Day 14 of the Whole30 - DONE!

Sunday is my  FUNDAY in the kitchen...it's when I plan and prepare the majority of my week's meals...Some people go to church, I cook...

Below is a list of the FUN I had in my kitchen on Sunday:

1. Made 2 sauces 

*Sauces are a KEY ingredient to any meal. I like to make at least 2 to get me through the week*

 Wasabi, Ginger, Garlic, Lemon, Avocado Oil Aioli

Coconut Milk, Cilantro, Jalapeño, Vinegar, Avocado Oil, Fig

2. Seasoned & Seared Ahi Tuna (for lunch)

3. Marinaded & Seared Lamb Loins (for Sunday dinner & leftovers anytime)

4. Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower (for dinner and enough to have leftovers anytime)

5. Brined a Brisket to Smoke Monday. Eat on Tues and have enough leftovers for the week. 

6. Cut up a bunch of veggies to snack on, using my sauces for dipping. 

7. Made Bone Broth

 8. Made Jerky

Today's Stats

Water Consumption

95 ounces 

(I'll drink more tomorrow)

Sleep

9 hours

(Sundays I get to sleep-in, always a plus)

Daily Meals

9am - Breakfast Beverage : My Coconut Milk Latte with MTC Oil

11am - Breakfast Beverage : Homemade Bone Broth

1:30pm - Brunch : Frittata

7:30pm - Dinner : Sear Lamb Loins, roasted veggies on top of a bed greens with my homemade Coconut Milk, Cilantro, Jalapeño, Vinegar, Avocado Oil, Fig

No wonder why I had such a good night sleep. Cooking all day and yoga. Sunday = FUNDAY.

What do you like to do on Sundays that are FUN!!!???

Day 13 on the Whole30 - DONE!

Although I like traveling, I don't know how much I miss home until I'm back. 

I learned a lot on the Whole30 while I was gone. I learned I could eat clean on the road, all I needed to do was plan and prepare a couple of meals and some snacks. I also learned that I needed to book a room with a refrigerator and to check the temp because if it's too cold my food will freeze. I learned I shouldn't eat and drive because that leads to mindless eating and driving for that matter. I learned I needed to bring a can-opener and frother to make my coconut milk latte. I learned I didn't have to have a drink before I made my way upstairs to bed...a hot bath is really all I need to unwind...Lastly and most importantly, I learned I could trust myself...With my history of EDs (eating discarders) it's sometimes hard to trust myself when it comes to food...It could be a mental, physical or emotional thing that could trigger it...To tell you the truth, I've always had a love hate relationship with food and now I'm starting to realize it's because of the food I ate...

Today's Stats

Water Consumption

130 ounces

Sleep 

8 1/2 hours

Getting to sleep and staying asleep is getting so much easier!!!

Daily Meals

7am - Breakfast Beverage : 'My Morning Wake-Up Call' Coconut Milk Latte with MTC OIL

8:30am - Breakfast Beverage : Homemade Bone Broth

12am - Brunch : 1/2 Pork Chop & Salmon Frittata

3pm - Snack : Carrots & Homemade Jerky

9am - Late Dinner : Curry Spiced Shepard's Pie & Side Salad

I will post my 'Curry Spiced Lamb Shepard's Pie Recipe' made with a mixture of sweet potato and cauliflower topping. It was absolutely delicious. I put roasted trumpet mushrooms on top to add a little umami flavor.

Are there any other recipes you want me to post..???

Day 12 on the Whole30 - SUCCESS ON THE ROAD!!!

I know I'm a little behind blogging, but I'm so excited to say it's NOT because I wasn't successful on the road on the Whole30...I just got home late Friday night and have been busy ever since...

Anyhow, the biggest issue I had on the road was getting my morning wake-up call fix - Coconut Milk Latte. I went across the street to Starbucks and thought they would help me out...

I totally got denied by the woman behind the bar. I ordered a latte and asked her to use the can of coconut milk I brought with me. I don't even think she heard what I said, but she shakes her head no. So I asked again, and this time she actually shook her head and said no. So I got an americano instead and went back across the street to my hotel to see if I could get the restaurant to open the can for me. 

It took about 10 minutes, but I finally got somebody to open the can, but he put slits both sides which make it very difficult to get  the fatty goodness out. You should've seen me, it was quite the ordeal. Anyhow, I finally got some out and poured into a separate container and then poured it into my lukewarm coffee. AH!!! I got my fix, it wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. 

Lesson of the story...In the future I need to bring my open can opener and frother. If I start off my day right with my satiating morning wake-up-call, then I'm more likely to end the day successfully:-)

After working a little I went back to Crossfit DC for a 'recovery team WOD'. Thank goodness, because I was so sore from the day before. 

*Team WOD*

6 RD's

- 15 calorie row

- 12 T2B

- 9 Burpees

*The first person can't go to the next round until the entire team finished the current round*

After that, I decide to be cultural and do a little sightseeing. Look at me touching the Washington Monument.

I walked the National Mall, but after about 15 minutes it got really windy and cold so I decided to check out another Whole Foods before heading to the airport.

I went to the one in Georgetown. It was a small one, 2 stories. Product looked good on the shelf, although a little low. The issue was that we weren't in the cooler upstairs (where the sales are). Note to self: gotta fix that.

Time to go to the airport. I usually head to the bar before a flight and have a drink or two to 'ease the pain of flying'. Instead I decided to watch the planes take off.

It was really peaceful, so I took out some food and had a late lunch while I enjoyed the view. A perfect way to decompress before hopping on a plane.

Stats for Today

Water Consumption

125 ounce

Sleep

8 1/2 hours (YEAH!!!!)

Daily Meals

9am - Breakfast : My lame 'morning wake-up-call' Coconut Milk in an Americano

11am - Snack : Handful of Nuts, Homemade Jerky

3:30pm - Late Lunch at the Airport : Sashimi (fatty tuna & salmon), Guacamole, Veggies, Pico de Gallo

6:30pm - Snack on the Plane : Jerky & Veggies & My Arugula Pesto Dipping Sauce

8:30pm : Dinner : 1 Grilled Pork Chop, 4 oz Grilled Salmon & Side Salad (Thanks for Grilling Jon!)

I have another trip in a couple of weeks and I feel extremely confident I'm going to be successful...I welcome the challenge!!!

Is their a challenge you are a little anxious about conquering...??? If so, think about things you can do to set yourself up for success...It takes planning and preparation, but the feeling you get after you accomplish the challenge is worth the extra time you took...

Day 11 on the Whole30 - DONE in DC

So I went to bed last night with the intent to wake-up early (6am) and go to a CrossFit DC for a 7am WOD. Well, I did wake up and I made it downstairs to my car and then instead of getting in it I put money in the meter and decided to head back up stairs to go to bed. I didn't have to coach so I really didn't have to be there. 6am EST is 4am MST and my body just doesn't work that early so why make it...??? OK, enough with the excuses, I wanted more sleep.!.! 

Anyhow, I went back to bed until 10am then I started to get hungry. I went to my fridge to go and eat some of my amazing 'everything but the kitchen sink frittata' I made before leaving town and my the cooling system in my fridge was up so high it froze all my food:-( So I had some nuts and beef jerky instead. I also made a cup of coffee, but I only had a few sips because it wasn't the same without my full-fat Coconut Milk and MTC oil.

Anyhow, I got dressed and made my way to my Whole Foods meeting which was in Rockville, MD, about 40 minutes away from DC. I was over a hour early so I decided to check out the nearby store to see if our product was on the shelf and grab some to eat. We had a full row of product on the shelf and in the cooler, YEAH! Can anybody guess which product I'm talking about?

Time for lunch...A mixed greens salad with eggs, chicken, sweet potatoes (I was so excited, they actually used olive oil in this region instead of canola oil...can somebody tell the RM region try doing that...???) I also got a side of guacamole, and pico de gallo (which are great substitutes for dressings)...And finally I got some water and an americano...I brought the barista a can of full-fat coconut milk and asked if she would make a latte with it, I'd buy the milk for her to use...She checked to see if should could find a can opener and when she came back she said she couldn't...Anyhow, I wound up not drinking much of the coffee because the unsweetened carton of coconut milk didn't really taste good in my coffee...I decided to buy the can of coconut milk anyway and see if I can get Starbuck's or my hotel to make if for me tomorrow morning...something to look forward too...

After my meeting (which was awesome!), I made my way to another Whole Foods (Alexandria) to check the shelves, bought some more water and decided it was time to head to CrossFit DC for the 5pm class. They have two locations and have been around the since 2005. I got there a little early and mashed the shit out my gluts, it felt awesome.

The WOD was challenging:

Team 'DT' Ladder 

(In horror of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28)

1-2-3-2-1 Rounds

- 12 Deadlifts (=108 reps)

- 9 Hang Power Cleans (=81 reps)

- 6 Push Press (=54)

*35 min time cap*

Weight

M: 155/135/115/95/75

W: 105/95/85/65/45

So you do a round, your partner does a round, you do two rounds your partner does two rounds, then you do three rounds and your partner does three rounds, then you go down the ladder...you do two rounds, your partner does two round then you finish it with one round...I did the first round at 105# and realized and needed to drop the weight to 95#...this was gonna be a lot of reps and traveling takes a lot out of me anyway so why push myself...Anyhow, we completed it in about 26 minutes and all I felt like was a steak...

I asked a few people from class where I could get a good steak. I told them that I was on the Whole30 and they obviously got it. I had a few recommendations, but the best one came from a guy that mentioned this place that had grass-fed meat and was owned & operated by Spike Mendelsohn, a contestant on the Top Chef (2008-2009). I told him I passed that restaurant last night when I went to Sushi Capital. As I waited for my order, I walked down the block to check out the Good Stuff Eatery, which was Spike's first restaurant. They serve grass-fed burgers and you have the option to 'shun the bun' and get it wrapped in lettuce. They looked delicious, and the french fires smelled so good, I actually had to leave before I ordered some. Anyhow, I decided to eat at Bearnaise which he opened about 1 1/2 ago. 

The menu looked great...lots of steak options...Although they are known for their Steak Frites, I craved something fattier and bigger, so I ordered the Ribeye (14 oz) with a side salad and dressings on the side. I told the water I was allergic to gluten and dairy, so he informed the cooks to use oil instead of butter and didn't even ask if I wanted bread!

Instead of dipping my salad and steak in sauce, I asked for a fried egg on top. The golden yolky goodness is the best sauce you'll ever have. You should try it next time you order a salad or steak. 

  

If you couldn't tell from my empty plate, I was ravished and it was delicious...

At the end of dinner, I started to crave dessert. I wasn't craving something sweet, I was actually craving something fatty...So I went down the street a little to Sushi Capital, where I went last night, and got their super fatty tuna sashimi with fresh wasabi to-go. 

I enjoyed every single bite as I unwound from the day and began blogging. If you've never tried fatty tuna, you're missing out. I had their regular fatty tuna and medium fatty tuna last night and those were great, but there is nothing like their 'super fatty' tuna...WOW, I'm craving more just thinking about it...Maybe for lunch tomorrow before I head on the plane...???

Today's Stats:

Water Consumption

130 ounces

Sleep 

9 hours

(even though I woke-up and tried to go the CrossFit this morning)

Daily Meals

My meals are listed above, except for the jerky & nut snacking I did in the car while driving, which I will NOT do tomorrow. Eating while driving is not only dangerous, but it's not mindful. I have no idea how many handfuls of nuts or jerky I had in the car. It was easily accessible and I was bored and a little anxious for my meeting. Plus it's contradictory of my goal on the Whole30...If my goal is to be mindful of everything thing I put into my body so I can thoroughly appreciate it while it nourishes me, then it makes sense to be eat in a place where I can mentally and physically be present while I eat...Needless to say, my 'rent-a-car' is NOT one of those places...

Do you eat & drive? This might be just as dangerous as drinking & driving...

Day 10 of the Whole30 - DONE in DC

Talk about setting myself for success. After CrossFit this morning I went home and prepped my meals & supplements for my trip. I was going to be gone 3 days and 2 nights and I knew as long as I had breakfast, snacks and supplements I was going to stick to Whole30. I mean I wasn't about to spend the time to plan and prep if I was going to cheat, right...???

I made this enormous leftover frittata. I mean I put everything in my cast iron skillet, but the kitchen sink and sautéed it. I whisked coconut milk in with some eggs, placed some greens on top and threw it in the over to bake while I prepped the rest...

I packed 3 bags of snacks: 1) homemade jerky 2) mixed nuts 3) cherry tomatoes, carrots and olives. I packed a side of my arugula pesto sauce to dip the veggies in and to use as a sauce while on the road. I mean I have no idea what is in restaurant sauces, so I might as well BYOS so I stay Whole30 compliant. I brought my blender powder and bag of powered supplements and a container of pill supplements. I took about 1/2 of the frittata I made with me (1/2 for brunch today and the rest for tomorrow...I might even have some leftover for Friday morning...???) I drank bone broth, water and some more coconut milk latte on my way to the airpot.

Here's my stash of food for my trip...I even made it a point to book a hotel with a refrigerator so food stays cool...

BUT when I got to my room I couldn't find it so I went downstairs to complain, so they had one delivered....YEAH!!! I'm on my road to success...I even went to Whole Foods to get some NightRest which I'm about to take right now because it's time to go nighty nighty...

Today's Stats

Water Consumption

110 ounces

(I need to start drinking more water throughout the day)

Sleep

6 1/2 hours

(I was so anxious last night I couldn't get to sleep, but I'll get more tonight)

Daily Meals

5:30am - My Wake-Up Call : Coconut Milk Latte with Oil

8am - Liquid Breakfast : Homemade Bone Broth, more coffee and water

12pm - Brunch on the plane : Leftover Frittata with steak...

2pm - Snack : Handful of nuts, jerky and carrots sticks

5pm - Snack : Handful of nuts, jerky and carrots

8pm - Dinner : Hamachi Collar, Sushi (no sauce, just fresh wasabi and some of my arugula pesto sauce)

It's a real confidence boosting to able to set myself up for success in this manner...I was anxious for nothing:-)

Day 9 of the Whole30 - DONE!

So I went to bed instead of blogging last night. By the time I attempted to pull out my computer to blog, it was late and I was tired. It was a crazy-stressful-long day at work. I got home at 8:30pm and all I really wanted was a shot of tequila, but I didn't go there. Instead I paid some bills, practiced Body Pump #92 for the launch on Saturday and started packing for my trip to DC to meet with Whole Foods (Mid-Atlantic Region). 

I was getting a little anxious, traveling on the Whole30 by myself. I usually make my way down to the hotel lobby at night to have a drink or I'd research the best restaurants in town to eat. I mean what else are you suppose to do when you travel, especially by yourself...??? 

Anyhow, I decided I needed another plan of attack in order to set myself of success, so I wrote down a list of things I needed to do (like blogging, learning BP, site seeing, Whole Foods store visits, and redesigning my blog). I also wrote down a list of food/snacks I needed to take with me so cheating wasn't even an option. Making this list of to-do's helped my mind & body calm down which helped me go to bed.

Yesterday's Stats (1/13/15)

Water Consumption

130 ounces

(BTW, not drinking water before bed helped me sleep better through the night...I highly recommend it)

Sleep

7 1/2 hours 

(I'm definitely going to get more tonight!!!)

Daily Meals

5:45am - Morning Wake-Up Call : Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC Oil

8am - Snack : Homemade Bone Broth

9am - Breakfast : Leftover Hash (lamb, veggies, cauliflower 'couscous', cherry tomatoes, mixed greens) I ate about 1/2 of this over the course of the morning...(9am-11am)

2pm - Snack : Homemade Beef Jerky

Dinner - 5pm : Sirloin Steak Salad with a poached egg on top (dressing on the side, which I didn't have)

Dessert - 8:45pm : More Homemade Bone Broth

Although I didn't get much sleep last night, I still woke up with a ton of energy...It must be the Whole30...

Day 8 of the Whole30 - Done!

I think the biggest change I've noticed since being on the Whole30 is being mindful of what I eat. Before starting I would graze a lot...a handful of nuts, a few pieces of cheese, a couple pieces of chocolate, snacking while cooking...you get the idea...Was I really hungry or was it emotional eating...I know for a fact I wasn't mindful grazing like that, but was I really hungry...??? 

Now that I've been on the Whole30 for over a week I don't think I was legitimately hungry when I grazed. I think it was some kind of emotional eating (anxiousness, boredom, tipsy, depressed, etc) because I haven't grazed much since I started.

I think there are a few reasons why I haven't grazed:

1. I'm more mindful of what what I eat - I've been taking pictures of everything I eat which connects me to my food, especially since I'm taking so much time to make them photogenic.

2. I'm eating nutrient dense food which is more satiating than processed food.

3. I'm not eating sugar which automatically regulates my blood sugar and energy levels and keeps me from craving more sugary/starchy foods.

Anyhow, I'm going to consciously explore this more over the next few weeks...stay tuned...

Today's Stats

Sleep

7 1/2 hours 

(I'm getting to bed earlier tonight)

Water Consumption

120 ounces 

(I'm not drinking anymore water before bed...I did last night and I woke-up a couple of times which disturbed my sleep...I'll just need to drink more during the day)

Daily Meals

5:45am - My Wake-Up Call : Coconut Milk Latte w/MTC oil

9am - Leftover Frittata with a dollop of arugula pesto sauce

11am Snack : Carrots & heirloom cherry tomatoes with rugula pesto dipping sauce

1:30pm - Lunch : Seared ahi tuna, avocado, fresh jalapeño, cauliflower 'Coucous' on a bed of mixed greens & and dollop of arugula pesto

4pm - Snack : Handful of almonds

7pm - Dinner : Braised leg of lamb & veggies, cauliflower 'Couscous' on top of a bed of mixed greens doused in lamb broth and dollop of arugula pesto

Are you mindful when you eat or do you graze?