Days 26-31

Wooohoo I've done it, 30 days without a any sugar, grains, dairy, alcohol and legumes (not that the last ingredients was any hard to stay away from). I am now on day 32 and I've been on the scale and measured my waist hips and thigs.

So here are the results:

Weight loss: 3,9 kgs (about 8,5 lbs)

Centimeters lost: 15cm (about 5 inches)

I've gone from beeing moderately obese to overweight on the BMI scale, the change is quite noticeble I took a photo on Day 1 and a photo Day 30 wearing a shorts that is my goal to wear again. On day one I could hardly zip it, on day 30 I could zip it and also do the buttons. I still can't wear it, but maybe in a couple of months if I keep up the good work. I need to loose at least 10 lbs for it to look good at me. It's a horrible sight, so I keep those pics for myself. :)

Other benefits: 

I'm not blouted anylonger

My heartburn totally vanished

I'm breaking sweat in my face when exersising

My feet is a little warmer (or at least they was for a while)

I wake up earlier (even when I had little or no sleep)

Other than that I feel quite normal, I have not experienced that energy boost that I've read about, and there has been no noticeble change with my allergy.

So what now??? One should think I would head directly for the chocolate section, but did I?? Yes I actually did, I took a long look at all those chocolates and decided not to buy any as I found none of them tempted me. However I bought Turkish youghurt which is very similar to Greek. I chose the Turkish since the container is half the size because I don't know how my body will react on dairy. 

Here is my menu for day 31: 

Breakfast: Chicken salad 

Dinner with the girls: Tapas

(Bacon dates, chicken, pork, 3 small potatoes, green salad)

Evening meal: Turkish youghurt with half banana and some cashews.

Since my dinner out was almost W30 approved (I did not ask if it was any sugar in the bacon) I chose to have the youghurt as an evening meal, mmmm it was as good as I remember it was. Actullay youghurt is one of the few things I've been really looking forward to eat again. 

This was yesteday, so how did my body react to the youghurt?? Well for the first time in over a month I've had a real good nights sleep unlike the night before when I had no sleep at all. I Maybe my body just needs a bit of dairy to sleep well, who knows?? It could also be a coincident. It was hard to wake up this morning, I slept a few hours longer than I've done the past weeks. Today I feel a little light headed, maybe because I've slept so long, or maybe because there was sugar in the bacon I ate yesterday, or maybe because of the youghurt???? Who knows???

My menu for days 26 to day 30 was quite similar to all the other days, (exept I added some more veggies) but I have to share one recipe with you. The other day I made almondbreaded chickenfillet, mmmmm yummi, my hubby is not to fond of chicken, but he really loved this. 

Pic borroved

 

Almondbreaded Chicken fillet

Chicken fillet (in slices)

1 egg (whisk it a little with a fork)

Almond flour (I made my own in the blender)

Salt

Pepper 

Seasoning after taste (I used thyme)

Blend the salt, pepper and seasoning in the almond flour.

Dip the fillets in the egg and then in the almond flour.

Fry the fillets on a pan, and voila, lovely crispy, healthy chicken.

I served it with a green salad. This is definately a stayer in our household.

My plan ahead is to stick with this diet most of the time. I will sometimes eat my beloved Greek youghurt and every other weekend drink some red wine. When I go out for dinner (which is not that often) I will eat whatever I find tempts me on the menu. 

Would I do the Whole 30 again?? Definitaly!!! I think January would be a good month for my next one as I believe Christmas will be a challenge to eat as healthy and clean as I should.

I hope someone will find my experience useful for their way to a new life.

Days 20-25

Day 25 and I'm still hanging in here. Nothing new really. I'm still not sleeping properly and I have not experienced this energy boost people are talking about. Other than that I feel perfectly fine, my feet are warmer and no heartburn. I think I have lost a little more weight, exited to see on tuesday how much. I do hope it's more than 7 lb. My tummy is smaller I can see that. Actually it's been so easy to follow this regime that I totally lost track of how man days I've done it. 

 Sunday I had a real bad day energywise. We went for a long walk in the woods, 5,5 miles, and I struggled from beginnig to end. My spouse has been quite impressed with me on other walks we've been on, but on Sunday he was not at all impressed with me, he had to stop and wait for me all the time. It's quite a few steep hills in this wood, and I hated everyone of them. The little waterfall was beautiful though and I rested a while there.

On Tuesday we went out for dinner and concert. Leonard Cohen, my favorite singer had an outdoor concert. It was a great concert, if possible I love him and his music even more now. I was a bit sceptic going out for dinner, but I called the retaurant in advance and found out I could eat the lambfillet with vegetables. I even could eat the sauce.

Now I'm not going to write the menus for all 5 days. I can't remember it all. I made the Curry again yesterday. We had a visitor who is a vegetarian so I made it with only vegetables and served the fried chicken on the side. Big hit, this is definately a recepie I'm going to use a lot. So easy and so delicious. 

It's lamb season in Norway and today I made a Norwegian speciality Fårikål, which means sheep in cabbage. The lambs has been running around in the mountains all summer and the meat is really delicious. Here is how we make this dish, if this is not Paleo or W30 nothing is. :) Put one layer of pieces of lamb in a big saucepan, then one layer of cabbage, one layer of lamb again, cabbage on the top. Salt and pepper between the layers. As many layers as you want, but the rule is always meat in the bottom and cabbage on the top. Add a little water, cook for about 1,5-2 hours. Normally we serve with potatoes, but I did not miss the potatoes today. Mmmmm yummi. It is a dish that also is very convinient to freeze, we normally make loads of it and put in the freezer. Anyone dare to try this?? 

I have now had my first workout doing crossfit training, it was quite exhausting and I do feel it in every muscle today. It was a bit fun though and took only about 45 minutes. The plan is to do another workout tomorrow. Today we've been for a walk againg, about an hour a lot of it uphill, but today it was easy peasy again. 

 

Days 18 & 19

Today I had an instruction lesson in my gym, I learned about Cross fit training. The instructor gave me 8 exersises and told me how to do them. As I have done quite a bit of strenght training before my technique is good and the instructor gave me a lot of positive feedback. I was introduced to kettle bells, and sling, and what is new too is that there is no break between the exersises. I have been used to do my exersises 10 x 3 times and have a little break between every 10. Now I'm doing 15 deadlifts, 15 pull ups in a sling, 15 deadlifts and 15 pull ups again all without a break. This way I will work myself through all 8 exersises, still without a break. Very effective and fat burning the instructor told me. I will start on Monday.

Yesterday I spent a little time in the kitchen. I made Coleslaw, Meat lovers breakfast caserole  and fried up some chickenfillets.  I have to find a recepie for homemade salsa too, I do love hot thick and chunky salsa. 

Yesterday I also found a Meal planning template on the program of Whole30, have no clue why I have not seen it before. It introduced to me the concept Pre and post work out meals. It says one shall eat a half size meal 15-75 minutes before work out, I think I will have to eat 75 minutes before. Today I ate a little 45 minutes before and I felt that was to little. I ate some chicken and sweet potatoes post work out, but now the problem is, I'm actually full and I have 2 more meals to eat today. 

Menu day 18: 

Breakfast: Eggs and bacon

Dinner: Chicken fillet, slices of sweet potato and coleslaw

Evening meal: Meat lovers breakfast caserole

Menu day 19: 

Breakfast: Meatlovers breakfast caserole and slaw

Pre work out: Meat lovers breakfast caserole

Post work out: Chicken fillet and slices of sweet potato

Days 15,16 & 17

More than half way and still no problem regarding the food, no cravings at all. I even have some chocolate in my drawer, dark 70%, but still chocolate and I haven't once been tempted to eat it.  Still waiting for the burst of energy and also still waiting for a good nights sleep. 

The weather now is not to good, it's been raining a lot, so walking in the mountains is not an option. When it rains it gets really slippery and I'm afraid I will fall again, so better to be on the safe side. I have walked a bit uphill though and my partner says he's struggeling to keep up with me. I am actually quite impressed with myself and I've noticed that instead of turning read as a lobster, I now break sweat in my face. That has never happened before, even not when I was in the gym several times a week and had mean spinning lessons.

I was in the gym today for the first time since May. I warmed up on the spinning bike, rowed 500 meters and did some weight training. I was rowing as fast as I could, and my time was 2:46. A youg man next to me had time 2:17 so I felt I was not doing to bad I asked the instructor about Crossfit training as I've heard that should be really good exersise. Now I have an appointment on Friday with an instructor, he/she will show me some good exersises.

I've never mentioned anything about what I drink, but thats because I only drink water. I actually don't like coffee, and tea has not tempted me that much either. Before I started on the Whole30 I always had a cup of tea in the evening along with a little piece of 70% chocolate, that was my treat. Now that I'm not eating chocolate, the tea has fallen out too. In fact I've only had two cups of tea the past 17 days. 

Menu day 15: 

Breakfast: Leftover Red Chicken Curry, 1 egg

Dinner: Grilled pork fillet wrapped in bacon, mixed salad

Evening meal: I actually don't remember

Menu day 16: 

Breakfast: 2 harboiled eggs, 1 banana

Dinner: Steak and roasted vegetables

Evening meal: Scrambled eggs, slices of Strandaskinke, olives

(Strandaskinke is similar to Serano ham)

Menu day 17:

Breakfast: Eggs, bacon and tomatoes

Dinner: Pasta sauce without pasta,  a couple of plums

Evening meal: Fried apple and nuts

I had no idea what to make for dinner today, so I fried up some grounded beef added mushrooms, celery, red pepper, spring onion, chili and garlic. Poured a can of chopped tomatoes over. Did not miss the pasta at all. :) 

Saying hello to my reader/readers in Russia, really fun that you want to read my blog.

Day 12, 13 & 14

Two weeks down and I feel fine. Still no cravings, I'm perfectly happy with what I'm alloud to eat. We had some friends over for tapas yesterday, I have to admit it would have tasted great with a glass of red wine or two with the food, but no problem keeping my hands of the bottle. Had to sniff a little of my partners glass though, the red wine smelled really nice. 

What I've noticed so far: 

I'm not blouted

Heartburn disappeared

My tummy is smaller

My feet are warmer

I've probably lost some weight

I've been a bit lazy the past days, no long walks. Yesterday it was raining a lot so I stayed in cleaning the flat and making food. I made bacondates, sliders, caramelised onions (not a big succsess), aioli, green salad and potato salad. The potato salad was not for me, but for our guests and my partner. 

I learn a lot and eat good food, this week I tried out two new recepies. So delicious. The aioli I made yesterday was also really yummi, and so easy to make, I'm never gonna buy mayo or aioli ever again. HERE is the receipt for the mayo and aioli, aioli is mayo with garlic.

Menu day 12:

Breakfast: Hardboiled eggs with clarified butter, bacon, carrotsalad

Lunch: Leftover Chocolate chili 

Dinner:Red Curry Chicken 

Menu day 13

Breakfast: Eggs and bacon

Lunch:Leftover Red Curry Chicken

Dinner: Tapas ( Bacondates,sliders, green salad, aioli, sweet potatoes)

Menu day 14

Breakfast: Lefover tapas

Dinner: Leftover tapas

Evening meal: Fried apple and nuts

2 more weeks to go woohooo.

Day 11

Someone I know had baked lovely homemade bread, she held it up to my mouth for me to taste and out of reflecs I took a bite and started chewing. As I was about to swallow I remembered, I CAN'T EAT BREAD. I started to spit it out, but to late, some of it was already on the way down and I thought, shit now I have to start all over again.

Luckily this was just a dream or shall I say nightmare??? Actually I never thought I should have a nightmare about something as commom as bread.

It's day 11 and I'm still hangin in here, no cravings, no problems with the food. I'm satisfied and never hungry. Still struggling with my sleep, I know the reason, it's my hormones, I'm in the middle of my menopause and sleeplessness is one of the symptons. Heat waves is the other symptom, but only during night. I have some hormone tablets in my drawer which I know would remove the symptoms in a few days, but I don't want to take them, afraid that they will screw up my W30. I probably have to ask someone because I can't live with this sleeplessness much longer. 

I made some chili today, I found the receipt HERE. This was not actually fastfood, in fact it had to simmer for 2 hours. I only made half a portion, had to try it out first. I quite liked it, but I think next time I make it I will put in some more chillipowder. 

Menu day 11: 

Breakfast: Eggs and bacon, strawberries

Dinner: Chocolate chili

Evening meal: 2 carrots, fried apple with nuts.

Just came back from a 1,5 hour walk, a lot of it uphill, and I kick ass. My partner is so impressed with me. And I noticed I'm starting to breaking sweat in my face and that's new to me. No matter how hard I've been exercising I've never breaken sweat in my face, just turned red as a lobster.  

Days 9 & 10

I decided to change the name of my blog, it's now called Keep it simple. That's because I've kept it simple so far, no fancy recepies with loads of ingredients just simple food that anyone can make. I'm not a big fan of spending a lot of time cooking. I created this blog the day before I started my Whole 30, so I called it "I morgon skal eg" which means: Tomorrow I'm gonna... It's the first line of a poem every Norwegian know and it goes like this: Tomorrow I'm gonna start a whole new life, maybe. 

If you wonder what the Whole 30 is, please click on the link on the right.

Recap of my day 9. Actually very little happened yesterday, I cleaned the flat and I made clarified butter. O my ghee that is so delicious, it smells wonderful and taste even better. I think I must suffer from alzheimers because I actually can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. 

Menu day 9: 

Breakfast: I haven't the faintest idea

Lunch: Chickenfillet and green salad, 1 nectarine

Dinner: Leftover reindeer served with roasted slices of sweet potato and broccoli.

(it actually was quite nice with sweet potaoes on the side)

Exersise: None what so ever

I felt quite hungry last night so for the first time I had to eat something before I went to bed. I tried with some nuts at first, but at last I had to eat a banana too.  Actually my first banana for 9 days.

I got little or no sleep last night, I'm quite fed up now with this sleeping disorder and I long for a good nights sleep. When I woke up this morning I felt quite depressed, I was bloated and felt that I had gained a lot of weight. Actually I thought what's the point with all this, I dont feel any different than I did when I ate normally. But I'm hangin in here, I dont mind at all eating like this and still have no cravings.

I have tried out my MBT shoes again today. Close to where I live there's a long quite steep hill. I have walked this hill quite often, but first time today with my MBT shoes. It was not only exhausting, it was actually painful walking uphill with those shoes. My calves was burning after just a couple of meters. But I did it I walked the whole way to the top.

Menu day 10: 

Breakfast: Hardboiled eggs with clarified butter (ghee), bacon and a carrot

Lunch: Leftover reindeer, brazil and macadamia nuts, olives and a carrot

Dinner: Pork chops, cabbage and salad with grated carrots, apple and mayo, strawberries.

Seems like I ate a lot of carrot today.

Exersise: An hour walk with MBT shoes.

Oh now I remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, eggsalad, maybe I ain't got alzheimers after all.