Living La Lupe

I used to work with a really wonderful woman who, for lunch everyday, would heat up a frozen Amy’s burrito. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Amy’s Indian Mattar Paneer, but she would seriously eat one burrito. Every. Day. I made some joke about it once when we were eating together and she told me, “I eat to live, I don’t live to eat.”

I think about line all the time. It just really struck me. Part of me thought she was calling me a fatty for caring about having some variety in my lunch menu. But I don’t think that was it. Maybe she meant that she wasn’t a slave to food. Whatever the meaning, it was a curious thing to say.

Today I took a meal to my friend who just had a beautiful baby boy. I made them the Chicken Cacciatore we had last week. I added spaghetti and Rice Krispies to round out the meal. She texted me later that it turned out really delicious (it is a really good recipe, bookmark it!) and that her three year old had 3 servings of everything.

For whatever reason, I thought about this “eat to live” line. I think that God has designed our body to love good food. Sure, we need to love food in moderation just like we should have moderation in all parts of our life, but there is not much that can rival a really good meal with really good friends. Or a good meal to lift a person’s spirits when things are really shitty or stressful. Or cooking for someone and watching them savor every bite because it’s so delicious. Or eating a meal where all the flavors are so perfectly balanced that you have to close your eyes or do the this-is-so-good-I-have-to-do-a-little-shimmy dance.

I don’t think the sole purpose of food is to give our body energy. There is something deeper to food than this.

I think in order to have a healthy relationship with food we have to accept that we love good food. We do. Now what we consider good food can change. And doing this Whole30 I have found recipes for some really amazing food. But I think the goal of Whole30 – to help you achieve food freedom – doesn’t mean that we should only eat for the energy it gives us. We have to accept that food is a way to connect with people, a way to show love and receive love. Food is a way that we can relate to the world. We just have to figure out the best way to do it for our health.

Breakfast:

• Sweet Potato Hash Browns – I almost set our house on fire cooking the sweet potato in the microwave like the recipe says. I also made the hash brown patties too big and I tried to cook them on the griddle so they didn’t crisp up as they would have had I fried them. The whole thing was soggy. Not the best. But it might be my fault not following the recipe closely enough. Except for the sweet potato in the microwave. I can’t see how that would ever work.
• Trader Joe’s Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage
• 2 Fried Eggs
• Fruit

Lunch:

• Spinach with Cherry Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegrette
• Hard-boiled Egg
• 1/2 an Apple with Almond Butter

Dinner: (All the leftovers)

• Applegate Hot Dog
• 1/2 a Hamburger Patty
• Grapes
• 1/2 an Avocado
• Spinach
• Hard-Boiled Egg
• Leftover Potato and Green Bean Salad

How We Felt:

Sometimes you just get tired of cooking. Thank God for leftovers.

Also, the author of the blog – Pretend It’s a Donut – wins at life. I haven’t read her stuff, I just wish I had come up with a blog name like that.

The weekends are the hardest part of doing a Whole30. Our schedule is usually different, we’re hanging out with friends, I’m spent at the end of the week and just don’t feel like cooking much. It’s not hard to eat Whole30 compliant food, what’s hard is to not graze. Since our meals are pretty much eating leftovers or snack-y things, I want to pick at food all day. It is hard to make myself put a whole meal together and sit down and eat it.

I realize how deeply ingrained snacking is related to relaxing in my head. I just want to kick back and munch. I’m so used to the weekend being my splurge days. My normal routine was to eat well during the week and on the weekends treat myself.

I have not yet been able to keep myself from snacking on the weekends. Especially right now in the summer when all the fruit is so cheap and delicious. I just swing by the fridge for a handful of grapes or blueberries throughout the day. At least the food is still compliant. Even though I might be good at not snacking during the week, as next weekend is our last Whole30 weekend, I’m going to try really hard to not snack.

Breakfast:

• Breakfast Pizza Quiche
• Handful of the Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Mix
• 1/2 and Avocado
• 1/2 an Apple

Lunch:

• Leftover Tuna Salad
• Bacon
• Celery Sticks with Ranch Dressing
• 1/2 an Apple with Almond Butter
• 2 Hard-Boiled Eggs

Dinner:

• Hamburger Patty
• Potato and Green Bean Salad – This is the 2nd time I’ve made this, it definitely tastes better if you dice the potato smaller. The dressing soaks in better.
• All-Day Breakfast Salad
• Grapes, Strawberries, and Pineapple

How We Felt:

Nothing much to report today. Just feeling snacky.

If you’re a guy and talking about lady business makes you uncomfortable, just skim on down to the food part.

After my cycles started again after the twins, I could tell right away that I had a few really strong symptoms associated with PMS. Like my carb cravings were out of control. I would almost blackout and find a third piece of toast slathered with butter shoved in my mouth. Or as soon as the girls were in bed, out came the step-stool to dig through the depths of our pantry hoping that some birthday party candy got shoved up there. It was almost this uncontrollable thing. But outside of the pre-menstrual window, I had no problem not eating sweets and limiting my bread intake. I also was seriously moody. Ok, ok, that’s me most of the time. But I really only feel that off-the-charts rage also during this pre-menstrual window.

I was so convinced that something had to be off hormonally that I went to see my doctor about it and just got a blood test done last week at P+7 to see what was going on.

This time that I just started my cycle, I forgot that I was starting. I mean I knew on my chart I was getting close, but all these usual signals, like chronic candy-eating, or rage fits were not there. I haven’t been craving sugar and carbs at all. I think I might even be eating a little less fruit than usual and I haven’t had almond butter in a few days. Weird.

I did some looking around online. Whole30 seriously has thought of almost anything. You can type Whole30 and whatever and the official site will have written about it. Except women’s cycles. I’m sure it’s because every person is different so they don’t want to say that cramps and bloating and PMS symptoms can be lessened when really it’s just anecdotal. But considering that it would be really interesting to find out what has happened to other women on the Whole30, they should devote some webspace to it.

Breakfast: [late wakeup, means we were rushing to get breakfast served so no picture]

• Breakfast Pizza Quiche – Again, baked eggs aren’t my favorite but, so far, this is def my favorite breakfast casserole. It is IMPOSSIBLE to find Whole30 compliant pepperoni. Seriously, I’ve looked everywhere. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, HEB. They all have dextrose. So I started looking at other cured meats. I found a Boar’s Head Beef Salami that contains no added sugar but they didn’t list any ingredients so it might have had sulfites or whatever. But I tried my best and really wanted to make this dish.
• 1/2 an Avocado
• 1/2 an Apple
• Handful of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Mix

Lunch:

• Tuna Salad with Whole30 Mayo and Avocado
• Handful of Grapes

Dinner:

• Chili Dog Bowl – Leftover Chili, Applegate Hot Dogs (are Whole30 compliant), Mustard and 1/2 an Avocado
• Trader Joe’s Roasted Plantain Chips

How We Felt:

I was able to make it to every one of the exercise classes I like to attend during the week and I feel great. Not that sore even though I’ve really been pushing myself during class. And my joints feel great. Usually at the end of the week my knees are really achy but they are fine right now. I’m impressed. I was skeptical that my joint pain was ever going to change.

Week 3 Meal Roundup:

Day 15

• Breakfast: Green Monster Smoothie, Egg and Sausage Casserole, Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole, Bacon
• Lunch: Raw Veggies and Fruit
• Dinner: Buffalo Ranch and Garlic Basil Chicken Wings, Ranch, Carrot Sticks, Celery Sticks, Rainbow Slaw

Day 16

• Breakfast: Kerbey Lane Harvest Omelette, Home Fries, Fruit
• Lunch: Leftover Buffalo Chicken and Potato Casserole, Hard-boiled egg
• Dinner: Hamburger patty, Rainbow Slaw, Potato and Green Bean Salad, Watermelon, Banana Chia Pudding

Day 17

• Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Power to the Greens Mix, 1/2 an Avocado, Banana Chia Pudding
• Lunch: Turkey Waldorf Salad and 1/2 a Sweet Potato with Cinnamon
• Dinner: Pot Roast, 1/2 an Avocado, Roasted onions and red peppers, Rainbow Slaw

Day 18

• Breakfast: Last of the Pot Roast, Spinach, Handful of Pecans, 2 Fried Eggs, Banana and Almond Butter
• Lunch: Last of the Waldorf Salad, Carrot Sticks, 1/2 an Avocado, Handful of Pecans
• Dinner: Fish Taco Bowls , Spinach, Cabbage Slaw Mix, Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde, 1/2 an Avocado

Day 19

• Breakfast: 2 Fried Eggs, Spinach, 1/2 an Apple and Almond Butter, Handful of Pecans
• Lunch: Carrot Sticks, Spinach, Deli Turkey, 1/2 a Sweet Potato with Cinnamon, Pecan Pie Larabar
• Dinner: 30-Minute Chicken Cacciatore , Spinach, Watermelon

Day 20

• Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, 1/2 an Avocado, Strawberries, Spinach
• Lunch: Leftover Chicken Cacciatore, Spinach, Grapes
• Dinner: No-Bean Turkey Chili, 1/2 an Avocado, Trader Joe’s Roasted Plantain Chips

Day 21:

• Breakfast: Breakfast Pizza Quiche, 1/2 an Avocado, 1/2 an Apple, Handful of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Mix
• Lunch: Tuna Salad with Whole30 Mayo and Avocado, Handful of Grapes
• Dinner: Chili Dog Bowl and Plantain Chips

I remember reading a random article about Jennifer Aniston’s diet some months ago. The point was that she works super hard for her figure and has to be crazy disciplined. Like if she wants to splurge, she adds slivered almonds or almond butter to her breakfast. The author went on to say that this would take all the fun out of life. You couldn’t have a greasy burger or a great milkshake or french fries or donuts. Ugh, the donuts. Don’t take away the donuts.

At the time, I agreed with the author. There is so much life to be lived through delicious food. But as I’ve moved through this Whole30 I’ve come to realize that yes, food can be exciting and amazing and worth the caloric intake, but that doesn’t mean that we have to live our life through the food we eat at every meal. We’ve been eating some really delicious meals without all those things I thought made life worth living, i.e. sugar and bread. Food can be good and fun without all the stuff that makes our bodies do weird things.

I’m far from having the discipline of Jennifer Aniston, nor do I really want it, but food doesn’t make life great. We make our life great. I’m not saying that never again will I indulge in the trifecta of the perfection that is a Phil’s burger, Amy’s ice cream, and sweet potato french fries but I don’t need that to make my life good. And my life is better when I don’t eat like that. So I’ll have to exercise better judgment of when to indulge.

Breakfast: [not picture, too hungry]

• 2 fried eggs
• 1/2 an Avocado
• Starwberries
• Spinach

Lunch: [again, not pictured. again, too hungry]

• Leftover Chicken Cacciatore – Still as tasty as yesterday. It was great as a leftover. The chicken didn’t dry out at all.
• Spinach
• Grapes

Dinner:

• No-Bean Turkey Chili – The written recipe is not the best. She doesn’t really specify how much of anything to throw in so in case you want specifics, for veggies I threw in: 2 zucchini, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 medium sweet potato, and 1 red bell pepper chopped into a pretty small dice. Also, she means an 8oz can of tomato sauce. After simmering it for 1 hour, it didn’t taste quite right so I added about 2 tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of oregano. Total I simmered it for about 2 and a half hours. I’d say just plan of cooking this for a while until it tastes right. It ended up pretty darn good. And the best part of leftover chili is chili dogs tomorrow!
• 1/2 an Avocado
• Trader Joe’s Roasted Plantain Chips

I have kept the promise I made on Day 11. I have not looked at the scale. But I definitely know that I’ve lost weight. You know how?

(If you’re a guy reading this, sorry. Skip to the food part.)

Today I was shopping for a bra to go with the bridesmaid dress I will be wearing to a wedding in a few weeks. You know what? I have gone down a whole cup size. Seriously? I have 5 babies worth of weight hanging around my belly and my thighs but where I lose it is up top. Perhaps next time I’ll be more specific when I say I want to lose weight. Ha.

Breakfast:

• 2 Fried Eggs
• Spinach
• 1/2 an Apple and Almond Butter
• Handful of Pecans

Lunch: [not pictured]

• Carrot Sticks
• Spinach
• Deli Turkey
• 1/2 a Sweet Potato with Cinnamon
• Pecan Pie Larabar

Dinner:

• 30-Minute Chicken Cacciatore – I was concerned about this dish as I was cooking it. I was sure that it was far too much tomato and that it was going to be bland. Boy was I wrong. This dish was really delicious. Be sure you buy cutlets and not breasts or it will take too long to cook. I threw in the grape tomatoes with the rest of the veggies to cook; I didn’t wait to throw them in at the end. I also added mushrooms. I wasn’t particularly careful with the amount of spices, just every time I threw something in I generously sprinkled salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Also, I didn’t bother trying to drain some liquid out of the diced tomatoes, I just simmered everything a little longer. Make a little more than you’ll eat at dinner because it will make a really fantastic reheated lunch for a few days.
• Spinach
• Watermelon

How We Felt:

I checked out how we’re supposed to be feeling today and today we’re apparently supposed to be feeling like TIGER BLOOD. Oh. Hmm. Well, I don’t feel like a snow cone flavor. And now I’m thinking about snow cones. Mmmm.

 

As I look back over the last 18 days of food we’ve eaten, it’s so pretty. And I seriously just run over to some non-cluttered flat surface – which is hard to find around here – and snap a picture so I can rush back to the table and eat. Obviously I’m not going to win any food photography contests, but eating Whole30 food makes food look so good and colorful.

Here are some ways that I’ve found to quickly make lunch (which is the toughest meal for me) that not only looks good, but is also satiating and delicious.

1. I plan one main entree for each day’s lunch, usually whatever is going to be the protein. And if I can, I make enough to eat for a couple days.
2. I prep/have on hand several different snack-y things for the week that will fill up the rest of the plate:
   1.  Carrot sticks
   2. Celery Sticks
   3. Avocados
   4. Apples/Bananas
   5. Blueberries (they are so cheap right now)
   6. Almond Butter
   7. Bagged Spinach
   8. Bagged Other-Kinds-of Lettuce
   9. Plantain Chips
   10. Various Nuts
   11. Olives
   12. Roasted Sweet Potatoes
   13. Zoodles
   14. Turkey Deli Meat
   15. Hard-Boiled Eggs
3. And really when you look at this list, only a handful of them take chopping/cooking prep. Most just need to be bought during the weekly grocery trip.
4. Then when I plate the entree I see what colors are missing and what I feel like eating and just grab from this list and fill up my plate.
5. I do almost always have some lettuce/green on the plate. Usually dry. I haven’t found a delicious dressing that I love so I don’t feel like making one usually.

Breakfast is tough because I never wake up early enough to make any of the really delicious looking recipes I’ve found, but I’m pretty happy with fried eggs, avocado, spinach, and some kind of fruit. I’m honestly not even close to burning out on this. Dinner, even when not Whole30, is the most time-intensive meal so I don’t get frustrated with how much time and prep dinner takes. But lunch. Lunch. I don’t want to spend forever on it. I just made breakfast and finished up morning errands. And I need to start making dinner in like 3-4 hours. I don’t waaaaant to make lunch. (Channeling my inner threenager :)) So I either look for things I can make quickly the night before or that will not take me longer that 30 minutes to throw together. And, if something in our schedule really goes awry, I have that list of foods at the ready and we all just get to eat a snack plate for lunch. Or dinner, really, if necessary.

Was that helpful? Maybe that was just a stream of consciousness. Well, that’s how I do it 🙂

Breakfast:

• Last of the Pot Roast
• Spinach
• Handful of Pecans
• 2 Fried Eggs
• Banana and Almond Butter

Lunch:

• Last of the Waldorf Salad
• Carrot Sticks
• 1/2 an Avocado
• Handful of Pecans (I had the box sitting on my kitchen counter which is why I think I was craving them all day)

Dinner:

• Fish Taco Bowls – I had some Cabbage Slaw Mix leftover so Fish Tacos seemed the best fit. I used Halibut. This was an pretty good recipe. Except that their serving size for the dressing is way off. I made the whole recipe for the dressing and it was barely enough for me and Kraft. Make double of it.
• Spinach
• Cabbage Slaw Mix
• Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde
• 1/2 an Avocado

How We Felt:

Kraft finally likes black coffee. Yay! A few days ago I wrote how my joints were still feeling achy and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to try this crazy Whole30 thing. Well, apparently the patron saint of Whole30 heard, because the next day the joint pain was gone. Hmm.