My April Whole30: Days 29 & 30

Day 29

Breakfast:

 

Lunch:

Snacks:

Apparently I had the munchies at work!

Dinner:

Lettuce, onion, carrot, tomato, bacon, avocado, and leftover

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf topped with Red Hot.  Best salad ever!

Sleep (Last Night):  9.5 hours!

Workout: CrossFit!  The strength skill portion was 20 minutes of working  up to your max clean.  I cleaned 75 lbs!  I'm definitely still trying to correct my technique. The WOD was 4 rounds of 2 cleans at 95% (70 lbs for me) and 9 plate burpees with a 15 lbs plate (15 lbs for women, 25 for men) with a 3 minute break between each round.  I finished in 12:35!

Thoughts: So I think all my Paleo treats this weekend really fed my sugar dragon, because I wanted to eat anything and everything after lunch.  I should not be eating fruit (especially not dried fruit) all day!  I think boredom is also contributing.  I need to control myself.

I felt kinda blah heading to CrossFit, which then turned into my head throbbing so hard that it was difficult to drive home!  I'm not sure what caused my headache, but lifting heavy right in front of the speakers certainly did not help.

Day 30

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Snacks:

Dinner:

Sleep (Last Night):  9 hours!

Workout:  Cheer practice but it wasn't much of a workout for me today.

Thoughts:  I wasn't really hungry for dinner and I didn't have much time to prep and eat anyway, so I just ate a hard boiled egg and some strawberries.

Day 30!  This month was a long one and I am so ready for the end!  Before and after pictures to come soon!

Have you ever done a 30 day challenge?

My April Whole30: Days 25, 26, 27, & 28

Day 25

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Avocado chicken salad, leftover brussel sprouts, almond stuffed olives, and strawberries.

Dinner:

A makeshift taco salad aka a burger chopped up with some

black olives, onions, and salsa over a bed of lettuce.

Sleep (Last Night): 7 hours

Workout: Cheer practice

Thoughts:  My tummy was on the fritz all afternoon!  I think I'm blaming the excessive amount of coconut cream I consumed the night before because breakfast and lunch were so simple.  Not fun.

Day 26

Lunch:

Coconut, spinach, banana, frozen pineapple, and a splash of pineapple juice.

Dinner:

Snack:

A few Coconut Macaroons (some consumed in the afternoon when I was baking,
some later in the evening), plus strawberries and Green Apple Coconut Treats

Sleep (Last Night): 5.5 hours, woof!  Since I didn't have work the next day and I wanted to be productive I headed to the grocery store after cheerleading on Thursday night, then I wrote a blog post, packed, caught up on blogs, did some online shopping, etc.  Next thing I knew I was like, OMG I should be in bed!

Workout: I'm going to count shredding 4 sweet potatoes with a hand grater, so labor intensive.  I'm dreaming of a food processor!

Thoughts:  My day off wasn't relaxing at all.  My dentist appointment wasn't exactly fun and then I busted my butt to get all of our weekend eats ready.  Dave helped me when he got home because my cooking plans were a little ambitious.  The Coconut Macaroons came out perfect and I will definitely be making them again.  The Green Apple Coconut Treats never reached the right consistency, which is probably because I used coconut cream instead of coconut cream concentrate (didn't realize there was a difference), so they never really formed into little candies.  I ended up dumping it all into one container and we picked at it throughout the weekend.  It was still delicious and I think the consistency ended up closer to ice cream, so I may be experimenting with the recipe to make some kind of coconut ice cream!

We headed down the shore around 4 pm.  By the time we got there, settled in, and made dinner, I was ready to crash.  We played some hilarious rounds of Scattergories and then went to bed.

Day 27

Brunch:

Dinner:

Plus some swordfish and asparagus I forgot to take a picture of, whoops!

Mocktails:

 The Lava Flows were so yummy!

Late Night:

I made the Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf at 1:30 am for my drunk friends haha!
Plus some Bacon Avocado Cups with Balsamic Glaze.

There were also some Coconut Macaroons, grapes, strawberries, and Green Apple Coconut Treats consumed throughout the day.

Sleep (Last Night): 9 hours

Workout: 20 minute relaxing walk with Puddin', a few random push ups, lots of dancing at the bar!

Thoughts:  I feel like I definitely overindulged with my Paleo treats, but I stayed strong avoiding booze, onion rings, and a very tempting chocolate cupcake.  The Bacon and Maple Meatballs came out great and so did the Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf!  I'll definitely be making both again, nom nom!

We had perfect weather all day!  We hit two different beaches and even Puddin' got to come along.  She loves sunbathing like her mama.

Started in a hoodie and yoga pants... stripped down to just my bathing suit!

Day 28

Brunch: A repeat of yesterday's breakfast meatballs, sweet potato fritters, grapes, and some more buffalo chicken meatloaf.  I also finished the Green Apple Coconut Treats and probably popped a Coconut Macaroon or two.

Dinner:

Leftover kielbasa and sauerkraut with some spinach and mushrooms,

along with some leftover avocado cups.

Sleep (Last Night): 6 hours + 1 hour nap

Workout: Rest

Thoughts:  I stayed up until 3 am on Saturday, which I have not done in quite some time!  I wish that I was able to sleep in, but sleeping in till 9 is late these days!  I felt ok through the first part of the day, but I definitely hit a wall and felt so run down.  An hour nap helped, but I couldn't wait to get home and get in my bed!

I think my friends enjoyed my Paleo cooking, even my (self proclaimed) picky friend!  And we even have some leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.  So close!!!

How was your weekend?  Did you spend some time outside?

April Whole30: Week 4.5 Meal Plan

I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning, so I figured I might as well take the whole day off and prep for the weekend.  I went to the grocery store on my way home from cheer practice and I'm going to make and prep everything I can tomorrow, so I can spend my time at the beach relaxing and not slaving away in the kitchen, but also get to enjoy some special vacation eats!

Munchies for the Weekend

• Garlic stuffed kalamata olives from the Wegmans olive bar
• Prosciutto wrapped dates
• Bacon Avocado Cups with Balsamic Glaze
• Coconut Macaroons (omitting the chocolate)
• Green Apple Coconut Bite
• Strawberries and grapes
• Lava Flow (no booze for me, but I still want a tasty vacation drink!) 

 (source)

I'm not going to lie, a lot of those are definitely sex with your pants on!  (And there may even be some sugar sneaking into my food this weekend disguised as maple syrup, honey, and bacon... shhhh don't tell anybody!)  Every time I'm at the beach, even just for a weekend, I treat each trip like a special vacation.  The beach is a very indulgent place between daytime cocktails, Dave's mom's delicious cooking, and the seafood feasts!  So these Paleo treats are my compromise.  I'm not going to drink, I'm not going to eat any pizza from my favorite shop, and I'm not going to munch on chips... but I will not be feeling deprived.

Friday

• Dinner:  Kielbasa, sauerkraut, and some sauteed squash and zucchini

Saturday

• Breakfast:  Breakfast Bacon and Maple Meatballs with scrambled eggs and Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fritters
• Lunch:  Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf with Roasted Brussel Sprouts with a Balsamic Reduction
• Dinner:  Fresh seafood from the market with roasted or grilled asparagus

Sunday

• Breakfast:  The same as Saturday, maybe some banana "pancakes" (aka mashed banana, egg, and cinnamon)
• Lunch:  Leftovers, go out to eat, or we may end up going out Saturday and making the meatloaf on Sunday, we'll see!
• Dinner:  Kabobs on the grill with chicken (that will be marinating at home over the weekend in Easy Chili Lime Marinade), onions, peppers, and mushrooms

Monday

• Lunch: Leftover Cumin Spiced Slow Cooked Pork and some spinach
• Dinner:  Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps

Tuesday

• Lunch: Leftover lettuce wraps
• Dinner:  Thai Green Curry

Wednesday - Time to reintroduce dairy!  According to the Whole30 reintroduction protocol, as outlined in It Starts With Food, Day 31 you should reintroduce dairy.  Eat compliant other than adding various dairy products to your meals to see exactly how dairy affects you.  I'm thinking some cream in my coffee, a greek yogurt, and some cheese.  Then you eat clean for 2 days and try something else.  I'm really hoping to do better than last time.  I need to keep meal planning so I don't find myself stuffing my face with 3 slices of pizza.

What do you have planned for the weekend?  Do you indulge on vacation or weekend trips?

My April Whole30: Days 23 & 24

Day 23

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Snack:

Dinner:

Sleep (Last Night):  7.5 hours

Workout:  Cheer coaches clinic, a little bit of stunting, handstands

Thoughts:  I went out for lunch and it took some serious willpower to resist the chips that were placed at our table immediately upon sitting down.  I also really wanted the sour cream and cheese that came with my fajitas, but I stayed strong.

I brought a piece of leftover salmon and an avocado to my parents' house to ensure I had something for dinner, but my mom had made some options for me: baked chicken, roasted cauliflower, and some cucumber slices!  I ended up combining both and dinner was great.

Day 24

Breakfast:

Plus a lovely cup of coffee.

Lunch:

 I only ate about a third of that steak.

Snack:

Hi, my name's Amber and I'm addicted to Larabars!

Dinner:

Cumin Spiced Slow Cook Pork came out great!

Dessert:

Some SWYPO, banana soft serve cocoa powder, shredded coconut, and coconut cream, yum!

I may or may not have had a few more spoonfuls of the cream.

Sleep (Last Night): 6.75 hours

Workout: Some push ups (and I cleaned my car!)

Thoughts:  Today was gorgeous and I got to eat lunch outside.  Also, I love coming home to dinner in the crockpot!

So, after much consideration, Dave and I have decided to cancel our memberships at the YMCA and officially join CrossFit!  I think the Y is a great gym but I'm drinking the CrossFit koolaid!  I like lifting heavy, having coaches to critique me, going balls to the walls for a short intense workout... it's really just right up my alley.  And the people seem awesome too!

Only 6 days left!

Do you cook in a crockpot?  Have you tried any new recipes lately?

My April Whole30: Days 20, 21, & 22

Day 20:

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner: As I mentioned yesterday, I was at a party and I did well avoiding the chips, cupcakes, and spinach dip!

Snack: 
 

Not a good picture, but SO delicious.  Thank you Megan!  I'm obsessed
with these Bacon Avocado Cups with Balsamic Glaze.

Sleep (Last Night): 6.75 hours, naturally (woof!)

Workout: CrossFit!  Our skill of the day was turkish getups, which is when you start laying on your back, roll up to one knee, stand up, and then go back down the same way, with a kettlebell above your head... or a person:

Then we did a simple WOD of 8 minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) 200m run, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 10 lunges on each side.  I made it through 3 rounds, plus the run, push ups, and 5 sit ups.  It was tough!  I suck at doing push ups with my elbows tucked in close to my body, dropping my chest all the way to the ground.  I need to work on those!

Thoughts:  I knew the party would have some compliant stuff (veggie tray, fruit salad), but I also brought along some stuffed olives and prosciutto wrapped dates to ensure that I could munch on some party food.  I stayed strong avoiding the chips, spinach dip, and rainbow cupcakes.  Go me!

Day 21:

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

 Make these sweet potato fritters!

Sleep (Last Night): 9 hours!

Workout: Took a relaxing walk with Shayna and Puddin'

Thoughts: I did a lot of cooking this weekend and I'm excited to have a good bit of leftovers all ready for the week.  Dinner was amazing!

Shayna came over this afternoon and we organized my spare bedroom (aka my closet).  It felt so good to get rid of things, straighten up, and reevaluate my clothes!  Apparently none of my shorts fit, including all of my favorite pairs, so that's bittersweet!  Guess I have to go shopping... bummer ;)  We're going to work on some of the other rooms in the house in the next few weeks and I can't wait.

Day 22:

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Sleep (Last Night): 7.25 hours

Workout: Relaxing walk with Puddin' and lots of stretching because OMG I'm so sore from CrossFit!

Thoughts: This post is making it kind of obvious that I'm going overboard with the Larabars!  They are good for a quick snack or breakfast, but I don't need to be eating a bar packed full of nuts and dried fruit that tastes like dessert every single day.

Dinner was something different.  I haven't cooked salmon in years because Dave didn't like it.  But he "didn't like" sweet potatoes or brussel sprouts and now he's come around, so I decided to give it a go.  He said I could make it again so I guess it wasn't too bad!  I made a balsamic reduction that I drizzled over the roasted brussel sprouts and it was great.

And now I'm all caught up, yay!  8 days left!

Do you like salmon?  Do give foods more than one chance?