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

Day 24, 25 & 26!

I don't know where this week went - or even the past 26 days. I feel like I have gotten so much done - been busy at work, been working out, been cooking, been eating, and feeling great. I'm a bit tired today but that's to be expected when the week gets away from you and it's Friday already!

I have been feeling fabulous- went to Bar Method Wednesday and Thursday morning and had a great class! Wednesday I went to the new Midtown studio and it was gorgeous. The studio was so large, so pretty and really a great addition to the SoHo community. I did miss my friends at SoHo - the girls in the morning keep me coming back to class just as much as the exercise itself!

 

I am so glad I meal prepped the egg and proscuitto cups, they have really come in handy the past couple of days. It was great to have something beside an omelette on my Bar Method mornings. I had a salad on the side to have some extra vegetables with my meal. They were salty and sweet and I will have to make these more often for my busy workday mornings!

Meal 3 on Wednesday was so much fun to make! ZOODLES! I used the larger blade this time to make thicker and curlier zoodles and they are my favorite. I topped the zucchini with chicken sausage and fire roasted diced tomatoes. It was so filling and so easy and so clean! I added hazelnuts for added crunch and chocolatey flavor and avocado for fat and creaminess to the sauce! I had so many leftover zoodles that Meal 2 on Thursday was zoodles with leftover turkey and spinach stuffing from my sweet potato meal on Tuesday! I love using leftovers and creating new dishes from different ingredients!

 

We walked along the river again and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the wonderful views of Long Island City from the East River!

Day 25, Meal 3 was the best though! I came home from a really busy and stressful day at work (in the past 2 days I never left the building despite the incredible weather, and I barely got up form my desk) to dinner served and ready to eat by Ryan! It made me so happy to not have to come home and start planning, cooking and cleaning. And I was so impressed that he made it Whole30 approved for me!

Meal 3 was Trader Joe's pork ribs (he only used salt and pepper to cook but doused his in BBQ sauce after he purposely separated mine so it wouldn't be cross-contaminated), coconut oil roasted brussel sprouts and we split a leftover sweet potato (don't want too many starches in the same week). It was so delicious. The pork ribs were so crispy and the sweetness of the potato (and I had a side of avocado) balanced each other perfectly. I ate all of my ribs (cavewoman style) and then we spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching The Following and Shameless. I fell asleep at 9pm, exhausted and worn out from this week!

I was planning to either sleep in or go to Bar Method if I woke up early enough on my own without my alarm clock. Well neither of those happened - great way to start Day 26! I woke up at 5am but couldn't go back to sleep, but couldn't get myself out of bed and dressed and packed to go to Bar Method. So instead I spent some extra time in bed and then made a wonderful breakfast for me and Ryan. I made nomnompaleo's egg mcmuffins! We had bison burgers in the freezer that I quickly defrosted and reshaped into 3 burgers. This was really easy to make and such a great alternative to our usual egg omelettes. I steamed 2 egg "buns" for each burger and served the remaining zoodles I had with crushed tomato sauce on top. Ryan said he had never had a burger for breakfast, but this is the process of not defining our meals by what we eat. It is a meal just like any other and if we want burgers for Meal 1 then that is what we will eat. This will definitely have to be made again anytime we have leftover ground meat! Such a simple and easy idea!

Today was another busy day at work but it's finally the weekend! I can't believe this is my last weekend on Whole30! I have a hard ending though to this journey with Passover Monday night. Half of the dishes are Whole30 approved so I have to try my hardest to stay away from everything else! Hopefully being the hostess of the event will distract me enough from the food!

Meal 2 was a mixed green sandwich that I bought and then added my own oven roasted chicken and the remaining prosciutto egg cups. It wasn't anything fabulous but it got me through work today and I felt full.

Meal 3 was the best! I had 2 friends over for dinner and got to make them whole30 approved dishes! We had planned ahead earlier to make paleo pad thai, prosciutto wrapped dates and spicy shrimp in a coconut cream sauce. The food was delicious!!! I have to make this shrimp again for Ryan (who was out playing poker while I had a girls night in). The girls were so impressed with the meal and they even got to help cook a bit with me. It's so much fun to share food and good times with friends. After dinner we watched Frozen! It was a perfect night!

Have a great weekend!

XO

Day 23: Meal Prep

Since it is the last week of Whole30, I figured I would do some meal prep to get me through the next few days at work. This was my least planned week regarding dinners and I seem to be playing it by ear. This is a lot more difficult because I have to plan what ingredients I have at home, what I need to buy, cooking time of a dish - I liked planning my week in advance but the week got the better of me and now I am just cooking based on my time and mood that evening. This works too, but it leaves a lot of room for "slipping."

Yesterday seemed to be so busy at work so I am glad I got to spend the morning at home with Ryan and Haley and have Meal 1 with them! Meal 1 (Ryan and I had exactly the same thing) was an applesauce omelette made with 2 eggs, unsweetened applesauce, coconut milk, cinnamon, salt and pepper! I topped it with almond butter, pecans, and unsweetened coconut! The side was Trader Joe's Spicy Italian Sausage (the only one without added sugar) and mixed vegetables (asparagus, onion, mushroom, avocado) topped with homemade pesto!

Unfortunatley I had to eat Meal 2 at my desk and have a working lunch which I don't like to do. It forces me to not focus on my food - the tastes, textures, flavors - because I am more focused on emails and projects. But it did keep me full all day so at least I didn't have cravings for sweets! Meal 2 was a large mixed green and vegetable salad with hard boiled egg, oven roasted chicken (Trader Joe's), walnuts, figs, 100% cacao nibs and guacamole as dressing.

Meal 3 was something I was looking forward to. Up until now I have eliminated a lot of starches (except for the once a week butternut squash and sweet potato fries) but I knew I wanted to try something new. I had never baked a potato before and PaleOMG had an amazing Whole30 approved recipe for Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. I had found this recipe last week so I planned ahead and bought the potatoes at Trader Joe's this weekend. It really is a simple recipe and it allowed me time in the kitchen to meal prep a few Meal 1's for the rest of the week.

The potatoes baked in the oven (wrapped in foil) for 50 minutes! That's it. After 40 minutes, I cooked the onions, ground turkey and spinach in a large pan over medium to high heat and when the potatoes were done, I sliced them in half, mashed them a bit and served the turkey mixture over them! I made 4 potatoes to have in the fridge for the weekend (sweet potato hash?) and doubled the turkey mixture recipe so I had enough for lunch today and a Meal 1 later on in the week with fried eggs. The sweet potato tasted so sweet. I guess this is what happens after 23 days without sugar. It tasted like candy. It melted in my mouth and I almost couldn't finish it because it was so sweet, decadent and filling - almost! I finished it...cleaned my plate and loved every bite!

While the potatoes were baking in the oven I prepped proscuitto vegetable egg cups. I have been eating a vegetable omelette on Bar Method mornings that I buy at the local deli and on morning when I am home I have much better meals (tastier, more filling, more satisfying) so I wanted my Bar Method mornings to be just as delicious!

I made 8 cups (I only had 8 pieces of prosciutto). I sprayed a muffin tin with coconut oil and lined each of them with 1 piece of prosciutto.

 

The egg mixture was 6 eggs, 1/3 cup of coconut milk, 2 tbsp coconut flour, cinnamon, salt and pepper. I added the fresh vegetables I had in my fridge - this is a great way to use up any vegetables that won't last a few more days. I had asparagus, onion, mushroom, spinach and I added a few pieces of oven roasted chicken.

 

I poured the egg mixture into each prosciutto cup and topped with grape tomatoes.

I baked this for 20 minutes in the oven (preheated to 375) and let them cool. I brought 6 with me to work (2 each day for the rest of the week) and made a small salad to go with it.

Ryan and I decided to take a walk after dinner. It was so warm and so beautiful and finally still light out after I finished eating. We walked along the East River and watched a beautiful sunset. The park was crowded with runners in all directions and we felt a little funny being the only people walking but it was a perfect evening! One weekend we will walk all the way to South Street Seaport but tonight we turned back at 14th street.

 

It makes me so happy the spring is finally here in NYC! The Stuyvesant Oval was on, the grass was green, trees were budding and flowers were blooming. It seriously made me so happy!!!!

XO

Day 22: The Home Stretch

Well I guess it wouldn't be the home stretch without a few hurtles to overcome!

This morning I had a great Bar Method class with Lara - my favorite, pretzel! Preworkout meal was a n'oatmeal muffin, post workout meal was 1/2 an RxBar and Meal 1 was a vegetable omelette at the office! I felt good today, full and satisfied and 1pm rolled around really quickly!

Meal 2 was a serious vegetable salad - mixed greens, spinach, broccoli slaw, hard boiled egg, oven roasted chicken, figs, 100% cacao nibs, walnuts and guacamole for dressing. It was filling and sweet and salty and delicious. I knew that I had an evening event tonight so I drank a lot of water and kept myself focused on work so that I wouldn't think about food and the fact that I wasn't cooking or eating at a normal time tonight. Around 4:30pm I started to get hungry, but I don't think it was actual hunger but more of an old habit to snack before going out when I knew food wouldn't be available. I drank more water to satisfy my hunger pangs and felt fine.

The after work event was a massage and dinner. The massage was exactly what I needed and I absolutely felt more relaxed afterwards - though during the massage I knew how tense I was and how many knots were in my back, but it felt incredible to be pampered for a little bit. Before the massage I decided to have 1/2 an RxBar - I know snacking is frowned upon but I felt better snacking on a Whole30 approved protein bar versus being hungry and giving in to temptation. I am glad I snacked at 5:30pm because dinner was not until 8:30pm (7 hours after Meal 2).

Dinner was at a restaurant so I couldn't control the food and ingredients and since I was with coworkers I did not want to seem difficult going out to eat. They ordered a lot of appetizers which I did not eat (potato pizza, fried calamari, pate, shrimp with garlic toast) and when people asked, I explained Paleo and my decision to eliminate grains, dairy and soy (and currently sugar) from my diet. For dinner I ordered the grass-fed burger without the brioche bun, without the sharp cheddar cheese, without the bacon, without mustard or ketchup. The burger came on a plate of lettuce perfectly cooked medium-rare and even though they forgot to not bring the large mound of fries that came with my meal, I didn't touch 1 french fry! I pushed them aside and ate my burger with a knife and fork just as I would have at home and enjoyed the meat and the little bit of lettuce.

I do feel a little itchy right now so I am sure my food had some cross-contamination with gluten or sugar or something that I have not eaten in 22 days but I am happy with my decision to partake in the evening activities and customize my meal so that it worked for me. I don't want Whole30 or Paleo to restrict me from living or joining others in activities. I don't want to be left out from dinners or meals just because others think I won't eat. I am proud with my decision to eat and the burger was just as good as I would have made it. The only problem now is that I don't have leftovers for Meal 2 tomorrow so I guess it's just another chicken salad!

I know I have 1 week left so I really want to be strict this weekend (like I always have). I don't want to see this week as the end, I don't want to think that because it's ending I can be a little bit more lax with my eating. This is the week so stay focused and strong because after this week the support system of Whole30 is gone. I will still have amazing support from Victoria who did Whole30 with me, but Whole30 became a crutch I leaned on to explain why I couldn't eat something. I feel like the past few days, especially with eating out twice and not having meal planned for this week, that I have become less focused, or less mentally prepared for Whole30 because I see the end in sight. I don't want that though so I need to sit down tomorrow and meal plan this week. I have a few tough nights coming up (Girls Night Friday and Passover Monday) so te next couple of days are really important.

I am going to cook a Whole30 Approved meal for Girls Night so I am less worried about that, but Passover - with all of my family here and all of the delicious cooked food available - I am a little nervous of binging and not controlling myself and not worrying since it will be Day 29.

I want to continue Paleo after Whole30 and even stay with a strict Whole30 diet because I know how amazing I feel right now and how horrible I used to feel. But again, I have to make it work for me - just like I did tonight! I hope I can continue with the success I have had the past 22 days in the future!

Have a great night everyone!

XO

Day 21 - Much Better Than Yesterday!

Today has been great - I have my head back in it and I feel better than I did yesterday! After a really satisfying Meal 1, Ryan and I hung out around the house - cleaning, working, watching TV. But today I felt better about my food choices whereas yesterday something wasn't clicking and I couldn't stop snacking. We went out for a walk before lunch which made me so happy now that it is sunny and warmer. Even Haley looked cozy and relaxed today!

Meal 2 was a salad and I used THE LAST (I promise) Turkey and Blueberry Muffin. Those things have been so incredible during Whole30 and I should make more and find similar recipes for quick meals or on the go! I topped the salad with walnuts and instead of dressing, I used guacamole! It added a lot of flavor to the salad and had a creamy texture and a lot of spice (bought from Trader Joe's). I had some plantain chips, Zesty Nacho Kale Chips and some Hazelnuts on the side. I really didn't need the side snacks but I wanted to make sure I was thoroughly satisfied the rest of the afternoon since we would be out!

 

We had a great evening - it was a reception for prospective and admitted Clark University students. They will be the Class of 2018! 10 years after I received my Masters! That seems so crazy to me but it was a great experience to hear their stories and reasons for going to Clark as well as share our own; especially since Ryan and I met at Clark!

Meal 3 was a beautiful NY Strip Steak and grilled asparagus and onion and mushroom. I bought all of this at Trader Joe's this morning with the idea that it would be a quick 15 minute meal once we got home. I didn't want to have to spend a lot of time prepping or cleaning so I bought 1 steak (should have bought 2 for leftovers for lunch) and the pre-cut vegetables. I seasoned the steak with salt and pepper and heated ghee in a pan. I seared the steak for 3 minutes on each side, twice. Then I let it rest off the heat for 5 minutes and it was cooked perfectly! It melted in my mouth. This was probably my first successful steak (could even have been rarer) and it was special because it was so simple. No sauce, no marinade, just the food itself! I never thought I would stay easy and steak in the same sentence. On a night like tonight where we were out and didn't food prep, I would either have ordered in or made a microwave dinner. This to me is a real example of the changes I have made in my life! Easy and convenient are now real, whole foods!

I have been eating the most meat ever while doing Whole30 and I feel great. I know some people would argue I eat too much red meat now but I really do try to rotate between beef, chicken, turkey, seafood and vegetables each meal/day. I may have pork in the morning, turkey in the afternoon and beef at night. And I really try to get fresh seafood at least once a week to lighten my meals. But I feel fabulous and I see results in how my clothes are fitting, my skin is clearer, my hair is shinier. And I am happier.

I prepped a salad for lunch tomorrow. Vegetables, figs, almonds, asparagus and mushrooms (from tonight's dinner) and chicken breast from Trader Joe's pre-cooked in salt and pepper and oil! The pre-cooked meat helps on days when I don't have leftovers. I thought about buying a salad tomorrow but why, when I have perfectly fresh ingredients at home! And I brought guacamole for dressing. I have an event tomorrow night so I will bring an RxBar for emergency only depending on how late it gets. Today I was not tempted by any of the passing appetizers and had a sparkling water in my hand at all times to keep my hands busy so I wouldn't reach for the food without realizing what I was doing.

I have Bar Method early tomorrow morning and hope to have a great final Whole30 week.

XO

Day 21!

Today's Whole30 email came at an appropriate time - it discussed building new habits, which ironically is my biggest struggle, as seen by yesterday's snacking!

The email states that although we have been going for 21 days to build new habits, it takes much longer, 66 days, to form a habit. The habits that I am changing have also been built over a long period of time so it is much harder to break them, change them, and create new ones than 21 days. My fear is the end of the program and going back to eating desserts all of the time. I'm only human and I can't deprive myself forever, so although I have already committed to continuing to eat Paleo after Whole30, paleo brownies, cookies and pizza will have to exist in my life, just not every day, every week or every month. I now know I can go 21 (hopefully 30) days without dessert so why would I give it up on day 31! I need to continue eating Whole30 for myself, my health and my well-being.

I want to start writing in a habit worksheet as suggested by today's Whole30 Daily email. This will help me keep track of where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, and what I was feeling when I craved sweet, or needed to snack, etc. I need to recognize the cues that triggered a habit so that I can create a new habit for the same cue. I already seem to have gotten over the 3pm snacking slump at the office, but what I really seem to be struggling with is the weekends at home with access to my pantry and fridge at all hours. I can't not have food in my house, especially because I live with someone else and we buy in bulk, so how can I not be tempted by the food I have on hand. How can I go into the fridge for water and not reach for a date? I also want to break habits like eating LaraBars or RxBars for snacks or post workout meals because those are like candy and they are my crutch - I look forward to them because they are sweet and remind me of dessert. That is not the point of the bars and I need to slowly rid my daily diet of them, except in the cases of emergencies.

I remember when I quit smoking cigarettes, I had to change the cues and triggers. I assocaited a cigarette with a specific route I walked every day to work so I had to take a new route so I wouldn't be reminded of having a cigarette. I needed to have dessert after dinner instead of a cigarette (I created a new habit by ending an old one and now I am trying to do the same with Whole30). The 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months and 3 years have always been the hardest for me (I am on 3.5 years now without a cigarette) so I expect this week, my 3rd week on Whole30 to be difficult. I am not home a lot at night so I won't be in control of dinner and have less leftovers for lunches so I need to stay focused and control and not give in to the temptations of snacking and meal replacement bars/treats.

I have been sticking to my Whole30 goal of going to Bar Method 4 times a week so even though this week will be tiring and long, I need to keep up my routines because they are new habits that I am working to create. I have started reading It Starts With Food and I hope to finish it in the next 10 days but even if I don't I will continue to read it because it is so important to learn the science behind my Whole30 program and since I might continue it after 30 days, I need to keep reading!

I have a few things coming up that I know will be difficult for me regarding eating:

1) Thursday I am having some friends over to hang out. I plan to cook a Whole30 approved meal but it doesn't mean they won't want dessert or snacks.

2) April 14 is Passover and even though I have planned my Whole30 approved dishes, I need to avoid my favorite dishes and desserts.

3) April 19 I am going to a Bridal Shower - should I eat before I go? Should I bring a LaraBar or RxBar to have in case there is no food I can eat? What food will there be that I can eat?

4) May 3 Ryan and I are going out to dinner for my birthday and although I will have steak and vegetables since it is a steak house, we have already planned to get the Baked Alaska for dessert. It is what this restaurant is known for in NYC and the point of going to this restaurant is for this specific dessert and I don't want to upset Ryan by not going here because we planned it months ago. It will be a special treat and maybe if I go all of April without dessert even after Whole30, it won't derail me and set me back into my old habits. I don't want to call it a "reward" for doing Whole30 because Whole30 has taught me not to reward myself with food because that was an old habit (do well at work, get cupcakes, go all week eating well, have cake). But I don't want to have regrets either so Baked Alaska will happen. And I don't want to feel guilty about it so it is 1 dessert, 1 time and before and after I stay focused and on Whole30 track!

5) In June we are going to Puerto Rico - a lot of meat and vegetables which is fabulous but I need to avoid the rice and dairy. Also, it is a business trip for Ryan and a vacation for me, so I will be alone a lot so I need to control my snacking. Just because no one is around to see me eat, doesn't mean it didn't happen!

6) SUMMER: ICE CREAM! Ryan and I love getting ice cream on a warm summer night. I don't want to always say no or feel left out. I need to look into sorbet and small portions and not every day or week!

7) September we are going to San Francisco. I plan to eat clean, but also not miss out on anything. We will not be gluten free or paleo for this trip, but we will be aware of the food we eat. I plan to do a Whole30 immediately after the trip!

I know these things so far ahead but I have to plan, I have to recognize my weaknesses and figure out how to overcome the tough moments in my life related to food!

This morning Ryan and I went to Trader Joe's early and bought a lot of meat and vegetables for this week. I still don't have a plan but I have food and I will work backwards to find recipes based on the groceries.

Meal 1 was a delicious omelette with turkey, spinach, bruschetta and avocado and almonds with a side of Spicy Chicken Sausage and zucchini fritters cooked in bacon fat.

We are going out tonight from 4pm - 6pm (prime cooking time) so we are not planning a big Sunday dinner like usual. I bought a steak for myself and have leftover brussel sprouts so it will be a cook, but Whole30 approved dinner! We are going to a cocktail reception for Clark University, where we went to college and met, to meet accepted new students. I plan to have Meal 2 around 1pm and will have a LaraBar in my purse for an emergency because I am sure none of the food will be something I can eat. I don't want to feel like I need to eat since I should still be full from Meal 2 before Meal 3 but being around the food is a trigger and I want to be prepared just in case! 

Have a great day!

XO