Monday, July 25, 2016

Whole30: A Diary {Week Two}

On July 11, I began the Whole30 challenge in an effort to tame my sugar monster, control my eating and maybe lose a few pounds. This is my diary.

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For those who aren't familiar with Whole30, it is a 30-day elimination diet that aims to reset cravings and see how your body reacts to certain foods. Grains, sugar, sugar substitutes, legumes, dairy, alcohol and soy are not allowed.

day 8 | The Whole30 folks warn you that changing your diet can affect your dreams. It's like being pregnant. You want to know what? It's true. Last night, I had a dream that involved beluga whales bothering helicopter moms on the beach; participating in a "Cutthroat Kitchen" type competition where I was cooking grilled cheese sandwiches in the back of a car; and going into a personal kitchen that had a gift shop-esque dispenser of Warhead powder. 

In other news, as I cooked dinner, I almost slipped up without thinking. I was boiling pasta for the guys and trying to put zucchini through the Vegetti to the soundtrack of Si screaming at the top of his lungs. As I tried to use the pasta fork to remove the angel hair from the pot and put it in a bowl, I dumped a crap ton on the stove, side of the stove and floor. I pick it up and go to put in my mouth. It didn't even occur to me that I couldn't do that anymore until it did.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on

day 9 | You want to know what's an unexpected habit to have to break while you are doing Whole30? Eating off your kids' plates. I am known to eat everyone's leftovers, you know, because I run so much {not} but most of what they eat is Whole30 contraband. Like that bite of waffle on Miles' plate. But I soldier on with my egg breakfasts. I like them well enough and with avocado, they are mighty filling. 

You want to know what's another interesting habit to break while doing Whole30? Choosing foods based on convenience. No trips through a drive-through for a diet soda and fries while running errands over lunch. Oh no. I was a bit sad, I have to say, when I realized that I couldn't get waffle fries and a Diet Coke at Chick-Fil-A when I went school shopping at Old Navy for Miles. An aside, it's really alarming (to me) that I still miss diet soda this much. An aside-aside, how is my baby starting kindergarten in a month?

day 10 | O.M.G. I made the best dinner yet on Whole30 – a pork stir-fry with peppers, onions and baby broccoli and rainbow carrots from my Green Bean Delivery haul. Thanks be to the powers of Google and Mel Joulwan's blog, Well Fed, for the sauce. She said it was the best stir fry sauce ever – and she was right. Like, even when I'm done with Whole30, I will still make it. I served it all over shredded cabbage for me and rice for the boys, and I'm pretty sure I had the better bowl.

As much as I liked it, Miles HATED it. He said it smelled like skunk and balked at the rainbow carrots. The broccoli was offensive, too, because it was "dry" (aka not overcooked frozen broccoli). Apparently, I needed this challenge not just for me but to expand my kids' horizons.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on

day 11 | You guys, I made the prettiest omelet today. It had avocado, tomatoes and onions and microgreens from Green Bean. Bonus: It tasted pretty darn good.

A few things to note: I'm so glad that I pre-sliced most of my veggies this week because it makes cooking much easier; avocado almost makes up for no cheese and is the key for me staying satiated; and the GB delivery was the best splurge. Week 1, I felt like I didn't have enough veggies, quantity wise, nor did I have enough variety. With the delivery, I was able to pick some things that I either don't have access to or wouldn't get during a normal grocery haul. The produce is making it so much fun to cook and meal plan already, and I'm looking forward to a few more baskets this summer.

day 12 | Why is nothing Whole30 compliant? Why the EFF is everything off plan? Work. Stupid busy. No time to grab lunch and when the idea of ordering Jimmy John's bubbles, I get excited. A turkey unwich with avocado sauce would be so good. But wait. The only meats that are Whole30 friendly are salami and capicola, neither of which sound good. I go to the hospital and get two hamburger patties and a salad with oil and vinegar. It did the job but left me craving something tastier.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@foot.notes) on


day 13 | I am going to leave my family. I just am. The kids are on fire, and I am tired after running 10 miles in the stupid hot weather and teaching Body Blast. Normally, I'd be "bad" and get an indulgent lunch (we went to Red Robin) or grab an ice cream or a fancy coffee or all of the above. But I can't. Or I choose not to because I want to finish Whole30. As I'm telling Mark all of this, I realize that Whole30 has robbed me of most of my coping mechanisms – especially when it comes to dealing with the stress of parenting. Is it sad that the only way I've managed so far is to eat and drink my feelings? I need to work on this.

In other news, said 10-mile run was much better than the previous week's 8 miles in better temps. While I resorted to a run-walk the last mile, I felt stronger and peppier than the first week and we actually had some pretty decent splits. The Whole30 slump is over!

day 14 | I am supposed to be having intense dreams and crazy cravings. Wait. Crazy dreams and intense cravings. Anyway. I'm not necessarily facing either – at least not today. I easily bypassed brownies and peanut butter balls at my running girls' pond party, and I was just fine eating grilled chicken with guacamole, fresh salsa, cut vegetables and fruit and chilled southwest avocado soup. By the way, that soup was life changing. It makes me glad that I bought five avocados at the store this week.

>>hashtag alltheavocados<<

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