Whole30 Reset: Day 25 - 30

I DID IT!!!

I was so busy preparing for our shredding event and Kensington walkabout that I was not able to keep up with this blog. I'm definitely disappointed because I feel like it shouldn't be that hard to make one entry a day, yet here I am. On Friday I was really busy getting prepared for the events on Saturday and I'm sure I had my usual breakfast and then I think I had Chipotle for lunch maybe... And for dinner I've been making that chicken potato dish because it's super easy and really yummy and I just ran out of the Cajun spice I've been using from Weber. Saturday was the shredding event and the Kensington Walkabout which went really really well. We met some great people from our neighborhood including neighbors from our street so that was really nice. We also met a few people who might be able to use our services which of course is wonderful. After the event I was so tired. My legs hurt really bad but I really wanted to see Isle of dogs so Damion and I went to go see it at a new theater we hadn't been to.    While the theater was terrible the movie was  Excellent! It's honestly one of the best movies I've seen in my opinion especially of its kind. It was funny it was sad the story was interesting the work that went into the movie was incredible. They did this thing where they would show the same scene from two different views for example one would be first person and the other would be  An aerial view.  I feel like everyone should see it and maybe it's not for everyone but it's definitely an incredible movie. Sunday I had my normal breakfast I can't really remember what I had for lunch but I went grocery shopping and bought more groceries so hopefully I can finish strong. I did realize that I'm going to Disneyland on Wednesday and I thought that that would be my day 30 but my day 30 is actually on Tuesday because I started the day before I announced it on my blog so at least I did actually finish it and I don't have to feel like I have no willpower lol. Today I have my normal breakfast I'll update later with what I had for lunch and dinner but I definitely feel good and I can't wait to see what my results are as far as weight loss goes. But I have definitely benefited from getting used to cooking at home again and finding snacks in the produce section instead of less healthy aisles.

4/20/18 Update: Well I COMPLETED it!  It was definitely difficult to keep up with the blog when I had so much to do but I'm just glad I can say I completed it.  I lost ~25 pounds.  I didn't weigh myself on day 1 so I had to go off old numbers.  But I can say more importantly I gained back those good habits I need in my life going forward.  Melissa just started a 9 day mini reset that I am really excited about.  I can totally fit that in between my trips coming up!

Thank you for coming along this journey with me.  For those of you reading this that helped encourage me along the way, THANK YOU.  Without you, I don't know if I could complete this.  Surrounding yourself with people that support your choice to change your lifestyle is the best thing you can do for yourself if you want to try this.  But I guarantee you will be happy with the results.  <3

Whole30 Reset: Day 24

Boy am I counting down the days.  I have 6 days left.

I need to remind myself that this reset has been to help me get back into better habits, NOT to dream about when it is over.  Trust me, I am still learning.  I definitely cannot wait til I can have ice cream again, but I think I am going to save those cravings for special things.  Like ice cream in Australia and New Zealand!  I mean look at this place called iCreamy.  I want pretty flower ice cream cones!

For breakfast today I had eggs, bacon and mixed lettuce. 

For lunch Damion took me to Chipotle and I had my usual.

For dinner: That delicious chicken dish I made the other day (See Day 21) is what I will make tonight.  I am going to enter this early so that I do not forget to enter it later. :D  I'll update if there are any changes.

Whole30 Reset: Day 23

Today I had my normal breakfast.  I've been wanting to make egg bite cupcakes but I keep forgetting and never prepped it.  I need to go grocery shopping again.

For lunch I met my darling friend, Megan, for lunch and we drove down to Old Town to try out Ceviche House.  It was very good.  I was surprised by how few people there were inside considering the food was excellent!  And the bowl of ceviche I was given was only $10!  It's right next to Cafe Coyote. 

Megan ordered some kind of Chorizo potato ball 'Papas & Chorizo' that she enjoyed.  She mentioned it definitely had a spicy 'kick'.  The menu said it was Opah Abductor (what is that??), Kennebec Potatoes, Panko, Roasted Salsa Verde.

I ordered the Puerto Ceviche which consisted of White Shrimp, Jicama, Sweet Peppers and Pico.  It was very fresh tasting with just enough lime to not be too sour.  It had zero sugar/soy in it so I was all set!

I will definitely be returning!

For dinner, Damion made Steak with Potatoes, onions and bell pepper.  He made an over easy egg for my plate cause I asked nicely.  hehe...  I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture but it was delicious!  I used a little of Tessamae's ketchup.

My goodness am I still suffering from wanting garbage food.  I ALMOST ate a small taster piece of cake from Nothing Bundt cakes but left victorious.  I went there to get a cake for my coworker, Terri, as it is her birthday tomorrow (4/12).  I also got her this beautiful plant called an Orange Star Blossom.  I LOVE THIS PLANT.  I'm excited to give that to her tomorrow.

Whole30 Reset: Day 22

I cannot remember what I ate.  I am late with this entry.... I think this tends to happen near the end because a few of my meals are repeat meals so I don't take pictures of them and then I forget what I had!

I believe I had my usual eggs, bacon, mixed lettuce for breakfast with a black cup of coffee. 

For lunch I think I went home and didn't have time to make anything so I grazed a few things like an orange... and carrots.  This was really bad so I was super hungry when I got home and Damion was kind enough to rush me over to Chipotle for my usual carnitas salad. 

Nothing exciting happened this day.  I have been super busy at work trying to work out the best deal for a new copier.  Negotiating is fun but doing all the research behind each company and the equipment being offered can get a little hairy!  Anyways... sorry for this boring quick entry! x.x

Whole30 Reset: Day 19 - 21

The weekend went by too fast!! On Saturday, I spent the day with my friend Gloria.  We went to go see a family member perform in the Temecula area.  She was really super talented.  I ended up eating random stuff from Trader Joe's and honestly cannot remember what it all was.  I had a smoothie from Nektar that was very good.  It just had fruit and veggies and ice.  Nothing with 'juice' or sugar.  We went shopping and definitely got a lot of steps in our day.  So while I did not keep track of what I ate, I DID stick to my Whole30 rules.  :)

On Sunday, I made my usual for breakfast.  Then my pal Mark (universe twin) came down to visit me.  We were sad as we attempted to play MarioKart 8 and learned that my Wii U Disc reader is not working properly :(  So we watched Pixar shorts instead.  We also watched Wall-E!! I forgot how much I love that movie!  For lunch we went to Point Loma Seafood.  Mark ordered a super yummy looking Scallop sandwich.  I ordered the grilled catch of the day which was swordfish (I asked what they grill it with and they said extra virgin olive oil so that worked!) and it came with steamed veggies and rice but I asked for no rice so they gave me extra veggies.  It was super filling, I couldn't even finish it!  For dinner I made Steak Frites.  I used ghee to grill the steaks and for the fries I seasoned them with salt, pepper, parsley and garlic.  I cooked them with onions as well.  It came out really good.  :)

TODAY!  So this morning Damion made me eggs, bacon and potatoes.  For lunch I ate leftovers from 3 days ago.  Funny enough I made it for dinner too!  See my Day 18 entry for the recipe!

So I will try to get better at not missing entries.  I just had too much fun this weekend.  I always love when I get to see my friends here so I threw my blog out the window.  Sometimes it is more important to fully experience the things around you and I find logging them can be distracting for me.  So I have stopped trying to capture everything and focus on things that are important to me.  That is not to say that I think this is the 'right way to do things' I love when people catalog and share, I just find that I cannot fully experience things when I am distracted by 'checking in' and taking pictures or ... I don't know.  Maybe I am on a rant again. lol... anyways.. I will try to get better at logging for the purpose of keeping track of my progress.  I am learning that the real reward for this journey is that I make accomplishments every day with each good choice.  The scale can no longer tell me whether or not I have succeeded and so it should not.  :)

Ok, I am going to focus on watching Harry Potter with my gal pals now <3

Whole30 Reset: Day 18

Is it day 18?  It's gone by so fast.  

I am in the timeline stage of 'Tiger Blood' where I am supposed to feel like I GOT THIS.  But honestly it seems like I am still fighting cravings.  I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I am planning the trip coming up and I have to look at pictures of food to see where the eateries are for meals in between driving and what not.  I am doing what I should not be doing, obsessing about good (bad) food.  I need to participate less in conversations that glorify bad foods.  I can't expect people around me to walk on eggshells when it comes to talking about food.  A lot of my friends are 'foodies' though not necessarily health foodies.  I feel strongly about respecting everyone's lifestyle and not comparing your own or trying to make anyone feel like you are better than them, because really, we all balance out somewhere.  I am not 'better' than anyone.  I guess I just need more support and less negative influence.  But you know... I should see it as a challenge.  I should take this opportunity to learn to be stronger when it comes to resisting temptations.  I am resisting them physically but I NEED to resist them mentally too.

I'll be honest, I have an issue with self-control.  It's weird to say that here.  I mean I don't think very many people read these posts anyway so I'm not exactly 'putting it out there' but I do have issues with self-control.  I don't ever 'reward' myself because my habits were to eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and that leaves no room for rewards!  Rich foods were part of the daily!  When I say that now it makes me wonder why I thought that was normal.  I believe it is because it is what is readily available.  It is what's pushed in my face from media.  It's everywhere and you can't escape it.  But I CAN TURN IT OFF.  So that is what I am going to do.  I will no longer fantasize about bad food.  I will no longer call it 'good' food.  It is bad food.  And when people talk about desiring it I will just turn it off in my head.  Yes, it tastes good.  But it is not normal to eat it regularly.  It is a treat!  I've never even thought of food as a treat before!  This is such a 1st world problem and I am super embarrassed to have it.  I get angry about that fact that we have so much garbage food pushed on us every day.  Ugh!  Ok.  I am going to stop my rant.  I'm sure you have lost interest in hearing my rage against the machine. lol

Anyways, here are the food choices I made for myself today:

Breakfast - I had my usual, bacon (from Pederson's Farms as they do not use sugar...have I told you that?) and eggs (organic, non-gmo, no steroids, free range) with a handful of organic spinach.  You don't need a picture, do you?  Good, cause I ate it all.

Lunch - I stopped by Chipotle and had the carnitas over a salad with diced tomatoes, guacamole and red salsa.  No beans, no rice, no dressing.

Dinner - For dinner I bought organic skinless chicken thighs, zucchini, potato, onion and mixed lettuce.  I seasoned the chicken with Weber N'Orleans Cajun seasoning and then set the ninja cooker to stove-top hot.  I chopped the potatoes and the zucchini and onions into thick slices and placed them in the ninja cooker with a little olive oil.  I seasoned them with salt, pepper, parsley and garlic powder, mixed them around and then scoot them all to the side.  I placed in the chicken to the right of it and then covered it with the lid.  After about 10 minutes I turned the heat down to medium.  I want to say it was done in about 25 minutes.  I really should have timed it.  The chicken was definitely cooked.  It smelled divine and the taste was as true as the smell.  I definitely need to make that again!

Luckily I had leftovers so I will definitely use those for dinner tomorrow!  :)  I am super sleepy and it is 10:06pm... When did that become the new 2am.  GOODNIGHT WORLD!

Whole30 Reset: Day 16

I really wish I could weigh myself.  I don't like when I cannot see progress.  I know Melissa wants us to separate the number on a scale from what we think is healthy so that we can focus on the habits we are making that will keep us healthy but man... I feel like I can't measure the success!  Though I will say that my clothes are starting to fit a little better.  In fact I think I already told you that. 

I stopped taking photos of breakfast because it was the same thing every day and today was no exception.  Today I had 3 eggs over spring lettuce and 2 pieces of bacon plus my black cup of coffee.

For lunch I came home and used that chicken from last.  I put it in a salad with hard boiled eggs and tomatoes and topped it with Tessamae's Ranch dressing.

For dinner I made a sort of...deconstructed Bacon Burger.  I used the Black Angus Burger Patty from Trader Joe's and cut it up.  On the plate I layered with the mixed spring salad as the base, cherry tomatoes, grilled onions, chopped bacon and finally the chopped beef patty.  I drizzled a little of Tessamae's ketchup all over and put a side of pickles. It was pretty darn good!

For dessert I had a small bowl of watermelon.  I've been lazy with how I write these.  I love to throw some solid comedy in there but lately I feel like I am just dumping what I ate into my entries and running for the hills after.  I lack focus.  I would love to find ways to improve my focus!

I did learn that I will be getting my own office later this year!  Woohoo!  I am very excited for that.  We are going to expand our business from the main floor to both floors so we will officially have the whole house!  (If I haven't told you, I work in a craftsman historic home that was built in 1910)  I mean look at this house, isn't it beautiful!

So yay for that.  Ok, I am tired so I am going to watch youtube til I drop my phone on face and eventually fall asleep.  Goodnight!

BE honest.  You've done it too.

Whole30 Reset: Day 15

DAY 15!!  HALF WAY THERE!

I can't believe how fast this is going!!! Half way there means I am half way to my trip to Disneyland with gal pals and half way to my trip to New Zealand!  Whaaaaat??  I feel really good today.  I went to bed a little earlier than usual yesterday so I woke up well rested.  I made my usual bacon and eggs on a bed of spinach and had an extra cup of coffee this morning.  I do not have lunch prepared but I am thinking I might run down to wholefoods to make a salad.  I have dressing in the fridge here at work so that should do!

I ended up stopping by Trader Joe's and picked up some mixed spring lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado to go packs and prosciutto.  I picked at the prosciutto and made a plain salad with Caeser dressing.  I ate it pretty fast as it was very busy at the office.

The day went by so fast I didn't get ANY pictures of my meals!  Sorry!  What a lame half way there post!  I feel like the closer I get to the end the less enthusiasm I have to enter in these diaries.  But I am going to do it and I am going to finish!  My dinner was ugly looking anyways.  I put some chicken in Matt's BBQ sauce and added a little red hot.  Then made garlic fries just like I did a couple days ago (recipe is in that post... I'll update with which post if your interested in how to make healthy french fries).  It was delicious together but the dish did not look pretty.  I had a little extra chicken so I put it in tupperware and will use it for a salad tomorrow.

Whole30 Reset: Day 14

Today I woke up and made a usual breakfast of eggs and bacon on top of mixed spring lettuce.  And my Sprouts Breakfast Blend coffee.  My clothes are starting to fit a little better.  Yay!  It's so strange to think that with all I eat I am LOSING weight.  It just happens because I am no longer consuming all the sugar and crap in processed foods.  but it is amazing.

I had to run to the post office and a media store on my lunch break but I was able to get home and made a super quick Steak Fajita plate with avocado slices.  It was so easy to make!  I just put on a steak that I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and chili.  I heat up a little less than a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and put the steak in there for 6 minutes each side.  I added sauteed veggies that I purchased from Trader Joe's so that I would not have to chop up all the veggies.  Those bad boys are life savers!

I have a feeling I am just going to eat the leftovers of this when I get home because it was enough for two people so I was able to put some aside for later.  I am happy for that!  NO MORE COOKING! lol... I mean, I love to cook...but man sometimes I just want to go home and sleep.

Whole30 Reset: Day 13

Damion made us breakfast today.  He made scrambled eggs (he added a little almond milk to make them fluffy), bacon and fruit salad (bananas and strawberries).  It was very good and I was so hungry I didn't take a picture of it.  :( 

For lunch I made us Blank Angus Burgers with french fries.  I placed a bed of spring mixed lettuce on the plate, added the burger meat, and topped it with a fried egg.  I chopped up a potato and threw them in the Ninja cooker with a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and seasoned them with cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper and threw in some sliced onion with them.  Turned the cooker on medium stovetop heat.  I used a little of Tessamae's ketchup and let me tell you this was the BEST lunch I have made so far!!  I bought an enormous jar of pickles as well so I cut one up to serve on the side.  I definitely have to make this again.

I skipped dinner but that's because I ate watermelon spears and was too full to eat anything else!  I felt emotional today.  I'm not sure what made me feel so sad but poor Damion was on the receiving end of a tantrum I had because I dropped my iced coldbrew from Starbucks.  Honestly I don't deserve him.  He is so incredibly patient with me!  But I did get myself together and felt better near the end of the day.  Every day stress has been getting to me lately.  With all these travel plans coming up I feel the pressure financially to be able to keep up with it all.  I need to find balance in my life in that aspect.  

Why can't we just all have a million dollars each?? I need a stimulus!! :P

Whole30 Reset: Day 12

Spring is here!!!! I read online about the Flower Field in Carlsbad and about lost my shit.  (Pardon my English)  It looked so beautiful, I just HAD TO GO and what better way to take Lucy back home than to stop by this beautiful spot in bloom.  So we decided to do it.  For breakfast, we all had potatoes and eggs with a little spinach.  Pretty much what I have been making every day but with a little more spinach and potatoes.  I forgot to take a picture x.x We also stopped by Dark Horse Coffee where I got a cold brew.

We decided to get the wagon tickets which were only $5 per person.  It was TOTALLY worth it.   Here are a few photos from our day.

 

I didn't have lunch prepped so we stopped by Trader Joe's and I ate some weird combo stuff. lol  I had prosciutto, manzilla olives, and watermelon spears.  I ordered a hot coffee for the trip to Whittier and headed off.  We dropped Lucy off and I was able to see my sisters Amara and Nicole and my wonderful nephews <3  It made my day.  I wish I could have stayed but we had evening plans.  We caught so much traffic back that we were late. x.x  

For dinner, I had the chicken leftovers and we ate a LOT of strawberries (we bought them from the flower field!).  That was my Saturday.  I can't wait to go back to that flower garden!

Whole30 Reset Day 11

Today I had the day off work.  I did a terrible job staying on top of taking pictures for the purpose of this blog.  I was using Snapchat a lot though!  I wanted to take Lucy to Better Buzz so she could try the Better Breakfast Sandwich (AKA Best breakfast sandwich in the WORLD) so I made myself breakfast while they were sleeping.  I wake up really early.  So I made my usual and had a cup of coffee.

After breakfast we all got ready and headed to Better Buzz in Hillcrest.  I ordered a cold brew and drank it black.  It's SO YUMMY!  Best cold brew I have had.  Honestly I am in love with this place.  Lucy LOVED the Better Breakfast sandwich (as I expected) and Damion had one as well.  I sat there like a good girl and sipped my cold brew completely satisfied.  :D

Lucy and I dropped Damion off at home and we went out gallivanting (we went to Marukai and Tokyo Central & Main) and a couple other random stops.  We were pretty hungry by lunch time so we went to a few groceries stores to get things we needed to make drumsticks 3 ways.  We did buffalo style using red hot, bbq style using Tessame's Matt's BBQ sauce and then we did a Lemon Pepper wing using a Primal Kitchen marinade, lemons and some spices.  They turned out delicious!!  We also had a side plate of veggies and used Tessamae's Ranch Dressing for dipping. 

We painted in the evening... I think I skipped a meal without realizing it.  I know I had a Chomp beef stick somewhere in there to hold me over but I do need to stop letting that happen.  Skipping a meal makes you hungrier which leads to over eating and I know my body metabolizes differently when I skip meals.  Anyways, it was a fun day.   <3

Whole30 Reset Day 10

Today is my Friday!

It's been a crazy week so far.  I had really bad cravings most the week.  It sucks to know how addicted I was to sugar and processed foods.  It feels like withdrawals.  I'm glad to be getting rid of it.  I know there is a balance and the work I am putting in right now is to find that balance.  I had to tip the scale in the other direction first.  Day 10 is the day MOST quitters quit the Whole30 Reset.  Well I AM NOT A QUITTER.

Thank you Ryan.  I feel like myself again on the weekends.  It's odd because I love what I do at work, and the people I work with, but sometimes I think the balance in my life is tipped towards work and that crushes my soul.  I want everyone to have balance when it comes to work and play.  Especially since I know that I will be working longer than most people since I am not on track to retire at 65.  Before I go depressing myself let me remind myself that I am going to 4 countries in the next 60 days.  THAT IS AMAZING.  Sometimes I just need a good hard smack (not literally please) of gratitude for the good I have.  There is plenty of it.

So to log what I fed my body today, here we go.  Breakfast was the usual.  Bacon, Eggs, Spinach, and a side of potato hash (potatoes, red bell pepper, onion, crimini mushroom)
Spices used: Himalayan Salt, Cracked Pepper, Garlic, Parsley

For lunch Lucy made us a salad but I was so lame that I forgot to take a picture.  It was similar to what she made the other day but instead of bacon she used Prosciutto.  I would not combine that prosciutto with avocado again (too fatty together) but I was so hungry I ate it all anyways. lol

For dinner Lucy continued her cooking streak and made us steak and potatoes with a side of sauteed veggies.  She used almond milk and ghee for the mashed potatoes and the veggies were a combo of asparagus, zucchini, crimini mushrooms and onions.

It was quite delicious.  I finished the whole thing.  I feel it is important that I mention that I have failed to log the fact that I HAVE had snacks here in the day throughout the Whole30.  They have been whole30 compliant but it's like... by the time I log them, if I didn't take a picture of it, it doesn't show up on my blog.  So to be honest and set your expectation if you choose to give the Whole30 a go here are the snacks I filled my fridge and pantry with:

FRUIT: I love oranges, apples, grapes, and mango.  I try to limit myself to 2 a day but that is hard, especially through a menstrual cycle.  So most days I had one or two but I did go over board a couple times with 3 fruits.

BEEF STICKS: I love the Chomps beef sticks that you can get at Trader Joe's.  I also found these new ones called Country Archer that Sprouts carries though only the beef and turkey sticks are whole30 compliant.  It definitely helped when I had to run errands before I could come home and cook.

LARABARS:  I really try not to eat these but if I am getting cranky I'll eat one and I just try to have them on hand if I am going to be outside the house for a long period of time, just in case!  My favorite kind are the Lemon, Apple Pie and the Fruits & Green bars with Strawberry Spinach Cashew being my absolute favorite.  This is a list of all Whole30 Compliant Larabars.

So that was today.  I have tomorrow off of work so I am thinking of taking Lucy to Better Buzz so she can try their amazing breakfast sandwich (I will make myself breakfast at home first) and then I was thinking of driving to Julian.  And maybe stopping by Daiso and Tokyo Central...cause it's Lucy's pay day and she requested it!

Whole30 Reset: Day 9

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD Morning!

For breakfast today, I had my usual but with a little potatoes and red bell pepper.

I met my wonderful friend Megan for lunch at the park down the street and she made a DELICIOUS avocado and shrimp salad for us.  It was so yummy!  I think she used shrimp, avocado, tomato and cilantro with lime juice but I'm not 100% sure.  I know it was Whole30 compliant as she was sweet enough to look it up to make sure!  What a sweet friend!!! <3

After work I was a super grumpus:  

So Damion rushed me to Chipotle to calm down the hangry.  I'm thinking maybe I didn't eat enough at lunch because I shouldn't have been THAT grumpus.  I had my usual at Chipotle.

After that I came home and had to run in and out to get things from the store that I forgot to buy and my sweet boyfriend bought me these beautiful Ranunculus!

That was my day. <3

Whole30 Reset: Day 8

This morning I woke up later than usual. Damion made Lucy and I breakfast and I was in such a rush to get out that I forgot to take a picture of it! It was just 2 eggs over easy and bacon over mixed greens. Pretty similar to what I've been eating.

For lunch, Lucy made us salads with mixed greens, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, guacamole (from Trader Joe's) and boiled eggs. It was yummy and just enough for lunch. There was a healthy amount of guac so we skipped dressing.

Finally for dinner I made Cajun fajitas with a side salad of greens, tomatoes, avocado, salsa and I drizzled a little Caesar dressing (From Tessamae!). For the Cajon Fajitas I used a cajun spice mix from Spicely (Use code: JP61AYNW0EYN for 30% off), red bell peppers, onion, diced tomatoes, crimini mushrooms and chicken breast cut into strips. I use mostly all organic, especially meat.

I felt a little anxious today. I wanted to be focused but I was getting so agitated by any interruption. But a wholesaler made my day by bringing me a black coffee (Blonde Roast) from Starbucks. I needed that last little punch of energy. I've also been excited to work on planning a few trips coming up in the next 2 months. I'm visiting Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, and Ireland. I still can't believe I am a world traveler now. It seems unreal. I really want to get a good camera to take with me. I used to write with much better humor. I need to bring that back into my blog entries. So to start it off I will leave you with this:

Whole30 Reset: Day 7

I accidentally deleted my diary entry today.  :(  But oh well.  Let's see if I can remember the gist of it.

I said YAY I made it to Day 7 and 22% the way there!!

I said...I had the breakfast norm because it tastes delicious and it's filling.

Then for lunch I had Chipotle again because I did not prepare like I should have and I had my niece here with me.  But it was Whole30 compliant.  The carnitas are cooked with sunflower oil.  I order the salad with no rice, no beans, carnitas, tomatoes, red salsa, guacamole and... that's it!  It's super tasty and very filling so it really does fill the need.

For dinner I had a treat!  Lucy cooked Salt and Pepper Pork Loin with Potatoes and veggies (zucchini, onion, and asparagus).  It was DELICIOUS and so very easy to make!  I will have to try to make it again myself soon. 

I do need to adjust the portions on my plate going forward.  I need more veggies!  But I feel full and am still getting over terrible cramps so... I'm glad I've made it this far!  Thank you to everyone (anyone?) reading my entries.  I appreciate your interest in my journey to health and food freedom.  I want to FEEL healthy, I want to be able to outrun a bear!!!  Honestly it is bizarre how the word diet has this negative connotation to it. To some, it is mistakenly understood as a temporary thing when in fact it means the meals or foods one HABITUALLY eats!  Well I want this diet and I want it to be permanent.  Sweet things and nutrientless things TASTE GOOD, but they should be TREATS!  Not something I justify that I deserve every day.  I deserve it, yes, but I also deserve to travel comfortably, I deserve not to be judged and I deserve opportunities.  That is why I am doing this.  I appreciate everyone's love and support.  It means much to me! <3

Whole30 Reset: Day 6

Sunday I didn't log my meals or day but I did take pictures to save for later.  For breakfast I visited my sister and niece and made her my usual breakfast: Spinach, over easy eggs and bacon.  I got a Blonde coffee from Starbucks (black) and it was SO GOOD.

I gave Lucy her Graduation/Turning 18 gift!  And she looked so fly wearing it!

I drove home early with my niece (she is working with me this week to earn a little $) and we made lunch.  It was interesting... Basically it was Potato Spirals with BBQ (I used a Whole30 compliant bbq sauce that I found at Whole Foods.  It's from Tessemae) shrimp, onions and peppers.

And for dinner I made a sort of tomato basil chicken concoction... It was actually pretty delicious!  

LOOK BRENDA!! I HAVE PLATES LIKE YOURS NOW!! hehe.. They were on sale and I couldn't resist! So yeah, today I felt energized and happy.  I had a LOT of stuff to ship out when I got home so I was happy I had the energy to do it.  Day 6 down!

Also, I put this BEAUTIFUL piece of art up that Nancy Elle created.

Whole30 Reset Day 5

Out on the town.

Today I visited a lovely friend of mine in Santa Monica.  The day started with my normal breakfast except this time I added spiralized potatoes. 

For lunch we stopped by Whole Foods and I bought a salad and that juice drink I ordered the other day.  Btw, just FYI... Beet juice will turn everything that leaves you blood red.  No, you are not dying.

We went to the Santa Monica Art Walk in a small airport, it was really neat!  I didn't take too many pictures but I did take this one outside:

Yep, those are wooden bowling pins. hehe.  I wanted to run through them but it would seriously hurt if I did. lol...

For dinner we went to a Japanese spot and I had skewers, so I ordered mushroom skewers, shishito pepper skewers, and scallops on skewer.  

Then we went to world market so I picked up snacks there since lunch was not super filling.  I bought prosciutto, olives and pickles. 

We had a long talk and I was so happy to get to know my new friend.  I mean, we have known each other for a while but we have never KNOWN each other so that made me very happy.  ♡  I didn't catalog too much from this day because I wanted to disconnect and just enjoy my friend and the art and the moments!  It was great!

Whole30 Reset Day 4

I feel a LOT better today.  Though I still feel like a ravenous monster, my energy is better.  I got a LOT of sleep last night as well so I feel pretty rested.  For breakfast I repeated my breakfast from yesterday.  I love bacon and eggs so I don't mind the repetition.  

For lunch I didn't bring anything but I went to Whole Foods with my coworker and made a delicious salad with mixed spring salad and extra spinach, carrots. zucchini, shrimp, tomatoes, eggs, cucumber and onions.  I put one piece of pineapple and one piece of watermelon as a little sweet bite.  When I got to the office I topped the salad (I ate the fruit first) with Caesar dressing from Primal Kitchen (Whole30 approved).  I also ordered a fruit drink from the juice bar and watched them drop in a beet, 2 BIG chunks of celery ribs, a big chunk of orange, 2 carrots, parsley and spinach.  It was SO DELICIOUS!



For dinner I plan on making steak and veggies cause it's Friday dammit!  And this girl needs her protein!  I'm super excited about visiting my gal pal Nancy tomorrow morning but I have to make sure I stay on my Whole30 reset.  But it's good to know that in an emergency i can run over to a wholefoods and be a-ok.  :)  I'll update for dinner later.  Hope you are having a great day!!


UPDATE: Dinner was super easy.  I just put the steak on with onions, green beans and zucchini and a LOT of them.  It was filling and super tasty.  Just used basic old seasonings: Salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, parsley, onion powder and a little bit of ghee.

Whole30 Reset Day 3

Why didn't I prepare for this.  This is what happens when you don't read the book again before starting the reset.

Last night was a dinner fiasco.  I ate all the leftover ceviche (a considerable amount) and then I ate more things.  An apple, prosciutto, a pickle, grapes.  I mean, I know they are allowed but why did I want to consume EVERYTHING????

I think I figured out that it is PMS.  YEP.  On DAY 3.  (WHY DIDN'T I PLAN THIS BETTER?)

For breakfast I repeated what I had yesterday because it was delicious and simple and easy to make quickly.  Just a black coffee, spinach, two strips of sugar free bacon, 3 organic eggs seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley.  I added avocado and salsa (the salsa is compliant as I checked the ingredients)

So lucky for ME, my gal pal Brenda was kind enough to save my arse by making my lunch at her new beautiful home!  So I'll go visit her for lunch which is timely as I need to pick her brain about an education opportunity that has presented itself.  So this is it for now, I'll update later!

UPDATE: Lunch was awesome!  Brenda made chicken fajitas with peppers, chicken, onions and a side of avocado and lime.  

It was SO GOOD!  And because 1 hour was NOT enough time to pick all the info I needed from her brain she was kind enough to have me over for dinner and I was so hungry I forgot to take a pic of her delicious dinner!!!  It was fantastic.  She oven roasted a chicken and oven roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli.  It was so good!! I don't actually like sweet potatoes but DAMN THESE WERE GOOD!  BTW, you should follow her on Instagram!  She posts amazing delicious easy recipes that will make you feel like a chef!  This is a pic of the chicken from her Instagram Story.  :)

I'll update tomorrow on progress but I feel awesome today and so very grateful for such supportive, wonderful and talented friends!