The hubby's perspective on the Whole30

So this was the first diet I have ever done in my life. In general, I've always kind of held my nose up towards diets and healthy eating, as I have seen people take them to the extreme (especially in it dominating their conversations and social media lives :) ). But I digress..... :)

I am thrilled with the Whole30 results! Physically, these were my takeaways:

-I lost 17 lbs! :) Part of this was coming back to Russia after being in the US for the summer, and so the food here is healthier a bit less processed. Part of it also is because our city is really hilly and we walk everywhere here (including pushing both kids in a double stroller up hills). But still, that is impressive, 17 lbs in a month!

-I never felt stuffed after meals. This was really noticeable. Before, I would feel stuffed and my stomach would look bloated. It was nice not to feel that way for a month!

As far as food insights I had, here are a few:

-I got used to coffee without sugar (using coconut milk instead), and feel good about putting milk instead of sugar in my coffee moving forward

-My 2 favorite snacks were: trail mix (minus the chocolate, so cashews and raisins) and boiled eggs. I really liked boiled eggs as a snack b/c it tastes good and fills you up quick.

-I really missed drinking juice and milk in the mornings, as I am a big breakfast guy. Drinking water the rest of the day was no problem, but water in the morning just didn't feel right. :)

-I missed having fresh, soft bread to eat with soup, but in general it was nice not eating bread for a month. I think bread is another thing I'm gonna eat a lot less of moving forward........surprisingly, the burgers we ate with lettuce as a bun substitute were just as good! :)

In general, it was great to just do something together with Cristi for 30 days. Being in it together is why we made it through it, I think. We have had some good conversations since we finished about what other things we could do together for extended periods of time that would not happen otherwise if we didn't do it together. Probably a good life principle, huh?

-Andrew

Days 26-30: The Final Push!

We did it!  We completed the Whole30!!  BUT-- takeaways and before and after photos will come in the next posts ;)

For now, a few final recipes from the last days of the Whole30.

#1= I learned about Chimichurri sauce.  How had I never heard of this sauce before??!  It is SO good!  I think it will become a staple that I keep in the fridge to put on everything.

I found the recipe on a site called laughing spatula.  I originally made it as a sauce to go on top of steak.  But since then, I have put it on top of chicken, potatoes, breakfast casserole, you name it!

Anyway, do yourself a favor and go make this sauce.

Here is the steak that I originally made the sauce to go with.  I served it with potatoes with dill and green onion, baked zucchini and onions, and fresh tomato slices.

 One of our favorite things that I learned to make during the Whole30 was good chicken wings.  There are just SO SO many ways you can cook them!  This one had garlic and herbs and lemon juice and hot sauce.  I did something I'd never done before-- I chopped up a ton of veggies (eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower) and placed them on the bottom of a baking dish.  On top, I placed the wings.  Then I put everything in the oven for 30-40 mins on 375.  The veggies got baked in the chicken juices and they were way more flavorful than normal.

Day 25: How to eat out on the Whole30

So I thought eating out on the Whole30 would be hard, but it actually isn't too bad if you choose your restaurants carefully and are willing to comb through the menu to find the one or two things on it you can actually eat ;)

We've gone out to eat probably 4 times on the Whole30, and almost every time it has been because we've realized it's 5 PM and there is not a single darn thing in the house that Andrew and I can eat.  Lack of prep ahead of time kills you on the Whole30!

So anyway, here are what we've found we can eat when dining out:

• Greek salad.  If you ask them to hold the feta cheese, most greek salads are just veggies with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, both of which are Whole30 approved
• Grilled meat/veggie dishes
• Soups (though you have to be sure they don't have any noodles or cream in them)

It's a limited list, but doable!  Here's a dish I had at a restaurant this month (because it's Russia, the fish still has it's head on ;)

This was a date night dinner- so good!

Day 24- Whole30 when you are desperate....

Y'all, this has been my kids this past week:

Anyone out there feel me??!   It's been one of those weeks where we count it a success that we all made it out alive and didn't kill each other ;)

So after a particularly hard bedtime routine involving much wailing and gnashing of teeth, I was feeling like I just wouldn't make it if I couldn't have some chocolate.

Enter amazing, healthy, Whole30 friendly chocolate "pudding"!  Ok, so I know you aren't supposed to eat anything resembling dessert on the Whole30.  But y'all- the people who made the Whole30 

have never attempted to put my kids to bed ;)

So anyway- pudding is super easy.  Blend 1 banana, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon of coconut milk.  That's it!

Go put on your pjs, lay on the couch, and watch TV or read a good book while you eat this pudding :)

Day 23- Fish!

Andrew and I love fish, but don't buy it often because it is expensive.  You can actually get fresh fish at the market near here for fairly cheap but they are alive and flopping around and the one time I bought them there and had to kill them myself it was such a bloody traumatic experience that I almost turned vegetarian afterwards!  So for now I am sticking to nicely packaged fish from the grocery store :)

I grilled the fish (tilapia) with lemon juice and fresh garlic and green onions and salt and pepper and hot sauce.  It was great :)  To go with it I made Pioneer Woman's Hot Crash Potatoes as well as a simple salad of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh dill, and homemade mayo.

Here's one of Pioneer Woman's pictures of Hot Crash Potatoes- so much better than my pic!  But my potatoes came out tasting just as good, I think ;)

Have I mentioned that I love Pioneer Woman recipes??!