Back in late February I began a new adventure to better health and started Whole30. I cut out all wheat, sugar, artificial ingredients and all of the other non-approved foods on Whole30. I read “It Starts with Food” and learned the science behind the foods making me feel not so good. I stocked my kitchen with healthy foods and enjoyed creating new dishes that would nourish me. I began to enjoy the simplicity of very few ingredients in my meals and their flavors. I went from snacking all the time to only eating 3 meals a day once on Whole30. I wasn’t bloated anymore and the weight that I had gained since our move to NY was magical melting off without stepping foot into a gym. I was proud of myself and the transformation that had slowly began to take shape. I had even talked a good friend into joining me on the Whole30 journey and had the support of another friend who was in her third week when I began.
Then wham…
21 days in and I caved.
I had burnt my dinner, had a pity party and threw away 21 days of feeling wonderful; all for a couple slices of pizza and an ice cold beer. I justified my lapse in my Whole30, so I could partake in the St. Patty’s Day festivities. I made my traditional Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes to share with my neighbors, cooked up a delicious Guinness Corned Beef and cabbage dish in the crockpot with roasted fingerling potatoes on the side. The corned beef and cabbage was amazing, but I soon wished I had a sweet potato instead of the little fingerling potatoes .
I remained off program for almost 2 weeks and felt awful all over again. My face broke out. I began suffering from “allergies” and any OTC medicine I tried, failed to relieve my runny nose and sneezing. Also during that time, I was back to snacking 24/7 and the weight I had lost was slowly creeping back on. It really put a damper on my mood and this endless winter wasn’t helping.
However, my body was still craving the whole foods and sending me “signals” of what it really needed. Last week, I began eating half Whole30/half processed. The meals I ate on plan made me feel better than I had when I ate whatever. Lesson learned-I wasn’t as satisfied as I thought I’d be eating a slice of my favorite pizza or a bowlful of homemade mac & cheese.
I woke up this morning determined to begin another Whole30/Paleo journey. I know there will be days that I’ll have temptation and times that Paleo friendly food isn’t available, but I’m going to do the best I can. So here I am, day one (again) and wondering why I stopped at day 21. I know that no one’s perfect and we all have our weaknesses. So try again I must.
Some of my most favorite Whole30 creations:
*Sweet Potato and Apple “hash” cooked in coconut oil alongside golden raisins, coconut flakes and pecans.
*Apples chopped up and cooked in coconut oil with a bit of cinnamon to go along with scrambled eggs at breakfast.
*Cuban Pork Tenderloin with a sweet potato, Craisins (oops, they’re not unsweetened), apple & pecan “hash” alongside roasted broccoli.
Leftover Pork Tenderloin sliced and served with sautéed green beans, cashews and orange segments.
Perfect side dish for anything-Brussels Sprouts with bacon
*Grilled Chicken with cashews, snow peas, broccoli, orange segments and golden raisins.
*Steak & Fried Eggs with sautéed spinach, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
*Grilled hamburger smothered with mushrooms and onions, baked sweet potato and ‘burnt’ green beans.
*Omelet topped with pico de gallo and avocado served alongside bacon, blueberries and oranges.
*My go-to lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad with hard boiled egg, bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes, EVOO, Frank’s Red Hot, Red wine vinegar and salt & pepper.
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