Eggs

On the Whole30 or paleo diet, eggs are pretty much a staple for breakfast, however they can get boring. In January, I started off making an old standby, the "Paleo pancake" which I found floating around the web. It's basically eggs & bananas mashed up together. I would fry that up in my coconut oil, since it left a sweet after taste & then top it with fruit, blueberries & strawberries were my favorite. After a few weeks of that, I got bored of it though & started making my sweet potato hash & topped it with a few scrambled eggs. That was good too and would keep me fuller, longer, so I continued that for breakfast through January & February.

Then I started seeing things on Pinterest &  people posted it to my wall a few times, of eggs cooked in a muffin tin with bacon wrapped around it. I am not doing bacon in March, just to try to cut out some fat from my diet, but I've also seen prosciutto used in place of bacon. I got the nerve up to try to make my own egg "muffins" on Sunday. I had found some prosciutto where the ingredients were only ham & salt. Those ingredients are even Whole30 compliant! I was excited to try something new in the way of eggs. Anyways, I covered the bottom of a few muffin tins with the meat & then mixed together some red pepper, onions & a few eggs in a bowl. I then poured the egg mixture into each "meat cup" & then baked it for about 15 minutes. I made some this morning too & I have to say, that it is a yummy, protein packed way to eat eggs in the morning. Plus, you can switch it up by using different veggies or even making it sweet by adding a banana & fruit in there (I wouldn't recommend wrapping that in bacon or prosciutto though!) Here are a few of my beauties from this morning.

Updates!

There have been a few changes around these parts. I have to admit, I am not doing the Whole30 Challenge anymore. I had an epic fail Saturday night & ate some pizza when we were out as a family. I tried to get back in the saddle on Sunday, but we had a birthday party and I quickly realized how many birthday parties/baby showers/celebrations I had in March and how difficult it would be to stay on the Whole30 for the whole month. I KNOW I could do it, but is it worth it?? I believe in the challenge & I LOVED the results I got from doing it in January. The thing is, I was super stressed about it this time around & was having a hard time with cravings, I didn't want to spend the whole month feeling that way. I am more interested in keeping my eating clean when NOT on the challenge, when I am left to my own devices and have the liberty to eat whatever I want. I want to CHOOSE to eat clean & prove to myself that I can do it even when I'm not following the Whole30 program. SO- there you have it folks. I am spreading my wings & trying to do it on my own.

Other than that, I have a race on Saturday. It's my first 25K (15.3 miles!) & it's a trail race. My running buddies & I generally train on the Des Plaines River Trail, but I think the one we are racing on has more hills. EEP! I'm nervous about the terrain. I am excited to try something new though. All of my previous races have been road races, so this one will be a whole new experience. I do have to say, the closer it gets, the more nervous I get. I am nervous about the weather holding out, we seem to have a lot of flurries & rain in our future and I am worried that the trail will be miserable. I am sure it will be dirty, hopefully not crazy muddy though. This will be the longest race I have ever run, I'm just glad that I'm doing it with my running buddies, I will have support & good conversation. Plus, I know that when I do something new & prove to myself that I can do it, I feel awesome. I really hope to have a successful race on Saturday!!

I need something to boost my morale. I've been feeling low lately. I am just really hoping to find my niche in the fitness world soon. It's too soon for me to be looking for a job, since none of my kids are really in school yet & I don't even WANT to work until they're all in school. However, I feel stuck. I feel like I'm not really moving ahead in any area. I would love to somehow learn more & become a part of something bigger. If you think of it, please keep me in your prayers, I am waiting for God's timing & leading in my life, but it is hard to wait & I am losing heart while I wait.

I cheated

I cheated, I fell off the wagon, I am back on Day 1 of the Whole30 :( I ate some pizza last night. We went out to Piece Pizza yesterday and before we left, I looked at their menu, I saw a salad that looked decent & so we were out the door. Well, things didn't go as planned from there.

There is this huge wait when we got there & we ended up waiting for well over an hour, with 3 little kids. Yikes! Plus, there's really no "waiting" area, so we were amid all of the tables that were being delivered their delicious pizzas. The smell of pizza was everywhere & did I mention that I felt like I was going to faint b/c I was so hungry?! I told Nick a few times that we should just leave, I knew I wouldn't be able to withstand the pizza that we were going to order once we sat down.

FINALLY, we were seated. I DID order my salad, I asked for no cheese, but forgot to ask them to hold the candied walnuts (sugar everywhere I tell ya!), which I DIDN'T eat, Nick snacked on those. But the whole salad was covered in dressing. I could tell it was a sugary dressing too b/c the Whole30 has given me super sugar tasting abilities LOL So I was eating the salad, but I knew I had already eaten all this sugary dressing, so I figured I may as well eat the pizza too since I would have to start over today anyway.

Let me tell you, it was GLORIOUS!! The last time we ate at Piece Pizza, I remember not being too impressed, but this time it was delicious. I tasted everything, the cheese, the crust, the sauce, the pepperoni, it was all soooooo yummy. I have to say, I am happy that I ate it LOL The 2 times I ate pizza in February, when I was off the Whole30 challenge, I wasn't too impressed. It was good, but not like this pizza, which was what dreams are made of ;) To be fair, I do have to say that it sat like a lump in my stomach all night & I did gain 2 pounds in water weight from the carbs or whatever.

This time around, my experience with the Whole30 Challenge has been a lot different than it was in January. It.is.a.STRUGGLE! It has been so mentally hard this time around. I didn't go crazy in February when I was not doing the challenge, I basically ate the same as in January, but I did add in daily chocolate. I had pizza a few times & a couple sandwiches for lunch, but I didn't binge on anything. I was shocked that it has been so hard, BUT I think my body IS craving the sugary/carbs more because it HAS been so long since I've had them. I have been craving pastries like mad, I keep wanting donuts, but I can't even tell you the last time I even ate a donut! I don't eat those things regularly. It is insane.

I am back to Day 1 & I am so sad. This is a timeline that someone wrote up about the different phases while on the Whole30: Whole30 Timeline. I was in that Day 8-15 range where your food cravings rival that of pregnancy. I NEVER had that phase last time, at least that I remember, so if I did, it wasn't that bad. This time was cray cray BUT I was ALMOST to the freaking Tiger Blood stage. Oh, how I want to get to that Tiger Blood stage again LOL It is amazing, I KNOW how good it can feel to eat clean & have all of that energy, SO I will work hard, to get past all the yuckiness...AGAIN....to hopefully have a successful 30 days this time around. My only question is, am I on round 2 still or does this make me on Round 3??

First day Post-Whole30 Challenge & Paleo Pizza!

Today was my first day off of the challenge. This must have been a big deal to me because I have been dreaming about it for the past few nights! Two nights ago, I dreamt that I was making my paleo pizza (my first dinner planned post-Whole30) & then last night I was at a church function & there were only baked goods & potatoes to eat!! I chose some blue potatoes, but then when I was actually eating them, they were more like donuts. I found some strawberries, but they were all half eaten & rotten :( SAD!!

Anyways, enough about dreams, today I kept with my Whole30 routine. I had my sweet potato hash with eggs, had a few figs at church & had a salad at Jason's Deli for lunch. I went to the store & bought what I needed for my Paleo pizza tonight!

Paleo Pizza: This is the recipe I was following http://www.paleolithe.com/2012/04/17/primal-pizza-with-cheesy-cauliflower-crust/. I didn't have any other toppings than sauce & cheese, but that was fine, I was just excited to have pizza again! My two little helpers in the kitchen:

Here is the cheese & herbs that I started with. I added an egg and almond flour to it too:

This is the mixture with cauliflower added & rolled into a "dough"

Looks like a yummy crust, right?! 

C & A watching the pizza "dough" cook in the oven 

Here it is our of the oven, nice & brown! 

Now here is the pizza after I topped it with the sauce & cheese & popped it into the oven until the cheese melted.

So the verdict on the pizza....the reviews did say it was crumbly and mine was too, especially in the middle. The edges were nice & brown & that was the best part of the crust. I will say it did taste really good, the cheese & the garlic & herbs really made it yummy! I could detect a hint of cauliflower. Although I wonder if someone who didn't know it was made with cauliflower would taste it? 

So all in all, it was actually kind of a let down. I had really built up my first bite of pizza in a month in my  mind and then when I had it, it was not as special as I wanted it to be. Plus, I missed having protein & a heaping pile of veggies. I actually would rather have had that! I suppose if you added more toppings to the pizza, you wouldn't necessarily be missing out on those things, but since mine was just a cheese pizza, I did miss protein & veggies. 

For the last month, I've been craving really cheesy things & let me tell you, this was CHEESY!! And I wasn't all that impressed. I honestly didn't miss dairy that much apart from melting cheese as a topping, so to have it on the pizza & not really enjoy it was pretty crazy. 

I guess this just confirms to me that I would rather continue following the Whole30 program than be off of it. My husband even went out & got some brownie mix tonight for him & the kids and I'm not even tempted to eat a brownie. I WOULD be tempted by a square of dark chocolate, but not so much by a brownie. I have been enjoying the changes I've noticed in my body & in my energy and I don't want to compromise those things by going crazy off of the program. 

Last Day of Whole30 Challenge

Today marks Day 30 of the Whole30 Challenge. I honestly can't believe I made it through the challenge! I really nervous to take it, I definitely didn't think I would make it through! The rules are pretty strict:

I think the most daunting thing for me, heading into the challenge was giving up sweets & grains. I am not a big milk drinker, I don't love legumes & I know I can go without alcohol. I was also worried about MAKING all of my food. Prior to the challenge, I would make maybe 3 meals a week, but for the challenge, I've made breakfast, lunch & dinner (at least for myself) almost every day. There were a few times where we went out on the weekends, but other than that, I was making everything. I can't believe I found out that I actually enjoyed that part about it!! Some meals were flops, especially with my kids, but I definitely found some new meals that I liked. I even surprised myself & found out that I LOVE warm kale/spinach/swiss chard salads. YUMMO!! 

What helped me stay motivated & on track was the book that goes with the challenge: It Starts with Food. I HIGHLY recommend it to ANYONE!! SO interesting about what our  modern diet is going to our bodies & how our bodies respond to all of the added sugar & processed foods that we eat. Even a modern "healthy" diet is wreaking havoc on our bodies. If you want the science behind it, READ.THE.BOOK! 

I think the best way to make it through the challenge is to remember WHY you're doing it. Your motivation has to be strong, especially during the first week or so, those are the crazy withdrawal days, where you will be cranky & irritable. I found that it really did become second nature though. I honestly don't even crave any of the foods that I "can't" have anymore. I am loving the energy I have & how good I feel, I don't want to go back to how I was eating before the challenge. I think I've said that before :)

The other thing I think is ESSENTIAL in completing a successful Whole30 Challenge is to have a buddy! My sweet friend, Blair, helped me along the way. I am SO thankful for our texts, supporting each other, asking each other how we were doing. She passed along some of her successful recipes to me, I shared some recipes with her. I couldn't have done it alone & I was blessed to have her support. Blair, I wish we could get together & celebrate when this whole thing is over for both of us!! *hugs* 

All in all, I'm glad that I challenged myself, that I stepped out of my comfort zone & did something I thought was impossible. I learned some things about myself, ate new foods & am feeling better than ever! I even lost 7 pounds, although that is not the whole goal of the program, I am glad for that side effect! I even took a before, middle & after pic, but I am not brave enough to share those with the internets. I'm just glad to have some evidence of how far I have come in 30 days. :) 

meat loaf & brussel sprouts

I would like to know...who AM I?! What has happened to me?? I am an adult, capable of making my dinner & what did I make myself?! Freakin' meatloaf & brussel sprouts! LOL

Can I let you all in on a little secret? In college, I used to eat cereal,grilled cheese, fries & drink massive amounts of pop. I seriously lived off of that stuff. For my 16th birthday, I'm pretty sure I got a 24 pack of Pepsi! HAHA! And you know what, I LOVED it & probably drank it all within a week...by myself. UGH! SO, just so you know, this is a HUGE lifestyle change for me.

Yes, I am a 32 year old mom now, but my eating habits have only recently gotten better than that of my college days. I have been trying new things, even things I previously didn't like. I grew up HATING meatloaf, just the mere thought of ground beef in the shape of a loaf was enough to turn my stomach, yet here I am, years later, making it for myself (while my kids called it gross & once again, went without dinner). It was Paleo meatloaf, but still, super delicious! Like a big loaf-shaped meat ball! Don't even get me started on brussel sprouts.

I actually never had them growing up b/c my dad hated them so much, my mom never made them. I started seeing yummy looking brussel sprout recipes on pinterest awhile ago, so I figured I should try them out! Now I am trying to use up a bag of shredded brussel sprouts I bought last week. I had a kale & brussel sprouts salad last night & then cooked up some bacon, threw in some of my b. sprouts with a dash of balsamic vinegar & voila! Yummy side dish to aforementioned meat loaf. YUM!

So I am on Day 27 of the 30 day Challenge! WHAAAAAAAAT?! How did the month go by so quickly?! I am amazed at how well I adjusted to the challenge. It was a rocky start, I'll admit, but now I don't want to go back to the SAD (Standard American Diet)! I lost about 7 pounds so far & I am nervous about gaining it back, but really I wanted to challenge myself to eat better, to eat the way I know I SHOULD be eating & I've honestly come to embrace it. Now I DO miss some added sweeteners. I am currently battling a sinus thing & my throat is on fire, I would LOVE to have some hot water, lemon & honey right now...but I'm holding out until after I hit Day 30. I miss pizza & I craved some really cheesy bread at one point, but all of that passes & I am really enjoying eating clean :)

It has finally happened! "They" tell you that after you start eating clean, "normal" foods begin to taste even better, like tasteX10000!! I had that happen to me yesterday!! I was eating strawberries at breakfast & realized how sweet they were, I had some meat at lunch & could taste every little bit of it, even the fat didn't freak me out & turn me off, it had a taste all of it's own! At dinner I was literally almost licking the plate b/c it was SOOOOOO good (another dish my kids wouldn't eat! BAHA! Eggplant strata strikes again). I made some energy bites for running (foolishly hoping I would be able to run today) and OMG- the TASTE! They were SO GOOD!!! My husband said they looked like little poops, but all the better, if the rest of my family is freaked out by them, I'll get to eat them all myself!!

So add me to the list of converted, clean eating freaks that you know!! I'm not stopping once I hit Day 30! :) I also love that I feel amazing when training. I am not a crossfitter (although I would LOVE to be!), but I do run & lift weights (*ahem* & do Jillian Michaels' DVDs) and I can tell that I have more endurance & am starting to see some definition to my arm muscles!! That really thrills me actually. :)

I am struggling with being at the very beginning of where I want to be, but I know that everyone starts SOMEwhere & this is the start for me.