weightloss

whole30: day four.

Posted on by thedingismything

Alright. Most days this week, I’ve been a little gloomy. Self-pitying, even. But not today.

Today, I gotta brag.

Day 4 was a home run, guys. Start to finish, I think it was my best day yet.

For breakfast, I had diced potatoes and bell peppers, my new favorite Whole 30 compliant chicken sausage and an egg. Lunch was half a bell pepper filled with tuna salad (with my homemade mayo I made for Day 1. And dinner was … well. Dinner was amazing.

I found this recipe for Loaded Turkey Stuffed Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes on paleOMG.com and thought that with a name like that, you really couldn’t go wrong.

Holy smokes, it was every bit as good as it sounded. And easy, too!

The recipe called for the traditional yellow sweet potatoes, but I’m a sucker for the orange ones. (I think these are technically yams?) I followed the writer’s instructions exactly, and it all worked out perfectly. Her suggestion about not getting too close to the skin when scooping out the ooey gooey yummy middles was spot on.

The turkey is seasoned with chili powder, paprika and an alarming amount of hot sauce. We used Cholula because it’s Whole 30 compliant. I was a wee bit worried, but the sweetness of the potato balanced out the heat nicely.

After I stuffed the filling in the potatoes and popped them back in the oven, I threw some Brussels sprouts in a pan to get something green on the plate. Super simple to make in a dash: just cut ‘em in half, add them to a hot nonstick pan with a smidge of coconut oil, add a little S&P and don’t let them burn. Although, personally, I like a little char on mine.

PhotoGrid_1459539583888

This dinner was a success, and The Husband already asked if we can make this even after Whole 30. Um. I want to eat it again tomorrow night!

20160331_195816
?

So one quick note for anyone thinking of reasons NOT to do Whole 30. I’m guessing this all sounds like it takes a lot of time to prepare everything, and you might be thinking you don’t have hours to dedicate to cooking each day. I thought the same thing at first, too. But I’ve learned quickly that there are some easy shortcuts that will help for those days when you’re pressed for time. One of the biggest, easiest tips is to make a dinner that is big enough so there will be leftovers you can pack for lunch the next day. If you don’t like eating the same thing twice, then you’re not making food that is yummy enough. I could eat those flipping stuffed sweet potatoes every darn day.

I’m going to be totally honest. Remembering to prep your food ahead of time is the hardest part. The night of Day 3, we were settled on the couch watching TV when I remembered I didn’t have anything put together for lunch the following day. It was 9:30 at night, but I got up and whipped up my tuna, stuffed it in the bell pepper boat, threw some veggies in a baggie and was back on my ass in time for The Husband to make me suffer through the end of “World War Z.”

The potatoes I had for breakfast? Came already cut up. Our market has a nice little space in the produce section with fresh cut vegetables ready to bring home and cook. I’ll admit some aren’t worth the price. Like, I’m perfectly capable of buying a zucchini and squash and slicing them up on my own instead of paying $5 for the already sliced package of them. But other things – like the pre-cut butternut squash – totally worth it. These diced potatoes and peppers were $2.99 for a good size container. It was enough to feed both of us for two breakfasts.

As long as you’re able to think about these things ahead of time, this is an easy lifestyle to maintain. And it gets easier, the more you train yourself to do it. I can already tell you what I’m having for my next two meals. We got in a habit of waiting until late in the the afternoon to think about dinner, and by that time we’re usually too tired to develop a game plan. When it gets to that point, it’s easy to just say “Screw it, let’s go out!” By the end of the night you’ve eaten an extra 1,000 calories, probably had a drink or two, and spent $50 or more. Total dollar value for my Day 4 food was probably between $10 and $12. AND I got to eat a super duper delicious dinner.

Like I said: Home run.

Note: This is a re-post from the Tumblr version of this blog. It originally ran on April 1, 2016.

whole30: day three.

Posted on by thedingismything

Today was hard.

Not because I was hungry, or felt like I couldn’t eat anything. Today was hard because it was the first really stressful day I’ve had while on Whole 30. It made me realize just how much I actually stress eat.

Typically on a day like today, after a looong day at work when I was juggling a dozen projects at once, I would reach for a big ol’ bag of chips or ask The Husband if we could go hit up a happy hour somewhere. At the very least we’d open a bottle of wine or go pick up some Menchie’s.

Mmmmmmmmmenchie’s. I miss you so very much.

We hosted a breakfast meeting at our office today, and I had to help set up the food. Coffee, juice, fruit and a tray of bagels and pastries and muffins. Oh my.

Setting it out was no problem; I had just gotten to work and I wasn’t emotionaly drained yet. But by lunch, it was a different story.

The meeting was over and the room had cleared out. I poked my head in the empty room and saw there were still some pastries left on the tray. Ordinarily I would bring the tray downstairs and set it in the office kitchen for everyone to help themselves. Not today. I couldn’t go near it. I knew the temptation was too much. If I came within smelling distance of that sugary buttery carbohydrate goodness, I would have taken a bite.

Instead, I ran from the room and distracted myself until it was time to heat up my lunch. (Thank you, leftover meatballs.) Then I instructed someone else to adios the baked goods so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. Crisis averted.

The one thing that really prevented me from diving face-first into a cinnamon roll-induced shame was the realization that I wasn’t even hungry. But I so desperately wanted to stuff my face. How often do I eat when I’m not hungry??? Apparently, more than I realize.

I’m happy to say the day wasn’t a total wash. By the time I got through traffic and made it home, The Husband had made an amazing dinner for us.

Ladies, let me tell you something. There are few things hotter than a man who knows his way around a kitchen. No wonder I’m emotionally attached to food.

But look at this! Who wouldn’t fall for a guy who makes something look as good as this.

That’s a little Whole 30 chicken cacciatore, which was as delicious as it was easy to make. The Husband said on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being getting take-out, this recipe is a 3.5. Not too shabby!

P.S. The cute wittle face peeking up in that photo is my cat Boots. He’s a rascal.

Note: This is a re-post from the Tumblr version of this blog. It originally ran on March 31, 2016.

whole30: day two.

Posted on by thedingismything

I’m happy to report that my second day of Whole 30 was about a million times better than the first. I wasn’t hungry at all. Literally, not for a minute all day. I was able to prepare in advance a good size breakfast for this morning. It made all the difference in the world.

Also, I know it’s only been two days since I ate a handful of frosted sugar cookies at Easter dinner (oh – did I forget to mention the cookies?) but I already feel a difference. I feel skinnier! I have like, no bloating going on. My rings slide on and off with ease. It’s a little amazing how I didn’t even realize how bloated I felt a few days ago until I compare it with how great I felt today.

A little rundown of today’s meals:

Brekkie was a Whole 30 compliant chicken sausage, sweet potato hash, and a fried egg. Quick note: I made a PERFECTLY fried egg for the first time in my life today. Mark it on your calendars. The trick? A really good nonstick pan and a tiny little rubber spatula. Highlight of my day.

Mid-morning snack was a large banana and some mixed nuts, without peanuts. Insert your favorite “that’s what she said” joke here.

Lunch today was super easy because I was able to enjoy leftovers from last night. The Husband made some delish baked chicken breasts that was perfect to slice and throw on top of a green salad mix. Because I’m not a maniac, I made my own salad dressing out of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I also microwaved a sweet potato, and that helped keep my inner hunger demon away all afternoon.

That being said, I still let myself snack on some fresh strawberries and pineapple before leaving the office.

Finally, for dinner, I was excited to have a chance to try out one of the recipes from the Whole 30 book. I made their chicken meatballs, although I actually used turkey because we already had some on hand. Can I just tell you how good they came out? I mean, really, really good. And it was the simplest recipe to follow. A pound of ground turkey, an egg, chopped onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and I used just under a quarter-cup of almond flour to thicken the meatballs a bit. Brown them in a pan a bit before transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven. Cook ‘em for about 8 minutes and then let them set for a bit before devouring them.

Here’s the part where you get to learn from my mistakes. When browning the meatballs in the pan, use a really good quality nonstick pan. I thought I could outsmart the recipe by using an oven-safe pan to brown them and then just stick the whole thing in the oven. Even with a generous amount of olive oil in the pan first, they stuck. Big time. M-E-S-S-Y. For my second batch, I just followed the instructions and used my best nonstick pan first, and they browned up real nice, with zero sticking.

Because of my mishap with the first batch, they looked a little funny and misshapen. But boy howdy did they taste go-oo-oood.

For a side dish, I sauteed together some red potatoes, mushrooms and green beans, and used savory seasonings so they complimented the meatballs really well.

And because yesterday taught me how important it is to prep for the next day’s meals, my game plan for tomorrow is already laid out. I’ve got leftover potatoes and another chicken sausage for breakfast, I’ll use up my leftover meatballs and veggies for lunch, and The Husband is making a Whole 30 chicken cacciatore recipe from the book. Much excite. Very cacciatore.

Note: This is a re-post from the Tumblr version of this blog. It originally ran on March 30, 2016.

fat. broke. bitch.

Posted on by thedingismything

That’s what I’ve been calling myself for the last few days. Angry much? Bitter? No, not at all.

Let’s just take a minute to look at a picture of doughnuts, shall we?

IMG_20151023_083857

There. I feel better already.

Back to being angry and bitter. The truth is that I’m actually really happy. I mean, I eat pretty much whatever I want, and I’ve spent a ton of money surrounding myself with things I love. How could I be anything but delighted?

The problem is that I eat pretty much whatever I want, and I’ve spent a ton of money surrounding myself with things I love. So my weight is – while not at an all-time high – getting up there. And my credit card debt is, well, it’s uncomfortable for me to talk about. (Read: FML)

About six years ago, I started a blog (find it here!) as a means of coping with how sad and frustrated I had become dating in Los Angeles. The funny thing was that it really helped. Forcing myself to find humor in story after story about first dates that were so unbelievably awful made me realize that I wasn’t the only one still looking for a happy ending. Each post was so therapeutic to write, it was almost like that saying, “gonna wash that man right out of my hair” (sweet baby Jesus, please tell me people know that phrase) but with words instead. It was like a cleansing ritual. Each time a hopeful relationship went down the shitter, once the words were on the screen I was able to lift my head up and move on to the next one.

Until there were no more next ones. In January, I married the man of my dreams (ding!), had a fairy tale wedding to match (ding!), and went on the most amazing honeymoon I could imagine (ding!). And now, I’m still paying for it.

I gained eight pounds during our wedding and honeymoon. That is darn close to a pound a day. When we got back home, I learned what it means when people say someone is still in the honeymoon phase. I’m not talking about sexy time. I’m talking about getting back to a normal lifestyle. You know. Not drinking in the middle of the day because why not. Not eating at restaurants for every meal. Not sleeping in instead of waking up to get my ass to the gym.

All of it caught up with me this week. Monday morning I got on the scale and it was TEN WHOLE POUNDS above my weight the day before my wedding. I’m not going to lie. It’s hard for me to find anything funny to say about that. But wait – it gets better.

We paid rent, car insurance, and our wedding/honeymoon credit card bill all in the same week. So at one point, when I went to look at my bank account, I had $7.31 in my checking account. My (big fat) grown-ass had seven dollars and thirty-one cents to spare.

And THAT is why I posted the picture of the doughnuts.

They’re so pretty. And delicious. Look at ‘em. They taste soooo good and make me sooooo happy that I forget that just a couple days ago, I could only afford to buy just one or two of those tasty treats before my debit card would have been declined. Plus I’ve been fighting an inner struggle with myself all day long not to eat one.

It’s a vicious circle. I feel fat and broke. It makes me sad. When I’m sad, I either eat or shop. Eating and shopping make me fat and broke. Rinse and repeat.

I’m not going to be publishing any numbers here, people. At least not yet. Not while I’m wearing this shroud of shame. (Shame Shroud is playing the side stage at Coachella this year, btw.) Here’s what I will do. I’m going to go on some crazy diets, and tell you all about how much it sucks. I’m going to find ways to cut back on spending so that maybe I can pay off my credit cards and actually have a shot at owning a home in this lifetime. And throughout the whole process, I’m going to complain. A lot.

It’ll be really funny. I swear.

P.S. I just ate a mini-bag of Cool Ranch Dorito’s.