Day 30...

I did it!! I knew I could, but I honestly thought it was going to be really tough and that I'd have some moments of wanting to quit. Truthfully, I never had one moment where I thought "forget this, I'm having a cookie." In the challenge I was competing in I scored a perfect score - never missing a workout (that means a total of 26 workouts in those 30 days) always getting enough sleep, drinking enough water (probably more) never cheating on the food aspect and successfully doing away with fruit for the last 16 days - now that part was tough and if I was going to cheat it was going to be with a blueberry as I was making blueberry pancakes for my son. 

The results aren't in on the competition side yet - but the results that matter are the ones I see when looking in the mirror and the results I feel. 

Breakfast - another spicy tuna cake, half an avocado and black coffee. Note to self - always have at least two of those tuna cakes leftover for breakfast - great start to the day! 

Lunch - spinach salad topped with cauliflower, chicken, cucumber, zucchini, hard boiled egg, and slivered almonds. Prior to making lunch I went to Trader Joes to stock up on dates, pomegranate seeds, grapefruits, bananas, blueberries, and pears - fruit strike ends at midnight - my salads are about to get a lot prettier and tastier! 

Dinner - Drumsticks with a spicy green sauce and cauliflower rice. We roasted the drumsticks with just a little salt, pepper and garlic and then whipped up a green sauce to toss them in right when they came out of the oven. We tossed cilantro, half an onion, three garlic cloves, basil, mint, jalapeno, and fish sauce into our Ninja (the real hero of the Whole30 challenge). It was pretty, flavorful and made what could be a boring chicken night, exactly the opposite. On the side we stir fried some cauliflower rice with some onions, scallions and scrambled egg. Love this guilt free side dish. 

Workout - 4 Tabatas: Round 1 - Jump rope & butt kicks; Round 2 - static squat w/ tricep kick-backs & crescent pose w/ weighted lateral arm raises; Round 3 - bicycle crunches & sit ups w/ weighted lat pull downs; Round 4 - air squats and jump rope. 

A lifetime to go...

Day 29...

Well hello 60 degree temperatures - oh and 2nd to last day! It still amazes me what nice weather can do for your attitude, not only did we get lots of time outside - Adam rode his bike and ran around the yard playing walky talky with Andy while I walked Liddy - but that fresh air also inspires CLEANING! We finally organized our hall closet - put in some shelving to neatly store paper towels, toilet paper, etc. Hung some artwork on the walls that I'd been putting off, and vacuumed. Ahhhh, love that "spring cleaning" mode. 

Breakfast - spicy tuna cake and black coffee. I swear I make those spicy tuna cakes simply so I can have the leftovers for breakfast. While Adam chowed down on some blueberry pancakes (which I was so tempted to pop some blueberries in my mouth while I was making them - but held off) I enjoyed a more savory start to my day. 

Lunch - with the nice weather we decided to venture out for lunch. I was a little nervous, but I did some research ahead of time and determined what I would order to stay compliant. We used to eat lunch out quite often on the weekends so I know Andy and Adam enjoyed that I was finally comfortable to do so. I took advantage of the brunch menu and had a made to order omelet (no milk or cheese added to eggs) and was sure the waitress knew my restrictions. Had mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and spinach added to it and it was so good. 

Dinner - seafood salad. Seared sea scallops, garlic shrimp, sauteed mushrooms and zucchini over mixed greens. Did I mention we were loving this warmer weather? Might as well have a dinner that tastes like the beach! :) 

Workout - Two 21-15-9's - Round 1: 21 jump squats, 21 jump rope, 21 skaters - then 15, then 9. Round 2: 21 push-ups, 21 bicycle crunches, 21 scissor crunches - then 15, then 9. Plus a nice walk with Liddy. 

1 more to day to go....wow! 

Day 28...

I'd say that the light at the end of the tunnel was drawing near, but I'm not so sure that metaphor fits. I don't really see these past 28 days as some race towards a finish line, rather 28 days of a new journey that has been well lit with success and triumph leaving me ready to tackle another 30 days, and then another and so on. The challenge may be drawing to a close, but this new way of fueling my body and thinking about food and health is just starting. 

Breakfast - slice of frittata, half an avocado, and black coffee. Maybe that should be the name of this blog. Ha!

Lunch - whoops. Didn't have any. The morning was spent running errands and before I knew it lunch had come and gone - and I wasn't all that hungry. 

Snack - ok, so not having lunch caught up to me around 5:00 - after my workout - so I had a handful of pistachios, a hard boiled egg, and a few cucumber slices topped with smoked salmon. 

Dinner - spicy tuna cakes - couldn't resist bringing these back into the mix. My father-in-law was over for dinner and knew he'd enjoy these. We increased the amount of jalapeno and served them with the zoodles and a side of my avocado/cucumber dressing. 

Workout - 4 Tabatas - Round 1 - Push ups & Plank; Round 2 - jump rope & jumping jacks; Round 3 - jump rope and butt kicks; Round 4 - weighted leg raises - rotating sides. 

2 more to go...

Day 27...

I think it's safe to say that while I've really enjoyed this Whole30 challenge, Fridays have not been the best. Something about Fridays makes me want to have friends over, order carry out or make pizza and of course, enjoy a "you made it through the work week" glass (or 2) of wine. Alas, that hasn't been an option and while I certainly love how Saturday mornings feel, I am excited to get back a little bit of our Friday routines next week. That being said - it was another successful day. 

Breakfast - slice of frittata, half an avocado, and black coffee. Only a few more of these left before I can also have a grapefruit! 

Lunch - spinach salad topped with chopped up meatloaf from the night before, shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, half an avocado and slivered almonds. Three more of these salads to go before I can get my dates and pomegranate seeds back in the mix!

Dinner - Chicken Pad Thai - but this time instead of spaghetti squash we did cauliflower rice. I liked the cauliflower rice in this recipe. Very tasty! 

Workout - Two 21-15-9's - Round 1: 21 air squats, 21 static squat w/ dumbbell rows, 21 dead lifts w/ bicep curl - then 15, then 9. Round 2: 21 lat pull down sit ups, 21 chest flies w/ legs extended & off ground, 21 chest press w/ legs extended & off the ground (talk about a core/leg workout bundled w/ upper body!) then 15, then 9. 

3 more to go...

Day 26...

So much for those nice temps - wind was howling today! How much longer until spring? 

Breakfast - buffalo chicken patty & half an avocado w/ black coffee on the side. My husband laughed at me for having this for breakfast - but it was honestly what I woke up craving. Filling, healthy, & satisfying. 

Lunch - mixed green salad topped with shredded carrots (leftover from the patties), zucchini, cucumber, and you guessed it - the last buffalo chicken patty chopped up on top. So good. 

Dinner - meatloaf and sweet potato/cauliflower mash. I was inspired by our chicken and zucchini poppers to add shredded zucchini to my meatloaf - ads moisture, flavor, and bonus - hides the veggies from my 5 year old (still trying to ease him into this healthier lifestyle). I also had read about using chopped mushrooms as a substitute for bread crumbs so I chopped up some portobellos to add in as well. Did a combo of ground beef and ground pork and put an egg and a little coconut flour in as well. It turned out really well and you can't go wrong with cauliflower/sweet potato mash (just a little bit of sweet potato for the texture and sweetness). 

Workout - If I had a rest day to use, I would have cashed it in today - but alas, I didn't so I pushed through and got in two 21-15-9's. Round 1 - 21 push ups, 21 seconds of plank, 21 mountain climbers - then 15, then 9. Round 2 - 21 scissor crunches, 21 bicycle crunches, 21 sit ups, then 15 then 9. Not the most intense workout, but I got it done. 

4 more to go...

Day 25...

Today the weather was in the mid 50's and it got me realizing how close we are to a new season. I am very excited for Spring to arrive and bring with it longer days and warmer weather. There's nothing quite as motivating to get up and get moving than nice weather to walk your dog in. Which is exactly what I did today. Of course tomorrow the temps are supposed to plummet, but I soaked up what I could while it lasted.

Breakfast - Slice of frittata, half an avocado and some of the avocado/cucumber sauce & black coffee of course. 

Lunch - mixed green salad topped with smoked salmon, hard boiled egg, half an avocado, cucumbers, zucchini and slivered almonds. 

Dinner - Buffalo chicken sliders - wow, another winner! Just took ground chicken, shredded carrots, some Franks Hot Sauce, and chopped scallions. Mixed it all together and formed patties (guess they really weren't sliders). Then pan fried them in a little olive oil and served alongside zoodles. These things were so good and packed with flavor. I even commented halfway through that it actually tasted like there was blue cheese in these - probably just a mental thing with the combo of chicken and buffalo sauce. These will be making regular appearances this summer! (Heck, all year long!) 

Workout - Started at the house with 2 21-15-9's. Round 1 - 21 static lunge w/ weighted butterfly raises (not sure how else to describe that - picture hands/weights meeting at belly button then raising up shoulder length), 21 squats & 21 weighted good mornings - then 15, then 9 - arms killing after that one. Round 2 - 21 leg raises w/ weights - right side, 21 leg raises w/ weights - left side, 21 sit ups w/ weighted lat pull downs (picture back on ground and arms outstretched behind you- then pulling them down w/ the sit up) - then 15, then 9. Then I did 10 push-ups, for fun I guess and then it was off to the YMCA with the family. Hit the treadmill for a 7 degree incline 1 mile walk/hike. Then lifted weights for about 20 minutes. After that it was time to walk Liddy - I definitely felt great after all of that on a Wednesday! 

 5 more to go...

Day 24...

Breakfast - It's back...I made another frittata - this time with spinach, vidalia onion, mushrooms and zucchini. The spinach is a great addition - I know I did it in the first one, but felt it needed to make another appearance. Had a slice of this with half an avocado and black coffee. 

Lunch - mixed green salad topped with a hard boiled egg, half an avocado, cucumber, and slivered almonds. I need to hit the store and up my toppings game. (5 more days until dates can make a comeback - hooray!). 

Dinner - Rogan Josh - or as I like to call it Josh Groban. This is from Well Fed and is also on The Clothes Make the Girl blog. I used the book for the recipe but just found it on the blog as well only to find that Melissa also thinks of Josh Groban - and Seth Rogan - when she makes this dish. Speaking of this dish - woah. Talk about flavor overload - and I mean that in a good way. We don't usually make or eat Indian food - so heavy and usually does a number on our stomachs - but this version was the opposite. Served over cauliflower rice this dish tasted nothing like "health" food. I love how out of the box this Whole30 challenge is keeping us. 

This was just the beginning as the lamb and onions browned. The "after" photo wasn't too photogenic, but so tasty.

Workout - 5 Tabatas - Round 1 - squats and pliet squats; Round 2 - scissor crunches and sit ups with lat pull downs; Round 3 - weighted leg raises - 2 minutes on each leg - gotta work that outer thigh; Round 4 - oblique crunches - 2 minutes on each side; Round 5 - chest flies with legs extended and chest press with legs extended - legs, abs, arms, chest - it's all good. 

6 more to go...

Day 23...

I can't believe there is only a week left in this Whole30 challenge. It's really gone by pretty quickly and I still can't believe the results - and there's still a week to go - wow! With the end in sight I am definitely starting to contemplate what changes I'll make after Day 30 and how I'll start integrating some pre-Whole30 foods back into the mix. Frankly, I'm not really thinking I'll be adding in much - I mean, why would I when its been so easy, satisfying and successful? Right now the main thing I'm looking forward to on Day 31 is fruit!! Sneaky little trick our challenger played on us - and I love it. In the meantime - still more challenge left to go and I'm ready to crush this next week!

Breakfast - scrambled eggs, two chicken/zucchini poppers and some avocado/cucumber sauce on the side - don't forget the black coffee! 

Lunch - mixed green salad topped with chopped up chicken/zucchini poppers (those things are so good, and gone now, booo), cucumber, raw zucchini, half an avocado and slivered almonds. Just a drizzle of garlic olive oil and balsamic vinegar for my dressing. 

Dinner - Super Bowl Chili (leftover from our party) over spaghetti squash. Hearty, healthy, tasty. Winner! 

Workout - Two 21-15-9's - 1st set 21 push ups, 21 mountain climbers, 21 seconds of plank - then 15, then 9. 2nd set 21 scissor crunches, 21 sit-ups, 21 bicycle crunches - then 15, then 9. Then I did 1 Tabata where I held plank the whole time. Don't know why, just felt like doing that. The last two sets of 20 seconds were brutal. Then we went to the YMCA where I hiked a mile (treadmill set at 7 percent incline) and then did some weight lifting with focus on shoulders and back. 

7 days to go...(somewhere I messed up my countdown - whoops!) 

Day 22...

Hello Super Bowl Sunday! This day is truly the second biggest foodie holiday of the year. I can't believe how much time I spent in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up. But I loved it! I made two batches of Olive Oil Mayo, which turned out so much better this time as I finally found light olive oil. I boiled and shredded chicken breasts for a dip - word to the wise - use your stand-up mixer with paddle attachment to shred chicken - so easy and fast! Anyhow, while I didn't love the way the game ended, it was still a fun Super Bowl and best part was being able to still enjoy lots of good food (and not drinking) while following the Whole30 plan! Score! 

Breakfast - black coffee & water. We were up and out of the house at Wintergreen super early to get home so didn't really have time to eat - wasn't totally starved either, so I was ok with skipping. 

Lunch - leftover spaghetti pie. 

Dinner - Hodge podge! I nibbled on a few of the things I whipped up for the big game. Buffalo Chicken Dip (always a favorite and everyone loved it even in its compliant form). Chicken & Zucchini poppers w/ avocado & cucumber sauce (I simply put a few scoops of olive oil mayo in my Ninja, added in an avocado, half a seedless cucumber diced, garlic powder some tobasco, salt and pepper and blended until smooth), and chicken wings with Franks Hot Sauce (ranch dressing for those that wanted it and I simply dipped my wing in the avocado sauce). I can happily say that while there was plenty of food to over-eat - I didn't. I had just enough - and actually probably could have had more - but was too enthralled in the game. 

Workout - had to use this as my rest day - didn't want to - but after cooking all day I barely had time to shower before our guests arrived. While I didn't get an official workout in, I did feel pretty active having been on my feet almost all day :) 

9 more to go...

Day 21...

Today I got in on the skiing action. Was much more fun than when we skied over Christmas - probably because they weren't blowing snow. Let me tell you, working on teaching a 5 year old to ski is no joke. We go back in two weeks, can't wait to keep working on his skills, will be a fun family activity through the years for sure. 

Breakfast - scrambled eggs, half an avocado and salsa with a side of black coffee. Fueled up for the slopes! 

Lunch - leftover cauliflower fried "rice." So good.

Snack - yeah, after a morning of skiing, I probably should have had a more protein packed lunch. After snacking on a few handfuls of pistachios I decided to step away from the nuts and instead had a hard boiled egg. 

Dinner - spaghetti pie - this favorite of ours made its way back into the line-up. What could be better after a day in the cold than a comforting plate of spaghetti sauce, meatballs and spaghetti (squash!) :) Bonus - we had a ton of leftover spaghetti sauce and meatballs from Day 9 that we had frozen, so this meal was pretty much ready to go with little effort.

Workout - Did I mention skiing? Yeah, I got approval for that to count as my workout - rightfully so! Talk about leg day! :) 

10 more to go...

Day 20...

The boys spent the day skiing while I spent the day working - but that's ok. I still got to enjoy the view and got my workout in while they were doing their thing. Our planning and good packing meant we had everything we needed for compliant breakfasts, lunch and dinner! 

Breakfast - scrambled eggs, half an avocado, and 2 slices of compliant bacon - a nice treat. Don't forget about the black coffee!

Lunch - mixed green salad with leftover salmon & brussel sprouts from the night before, cucumbers, half an avocado and slivered almonds. So good.

Dinner - BBQ pork and fried rice - well, cauliflower rice! Wow, I can't believe we waited this long to try making rice out of cauliflower. It was so good and I think next time we do Pad Thai, it will be with this "rice" instead of the "noodles." We used recipes from "Well Fed" for both the pork and the fried rice. 

Workout - 50-40-30-20-10 with 2 sets of jump rope and 2 sets of seal jacks for the cardio intervals. Also got in some additional weight lifting - w/ focus on shoulders & back - at the gym on top of the mountain. 

11 more to go...

Day 19...

We left today to head to my family's home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Adam has teacher work days making for a 4 day weekend, so we figured we'd get some skiing in while we had the chance. I'll admit during this challenge we've been a little bit reclusive - not really leaving the house much - a benefit of working from home - so this trip was going to require good planning and packing! We were sure to make meal plans and packed up the essentials (coconut oil, ghee, bubble water, avocados, eggs, etc.) and let's not forget running shoes and workout clothes! :) 

Breakfast - two eggs scrambled cooked in some coconut oil with a half an avocado and black coffee. Look at me changing things up.

Lunch - mixed green salad topped with garlic shrimp, half an avocado, hard boiled egg, cucumbers and slivered almonds.

Dinner - wild sockeye salmon baked with some garlic aioli on top and sauteed prosciutto, leeks and brussel sprouts on the side. I love brussel sprouts and this is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. A little ghee in the pan then crisp everything up then I add in some apple cider vinegar for flavor and to add some steam. 

Workout - REST DAY! Woot! :)

11 more to go...

Day 18...

Nothing too exciting to report today, other than another successful day is in the books! I'm only missing fruit during lunch - my salads need dates and pomegranate seeds - but that's ok - I can deal. 

Breakfast - no frittata for me today - instead I had a leftover spicy tuna cake from the night before and half an avocado. I can't even with those things. So good want to make them again ASAP. 

Lunch - mixed greens salad topped with prosciutto, hard boiled egg, roasted beets, roasted carrots, half an avocado, slivered almonds, & cucumbers. Dijon vinaigrette for dressing - which adds a much needed sweetness with those dates and pomegranate seeds missing. 

Dinner - hamburgers on portobello caps. I almost thought we'd finally broken our streak of not repeating a dinner, but then I remembered we did hamburgers on lettuce buns and chicken on portobello caps, so I guess the streak is still alive!  I put some sunshine sauce on my mushroom and some chopped jalapeno, then the burger and two strips of compliant bacon. Pretty simple and not too heavy of a dinner. I'll admit I was up at 2:00 a.m. feeling hungry - but that's ok! :) 

Workout - 4 Tabatas - Round 1 air squats & jump rope; Round 2 plank & push ups - woah; Round 3 scissor crunches & sit ups; Round 4 pliet squats & good mornings. Nothing too crazy (excpet Round 2 - I love those "super sets") but I definitely feel every move and I know I'm getting stronger as a result. 

12 more to go...

Day 17...

It was a snow day here which meant my son was home from school. He had fun getting to play in the snow a bit and thankfully never asked for hot chocolate (he always makes me sip it to be sure it isn't too hot!). 

Breakfast - slice of frittata, a whole avocado, and black coffee. I think I mentioned this previously, but I also make sure to get in a big glass of water with breakfast as well. 

Lunch - leftover shephards pie - on a snowy and cold day it felt good to change it up and eat something warm and cozy - also, good use of leftovers - no waste here! 

Dinner - spicy tuna cakes with garlic zoodles - can I just say - woah! So good! These tuna cakes were so flavorful, had a bit of a kick from the diced up jalapeno, and twirling the zoodles on my fork was amazing. Probably my favorite dinner thus far. We used a recipe from Nom Nom Paleo but adapted it a bit. Instead of using muffin tins, we simply formed the cakes into bigger patties and cooked in oven on a cookie sheet. I see us making these over and over and over again - easy, inexpensive ingredients, and did I mention how yummy they were? And zoodles - oh zoodles how good and easy you are! Look for these to pop up quite a bit in the last half of this challenge. 

This is the coolest thing ever...

I always wear gloves when handling jalapenos - learned that trick the hard way!

Workout - I did 6 Tabata's today. Round 1 - kettle ball swings & jump rope; Round 2 - dead lifts with bicep curls (did those for the full 4 minutes); Round 3 - plank & mountain climbers; Round 4 - sit ups with weighted lat pull downs & bicycle crunches; Round 5 - weighted leg raises - rotating sides; Round 6 - chest flies with legs extended & off the ground & chest press with legs extended & off the ground. Hurts. So. Good. 

13 more to go...

PS: I've already got my son excited to eat "green noodles" on St. Patrick's Day ;) Sneaky...

Day 16...

Well hello second half of the Whole30 challenge! Nice to see you. I can't believe it's halfway over and surprisingly we've yet to repeat a single dinner (obviously not the case for breakfast and lunch!) This was a pretty great day that really proved changes were being made. I for one woke up feeling like I was finally seeing some real changes in my body - so that was a nice start to the day - and then after eating a pretty early dinner we all decided to hit the YMCA for a post-dinner workout. That was definitely never something I'd have the energy or desire to do pre-Whole30. Adam loved getting to play basketball with other kids in the gym while Andy and I worked off dinner and lifted weights together. It was a great way to end the day and I see us doing this a lot more often. 

Breakfast - slice of frittata, whole avocado (making up for the fact that I couldn't have my grapefruit) and black coffee. 

Lunch - leftover pad thai - which turned out to be a mistake when I remembered I had a dentist appointment at 2:00 -- hello onion breath!! Whoops! 

Dinner - rib eye and veggies. Plain and simple. Roasted carrots, asparagus, beets, broccoli and mushrooms alongside a delicious pan fried (in ghee!) rib eye. We split the steak between the two of us so it was the perfect amount. Colorful and flavorful plate for the win! 

Workout - Did 20 minutes on the treadmill walking uphill - most of it at an average of 6 percent incline, then the last quarter of a mile at a 9 percent incline. Nothing too crazy, but the hiking felt good. Then I did two 21-15-9's. Round 1 - 21 Overhead press, 21 lat pulls, 21 pull downs (I've never done a pull up in my life, but I have a goal to do one this year - so this exercise helps) then 15, then 9. Round 2 - 21 squats with weighted overhead arm presses, 21 crunches, 21 bicycle crunches - then 15, then 9. 

14 more to go...

Day 15...

We had a very low key weekend - highlights being our weekly trip to Wegmans and a family outing to the YMCA. This was our first time dropping Adam off in the "child watch" program - which he loved and we loved getting to work out together. At the end we gathered Adam up and let him run around the indoor track with us - family fitness for the win! 

As if that was exciting enough (note a hint of sarcasm) we also whipped up our first batch of homemade mayo. I will say, it is pretty cool to see oil and eggs turn into a thick & tasty substance. We used this recipe from "Well Fed." Now that we've got the basics down, we can use this recipe as a starter for Ranch dressing, dips for the upcoming Super Bowl, etc. etc. 

Breakfast - black coffee. I know, not a very good breakfast, but we were out the door early to do our grocery shopping and by the time we finished that we wanted to get to the YMCA and then it was lunch time. I was definitely hungry by then. 

Lunch - arugula and spinach salad with garlic shrimp, cucumbers, slivered almonds, half an avocado and a hard boiled egg. No more dates or pomegranate seeds for this girl (tear). 

Dinner - Chicken Pad Thai - soooooooo good, I can't believe this meal was Whole30 compliant. Again we looked to "Well Fed" for the recipe and while it was a bit hands on (as Pad Thai recipes always are) the outcome is well worth it. I see us varying this up a bit maybe doing shrimp instead of chicken. The photo doesn't really do it justice, but here it is anyhow. 

Workout - treadmill for a mile, walking uphill - just a good excuse to get moving then I did two 21-15-9's. Round one I did 21 medicine ball passes w/ my husband (not sure what else to call those - we stood back to back and passed the ball side to side - it was a 15 pound ball and we were dying), 21 push-ups, and 21 pliet squats with overhead tricep presses (then 15, then 9) and Round 2 was 21 leg presses - increasing weight each round, 21 shoulder presses and 21 rowing - increasing weight each time (then 15 then 9). I'm feeling all that lifting/sculpting today - and it feels good! 

15 more to go...

Day 14...

Pretty low key Saturday. We had a lazy morning - something about getting to stay in jammies for a bit while drinking coffee and watching some TV is always a treat. Then we ran some errands and did some work around the house. We tend to have pretty packed weekends, so this was a nice change of pace. 

Breakfast - slice of frittata, half an avocado, half a grapefruit (my last one for 2 weeks) and black coffee. 

Lunch - arugula and spinach salad with smoked salmon, cucumbers, dates, half an avocado, hard boiled egg, slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds. Boy am I going to miss the added sweetness of the pomegranate seeds and dates during the last half of this challenge. 

Snack - one last bowl of apples and pears only this time I accidentally sprinkled cumin on them instead of cinnamon - blech. 

Dinner - Shepard's pie - we used the recipe from "Well Fed" and incorporated some of our leftover lamb chili. It was a great use of leftovers. We also added some mashed sweet potatoes to the mashed cauliflower mixture. It was so good and perfect for a winter night. 

Workout - I did 6 Tabata workouts. Round 1 I did wood chopper lunges - rotating sides each minute. Round 2 I did pliet squats with overhead tricep presses & jump rope. Round 3 I did plank & downward dog push ups. Round 4 I did sit ups with weights & bicycle crunches. Round 5 I did leg raises with weights - rotating sides each minute. Round 6 I did chest flies w/ legs extended and off the ground & chest press w/ legs extended and off the ground. It was a great workout - lots of core work. Also got in a good walk with my dog. 

16 more to go...

Day 13...

Another work week in the books and all is still going well with the challenge. Still had a bit of a desire to crack open a bottle of wine and pick up a pizza for dinner, but only a small desire that was easily avoided and of course nothing beats the feeling of waking up the next day knowing you made really smart choices the day before. So, on to the weekend! 

Breakfast - slice of frittata, half an avocado, half a grapefruit and black coffee. Will this ever get old? :) 

Lunch - arugula and spinach salad with leftover chicken from the night before, cucumbers, hard boiled egg, half an avocado, dates, slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds. Those pomegranate seeds will be missed next week (the dates too) not only because they taste so good, but they had such a pretty color to the salad - seriously, how could you not want to eat this for lunch everyday? 

Dessert - cashed in one more time on my ability to have fruit with some chopped pears, apples, some more pomegranate seeds, coconut, lemon juice and cinnamon/nutmeg sprinkle. So satisfying. 

Appetizer - had a handful of pistachios and some plantain chips dipped in some sunshine sauce - wow, so good. Those plantain chips will be good for the Super Bowl (even if I have to sacrifice some "no fruit" points to enjoy them). 

Dinner - lamb chili served over spaghetti squash. This chili was so good and surprising with the lamb instead of typical ground beef. So sweet and flavorful. We simply cooked the meat in water, then added in onions and carrots galore (even more sweetness) and a big can of diced tomatoes. After a couple hours on the stove it was nice and thick and the spaghetti squash was the perfect addition - especially considering we couldn't have rice, cheese or tortilla chips as options. Didn't even miss those things! A great Friday night meal. 

Workout - I'm officially on the Tabata bandwagon. I love the intervals - 20 seconds is just long enough to make you start to cringe, but not so long that you can't push even harder towards those last seconds. Plus the ability to vary up the exercises keeps it interesting. Today I did a set of leg extensions with "W" arm presses - each minute I would switch the leg so my arms/shoulders were on fire by the end of the 4 minutes. Then I did a set of kettlebell swings and jump rope. Then I did a set of sit ups and bicycle crunches. I ended with a set of jump rope and jumping jacks. 

17 more to go...

Day 12...

Another day in the books and I noticed something new last night as I was strolling through Target after dinner - as I was picking up some lunch box items for Adam I found myself instinctively reading the ingredients. It's not that I haven't always been somewhat mindful of what I'm feeding my son, but I've also had no problem buying fruit snacks and other fun treats for him without too much worry. While I know I have a long way to go in terms of getting Adam to eat a more varied diet (spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, seasonings, etc.) I am hopeful that this Whole30 experiment will teach me to better control the amount of sugar and overall "crap" that he gets. Last night's snack buying trip was success #1...gotta start somewhere. 

Breakfast: slice of frittata, half an avocado, half a grapefruit and black coffee. This was a new frittata, so it felt like something different. I used zucchini, red onion, brussel sprouts and mushrooms and this time I added some coconut milk to the eggs - wow, what a difference. The texture of the eggs was much fluffier and the touch of sweetness was a nice change. I don't see my breakfast menu changing anytime soon - aside from the eventual dropping of the grapefruit part. 

Lunch: arugula and spinach salad with a hard boiled egg, half an avocado, cucumber, dates, pomegranate seeds and a dijon balsamic dressing. I really went heavy on the greens this time, trying to get lots of spinach in during my lunch. 

Dessert: I replicated my dessert from day 11 - again in an effort to use of the fruit in the house before week 3 and also because it tastes so darn good! Chopped pear and apple with shredded coconut, juice of one lemon and nutmeg and cinnamon sprinkled on top (I ditched the macadamia nuts this time). 

Dinner: Chicken "sandwiches." We did open faced chicken sammies, as we like to call them, on portobello mushroom caps with sunshine sauce, avocado, onion and cucumber. Some baked sweet potato fries on the side made for a filling and delicious meal. We've yet to repeat a dinner since we started and yet we're finding lots of favorites that I know we'll continue to make even after day 30. 

Workout: I did my first Tabatta workout and loved it! I did 4 rounds - Round 1 I alternated between plank and mountain climbers - hello arms and core burning! Round 2 I alternated between plie squats and air squats - hello quads burning! Round 3 I alternated between sit ups and bicycle crunches - hello abs burning! Round 4 I alternated between alternating lunges and good mornings - hello everything burning at this point! Quick but effective workout - I look forward to doing more of these. 

18 more to go...

Day 11...

Another successful day in the books. One thing we seem to be struggling a little bit with is the "snacks" factor. Not so much for me, but for my husband. To be fair, he doesn't really eat breakfast or lunch, so he does tend to come home from work hungry before dinner is ready. We bought some Lara Bars at Trader Joes last night, so maybe those will satisfy his need to "snack." 

Breakfast - the last slice of frittata, half an avocado, half a grapefruit (I'm going to miss those next week) and black coffee. I am also trying to start my morning with a full glass of water before I have my coffee. On a side note - the amount of water I'm drinking during this (we are required 1 liter a day for our challenge) has been really helpful. I used to wake up so thirsty in the middle of the night - not anymore - of course I'm also not even waking up in middle of night anymore, so whether it's related or not, I do know that I always feel better when I'm getting lots of water in throughout the day. 

Lunch - arugula and spinach salad topped with shrimp, half an avocado, one hard boiled egg, cucumbers, dates and pomegranate seeds. Dijon balsamic vinaigrette for dressing. 

Dessert - after my salad I was still feeling hungry and knowing I've got to limit my fruit intake next week I decided to use up some of the fruit I've got lying around. I chopped up a pear and some apple into a bowl, squeezed a lemon onto it then added in some shredded coconut and chopped macadamia nuts and sprinkled some nutmeg and cinnamon onto it. It was such a nice treat - the lemon juice gave it such good flavor. 

Dinner - Shredded Thai Pork Tenderloin with red peppers, onions & green peppers over shredded cabbage. This was my first slow cooker recipe since we started the challenge. One of our favorite non-Whole30 dinners is our Thai Pork, which we were able to alter slightly to make it compliant. I just put a chopped up onion in the bottom of slow cooker, then placed the tenderloin on top, seasoned with some olive oil, salt and pepper, then topped with a chopped red and green pepper and more onion. I threw in some garlic cloves, coconut aminos, and compliant fish sauce and let it cook all afternoon. Then we took the pork out, added some cashew butter and coconut milk, then shredded the pork and put it back in the sauce. I also made some Sunshine Sauce as an additional topper - it was so good!! 

Workout - 21 curtsey lunges, 21 air squats and 21 good mornings - then 15, then 9. Then 21 push ups, 21 sit-ups and 21 bicycle crunches - then 15, then 9. 

19 more to go...

Day 10...

Well, I'm a third of the way through this thing. Already week 2 seems to be going by faster than week 1, we'll see if that keeps up. 

Breakfast - turning into Groundhog Day here - slice of frittata, half an avocado, half a grapefruit and black coffee. 

Lunch - spinach and arugula salad (I love arugula - so peppery and flavorful, my favorite) topped today with garlic and herb shrimp, half an avocado, cucumber, dates, roasted sweet potato, and pomegranate seeds. The shrimp are a fun treat from Wegmans. We made sure when we ordered them to find out how they were prepared to be sure they were compliant. They make a great appetizer at night and today they made the perfect topper for my salad. 

Appetizers - we had my folks over for dinner as they are about to head out of town for a few weeks. I loved that we were still able to entertain and serve compliant and tasty apps. We did our smoked salmon & cucumber bites with dill, capers and garlic aioli and bacon (compliant of course) wrapped chorizo (compliant) stuffed dates. Those dates are seriously the best things - if you've never made them, you should. Just butterfly the date, remove pit, put in a chunk of pre-cooked chorizo, then wrap up in half a slice of bacon and secure with toothpick. Pop in oven at 400 for about 15 minutes or so and you have an ooey gooey sweet and savory appetizer. Perfect for Super Bowl menu! 

Dinner - roasted lamb, roasted asparagus and broccoli/cauliflower soup. I made the same soup recipe I made last week only I add in some broccoli as well. It was really good. 

Workout - I cashed in on my rest day as I had lots of prep work to do for our dinner. I'll be back at it tomorrow! :) 

20 more to go...

Day 9...

The organizer of the challenge I'm in said that week two would be the toughest week. The competition and new way of eating isn't "shiny and new," to use her words, any longer and thus making the right choices and sticking to workouts will be tougher than in week one. Now, I realize we're only 2 days in to week two, but I feel the opposite. I'm far more prepared for week two, I've already got dinner mapped out for the whole week, and the desire to move more and keep up with workouts is even greater this week (last week I had to convince myself each day). Here's hoping the sentiments last...

Breakfast - Back to my usual - frittata, half an avocado, black coffee and half a grapefruit. We have to try and limit our fruits in weeks 3 & 4 so I'm going to live it up while I can. 

Lunch - Kitchen Sink Salad the sequel! Only today, I topped my salad with leftover salmon from the night before, rather than smoked salmon. I'm telling you, loading up a bowl of greens with cucumbers, dates, pomegranate seeds, avocado, hard boiled egg and roasted sweet potatoes does not feel like "diet" food at all and I swear I'm not even missing the cheese. I know I won't avoid cheese forever after the 30 days, but I can see myself reserving a handful of feta, goat or blue cheese crumbles for special occasions. 

Dinner - Spaghetti (squash) and meatballs - This was a Whole30 victory for sure! Our spaghetti and meatball recipe, given to us by a dear friend, is my favorite comfort food. Its usually what I request after being on business travel for awhile, for birthdays or Mother's day, etc. So we thought we'd see how it would taste when we made it compliant. The meatballs typically call for Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs - instead we simply omitted the cheese and made some "bread" crumbs by cooking up a little coconut flower in some coconut oil. It added a great sweetness to the meatballs and thus to the sauce as well (which normally calls for brown sugar.) I served it all on top of some al dente spaghetti squash -which by the way, I was able to twirl on my fork. Comfort food, great taste, and no sugar or pasta required! 

Workout - In addition to getting in a 40 minute walk with my dog first thing in the morning I knocked out a 50-40-30-20-10 at lunch time. This time for the 1 minute cardio intervals I did jumping jacks, jump rope, butt kicks, and another round of jump rope. I definitely noticed an improvement in my ability to knock out the set of 30 push ups - supposed that seems only fair as I've been doing push ups on practically a daily basis since this thing started. 

21 more to go...