While I don't think I will eat exactly this way after Whole30 (I need less meat and more fruit), I do think I will basically continue to abstain from sugar and dairy and processed foods, and eat just 3 meals per day. I also imagine I will do Whole30 again in a few months, just to re-stabilize, if necessary. It is nice to know there is a relatively easy way to do that. And, it is great to know that I NEED to do that!
The friend who inspired me to try this (Rose), lost a ton of weight off her already thin body and feels great (which continues to be a great motivator for me). On Facebook, I see people keep asking her about what "diet" she is on, and wanting to immediately know what they have to give up, or what life will be like after the 30 days. If it isn't a quick-fix pill, they aren't interested. I can see them trying to find the reason they can't or shouldn't do it. It is so obvious to me that their addictions are talking. It is so clear because that could have been me. It might have been me. But it is no longer me. All they have to do is read a (very short) book and make a 30-day commitment. One of the things in the book that kicked me in the pants was when they said something like, "Don't pretend this is hard. Fighting cancer is hard. Losing a loved one is hard. Going without milk in your coffee is not hard." Now, I love my coffee black anyway, but the point went right to my core. It sounded like me talking to my child. It made me realize I was being child-like in my "I don't wanna" attitude. It made me want to be an adult about it and I'm glad for that!
Anyway, here's the scoop on Day 18.
Breakfast = quiche, grapefruit, coffee
Lunch = BOB
Dinner
Yesterday I marinated chicken just like my mom always did for years. It is an adaptation of souvlaki, I think, and pretty versatile. Everyone loves this, and because I didn't have to make any changes whatsoever, you should feel free to serve this to all guests!
Momma's Grilled Chicken
1 lb chicken, cut into skewer-sized chunks (any other meat is good, too)
1 onion, grated (not chopped...this is the key ingredient)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c olive oil
1 TB red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
1 tsp of each of these: basil, thyme, oregano (or really any other spices you want)
Marinate chicken in the rest of the ingredients for at least a few hours. I did mine overnight. See?
Then place on skewers when you're ready to grill, and grill until done, flipping a few times to make sure they're evenly cooking.
I served mine over leftover and reheated roasted spaghetti squash and a baked sweet potato. Yum!
Yes, Yes, YES! I have given up trying to correct people when they ask if I'm still doing "that diet", and when they ask me what I ate, I just tell them to read the book. The question isn't what I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 30 days (although I love reading what you ate, because you are much more creative, and way more of a cook, than I am. It's really about why I took certain things out of my diet, and how it made me feel. Believe me, I totally get the wanting to lose weight part. Honestly, I had put on too much weight, and needed it off. I had no idea how much I'd lose, but during the 30 days, it became less of the focus, because I felt SO good! No, I no longer wake up thinking, "I'm happy! I'm energetic! I feel thin!"...it's become the norm now. But I also don't wake up feeling sluggish, annoyed and fat. So proud of you xoxo
ReplyDeleteI can tell you are done explaining. ;) I almost posted an explanation on one thread, but then I thought, why? I know it wouldn't have meant anything to me when I was in that place. They have to be ready and be searching for something worth doing. I have needed this for a long time, but I was not ready. Even though I eat well and think I have this down, as you point out, I like cooking. But, even I had to seriously focus on this to make it work with my other meal-creating obligations. This was just not going to happen until I got to a certain point post-pregnancy (or rather, until my baby was less attached to me physically). My husband always says, "set yourself up for success." So, I knew I would not be doing that, and had to give myself permission to wait until I was ready. It was pure happenstance (or, perhaps kismet) that my being ready coincided with your announcement that you were doing Whole30! I agree that losing weight is less important (it actually wasn't the weight loss, but your comment about being less irritable that did it for me). And, I have to agree that I FEEL less fat. I have a long way to go to meet any kind of weight loss goals. But, hopefully, I will feel more in control about that after this system reboot. Thanks, Rose!
Delete