Whole 30 Halfway Point - Day 15 (Recipes included)

This challenge really hasn't been all that hard.  Having such a great support group and such wonderful food choices this time of year, I haven't really been all that tempted to stray from the plan.  I will admit that walking through Costco on a Sunday while hungry was VERY difficult!  They had some kind of pie sample table RIGHT near the produce section and it smelled oh so good!  However, I snuck an apple out of my container of apples and munched on that to get me through the store. 

I've come to really enjoy black coffee, something I thought I would never say!  I crave blueberries and sweet potatoes.  And water!!! I am no longer starving by 11:00am and can easily make it until 12:00 for lunch...sometimes I have to remind myself to eat as I have a 1:00 meeting and won't have time to eat again until later in the day otherwise.  My skin is flawless (could be the Proactive, could be the diet, could be both!).  I do still want a beer or a glass of wine on a Friday after a long work week but am finding enjoyment in mango/pineapple smoothies as a treat.  I can see a noticeable difference in my legs, butt and stomach.  Mainly, less of them all! 

My post WOD recovery does not seem to have suffered at all (my shake mirrors the same grams of carbs/protein/fat I was taking in pre Whole 30 which I assume helps here).  I have felt great in the gym (aside from my back) and feel more than motivated to continue for the next 15 days!  I've also found I have no shame in eating, regardless of what people think!  On my way to go hiking on Saturday, after a great WOD, I munched on a pre-cooked sweet potato on I5.  I received several curious looks as people tried to figure out what the hell I was eating!  Also, I carry cinnamon in my purse because you never know when an apple or sweet potato might need a little cinnamon!

My food prep takes less time the more I do it.  Yesterday I hard boiled some eggs, boiled chicken to make shredded chicken for a salad and cooked peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, shrimp and scallops on the BBQ.  My prepped meals for the beginning of the week look like this:

Chicken Salad (modified a recipe I found but didn't really like)

Boil 4 chicken breasts and shred once cool
Chop 1 red bell pepper in to small pieces
1 can artichoke hearts (or about 1 cup)
1/4-1/2 cup homemade mayo
Yellow mustard to taste
Spices (onion powder, garlic powder)

Mix everything together and chill.  I plan on eating this as a small dinner while getting my hair done tonight.  You could eat this as a salad topping, by itself, as a side dish, in lettuce wraps...however you want!

BBQ Skewer Goodness

This one is simple!

Protein - pick whatever you want.  I like shrimp (with tail on) and scallops, both thawed.
Veggies - Again, pick whatever you want.  I used 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper and mini portabella mushrooms I picked up at Costco
Flavor - I added pineapple chunks to add a little sweetness.  I also marinated the shrimp and scallops in lime juice (fresh) and black pepper.
Extra - I like to use Guacamole as a dressing, for pretty much everything, but especially this salad since the fat content is very low.

For simple cooking I keep all the veggies/fruit on their own skewers and put the protein on separate skewers.  I use the metal ones as they hold up better and don't require soaking.  So good, I could eat this every day!  Well so long as the protein source changed.

My breakfast still consists of a hash of some sort, eggs and sweet potatoes mostly.  Snacks include hard boiled eggs, tuna fish, fruit.  I still struggle a bit with late night snacking urges, but not nearly as bad as I used to!  I'm honestly excited to finish these next 15 days!  Thanks to my CFLO family, and husband, for being such a great support group through this!  Not sure I would have even attempted this if it wasn't for you!

Whole 30 - Day 8

So I had more to say but didn't want everyone to miss my great lunch!  So as I admitted to everyone on Facebook, I caved and weighed myself.  the hubbs was very disappointed in me and made me promise not to step on it again until the end of the challenge.  While I wanted to argue that it was different, he was right in that me stepping on the scale would be the same thing as him drinking a diet pop.  It's a mental thing, a habit, a routine and we both are working hard to break away from our bad habits.  The temptation to step on the scale is still there every morning when I wake up.  So today, rather than step on the scale, I went back and looked at pictures from when I first started blogging and when I first started doing Crossfit.  Um...I'm buff now!  Haha, but seriously, I took some 'before pictures' and posted them and never followed up with 'after' pictures.  I just went back and looked at them and although I weighed less than I likely do now, I didn't have a lot of muscle tone. Now though?  Watch out!

Just kidding, however, it was really refreshing to look back at what my goals were, what I looked like and enjoy how far I've come. 

Next point, I have a sweet tooth and I have a problem!  I figured out how to make wonderful Whole 30 ingredient approved smoothies and find myself eating them for dinner instead of dinner.  Why?  Because they are cold and sweet and wonderful!  So I am going to work on limiting these over the next week to maybe 2-3 a week as a treat vs one every day!

My main problem is that when it's just me at home I really don't feel like making/eating dinner.  So instead I graze and snack.  I'm usually hot and sweaty after the gym and therefore tend to default to fruit and other cold/sweet things.  When Matt is home I do better because he is better at actually eating dinner!  So my other goal is to make myself eat dinner and if I'm craving something after to try to stay away from fruit as the default.  My guess is that I won't want to weigh myself as much because I know I'm doing better by not eating as much fruit.  I think my desire to weigh myself is to make sure I'm on track and when I'm not sure if I am on track or not it's a way to check in with myself.

Anyways, all that said, Whole 30 is going great!  I've come to really enjoy breakfast and lunch!  I feel good and have gotten over some digestion issues I had during the first few days.  My energy levels are great, I feel strong in the gym and love the feeling of being prepared for the day!

Whole 30 Day 8 - Best Lunch Ever (Recipe)

If you follow my blog then you already know this by now, but I am a creature of habit.  I forced myself to branch out this weekend as my husband cannot eat the same thing all time, unlike me!  So to help him stay on plan I had to think out of my standard meal list to come up with something easy and different.  Ugh, yeah right, I have no idea what I'm going to buy/make all came to mind.  I started looking through the fridge and freezer to come up with my grocery list when I came across a bag of frozen shrimp we bought a few weeks ago.  Then it came to me, a tropical seafood salad would be a great summery meal, and different than anything I've made during this challenge.  I don't have an exact recipe because I kind of just threw everything together, but here is an 'outline'

Thaw 1 bag frozen shrimp
Thaw 1 bag scallops (from Trader Joes)
1 canned pineapple chunks (in 100% juice)
1 bag of spinach
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 bunch of green onions
Homemade Guacamole (however you like it)  Mine included 4 small avocados, chopped red onion and lime juice.

I put the shrimp, scallops and pineapple on skewers and bbq'd them.  Easy and fun!  Although I bought these nice metal ones but didn't think about how hot they would be and how difficult it would be to turn them (lesson learned!).  The meat/fruit combo cooked very quickly and in the meantime I chopped and put together the salad.  You could add whatever you want to the salad that you think would taste good.

Once everything is done, combine and eat!  I used the guacamole as dressing and ate it for lunch today!

Whole 30 - Day 4

Although I was nervous going in to this challenge I honestly wasn't that scared even though I acted like it.  In fact I was excited because I wanted to feel great I wanted to see the results I have long been waiting for (hoping to see an ab muscle haha!).  My biggest challenge as I've shared each day is not stepping on the scale.  My way of knowing I've done well with my diet and exercise is to step on the scale and see a rewarding number.  I've been stepping on the scale each morning for several years now.  I step on it when I know it's going to be bad as a way to remind myself to do better.  I step on it when it's going to be good and I step on it every where in between.  I am feeling good at day 4, I feel like I've lost some of the bloat in my stomach and my energy levels seem great.  This just doesn't seem like enough though, I REALLY want to step on the scale to see if I've lost weight. 

However, I won't.  I'm already learning that one of the lessons I'll take away from this challenge is learning to tune in to what is good for my body not by what the scale says but by how my body feels and what I'm able to do with it. 

Now on to food.  My favorite go to lunch is a taco salad!  It's so tasty and SOOO easy to make!  I cook up some ground beef and spice it up.  I use cumin, chili powder and onion powder.  I don't measure, just shake and pour on, the more the better!  Once the beef is cooked I add a can of diced tomatoes and some clean salsa from Trader Joes.  For the salad I cut some green leaf lettuce and add in some cut up bell peppers.  For the dressing I make some clean guacamole.  That's it!  Takes as long as it takes for the meat to cook!

Breakfast's typically include sweet potato and eggs in a nice scramble.  I might add some ground pork as well if I have any.  Nice and filling and replaces my fruit with a more nutrient dense carb that doesn't spike my blood sugar early in the morning.  Dinner always remains the challenge because I am tired and beat when I get home from the gym.  However last night we went to Red Robin and had a Whole 30 approved meal.  Plain natural burger with avocado slices, lettuce wrap, onion and sliced melon.  It was fast and make us not hungry anymore, which is the key!

We had our first Whole 30 'dessert' last night thanks to some inspiration from Jean!  We mixed frozen (fresh picked in Oregon) raspberries, blueberries, canned coconut milk and a little water in the blender for a frozen treat.  After working out in the heat all I crave is something cold and this hit the spot!

Having a group that is doing this with us makes it so much easier.  I love getting ideas from others and I love having a group that is constantly supporting each other.  Go Crossfit Lake Oswego Whole 30 participants!!!!

Whole 30 - Day 1

This morning I woke up and felt excited to be starting 30 days of super clean eating.  After watching the 2011 Crossfit Games all weekend, to say I am motivated to do and be better would be an understatement!  As I made my coffee (which I drank with a spoonful of coconut milk) and my scramble I started to feel proud.  Each time I opened my fridge and saw all the meals already cooked and the drawers overflowing with fresh veggies and fruit I felt proud!  I packed my lunch and as I walked in to my building I wanted to show everyone my amazing lunch and snack that I brought for the day!

I planned out meals for a few days, definitely not the entire week but enough to get me going.  For breakfast I plan on doing scrambles for most mornings (some might just be eggs and veggies, others might be sausage, egg and sweet potato, which is what I did this morning).  Quick and easy to make. 

Lunch and Dinner - I typically make 'dinners' with more of an intention to eat them for lunch than dinner.  Dinner is the one meal I tend to skip out on if it's just me at home.  Instead I'll snack, maybe do a protein shake and then snack some more.  So the challenge is going to be to eat an actual meal for dinner each day rather than depend on snacking.  Last night I made a taco salad which I took for lunch today.  I also made up some paleo pad thai on Friday which I might have for dinner tonight if there is any left.

My uncle sent me home this weekend with a HUGE piece of Salmon, so we'll cook that for dinner tomorrow since Matt will be home.  I also bought ingredients to make chicken fajitas as well as a chicken/melon salad.  Since each are easy to make I'll likely cook/make them as dinner with plans on taking for lunch.

For snacks I'm keeping it simple.  Hard boiled eggs, apples, tuna (with homemade mayo), bell peppers.  All super easy things to make and take on the go.  My post WOD shake will be the pumpkin/applesauce 'shake' I posted awhile back.  I am a big believer in post WOD nutrition and plan on having this after most workouts.  I make it up in the morning before I leave for work, takes about 5 minutes.

The key for my success really lies in planning ahead.  I'm not that great of a cook so finding easy recipes I can follow is essential!  Honestly the most difficult thing for me to give up during this 30 day challenge will be stepping on the scale.  I'm a scaleaholic and step on it EVERY day.  I stepped on it this morning to get my before stats and then (I'm very proud of this) PUT IT AWAY!  Yupp, I took it out of my bathroom where I might be tempted and put it in the spare bedroom. 

I am excited to start feeling better.  Knowing this challenge was coming up I actually went a little off the deep end regarding cheats and ate worse than I have in a long time.  I'm paying for it now and am excited to get through this first week and start feeling strong and healthy again!

Paleo/W30 Recipe - Mexi-Salad w/Fresh Guac

I was doing so good until Friday came along.  Friday included Froyo, pizza and Katy Perry!!!  Saturday I did 2 WOD's and was feeling good about myself, however after consuming too much wine and pizza again I woke up Sunday feeling like crap!  So, I'm starting the week off with good, clean food and will be starting the W30 challenge on 8/1!!  Below is a recipe I quickly whipped up yesterday to take for lunch today.

I found this recipe here.  It took maybe 15 minutes to make and is super tasty!

Taco salad:

•2 lbs. organic, grass-fed ground beef (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
•1 can (16 oz.) of organic diced tomatoes (read ingredients!), or dice your own
•1 tsp paprika
•1/2 tsp chili powder
•1/2 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 tsp cumin
•1 head of fresh, crisp romaine lettuce, chopped
•1 each yellow, green and red pepper, diced
•1 jar of organic salsa (or make your own )

Guacamole:
•4 fresh avocado, pitted and mashed
•1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
•2 limes, squeezed for juice (squeeze them like you’re deadlifting!)
•1/4 tsp cumin
•1/4 tsp chili powder
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•fresh ground black pepper, to taste
•fresh cilantro (chopped), to taste

Instructions:
Prepare the guacamole ahead of time, and chill while you make the salad. Mash the avocado in a glass or ceramic bowl* to desired consistency. Pour the lime juice over the avocado right away to prevent browning. Use a wooden spoon* to mix in all other ingredients.

*The lime juice in this recipe is reactive with metal, so avoid metal mixing bowls and spoons. Plus, we always prefer alternatives to plastic.

Start to brown the ground beef. Add tomatoes and spices and simmer until it’s no longer pink. Drop a pile of chopped romaine on a plate, top with ground beef, sprinkle with diced pepper and cover with fresh salsa. Spoon a hearty helping of guacamole on the side.

We’d also like this topped with black olives, onion or chives, or any other fresh vegetables you can think of. You can also boost your leafy green consumption by using baby spinach as your salad base… but there’s something about the warm ground beef on top of the crispness of romaine that we really like. (A blend of both lettuce and spinach might be just the thing.)

We don’t count calories or blocks, so we’re not sure what this would work out to from a macronutrient perspective… but if you Zone, you can easily figure that out for yourself. Add or subtract fat in the form of more or less guacamole, and if you need more carbs, consider adding pineapple or making a mango salsa instead of the traditional tomato-based version. Olé!

Paleo/W30 Recipe - Grilled Burger Salad

I was a bit skeptical about grilling lettuce on the BBQ but this turned out to be a really tasty dinner and was SUPER easy to make!  Prep time (less than 5 minutes) cook time (how ever long it takes to cook your burgers, probably 10 minutes).

I used green leaf lettuce instead of romaine because I don't really like romaine.  It worked just as well.  Also, I only put olive oil on the lettuce, no spices. For my 'dressing' I mashed up two avocados, added in some lime juice and crushed red pepper and it was delish!! 

Recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:

•2 grass fed beef burgers
•2 hearts of romaine cut in half & drizzled with olive oil, salt, & pepper (cut length wise so it stays together)
•2 avocados smashed
•juice of half a lime
•sliced red onion
•handful of fresh cilantro chopped
•few handful of cherry tomatoes halved

Grill the burgers on the grill until done. Put on a plate and set aside. Grill the romaine a few minutes on each side or until slightly wilted with grill marks. Remove from the grill and roughly chop and put on two plates. Mix the avocado, lime juice, fresh cilantro, and a little salt and pepper to make the “dressing”. Top the romaine and tomato with the burger, the sliced red onion, and the dressing.

Here is my salad: