Day 36

What a thrill this morning to discover than a favorite pair of pants fits again! It is enough to keep me going in this plan to lose weight, exercise and eat right!

Husband and daughter have had no ill effects of adding grain into their diets.

Today was an odd day for eating. I had breakfast and supper, but I missed lunch. Instead I ate some fruit to tide me over until supper. And when I went walking after supper, I got very weak and shaky. I did not have enough fuel in my system to keep going. As a result I came home and ate cashews with raisins and a Larabar. Lesson learned:

Eat three purposeful meals every day!

 

Breakfast:

Omelet, Avocado, and Strawberries

I am trying to learn how to make omelets. I watched a very old YouTube video of Julie Childs teaching how to make omelets. I need a lot more practice. This one looks pretty good, but it did not have the creaminess that I would like it to have.

Supper:

Mexican Chicken Soup

Wow is this a delicious soup! Recipe is found here: http://www.iheartnaptime.net/mexican-chicken-soup/ The cup of cilantro and the lime juice really brought the flavors together.

Exercise: Walk 2.2 miles.

Day 35

Husband and Daughter added grains back into their diets today. This morning it was granola for him and honey nut ohs for her. I am sticking with the program, but now that those cereals are in the house I am feeling like throwing in the towel. I won't, but there is temptation now.

Breakfast:

Scrambled Egg, Avocado, Bacon

 

 Lunch:

Chicken, Steamed Cauliflower,
Roasted Potatoes, and Applesauce

 

I sprinkle half of a chicken breast with salt, pepper, and safe, then it wrapped in prosciutto. Plunk it into a pan coated with olive oil and cooked 5 minutes on each side. I removed the chicken to a dish and covered with foil. Added vegetable broth to the pan and raised the heat to high, scraping up all the browned bits. Let that reduce to half, then add a bit of lemon juice. Spoon over the chicken. It is delicious and very easy to make!

 

 

Supper:

Vegetable Beef Soup

I could eat this soup every night. Sadly, I finished it tonite, so I will have to make some more. Husband and Daughter ate sandwiches with cheese.

I am very curious how the family will feel tomorrow, if eating grain products will have any effect on their digestive systems.

Exercise: None, due to heavy rains today.

Day 34

Breakfast:

Fried Egg, Avocado, Strawberries

 Lunch:

Leftover Shepherd's Pie and Applesauce

 Supper:

Leftover Vegetable Beef Soup

Exercise: None, due to severe sinus headache

Day 33

Trying something new here today....pictures!

Breakfast:

Egg, Bacon, and Avocado

Lunch:

Steak, Steamed Broccoli, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Applesauce

I like to brown the steak on both sides, then bake until done. Today I let it bake a little too long and it was a little dry. Still delicious. Sweet potatoes are coated with olive oil, then roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning at 10 minute intervals. I must mind portion size with the sweet potatoes-one serving is 18 wedges-for I could keep eating them forever!

Supper:

Vegetable Beef Soup

 

This recipe comes from my Betty Crocker Cookbook, using beef shanks browned in their own marrow. Add water and carrot, celery, onion, peppercorns, cloves, and parsley. Let simmer 3 hours. Strain broth, chop meat, then make the soup. I add onion, carrots, potatoes, celery, a jar of tomatoes, and a jar of beans. Sooo good. I love the abundance of veggies. 

 

Exercise: Walked 2.5 miles

 

P.S. Husband and Daughter report no adverse effects from eating dairy products yesterday.

 

Day 32

Perhaps I should say Day 2, for I am starting another 30 days of eating whole foods. I am having some digestive troubles and I want to get that resolved. This time I am also cutting out all nuts. I am not sure that is what is causing my problems, but I know that if I eat too many nuts, my tongue gets sore. I must have some intolerance to nuts.

Husband and Daughter have begun to reintroduce foods back into their diets. Today it was dairy products. They both ate cheese and ice cream. For the next two days they will monitor their bodies for reactions, while eating the whole foods again.

Here are the results of 30 days of whole foods on our bodies:

Husband starting weight: 214.4 lbs.   
Husband weight after 30 days: 194.2 lbs.
That is a 20 lb. weight loss for him! WOW!

Julie starting weight: 164.1 lbs.
Julie's weight after 30 days: 153.4
I lost 10 lbs! I can't really see it or tell it in the way my clothes fit.

Daughter starting weight: 121.8 lbs.
Daughter weight after 30 days: 117.4 lbs.
She lost 4.4 lbs. She really does not need to lose weight. She is not exercising each day as she is busy with school work.

From this point on, I will report on what I am eating but not what husband and daughter are eating, as they are not following a strict Whole30 plan anymore.

Breakfast:
Tea and Bacon
I know, not the most balanced breakfast, but my personal plumbing system is not happy.

Lunch:
Spaghetti Squash topped with Zucchini, Red Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes, Applesauce, and Easy Baked Meatballs from  http://thelittlehoneybee.com/2014/06/18/easy-baked-meatballs-paleo/.
The meatballs were rather dry, but the squash made up for it in moistness. I have often made the Zucchini/Pepper/Onion/Tomato sauce for pasta, but it is really tasty on the squash, too!

Supper:
Chicken Acorn Squash Soup from http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-acorn-squash-soup-153973
Oh, this was delicious! I used half of a Kabocha squash instead of an acorn squash because that is what I had in the house. Instead of chicken broth I used half veggie broth/half water. I was surprised by my daughter; she liked it and ate two bowls!

Exercise: Walked 2.5 miles

Day 31

No reflections for today. I will try to post that tomorrow. Today I have been down with a severe sinus headache.

Breakfast:
Eggs and Bacon

Lunch:
Leftovers...chicken, potatoes, pork chops, baked sweet potato

Supper:
This and That Soup
I had some cooked foods in the fridge to be used. I sautéed some onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Added some chicken bone broth, water, leftover cooked hamburger, leftover cooked chicken, leftover boiled potatoes, a bit of basil, parsley, and a bay leaf. I let it simmer for about 20 minutes. It was delicious, very soothing for my aching head.

Exercise: Walked 1.5 miles

Day 30

We made it! 30 days of whole foods! I am surprised at how quickly the month has gone by. Tomorrow I will do some reflecting on this experience.

Breakfast:
Egg Casserole and Bacon
For this dish, I put cooked potatoes in a baking dish, then sprinkled cooked hamburger with onions on top. I beat 10 eggs and 2 egg whites, then added some salt and some Mexican Oregano. Pour over the rest and baked it. It was good! I would have liked some avocado and pico de gallo on top.

Superbowl Party:
Roasted Chicken Drumsticks and Roasted Potatoes.
We went to a party and I took Whole30 friendly foods along. We also snacked on nuts and raw veggies. Too bad our team lost.

Snacks:
Bananas, cashews and raisins.

Exercise: None