Whole 30 - Week 1

So, I've successfully completed one week of Whole30!!

Its been so much easier this time than last time. I think only cooking for myself really eases the pressure to create somewhat elaborate meals every single night. Not that L expects that, for some reason I feel like it something I should do. Hopefully, I won't feel that pressure when he gets back because I'm not going to have time to cook an awesome dinner every night!

I also like not having the pressure of checking every single ingredient in every single item I use. Having to make dinner every night is one thing. Having to make dinner + fully compliant ketchup + fully compliant ghee + fully compliant everything really adds up. I do feel guilty though eating ketchup and butter-- so, I dunno. Also, I'm not at all sick of eggs yet!

Over the last year I've realized that I HATE overcooked eggs. Before, I always cooked my eggs pretty well done, because, in my mind, that was less gross. BUT! I realized at some point that under-cooked eggs don't make me gag so LESS GROSS! YAY! My scrambled eggs are a bit runny now and even though its counter intuitive, I like them better that way! I've also figured out that if the edges of a fried egg get hard/crispy, I should cut them off to avoid over-cooked gag reflex. In Vienna, we discovered a love of soft boiled eggs and I've been trying to figure out the perfect timing. I've found that bringing water up to a boil, adding the eggs, and boiling for 6 minutes is pretty close to what I'm looking for. I LOVE the runny yolk but cooked whites (6 min leaves the whites a tiny bit less cooked than I'd like to see) but there's no danger of icky crispy edges! Also, I've found that eggs are much more bearable if properly salted! So important and when you're not eating processed foods, its important to get enough salt as well as iodine from table salt!

Goals Recap

1. Sleep 8 Hours: Going GREAT! I've been getting to bed around 10 and waking up at about 6 to get to work by 7 so I can get in 9 hours to make up for being in Switzerland. 8 hours really seems to be the optimal time for me.
2. Exercise: Going good, but could be better. I've had A LOT going on since I've gotten back and exercise has taken a back burner. I've tried lifting weights at our little apartment gym but the machine is way to big (and not adjustable) and the weights freak me out because they are solid metal and I'm not trying to drop one on my head. I've only been 3 times this week; 4 would be better. I've actually started warming up doing some HIIT (3 min jog at 4mph; intervals of 20 sec 7mph + 40 sec 4mph, 3 min jog at 4mph) to hopefully boost my calorie burn but we'll see how that goes. The first two times I worked out I did weights after my HIIT. I've given up on weights though until I can go back to a real gym when L goes back to school. So, for my third workout, I did longer HIIT with more jogging afterwards. (3 min jog at 4mph; 15 min of intevals at 20 sec 7mph + 40 sec 4mph; 7 min jog at 4mph). My goal for HIIT at this point is to increase the jogging afterwards so that I'm doing a total of 30 min then convert more jogging to intervals. 
3. Prep Food: This week I did more complete meals than I usually do so prep wasn't as much of an issue. We'll see how it goes next week though. 
4. Drink Water: This is going pretty good. Saturday and Sunday are the hardest because I'm not sitting at a computer with my water bottle right beside me all day. Of the weekdays, I finished 3 bottles all but one day and most days needed to refill a fourth time! 

What I've Eaten

Breakfasts: 2 Eggs with some combination of carrots, cukes, green peppers, apples, blueberries, and strawberries

Lunch: Salads or leftovers

Dinners: Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs; Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Chicken; Stuffed Acorn Squash; Butternut, Apple, Sausage Hash; Venison Root Veggie Soup.

Going Forward

I think I'm going to cut out ketchup. Sad, I know. But if I make my own it keeps pretty well and I don't like how much sugar I'm getting from it when I PILE it on my meatballs/meatloaf. I also think I'm going to cut out starchy squashes and sweet potatoes. Sounds awful but my goal, at the heart of all this, is to fit into my dress and to do that, I need to drop weight fast and eating starchy foods doesn't help that process. Super sad.