Friday, January 22, 2016

Whole30 #2: Week 2

Better published late than never!

Other than the persistent feeling of exhaustion and the late week crankiness, we're doing good.  Looking for recipe ideas, so please help!

Day 8: Still tired, cranky, but this may be due more to life than diet...WORST. MONDAY. EVER.
  • Breakfast:  Coffee and 1/2 a smoothie (the other half ended up in my purse.  See above note regarding temperament).
  • Lunch: Work restaurant lunch--salad with grilled chicken, romaine, hard boiled egg, pico, avocado, vinegar (not vinagrette).
  • Dinner: Chicken roasted with carrots and parsnips.  A big old spoonful of almond butter
    sprinkled with sea salt.
Day 9: The cranky is finally subsiding.  I was originally up at 5am for no good reason--just done sleeping I guess!
  • Breakfast: Coffee.  Lots of coffee.
  • Lunch: Leftover chicken, carrots, and parsnips with some arugula; an orange; and a not very ripe at all mango.
  • Dinner: Thai red curry with veggies, cod, and avocado.
Day 10:
Day 11: Feeling pretty good.  Getting out of bed easily.
  • Breakfast: Coffee.
  • Lunch: Leftover squash burrito bowl and a grapefruit.  I even poached an egg at work using the microwave!
  • Dinner: Chicken soup.
Day 12: Feeling really good, but there's a strong need for coffee.
  • Breakfast:  Lots of coffee. 
  • Lunch: A weird amalgam of leftovers that I can't really describe.  And an apple with almond butter.
  • Dinner: Date night!: King crab legs with strained butter, green beans, and some baked potato with strained butter.
Day 13:  Ski day!
  • Breakfast: Coffee 
  • Lunch:  Chicken taco salad and a grapefruit.  And a coffee.  I was just feeling the coffee.
  • Dinner:
Day 14: Little Man's Birthday!  I was up 645am (everyone else was dead to the world) and got to read quietly for 45 minutes before the little lady got up.  It was awesome!
  • Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie (coconut milk, blueberries, cherries, chia seed, and a Tbsp of almond butter.
  • Lunch: Salad and buffalo wings.  It probably had vegetable oil in both, but whatever...I didn't eat pizza.  Or the really awesome Ninja Turtle head cake pops my best friend made.  Or drink wine!  But I did eat chocolate cake...and it was amazing.
  • Dinner: Chicken soup--finally killed that batch!

Monday, January 11, 2016

Whole30 #2: Week One

I decided to do another Whole30--luckily I've got a bunch of friends and co-workers to back me up this time.  Pretty much all of us are just trying to eat REALLY well for January since we all ate REALLY poorly during December.

I'm looking forward to feeling a lot better and sleeping better like I did the first time I did it in June 2015.  This time, I'm going to attempt to fully document it, mostly to keep myself accountable and not cheat...

Start date was Jan. 4th.

Day 1: 147 lbs. (Really?  That's 10 pounds heavier than September, the last time I weighed myself and payed it any mind), bloated, probably the worst complexion I've seen since 16, TIRED.  We all joked at lunch at how swollen our fingers were, too, thinking we're probably all OD'd on salt. Mentally feeling pretty okay.
  • Breakfast: Coffee with coconut milk. (I found this boxed one which is great for storing in the fridge.  I water it down a little for cooking/smoothies.)
  • Lunch: Chicken soup (homemade with mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery), a grapefruit, and 3 slices of apple with almond butter (maybe a teaspoon).
  • Dinner:  Sockeye Salmon (ala Alton Brown using olive oil) served on a bed of arugula with a slice of meyer lemon, half an avocado, and roasted asparagus.

Day 2: Tired, but fine.  Wanting wine and chocolate after dinner.
  • Breakfast: Coffee again, because I haven't been hungry for breakfast.
  • Lunch: Left-overs from dinner the night before without the asparagus, because I ate it all.
  • Dinner: Rainbow trout in a coconut red thai curry sauce with sliced bell peppers and mushrooms, avocado, and cilantro.
Day 3:  Woke up HUNGRY, but still feeling okay.
  • Breakfast: Coffee and a slice of tortilla espanola, again, made with coconut and olive oils.
  • Lunch: Fruit salad at a lunch meeting, because I couldn't eat anything else that was served...
  • Dinner: Rib roast with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with ghee/clarified butter.
Day 4: Fine.  Weird dreams last night.
  • Breakfast: Coffee and a smoothie of a banana, coconut milk, chia seeds, cherries and blueberries (with a little water to make it drinkable).
  • Lunch: Leftover rib roast, sweet potato, half a grapefruit, and some apple slices with almond butter.
  • Dinner: Chicken-cilantro burger on a bed of arugula with avocado and caramelized onions and mushrooms.
Day 5: Still slow in the mornings, but my energy level is definitely evening out during the day (vs. the peaks and pits of last week on sugar).
  • Breakfast: Coffee.
  • Lunch: Chicken-cilantro burger on a bed of arugula with avocado and caramelized onions and mushrooms, grapefruit, and some apple slices with almond butter.
  • Dinner: Mexican chicken lettuce "tacos" with avocado and cilantro.
Day 6: Slow to get up, but feeling good.  Skied all day and was more stiff than sore that night.
  • Breakfast: Coffee, smoothie.
  • Lunch: Leftover Mexican chicken lettuce "tacos" with avocado and cilantro.
  • Dinner: Stuffed pepper (canned tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, ground pork and beef mix, topped with basil.
Day 7: Cranky.  So unbelievably cranky. And tired.

  • Breakfast: Coffee, smoothie.
  • Lunch: Shake Shack double patty no-bun burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard.
  • Dinner:  Leftover stuffed pepper.
  • Dessert: Sliced banana with almond butter.
Who else is doing a Whole30?  What are you feeling?  What are you eating?

Monday, January 4, 2016

Goals Update: 2015 In Review & 2016 Plans

Welcoming 2015

1. Sew one garment a month: Nope.  Nothing in December.  And I really didn't do so hot for the year, either, seeing as I only completed three projects and I think I only wrote about two of them.
2. Post an article a month: Nothing in December.  I did pretty well over the course of the year, though, as I posted 24 articles and posted at least one (other than this review list) in eight of those months.
3. Run at least 2 5K races: Nope.  Had one under my belt, and never got to #2.  Couldn't even muster up enough caring to go for a quick run on that 70 degree Christmas Day.
4. Exercise 3 times a week: December was great for making my daily steps.  I ended up in the top 2 or 3 every week, and consistently met or exceeded my 10K goal each day. For the year, I think I did okay seeing as there were only about 2 months there where I wasn't really exercising.
5. Have one date with my husband a month: Our annual day after Christmas movie and shopping date happened, so that's a win.  And for the year, we're at least 10 for 12 which is pretty awesome.
6. Become better at expressing my curiosity, and be more clear in the intent of my curiosity: I think I've been doing better, but I've still got a long way to go.  I think once I get into a conversation with someone (i.e. we're both actively listening), I do smashingly, but the initial broaching of the subject continues to cause some strife (and my conversation partners to shut down).
7. Read 10 books: I am SO happy to report that I accomplished this one!  I finished my 10th book the week before Christmas.  I finished up with Tina Fey's "Bossy Pants" which was a really funny read--and great perspective for a working mother.  I recommend it.

Like pretty much all other goals posts for this year, I can firmly say that I accomplished 4 out of 7.  If we count halfsies, I could make an argument for 5, but I think that'd be cheating.


2015 was an interesting year, with a BIG move for us, some major life decisions made, and a modified perspective on what my life actually is and can be versus trying to make it into something else.  I'm glad I tried to do all of this in 2015, and even though I didn't make the goal, I still feel a sense of accomplishment for having done as well as I did.

So what's on the docket for 2016?
1. Stop yelling at my kids. (It really doesn't help anyone)
2. Get at least a B+ in all of my classes (oh ya, I'm starting my MBA this month).
3. Read as many books as possible from this list, thanks to a Facebook challenge from some friends. (I've read a few already, but there's a bunch I haven't and we're all kind of in the same boat on this one.)
4. Exercise 3 times a week/meet those 10K+ steps. 
5. Become better at starting conversations/broaching sensitive subjects with people.
6. Paint my nails once a month.  (Because every girl should have something a little girly in her life once in a while.)  

I've consciously left off goals for sewing, writing, and the 5Ks in 2016.  These were the goals I didn't do well at in 2015 and are also the most time-consuming.  Since I'll be starting an MBA program in 2016, I expect most of my time will spent on studying and any free-time with my family.  I also left off the date goal because we did SO WELL at it.  I think it's officially become a habit and something we've really come to value doing each month.



What are your goals?  How can we be awesome together in 2016?