My Whole30 Diary. Part 3.

This is it! Week three of my Whole30 experience! You can read about why I'm doing Whole30 here.

Day 15.
Breakfast: Egg scramble. Coffee. Half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salad with Greek toppings. Sliced apple.
Dinner: Leftover pulled beef with green onion and homemade ranch dressing. Coconut cauliflower rice.

The cauliflower rice left much to be desired. It was NOT GOOD. On the hunt for a better recipe.

I am a little bit sick of my Greek salads everyday. But I've got all the ingredients so it's easiest (and most budget-friendly!) to just keep making them.

Day 16.
Breakfast: Frittata. Coffee. Half a grapefruit.
Lunch: Salad with Greek toppings.
Snack: Cherry Larabar.
Dinner: Stir fry with onions, green, yellow and red peppers, chicken sausage and red potatoes.

Oh my. This dinner was THE JAM. Who would have known that such an easy dinner would be so delicious? Definitely putting this one on my list to make again. In like two days. Because seriously, I've been slaving away in the kitchen for weeks and this dinner meal was much simpler and quicker than usual. Praise report.

Day 17.
Breakfast: Frittata made with last night's leftover onions, peppers, sausage and potatoes. Coffee. Grapefruit.
Snack: Apple with almond butter.
Lunch: Chicken salad with Greek toppings.
Dinner: Baked chicken with homemade pesto and kale chips.

I JUST WANT TOAST. GIVE ME TOAST.

I thought I was getting on board with the Whole30 today. Then I got a hankering for toast that ailed my soul and left me wanting. And wanting. And WANTING.

Day 18.
Breakfast: Frittata with onions, mushrooms, spinach and chicken sausage.
Lunch: I honestly can't remember. But I'll bet it was salad!
Dinner: DINNER OUT! FINALLY!

For our date night out, Stevie and I split the perfect order: The skinny dip bison burger from Ted's Montana Grill with no bun, and a side of mustard, avocado and tomato. Oh, and a sweet potato with literally nothing on it. It still tasted like pie though. And the Big Sky salad with salmon and bacon, hard boiled egg, tomato, avocado and red wine vinegar.

I just want to say it. We should have eaten out so much sooner. I had prepared every single meal from scratch for 18 days in a row, and I was so burned out. I didn't think we could eat out anywhere, but after talking to a few Whole30 veterans (who shared their Ted's orders), I felt confident we could make it happen. And it was the best night I've had in, I don't know, 18 nights! It just felt SO GOOD to not have to clean up the kitchen.

Plus, we got coffee and tea at Starbucks afterwards, walked around, browsed the William-Sonoma clearance sale and Stevie secretly bought me the waffle maker I've been wanting for months! We were walking out of the store and the lady slyly slipped a bag into his hand, along with his credit card. He was like, "It was the last one left in your color." That man. Such a good man. My whole kitchen is red (well, all my appliances are red), so it wouldn't have been a big deal to get a normal one, but he made sure I got that red waffle maker :)

It's technically a gift for Everett, since he begs for waffles every morning. We are letting him open it for Valentines Day. Unless we cave and he opens it sooner.

Basically? Best date ever. Also? Cheapest date ever. No dessert and no alcohol? I was amazed at our bill. Take that, sugar and booze! (Don't worry, I still miss those things)

Day 19.
Breakfast: Frittata. Hot Tea.
Lunch: Chicken salad with random vegetables.
Dinner: Mexican taco salad with ground beef, spinach, salsa, guacamole and homemade ranch dressing.

Again, this was a GOOD dinner. A surprising one. I love making traditional taco salads, so I figured this would suck in comparison, but alas, I judged too quickly. The addition of the ranch dressing added just the right kick and it was one of those meals where we both went back for seconds.

Day 20.
Breakfast: We hosted brunch at our house with some friends. We made them "normal" food (including biscuits, quiche, and fruit salad), and for ourselves, we made a frittata (I know, you're shocked) with mushrooms, onions, and chicken sausage. Coffee and juice all around.
Lunch: Breakfast was kind of for lunch, you know?
Snack: Apples.
Dinner: Crockpot pulled beef with green onions and homemade ranch dressing.

Day 21.
Breakfast: Quick egg scramble. Fruit to go.
Lunch: Tuna salad on top of a spinach salad. Assorted veggies.
Dinner: Leftover crockpot pulled beef. Because it's SO GOOD. I kind of wish it was a bottomless crockpot.

Overall Recap:
There is no more anger. There is just a general sullenness about how much work it is for me to prepare healthy meals every 3-4 hours.

I still get tired from time to time, but I do feel a sustained amount of energy during times where I would usually crash.

I am able to wake up quickly, completely clear-minded, without that foggy, grogginess. I guess that could be attributed to this Whole30 gig.

I can tell a difference in my physical body that I haven't been eating sugar or drinking alcohol, because my clothes are fitting more loosely. This makes me realize that there is no quick fix to actually losing weight and getting toned - it's just a matter of doing the work. I have no idea if I've actually lost weight though, because I haven't weighed myself. That wasn't my #1 goal in doing this, either. It's just a perk.

Unfortunately, seeing my skin clear up was one of my top goals, and I don't feel like I've seen major improvement in that department. I'll keep hoping.

Am I glad I'm doing this? Yes. I am gratefully annoyed.

Anyone doing Whole30 want to chime in? How's it going for you?

P.S. Part 1 and Part 2 of my Whole30 diary, in case you're interested!