Whole30 Round 2 Day 10 - 12

Memorial Day Weekend is my favorite holiday to spend in NYC. The city empties out because everyone is going to the beach - the streets are empty and quiet and everything seems so peaceful. I was walking along St. Marks Street Saturday morning and I was the only one on the block. Nobody was in my way; my pace was slow, my head was up, and I was smiling while I walk. It's rare, but it was a moment that I had to myself to enjoy the city!

Saturday morning began with a wonderful and filling meal 1. Leftover chocolate chili with fried eggs and brussel sprouts. Ryan said it basically looked like last nights dinner! Which it was.

I was so full from breakfast that I didn't even need a pre-workout meal before I headed to SoHo to take my Level 2 Bar Method class. I am always nervous when I go into the studio for Level 2. It's all mental though. I have been taking class for over 4 years, that's over 530 classes, I know what I am doing. But Level 2 is a bit intimidating all on its own because you have to be on your game - you have to know how to set up, how to adjust yourself and how to push yourself harder than you ever would. But Amanda's class was incredible and I am so glad I went. I am so glad I made going to a Level 2 class one of my Whole30 goals because it pushed me to go to the afternoon class and work my glutes off! I was shaking and crying on the inside but I left the studio feeling so strong.

After class I walked to Hu Kitchen to get lunch and Ryan and I sat outside at the park and ate. We got the vegetable pasta salad and fish sticks. All in all a good meal - we really didn't want meat since we were so full from chili two meals in a row. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and watching TV and Ryan studied for the GRE's. This is basically how the rest of our summer will be!

Meal 3 was absolutely delicious. We made spaghetti squash with pesto (Trader Joe's is Whole30 approved) and steamed clams. It was a summer treat and reminded me of my dad's pasta vongele that he makes in Fire Island all the time. I found out later that my parents made the same dish, just without the pesto, while they were at the beach! Ryan and I rented a movie and got comfortable on the couch for the rest of the evening!

Sunday we woke up really early - 6am early. We needed to eat Meal 1 and get ready to head to the Statue of Liberty! Meal 1 was a spinach and tomato omelet with chorizo. I found sugar free chorizo at a grocery store near our house and I guess it is going to be bought weekly because Ryan proclaimed it's his favorite!!

We headed down to Battery Park to catch the boat and by 9am and were at Liberty State Park. We climbed the 357 stairs to the crown - it was a difficult steep climb, but the views were absolutely beautiful! We walked around the statue taking in the gorgeous views and sights and then got back on the boat to go to Ellis Island. It was only 10am still and we felt like we had already done so much! We got to Ellis Island and walked around the rooms where immigrants came when trying to enter the United States. We also went to the Wall of Honor and I found my family member, Samuel David Chriss, who passed through Ellis Island! By 11am we were back on the ferry and back in the city.

 

 

 

Stairway to the crown!

 

 

Inside the crown!

 

We were starving before noon since we had meal 1 so early but we held strong and did not have our emergency RxBars. We walked from Battery Park to SoHo and ended up at Dos Caminos for lunch. We were seated and looked over the menu and knew that with Mexican Cuisine we would have to do some substitutions and eliminations to make it Whole30 approved - we just didn't realize how difficult some kitchens could be. First we asked if the tacos could be turned into salads - Ryan wanted fish tacos and I wanted carnitas. We were told absolutely no, the kitchen was really strict about that. Strict about what? Taking the same meat and serving it over a plate of lettuce and saving the tacos? Hmmm. Okay. So then we both ordered the cobb salad; I had mine with grilled shrimp and Ryan had his with grilled chicken. We told the waiter, no corn, no tortilla strips, no beans, no cheese. He looked at us after we ordered and laughed and said "I see you guys are on a diet." I said "actually no, we just can't physically eat those items." We also put in an order for guacamole and told him to hold the tortilla chips (free) and send over a plate of crunchy vegetables ($5). Well, we got 6 vegetables for an entire bowl of guacamole and paid for it in comparison to the free bottomless bowl of chips. The food came out and although it looked delicious, it looked so plain. I guess that's what happens when you eliminate everything from the plate. I was just surprised that the kitchen didn't think to add more lettuce or vegetables since we didn't get anything else! Then I got mad - the waiter came over with a plate of rice, beans and cheese and said: "In case you change your mind!" In case I change my mind about what? About not wanted my stomach to hurt after I eat it, not wanting my acne to come back, not wanting to feel tired and run down? And even if I was on a diet like he thought I was, that was rude to put a plate of fattening cheese beans and rice in front of people who specifically asked for those items to be removed from the dish. Just because I didn't want it in my salad, doesn't mean I want it on my table! So for a bowl of guacamole, vegetables and 2 salads, we paid $70. Yeah, not ideal! But we didn't let it ruin our perfect day so we walked home through the park and enjoyed the beautiful weather!

We hung out on the couch when we got home at 2pm. It honestly felt like 5pm with all that we had done. We knew meal 3 would have to be early so Ryan and I split half an RxBar at 3:30pm. Not the best thing to eat, but obviously lunch wasn't that filling. Dinner was French Seasoned Lamb Ribs from Trader Joe's which I served with a side of zoodles topped with curry sweet potatoes from Hu Kitchen (apricots, almonds, potatoes, egg, apple cider vinegar) and prosciutto wrapped dates. Everything was delicious, but everything was very sweet. Ryan couldn't even finish his potatoes or dates because they were too sweet for him. What a difference 11 days make! After dinner, Ryan studied for the GRE's and I fell asleep early. I was so worn out and tired. The next morning Ryan admitted to having a late night snack of a frozen monkey muffin (banana, cashew, pecan, walnut, dates). He said the sugar rush from dinner made it so he craved more. I totally believe him and understand the hunger he felt, because, to be honest, I snuck one too when he was in the shower! It really must have been the sweet flavors that blocked the satiety from the fat of the lamb so we never got full. And also our early morning start and early lunch and early dinner didn't help either. But it was 1 day with a snack and with the amount of walking we did earlier, it's okay! We can't be too hard on ourselves. We didn't cheat or mess up Whole30.

Yesterday we had the day off from work so I went to Trader Joe's early to get some groceries for the week. I didn't get much because it is a short work week and I am off Friday and Friday night we are at the Yankee game. It was probably the least amount of money I ever spent on groceries for the week so we will see how long it lasts. Meal 1 was another spinach and tomato omelete with chorizo. We then went to Stuyvesant Oval to lay out and read for a little bit and then came back for Meal 2. Meal 2 was a tuna salad made with broccoli slaw and vegetables and Tessamae's lemon garlic dressing. We served it on top of romaine lettuce so it was like a taco (hmm, Dos Caminos should try that) and a small side of chocolate chili.

We then walked to SoHo and went to see "Fed Up," the new documentary about sugar and obesity in our society. It was so eye opening to see how the food industry is controlling our government and in turn controls us. Good thing we are doing Whole30 or this movie would have made us feel bad about ourselves. In one segment, it discussed what the recommended amount of sugar is (less than 6 tsp) and then should a typical day for most people who think they are eating healthy. A bowl of cereal with milk and OJ in the morning already has more than 6 tsp of sugar! Followed by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, nutella for a snack and whole wheat pasta with sauce for dinner. All of this put people over 10x the recommended amount of sugar. And this was Ryan's typical healthy diet only 12 days ago! It also showed people "dieting" and using low fat, reduced fat and no fat products and diet food products like special k, weight watchers and lean cuisine and yet their weight actually increased the more they ate the diet foods. That's because it is all processed and not real food!

After the movie we walked home and Ryan went straight for the kitchen. He told me that he was going to make dinner tonight and I was instructed to stay out of the kitchen! Lucky me!

Dinner was incredible. Beyond perfect and I am so impressed and proud to see Ryan cooking whole30 approved meals that are so good for us! He made spicy almond encrusted chicken tenders (they had a great spice and kick to them), spaghetti squash with mixed vegetable salad (we made an extra spaghetti squash on Saturday since they take awhile to cook - so great to have this on hand to use) and bok choy in garlic. It was such a perfect dinner and we had no leftovers - which made me sad because I am craving chicken tenders right now.
 

I just have to remember to lessen my portion sizes. I feel like Ryan and I are eating the same amount of food which is not good. I am so much smaller than him and he needs more food for more energy so I need to watch how much I am eating with each meal. It's just so much easy to split everything half and half but I know I can't do that. Maybe that's also why Ryan is hungry sooner than me, because he is eating less than he should be. He served dinner 50/50 last night and of course I ate it because it was on my plate, but I probably should have had 2 chicken tenders and he should of had 6 instead of 4 and 4. Oh well, good thing I had 4 because they were really good!

It was a fabulous weekend and I feel relaxed and happy! I am also extremely sore and achy from all of the walking we did this weekend but it felt good to be outside and in the sun and enjoying the nice warm weather! It makes me so happy and in such a good mood!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend as well!
XO

Whole30 Round 2 Day 2!

Today was a good day 2. I think Ryan is starting to feel the effects of the detox but he has a lot of support and I know he can be successful at Whole30.

For meal 1, he made fried eggs over leftover sweet potato and zucchini latkes. I was so happy that he used leftovers because normally they would have sat in the fridge for days! He has to see the benefits of leftover food as less cooking/prepping/planning! And next time he could turn them into a hash so that the food becomes less like leftovers and more of a whole new dish!

My meal 1 was a vegetables omelet made with spinach, tomato and mushrooms. I got it on the go since I was at Bar Method. Preworkout was a hard boiled egg and Postworkout was an Apple Pie LaraBar. I need to prep turkey/blueberry muffins for post workout so that I don't become reliant on LaraBars!

My meal 2 was a spinach salad with turkey, shrimp and vegetables.

After work, Ryan went to workout so he had a hard boiled egg pre-workout and a RxBar post-workout. I hope he can find an alternative to bars after working out but right now he sees them as convenience because he doesn't have to make a 4th meal. But he is still doing great and staying committed.

Meal 3 was absolutely delicious. We made pork ribs and brussel sprouts with prosciutto. I made homemade BBQ sauce since my order from Tessamae's hasn't arrived yet! I cooked the ribs for 1.5 hours and they were so juicy and sweet!

Now that Ryan is doing Whole30 and I see the portions that he is eating as a 6'5, 200 lbs male, I need to either make his portions larger (so that he is full longer) or I need to make mine smaller. We cannot eat the same portion sizes. We split the ribs and brussel sprouts, but really I should have had 1/2 of my portion and either saved the remaining ribs or given them to Ryan. I will play it be ear the next few days with portions. I don't want to start being hungry in between meals by making my portion smaller, but I don't want to over-eat. I am 5'1 and 112 lbs so Ryan and I should not be eating the same.

The homemade BBQ sauce ingredients included:
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbsp coconut aminos
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder.

I mixed everything together over medium heat and then topped the ribs with the sauce.

We ate late at 7:30pm but by 10:30pm Ryan was hungry. I don't think he was actually hungry, but had cravings. Usually after dinner, he has a rice cake with peanut butter and nutella a couple hours later. He doesn't let his body digest and metabolize his dinner so he thinks he is hungry. He goes to bed full and doesn't sleep well because his body is too busy breaking down food rather than resting. His cortisol levels are thrown off because his body doesn't think it is time to sleep. He doesn't wake up hungry either since he ate so close to bedtime. I am sure he was hungry, but I also think he was craving the sweets as well as used to the habit of eating. He needs to see meal 3 as his final so he eats more fat and savors it. I am proud of him though because he did not eat and went to bed by 11:30pm.

Ryan could have 4 meals during the week if his body really needs it, but they need to be 4 meals, not 3 meals and a snack. It is up to him on how to divide his meals and time, but I do think 3 meals is enough.

He usually eats meal 1 at 7:30am/8am, meal 2 at 12:30pm/1pm and meal 3 at 6pm. The issue is then he doesn't go to sleep for another 6 hours. He needs to get in bed earlier so that he doesn't have late night cravings. But he has 28 days to figure this out and I know he will do great!

As for me, I know I am not going through the same detox I did in March because my body is used to the whole30 lifestyle. But with new goals of limiting nuts, nut butter and now lessening my portions, I have my own struggles. I know I ate too many nuts round 1 and used them as snacks. I would like to keep whole nuts to a limit, maybe 2-3 days per week and always with a meal. Whether that is on a salad or to encrust meat or fish! I also want to stick to healthy nuts like cashews, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts and limit almonds and especially walnuts!

I had an amazing activity week. I went to Bar Method 3 days this week but my NikeFuel band was extremely active. I hit goal (2,000 fuel) every day Sunday - Friday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I had record breaking goal day. I had my best Wednesday, Thursday and Friday since using the fuelband and yesterday I had 3,000 fuel and was active for over 7 hours during the day. It felt food to be active and walking and moving. I still need to do Bar Method 4 days a week so starting next week I need to do 3 weekdays or add on a weekend day. I also need to do a Level 2 class which is only offered on weekends so that will help with the 4 day a week goal. It is just difficult to go to weekend classes because I want to sleep in and also getting to SoHo isn't that easy. It's a lot easier to go to SoHo and then to work, but getting back home is a little more difficult. But I won't make excuses for not going to Bar Method. I just have to get my bar booty to the studio!

Have a great weekend everyone!

XO

Birthday!!!

On May 1 I celebrated my 27th birthday! This year my birthday seemed to come up quickly- maybe it was the cold weather all through April but it just didn't feel like my birthday, or maybe I am just getting older and celebrating with my husband and family is all I need to mark the beginning of a new year.

All week I went to Bar Method classes and pushed myself really hard. I took Thursday off so I could spend my morning with Ryan and Haley and have a warm birthday breakfast with them. Of course, because I am up earlier than anyone, I cooked this wonderful Meal 1!

We had a leftover mix of what was in the fridge but made something really delicious. I had leftover tex-mex hash (sweet potatoes, ground beef) with a fried egg, chicken sausage, mango and a small bite of chocolate walnut banana bread. Ryan had spaghetti squash pizza (squash, ground beef) with a fried egg, chicken sausage, mango and banana bread. It was so filling and even better a few days later. I loved both hash's and can't wait to make these dishes again and have leftovers! I am also so happy and impressed that Ryan loved the spaghetti squash pizza and even had it for breakfast!

 

I got to work and had a wonderful surprise - my friends decorated my desk in streamers and birthday decorations. It made me so happy and feel so special. It was finally starting to feel like my birthday!

 

Work was busy so the afternoon flew by. I treated myself to a sashami and naruto roll birthday lunch and also received an amazing surprise - a flower delivery from Ryan. I usually hate flowers because he sends them on valentine's day when everyone else received flowers so I don't feel special. But birthday flowers were truly amazing. I couldn't stop smiling and I was so impressed that Ryan had planned ahead and thought to deliver them to my office!

 

As another birthday treat, Ryan was cooking dinner for us! He had planned to make coconut chicken, coconut spicy shrimp and garlic sauteed bok choy. I was excited to get out of the kitchen, nervous too because I am a control freak in the kitchen, but really happy. Ryan was cooking everything perfectly and I felt calm for the first time - I also knew he was using only Whole30 compliant ingredients and had no worries!

Dinner was delicious! We will definitely be making these recipes again!

Now here is where things got fun and scary. After 45 days, I broke my Whole30. I had honey. Now although I had already planned to break it May 3 with dairy, I couldn't imagine a birthday without a birthday cake. That morning I had gotten up early to make a raw cheesecake and it was in the fridge ready for us after dinner. So this was my first sugar in 45 days, my first after meal dessert in 45 days, my first really sweet treat in 45 days!

The raw cheesecake was made wit a crust of dates, walnut and pecans, a layer of cashew cheese (cashews, honey, coconut oil, lemon juice) and a layer of cashew cheese with berries.

It was delicious! It was really sweet. I only had a small piece to begin but did end up going back for a 2nd small piece. For someone who did not consider anything dessert unless it was chocolate, this was an incredible birthday cake. Ryan loved it too!

I tried not to feel guilty about having sugar and ending Whole45. I had accomplished so much and was still eating clean and paleo and Whole30 compliant except for the honey so there was nothing to feel bad about. The sugar did affect me though and I felt it. After eating 1 slice, I went back for seconds. In 45 days, I didn't have seconds. In 45 days I hadn't had an after dinner dessert so my body was full from dinner and I was still feeding it more, and I was feeding it sugar. I went to bed that night after 3 hours of watching House of Cards with Ryan and woke up at 5AM for Bar Method feeling achy and tired. I had a good class - not great - but it felt really good to shake and stretch.

The work day yesterday was busy and I was treated to another sushi lunch for a belated birthday. At 3PM though, I started to snack - something I hadn't done in awhile. I had plantain chips in my desk (maybe I shouldn't keep them there so I don't snack) and felt bad about myself afterwards - another thing I hadn't felt in 45 days.

Ryan and I cooked another fabulous dinner together after work. Zoodle Bolognese. Ryan even said zoodles were his new favorite pasta replacement!!! We had a brussel sprout and apple salad on the side.

I loved the meal and felt full and satisfied but then I treated myself to another piece of cheesecake (the last in the house). I started to feel a bit bloated after eating it and itchy and my stomach seemed upset. I guess I now know how my body reacts to sugar. It doesn't have to be white table sugar to be considered "sugar." Honey, fruit, maple syrup - all paleo approved sugars - are all sugar and the body sees it no different than table sugar. I am not going to say no ever again to sugar but I will have to have it in small amounts and not everyday. It will have to be a treat in order to keep my body feeling as amazing as it did for the past 45 days!

We are still going to Delmonico's for my Birthday dinner so now I won't be so fearful of dairy for dessert. Although that will be a reintroduction food after Whole30, I have already ended my Whole"45" so the feeling of guilt are gone. I am only nervous how my body could react to dairy since I hadn't had it for so long.

I am so proud of how far I have come in my food journey and feel proud and happy. I know I have changed mentally and physically and look forward to this journey continuing. Even if it is not Whole30 all the time, but paleo 100% of the time. I don't miss bread, dairy, soy, grains, legumes and I plan to keep them out of my body and keep myself as healthy as I can be!

XO

Day 27 & 28: The Perfect Weekend

It was the perfect weekend! The perfect weather, the perfect food, the perfect activities...everything about this weekend makes me smile. I did have some hard times and a few struggles but everything is still on track!

Saturday, I wanted to workout but I didn't want to commute to SoHo for Bar Method so I went across the street to the Asser Levy Recreation Center (Ryan and I became members last week) and decided to join a spin class. Now this is not Pablo's spin, or soul cycle, or fly wheel...this is a spin class for 6 women who just want to ride a bike with an instructor. The NYC Recreation Center's are a great addition to the city and allow everyone to workout (it is $150/year to join! I pay $250/month for Bar). But the machines are old, the rooms are multipurpose and it is dingy and shabby. But it was perfect for what I wanted - a place to sweat. The girls I was spinning with were so nice and welcoming and I ended up have a great workout and a fun time! I will plan to go back some Saturday's when I don't have time for the commute and 1 hour bar class, or in the winter when it is too cold to even walk outside!

After spin, Ryan and I had Meal 1 (egg mcmuffins again).

Then we went downtown to The Elevated Acre. I had never heard of it, but a friend showed me photos - it is an elevated park (just like the highline) that looks over the East River, FDR, Heliport and has stunning views of the Brooklyn Promenade and the Bridge. Ryan and I were up there alone for a bit before a few other people came up but we laid out and just read. It was so relaxing, so peaceful and so much fun to have the views of Brooklyn when for 3 years we had the views of lower Manhattan.

 

After soaking up some sun we went for lunch at The Paris Cafe, opened in 1873 and had so much history!! They had just reopened after closing for 1.5 years because of Hurricane Sandy. Ryan ordered fish and chips (so tempting not to reach across the table and just grab a bite) and I ordered the warm mushroom salad. On the menu it was an arugula salad with mushrooms, pine nuts, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette. I kindly asked the waitress to serve it with no cheese and no dressing and add grilled chicken. 26 days ago I would have been to nervous to ask for these modifications but Whole30 has taught me to make it work so rather than not eat with Ryan, I found the best and easiest dish to modify and it was delicious!!!

After Meal 2 we took a 4 mile walk along the East River back home! It was so sunny, so warm, the skies were blue and everyone was so happy!

Dinner was leftovers since lunch was so late (3pm) so I had paleo pad thai.

Yesterday was just as incredible. I slept in a little (so no Bar Method in 3 days - yikes) and had breakfast. Ryan was craving donuts so I was a good wife and got him donuts and myself a vegetable omelette (topped with guacamole) served with a n'oatmeal muffin on the side.

Next, we headed out to the Roosevelt Island Tram. After living in NYC for 26 years, I have never taken the tram or been to Roosevelt Island and yesterday was the perfect day for it. The tram is at 60th street and 2nd avenue and it is a 10 minute ride over the East River (next to the 59th street bridge) and down to Roosevelt Island. Roosevelt Island is so small with only a few shops and we decided to walk to the North point. The views of Manhattan are gorgeous and there is so much history on the island and I can't wait to come back and go to the South Park. We walked 1 mile from the tram to the Blackwell Lighthouse and back around through the parks.

We headed back to Manhattan on the tram and went to Whole Foods and got lunch from the salad bar. I made a spinach salad with all of the vegetables, an endive and pomegranate seed salad and pulled chicken. And i topped it with Tessamae's Cracked Pepper Dressing. We took the salads to go and ate at home (again a really late lunch - 3pm) and hung out before cooking Meal 3. I had so much salad that I only ate half and saved the rest!

Meal 3 was incredible. It was a spice rubbed Ahi Tuna Steak cooked perfectly to rare/medium rare for Ryan. Ryan was so adamant that he would never eat rare fish and it had to be cooked but I told him to trust me! And he did...and he loved it! I had never made tuna steaks before but now I want to make it a lot more often. And it was so much cheaper than ordering sushi!

The steaks were coated with salt, pepper, paprika and coriander. Over a medium-high heat i added coconut oil and when the oil was hot (whips of smoke coming off the pan), I added the tuna. I seared the steaks for 2 minutes on each side and then let the fish rest for an additional minute. I sliced the steaks and served with asparagus, avocado and tuna topped with artichoke bruschetta. It was a delicious meal and Ryan loved it, which made me love it even more!

Now I know this sounds great and completely Whole30 compliant but I did have a few bumps in the road - nothing off plan - but some snacking! And I hate that I needed to snack and that I let food control me but some of it was necessary.

Saturday's snack was plantains and hazelnuts that I brought with me to the Elevated Acre. I snacked on them slowly throughout the day. And on Sunday I had 1/2 an RxBar while we were at Roosevelt Island and last night I had plantains, dates and carrots with almond butter and a fig/hazelnut spread. I know it doesn't sound crazy but for me it felt a little out of control. However, even though I snacked, I know why - and knowing why is just as important. We didn't meal plan so I brought snacks with me while we were out which was definitely great since I went more than 5 hours in between Meal 1 and 2 but not planning forced me to think too much about food. Eating late also led me to be a bit ravenous when we were home. And the pantry won.

Surprisingly, the past few days I have been craving something sweet which is why I keep going back to dates and almond butter and plantains after my meals. I shouldn't need sweet tasting things after meals but old habits are rearing their ugly heads again and I am not happy. Late night snacking of cooking and brownies is what got me in trouble 28 days ago and I don't want to feel out of control again. I was doing so well not eating after meals but lately - almond butter has been screaming my name. I don't know if I am craving it because it is in my pantry of if I really need it. I just don't know if I could not have certain things in my pantry because I do cook with dates, almond butter, figs - all of the sweet stuff!

Hopefully I can come out of Whole30 more control of my food choices, my activity and my outlook on happy and healthy living!

XO