercise is really difficult, too.

[Tara Hively Burch]

Friday, July 13 continued

Dinner: taco salad (seasoned ground beef over mixed greens, shredded carrots, and grape tomatoes, with avocado, homemade ranch, and salsa), peach

Saturday, July 14

Breakfast: Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: salad with mixed greens, hardboiled eggs (2), roasted beets, carrots, and grape tomatoes, with homemade ranch dressing

Dinner: a handful of steamed clams & mussels dipped in clarified butter, "Salmon a l'Afrique du Nord" from Well Fed, steamed green beans with clarified butter, watermelon

Sunday, July 15

Breakfast: Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: Mixed greens with carrots, roasted beets, grape tomatoes, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette; burger topped with sliced tomato and dipped in homemade ranch dressing; a few baby carrots and grape tomatoes; mixed fruit (watermelon, canteloupe, pineapple, kiwi, and blueberries) dipped in coconut milk. And one deviled egg that I'm sure was made using non-compliant mayonnaise, but I only had the one, and it was at an annual family get-together. I probably could have skipped it, but I love deviled eggs, I never make them myself, and I figured the amount of mayo in a single egg probably wasn't enough to get worked up over. And I enjoyed it!

At this same get-together, I stayed entirely away from the desserts (including decadent brownies, some sort of pretzel-crusted cream pie with an orange-jello-and-mandarin topping, a layer cake, apple cinnamon bars, golden cherry pie. . .). And to be honest, I didn't find myself wanting any of those things, even when others were discussing how the brownies were so good because they had Symphony chocolate bars between two layers of brownie mix. I'm a huge sugar-aholic, so this was a big win for me. Besides, the fruit I brought was AWESOME, and I enjoyed every bite. I was also one of the few people who didn't feel overly full and sick by the end of the day.

Dinner: leftover salad from the get-together, topped with grilled chicken and balsamic vinaigrette; watermelon. (the local watermelons are really, really good right now)

Monday, July 16

Breakfast: Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

I think that by now, theoretically, I should be in the "Tiger Blood" phase? LOL. I'm not feeling THAT good yet, but I think it's mainly because I need to figure out how to get more sleep. I'll have to work on that this week. Other than being a little tired, I feel great--no high/low blood sugar symptoms, no huge energy swings, and my body feels good, strong and capable. Ready for the second half!

[Derval]

Go make your own devilled eggs Tara!

Good for you at that party, well done.

[Tara Hively Burch]

Derval, you're right. What I really need to do is try one of the deviled egg recipes with avocado. . . YUM! I'll have to get on that.

Monday, July 16 continued

Lunch: Mixed greens with grilled chicken, carrots, roasted beets, grape tomatoes, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette, fresh cherries

Light snack on the drive home: a few cashews & dried unsweetened cherries

Dinner: grilled chicken, steamed broccoli with a bit of clarified butter, 1/2 sweet potato with coconut butter

Tuesday, July 17 (planned meals--haven't had a chance to eat anything yet!)

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: grilled chicken, steamed broccoli with a bit of clarified butter, 1/2 sweet potato, cherries. May have to add some cashews as well for fat, since I didn't bring anything else.

I'll leave it at that for now and update later. I need to get to work--lots to do today!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Tuesday, July 17 continued

Lunch: I forgot to eat cashews at lunch, but the rest was the same.

Dinner: I wasn't feeling all that great--bloated and gassy. I ate a grilled chicken thigh, some green beans, and a peach for dinner. Definitely did not eat enough fat on Tuesday.

Wednesday, July 18

Feeling better this morning, although I will say that I'm having some rather gastrointestinally "busy" mornings lately. I guess my gut is still taking out the trash, so to speak. I'm all for that, but I'm hoping that it stops adding so much time to my morning routine soon! On a happier note, I noticed last night at Tae Kwon Do that I looked better/slimmer in my uniform, which was pretty awesome.

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch (planned): grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato, coconut butter, peach

For tonight's dinner, I'm planning to make the Mocha Steak out of ISWF--am REALLY looking forward to that. We love red meat, but rarely do steaks (other than flank steak, which isn't really the same to me).

[Derval]

Bon appetit!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Last night's dinner was the mocha steak with a large mixed greens salad and balsamic vinaigrette. YUM! Finished it off with some watermelon.

We had awful thunderstorms last night right around my son's bedtime. As soon as the thunder woke him up, he was crying and wanting to come sleep with us. Thankfully, he doesn't hog our whole (king-size) bed like he used to, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but I never sleep as well when he's sleeping with us--I'm constantly aware of him and trying to be careful not to wake him when I occasionally roll over at night. Today's going to be a long day!

Thursday, July 19

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch (planned): grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato, peach

[Tara Hively Burch]

Thursday, July 19 continued

Lunch went as planned yesterday.

Snack before Tae Kwon Do: hardboiled egg, carrots with homemade ranch dressing

Dinner: grilled chicken over a salad (mixed greens with carrots, grape tomatos, and homemade ranch dressing), peach, cashews

Friday, July 20

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: grilled chicken over a salad (mixed greens with carrots, grape tomatos, and homemade ranch dressing), peach, cashews

I did a "level 2" kettlebell workout this morning for the first time--heavier bell, longer intervals. It was MUCH harder than the beginner's stuff I've been doing up to this point, and it made me realize that this will be a very effective way to workout as long as I pay extremely close attention to proper form and technique. I was getting tired towards the end of the workout and I noticed my form starting to suffer, so I cut short the last two intervals. Better to do less reps with good form, than to do more reps poorly and risk injury! I had low-back problems last year, and just recently got over a partial hamstring tear, so I'd like to avoid any further damage if I can.

Overall, I'm feeling really good, and honestly, sticking to the Whole30 food requirements is becoming second nature. My biggest concern is not feeling like I'm getting enough sleep (less than 8 hours a night, occasionally less than 7), and trying to figure out what to do about that. I need to take a close look at how my evenings get away from me, and see if I can be a little more efficient in getting my "work" done (dinner, kitchen cleaning, pet care, etc.) so I can still get a little down-time with a book or something, but also get more sleep.

Okay, just a little more time at work, then I can head off to my acupuncturist. LOVE her--she's the one who helped me get past my back problems last year, and there's just something magical about acupuncture. I always feel so relaxed and recharged after an appointment. Later!

[Tara Hively Burch]

Yikes, I have a lot of catching up to do! I hope I remember everything I've eaten. . .

Friday, July 20 continued

Dinner: crabcake with a salad and homemade ranch dressing

Saturday, July 21

Brunch: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Snack: cashews

Dinner: scallop and shrimp fajitas (w/onions, bell peppers, and tomato) with salsa, guacamole, lettuce and tomato; fried plantains

Sunday, July 22

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: (grabbed in fits & starts, while doing my weekly cook-up) grilled chicken thigh, carrots with homemade ranch dressing, fresh cherries, cashews

Dinner: seared scallops, green beans with clarified butter, watermelon

Monday, July 23

Breakfast: sausage & egg frittata with a cup of berries topped with coconut milk

Lunch: salad (mixed greens, carrots, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken, balsamic vinaigrette), fresh cherries

Dinner: burger with tomato slices and mixed greens, topped with homemade ranch dressing; peach

WHEW. I shouldn't wait that long to update my meals--it's too easy for snacks to drop from my memory. Still feeling good for the most part. I did skip my scheduled kettlebell workout this morning because I had a pulled muscle in my left side that I didn't want to fool around with, but that faded over the course of the day, so I should be back in business tomorrow.

I have some work to catch up on tonight, and I'm determined to get more sleep tonight, so I'm out of here--more tomorrow. Can't believe I just have 7 days to go!