The Second Week of Whole30 Madness

Day 8 (4/21/14): I made it a whole week! Oh wait. That's only 7 days. Achievement balloon: deflated. Still lots of hungry in my belly, but it's feels more like my body's adjusting and not like I'm starving to death. Before the challenge, when I'd get hungry my sugar would drop to crazy low levels and I would get dizzy, light-headed, and a little foggy/confused. Now when I get hungry, it's just hungry. I'm still clear-headed. That's nice. And that change only occurred within a week!

Day 9 (4/22/14): Starting to ignore hunger... or maybe it's going away? Still thinking about the box of Easter chocolates "hiding" in the kitchen. Yeah. "Hiding." I know exactly where you are, chocolates. You can't fool me. D flew back to the island this morning :(

It's in there. That box on the ground. The candy is located at the bottom of that box.

Day 10 (4/23/14): At a certain point in my monthly hormonal cycle (yeah, I said it) I have one or two days when I just don't really want to eat anything. Today was one of those days. Small breakfast, no lunch, small dinner. BUT ALL PALEO BITCHEZZZZ (sorry, I'm sure you're a lovely person). Roommate came back from South Africa, bearing 20 pounds of chocolate. Told her I didn't even want to look at it. Resist temptation!

Day 11 (4/24/14):Two fried eggs, fried plantains with chipotle seasoning, and banana chia pudding for breakfast. Try not to be totez jelly (Exhibit "A" that I've been in California too long). Today I discovered arrowroot starch, which supposedly helps with making super crispy "fried" (baked) chicken. Chicken stuck so horribly to the pan that half had to be sacrificed to the Trash Can Gods. Top of chicken wasn't even crispy :( Better luck next time? Amiright? Guys? At least the kale chips were crispy. But oversalted. Having a bad cooking evening.

Day 12 (4/25/14): Catered work party. Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit. Pick up a sandwich, pick all lunch meat, greens, and tomato off, eat. Discard bread and cheese. Co-worker sits down and exclaims that the cookie she's eating is the best cookie she's ever tasted and it's almost like someone put magic into it. I stare at her blankly. She asks why I'm not eating the bread, and I tell her about Whole30. She's intrigued, and feels a little bad about what she said about the cookie. I tell her not to worry about it. Slink back to my desk and eat my stupid lame chicken and salad. Grumble.

Day 13 (4/26/14): Starting to feel normal again. Not stark raving starving mad an hour after breakfast. Good amount of energy. Feeling pretty good. If I keep having days like today, these updates are gonna get pretty boring. Tried making cauliflower "bread sticks." Didn't work at all; all mush. I've heard it can be done, though, and someday I shall try it again. But today is not that day. 

Day 14 (4/27/14): I'm not hungry all the time anymore, and two eggs and two strips of bacon lasts me until almost noon. I'm impressed. But let me tell you, when noon hits, I am the hungriest beast in all the land. And then I put a pork chop and brussels sprouts in my face, and all is right in the world again. For dinner I'm making myself my absolute favorite paleo treat of all time... Bora Bora Fireballs. They are sweet manna from heaven up above (at least that's what my Rhodesian/Zimbabwean roommate calls them). They've turned non-pork-eaters into pork-eaters. People tell us that they won't come to our parties unless I make them. I highly recommend you give them a try. If you don't know what coconut aminos are, or how to get them, just substitute soy sauce. If you're vegetarian, you're in luck! I've made a vegan version of these with beans, TVP, and flaxseed instead of pork and egg. NOMZ FOR EVERYBODY!

DON'T BE TOTEZ JELLY. You can make these too!

Summary: I think I'm starting to feel like a normal human being again. I'm still craving sugar/candy/bagels/bread like crazy, but I'm no longer spending whole minutes staring at the box where I know the candy is hidden with a crazed glint in my eye. Banana chia pudding and fresh pineapple are starting to get too sweet after a few bites. Progress! I've decided that if I'm still craving sugar and candy like crazy at the end of 30 days, I'm going to extend the "no sugar" rule for 30 more days. If all I'm doing is trudging through 30 days and then stuffing my face with month-old Easter candy, that completely defeats the purpose of doing this challenge in the first place. Also, that Easter candy is going to the island with D next week so I don't have to think about it anymore.

Feeling pretty good about this. It's only been two weeks, but my new denim shorts that fit perfectly at the start of the challenge are starting to get a little baggy. Is it all in my head, or...?