Day 13

DAY THIRTEEN~

May 15, 2015

I woke up easily.  Grabbed a big mug of ice water.  I don't know what I would do without this 44 oz insulated mug.  It keeps my water cold and it is the perfect size.  I love the handle.  It may sound strange, but after all the years of drinking fountain drinks, I became accustomed to having an insulated foam cup in my hand or very close to me.  It was like a security blanket or something. Having ice water in this mug all day gave me the same calm feeling.  I have read recently that adding some fresh lemon juice to water would be even more beneficial to my health.  I will work on that next.  

I had a boiled egg and a banana for breakfast.  I am not sure if I am still hungry or not.  I really hate to eat if I am not hungry.  I will go ahead and eat a few pieces of turkey and some cherry tomatoes just to be sure.

Today my husband and I had a rare weekday off together :)  We went to go see Mad Max.  I took a sandwich bag full of red grapes to snack on. Since it was a date, he treated me to a diet soda.  It was delicious of course.  I realize I am not the ideal Whole 30 girl.  I have not eaten of the wrong foods though, so I am going to keep going.  I guess I am a Half 30 girl haha.  I am just trying to clean myself up of my bad snacking habits and it is working!!!

Dinner for the family was grass-fed bacon cheeseburgers, onion potatoes, corn on the cob and broccoli.  For me, I had a baked potato again smothered in grass-fed butter and broccoli.  So dang good!

Day 12

DAY TWELVE~

May 14, 2015

My husband is back home again!  I had to pick him up at midnight at the airport last night.  So we slept in late...it was lovely.  And my stomach has shrunk so I didn't wake up starving either.  I had to work an 8 hour shift today, so I needed to fix dinner for the family before I left and pack something for myself.  I went simple.  Homemade tuna salad for them.  It's my mom's recipe.  A family favorite! Tuna, mayo, green apples and dill pickles.  I could eat it too if I made some Paleo mayo.  Not enough time for that today.  I nibbled on a few pieces of tuna though.  I ate a banana for breakfast while I was chopping and stirring the salad.

For my breaks at work I brought cherry tomatoes, red grapes, pistachios and an apple.  It was another light day but satisfying.  When I got home I had 3 boiled eggs.  I did get on the scale again because my work pants felt so loose today :)  I am down 5 lbs so I feel pretty darn good.  After you get used to this new way of eating it gets easier.  I feel like I could do this for the rest of my life.  Normally on day 12 of any of my past diets I am longing for foods that I am not supposed to have.  Taking the processed and sugar and flour out really curbs and controls all that.

Day 10 & 11

DAY TEN & ELEVEN~

May 13 &14, 2015

This two days were exactly the same.  Since I had that dental work done, I haven't been hungry.  I drank tea and water all day and then had dinner at night.  My dinner both nights was a baked potato with grass fed butter and lots of fresh steamed broccoli on top.  I didn't remember to take a photo either time, but I will add it later, when I eat it again :)  It was so yummy!

Day 9

DAY NINE~

May 12, 2015

Woke up feeling super skinny!  I love it!  I had to go to the dentist this morning though.  Opted for sleep instead of eating beforehand, and now I am all numbed up and can't eat.  Surprising though I am really not that hungry.  It feels kinda of nice to have an empty stomach.  Maybe my body will use some of that extra fat to burn instead.  Don't worry, I can't see this being a regular thing for me haha, I love food too much.  I will just drink with a straw for now, out of the right side of my mouth.  I had a crown put on.  The dentist always has to numb me up a little more than the normal person. Apparently, I am one of those rare folks with and extra nerve in my jaw.  I asked him if it had to do with my blood type at all.  That is rare as well.  AB Positive.  He just laughed and stuck the big, long needle in again.  He is the first one to figure that out though.  Thank goodness.  I have always had bad experiences at the dentist because I could feel everything.  None of those old guys were really paying attention I guess.  I will need a lot more work done this year.  Even more intense stuff.  Ridge augmentation and implants and stuff.  My husbands parents are retired and live in AZ.  All of the folks there go to Mexico to have their dental work done.  I guess it is about half the price as the US.  I might as well try it huh?

Got some Etsy work to do.  Might eat a nice, soft banana if I get hungry.  For dinner, we will have extra guests!  My oldest married son and his wife will be joining us.  My momma is making her famous meatballs.  I can't eat them because of the sugar content though.  On the side, we will be having broccoli and baked potatoes.  I heard that in the new Whole 30 book, the Hartwig's are allowing white potatoes!!!

White Potatoes are Allowed~ I am beside myself with joy :)  So the sides will defiantly be on my plate.  I will still need to add in more protein, so I will add a couple fried eggs on top.  Hopefully the numbing is gone by then.

I need to go buy this book.  This new way of cooking without a lot of carbs is still new for me and I need all the help I can get to be successful.  Even with a couple of slips, I feel very proud to be on Day 9!!!

Just found this recipe for Paleo potatoes~Tuna Stuffed Potatoes.  Yep, I will be trying it soon!  And my newest inspiration from another Whole 30 girl~ MayDae Blog.  She has done it 3 times now!  Her photos are really amazing. She eats Paleo all the time now and does a Whole 30 every now and then to cleanse.  Her beginning self looked a lot like me.  That helps me visualize my future self :)

Day 8

DAY EIGHT~

May 11, 2015

I slept in...felt so good.  My meals will be a little off schedule today though.  But after my weekend I needed it. I need to go to the grocery store today.  Fridge is lookin' bare.  Luckily for me, the kids don't always eat the foods on my plan unless I prep it for them.  I boiled up the end of the eggs, rolled up some turkey, cut up some yellow peppers and a roma tomato, and washed up some delicious red grapes.  I enjoyed this finger food plate while planning the dinner menu for the week and the grocery list.  I do this every Monday. (My requested consistent day off from work).  It makes my life so much easier!  I match up my meal prep time/availability with my work schedule, sales from the grocery flyers and whatever items we have left from the previous week.  

This morning, I felt a little lighter finally.  No bloat at all.  I woke up easily and full of energy.  I really wanted to hop on the scale and see what was going on with my weight.  I know the book forbids it, but oh well, I am a rebel haha.  I lost 3lbs.  It has only been a week so I am okay with that.  It is an improvement.  I don't feel deprived at all or starving.  I think I eat more food than before and I know my health will be better.  So, if I average 3 lbs a week, after 30 days it will be about 13lbs!  Now that sounds really good :)  Now that my energy is back, which means my body is turning over from carb burning to fat reserve burning, I am going get to the exercise portion.  Starting with walking my puppy!  We were on a consistent schedule before I started this, but now I will be eating better too.  I joined the Y as well, so I can attend a yoga or zumba class as well.  That should also help boost the fat burn.  Just gotta get myself there...

I am enjoying reading another girls Whole 30 experience as well.  Here is a link if you want to see it too~Russ and Amy's Whole 30. After I catch up on her first 8 days, I am going to follow along with her progress the same day as mine.  I am realizing I need to add in some spinach or kale to my plan as well.  This week I will.  It is so healthy!  It's not that I don't like it.  It just hasn't been on sale lately.  Probably because everyone is juicing it lately!  Grocery stores don't want to miss out on that $$$.  We sell a lot of kale at my store.  Amy also includes a section at the end of her blog titled "What did I learn today?" I like that.  I think I will do that too.  A good way to summarize up the day for quick reference later.  I urge you to blog as well.  It is amazingly helpful to make yourself accountable each day.  And, if you ever want to write a book someday, it will be even more valuable.

 It is time to eat again, but I am still full from breakfast right now. Lunch will be a big banana and a big green tea.  Now back to Etsy work and then the grocery. 

Mom and I went to Costco (she has the membership) and Kroger.  It was fun but exhausting.  I was much too tired to cook once everything was put away.  I knew I would be, so I picked up some fried chicken from the deli and some Bob Evans mashed potatoes.  I had the same plate of food above that I had for breakfast.  I was starving once I sat down to eat it, but then I was full before I finished.  I gave my dog one of my pieces of turkey and one of my egg halves.

An hour later I was hungry for a snack.  I guess that means I shouldn't have fed the dog those two pieces of food...oh well, I grabbed a little bowl of pistachios to munch on and  big glass of water.  A couple hours later I went to bed.

What did I learn today~

I found this delicious grass-fed Irish butter at Costco, for a lot less than Kroger.  So excited!!! They have the cheese also, so you know I will be buying that in 23 more days :)

I also found this awesome turkey bacon on sale at Costco for tons less than Kroger!  There were 3 packages in a box for only $7  I was trying to find an approved sausage for breakfast, but didn't have any luck, so I think this will work great. 

I learned that I am starting to like that I have control over what I put in my mouth.  My brain is getting stronger than my stomach!  I don't think the weight will come off any other way.  It is soooo much harder after you turn 40.    

Day 7

DAY SEVEN~

May 10, 2015

Has it been a week already? Dang!  I wish I could say that I feel better, or different, or skinnier.  I really don't. I will continue on though.  I have gotten this far.  I shoved a banana in my face for breakfast, I chose more sleep over getting up to cook at 5am.  Luckily, I work at a grocery store, so getting something to eat is pretty easy.  For lunch I found some awesome turkey and fruit on sale! Score!  The grapes were lovely.  I hadn't had any yet on the diet.  I need to buy more of those.  They really take the sugar craving away.

At work they had muffins and cookies in the break room and the sups like to hand out mini candy bars to us.  It has been a normal thing lately.  I give my candy bars to someone else.  I realized it is easier to accept the treat from a supervisor, then just give it away or not eat it than it is to tell them no thank you.  People freak out when you don't want sweets.  They want to know why not and I feel like it is even more difficult to explain.  The world is obsessed with sweets, sodas and alcohol.  When you aren't consuming them, it is overwhelming how prevalent they really are.  

For dinner I wanted to make something special for me and my momma.  I know they look like bananas haha.  Nope, they were delicious scallops!  Green beans again and red pepper.  After dinner I had a little cup of red grapes to top it off.  Not sure I ate enough today though.  It has been 4 hours since we ate dinner. I do feel hungry.  I would love a piece of cheese.  But I am going to bed soon.  Really too tired to worry about it.  The book says stay away from eating near bed time.  I will be a good girl.

Before I do though, I want to share another photo I took today.  My son gave me the most beautiful, country style flower arrangement today.  I wanted to take a cool photo of it to send to my husband so I went outside.  I had the flowers on the back patio and one of the barn cats came over to see what I was up to.  Sweet huh?  

Day 6

DAY SIX~

May 9, 2015

Had to get up very, early today, showered, shaved legs and styled myself up.  Then I made breakfast and woke up the hubby so he could join me.  He was going to be heading off on a plane in a few hours and I had an art show to attend and a wedding reception after that!  Needed as much fuel as I could get in my belly.  We finished up the remaining two Mexican Burgers with guacamole, a fried egg, green and yellow peppers and tomatoes.  I also snacked on some blueberries in the car on the way to the show.

I was full for hours.  I couldn't drink much water, because I didn't want to have to leave my table.  Around lunch time though, the food vendors started cooking lots of yummy things and I got hungry.  I was prepared though!  I brought the rest of the peppers I cut this morning, beef jerky an apple and a banana.  While I watched the others vendor succumb to the food trucks, I was happy with my produce :)  

I was pretty dang parched after though show was over though.  I was out in the sun for a long time.  I was also feeling extremely protein deficient and knew if I didn't fix that I would break.  I didn't have enough time to go back home, so I did something not allowed in the book, but after reading other peoples whole 30 blogs, I knew it was about the best you can do when you are on the road.  I went into a McDonalds and ordered 2 McDoubles without the bread...yes, they have cheese and ketchup.  But, I did not eat the bread.  I did not eat any fries.  I know from doing Atkins all those years ago, that the bread is the worst part.  I got a big tall icy drink too...I would love to say it was water...but it was not...I was so drained and lethargic I wasn't thinking straight.  I drank a diet coke.  I won't lie.  It was glorious.  I enjoyed every last drop.  Kids, this is what happens when you aren't prepared.  I am not going to beat my self up though.  I am not going to quit either.  I know from past diet experience that a few slips aren't going to hurt.  The process of giving up so much other junk definitely outweighs drinking one diet soda.  So, onward and up word, off to the reception!

That's me and my sister and my belly.  Well, I am trying to hide it behind my arms...those are looking a little thick now too.  Boo.  Not one of my best photos.  I good reminder for me though to see how I look and stay focused on the prize of  health!  Everyone else had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and bread.  I was a good girl and had asparagus with bacon bits and green beans.  It was delicious and very filling.  The hard part was when they ate the cake.  I really wanted some of that :(

I didn't stay long.  Everyone started drinking, another no-no for me, and on top of that I have to work at 6:30 in the morning...on Mother's Day...but, at least I would be off at a decent time to spend time with my kids and mom for dinner.

So, I went home and went to bed with a big glass of ice water. 

Day 5

DAY FIVE~

May 8, 2015

I am still in a deep fog when I wake up, but there is no more headache or pain.  Just a rumble in my tummy.  I worked late last night.  Normally when I work late, I come home hungry and munch on potato chips or cheese and crackers.  But not his time.  My dinner had still kept me full from hours ago.  This thing, this plan is working,  I am so grateful.  I don't feel like cooking this morning though. It is gonna be and easy breakfast and lunch today people.  So, I start to boil some water for hard boiled eggs and tea.  Outside the window I keep hearing one of our barn cats meowing...her name is Zarah.  Isn't she a cutie?  After the water is done, I walk down to the barn with her to see if she needs food...nope...we go back up to the house...she doesn't want to be held...so, I just play with her a little.  My hunger subsides. The growling goes away.  I wonder if I am still suppose to eat now?  This is a weird new thing for me.  I always feed my hunger.  But the book says to eat no later than an hour after you get up.  Something important about that.  So I will eat.  Bye kitty.

I guess I was too hurried to check on the kitten that I didn't boil the eggs quite long enough. They were still good though!  I ate one before I took the photo also.  I have learned that I need 2 eggs at breakfast to stay satisfied.  I rolled up some turkey, cut orange pepper and celery.  The guacamole tasted delicious with everything.  I used a celery stick to spread it on stuff.   I also had a handful of raspberries after just for a sweet finish.  And as normal my green tea :) 

My beads are calling me now.  I have an art show on Saturday, but I also have to work very late tonight.  I have many things to prep.  Right after the show, I have to go to a wedding.  It is gonna be crazy!  I have to plan exactly how I am going to stick to my new eating plan so I don't mess up.  It is a lot harder when you are away form your home base.  I did pick up some grass-fed beef jerky since I won't be near a fridge.  I figure that, some cut veggies, fruits and nuts and I can make it through the day.

For the family I made beer batter fried fish and fries and asparagus.  I got the beer batter on clearance awhile back and wanted to get it used up.  For me I made the Mexican Burger from Danielle Walker's book Against the Grain.  I have two more left, so I can have one for breakfast in the morning :) Let me tell you, it was divine!!! The guacamole on top was heavenly.  I blanched the asparagus and spread a little grass fed butter on top.  I also had some more celery and guacamole on the side.  I will probably need a snack on my break at work tonight though.  I can tell I didn't quite eat enough.  I am grabbing a banana or apple on the way out the door. 

Day 4

May 7, 2015

DAY FOUR~This morning I woke up a little groggy again, but a little easier than yesterday.  Thank goodness for that.  My stomach was ready for breakfast and luckily it was an easy one today because of yesterday's leftovers.  So I chopped up the link and 1/3 of the Aidell's sausage over the white sweet potato hash and heated that up in the microwave.  I fried up 2 eggs in some olive oil.  I cut up a red pepper and washed some blueberries.  I bagged up the remaining peppers and berries for quick snacks for later.  By adding the extra egg though, hopefully I won't need to eat again until lunch time.

 My favorite website today for new recipe ideas, Paleo Leap.  They have a nice variety of choices.  Make sure you read thoroughly though, a few contain raw honey and wine, which we aren't supposed to have for the first 30 days.  I filed a few on a pinterest board for the future though.  If you want to check out some of my finds, here is a link, Whole 30 for a Better Me!

I was happy not to need a snack between breakfast and lunch today.  After exactly 4 hours of Etsy work, I was thinking maybe I should eat.  Starting to learn how to fill up better at each meal instead of grazing like the book advises.  This is beginning to be an easy go to lunch for me.  I don't mind spending an hour making breakfast, but I want lunch to be faster since I spend an hour or two on dinner for the family and I.  Banana and nuts go so well together.  I enjoy pistachios because you spend a lot of time getting them open, so you don't eat as many but it feels like you did.  And any kind of meat that is appropriate and peppers of course.  And my beloved new drink of choice, green tea.  If you haven't started drinking it yet.  Please read this article Amazing Benefits of Green Tea.  It is the healthiest beverage on the planet my friends.  

I am enjoying reading other blogs on Whole 30 adventures, but I am missing looking at and talking to the person.  I thought you might be too.  Here I am. No makeup, flat hair that needs cut and color just sitting in my office studio/office working away. 

Well, it doesn't look like it here.  But I am a real girl just like you. What I wanted to show you is after 6 months of giving up soda, drinking green tea and water has made my skin soft and supple.  I feel 10 years younger!  The other benefit is that my, well, how do I put this delicately...my..."feminine area" smells ultra clean! I think it is important for you to also take notice of the good parts of yourself.  I could easily be depressed because of my big belly that has taken over my waist, but I am not gonna!  

I am confident that this new healthy lifestyle will change all that.  I am excited to eventually be able to get back into my size 10 stuff again :)  That was my healthiest size.  I was an 8 for a while, but I was an exercise manic back then and almost too skinny.  But right now it is anywhere between 12-14 and I don't want to buy anymore new things dang it!  Sure, a lot of it will be out of style by the time I get there but who cares haha!  At this age, I am realizing that people really hardly notice that stuff anyways.  It is all about how you treat others, how you carry yourself and who you surround yourself with.  I write all this to remind myself too, so on bad days when I want to break, this will help me.  I have kept a journal on all the diets I have been on over the years...this blog though, I can find easier on the internet rather than a box somewhere haha.  I encourage you to blog your process also.  It is free and it helps you stay on track if you don't have a friend to do it with you.

Time to get dinner going.  We are having leftovers from last night, but I need to make some homemade guacamole since I ate it all up yesterday.  You will love it too...next to egg yolks, they are the creamy, satisfying foods that you make you feel normal.

Man, is this stuff yummy!  It was my first time making homemade guacamole.  I was afraid to use the recipe from the super spicy lady with the buffalo chicken peppers so I went to one of my favorite new books for guidance.  I have tried about 4 things so far out of here and they are all good.  I did add extra onion, tomato, cilantro and lime juice just because I wanted to :)

Now that everything is heating up in the oven, it is time to get ready for work.  That means makeup and hair.  My husband, bless his heart, loves me without makeup.  For some reason I just can't go to work that way.  I feel naked you know.  I just made a hair appointment.  I had to.  It is just not doing anything anymore.  My mother-in-law gave me a monetary birthday gift that will cover a cut and color.  They are expensive, but it usually lasts about 5-6 months.  My girl does an excellent job too. The appointment is over 3 weeks away though, so I might be pony-tailing it until then :)  Here are the two me's...which one do you like better?  I see the innocence in the no make-up, the vulnerability...I see why he would like it better.  I only want him to see me that way though, or others that I trust and love.

Day 3

May 6, 2015

DAY THREE~

Woke up hard again.  It feels almost like a hangover now.  Head, ears, bones all hurt a little. Tummy kind of weird, bright light hurts my eyes, and so very tired.  So I read a little bit before getting out of the bed.  The book calls it "Carb Flu".  Here is the best link I found with more info about it: Carb Flu. In a nutshell, it is something you normally go through that could last 2-8 days before it gets easier.  So, I get up and make breakfast.  Something new today!  I have the day off, so that is even better.

Remember how I mentioned earlier how much I love white potatoes?   Well, that is probably an understatement.  I would have a baked potato for breakfast as often as I could with a fried egg on top and sometimes cheese and tomatoes and onions.  It would provide me with energy and carbs to last for hours (so I thought) and it was cheap.  I was starting to crave a potato by now, but the russets are off the menu.  I did a little searching and found out there is a white sweet potato that isn't as sweet as the orange ones.  Never knew about these before!  I bought two for $1.

I heated up some olive oil in my iron skillet on medium.  I peeled and shredded the white sweet potatoes and flattened them in the pan.  Seasoned with salt and Mrs. Dash.  Meanwhile, I heated the oven to 350 degrees and put in a package of this yummy Chicken and Apple Sausage.

In a smaller skillet, I fried an egg.  I needed more color of course, so I cut up a green pepper and washed up some raspberries.  It was soooo good.  I was surprised.  The berries tasted so sweet.  The potatoes were much different than russets, but in a good way.  They reminded me of a parsnip or carrots.  Savory sweet.  The egg on top made it all perfect.  I ended up cutting the sausage into pieces and stirring it all together.  I could have really eaten two eggs on top.  I probably should have.  Because I was hungry 2 hours later.  I will next time.

I divided the rest up into two more meals.  If you are paying attention, you would say, "But there is one sausage link left?"  Yes, there was.  I divided it into 3 and ate a third, and added the other parts to the next two meals.  I do love my protein.  Part of the reason I know I can make this work for me.

I was exhausted after prepping all that and cleaning it all up.  The carb flu seemed to be taking over my head and body.  I ended up napping for about 2 hours.  It is a real thing. So be prepared.  After waking though, I felt pretty good.  I did some errands around the house.  Laundry, blogging, emails, Etsy management, orders, etc.  Then I was ravenously hungry again.  More so than yesterday.  Luckily I was prepared though. ( That is the key on this new way of eating, or you will fail! )  I grabbed the other half of the green pepper from breakfast, a couple handfuls of pistachios and 6 slices of this yummy Simple Truth ham.  It was just right for lunch or a snack or whatever my body was telling me to eat.

A good article I read to day for inspiration: Lazy Girl Whole 30.  I like to do a little research each day now for recipes and fellow Whole 30 friends advice.  Yesterday I found Kelly at Primally Inspired. She had a recipe for tonight's dinner, Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers & Guacamole.  I wanted to make something the family might enjoy that also was on my plan. 

I didn't need to make the guacamole because I already had some from the store.  I added celery sticks for me and Mexican Rice and optional shredded cheese topping for the family.  It was good, but VERY SPICY!!! Her recipe is how her family likes it.  My family likes spice, but this was a little too much.  Since milk is off the list for me, I had to use a whole cup of guac just to finishing eating the two pepper halves in the photo.  If you decide to try this recipe, flavor the chicken with only half of the hot sauce as the recipe recommends or, use taco seasoning instead.  We have leftovers, so tomorrow night, I am going to cut it all up and use it as filling for burritos.  With some lettuce and shredded cheese, tomatoes on the side, it will be easier to eat.  I also decided tonight to have the family start rating meals for me and they gave it 3 stars out of 5.  I think with a little tweeking, I could make it a 4 star family dinner.

Tomorrow I am going to try and eat bigger meals so I don't have to snack at all like the book wants me to do.  I am pleasantly full after dinner tonight.  So I shouldn't need anything else before bed...another rule they want us to try and follow is not eating a few hours before bedtime.  

Day 2

May 5, 2015

DAY TWO~

Woke up with a headache, a little achy and kind of tired.  I slept great though!  It was hard to get moving.  Thankfully I had another serving of yesterdays meal and I didn't have to do much work in the kitchen.  It takes about an hour now to make breakfast if you don't have leftovers.  I enjoy cooking though, so that helps immensely!  I have to work 2-10 tonight though, so after I eat I have to get dinner going for the family.

The almond beef tasted even better the second day. After thoroughly enjoying it, I made up some Pad Thai with organic pork for the family to heat up later.  I did taste one of the rice noodles for doneness (a no-no in the book), but it was only one, when normally I would taste 2-3 bites for flavoring needs. I am pickier than the rest of them though, and not eating it, so they can just add more hot sauce if they need too.

I packed up my snacks and dinner for work.  Which would be the last serving of my almond beef, 2 cups of red peppers and half of a grapefruit.  8 hour shifts are perfect at work because we get a break, a lunch and another break with 2-3 hours in between.  My tummy loves it as long as I am prepared with food.  The book doesn't like snacking, but I cannot eat enough without getting over-full at meal times to not need a snack.  My snacks are fruits and veggies though, and sometimes I don't eat a full lunch, so I am not worried.

Came home, exhausted, went to bed.

Day 1

DAY ONE~

May 4, 2015

My 45th birthday was 3 days ago.  Thank goodness my husband and Jesus love me just the way I am, but I don't love the belly I have grown over the last 5 or 6 years.  Where did it come from?  I never used to have one.  Even after having 3 children.  In fact, it is really embarrassing to say, but I am hoping it will motivate me...I am the same weight I was when I was 9 months pregnant with my first child.  Geez girl !!!  Get it under control!!!  

So. I re-read this book last week that I bought back in December...okay, so I have actually read it like 5 times now.   I even tried to implement the rules in January.  It was hard.  I gave up.  I did however somehow, someway, manage to do one thing out of the book correctly!  I gave up diet soda.  After almost 29 years of drinking it faithfully.  I switched over to green tea and ice water.  Best thing I could do for my wallet, my teeth and my health!

I experimented some more and gave up alcohol for Lent.  It was hard too, but I realized I could do hard things that had to do with drinks I love.  Now time to do it with food.  I having been considering going back to school to be a nutritionist recently, and I thought, girl, you need to take care of yourself first!!! How can you teach others without getting yourself in line.  This time I am blogging to help me stay motivated and responsible for my actions.  If it ends up helping someone else down the line, I think that would be amazing. 

DAY ONE~BREAKFAST

I bought this delicious ground beef from Kroger~$7.49 lb, but so worth it because of all of the wonderful stuff you ingest when you eat grass-fed meat that you can't get any other way. (More on that science stuff later.)

I went straight to the book for the first meal.  Page 263, Ground Meat Skillet Recipes: Almond Beef.  These are great guidelines on how to start cooking differently...and cooking in a new way for me, means without cheese and white potatoes in everything :)  So I cut up a cup of celery, a cup of green pepper and a cup of sweet onion.  Sauteed those in ghee.  (Once I run out of ghee though I am going to use coconut oil for about everything~the health benefits are outstanding!)  Threw in a little garlic at the end, salt, and Mrs. Dash to spice it up.   I fried up the meat in some ghee in a separate pan.  That is how they do it in the book.  Not sure why though?  It seemed like a waste of time and dishes to me, so I will probably do it all together next time.  I put the two together in one pan.  Add a few more shakes of spices to my taste.  It wasn't bad, but a little dry for me, so next I added a can of chicken broth (No MSG kind please!)  While I let that simmer down and meld together,  I dry toasted some slivered almonds in a small frying pan on medium heat until all sides were a pretty brown.  I removed the almonds and used the same pan to fry some cage-free eggs in olive oil.  I chopped up a red pepper, because I usually eat a big breakfast and I also love pretty colors on my plate.

It was yummy!  My husband was eating his cereal and muffin and OJ and wanted to eat my food.  I gave him a bite and he said it tasted good too.  My drink was ice water.  I only drink that and green tea all day with everything.  I am grateful that it works for me after years of needing "bubbles" in my drink.

I was full for several hours after this.  I paid bills, answered emails, managed my Etsy shops, filled orders and did my grocery shopping at Aldi's and Kroger's without thinking about food.  While I was prepping the dinner for the family, I did start to get a rumble in my tummy.  I finished off the other half of the red pepper I had with breakfast.  I love the sweetness and the crunch of a red pepper.  It is very satisfying.  A big cup of tea, and I was okay for another hour.

I found this grass-fed, antibiotic free roaster chicken at Kroger!  It is fresh, but you could freeze it if you want to.  It is about 4 lbs.  It cost $9.99.  They also have a pre-cooked organic chicken in the deli for $8.99, but I don't think it is as big.  It would save time though.  This guy took 90 minutes total baking time.  But it was so worth it!  Moist and absolutely delicious!!!  After getting all the meat off the guy, I froze the skin and carcass to make bone broth with later.  

I made the family one of their favorites, white chicken chili.  None for me however.  It is filled with beans and cream and corn and topped with cheese.  I did obviously try a little of the chicken before putting it in the chili and I had another serving of what I had for breakfast.  I was a little sad, but not too bad.  It is only day one, and you have to get into a swimsuit in July girl...just keep reminding yourself that food is for fuel.  I have had many years of food for enjoyment :)

After dinner, we all went to church.  I did get hungry again just before bed, and enjoyed half of a grapefruit.