Ginger Chicken = Success

Tonight I tried another new recipe...Ginger Chicken.  This is probably my favorite meal so far!  It was so easy to make, and it was delish!  I have never in my life bought ginger, so this was totally new to me.  It is crazy how easy cooking really is...all these years I have been missing out.  I did make a slight modification on the recipe...instead of chicken legs, I used chicken breasts.  The recipe is here...http://agirlworthsaving.net/2012/06/ginger-chicken-recipe.html
And, I cooked squash, zucchini squash, and onions with Ghee in the skillet for our side.  Again, easy and yummy.

Eating out...

This has proven to be tricky.  When I go out to eat, I have a complicated order for sure!  I have to let the server know that I cannot have grains, sugar, or dairy.  Minus Chipotle, I have only eaten out twice.  First time was O'Charley's which is not remotely Whole30 friendly.  All I ate was raw spinach, sliced avocados, and tomatoes.  The second time was today...The Cheesecake Factory.  I generally would not have put myself in this situation, but this was our yearly girls shopping trip for Candlelight Ball dresses, and it is tradition that we eat here.  I had already researched the menu ingredients online and knew exactly what I was going to order...The California omelet with no cheese, no sour cream, and no butter served with their fresh, house made salsa, and a side of fresh fruit.  I will say, it was very good!  It was a little hard saying no to the mimosa, but I said no and felt good about my decision to not cheat on my Whole30.  

Our once a week treat is Chipotle.  Chipotle has a Whole30 compliant salad.  You can get the lettuce, carnitas meat, salsa (any salsa except for the one with corn), and guacamole.  It is nice break from cooking, so we have had this the past two Friday nights. 

Tonight's Dinner

Hamburger Steak with sauteed onions, served with cucumber slices, and watermelon

Simple & Quick: I cooked the hamburger (sprinkled with a little pepper and garlic powder) in the skillet, sauteed white onions in a skillet with Ghee, and used a leftover cucumber to make a simple side

Winner winner...Chicken Dinner

First, don't be jealous of the Chinet...I do own real dishes...we just rarely use them.  This meal: Zesty Chicken Bites (or strips in my case), oven roasted potatoes, and broccoli

A few of my favorite things...

Breakfast

Daily Breakfast

Pork Chops...Yum!

I am beginning to get creative with my spices...since I don't eat seafood, I am eating a lot of chicken, beef, and pork.  This week, chops were on sale buy one get one free, so I took advantage.  Last night I mixed a little sea salt, paprika, cumin, fresh ground pepper, and parsley to make a dry rub.  I coated both sides of my pork chops.  After cooking them in the skillet for a few minutes on each side, I finished cooking them in the oven on 350 for another 10 minutes.  They came out great!  This was my hubby's favorite pork chop recipe so far.  We had steamed broccoli and baked potatoes for our sides.
I keep forgetting to take pics of my meals...I will work on that this weekend :)  

Favorite Side Dishes

So far, our side dishes have been very basic.  Our go to choices are any steamable Whole30 compliant veggie (broccoli, green beans, brussel spouts, etc all seasoned with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper) microwave baked potato (sweet for me with only cinnamon sprinkled and white for Kyle with hot sauce), and roasted little potatoes....they come in a bag of white, red, and purple...I didn't even know purple potatoes existed!  I plan to get a little more creative on my sides this weekend.  During the week, I need something quick and easy, so these options have been the best thus far.

And, I have had several people ask about what I am drinking.  A couple of years ago, I quit drinking caffeine and artificial sweetners.  So, for years now, I pretty much only drink water.  On occasion I will have a sweet tea or lemonade, but since those are not Whole30, I am sticking with water only for now.  There are several drinks that are Whole30 approved, but I stand by that water is always the best choice.     

Results!

While on the Whole30, it is recommended you only weigh at the end of your 30 days, BUUUUUTTTT....I just can't do that!  So, I am excited to report that after 7 complete days of Whole30 and not a single cheat (not a lick of a spoon cheat, nothing, nada!), I have lost 5 pounds!!!  I know that typically at the beginning of any "life style change" that you lose quite a bit of weight, but I love seeing those results.  It helps to keep me motivated! 

Dinner Time: Whole30 Style

Here are some of our favorites so far (we are only a week in at this point)...

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers:
http://www.primallyinspired.com/buffalo-ranch-stuffed-peppers/

Zesty Chicken Bites:
http://lexiscleankitchen.com/2014/01/05/zesty-chicken-bites/
On this...I did not use the Italian Seasoning because I wasn't sure it was Whole30 compliant, so I sprinkled in Basil and Oregano instead.  And, I didn't have Red Pepper Flakes, so I omitted that (I am not sure if they are Whole30 or not), and obviously, no parm cheese.

Blackened Pork Chops
http://holisticallyengineered.com/2012/08/whole30-day-4-and-blackened-pork-chops.html  

Beef Lettuce Wraps
Simply brown ground beef, stuff your lettuce (I like to use butter lettuce leafs), and top with Whole30 approved toppings (Salsa, Guac, Pico, etc).

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Cook chicken (skillet or crock pot), stuff your lettuce, and top with Whole30 approved toppings (chopped pineapple, apples, or any other fruit is a good change up).  My hubby loves adding Whole30 approved hot sauce (double check the ingredients...Frank's RedHot Original is a good choice).

And, keep in mind, you can cook enough to have leftovers for your lunch the next day.  This makes it super easy to plan your Whole30 lunch. 

Typical Day of Whole30

Breakfast:
Two fried eggs topped with salsa and quac served over sauteed spinach and if I am still hungry, then I will have a piece of fruit

Snack:
Since I eat breakfast at 6 AM and my lunch is not until 1:15...I need a mid morning snack.  I always have my Green Smoothie (compliments of the amazing Tara Gant...she takes great care of me!  Her smoothie includes spinach, kale, and fruit...you will have to ask her for the exact ingredients...I just know that it is fruit, veggies, and ice).  If I am really hungry then I will also have a piece of fruit or a spoonful of Bare Almond Butter to tie me over until lunch.

Lunch:
Super 7 Sweet Kale Salad Mix (do not use the dressing that comes in the bag...it's not Whole30 approved) with shredded crock pot chicken and mango salsa.  And, if I am still hungry, I will have a piece of fruit.

Dinner:
Each night it varies...I will blog a separate post with dinner recipes that we have enjoyed so far.

After Dinner Snack:
I do not snack after dinner, but the hubby does...his go to items are raw nuts (no peanuts), quac and celery, or quac with plantation chips.

Keep It Simple

Again, I am a creature of habit, and therefore I can pretty much eat the same thing everyday as long as I like what I am eating and feel satisfied after eating.  And, I am not a chef.  Prior to Whole30, we ate out 90% of our meals each evening.  Seriously, I would maybe cook one night a week, OR we would go to my in laws to eat.  So, I knew that in order to be successful, I need simple and quick recipes.  And, like most things in life, success does require preparation.  So, I started out by making a batch of salsa and a batch of mango salsa.  Who knew making your own salsa was so easy?!?!?  I honestly had no clue!  We use salsa on most everything...eggs, meats, veggies...everything.  I also started by making a batch of crock pot chicken and shredding it to have for lunch.  I go ahead and portion it out to make it easy when packing my lunch each morning.

Here is what breakfast looks like (using one small skillet, one spatula, and one fork...ain't nobody got time for washing a ton a dishes at 6 AM!)...
Melt a little bit of Ghee (use this instead of butter per Whole30 plan) in the skillet.  Add a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach leaves.  The spinach cooks down in about two minutes.  Transfer cooked spinach to my best chinet.  Then cook two eggs in the skillet.  I leave mine slightly runny.  Add a little bit of fresh ground pepper and sea salt to your eggs.  Once cooked, put the eggs on top of the spinach.  Next, top your egg with something yummy...Pico, Salsa, Mango Salsa, or Guacamole...I love to use regular Salsa and Guac.  If you are still hungry after eating, have a piece of fruit.

Lunch has pretty much been the same everyday except on the weekends.  My hubby is doing this too, so I always make enough at dinner for him to have leftovers for lunch the next day.  So that is one option for sure!  I like have a great salad at lunch.  So I use my pre-portioned crock pot chicken and eat it over Super 7 Kale Sweet Mix (you can buy this at Publix...it has tons of shredded greens).  I throw away the dressing that comes with in the salad bag, and I use my Mango Salsa instead.  After eating my salad, if I am still hungry, I will have a piece of fruit.  But typically, I am plenty full after my salad.   

What is Whole30???

Many of you have likely heard of this program and maybe even tried it yourself.  It is basically 30 days of no dairy, no sugar, no legumes, and no grains.  The Whole30 program is all online and available for FREE!  The link is here http://whole30.com/

This site is filled with everything you need to be successful.  Again, I did not read the book.  I basically printed off the grocery shopping list and a few recipes to get started.

Grocery List: http://whole30.com/downloads/book-shopping-list.pdf\
I take this list every time I grocery shop.  If it is not on the list, I don't buy it.

Recipes to start with:
Salsa: http://southernfood.about.com/od/salsarecipes/r/bl40212k.htm 
Mango Salsa: http://whole30.com/2014/10/best-whole30-recipes-sauces-dressings-dips-oh/
Pork Chops: http://holisticallyengineered.com/2012/08/whole30-day-4-and-blackened-pork-chops.html 

No recipe needed:
Crock Pot Chicken: Put chicken breast in crock pot (I add nothing else) and cook until well done.  Remove the breasts and the chicken naturally shreds.  This is great for salads and lettuce wraps.
Ground Beef: Brown ground beef (you can add onion, peppers, etc), but I keep it simple to add to
salads and lettuce wraps.

Grocery store must buys:
Plantation Chips (double check your ingredients..should be only Plantations, Palm Oil, and Sea Salt...Wal-Mart sells a Nature Harvest brand that is compliant)...these are great when you need a crunchy snack...although, if possible AVOID snacking
Bare Almond Butter...sometimes I eat a spoon full or I eat it with apples or celery
Nuts...raw cashews are great as well as almonds
Fresh Guacamole: (double check your ingredients...pick one that only has Whole30 approved ingredients...Publix sells Del Monte Fresh and is compliant)

The Back Story

Many may wonder...why?  Why do I care about living a healthy life style?  Why do I work out so much?  Why am I even doing the Whole30?  Well, I have several answers I can share...

First, I am a strong believer that this is the only body God is giving us, and we should take care of it.  My body is my temple.  Second, obesity runs in my family.  Therefore I am very self conscience about falling into the health issues that some of my family members face.  I am determined to break the cycle.  Third, I want to be a good example for my children, students, and everyone.

Many of you already know, I am a creature of habit, and each day I weigh in with Nurse Erica.  Now, I KNOW I am not supposed to weigh daily, but I really can't help it.  I find that it helps to keep me in check.  In doing this, I am able to closely monitor any weight gain...which has brought me to doing the Whole30.

January is always a hard month for me.  I want to eat everything in sight.  And, those snow days did not help one bit.  I know...excuses, excuses.  So, after much research and thought, I decided the Whole30 was what I needed.  I begin this challenge Tuesday, February 16th.  I did not read the recommended book that tells all the about the "Why" we shouldn't eat certain foods.  I just trusted that this program did their research and knew what they were talking about.

I will openly share that as I begin this program, I weigh...158.9.  It's the most I have weighed in over two years.  And, it is not okay.  So my quest begins, full speed ahead!