WHOLE30 day5

Today is Good Friday - - day started off with a great breakfast - decided to use the leftover steak fajita and add it to our scrambled eggs.  Was very yummy - was strange to have steak for breakfast but it was surprisingly good.

Went for a hike with T's brother and his family. Hiked along the Bruce Trail to see some of Hamilton's pretty waterfalls.  It was a lot of fun - but boy, was it muddy! We were covered in mud by the time we got back to the car.  T and I both commented on how great we felt - was nice to be outside, enjoying nature.

Dinner tonight was a home made burger topped with a sunnyside up egg and sweet potato rounds.  I had never had egg over my burger (T highly recommended it) - it was fantastic.

I'll include the recipe for the burger below.





Burger Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 medium red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

We cooked the burgers on the BBQ - turned out great for my first attempt at a home made patty.  Don't think we will buy frozen burgers again.  

See you on day 6 =D

WHOLE30 Day4

Day 4....man was I tired today. I had the day to myself today - so, got some Easter shopping done and my hair cut.  It had been a while so it felt great to get a bit chopped off - very healthy - which is the theme of this blog ;)

I will admit, though, Easter shopping was difficult.  I LOVE Cadbury Mini Eggs.  I would usually get hubby and I a chocolate bunny and a bag of Mini Eggs for each of the kids baskets- but knowing that we are unable to have any sugar, I decided to skip the mini eggs as having them in the house would be a huge temptation for me.  NSV!

On for meals.  Forgot to take a pic of breakfast but I had the same as yesterday with the same lunch.

Dinner today was pork, asparagus and broccoli and cauliflower which was the only good part of the meal.  The pork was incredibly dry, took all I had to choke it down.  The asparagus was underdone so overall this dinner was a fail!

We found out that Lo's baseball practice was cancelled so we decided to have a family movie night - Into The Woods. Not a fan...but man was I exhausted - I fell asleep on the couch at 8:45 and slept through the last 1/3 of the movie.   This chicky is off to bed - can barely keep my eyes open.

WHOLE 30 Day3

Hello Day 3!
Head ache was still lingering all day today, but thankfully it wasn't as horrible as last night - Advil has been my friend today. I was in a busy full day kindergarten class today, so if my head was pounding, I'm not sure I would have made it through the day.

Breakfast today consisted of...you guessed it! Eggs...with some tomatoes and strawberries.  

Lunch was the same - chicken and vegetables.  

For dinner, I stir fried some steak, peppers, broccoili and shredded carrots in some coconut oil.  Placed it over cauliflower rice.  It was delicious.  The kids loved it which I was surprised about as it was s tiny bit spicy. There are a bit of leftovers so I need to figure out a way to incorporate them into another meal.  

Feeling pretty tired this evening, which I think is pretty normal during the beginning of the program.  There is an interesting article about the timeline of the Whole 30.  Here's the link:
Whole30 Timeline So far, the way I'm feeling is pretty spot on.  

On to Day 4.
How were you feeling at the beginning of your whole 30?

WHOLE 30 Day2

Happy Day 2 everyone!

Woke up this morning feeling pretty good.  I had a very hard time not getting onto my scale first thing this morning...'must stay off' I should probably get my husband to hide it so I don't know where it is LOL

Today's breakfast was a fried egg over sweet potato hash.  I made this by frying up sweet potatoes with some bell peppers and onions, some cherry tomatoes and a few strawberries.    I left the egg a bit runny so when I cut into it, the yolk dripped into the sweet potato - it was yummy! Normally for breakfast, I would eat a bowl of cereal or a bagel as mornings are pretty rushed and I thought those options are the quickest.  Getting myself and the kids up and ready for school/work is chaotic at times, so I need to make sure I set my alarm a tiny bit early to ensure enough time for me to make these healthy breakfast options.  

Lunch today was the same as yesterday, so I won't share a picture - although it was just as good as yesterday =D

Got a little creative with dinner tonight.  Paleo Meatballs with compliant spaghetti sauce over zucchini noodles.  I really enjoyed it - the kids both hated the zucchini noodles, but that didn't surprise me.  The meatballs went over very well - I will attach the recipe below.

Shortly after dinner I started to get a slight headache...my evening was spent walking door to door with my daughter's Girl Guide group selling cookies.  By the time I was home, I was almost in tears. My headache was the worst I have ever experienced. Verging on migraine, I think - was so nauseated.  I put the kids to bed and crawled in under the covers.  Apparently a headache on days 2 and 3 is very common.  Possibly sugar or caffeine withdrawals? I'm hoping that I don't ever experience anything like this again.  Just awful! 
So, I'm off to sleep in hopes this headache will go away pronto!  

As promised, here is the recipe!

Italian Paleo Meatballs
Taken from Tastes of Lizzy T 

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp minced onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut flour

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, eggs, seasonings and coconut flour until well combined.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3. Form meatballs about 1 1/2" - 2" in diameter.  

4. Bake on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

5. Pour the spaghetti sauce in a large saucepan and set it to medium heat.  Add the meatballs.  Heat the sauce through and allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce for 20 minutes.  

6.  You can also place the sauce and meatballs in a slow cooker set to low and them to simmer for 6-8 hours. 

7.  If you don't need all the meatballs at once, you can allow them to cool and freeze them in a ziploc bag. 

WHOLE 30 Day1

Hello Whole30 Day 1, we are ready for you!

The day started off with my last visit to my scale for 30 days.  I took before photos, which I don't feel comfortable sharing just yet, and took my body measurements.  I tucked my scale away where it will remain until the morning of April 29th.  My starting weight is 178.5lbs - I feel OK sharing that with you all, as hard as it has been, I have started believing that I am more than just the number on that scale.  It does not define me.  

Breakfast this morning was pretty yummy. Egg scramble with spinach and peppers with a few strawberries.  I love eggs but I will admit I do love dipping them in some ketchup - so having them without was a little difficult for me.  I have to figure out some creative ways to spice them up a bit.  Even with the veggies added, it still was a bit bland.


Our lunch, as mentioned below consisted of baked chicken (1 drumstick and a small thigh) with some spices and some roasted vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, peppers, brussel sprouts and asparagus) I roasted the vegetables with some salt, pepper and garlic salt.  It was delicious.  I joked to my husband by text that afternoon that I didn't "want my lunch to end." I am glad that I made enough of this to take to work through the week.  

Dinner was baked salmon with lemon and spices, baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon and some asparagus.  Our kids aren't very happy that we are doing this program - they are following along with us to an extent.  Our daughter is being tested for lactose intolerance and celiac disease so it was suggested that we cut out dairy and gluten for a few weeks, so this program came at a perfect time.  We are trying to encourage healthy eating habits for our children, not relying on ketchup for every meat that I make.  Lo was not very happy that she couldn't dip her sweet potatoes in ketchup tonight....some drama ensued "this program is ruining our life"  No, honey...this program is changing our life for the better.  She'll understand some day.  

Off to bed....excited for day 2.

WHOLE30 PREP!

SO, the Whole30 is definitely happening.  We have decided to start tomorrow and to start a Whole30 one needs to plan and prepare.  Over the last few days I have been 'pinning' recipes on Pinterest, reading Paleo cookbooks for inspiration and picking the brains of my friends who have completed the Whole30 in the past. 

Today I went to Costco and spent a fortune, which isn't unusual.  But instead of purchasing things we don't really need - I stuck the food sections and only purchased items that would be Whole30 'compliant' If you're new to the program, you'll hear that term A LOT Everything you eat must be Whole30 compliant!  I bought a variety of meats, fish, tons of vegetables and fruit.

From there, I came home and started to prepare.  Chopping veggies so they are easily accessible.  I made enough lunches for T and I to take with us to work for the week.  These consisted of baked chicken and roasted vegetables. It took me about 2 hours to plan and prep for the week, but I know in the long run it'll be worth it.  

One thing that I have heard about the program is that the amount of dishes you will have is overwhelming.  And from just cooking this afternoon....I may have to agree.  My sink was overflowing from cutting boards, pans, bowls, etc.  

We are very excited to start the program tomorrow. 
Any prep ideas that you would like to share?

Welcome!

HI! 
 You may have ventured over from Mama to 2 Little Monkeys or found me by searching for Whole30 ideas, regardless of how you found me...Welcome!

A little about me - I am 36 years old and have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life.  With both of my pregnancies, I gained a lot of weight (67 and 55lbs respectively) I have had a hard time getting the weight off - and it's been 7 years. OY!  I have done weight watchers in the past and have done well but end up gaining the weight back.  I joined after my son was born in 2008 and had lost 31lbs and ended up gaining 20 of it back over the next few years.  I am presently approximately 35lbs over what my goal weight should be.  I am determined to make 2015 my year to make some changes and get to a healthy weight.

I've been hearing a lot about the Whole30 program by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig.  A couple of my friends have done it and have seen some great results.  The program is 30 days without dairy, sugar, grains, legumes, alcohol. "The Whole30 program has led tens of thousands of people to weight loss, enhanced quality of life, and a healthier relationship with food—accompanied by stunning improvements in sleep, energy levels, mood, and self-esteem. More significant, many people have reported the “magical” elimination of a variety of symptoms, diseases, and conditions in just 30 days". I told hubby about it and the results I've been hearing, so we decided to give it a go.  


One rule of the program is that your are not allowed to weigh yourself or take body measurements the entire time you are on the program.  This is going to be so hard for me as I weigh myself multiple times a day. It's becoming a problem. 

If you're thinking of giving this program a try, I would highly recommend the book "It Starts With Food" written by the creators of the Whole30 program. This book outlines a clear, balanced, sustainable plan to change the way you eat forever—and transform your life in profound and unexpected ways. 

We are excited to give this program a try - we know it's not going to be easy - but we are determined to give it our all. 

 I haven't been so good at updating my main blog, but I hope I can dedicate some time daily to update on our progress. So, follow me on this crazy adventure to get healthy. Here or on Instagram at: holliegettinghealthy

Have you done a Whole30? What are your experiences? I'd love to hear about them in the comment section!