Today I added wine back into my diet - specifically blueberry wine from Sorrenti (Cherry Valley Vineyard). I purchased a case of the wine prior to my Myrtle Beach vacation, so I'm very excited about being able to drink it. The wine is VERY good; however, it is sweet, so one glass is my limit.

Additionally, I have purchased another paleo cookbook - Nom Nom Paleo. I used the author's blog throughout my Whole30 journey, and the reviews for the cookbook are positive. I also looked at the inside of the book, and there are some simple recipes as well as more difficult ones. That will make it easier to sustain the cleaning eating throughout the school year.

I'm going to continue to follow the paleo plan, but I'm still not going to add sugar back into our diets. I did make pancakes with coconut flour. While the flavor was a bit different than conventional white flour pancakes, they were good. We had red raspberries (picked at Schmidt's Berry Farm) on top instead of syrup.

Remember, that all of these changes take a while to get used to. However, starting with the strict Whole30 helped carve the way in thinking about whole foods.

30 days of the Whole30 have come to an end. However, we have decided that we will continue with the clean eating--especially daily at home and at work.

Here are the totals in lost weight:
Karla 8 pounds
Donald 10 pounds
Karanda 18 pounds
Whopping 36 pounds between the three of us!
With results like that in only 30 days, it must be worth maintaining.

Now that my pantry is de-junked and I'm seeing some great results: sleeping, mood, stamina, digestion, etc., I know that we have found something that we need to continue to do.

I know that when we go out to restaurants that Don will probably not stick to the "plan" and that is okay. I may not either at times, but I also don't want to pay for food that is going to give me a stomach ache, or worse.

Oh yeah, I lost another 2 pounds!

I bought a cookbook - The Paleo Slow Cooker. There are many out there. I got mine on the bargain book shelf at Barnes & Noble. It is a good resource for clean eating. The only thing is that all of the recipes are for the crock pot (slow cooker). So eventually, I'll have to purchase a "regular" paleo cookbook.
However, the paleo diet differs from Whole30 mainly with the use of honey, coconut crystals (sugar), and almond/coconut/flax flours.
While I am not going to "cheat" during the 30 days, I am going to add the flours into our diet after the 30 days. I'm going off of regular flour products for good. I'm feeling really healthy (internally), and I have to attribute it to my food choices.
I'd like to add that I have a friend who is also doing the Whole30. I know she plans to continue the clean eating after the 30 days as well. While our husbands don't think they NEED to continue the clean eating, little do they know that they need it just as much as anyone does. High cholesterol, high sugar, and other ailments are not just medical conditions of people who are "overweight". The cholesterol and blood sugar is a hereditary condition, which can be exacerbated by a bad diet. 

Doing some research today for sugar-free meat, specifically BACON!
Valley Farm Markets has some great meats, but my family is miffed at not being able to have a BLT (minus the bread and with homemade mayo).
So here are some links to meats that can be ordered online and shipped directly to your home. The site is great, as it lists ALL ingredients.
Caveat: You have to order a 7 lb. minimum and $75 minimum in order to check out on the site. The shipping is $7.50.


Sugar Free Pork Breakfast Sausage (ground)
Sugar Free Pork Bacon Ends

Today was the greatest find at Wegmans: Cinnamon Apple Chips.
Ingredients: Apples, Cinnamon. period.
Very excited.

My summer is really getting off to a great start. I'm home with my husband during the day, as he works middle shift. During the school year, we have limited time together, as we don't see each other from 9:30 a.m. on Sunday until 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
But it is all worth it when summer rolls around each year. We spend most days together--he is in a golf league on Wednesdays (Thanks, Kenny!), and he still works on Sundays.

When he goes to work Monday through Thursday, I have time each day to do other things like swim at my friend's house (Shout out to Theo!!). Today was a lovely day; it didn't start out looking like it was going to be great, but it was. Theo is very supportive of my new eating habits with Whole30. We talk about how it is going, as well as different recipes.

That is the key to healthy eating. If you want to change your eating habits, surround yourself with people who are supportive of your choices. It is very difficult to choose to eat clean--everything has "crap" in it--even "organic" items have sugar in them. It can be done, but one must be diligent in reading EVERY label, and then even confirming it with another person. I do like going shopping with someone else right now because we double check the labels if we think we found something Whole30 compliant.

I have been printing out great recipes, and today I remembered about spaghetti squash. We had it for lunch, and it was delicious. There is enough leftover, so my husband can take it to work tomorrow instead of a salad. For dinner, Kara and I had chef salads (minus the cheese) with organic ham and roast beef from Wegman's deli. We used 1/2 a lemon each for the dressing. Kara said the salad was more tolerable (she is a NOT a salad/lettuce lover). I thought it was delicious. A great change from the same salad each day.

Signing out for now.

Kara cheated again--she weighed herself. TEN POUNDS LOST! That is amazing.

Between the 3 of us, we have lost 20 pounds. While that is not the goal of my Whole30 endeavor, I did figure that moving to a healthier relationship with food was going to result in weight loss.

Another milestone today...I walked over 5 miles with my friend Georganna (shout out!!). We started as her house, walked to the Bethlehem Township Community Center, walked half of that, detoured around Baglyos Circle, finished the other half at the community center, and walked back to her house. It resulted in a 5+ mile walk. While my hip was hurting a bit (I have some issues with my lower back and hip--especially on long walks), it was great. We are planning to do it again soon.

The combination of exercise and healthy eating will continue to bring great results for me and my family.

Each day I feel better than yesterday. I'm waking up without feeling excessively tired (yes, I still feel tired, but not exhausted), and I seem to have more energy later in the evening. Previously, I was sitting on the couch by 7 p.m. each evening because I was exhausted. Now, I am finding other things to do. Hopefully, I can continue this throughout the summer moving into the new school year.

No rest for the wicked on this Sunday morning.

Kara and I went grocery shopping: Walmart and Sam's Club.
We found some great things at these stores.
Sam's Club - chicken, steaks, pork chops, ground turkey, and best of all: bratwurst.
Walmart yielded some items that we found elsewhere, such as coconut milk for a lesser price. That is why I'm making a list of where to find items, so I don't (A) waste money and (B) waste time.

Our meals are interesting, as we are trying to make different recipes each day.

We are finding that we can't purchase too much produce because even though we are eating a lot of it, some of it is going bad before we can use it. Thus, planning even snacks is important, so again--no waste and no overspending.

Today was a true test to my willpower.

First, we went to the Green Dragon to purchase produce and nuts. We didn't get any meats because most of the stuff we can get closer to home. But the produce and nuts were much cheaper. We tried to stock up as much as one can with items that spoil quickly if not used.

Then, and here comes the first obstacle of the day, we stopped at a diner for lunch. It really was not as difficult as I thought. We each ordered a different grilled fish along with a salad (oil and vinegar, please) and broccoli. We also shared a small plate of sweet potato fries because we asked how they were prepared. The waitress was very accommodating.

After dinner we met friends [Shout out to Theo and John!] at the Sands Casino to see UUU. Anyone who has been out with me knows that if I'm going to the Sands, then I'm going to have an extra dirty martini with extra olives. But wait! That is not permitted during the Whole30. Rats and double rats!! I did not cheat (neither did Don or Kara), and we drank water with lemon while we listened to the band. Let me say that the evening was fun, but I definitely missed having my special drink.

Well, it happened...I cheated...only a little.

I WEIGHED myself, which is a no-no according to the It Starts with Food book. No, I didn't cheat as far as eating any unauthorized food items, but the book clearly states that it is recommended to only weigh yourself at the beginning and end of the 30 days. The program is NOT about weight loss; however, since I gave up all my sweets, I was in need of some reward.

So, before I stepped on the scale, I said silently, "As long as I haven't gained any more weight. That is a plus."

I'm proud to say that I have actually LOST 5 pounds! I hope they have found a home elsewhere--FOREVER!

As far as the food and eating goes, it is slow going. I'm eating a lot of salads, which is starting to become monotonous. I have to find something to spice it up a bit, or I'm afraid I won't be able to make 30 days let alone make this my permanent food diet.

Additionally, I've found that during this week, I need a nap in the afternoon. I only need 20 minutes to get me through the remainder of the day. Also, I feel hungry between meals. I'm hoping that will start to subside as well throughout the remainder of the days.

Be sure to Google Whole30 recipes if you are interested in program.

More to come later...

I'm proud to say that I have made it through 5 days on the Whole30 plan, which means that I have had no dairy, soy, grain, processed foods, or sugar. We had a good run, candy, but I must say goodbye.

Today (Day 5) I feel better than I have the past 4 days; however, on the 4th day I did walk another 5K with a friend. Shout out to Georganna!! And today, my husband and I worked around the yard for a couple of hours. 

After 5 days, I'm realizing that I'm not craving additionally food or snacks throughout the day. Believe me, this is a journey that is not easily traveled. It makes me feel good to know that I CAN control what I eat, regardless of what others may say.

"Oh, that sounds too restrictive," says EVERYONE! But how many of us constantly say that we need to "eat better" or "lose weight" or even control some ailment such as blood sugar, cholesterol, hypertension, etc.? What distance are we willing to go in order to really make a difference? I'm at least going 30 days to see what difference it will make.

I don't think that eating meat (beef, pork, chicken, fish, shell fish, etc.), vegetables, and fruit is too restrictive. That is what we have been programmed to think by the food industry and, frankly, by ourselves. Additionally, it takes time to figure out what type of menu planning works, but it is worth it to feel better. I'm hoping that the "looking better" is coming shortly. ;)

How many of us like sausage with peppers and onions? Well, I had that for lunch today.
How many of us are fine going somewhere and ordering a grilled chicken salad? Yup, that is what I had for dinner tonight.

The difference is that I had meat that had no sugar, grain, or "crap" added to it and all of my vegetables were fresh. I think I've eaten more spinach in the last 5 days than I have in the last 3 months. Adding it to smoothies is a great way to incorporate it. Additionally, I used tomato sauce that was--yes, you guessed it--made with actual tomatoes and no added sugar. So much of the food items that we ingest contains tons of chemicals that most of us can't even pronounce. 

Now, I will say that it has been a roller coaster ride as far as purchasing groceries for daily meals. But let's face it; I have only been doing this for 5 days. Once I find a good balance for meals and where to purchase everything (I'm trying to find 3 good places), I think it will start to balance out.

It is not cheap to re-stock the entire pantry, but it is worth it.
I have not had a stomach ache in 5 days! That is unheard of around here.
Today I can say that I do not feel like I have to have a piece of candy. Miracle you say? Yes!

More tomorrow...