I originally made this as a pork roast the weekend before last for Austin. I promised him that I would cook a Whole30 dinner that he’d also love so that I wouldn’t have to worry about navigating a restaurant’s menu. With some quick googling, I found a promising dry rubbed pork recipe (minus the brown sugar). After spending six hours in the oven, the pork came out incredible. Because it was so good, I figured I’d give it a shot with a beef roast so that Liz could have some.
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I’m almost to the halfway mark of Whole30, and I’ve noticed a few things on this journey. I can tell you with 100% certainty that this timeline is completely accurate. I mentioned the other day that I was going to put my thoughts down on paper this blog, so here you go.
1) I can live without Diet Coke.
I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m missing it less and less. The first few days, whenever I would hear a can open in the office, my mouth would water. The addiction was real, y’all. I’ll probably have one from time to time after this (as a treat – part of moderation), but I have a bet with the Boyfriend to not have it at all for 30 days. I was in a particularly crappy mood last night, and he sweetly offered me one and said it could be our secret. I turned it down. I’m really, really proud of that.
Also, on this note – I’m learning to like black coffee.
2) Buffalo chicken is a lifesaver.
When Liz and I discovered a whole30 compliant buffalo chicken, it was a total game changer for me. I’ve eaten it a lot as a quick go-to, and it makes my tummy happy and feels like something “naughty.” But then again, I’ve always been a sucker for all things buffalo.
3) I can actually get sick of eggs.
I love scrambled eggs. Love. Love. Love. But if I see another fucking scrambled egg, I might cry.
4) I miss cheese.
Cheese is glorious, right? And one of my favorite things is a good cheese plate and a glass of wine. No shame in that.
5) Whole30 is too strict for my sanity.
I’ve always believed in moderation. The reason I decided to give Whole30 a shot was because I wasn’t being so moderate with my diet. I was having too much pizza and too little leafy greens.
I knew that buckling down for a bit would help me achieve balance again. And it has definitely helped. But there are days when indulging red velvet cupcake is necessary, and guilt tripping myself over that is just nonsense in my opinion.
I’ve often found that when I get restrictive with my diet, I get obsessive and very unhappy. It’s just not my style. I’ve had a few tiny indulgences, but that’s between me, myself and I. I don’t feel guilty about it.
Overall, I do feel a lot better. Cleaning up my daily diet was necessary, and so far I’m glad I’ve done this. I may not be perfect, but I’m good with where I’m at. At the end of the day, isn’t that what really matters?
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It’s week two of Whole30! I can already tell you there are things I don’t agree with Whole30 on. But there’s a lot of good in there too. I’ve gotten past a lot of my cravings, and I’m feeling pretty good (I’ll actually have more on that later this week).
Throughout this challenge, my crock pot has been my biggest asset in the kitchen. I’ve said over and over again how much I love being able to throw a few ingredients in it and come back later to a fantastic meal. Liz and I have been making each other lunch and bringing it to work every day, and these crock pot meals are also great for larger portions.
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When I tweeted out this pic the other night, it was a firestorm of “RECIPE PLEASE!” in my mentions. I can’t take credit for finding this recipe though. Liz was the one who found this bright spot in a dark, dreary world. While planning what meals to make for each other, this was one I snatched up from our list.
I threw it in my crock pot Monday morning, and headed to work. I love doing that. It makes the day seem so much easier since dinner is already taken care of. Then when I walked in the door, my apartment smelled like wonderful, delicious curry. Can’t beat that.
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So I’m hopping on the Whole30 bandwagon.
I know. No cheese? No wine? No chocolate? NO DIET COKE? Who am I? I’m totally going through an identity crisis on this one. But here’s the thing – I’ve felt kinda crappy lately. I’ve been eating out a lot, and eating unhealthy food at that. I haven’t been wanting to go to the gym, nor have I been wanting to run. Over the past few months, I’ve seen multiple friends give Whole30 a shot, and they’ve been (seemingly) really happy with the program.
So what does this mean for this blog? I’m going to be sharing my journey – for better or for worse. Recipes, struggles, and successes will be my focus for the next month.
Pictured above – Crock Pot Sweet Potato Basil Soup from PaleoOMG
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Remember how I went to Thomasville a few weeks ago for a work trip? While we were there, we had dinner at this fantastic little restaurant downtown called Jonah’s Fish and Grits. I know, y’all – the seafood thing around here lately is a little weird and totally out of character. Uncharted waters, actually. But I’m workin’ on it.
First of all, Downtown Thomasville is has been totally transformed from the last time I was there. Granted, that was the early 2000s (maybe even 2002 when I took the ACTs at Brookwood), but it’s definitely been a change for the best. I was pleasantly surprised to see an active downtown with shops and restaurants.
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