Whole 30, Before and After

On the left on September 1 and on the right October 1.  I lost about 12 pounds during the Whole 30 Challenge.  I lost 1" on my leg, arm and hips and 2" on my waist.  Pictures don't show a big change in my overall body, but I think the face photo above you can definitely see a change.  I didn't have a single low blood sugar episode the entire month, and my psoriasis symptoms improved.

Whole 30, Day 30

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach and kale w/2 eggs and avocado; black coffee; water

Lunch:
Leftover chicken thighs, sweet potato, salad w/cucumbers, sugar snap peas, sliced almonds and balsamic/olive oil for dressing; water

Supper:
Paleo chili made w/hamburger, 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, 3 heirloom tomatoes (White Tomesol), 2 cans tomato sauce, a splash of apple juice, chili powder, red pepper flakes; applesauce; water

Whole 30, Day 29

Today was a big test of the will.  Our family went hiking and to Grand Marais for the day, so I started out with a good breakfast at home.

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs w/ sauteed spinach and kale; avocado; black coffee; water

I love it when the avocado is perfectly ripe

Lunch:
We went to the Harbor House Grille, where they do a lot with locally sourced food.  I had the free range chicken, veggie of the day, and mixed green salad w/raspberry vinaigrette; water.  I asked for no potato and double the veggies.  I also passed on the dessert that the rest of the family had, and on the ice cream they had later in the day.

Supper:
Sweet potato/pork/ mushroom hash

Despite the long time between meals, my blood sugar stayed steady and I wasn't super hungry even though we had a long, busy day. (8 a.m. breakfast, 2 p.m. lunch, 9 p.m. supper)

Whole 30, Day 28

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach, kale and mushrooms; scrambled eggs w/pork roast; banana; water; black coffee

Lunch:
Leftover pork chop; salad w/ cucumber, sliced almonds, shredded carrots, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Supper:
Baked chicken thighs; sweet potato w/ghee; steamed broccoli and cauliflower; water

Whole 30, Day 27

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach and kale topped w/ fried eggs; banana; water; black coffee

Lunch:
Leftover chicken soup; almonds/ coconut/raisins; water

Supper:
Hash made with shredded sweet potato w/onion, leftover roasted veggies, leftover pork roast and topped w/a fried egg; salad; water

Whole 30, Day 26

Breakfast:
Sweet potato hash browns, 2 fried eggs, avocado; black coffee; water

Lunch:
1 can tuna w/homemade olive oil mayo on 1 sliced heirloom tomato; 2 homemade dill pickles; almonds/ raisins/coconut; water

Supper:
Grilled pork chop; acorn squash with ghee/clarified butter; salad w/ cucumbers, shredded carrots, sliced almonds, olive oil and balsamic vinegar; water

Whole 30, Day 25

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs on top of sauteed kale; homemade sausage (made with ground sausage and seasoning, formed into patties); black coffee; water

Lunch:
Leftover chicken fajita meat w/leftover roasted veggies; water

Supper:
Chicken soup w/homemade broth, green beans, carrots, celery, cabbage, and sauteed mushrooms; almonds/coconut/ raisins; water (for the rest of the family, I made egg noodles to pour their soup over)

Whole 30, Day 24

Breakfast:
Omelet with spinach and leftover fajita veggies topped with homemade guacamole (made by mixing 1/2 avocado with a couple spoonfuls of salsa)

Lunch:
Salad with tuna and homemade olive oil mayo, sugar snap peas, sliced almonds, shredded carrots; water

Supper:
Grilled hamburger on Portobello mushroom "bun"; roasted vegetables with beets, carrots, parsnips, zucchini, onion; water

Whole 30, Day 23

Breakfast:
Omelet with onion and peppers; pear; black coffee; water

Lunch:
Ground turkey with shredded apple and spinach, cucumbers and baby carrots, water

Supper:
Chicken fajitas wrapped in lettuce leaves instead of tortillas, topped with salsa and black olives

Whole 30, Day 22

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach w/2 eggs and avocado; black coffee; water

Lunch:
We were on a hike, and I ate tuna, black olives, baby carrots, a pear, and a Minute Maid juice box (not really Whole 30 compliant, but I drank a lot of water, too)

Supper:
Roast, carrots, butternut squash

Whole 30, Day 21

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach w/2 eggs, pear

Lunch:
Leftover Mahi Mahi, butternut squash, and roasted veggies

Supper:
Free range chicken from the Farmers Market, salad w/cucumbers and carrots and sliced almonds

Whole 30, Day 20

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach w/2 eggs and avocado, sliced tomatoes

Lunch:
Salad w/cucumbers and shredded carrots, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, slivered almonds; leftover pork chop; bananas/ strawberries/ coconut; water

Supper:
Mahi Mahi; leftover roasted vegetables; leftover butternut squash; water

Whole 30, Day 19

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs w/ sauteed spinach and cherry tomatoes, bananas/pineapple/coconut; black coffee; water

Lunch:
Leftover chicken soup; applesauce; macadamia nuts

Supper:
Boneless pork chop, roasted vegetables (sweet potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, onion, carrots), leftover butternut squash (the rest of the family had mashed potatoes), sliced tomatoes; water

Whole 30, Day 18

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs w/spinach and avocado, pear

Lunch:
Chicken soup made w/homemade broth, a chicken breast, and California blend veggies; applesauce; macadamia nuts

Supper:
Shrimp marinaded in lemon juice, olive oil, etc. on leftover spaghetti squash

 This was so simple, but sooooo good!

And I made homemade olive oil mayo for the first time!  Egg, lemon juice, olive oil, dry mustard and salt.

Whole 30, Day 17

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs w/spinach and cherry tomatoes, 1/2 plum



Lunch:
Egg salad (hard boiled egg w/avocado), strawberries

Supper:
BBQ pork w/sauerkraut, sweet potato fries, salad w/balsamic and olive oil, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes

Whole 30, Day 16

Breakfast:
Sauteed kale and spinach w/crushed red peppers, 2 eggs

Lunch:
Tuna with avocado, sliced tomatoes and bell peppers, kale chips, toasted squash seeds

Supper:
Leftover pork roast and sauerkraut, butternut squash, green beans, applesauce, water

Whole 30, Day 15

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs, 1/2 plum, black coffee, water

Lunch:
Salad with chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice, water

Supper:
Pork roast and sauerkraut, butternut squash, green beans, water

I also made some kale chips.  They could have been a little crispier, but I didn't want to burn them like the first time I tried to make kale chips.

Whole 30, Day 14

Breakfast:
Sauteed spinach and kale with mushrooms and crushed red pepper, 2 eggs, banana, coffee, water

Lunch:
Booya Stew
*I was at a craft fair all day, so I ate the Booya Stew.  It's meat, veggies and broth, so while it may have had some non-complaint ingredients, it was basically ok.  I gave the bread to my daughter and skipped the pie and ice cream.

Supper:
Leftover Mahi Mahi, roasted veggies and canteloupe, water

Whole 30, Day 13

Breakfast:
Sauteed kale and spinach w/mushrooms and crushed red pepper, 2 eggs, banana, water, coffee

Lunch:
Leftover spaghetti squash and meatballs

Supper:
Chili crusted Mahi Mahi with avocado salsa (avocado, tomato, onion, lime juice); roasted veggies (sweet potato, cauliflower, carrots); roasted cabbage (veggies with olive oil, fish w/coconut oil)

Whole 30, Day 12

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs (in coconut oil) topped with avocado and salsa; bananas with pineapple and coconut, coffee, water

Lunch:
Leftover pork chop, steamed broccoli

Supper:
Spaghetti squash with homemade meatballs and marinara (tomato sauce w/ seasonings); salad w/spinach, green leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice
*I cooked this in the crock pot: halve squash, put face down, surround by meatballs, cover with marinara, 3-4 hours on high.  It was easy to do it this way, but the sauce tasted a little burnt and the meatballs were just ok.

Whole 30, Day 11

Breakfast:
Scrambled eggs (in coconut oil) topped with avocado and salsa; raspberries; water; black coffee

Lunch:
Salad with chicken, carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, coconut, lemon juice & olive oil

Supper:
Grilled pork chop; leftover roasted veggies; water

Snack:
A few almonds and slices of kohlrabi

Whole 30, Day 10

Breakfast:
Spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes sauteed in olive oil w/crushed red peppers; 2 eggs fried in coconut oil; black coffee; water

Lunch:
Sliced tomato topped with tuna and cucumbers, almonds, water (I think the tomato was going bad.  It didn't taste right, so I didn't eat it all.)

Supper:
Grilled steak with mushrooms and onions; leftover roasted veggies; sliced tomatoes from the garden; water (I skipped the back-to-school open house hot dogs and hubby and I ate when we got home)

Whole 30, Day 9

Breakfast:
Spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes sauteed in olive oil w/crushed red peppers; 2 eggs fried in coconut oil; black coffee; water

Lunch:
Leftover chili; applesauce; water

Supper:
Chicken; roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, broccoli, beets, a few carrots, zucchini); leftover squash--I skipped the mashed potatoes the rest of the family ate

I experienced a bit of intestinal discomfort today.  Thankfully it was short lived.

Whole 30, Day 8

Breakfast:
Spinach, kale, mushrooms sauteed in olive oil w/crushed red peppers; 2 fried eggs; banana/pineapple/coconut; black coffee; water

Lunch:
Sliced tomato topped with tuna and drizzled with olive oil; cucumbers; almonds; water
(This was not enough to eat--I felt hungry in the afternoon)

Supper:
Chili made with hamburger, onion, green, red and orange peppers, garlic salt, 2 cans diced tomatoes, celery; applesauce; water

Whole 30, Day 7

This was a big test day.  I had a day in Duluth planned with the kids, so I had to plan ahead to stay as close as possible to the Whole 30 plan.  We ate breakfast before we left.

Breakfast:
Spinach, kale, mushrooms sauteed in olive oil w/crushed red peppers; 2 fried eggs; banana/pineapple/ coconut; black coffee; water

We went to a Harvest Fest that had a Farmers Market (good) and many food vendors (not so good). I bought the kids some kettle corn that smelled so good when they were eating it.

Lunch:
We went to Old Country Buffet where I had a salad with mixed greens and spinach, black olives, cucumbers, balsamic vinegar and olive oil; honeydew and canteloupe; baked fish and steamed broccoli; and water.
The fish and broccoli may have been prepared in a way that's not quite Whole 30, but I did the best I could. And I didn't have dessert, which is one of my favorites at the OCB.

Supper:
Leftover chicken, carrots and squash; water

Best of all, I didn't feel hungry/like I had low blood sugar despite a long time between meals today, and no snacks.

Whole 30, Day 6

Breakfast:
Taco omelet made w/seasoned ground turkey and topped with salsa, avocado and black olives

Lunch:
Leftover roast beef with leftover roasted veggies, squash, water

Supper:
Zucchini noodles with homemade marinara (garlic, onion, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, peppers)
*This was my first big test.  Friday night is pizza night in our house, and I told the kids I'd order pizza for making it through the first week of school.  I made zucchini noodles with a vegetable peeler and some homemade marinara sauce and ate that instead.  It wasn't pizza, but it was an okay substitute.

*Friday is my weigh-in day.  The Whole 30 plan says not to weigh yourself for the entire 30 days because it's not about the weight, but I've been weighing in on Fridays for awhile and didn't want to stop.  In the first six days of this plan, I lost 4 pounds.

Whole 30, Day 5

Breakfast:
Egg scramble with leftover grilled veggies: zucchini, peppers, onion, topped with 1/2 avocado; banana; water; black coffee

Lunch:
Ground turkey and sweet potato hash with leftover roasted veggies: sweet potato, carrots, onion, zucchini, green beans; salad made with romaine lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes with lemon dijon dressing; water

Supper:
Roast beef, carrots, butternut squash topped with coconut oil; water

*I made mashed potatoes for the rest of the family, but I had squash instead.
I tried to make ghee (like clarified butter--has the milk solids removed and is the only form of dairy approved for the Whole 30), but I think I used too high of a heat setting and it was dark brown, almost black, instead of golden brown. I'll try again another day.

Snack:
A few roasted squash seeds (roasted in olive oil with sea salt) and a few raspberries picked along the trail on our evening walk

I didn't feel so hungry today, although I really felt like eating something sweet.  I didn't give in, though!

*A note about meat--the Whole 30 plan recommends using high quality, grass-fed and organic meat and organic veggies/fruit.  I'm sure there are sources of the good stuff around here, but what I've seen at the grocery store is very expensive and just not in the budget. Even eating conventionally raised food has to be better than the processed stuff.  We have been eating out of the garden and buying some at the Farmer's Market, so every little bit makes a difference.

Whole 30, Day 4

Breakfast--
Spinach and kale sauteed in olive oil and garlic, two fried eggs, banana, black coffee

Lunch--
Taco salad with romaine lettuce and spinach, seasoned ground turkey, black olives, cucumber, tomato, avocado, lemon dijon dressing; water

Supper--
Chicken sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with poultry seasoning; roasted vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, a few green beans from the garden, onion, zucchini with olive oil and Montreal Chicken seasoning); water; applesauce with raspberries for dessert

**Turns out the Montreal Chicken seasoning isn't completely compliant with the Whole 30, so I didn't use it the rest of the 30 days.  The Montreal Steak is compliant, however.

I had a bit of a headache in the morning, but it didn't last all day.

Whole 30, Day 3

Breakfast: Two egg omelet with red bell pepper, onion and black olives; applesauce; black coffee; water

Lunch:  Leftover burgers topped w/salsa; raw carrots, broccoli and snow peas; water

Supper:  Paleo tacos--ground turkey cooked with onion, garlic and spices; wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves instead of tortillas; topped with salsa, tomatoes and black olives; pineapple tidbits; water

Today I felt tired late in the afternoon and had a bit of a headache at the end of the day.

Whole 30, Day 2

Breakfast--Two eggs scrambled in coconut oil, black coffee, water (I started adding veggies to breakfast after day 2 because I went shopping and had more groceries)
Lunch--It was Labor Day, so of course we grilled.  I made hamburgers and ate one without a bun and topped with salsa instead of ketchup.  We also had grilled zucchini, peppers and onions and watermelon.  Water to drink!

Supper--Salad with cucumber, carrots, cabbage, tomato, chicken and lemon vinaigrette; water.
Snack--Larabar
Again, I felt hungry today, but it was manageable.

Whole 30, Day 1

More on the Whole 30 challenge later, but here's what I ate on Day 1:
Breakfast--Omelet with two eggs, broccoli, onion and tomato cooked in coconut oil, black coffee and water.
Lunch--Lettuce salad with cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, black olives, tuna and lemon vinaigrette.  After I ate the tuna, I read the label and found it has a trace of soy in it, a no-no for the Whole 30, so I've since found a brand that doesn't not have soy.
Supper--Country Style pork ribs, baked sweet potato, green beans from the garden.  I think the sweet potatoes were old; they didn't taste very good.
Snack--Generally, snacking is discouraged on the Whole 30 plan.  I did eat Larabars (which are made from dried fruit and nuts; my favorite is the Cherry pie which has dates, dried cherries and cashews) a few times a week through the challenge to get me through.
Lemon Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard (also no Whole 30 complaint as one ingredient is white wine and Whole 30 is an alcohol-free plan)
3 T. lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
Put ingredients in small jar.  Put the lid on and shake until ingredients are combined.  Shake again before use.  Store in refrigerator.

I felt pretty hungry a good part of the day, but not in the low blood sugar way I previously felt (shakiness, sweating, irritability, the "I need to eat now" feeling).