Beyond Whole30: Day 1 (to infinity)

I had my colonoscopy today, and while the prep both sucked and blew, the procedure itself was easy-peasy. Propofol is awesome! (When administered by an ethical medical professional. RIP, Michael Jackson.)

I had to do another round of prep at 4:00 a.m. (beastly!) and report to the site at 8:00. I wasn't allowed to drink anything after 5:00 a.m. (seriously, beastly!), so I was itching to get it over with. I was hungry and thirsty, and I kept thinking about the reason I was there, which made me sad. But when the nurse anesthetist came to get me, the easy part started. I took a delicious nap, and I don't even need to think about what happened while I was blissfully resting. Next thing I knew, I was awake, and it was over. One of the nurses has a son at my school; I asked her to please not tell him she'd seen my butt. Anyway, all is well, and I don't have to do this again for ten years. Huzzah!

Whole30: Day 9

Breakfast
Nothing

Lunch
Nothing

Dinner
Nothing

I've had mostly water and some chicken broth today, with a little bit of apple juice to break up the monotony. I got my hair colored this morning and watched Falsettos with my best friend to keep my mind off the fact that I can't eat.

And yes, when I take the Suprep, I will be breaking Whole30, as it contains an artificial sweetener. Guess how much I care? I'm going to keep on keeping on.

Update: Oh god, Suprep is the foulest, vilest substance on the planet. It tastes like grape Dimetapp mixed with polluted ocean water.

Whole30: Day 8

Colonoscopy is in two days. Shit is getting real. (And yes, pun intended. You're welcome.)

All my food is pretty lame today due to colonoscopy prep.

Whole30: Day 7 and Week One Reflections

Breakfast
Omelet with sauteed grape tomatoes and fresh basil (This was okay, but not as good as the scrambled eggs with salsa. Definitely would have been better with some feta, but this is the life I have chosen.)

Whole30: Day 6

Breakfast
The last sweet potato bowl for a few days, as I'm having a colonoscopy on Thursday (whee! more on that later), and I'm supposed to avoid nuts and raw fruit and veg for the preceding three days. I figure that the almond butter and blueberries can wait.

I planned a few days worth of dinners and did the grocery shopping this morning. Here's the plan:

Sunday: leftover carnitas (I can't cook tonight because I'm going to a vigil in support of diversity and against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, racism, and hate. And because fuck the president and the actual, literal Nazis who support him.)

Whole30: Day 5

We all know what happened first thing this morning. No need to keep bringing it up. Unless you hear otherwise, you can just take for granted that I've had one cup of coffee with a little half and half and a little sugar.

Breakfast
Sweet potato bowl. Still good even with non-Maine blueberries. (The Maine blueberries are superior, though. I miss them.)

Whole30: Day 4

I began my day with coffee, lovingly dressed with half and half and sugar. (Not that much, calm tf down.) It was delicious and so very worth it.

Breakfast
You know. I will be having the sweet potato bowl until I get sick of it. Sadly, I used the last of my wild Maine blueberries this morning, so it's regular old NC blueberries from now on.

Whole30: Day 3

I tried another tea: Harney and Sons chocolate mint. It's okay. I really want my usual coffee back.

Breakfast

sweet potato bowl

I don't crave variety at breakfast, so I'll likely eat this every damn day. It's really good.

Lunch

Taco salad (romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, salsa, guacamole)

This was my first disappointing meal. It should have been good, but it wasn't. Fortunately, I finished lunch with a big bowl of watermelon. Watermelon season is the most wonderful time of the year.

I have a headache. Again. I really need my usual coffee back.

Whole30: Day 2

I miss my coffee already.

Breakfast

Sweet potato breakfast bowl. (See Day Zero for link.) This was really good. I would eat this if I weren't doing Whole30. I had baked several sweet potatoes a couple of days ago, so I removed the skin, put it in a bowl, and heated it in the microwave. I added some almond butter, coconut milk, and cinnamon, and mixed it up with an immersion blender. Then I drizzled it with a little coconut milk and added some blueberries that I brought home from Maine. It was delicious, and I'm looking forward to having it again. 

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.

Whole30: Day Zero

Okay. I'm back from Maine, and though I frequently get hyped up about an idea but never follow through, I'm still starting Whole30 tomorrow. I decided to do it post-vacation because of all the delicious food I planned to eat while in Boston and Maine (clam chowder, lobster rolls, cannoli, blueberry pie, ice cream--it was a gustatory wonderland), but there was another reason that this ended up being a good time to start: when I'm going to be gone for a while, I like to clean out the fridge before I go, so I came home to a fairly blank canvas.

Whole30: Why the Hell Not?

I once read a comment (on Jezebel, I think) that said, "Why should I suffer because cavemen were too stupid to figure out carbs?" I wholeheartedly agreed. I ardently admire and love carbs. Yesterday I went to a Turkish place that had homemade pita bread, and it was like a religious experience. I. Love. Carbs.

And yet, I have impetuously decided to do Whole30. (The Whole30? I'm not sure.) I read an article and thought, hmm, maybe this is a thing I should do. It would be good to cut out dairy and sugar and to try to focus on eating fewer processed foods. So I did some further reading and saw all the things that you can't have: whole grains. (What? Those are good for you!) Legumes. (Are you kidding? They are very nutritious!) Gum. (Are you fucking joking?!) The verdict? 

But then I talked to someone who did it, and she was very convincing. I talked to my mom; restrictive eating is her jam, and her eyes lit up as soon as I mentioned it. Their positive responses were persuasive. There are really two reasons I want to do this, though: first of all, even though Whole30 doesn't claim to be a weight loss plan, I feel like I'm at a point where I have to do something drastic if I'm going to change my body. I don't hate the way I look; I am fit and healthy. But I'd like to go down a size or two, and this might be the way to do it. Mostly, though, I want to set a challenge for myself and then surmount it. I want to do a thing that I didn't think I was capable of doing. Last year I ran a half marathon, which I once thought I was incapable of. This year, I'm going to do Whole30. And I'm going to blog about it, as a way to keep track and to keep myself motivated. 

It would be nice to strike while the iron is hot and jump right in while I'm enthusiastic about it, but I'm going on vacation next week. I am going to have clam chowder and cannoli in Boston. I am going to have lobster rolls in Maine. (And dammit, I will probably have Funyuns in the car.) But once I get home, I'm giving myself one day to shop and plan, and then I'm doing this thing. I'll let you know how it goes.