Whole30 and the results are in

I finished my first round of Whole30.
It was an amazing journey.
I had no idea how the 30 days were going to pan out. I knew that it would be challenging and I hoped that I would lose some weight, but what I did not realize was how I was going to feel during the last two weeks while on the program. I felt amazing. Actually I think the word amazing is not even enough of an adjective to express what I felt like. Allow me to explain.

Above you can see that I lost a lot of weight and inches. I am glad that I took the first photo because I would not have believed how different I would have looked in 30 short days. I learned to think of food in a different way. I learned to read labels with a different thought process and clearly I have learned that we really are what we eat. When you eat like crap you feel like crap.

During the Whole30 after the initial week of headaches and tiredness grumpiness I felt incredible. I had an abundant amount of energy. I could literally feel my blood cells breathing in and out. I did not want to sit still. I wanted to get up and move. I walked. I danced. Most importantly I smiled. A lot. It is hard to explain, but I could feel my insides smiling.

I ended my 30 days on Friday and since then I have not been eating Whole30 compliant. I haven't been eating terrible, but I have had a hot dog or too and a grinder. I will say that I have noticed a change already in my mood. So much so that I will start my second round of Whole30 next monday. Originally I was going to wait until August, but I want to get closer to my goal weight 125 sooner rather than later and I want to smile from the inside out again.

I would love to hear from you!
Have you completed the program?
Have you done a second round?
How did you feel the second round?

Whole30: Garlicky Tomato Shrimp Recipe

While diving into the world of Whole30, I have been able to remain consistent and satisfied with what I am eating because I have been eating pretty much things that I enjoy. I am not really feeling all that deprived. Today I want to share with you one of my most favorite foods to eat at this moment.

Shrimp is something that I have found is super easy to make and since I am the only one in my house that actually eats seafood I buy a bag of some wild caught from my local grocery's freezer section and I cook what I need for the day and save the rest for another day. They are easy to defrost quickly (and safely of course). For the sake of this recipe I will instruct on how to cook a large batch.

What you need:

Shrimp, I buy the large size 25-35 in a one pound bag with the peel deveined
1 tbsp of minced garlic
2 tbsp of tomato paste
3 tbsp of coconut oil
1/2 tbsp of black pepper
1/2 tbsp of onion powder
1/2 tbsp of basil dry

What to do:

Defrost your shrimp. I usually place my bag in a large pot with cold water. It doesn't take too long to defrost.
In a large pot heat coconut oil at medium heat. Coconut oil can be sensitive and may smoke quickly so be sure to watch your stove. Once the oil is warmed up a bit place place your defrosted shrimp in it. Be sure to rinse and pat them dry before you do this to make sure that they are clean. As the shrimp are cooking place all the dry seasonings in it along with the garlic. Mix it up to ensure that all the shrimp are seasoned well. Once the shrimp turn pink, about 6 minutes. Mix in the tomato paste. Cook for about two minutes as you continuously stir the shrimp around to evenly coat.

I like the shrimp with the peel because all the flavor gets stuck onto it which makes it so good, but it does tend to get messy since you have to use your fingers. Trust me though it is worth it. I have made this before without the peel and it was not as tasty.

Enjoy!

Whole30: Week 3

I'm sitting at my computer writing this post on the 22 day of my Whole30 journey. I am amazed with myself that I have stuck with it. I continue to feel incredible. My energy level is through the roof. I am no longer just laying on the couch tired on rainy days because of my arthritis. My mood has been great, (read no pms bitchiness). It's been great overall. I did attend one party this week where I did not drink while everyone else was and I was fine with it. I also attended a concert and again, I did not drink and I was fine with it. Not drinking has been easy.

This week may be a bit more challenging because it is the 4th of July holiday, but I am planning ahead to make sure I stay on track. I have a cook out and a party to go to over the weekend, but with a plan I know I can do it with no worries.

At the end of this I plan to share a big post with some of my new meals that I have loved during this time including this garlic tomato shrimp pictured above.

Enjoy your holiday and Happy Canada day for my Canadian peeps!!!

Week Two: Whole30

Today I hit a milestone.

It is day 14 of my Whole30 journey.
It is a place that I did not think I would have reached if I am being completely and wholeheartedly honest.
I did think I would make it, but I thought I would have cut some corners here and there. I thought I would have cheated by now, but as I write this I am proud to say that I am fully committed to seeing this though. The past 14 days have not been easy, but it also hasn't been that challenging either. I thought that I would be craving things like a crazy woman and I just am not. The only thing that had been the hardest for me to give up was the soda. That was hard. The first two days I had such a bad headache that on the third day I began to drink black coffee. I hate coffee, but I hate headaches so I drank a small cup on the third day. I became very jittery and super shaky so on the fourth day I gave that up too.

Planning my meals the night before has been good. It has helped with the looking into the fridge and not knowing what to make. I actually don't mind not eating the things that I am not suppose to. I think because I know that it is temporary and, again if I being completely honest I don't really miss them. I went to a party and that was easy for me to say no to what I couldn't have. I ate before I went and I brought a fruit platter and picked from that. Not drinking alcohol wasn't that big of a deal either. Drinking for me lately had been getting old. Or maybe it was me who was getting old since I was finding that I was feeling hungover after having two glasses of wine anyway so I don't miss drinking.

The two biggest things that have motivated me to keep going has been how I look and how I feel. I look like I have lost a lot of weight. My mid section is significantly smaller that it was when I started. I just bought a romper in a medium size when I had been an xlarge before starting this plan. I don't get that bloated feeling anymore. My stomach rarely makes any of those weird gurgling noises that it once did. My skin looks better. Food tastes better. I just feel better overall.

I will admit that I am getting pretty sick of eggs in the morning so I am off to pinterest to search for some new recipes for breakfast!

Starting Whole 30

Health has been on my mind a lot lately. I think the fact that at the end of the year I will be 40. Wow. 40. Somehow even as I write it, the idea of turning 40 has not really felt like it is really real. I imagine that most people feel like this, like 40 is the number that finally makes you stop and realize that you have entered the adult world, but anyway.
I have been faithful in my commitment to walking. It has become something that I have looked forward to. I put on a podcast and just start walking. I walk for about an hour each time I go walking. I would love to say that I go every day, but truth is that I have bilateral hip replacements and Rheumatoid Arthritis which means I have to rest on some days. My goal for each day is 7000 steps. I am a stay at home mom so this is a good starting area for me. I was only averaging about 2000 steps a day before the FitBit. Most days I go over the 7000 steps. I have not felt tired, but occasionally my knee swells up which is my body reminding me to take a break. After my walks, which I usually do in the morning I ate whatever and I noticed that I wasn't really losing any weight, but I was losing inches though. I knew that I needed to take my health to the next level.
I decided to start the Whole 30 program. (Follow the link to learn more about it). I had learned about it through some blogs and I was impressed with how people looked after completing the program. I figured it was just 30 days and it could reshape the way I look at food.

On June 11, 2015 I began my journey and I want to share what worked well for me and what didn't.

What worked well this week:

• I was eager to start the program
• I found some great recipes on Pinterest to motivate me including a lovely sweet potato hash
• Being a stay at home mom helped because I was able to stay focused and not be persuaded to any lunch dates

What was a challenge this week:

• Soda. Diet soda. I am addicted. I didn't realize how much so until I had to give it up. I will be honest, I did not give it up until 4 days in as I slowly decreased my intake. I was drinking up to 4 a day. As I write this I am on my second day of my detox from Diet Coke. I will admit it was really hard. It still is. It has really been the only thing that I miss. I miss the sound of the can opening up. I have bene getting terrible headaches and I feel really tired. I have read that it is a side affect from the apertame leaving my body. 

Right now I only have 25 days left to go and I have a party the day after I end the program. I have the most lovely outfit in mind to show off my new body. I will share a post of some of my meals that helped me later on in the week.

How I use the FitBit and Nike+ to get healthy and lose weight

This last year I have gained 10 pounds.
I didn't know why.
No matter how much I tried to eat right I was not losing any weight.
I could not understand it.

Then I got the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband, Black .

I was amazed and horrified by the information that it gathered in the first few days of wearing it. I was averaging less then 2000 steps a day and while I was sleeping it was mostly restless.

How could this be?! After the shock wore off, I realized that I needed to make some changes. I needed to get moving not only for vanity sake but let's face it, I am almost almost 40 (later in the Fall) and for health reasons getting more oxygen into my body is a good thing.

So after the half week of monitoring how little I was moving I decided it was time to "step" things up. The FitBit works with an awesome app that is super easy to use and navigate. It not only tracks steps, but it tracks calories and sleep patterns too. I realized that having a goal of 10,000 steps was going to unattainable for me, at this point anyway. So I set my goal to be 7,500 steps a day. I wanted it to be realistic and on days where I pass that number its just an extra bonus.

I also pair it with my Nike+ app which tracks how fast I am walking and how many miles. I like combining the two because both help me to see how I am not only moving each day but how, over time my pace is becoming quicker as the inches shed away.

So it has been about a month using both the FitBit and the Nike+. So far I have lost 3 pounds. I know many of us, me included focus a lot on those numbers on the scale. I will admit that I was a bit bummed about only losing 3 pounds, but I will say this. I think they are off, like really off, not water weight. I had about 18 pounds to lose so I lost about a fourth of the weight that I needed to which in that perspective was awesome. Best part is that I have lost inches. A lot of inches. I have lost over 2 inches in my waist which is my main problem area (good bye baby weight from two years ago that wouldn't leave). My face and breast have also slandered down noticeably to the point that people are asking me what I have been doing.

So, would I recommend the FitBit. You betcha. It may not be the most accurate step counter, but it does give you a ball park of reality which is the wake up call that I needed.

I will update you next month on how I continue on this journey.

The one about starting to workout

Last week, as I completed my mind map I noticed that I have a lot more control of my happiness then I give myself credit for. I, am the one who controls my weight, not some medication that I started two months ago that I blame it on. I, am the one who decides not to work out, not my (almost) two year old daughter. I, am the one who cooks most of our meals which includes frying some of it. 

I need to take ownership on what I am doing and what I am not doing. 

I am the one who eats whatever leftovers my daughter doesn't eat. 

I am the one who sits on the couch during quiet time rather than find that to be the perfect time to get a work out in. 

I have been making some changes. On February 16, 2015, I started to pay more attention to what I was eating. I began tracking and keeping a log of what I ate using the app itrackbites. It's been a little over a week and I notice a difference. I have lost a pound which is a good start. It helps to be mindful when I eat. It helps me to make better choices. 

Today I will start the T25 program. I will be starting a bit slower than he wants as I am going to do the workout every other day to start because I don't want to overdo it. I have total hip replacements and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and there is no sense in making me feel like I can't move from being sore, right?!

Today is the perfect day to make a shift in the way that I think and feel. 

Today is my day!