whole 30 week 4

REJOICE! As of Saturday, I finished my first whole 30!  And y'all...I have nothing but positive things to say about it.  Those 30 days weren't always pretty, but boy am I glad I persevered.  The goal of this experiment was self control, and I am fairly certain I succeeded.  There were big health changes (like clear skin, increased energy, ZERO anxiety, and efficient work outs) but the biggest result is that I'm no longer ruled over my desire for sugar.  30 days later, I don't think about brownies all day long.  I don't have to have something sweet after every meal.  I don't need to bake to make myself feel better after a hard day.

I have power over my food choices again.  I am strong enough to say no to birthday cake, or chocolate milkshakes, or homemade cookies.  I can drink my coffee without my beloved cream and sugar and live another day. 

I realized that I must make these choices not only for myself, but for my family.  I don't particularly want Pier to expect dessert after every meal, so I have to set the example.  Don't get me wrong, I would be lying if I said that I will cut sugar out of my life completely.  I still love baking, and I do miss it terribly!  But I think we are going to be more prudent about how we incorporate treats into our diet in the future. 

Moving forward, I plan to stay on a whole 30ish diet Monday-Friday and not stress about it on the weekends.  My baking will be a weekly thing on Sundays, rather than a every other day type of thing.  I now can ask myself, "Why do I want to eat this treat?  Do I really need a piece of chocolate or can I make a healthier choice?"  The Whole 30 definitely gave me the tools that I need so that I can make healthy decisions a constant part of my lifestyle, and not feel guilty about eating my favorite foods every now and then. 

If you are interested in doing this, all I can say just JUMP ON IN!  I was faithful to the program and I have never felt better.  Regardless if the Whole 30 works for you, you will have a great sense of accomplishment after the month is over and you will discover things about yourself you didn't know before the program.

Now, the fun part -- what I ate this week!

Sorry for the lack of photos...Pier has been teething so my days have been pretty crazy with our thrown-off schedule.  I ate breakfast before the sun came up each morning, so there are no breakfast pictures!  I just ate the same ol thing -- eggs with bell peppers, paleo bacon, sweet potato, avocado, and fruit. 

For lunch, it's been either leftovers or turkey lettuce wraps with veggies and sauerkraut.  You can make your own sauerkraut, but I just randomly bought this one at Whole Foods and it's delicious!  Also love to support local business when I can :).

week 4 dinner menu

Greek Chicken Salad - simply roasted chicken, lettuce, olives, red onion, potatoes, and tomatoes with Primal Kitchen Greek Dressing

Crock Pot Pot Roast

Whole 30 Burgers (whole 30 cookbook)  - with avocado, lettuce, sweet potatoes, and apples

Pork Chops (Whole 30 cookbook)  - with salad and sweet potato

Asian Meatballs - over cauliflower rice.  I heated one bag of Trader Joes cauliflower rice over the stove with a little olive oil, ginger, green onions, cilantro, and garlic powder.  Nom Nom Paleo is one of my go-to food blogs...she has yet to let me down!  I like that she already doubled the recipe so this made for great leftovers. 

snacks

I was getting a bit bored in the snack dept until I took a spur of the moment trip to Target and found these gems!!  Flavored olives, toasted coconut chips, and mini Lara bars (perfect when you want a little something extra but don't want to eat a whole bar). 

Here's another random discovery: I forgot to eat before our walk a few days ago, so I stopped at a local health food store that is on our route to see what I could eat for a little snack before dinner.  I'm still nursing constantly and I do cardio every day, so it's really important for me to keep eating so that my milk supply doesn't drop. I found these bars, bought the whole 30 compliant coconut almond flavor, and was blown away at how good they tasted! It is a delicious option when you need something quick.
 

Final Tips:

•  Don't Go it Alone -- my Indy bestie Valerie completed this challenge with me and I'm so glad we did it together!!! It helps to have someone you can text a million wine emojis to when you're baby is crazy and you wanna just give up and they just GET IT.  It was great to have some encouragement and to have someone I could whine to whenever those cravings were getting outta control.  She also has some great Whole 30 tips on her blog so check it out!
   
•  Buy this and this -- These books are excellent resources and they really help you to fully understand what you're getting yourself into.  Every recipe I tried was a hit, and I learned so much about the science of FOOD.   
   
• Chop, chop, chop -- this may seem like a silly tip, but keep a cutting board out at all times.  This helped me a lot with food prep, or if I needed to quickly chop veggies for a snack.  Half the work is done if your board and knife are out ready for you to use!

It's been a good month, friends.  Thank you for allowing me to share my Whole 30 journey with you.  I am grateful for this blog because I think it really kept me accountable -- if I didn't put it out there to the public I may have given up on this completely.  Be on the look out for one more Whole 30 post where I list out my must-haves and where to buy them!  

Missed past weeks? Find them here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

month 10

Oh man this month has been fun.  Pier is starting to showcase a BIG personality and I'm so enjoying watching it develop.  He is sweet (yet feisty), smiley (yet serious), and curious about everything (yet indifferent about everything too).  I can't quite figure him out!  But I'm loving getting to know who he is. 

Month 10 has been an eventful one.  Pier got his 3rd tooth, we traveled to St. Louis, and he's starting to get really good at crawling.  He is babbling a lot more, which is really entertaining because I can tell he wants to talk to us!

Also, mama really digs matching outfits. 

Sleep & Food update: HE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! Like it's a consistent thing that happens in my life!!!! It is a miracle that I never thought we'd reach.  He goes to sleep at around 7 and wakes up at 6:30 every day.  It is a relief to have some normalcy back in our lives and be on a loose routine each day.

As for his eating, he is a CHAMP.  He eats anything I put in front of him, and already has been exposed to a diverse range of healthy food.  I don't really have set meal times for him to eat solid food...he is still crazy about nursing and is happiest whenever I nurse him every 2 hours.  I will say he LIVES for puffs. If he's upset all I have to do is feed him a puff and it distracts him long enough that he forgets what he was angry about.

Pier gravitates towards anything that makes sound.  We have a little piano that he got for Christmas and from day 1 he has gotten such joy from banging on those keys.  Now he can crawl right up to it and play to his hearts content.  He is fascinated by rattles, banging his hands on the table when he eats, and hitting blocks together to make sounds.  He's also doing this thing where he lifts the toys straight up in the air to examine them...so funny.

Ok, this little monkey is a MOVER.  He is constantly kicking (and he's given me a few cuts and bruises).  He is now a professional crawler -- he tries to crawl on me while he plays with his toys AND while he nurses (which as you can imagine is fun for me).  Pier gives me heart attacks every 5 minutes because he's pulling up on anything and everything.  His favorite place in the whole house is my prayer corner... If anyone is wondering, I am now taking donations for the Prayer Corner Disaster Relief Fund.  Hurricane Pier won't stop fo' nobody.

^easiest form of Evangelization ever??!

It's finally warming up around here, so that means we get to spend time outdoors with our Indy Besties!!! We love hanging out with Val and Xavier!

AND we get to go on afternoon walks (some days) when daddy gets home from work!  He's now big enough for the swings at the park and we get the biggest Pier smiles when he's up in the air.  It is so cute.

Pier Francis we are so in love with you.  I can't believe you're going to be one in a few short months...Watching you grow has been the biggest gift and I can't wait to see you become who the Lord is calling you to be!

whole 30 week 3

Another week down!  And I can't believe I only have a week left.  Doing the Whole 30 has been a challenge, but the benefits in the short amount of time have been pretty remarkable.  My anxiety that has crippled me since having Pier is completely gone, my energy levels are consistent, and my skin is clear for the first time since I was 10!  That's HUGE.

Here's what my meals have been like on week 3:

Breakfasts looked a lot like this for the week...eggs, bacon, avocado and or sweet potato, and a bit of fruit.  I know some people get sick of eggs for breakfast everyday but I LOVE them.  And if you make them a different way every couple days you'll look forward to your eggs each morning!

Lunches were again leftovers or my ever faithful tuna salad over greens.

week 3 dinner menu:

Steak fajitas - these are easy, quick, and full of flavor...You also have enough for a few days of leftovers.

Greek stuffed bell peppers with Greek salad - These were filling and refreshing.  It was a nice depart from my usual stuffed bell peppers.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caccitore over cauliflower rice

Pork Tenderloin with baked sweet potato and Greek salad - this is my favorite pork tenderloin recipe. Ina can do no wrong.

Foil packet Salmon with roasted broccoli - I love this salmon recipe, and it's frequently on my dinner menus.  It's a unique spin on salmon, plus easy clean up!!!

Rosemary Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto and Greek salad - This is my go-to recipe when I don't know what I want to cook for the week.  They are sooo delicious and simple enough to whip together when I don't have a lot of time.

And CHIPOTLE!!! We had a super busy weekend last week and I didn't have time to run the store and to cook dinner, so Chipotle it is ;)
 

snacks:

I'm totally getting lazier as this thing goes on, so my snacking has stayed fairly the same.  My favorite this week has been this olive-cucumber salad.  Baby cucumbers, kalamata olives, and a splash of this dressing.

I'll let you know how my last week goes! 

whole 30 tip of the week

Don't let yourself get hungry!!! For real.  When I am hungry, I want all my favorite things (pizza, chocolate chip cookies, donuts, etc). As long as I stay on top of my hunger, I can get over my cravings fairly quickly and chose a healthy option over an unhealthy one. 

Missed past weeks? Find them here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 4

whole 30 week 2

Well, I made it halfway!  Two weeks down, I've noticed my complexion is clearer, I have more energy, and my workouts have been more efficient.  I still crave sugar A LOT so I'm going to try to be mindful of my natural sugar intake during snack time (i.e. fruit, lara bars, etc.) this upcoming week. 

For this week, lunch was always leftovers from the night before.  My breakfasts were either paleo granola or variations of this: eggs, aidell's chicken and apple sausage, fruit, avocado and/or sweet potato. 

This is what was on the dinner menu this week:

Week 2 dinner Menu:

The recipes with a * in the name denote a recipe that is a fan favorite in the Fossier house and makes the rounds on our regular weekly menus. "LO" means leftovers.

Lemon-Ginger Pork Meatballs* with garlic roasted broccoli and Trader Joe's organic cauliflower rice.  These meatballs are a staple in our house and every time I make them I have to resist the urge to eat the entire pan.  They are really moist and flavorful, and the herbs give it a nice lightness to your meal.  For the cauliflower rice, I just sprinkled some olive oil, salt and pepper, ginger, parsley, and garlic and heated it over a stove until it was warm.

One Pan Greek Chicken (no feta) with Cucumbers.  YUM.

Crockpot Cranberry Pork* (I typically sub cranberries for blueberries in the spring and summer) with sweet potato and Lemon Slaw* (Whole 30 cookbook).  The slaw is actually one of my favorite side items to throw together because it's so easy to make, it keeps well in the fridge for leftovers, and it tastes good with pretty much anything.  It's light, flavorful, and has a great crunchy texture.

Pear & Pesto Bacon Wrapped Chicken breasts with LO slaw and cauliflower rice. This was definitely one of the fancier meals, but it looked so good I couldn't resist making it!  And it turned out as yummy as I thought it would.

Whole 30 Burgers with tomatoes, red onion, and avocado, served with sweet potato "buns".  I also used the LO pesto from the night before as a condiment!

Week 2 Snacks:

Olives - I've been loving olives lately!  Actually, this is nothing new...I've loved olives my whole life.  When I was little, I would ask for olives as a snack, which I'm sure was weird to most people but NOT TO ME!!!!

Bone broth - I've been battling on and off sinus trouble the past week, and I really enjoy a mug of bone broth in the morning.  It makes me feel so good!

Rx Bars- I know these are like whole 30 "candy" but I was curious to see what they tasted like so I ordered some.  I'm a fan!  I actually like them better than LARA bars.  These bars are a LOT chewier than a lara bar, so be forewarned that it sticks to your teeth. So far, my favorite flavor is the chocolate espresso.  I love the added protein of egg whites and the big chunks of chocolate you get in each bite. 

whole 30-ing on the road

As promised, here is a re-cap of what I ate when traveling to St. Louis.  For snacks in the car, I snacked on Rx bars, apples, coconut chips, avocado, baby food, and applesauce.  I also packed a little Tony's seasoning and this salad dressing in case I was in a pinch when eating out.   The whole 30 website has a useful travel guide for easy to access snack ideas that you can find here.

When we arrived in St. Louis, I did some research on where to find good Paleo-eats and made sure to ask my servers questions when I needed to know exactly what was used in making my meal.  We ate dinner our first night at a grass fed burger place down the street from our hotel.  I got a sirloin burger without the bun, served over lettuce with tomato and onion.  I kinda felt like this girl (minus the crossfit) but whatever.

We ate breakfast at this adorable coffee shop next to SLU.  I got hibiscus tea, an egg over brussels sprouts and mushrooms, and paleo sausage.

The last place we ate was THIS PLACE.  It made all my whole 30 dreams come true.  They even had a separate menu just for whole 30 approved food!  I got the chicken bowl with veggies over zucchini noodles and bone broth. It's not the prettiest picture but I just felt it was something that needed to be documented.

Whole 30 Tip of the Week: 

Herbs are expensive if you buy them at the supermarket (in a dream world I would be growing them myself, but since I have a brown thumb instead of green, I tend to err on the side of convenience in this situation).  If you decide to make a dish like the Asian Pork meatballs listed above, then I have a few solutions for your herb excess.

• Basil -- The best thing you can do with your left over basil is either make a pesto or use it right away.  Basil is good in pretty much anything.  I like to pair it with tomatoes and egg whites the next morning and it instantly gives my regular ol' eggs a face lift!
• Mint -- alcohol is a no-no on Whole 30, but mint is super refreshing in drinks.  Use it in your afternoon tea, or put it in your La Croix and pretend it's a cocktail ;).  Another favorite of mine is chopping a few leaves over a bowl of fresh raspberries...delicious!
• Thyme // Rosemary -- Freeze it!! These herbs freeze well and it's been a life saver to have these on hand when I run out of one of these ingredients for a dish. 

Missed past weeks? Find them here:
Week 1
Week 3
Week 4

st. louis!

Who says you can't be spontaneous when you have a baby?! Not the Fossiers! We just came back from a random weekend trip to St. Louis and had a blast touring a new city.  Brad had the whole weekend off (which is a rare thing in this house) so we decided to take advantage and make some memories together.  

(Pier did most of the driving.)

When we left Indy it was SNOWING (yeah, don't wanna talk about it) so I was happy to venture south-ish for a bit.  The city actually reminds me of the south, which is probably why I liked it so much. First things first...the arch!!! 

It sure is difficult to get this baby to smile in a photo when other people are around!  He is so enamored with people watching that you must have is undivided attention if you want anything in return.  But I'm glad I caught this one (even though the arch is barely in it...I guess I got distracted by a cute baby or something).

I have to brag on Pier for a second -- he did SO well! We didn't plan this trip at all, and for the most part, he rocked it.  Kids are far more resilient than we give them credit for.  Although, for some strange reason, he didn't nap on the (four hour) drive down....so he was a bitttt delirious.  He either loved everything or hated everything and ya didn't know which Pier was coming. It was hilarious to watch-- Brad and I couldn't stop laughing!

We ate at this great burger place a block from our hotel and it was YUM!  Don't worry, I still Whole 30'd during my vacation, but MAN I wanted one of those shakes so bad! Eating out wasn't as difficult as I anticipated, and I'll give y'all a little roundup of what I ate when traveling on my next whole 30 post.  I'm proud of myself though...I watched Brad savor a large chocolate espresso milkshake RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME and I didn't even bat an eye.  I just kept telling myself that lettuce tastes better than a milkshake...

He said it was the best milkshake he ever had though, so we may have to make another trip back to St. Louis in the post-whole 30 future.

Our second day in St. Louis, we toured the Missouri Botanical Gardens. This was my favorite place we visited! The expansive grounds were breathtaking -- you could get lost for days in the different gardens and exhibits.  Unfortunately, our timing wasn't the greatest and we totally got rained on a few minutes after taking these photos.  Not just rained on but THUNDER STORM'D ON.  It was a sight running in a thunder storm with a baby and a mountain of stuff back to the car.  Let's just say I'm not the most graceful stroller runner.  Anyway, we have to go back because I need to spend all day among every type of flower you can imagine!

We also did all sorts of fun things -- a visit to St. Louis University, mass at the basilica, and a tram tour on the arch!  You get in these tiny carts that take you up to the center of the structure.  It was a windy day and we could feel the arch sway a bit when we were up there. Talk about a crazy feeling.  But Pier loved looking out the window overlooking downtown! 

We had so much fun, St. Louis!  Already planning my next trip back...mainly because I really want a chocolate espresso milkshake.