Day 30

So I went out with a bang yesterday (day 30)
Breakfast - Sausage biscuit and hashbrown from McDonalds
Lunch - chicken fajita salad
Dinner - Tandoori Chicken, cauliflower

Okay and the big reveal - in just 30 days I've lost...............15 pounds!!! No joke. My clothes are falling off of me!
Another benefit is that my face is the clearest it's ever been.

I'm going to do a post soon about what I learned on this cleanse...stay tuned.

Day 29

Breakfast - Chocolate, Banana, Coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Salad with grilled chicken on top
2 Dates
Dinner - Chicken Fajitas (minus the tortilla and cheese)

Day 28

Breakfast - Apple with home made almond butter
Lunch - leftover braised balsamic chicken
 Dinner - tandori chicken with mint chutney

Yikes! Just realized I didn't eat any veggies today. Will remedy that tomorrow. :) I'm down 3 notches on my belt so far too. My pants are hanging off of me...it's really uncomfortable but good! :)

Day 27

Breakfast - Banana, mixed berry and coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Peri peri chicken, grilled veggies
Dinner - Braised Balsamic Chicken, oven roasted zucchini and carrots

Energy level is high and I'm feeling really good. So good in fact, that I think I'm going to do an extra two weeks. :)

Day 26

Whoop whoop!! Only 4 more days to go!!
Breakfast - fried egg with sweet potato hash
Lunch - Salad with chicken
Dinner - chicken swarma, oven roasted pumpkin and oven roasted cauliflower and broccoli

Day 25

Breakfast - Banana, mixed berry and coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Tuna
Dinner - zucchini pasta with olives and sundried tomatoes

Day 24

Okay, so I completely forgot to blog my food the last few days and although I cannot remember what I ate on day 24, I do know that I didn't cheat! Sorry!!

Day 23

Breakfast - Apple and Banana
Lunch - Grilled Chicken, steamed carrots and broccoli
Dinner - Carrots, grapes, cashews and almonds

How do I feel?
I don't really think I'm able to give an accurate picture as to whether or not this is helping my energy level. Was up with the boys again last night...it's been three weeks of this...so I'm still exhausted. Maybe I'd feel much worse if I weren't doing this cleanse! :)

Day 22

Breakfast - Pear
Lunch - Chicken on salad
Dinner - you're all going to be so disappointed in me but...I cheated..big time. We have friends here from out of town and they wanted to go to Chili's, so long story short...I had half a burger with some chips and salsa. ::( I know, I'm a terrible person. But I'm not going to lie - it tasted good!!! :)

Anyway, back at it tomorrow.

Day 21

Breakfast - Banana, Mixed Berry, Coconut milk smoothie, coffee and sweet potato hash
Lunch - Tuna with Grapes
Dinner - Salad with Turkey Breast on top, grapes

I'm still sick, ugh. Casey is sick too, so I've  been up with him at night..fun times.
I have to say that my energy level is up though. And my face is still very clear. Oh, and I had to take my belt down a notch!

I can honestly say, I'm enjoying this challenge. It has been hard, but I'm learning more about food, nutrition and myself through it all. If you are thinking about doing this challenge I would encourage you to go for it!

Day 20

Breakfast - Strawberry, Banana, Coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Beef stew and a pear
Snack - Green olives
Dinner - Sweet potato hash with fried eggs

Only 10 days left!!! But I have a confession to make....I cheated today. After more than two weeks with very little sleep, I just HAD to have a cup of Chai. I took about three sips and it tasted disgusting! Left this terrible aftertaste and that is all I had of it. Guess that's what I get for cheating. :)
Oh, and I forgot to include my weight loss at the two week mark, but in 19 days, I've lost 11.6 pounds...not too bad!

Day 19

Breakfast - Pear
Lunch - Beef stew (picked out the potatoes) and 1/2 of a pear
Dinner - Tuna and sweet potato chips
Dessert - Chocolate, Banana, Coconut milk smoothie

I am amazed at how my view of food has changed in just 19 short days. I only eat when I'm hungry, not just because I'm craving something. Food has lost it's hold on me. It's a great feeling!

Day 18

Breakfast - Salad with chicken on top. I know, not very "breakfasty" but it's something that sounded good.
Lunch - Chicken and veggie soup
Dinner - Chicken and veggie soup (it was pizza night for the boys)

Day 17

Breakfast - nothing. I know this is not good for me, but I'm just not hungry.
Lunch - Leftover chicken dive in, roasted tomatoes and sweet potato chips
Dinner - Tandori chicken

How do I feel?
My energy levels seem to be going up everyday. Last night was another sleepless one but I still did great today. Got lots done and stayed on my feet all day. I think this challenge might be working!

Day 16

Breakfast - leftover chicken swarma, cucumbers

Lunch - nothing

Dinner - Chicken DiveIn, Garlic green beans

How do I feel? Lots more energy today. Was able to get lots done. Still had very little appetite today. Nothing really sounds good.

Day 15

I'm sorry I didn't post this yesterday, life is in a bit of upheaval right now.

I haven't had much of an appetite.
Breakfast - coconut, sunflower seeds
Lunch - nothing, just wasn't hungry
Dinner - Salad with grilled chicken

How do I feel? I had a lot more energy today. My stress level is still very high. I think if life was "normal" right now I'd feel a lot better.

Day 14

Breakfast - Fresh coconut, watermelon
Lunch -Chicken and veggie soup
Dinner - Chicken Swarma, carrot and peas, roasted broccoli and cauliflower
Chocolate, banana coconut milk shake

How do I feel?
About the same. I am currently under a lot of stress and have only slept through the night once for a week straight, so honestly, I'm exhausted. The lack of sleep has made this challenge even harder. When I am tired and stressed, the thing I want most is some kind of comfort food but I'm still going. Not.much.longer.

Day 13

Breakfast - had leftover chicken and veggie soup and fresh coconut
Lunch - Peri-peri chicken, spinach and sweet potatoes
Snack - Blueberries, an apple with almond butter
Dinner - Tandori chicken and cabbage

How do I feel?
Every day is a little better. Last night was the first full nights sleep I've had in over a week, so I'm sure that helps. Well, tomorrow is two weeks! I'm pretty excited that I've gotten this far without cheating. :) 2 more weeks...

Day 12

Breakfast - you guessed it, banana, strawberry, coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Soup (cleaned out my fridge)
Dinner - Chicken with olives and sun-dried tomatoes
Dessert - fresh coconut and cherries

How do I feel?
I am feeling better. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that my sinus trouble is on it's way out. I had more energy today than I've had in a while. Honestly, it's getting pretty easy. Now that I have a few meals I like, that are quick it's been a lot easier to eat this way. Almost halfway there...

Day 11

Breakfast - Banana, Strawberry and coconut milk smoothie (I know, same thing everyday...)
Lunch - Roasted chicken, carrots, cabbage and mushrooms
Dessert - 2 dates
Dinner - Peri-peri Chicken, grilled veggies

How do I feel?
About the same. Still sick, still tired. Hoping that once I get over this sinus infection, I'll get some energy back.

Day 10

Breakfast - Banana, Strawberry and coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Canned Salmon, Apple
Dinner - Beef Fajitas (without the wrap)

How do I feel?
Aside from feeling awful from a lack of sleep and being sick, I'm doing ok. It's pizza day today and it's hard for me to watch the boys eating pizza in front of me.
One thing I have noticed is that the first few days, I was hungry all the time but now I don't feel the need to snack between meals.
Being sick makes it harder to stick with my plan...mostly because nothing sounds good. I really want some comfort food but nothing I can eat qualifies.
Well, day 10 is over and I can honestly say I haven't cheated yet! Only 20 more to go...although I'm thinking about going another 2 weeks past my 30 days...so, we'll see.

Day 9

Breakfast - Banana, strawberry, coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Soup from yesterday
Snack - Handful of cashews
Dinner - Batinjan (my Iraqi neighbor brought dinner over for me.) It's similar to this recipe: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/472/Batinjan_Khouresh53553.shtml  And it's one of our favorite dishes. Yum!

How do I feel?
Not so great, but it has nothing to do with the food I'm eating....I'm feeling sick, strep throat maybe? Anyway, glad to have gotten through 9 days already. I really am glad that I decided to do this. If nothing else, it's taught me that I can live without sweets, bread, dairy and caffeine. :)

Day 8

Breakfast - Banana, strawberry, coconut milk smoothie with nutritional yeast
Lunch - Soup made with home made chicken stock, shredded chicken, spinach, leeks, carrots and tomatoes
Snack - freeze dried apples, 2 dates
Dinner - Tandoori Chicken (non dairy)
Dessert - Chocolate banana coconut milk shake

How do I feel?
Another good day. Pretty sure the cravings are gone. Aaron even ate salt and vinegar chips (my favorite) and nerds in front of me and I can honestly say, I didn't want them. No difference in my energy level yet.

Day 7

Breakfast - Banana, mixed berry and coconut milk smoothie
Lunch - Big salad with shredded chicken, topped with nutritional yeast and balsamic vinegar dressing
Dessert - 1 date
Dinner - Sundried tomato and olive chicken (this was really, really good. it's one of our top favorites. even the boys loved it and asked for seconds), garlic green beans and sweet potatoes with cinnamon

How do I feel?

Today I have felt great! No cravings, completely satisfied with what was in front of me. It's been a really good day. Not sure that my energy level has increased yet but I'm hoping that will kick in soon.

And the best part of all so far is that I have lost weight. I haven't counted a single calorie, (in fact, I'm eating lots of fat..it's just healthy fat) simply ate when I was hungry and I lost 5 pounds in 6 days! I'm not expecting that every week, but I'm happy with the results from my first full week!

Day 6

Breakfast - Coconut milk, banana, apple and pear smoothie
Lunch - Ikea Salmon and steamed broccoli, freeze dried apples
Dinner - Olive and Sundried tomato zucchini noodles with nutritional yeast
Dessert - I treated myself to a banana, cocoa powder, coconut milk shake. It was wonderful!


How did I feel?
Today has been one of my best days. I still felt a little nauseated in the morning but figured out the reason. I just started making lacto-fermented salsa and eating it. Lacto fermentation is really great for your stomach. It kills all the bad bacteria caused from eating junk and taking antibiotics. What I didn't realize is that you have to start eating it in smaller portions (like 1 TBS a day), otherwise you experience what they call "die off". That's where all the bad bacteria is dying but when they die, they produce toxins that make you nauseous or even run a fever! So, today I skipped the fermented salsa and plan to eat only a TBS of it tomorrow (as opposed to the 1/4 cup I was eating on my eggs in the mornings!).
All in all, I'm feeling good and the cravings are starting to subside. Maybe I'll make it after all!! :)

Day 5

Breakfast - 2 Scrambled eggs topped with fermented salsa and guacamole

Lunch - Leftover soup from yesterday

Snack - I experimented by throwing a mango and coconut milk in the blender. It came out the consistency of pudding. I liked it. I think it would have been even better if I'd put it in the fridge for a little while.

Dinner - Feeling nauseous, so my dinner consisted of cashews, macadamia nuts and baby carrots. 

How do I feel?
Today has been rough. There were a few times that I was sure I wasn't going to make it the full 30 days. I am amazed by how much of an emotional need food fills for me. I literally felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack today. I've been dealing with back pain and nausea for some reason too so that doesn't really help. Going to the grocery store is torture. I suddenly want everything I see. Today I was craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...I hardly ever eat those but today it sounded wonderful!

On the plus side, my skin has not been this clear for quite a few years! Yay for drinking only water!!

Day 4

Breakfast - Spinach and 2 egg omelet topped with fermented salsa, leftover taco meat and guacamole
No snack, this breakfast kept me really full!
Lunch - Soup, I just made a soup from what I had...home made chicken stock, shredded chicken, sweet potatoes, spinach, onion, garlic and tomatoes. It was really good!
Snack - Sunflower seeds
Dinner - Roasted a whole chicken (I had no idea how easy or tasty this is!), sauteed mushrooms (so good) and raw red, yellow and green peppers.
Snack - Orange

How did I feel today?
My headache is gone, so that makes me feel a lot better! I'm so happy that I have stuck with this for 4 days...it's not easy, takes a lot of planning ahead. I've had a good amount of energy today even though I didn't sleep well last night.

I forgot to mention that I am drinking only water as well for these 30 days. Sometimes I will squeeze an orange or lemon in it, but nothing else. I'm drinking more water than I've ever had in my life and although I miss Coke, I'm enjoying the water.

There were a few times today that I was really craving sweets. Fruit doesn't cut it, my body wants that artificial sugar! I didn't give in but it was hard. :)

Day 3

Breakfast - Berry, Almond Milk and Banana Smoothie
Snack - Handful of cashews, 1 orange
Lunch - Chicken Almond Salad Lettuce Wrap, Cinnamon Carrots
Snack - Green olives, handful of Macadamia Nuts and Cashews
Dinner - Taco Salad with Guacamole
Dessert - Grapes

How do I feel today?
Still had a headache but it didn't last all day. Didn't really see a difference in my energy level. Friday nights are pizza night, so I'll admit it was hard to be satisfied with my taco salad while everyone else was eating pizza, but I am happy that I stuck with it.

Day 2

First of all, can you believe I am giving up coffee and chai??? What was I thinking? If I can't have coffee without whipping cream, what's the point? And if I can't have chai without sugar (could use almond milk instead of milk) what's the point?  I'm hoping this perpetual headache will subside before week 2.

Breakfast - Spinach, Banana and mixed berry smoothie
Snack - Handful of cashews
Lunch - Chicken Almond Salad Lettuce Wrap (oh my goodness...this was amazing!!!)
Dinner - Almond Chicken Mole, Roasted Asparagus, Cinnamon Carrots and Salad
Dessert - Seedless Grapes

How am I feeling? Today was certainly better than yesterday. The headache has felt like it was going to come back off and on all day but I'm wondering if that has something to do with my lack of caffeine. I had more energy today as well.
It's day two without sweets and that's a pretty big deal for me. I think the afternoons/evenings are the hardest because that's when I really crave something sugary.

Day 1

Day 1 Meals:
Breakfast - Roasted spinach, zucchini and garlic, 2 egg scramble with tomatoes on top.
Lunch - Can of tuna and grapes
Snack - cashews
Dinner - Chicken Swarma, Garlic Green Beans and salad with lemon juice.

How am I feeling on day 1? Terrible! I've had the worst headache all day and just a general feeling of lousiness. I've read that the first week is the roughest, which doesn't surprise me.

Hoping tomorrow is a better day.

What is this all about?

Well, today I began a 30 day whole food challenge. I thought it would be a good idea to blog about my meals and how I'm feeling each day - I'm hoping it will keep me on track.

Why am I doing this? I struggle daily with a low energy level. I feel tired all.the.time. It doesn't matter how much sleep I do or don't get. My hope is that eating pure, whole foods will bring my energy level back up and make me feel better.

So here is the important stuff: what can't I eat?

• Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc.

• Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.)

• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this program, corn is a grain! This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.

• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).

• Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee.

• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.

• Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best to leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes off your plate.
  
  I am not promising a whole lot of pictures, but will do what I can.