Crystal Madrilejos

Another week in the books!

Obstacles

I really tested my will power during Week 2. Between coming down with some sort of nasty cold virus and the Fourth of July weekend, there were more than a few times when convenience and comfort almost trumped any desire I had to stick with it. However, I pushed through. Here are the things that I struggled with this past week:

• Being sick on the Whole30 is no joke. Especially when all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and eat ice cream and watch movies in my feverish state. Which is impossible, not 0nly while doing the Whole30, but with two kids who won’t let you eat ice cream in peace. They are like two baby birds standing there staring at you with their eyes and mouths wide open waiting for you to spoon in a bite.
• Since I was too sick for most of the festivities, I managed to miss the usual Fourth of July party fare. So maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Though I still had to contend with many a Facebook photo of a flag cake made with strawberries and blueberries.
• Andrew made brick oven pizza this weekend of which I could not partake. I just played it cool, no big deal. Though, I really love, love, love his pizza and was secretly dying inside.

Physical Condition + Mood Meter

• Around Day 12, my skin broke out like I’d just hit puberty. It’s really no surprise that things we consume are catalysts for almost everything that happens within our body, including our hormones. And how those hormones manifest themselves externally in the form of skin issues. It’s seemed to have calmed down a bit now. But I imagine that my skin will continue to react as my body chemistry adjusts. Also, with PMS on the horizon, I might be in for a double-whammy. Or maybe, I won’t! We shall see.
• Last Tuesday, I went to a yoga handstand workshop taught by @mackenzieyoga and it was amazing. But since being sick I haven’t been able to workout and as a result, I think my energy levels have been a bit off. Was hoping to hit Day 12 with some serious energy – but instead I’m slowly easing into the “boundless energy” phase as my sickness wears off.

What I’ve Been Eating

Eggs, as per usual. Lots of Cauliflower Rice. Lots of salads. Lots of fruit. Lots of Moroccan Mint Tea.

 

From top left:

• Seared organic, grass-fed skirt steak, cauliflower rice, with sautéd veggies (carrots, swiss chard, zucchini, broccoli, onions & garlic)
• Leftover skirt steak over mixed greens, with tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil and black mission fig balsamic vinegar
• Roasted acorn squash with sage & nutmeg, with chicken and sautéd vegetables (carrots, swiss chard, zucchini, broccoli, onions & garlic)
• Roasted acorn squash and chicken over mixed greens with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil and black mission fig balsamic vinegar
• Slow-cooker sweet potatoes with sliced bananas, and chopped cashews
• Sautéd veggies (swiss chard, onions, garlic, yellow peppers, & spinach) over cauliflower rice
• Stir-fried veggies (carrots, green beans, onions, garlic & spinach) over cauliflower rice
• Hard-boiled eggs over mixed greens with carrots, tomatoes, olive oil & black mission fig balsamic vinegar

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I had a minor freak-out moment when I realized that I might have accidentally “slipped up” by making Banana Pancakes and some Frozen Banana-Almond Butter Cups. One of the rules of the Whole30 is:

“No Paleo-ifying baked goods, desserts, or junk foods. Trying to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold will ruin your program faster than you can say “Paleo Pop-Tarts.” This means no desserts or junk food made with “approved” ingredients—no banana-egg pancakes, almond-flour muffins, flourless brownies, or coconut milk ice cream. Don’t try to replicate junk food during your 30 days! That misses the point of the Whole30 entirely.”

I don’t know why this rule didn’t jump out in my mind when I was making these two items. I guess because my intent wasn’t to recreate something ”unhealthy” to try and feed some craving. I honestly was trying to just figure out what to make with bananas that were going bad. I didn’t eat any foods that were non-compliant, so after talking through the situation with my friend Chandra (who is also currently on her first Whole30) and reading this post over on the Whole9 forum on “what constitutes a slip or an accident”,  I’m just going to move forward and not see it as a reason to start over. I will however be avoiding the banana-almond cups that I made until after I’m done with the Whole30 because those things are actually way too good. I ate a few and deemed them not good for helping me transform my relationship with sweets. They satisfy a craving that I’m trying to squelch. So I’ll just save those for a later date.

Tags: Fitness, Food, Inspiration, Self, Whole30