Whole30: Day 6

I am officially on DAY 6 of the Whole30! I've been 100% committed. I don't think I've ever gone this long without at least some type of wheat or dairy product. We typically have some type of pasta recipe at least once a week in our house, and we are BIG on the cheese, especially Parmesan. I know I'm not even a week in yet, but I'm feeling pretty proud of myself so far.

I've been drinking as much liqud as possible, like water, coconut water, tea, and sparkling water. I'm doing my best to stay hydrated. I've also been eating a lot of eggs, which I'm seriously getting sick and tired of. This week I hardboiled eggs and took them to work for either breakfast or lunch. For example, yesterday at work I had an egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions and spinach for breakfast, along with a banana, and for lunch I had a few hardboiled eggs and a small cup of cantaloupe, pineapple and watermelon. For dinner, I had grass-fed steak that my husband was kind enough to cook for us.

Surprisingly, it hasn't been difficult to find dinner recipes that are compliant with the Whole30 program. This week, I've had organic whole roasted chicken, seared salmon with spinach and mushrooms, steak, and seared salmon again. I've always been a little intimidated about cooking salmon, but it's surprisingly SUPER easy to cook, especially on the stovetop! Now that I've become a pro at it, I definitely plan to incorporate salmon into my diet more. I would also like to learn how to prepare other types of fish, like tilapia, which I intend to do next week. Tonight, we're going to have organic roasted chicken with potatoes. Can I just say how proud I am of myself for how much I've been cooking lately, and how good at it I've become?? Not trying to brag or anything, but I've been on a role for the last few months! I actually look forward to coming home and cooking dinner most nights.

What I enjoy about the Whole30 program is that I can still eat so many of the things that I love. Yes, I can't have cheese, pasta or bread, but I can still cook with olive oil and season my food with salt, which is everything. I can't stand eating bland food and if this diet didn't allow salt, I don't think I could do it. I can also eat pretty much any type of vegetable that I want except for starchy ones like corn, peas and beans. I can eat ANY fruit that I want, including avocados, which are my favorite. For lunch today I made myself salmon with avocado (err, technically guacamole as I mushed it up and added chopped jalapeno, cilantro, green onions and lime juice to it). It was surprisingly good together!

Another thing I've discovered is how much I love coconut water! In the past I used to think it was bland, but now I drink it everyday! I notice it really helps keep me hydrated and helps reduce swelling in my legs. It was on sale at my grocery store this morning so I seriously grabbed at least 8 bottles of it. I love the taste and the energy it gives me especially.

I almost forgot to mention that I've also been walking on my 30-minute lunch breaks at work this week.

I also sort of cheated and weighed myself out of curiosity this morning. According to my scale, I weigh 187 pounds! Remember last week when I had my doctor appointment and I weighed 195.6 pounds? I've lost 8 pounds in a week! I am starting to see a difference, mostly in my arms and legs. Most importantly, I feel GREAT, though I can tell my body is going through withdrawals from not having many of the foods I've been eating all my life. Yesterday I felt SO tired and groggy. The day before, I felt a little nauseous with everything that I ate. I attempted to eat sauteed squash for lunch and nearly gagged. Today I'm feeling a bit better but still took the day off to rest and ensure I stick to my diet. I'm looking forward to our 3-day weekend ahead because it will allow me to focus even more on myself and my diet.