Well folks, I’m almost done with day #20 of Whole 30!

It’s still hard and takes commitment, but it’s almost becoming second nature to me.

I’ve definitely found some foods/recipes that I enjoy and it’s made it a lot simpler.  I know there are a million different “gourmet” Whole 30 recipes out there, but I’ve chosen to keep it very simple.  I pretty much eat a lot of the same things most days.  Yes, it’s getting old, but the simplicity actually helps me.

Here are the basic things I eat; veggie/egg creations, sweet potato chips with guacamole, green smoothies with limited fruit, stir-fry creations with veggies and leftover meat, roasted veggies, salads, apples, bananas with almond butter, berries, leftover meat and/or deli meat and that’s about it!

I’ve tried to make different things for dinner though.  The last few weeks I’ve made things like Tacos (taco salad for me), Pot Roast and mashed potatoes, Beef Stew, Pancakes for the kids (omelet for me!), Turkey Burgers (bunless for me), Grilled Chicken with salad and fruit and Grilled Chicken with baked potatoes (sweet potato for me.)

I also plan to make Chicken Stew, Vegetable Soup and some sort of Spaghetti Squash creation this next week.

Yes, I feel like I’m cooking all the time!  It’s kind of a pain, but I also feel a sense of accomplishment.  I know it’s VITAL that I always have good food choices available and convenient for me.  I always have a stash of roasted veggies, some sort of protein (leftover chicken, turkey burgers, roast, deli meat), sweet potato chips, guacamole and bananas on hand at all times.

I still have cravings from time to time, but it’s usually when I’m hungry.  I’ve tried to train my brain to “not to go there” and not think about all of the foods I wish I could eat!  I also like to always have a plan and know what my next meal will be.

Surprisingly, I really haven’t been eating that many salads!  When I first started Whole 30, I thought I would have a salad every day.  However, I really only eat a salad every 3-4 days or so.  I’ve been enjoying my veggies warm or in green smoothies instead.  I did have this yummy salad a few days ago…

It was just romaine, apples, leftover chicken, slivered almonds and snap peas topped with a drizzle of Balsamic Vinaigrette and Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce.  I LOVE apples and chicken together in a salad!

I also had this the other day that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED…

I know that looks sick, but it was so good!  It was just some of my Cauliflower Rice topped with leftover grilled chicken and green salsa!  SO GOOD!

In fact, I think I’ll cook up some more Cauliflower rice tonight and get some chicken marinating.

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We did go out to dinner at the CHEESECAKE FACTORY (aauughh!) a couple nights ago with some friends.  Even though their “menu book” has a bazillion choices in it, I felt like I could only eat a couple of things on the menu.

It was very depressing.  I ended up ordering the Cobb salad without the bleu cheese…

It was a great salad, but the cheese was very much missed.  It definitely adds so much flavor!  We had such a fun time with our friends though…

However, they all ordered cheesecake after dinner (auuughhh!)

Doesn’t that look insanely good??!!!  Yes, I was dying and probably could’ve polished off all three of them myself!  In fact, I should just delete that picture from my blog because it is so painful, lol.

I was very proud of myself for staying strong!

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I’m happy to say that a new Sprouts Farmer’s Market store opened near my house a couple weeks ago!

I am in heaven!  Sprout’s reminds me a lot of Trader Joe’s in that it offers great quality, natural foods at great prices!  I’ve gone twice now and it’s been so busy both times!  I’ve had to wait in line about 15-20 minutes, but it was worth it.  I’m sure the crowds will die down soon…I hope.

Thankfully, the kiddos have been very patient.

I’ve been amazed by the quality produce and good deals!  I bought a TON of their boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.77/lb. and portioned it out into freezer bags to use for dinner or grilling.  I also bought a TON of their berries because the blueberries/raspberries were only 88 cents a box!  The strawberries were $2.50/2 lbs., which is a very good deal this time of year!

I got some other good deals like Organic apples for 99 cents/lb. and small pineapples for a dollar!  LOVE!

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I recently got some new running shoes that I am in love with!

They are Saucony Kinvara 5’s and I love them!  I’ve been an Asics running shoe lady the past several years, but I wanted to try something new this time.  I did a lot of research and decided to try the Kinvara 5.  I think I made the right choice!

First off, I love the bright colors!  They are also light weight and very roomy.  They are very comfortable!  FYI, I usually wear an 8 or an 8 1/2 in regular shoes, but I get a 9 in running shoes.  However, I read several reviews and most of them recommended getting these shoes a 1/2 size bigger than you usually get.  Soooo, I got a 9 1/2, but they fit perfectly!  I’m so glad I got the bigger size.

Oh, and they retail for $100, but I found them on Ebay for $67!  Boom.

I ran on the treadmill this morning and felt great!  I only ran 3.75 miles, but it was just perfect for me right now.

I think my “normal speed” right now is right around a 9 minute mile.  I still want to speed up quite a bit, but I’m happy to be making progress.  I can definitely feel a difference as I’m losing weight too!

Seriously!

I’ve been going to a great class at the gym on Tuesday nights.  It’s been different every week; tabatas, kick boxing, circuit training, weights, etc. and I love it so much!  It’s so tough and such a great workout!

Anyway, the first week I went (3 weeks ago), I felt heavy and out of shape.  I pushed myself very hard, but it was tough to move my body quickly and I didn’t feel very agile.  It’s kind of hard to explain, but it was an interesting spot to be in.  My mind still thought my body should be able to jump up and down quickly and easily, but my body didn’t want to cooperate.

It was very frustrating.

However, I’ve noticed progress each week!  I can move my body so much easier now and I feel lighter!  I’m starting to feel like my old self again!!!  Wahoo!

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Well, it’s getting late and I want to spend the rest of my Saturday night with my sweet husband, so I better end this.

I just want to say that eating a healthy diet is hard, but very, very rewarding.  I LOVE sugar so much and I’m missing all of my favorite treats, but the joy and happiness I feel from eating my favorite foods is so short lived!  Eating well and losing weight is slow and the results aren’t instantaneous, but the effects are much more satisfying and last a lot longer!

So, with that being said, I’m going to keep on pluggin’ along!  I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!