Whole30: Day 1

7:15

I'm enjoying one of my favorite parts of the day: the quiet hour (or so) when I'm awake before everyone else. I usually read (a book or the NYT app) or mess around on social media. And I have a cup of coffee with sugar and half and half. On weekends and during summer vacation, this is something I look forward to. During the school year, I look forward to my delicious coffee on the drive to work. I have never worried too much about the half and half and sugar, because I only have one cup. What's the harm? But it would be good, I suppose, to no longer begin my day with a hit of sugar, however small.

I had thought about giving up coffee during Whole30, since I can't have it the way I like it. But I decided to give it a try, subbing coconut milk for my usual additions. It was a failed experiment. I had to add eight tablespoons--half a cup!--before it was the shade of tan I like coffee to be, and while it tasted all right, it was distractingly oily. Each time I took a sip, my lip felt greasy. That's a big old nope for me. (As much as I love lip balm, you'd think that would be a selling point, but no.) And even though Whole30 isn't a weight loss plan and I'm not supposed to be counting calories, I couldn't help thinking about all the calories in that half cup of coconut milk that I wasn't even enjoying. This is not how I'll be starting my day.

So I went to Plan B, which definitely should have been Plan A: Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea. My mom told me that it's good without sugar, and as always, she was right. (And it comes in such a pretty tin!) I'm just a little worried that it secretly has sugar, though supposedly the light sweetness in the tea comes from dried orange peel. Anyway, it's good, not greasy, and not 150 calories. Yay!

Breakfast

Two eggs scrambled in ghee, topped with salsa (Aldi house brand organic cilantro and lime--really good)

Watermelon

Lunch
Egg salad, carrot sticks, watermelon

I cooked pasta for my daughter and her friends, and I caught myself about to try a noodle to see if it was done. Nope. Then I had to stop myself from eating some stray shreds of Parmesan cheese that had fallen on the counter. I didn't want these things, and it wasn't hard to avoid them; I just realized how thoughtlessly I do things like that.

Afternoon Snack
Apple slices with almond butter

Dinner
Hamburger patty, roasted potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts

I had originally planned to make braised and glazed Brussels sprouts, which are my favorite. But I make those with Better than Bouillon, and when I checked the label, it was a no go. It was cool, though; I just tossed them in olive oil and roasted them, and they were the bomb.

I went to a get-together tonight, and there were multiple kinds of cupcakes. I wasn't even tempted, but that's probably because this is Day One, and it's all new and exciting. Good timing.

Anyway, Day One is done! If I can do one day, I can do another.