Whole30: Final week!

OMG we are inches so close to the end of our final Whole30 we can taste it. ;)

Already, I am starting to prep for our upcoming vacation and stocking up on non whole30 items. Not like we are going to go crazy...but I did buy some pop chip type things at Costco that I want to try. Honestly, I really do not know what I will do differently. I am a very habitual eater. Very. I like to eat the same things over and over once I find something I like. Whole30 has led me to find new favorites to eat over and over. :) My new thing...LEMON LARABARS! They are great to eat at work when I have very little time to eat. They are to die for!

Breakfast: I am sticking with my egg whites, watermelon and coffee. I do not care what people say, watermelon is the bomb. It is mostly water...so I am not giving it up. I balance it with other fruits like my mix of strawberries and blueberries.

Lunch: I keep lunch simple with canned salmon (not as gross as it sounds but not the best either), vegetables and fruit. If I am very lazy I have more egg whites. They are full of protein so a great addition. And, after 4 years of eating them, I am still not sick of them.

Dinner: Shrimp, chicken of some sort or salmon. I am very bored with dinner. I do love my grilled sweet potatoes for dinner. I have decided I can not stomach acorn squash. I believe it messes me up. I have eaten it a few times and got very bloated and uncomfortable. NOT WORTH IT!

Snacks: Larabars. I have tried to eliminate the morning snack. BUT, I just can't. I run at 5am, eat breakfast before 7am so I am hungry by 10. Sometimes I cross train, too, after running and after breakfast. Honestly, I would be better off having almonds or something over a larabar. But, I like my larabars.

This week I leave on vacation on Thursday. Chris will meet me on the 1st. I am sad we can not celebrate together. I am hoping. I will not be probably taking a complete after weight, either. Honestly, I do not think I lost any weight. I may have to start with, then I gained it back as I figured out what to eat. I do not think eating on vacation will be too bad since we are staying at my parents lake home, cooking our own food, etc.

On day 24...the end is near.

Benefits:
Energy is steadily getting better.
Skin is better

Cons:
No tiger blood yet.
Still feel like I am missing something
Date nights are not the same when we cook our meals at home

 Day 26!
I can see the end...we are almost there!
Tiger blood may be near. I ran with my running mate this morning with paces in the 7:20s and I did not die. There were strikes of lightening chasing us mind you, so perhaps that was it??? Anyway, I felt much better. I did feel like I was dying trying to do my BBG Leg workout later, but whatever. I will take running and not falling apart at this point.

That was the good news. Bad news...the sweet potatoes and the acorn squash are killing me. So I googled it. Neither are good for IBS which I have. Excellent. Seriously, I feel like death after eating them. It does not take long either and my stomach is in so much pain I can not move. I had a potato before the pool last week and looked pregnant at the pool (nice right?!). I usually eat them at night, but who wants to feel like that at night either? Sadly, I can not be eating them. I have a couple left that Asher will help me finish off. Then it is back to the other vegetables that are not as carb filled. Sad day for this runner girl.

I weighed myself today because I will be working tomorrow night (so will not weigh Wednesday for sure), and I leave Thursday to the lake. Our last day is Friday so I should weigh Saturday. I am not taking a scale to the lake. So...this is it. Looks like I lost 4 pounds. I guess I had that to lose. Honestly, this is my "heavy" part of the month, too. I am shocked actually. It will not take me long to gain that back though. Honestly, I can not tell. My clothes pretty much fit the same. I must have lost 2 pounds per breast. I am sure I lost the weight in the first couple weeks and just maintained it the last 2 weeks because I am eating A LOT!

Favorite food now: Lemon Larabars!! OMG YUM! I will be eating them at work while watching my peers eat cookies and pizza. I am not kidding. These are amazing and a must try. Again, Larabars are discouraged on the whole30...But they are better than eating, I don't know, A COOKIE!! I eat my protein, veggie first THEN my Larabar. I don't care because they are amazing.

Today we ate out for the first time since June 4. I wanted to take the kids out to lunch to see Chris, where he works now, etc. We ate at McAlister's Deli. Chris and I both got Garden Salads. I left starving. It was not worth my craving to eat out. I came home, ate some watermelon and a half of lemon larabar. I need chicken. :)

Nough said. Just a few more days. We can do this!!

Day 29

Quick post bc I am off to the LAKE!! So excited!
 Down to just a couple of days.

Benefits:
Leaner body
Don't have to count calories (I don't do this anyway)
Eat healthy
Clearer skin (Except during hormonal periods like now...seems worse!!).

Cons:
Feel sad a lot
Date nights are not the same
Social situations can be a nightmare
LOTS of cooking and cleaning up!!
Lots of shopping

Overall, I am happy we did the whole30. I would not, however, do it again. Seriously, the first 20 some days were that bad. If I was not working out or running it would have been much easier. BUT, I do work out and run. Therefore, no I would not do it again. I would encourage others to give it a go if they need to clean up their diets and hope to lose some weight. My diet was not THAT bad before and I did not have weight to lose but I am part of a team (and Chris' diet needed a refresher!). I will update when we are DONE! YEAH!! Not sure what is next...but I am looking forward to it!!