Whole30 Round 2 Day 6 - 9

Time seems to be escaping me, both good and bad! I feel in control, happy and full! Whole30 Round 2 is going great and I love seeing Ryan's success and watching him feel as amazing as I did my first round. He is having a few non-scale victories including his pants being loose and needing a belt, working out, going to sleep early, cooking every night and not ordering pizza, and getting so focused that he is now preparing to take the GRE so he can apply for PhD programs! He is excelling in his first week of Whole30 and I couldn't be more proud.

My first week went well too! It was a busy one and I wasn't home for meal 3 three nights, but now that Ryan is doing Whole30, I know the food he is cooking is compliant so I feel less stressed about eating, having leftovers, meal prepping and staying on track! A non-scale victory that I had this week was bringing meal 2 every day to work and not buying anything and because I meal prepped on Sunday, I had meal 1 prepared for my Bar Method mornings. I went to Bar Method Monday, Wednesday and Friday and am going this morning (Saturday, Day 10). I am even going to take a Level 2 course since that was one of my goals!

Another non-scale victory that I had during week 1 was hitting my NikeFuel Goal every day! That's over 10,000 steps per day. It feels great to be active and not be confined to a gym in order to do so. I know the warmer weather helps with my activity so I am more than excited for the warmer weather to arrive in NYC.

We ate really well this week and had some great recipes and meals that produced amazing leftovers!

Tuesday - Day 6
This evening I went to Hu Kitchen for meal 3 because nomnompaleo was doing a book signing. It was really exciting to see Michelle and have my huge red paleo cookbook signed, but it was also amazing to go to Hu Kitchen and have an amazing meal that was whole30 approved. I even bought leftovers for Ryan's meal 2 the next day. I went to the book signing with a friend who is also doing hole30 so it was a great evening talking about our new lifestyle and the success we're having as well as the hardships. Meal 3 was roasted brussel sprouts and Italian Meatballs. I got the same meal for Ryan's lunch.

Ryan's meal 3 was bison burgers with a homemade roasted peppers and fig balsamic sauce. He made extras for me for my meal 2 the next day!

Wednesday - Day 7
This morning I had a great Bar Method class and had my chicken and vegetable frittata for meal 1 at the office. Meal 2 was a huge salad topped with guacamole, salsa, and bison burger.

I promised Ryan we would cook meal 3 together since it was the only night that I was home to cook with him. He has been doing such a great job of cooking every night and I wanted to give him a break. We decided to make shepherd's pie using cauliflower mash instead of mashed potatoes! It was delicious! The cauliflower was creamy and light and we didn't even think that we were missing anything by not using white potatoes. The meaty filling was hearty and delicious and we had enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch! We made a side of roasted kale chips and used Tessamaes zesty ranch dressing which gave them an amazing kick! I ordered a lot of Tessamaes dressings that arrived so that Ryan would not get bored with a salad most days for lunch. We are using leftovers a lot but a side of salad at work is so easy but using oil and vinegar every day can get boring. I got lemon garlic, italian, raspberry vinaigrette, cracked pepper, zesty ranch and ketcup, hot sauce and bbq sauce!!

Thursday - Day 8
Meal 1, Ryan and I made spinach and tomato omelets with a sweet potato, carrot and zucchini hash on the side! I added cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to the hash to make a bit sweet which was so satisfying!

 

Meal 2 was left over shepherd's pie, kale chips and a small salad.

Meal 3 was at an Irish pub - not the best place for paleo food finds but it was a work event so I went and enjoyed the night. I didn't give in to temptations though of mozzarella sticks, nachos and chicken tenders. I was able to order a grilled salmon over mixed green salad with fruit. I didn't eat the fruit because I didn't want the sugar to derail me. If I had eaten the sugar, it would have been harder to say no to the fried foods in front of me!

 

I was out until 8pm which wasn't too late, but I think eating, drinking and socializing didn't allow me to focus on my food and what I was eating because even though I was full, I wasn't satisfied. On my way home I had a blueberry RxBar. I didn't need it and honestly didn't feel proud for eating it, but there are worse choices to make for late night eating. I was happier eating the RxBar though than going home and eating almond butter and dates which is what I would have done during Round 1 or after Whole30 ended. I guess that is another non-scale victory - I haven't had almond butter in a week and have not had any late night snacking besides this bar!

Friday - Day 9
Summer Friday has started! This means I am done working at 1pm so I didn't plan any meal 2. My morning still began early with Bar Method and the remaining pieces of chicken and vegetable frittata at the office!

Meal 2 was amazing. The food was filling, I was at home cooking and eating, and Ryan was there. It wasn't good weather so it was nice to spend the first Summer Friday at home resting on the couch watching TV and doing nothing, though in the future I hope to spend time outside and take advantage of the warm weather and afternoon sunshine. Meal 2 we made Trader Joe's chili lime chicken burgers over a large spinach and vegetable salad, topped with salsa and guacamole. I love using salsa and guacamole as dressing because it adds good fat, vegetables and a lot of flavor and spices! Ryan noted how full he was which made the meal a success.

I spent the rest of the afternoon laying in bed and being completely lazy! Ryan studied for the GRE's and got a lot of work done. Meal 3 was the amazing Chocolate Chili from Well Fed that we made during Round 1! I started cooking at 5:30pm and let it simmer for 2 hours so we ate late. But that was okay - the weather had gotten worse and a thunderstorm and pouring rain had started so we were staying in anyway and it felt good to eat late. Another non-scale victory is that we have been eating a lot of meal 3's together at our dining room table and not on the couch in front of the TV!

We made roasted brussel sprouts using Tessamaes lemon garlic dressing. We topped the sprouts with a fried egg! We topped the chili with crushed almonds and flaked coconut. I doubled the recipe so we have a lot of leftovers for te weekend and maybe even 1 meal during the week! I also used a combination of meat (turkey and lean beef).

 

It has been an amazing week 1 in terms of food and meal planning and working out. I am however feeling a bit tired and run down. Maybe my tiger blood hasn't kicked in yet but I am waking up most mornings feeling achy and tired. I also get tired mid-day to the point where I could fall asleep at my desk! I am 3 weeks without caffeine so I don't want to give in and have some to wake up. I am making great food choices and working out so my energy should be peaked. Maybe it was the week of not being home most nights so I will see how week 2 goes!

Have a great weekend!
XO

Whole30 Round 2 Day 5!

Day 5! I feel like Whole30 is going by quickly, maybe because I am doing it with Ryan and my mom and there's so many more people to talk to about it with. I love that it's so new to them - even though the daily emails are the same as Round 1, I still read them every morning so I can talk to Ryan about them. I love how they know exactly how he is feeling in terms of energy, cravings, sleep, work, life...the emails are an amazing support system and I don't think Whole30 would be as successful without them!

Yesterday started off with a great Bar Method class. Arabesque is not my favorite seat work but after a weekend of not going, it felt good to work hard and shake hard! Pre-workout meal was a monkey muffin - I am trying not to eat them all the time since it is bananas, dates and nuts but I couldn't have a hard boiled egg, I just wasn't in the mood. Post-workout was a handful of chicken that I picked up at Trader Joe's - ready to serve and cubed. I had a few bites and felt full and satisfied knowing that I wouldn't eat meal 1 for another hour!

Meal #1 was a frittata that I had prepped Sunday. It had ground turkey, chicken sausage, asparagus, onion, mushroom, tomato and blueberries (I know it's still weird to have turkey, eggs and blueberries but something about the sweetness and the salty make it so yummy). I still am not eating whole fruits because I had such an addiction to the sugar and ate fruit all the time in between meals. It was a habit I needed to change so I am sticking to only eating fruit in meals a few times (I am in love with Hu Kitchen apple & fennel salad). I know this looks weird, but it was so delicious and 2 pieces filled me up for the morning! And it was packed with vegetables and protein so I didn't need any salad on the side!

 

I have a lot of pieces left and they will be perfect for Wednesday and Friday morning when I have Bar Method and even for lunch on Thursday if I need protein for my salad.

Meal 2 was tuna & salmon sashimi because I went out to lunch with a coworker. I love being able to go out to eat like a normal person even when my diet since anything but normal. I didn't think I would be full after eating only a few slices of fish, but surprisingly I had no cravings or desire to eat, even at 3pm which is always my hardest time of day! I had saved a few bites of chicken from post-workout and had them before I left work since I was going to acupuncture and wouldn't be home for meal #3 until late!

While I was at acupuncture, Ryan was home cooking dinner. Normally, I'm sure he would have ordered pizza or made a frozen meal, but he really took the time to make a delicious dish and I was so proud. He made PaleOMG's spinach & artichoke chicken carbonara. He made enough for him for meal #3 and both of us for lunch as leftovers. I told him I would rather us both eat it for lunch than one of us have to go out and buy food since there is so much food in our fridge so I had already planned to eat leftover chili lime chicken and zucchini latkes when I got home.

Acupuncture was great. I love being able to have an hour to myself once a week to relax. No cell phone, no TV, no husband, no work...just my and my thoughts - though yesterday I almost fell asleep so I guess I needed to break more than I thought. I have no fear of needles and I go in there with an open mind that chinese medicine is healing and soothing. My acupuncturist is also an amazing woman and I love talking to hear and learning from here and seeing how I grow each week when I visit her.

My meal 3 was quick and easy since I was heating up leftovers (chicken, latke, steamed broccoli rabe, tomatoes) and after, Ryan and I went for a long walk on the river. It was so beautiful out and I just didn't want to be inside!

 

I can't wait for my lunch tomorrow to try Ryan's dish. I know it makes him so happy to cook for me and to not have to worry about weight watchers points and measuring. It is such a relief to be able to enjoy food with my family!

Have a great evening!

XO

Whole30 Round 2 Day 3

Today was a really great day! I was expecting Ryan to be a bit grumpy and tired - according to the daily email, day 3 is peak transition day. I don't think he is experiencing any signs of detox, probably because he was already gluten free (dairy was his biggest toxin), but he is a bit tired and moody. All things expected so I was surprised when he was eager for an early start to the day!

We woke up early and I made meal 1 - carrot, spinach and brussel sprouts hash with scrambled eggs and chicken sausage. It was a great use of leftovers and Ryan and I both cleared our plates. After a couple episodes of Nurse Jackie (sadly, we finished House of Cards), we left for Brooklyn Flea!

We hadn't been back to Brooklyn since we moved January 31 (except for a basketball game and concert at Barclay's) so we were really excited to walk around and see the neighborhood. We got to Fort Greene and after an hour at Brooklyn Flea, we walked to Brooklyn Heights. We went to Bareburger for lunch on Atlantic Avenue and ordered lettuce wrap burgers. I got lamb with grilled apples & onions, Ryan got jerk chicken with pickles, onions and tomato. What is a burger with fries? Well, Barbeurger has always used peanut oil to fry their appetizers, including sweet potato fries, so those are Whole30 out! However, on the menu it said "all appetizers are fried in non-GMO canola oil." Well to my surprise this meant it was Whole30 approved! We asked the waitress just to confirm the change in oils and she said they got rid of peanut oil from the restaurant!

Well, Bareburger sweet potato fries will not be categorized as SWYPO for me. Ryan and I split a basket, but I'm pretty sure I ate most of them. After the meal, we walked towards our old apartment! Along the way, Ryan discussed some of his struggles with Whole30. He said the hardest part of eating at a restaurant is smelling all of the foods you know you can't eat and feeling full and satisfied without bread (gluten free or not). However, he added, that once he left the restaurant, he felt full and happy. I understand exactly what he is going through - it's realizing that the healthier foods keep you fuller longer but sometimes they don't taste or smell as enticing. They aren't coated in sugar and chemicals - they are natural, they are delicious and they are so healthy. It is so much for Ryan to overcome eating a burger without a bun, but he did it, loved it and felt so much better walking out of BareBurger even after eating fries than he would have pre-Whole30.

Our walk to our old apartment was nostalgic. We missed the community and neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights but we are so happy in our apartment that we don't want to look back! I don't think we would be able to Whole30 in our old apartment. We didn't have a dishwasher so cooking 3 meals and prepping would be completely impossible. There wasn't enough counter space or fridge space or freezer space. There also wasn't a separation between kitchen and living room so we would have spent all day in one room. Also, in the summer, the oven made the apartment unbearably hot. And we didn't have a dining room table so we ate on the floor watching TV. Totally not Whole30 possible!

I hit my NikeFuel goal early on in the day wit the amount of walking we were doing in Brooklyn! When we got home, I marinated chicken and we rested on the couch and caught up on Game of Thrones. For dinner we were making nomnompaleo Chili-Lime Chicken Wings, salmon cakes and asparagus. The recipe calls to cook the chicken on a wired rack - we followed the instructions and cooking time exactly but the chicken wasn't crisping the way it should have so after 40 minutes of cooking, we took the chicken off the wire and put it directly on the backing sheet. The chicken browned and got crispy right away and tasted so much better! Ryan made salmon cakes using Trader Joe's canned salmon, almond flour, eggs and scallions. And the asparagus was oven-roasted with coconut oil. It was a delicious dinner and I think it will keep Ryan full the rest of the night so he doesn't feel the need to snack!

 

Tomorrow I am going to Trader Joe's early before the huge crowds/lines to stock up on groceries for the week and items I need to family dinner. I also want to take Ryan to Hu Kitchen so he knows what to order if he does have a night when he really doesn't want to cook or clean! We also want to check out the Farmer's Market at the Stuyvesant Oval that is open all summer. Might be a really great place to get local vegetables!

I didn't go to Bar Method today and won't make it tomorrow but I have a lot of activity from all of the walking we are doing so I am not worried. I love spring in NYC - I am so much more active and wanting to get out of the house and be outside. It makes me so much happier!

I hope everyone has a great night!

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

Pizza Night

Pizza night is always the best night - and especially when it is PaleOMG's 5 ingredient pizza. I made this during Whole30 and fell in love and have now been craving it. It's so simple (spaghetti squash, meat, sauce, eggs, onions, spices). No cheese, so of course this is not "pizza." I guess this could be a SWYPO since we're calling it pizza, but it's not, it is a world of it's own and so much better than pizza (that's the Whole30 speaking of course).

I made this for dinner last night with a salad of broccoli and toasted hazelnuts and grape tomatoes. It was so delicious! Ryan even went back for seconds and exclaimed, "I love this pizza." Oh, and he asked if there was enough for lunch - this coming from the man who hates leftovers.

I brought the exact same meal for breakfast Meal 1 this morning. And I got plenty of glares and questions about having broccoli for breakfast. What is wrong with broccoli for breakfast? Breakfast should not be defined by a type of food - bagels, donuts, oatmeal and cereal and milk and eggs...well, since Whole30 I have stopped seeing breakfast as one type of food. Breakfast is a meal, not a category of food. And besides, the pizza had eggs and beef...deconstruct that and you have eggs and bacon.

Tomorrow is my birthday and Ryan is planning to cook coconut chicken and bok choy and I am going to make coconut shrimp. He said he is nervous to make me dinner because I am picky. I said I wasn't picky, just strict. I love food, I eat everything...just not grains, soy, dairy, legumes, etc. So not picky at all!

I had a great workout this morning. 3rd morning  in a row at the SoHo studio. I feel amazing, but so sore.

Monday we did waterski seat, Tuesday was arabesque and today was the ultimate killer - standing seat AND foldover. Nothing like 2 sets of seat to zing you awake on a cold and rainy morning!

I am going to a fundraising event tonight at Hope Lodge with a few Bar Method girls. It is rainy and cold out but I am excited to see these ladies outside of the studio and wearing something other than lululemon...except, of course, I am wearing lululemon leggings today to work! Of course.

Stay warm and dry everyone!

XO

Post Whole30 Week 2

It is week 2 since my Whole30 ended, which technically means I am 14 days into my 2nd Whole30 without realizing it. I won't make it to 30 days though because Saturday is my Birthday Dinner at Delmonico's with my Baked Alaska dessert which I fear and am really excited about! So that means I did a Whole47! I am really proud of myself and it is such an amazing accomplishment to have overcome my sugar addiction, my carb addiction, my lack of meal planning, me constant counting, weighing and measuring and my total lack of self control when it comes to food! I eat real, whole foods, fat, meat, vegetables, fruit in moderation and no added sugars or processed foods. I have stopped microwaving frozen meals and realized that in the time it takes to "peel back the film, microwave for 4-5 minutes, remove film, stir, heat for an additional minute and let stand for 1 minute," I can make a delicious steak with a mixed green salad. It's just as easy and even more delicious and satisfying.

I am planning on having the Baked Alaska at Delmonico's - I have gone back and forth with myself on whether or not I will, but it's my Birthday (not an excuse), it is something Ryan and I planned pre-whole30/paleo, and I am not going to feel guilty about it! It will be my first taste of sugar and dairy in 47 days and I hope my body doesn't hate me. I am expecting some stomach aches, maybe a headache, and I am sure I will feel gross the next morning, but to have this special meal with Ryan is worth it. We could easily change our dinner reservation or not order the baked alaska but I don't want to fear food. I want to be able to have this treat in moderation and be able to control myself while eating it. It will be a true test, but Whole30 has taught me so much and I think that even with a few tastes (with a big spoon), I will come out of this experience happy, healthy and wise! And the next morning go back to my wonderful new eating habits.

I have decided to not begin reintroducing foods to my diet yet like dairy, weight, legumes and sugar (honey and maple syrup) because I love how I look and feel. My body feels amazing, my mind is clear, I am focused, energized and happy. I will eventually begin slowly having honey in recipes if I make something for me and Ryan or dairy on special occasions like my birthday but I really want to not have grains/gluten and beans because I know those will seriously hurt my stomach and it is not worth it! I know how I felt, how I feel and how I want to continue to feel. This is a way of life, not a diet and I choose to live like this!

Ryan has expressed more interest in working towards a primal lifestyle. Similar to paleo but with some dairy and legumes in moderation. This is better for him because the restrictions of paleo are too much and he has already changed his eating habits so much in the last year that a little milk and black beans won't hurt him. He used to have a bagel with cream cheese, cereal and a pastry/muffin every morning for breakfast, a foot long sandwich for lunch, and multiple dinner rolls with his dinner. His mindset has completely changed and his eating habits are so improved that he is on the right track for a primal way of life. He just needs some help and guidance and I think we can do it together and he will be successful.

This week was wonderful. It was so beautiful out and we had our first brunch outside of the spring/summer season. We went to a cute belgian restaurant near our house - I ordered the tuna nicoise salad which had green beans, tuna, hard boiled egg and fingerling potatoes and Ryan had a roast beef club sandwich (I said working towards primal, not there yet)!

After brunch we went home and I meal prepped a few items for my birthday brunch that we were having Sunday at our apartment with our close friends! I prepped a few dishes Saturday and only a few on Sunday to lessen the stress of hosting brunch. I made all Whole30 approved dishes (no sugar) and everything was paleo (except the croissant I had for a few non-paleo guests and the flourless chocolate cake provided by my mom - but still gluten free), and everything was absolutely delicious.

BIRTHDAY BRUNCH MENU

 

 

Prosciutto Egg Cups (nonnompaleo)

Hidden Vegetable Muffins (Against All Grain)

Tex-Mex Hash Casserole (PaleOMG)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Zesty Shrimp & Avocado Salad (Skinnytaste)

De-Constructed Salad with tomatoes, peppers, pepperoni, smoked salmon, oven-roasted chicken)

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

Flourless Chocolate cake
Chocolate - Walnut Banana Bread (Civilized Caveman) - I left out the vanilla and added 2 tbsp of cocoa powder and cacao nibs and walnuts

 
Fruit Salad

Croissants

Everyone loved the meal and there were barely any leftovers, which is great when you're hosting and want everyone to enjoy the food, but sad when you don't have anything for the rest of the week. This was my first event at our apartment that I cooked everything - Passover my mom "catered" and I am so proud of myself. Next time I would love to have fun table settings and dishes but this was a great start and I can't wait to do it again.

Ryan and I were so full from brunch but at 8pm we decided we should eat dinner so that we weren't ravaging the fridge for food at 10pm! Ryan made us both bison burger salads and I topped mine with avocado. It was light, delicious, fatty, juicy - and I was overly full. So full that I went straight to bed after eating.

This past week was really busy and I didn't get to as many Bar Method classes as I would have liked. I didn't go Wednesday or Thursday because I bruised my knee and couldn't move it (bending and stretching is all Bar Method is) but I did go Friday evening and I had a great class. I was so much more flexible and worked a lot harder than the morning class. I always say this after I take an evening class but I would love to do more evening ones - especially now that it is still light out and warmer. Because I was home 3 mornings this week I had breakfast with Ryan before work. We had scrambled eggs with spinach, tomato and chicken sausage. I didn't meal prep or have groceries so I had a lot of mixed green salads for lunch. I also wasn't home after work Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday so I had a few RxBars.

Thursday night Ryan and I made dinner together! We made shrimp scampi with zoodles! Ryan made the zoodles and had so much fun using the spiralizer and the shrimp was cooked in a lot of garlic, shallots and lemon juice. So simple, so easy, and I had some leftovers for lunch on Friday. Friday after Bar Method I made a quick bison burger with avocado.

Zoodles are now my favorite pasta substitute - I bought green and yellow squash this week and hope to make a mixed zoodle dish sometime! We finally went grocery shopping too and got some chicken, pork chops and steak so I think this week I will be more prepared for meals and not have to eat out as much for lunch. I need to save money and buying groceries per dinner and eating lunch out was costing a lot more than buying bulk groceries and prepping at home!

This mornings Meal 1 was leftover prosciutto egg cups, a slice of tex-mex hash and some smoked salmon. I don't have too many leftovers from brunch, but saving money on breakfast after Bar Method helps too! I loved eating at home with Ryan but I missed my morning Bar class and I am happy to be back on track with my routine!

It's also a little easier to go to my morning Bar Method class now that it is light out when I leave in the morning - no more dark commutes which make it feel like the middle of the night!

5:50am Madison Square Park

I am excited to be continuing eating Paleo/Whole30. Cutting out sugar was my biggest change to my diet and I feel incredible. I am trying in the next part of this lifestyle to cut back on nuts too as I know they are fattening and were becoming a snack food rather than a great crunchy addition to meals.

I hope everyone is doing well and having a great day.

XO