A Whole 30 Wrap Up

While we have totally stopped doing Whole 30 we have not stopped thinking about what is healthy and what is not. While on the Whole 30 I started to wonder if this is just another fad diet. The founders of the Whole 30 stand up and scream at the top of their lungs that this is not a fad diet. Because, they say, it has been around since 2009 and that would be a long fad. 

fad

fad/

noun

1. an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze.

   
   
2. 
   

I can tell you the people who are Whole 30 followers are intensely enthusiastic and very biased in their opinions. And they don't like it when someone disagrees with them. I know! Because I have disagreed with them a few times. And they are very quick to pounce and say I must not have followed the plan like I should have. Whatever! I know what is good for us and what is not. I know when I see a craze. And the further I got into this plan the more I decided it was simply that. Crazy. I don't want to eliminate all dairy from our diet. We like cheese. The kids like milk. I know when it bothers me and I know when it doesn't. I am adult enough to figure this out. I think the people of Whole 30 (like the creators) tend to expect people to follow the plan exactly how they outlined it and have a way of making you feel stupid if you don't. 

"This program is famous for its tough-love approach. The most quoted line of Whole30 is this: “It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You won’t get any coddling, and you won’t get any sympathy for your 'struggles.'"

These are the kinds of words  I find hard to take. Another problem I had was knowing  I was going to feel like crap for the first couple of weeks. What??? That seems to go against everything I have been taught as an RN. We are supposed to feel good when we are eating good. Right??

I think I can continue on my quest to eat clean without becoming obsessive about food. I think diet plans, like Whole 30, can be bad for those who have food obsessions. I would hate to see this program in the hands of a bulimic or an anorexic. You are forced to think non-stop, about food, for weeks at a time. That is a big part of the problem I had with this program. I want to eat when I am hungry, stop when I am full, and not think about it all the time. You CANNOT do that with Whole 30. Plus I am not convinced that eating all that meat is really that good for you. So there!

So after being off the Whole 30 for one full week this is what I know for sure:

1) Eating like this is EXPENSIVE!

2) The kids quickly got bored and wanted to eat like their friends: ie: pizza, burgers, etc.

3) I spent way too much time thinking and talking about food.

4) I want to eat healthy!

So I plan to cook more and eat less processed foods. I will be shopping the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid the inner aisles where all the bad stuff lives. But, I am going to have fruit and French Vanilla Coffee Creamer. And I am going to be happy with my choices!! And I am not going to spend another minute feeling guilty.

Stay turned for our continued adventure in good, clean eating!

Day 21

We made it a full 3 weeks. 21 days! Well, I made it that far. Darian and Harley were really tired of it all! There is much going on with them. Harley was struggling with dating and eating out and not wanting to look different with what she was eating. Darian has some things going on and he just isn't interested in this process at all. And tonight they wanted to eat out for Mother's Day. So we went and got burgers, fries, and pop. Not the slow introduction back into eating. 

I had a stomach ache following the burger and onion rings. And some mild diarrhea. (Sorry if too much info). But that is all I really noticed. Except for the Coke tasted like I was drinking pure syrup. But I drank the entire thing!!

So for now I want to cook healthy. But not obsess over food. This entire Whole 30 has made me obsess over food. I am going to come back, after graduation, and re-assess what I want to do.

Stay tuned!!

Yipee We are At The Halfway Point

Today marked the halfway point. Yippee! Tonight we talked about the benefits. We can't really see great strides, yet, at this point, but all three of us like eating cleaner. So continue on!


Harley was really, really tired tonight. She went to bed at 8 p.m. I don't know if that is Whole 30 related and she's not getting enough nutrition. Or if it is the fact she is "in love" and maybe not sleeping as well. Do you remember your first love? I certainly hope she isn't getting sick. I slipped a few more nuts and strawberries into her lunch for tomorrow.

Darian is continuing and he is also drinking a protein shake everyday after his weight lifting session. I think that is necessary for him for muscle building. 

And now as promised, here is my Frittata recipe:  

Vegetable Fritatta

Ingredient

8 ounce Sausage
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 small peppers: red, yellow, orange
  Finely chopped
A few stalks of Asparagus
Handful greens
(I use frozen spinach that I run under hot water and squeeze all the water out then chop)
12 eggs
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

First, fry the sausage. Mix in the onion, peppers, asparagus, pepper & greens.

Whisk the eggs together. Add in the sausage mixture. Stir.

Bake in a VERY well greased baking dish for 22 minutes at 350 degrees or until eggs are set! 


Darian likes to eat this cold during the week. And he likes it with Salsa. I make at least two of these a week in a 9x13 dish!

Day 14 and next weeks Menu Plan

Two weeks ago today we began this journey. The last time I talked with you I had two kiddos who were floundering. But we have talked and re-grouped. We are going to continue until May 13th, as previously planned. I think they just needed to eat a couple things they were missing. Now we are fired us to go to the end.

I am still not seeing any of the great benefits that were promised. I might have a bit of a smaller stomach. It is hard to tell. I won't weight myself until the end. I miss, miss, miss my French Vanilla Cream. But I am thinking, after the Whole 30, we will continue with Paleo. Paleo, my way! That is with French Vanilla creamer in my coffee!

The kids are in love with my Fritatta recipe. I will share it with you this week!! They want to eat it everyday. And Paige wants me to make it on the weekend. So it is a winner!

Menu Plan for May 2-8 

Monday:

Brunch-Hamburger Sweet Potato Hash

Dinner-Salad greens with Chicken, pistachios

Tuesday:

Breakfast-Fritatta and Strawberries

Lunch-Meatball subs, Cucumber slices, Almonds

Dinner-Steak, roasted potatoes, asparagus

Wednesday:

Breakfast-Fritatta and Berries

Lunch-Salads with chicken and eggs on top

Dinner-Bacon and fried eggs with melon

Thursday:

Breakfast-Fritatta and banana

Lunch-Vegetable Soup

Dinner-Elvis Burgers, roasted sweet potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast-Fritatta and Orange Juice

Lunch-Taco Salad

Dinner-Hamburger Steak and eggs

Saturday:

Brunch-Scrambled eggs and sausage

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with tomato sauce

Sunday:

Brunch: Fritatta with hash browns & Berries

Dinner: Leaving this one open for now!!