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).