the whole30 january challenge, last update

DAY TWENTY-FOUR - Thursday, January 24th

I felt fine but I was traveling to my grandfathers so I snacked a bit on the drive in case we had dinner later. We ate at Red Lobster. I have only been once when I was little and I tend to stay away from chain restaurants (and we have so many good seafood places in Maryland, especially on the Eastern Shore) but I was pleasantly surprised with my meal. I just had them hold the croutons on my salad and hold the rice with my meal.

Breakfast: egg scramble with sausage, peppers, and onions

Lunch: chicken breast topped with jalepano mustard & tomato slices and zuchinni ribbons

Snack: plantain chips

Dinner: garden salad, grilled shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, green beans

DAY TWENTY-FIVE - Friday, January 25th

The cleaning lady came early to my grandfather's house that morning so he wanted to go to McDonalds. Obviously, quality is an issue but making do with what I was provided, I ordered three dollar sausage burritos and combined the eggs, sausage and veggies, carefully not to let the cheese detach from the tortilla. Lunch was much easier at the dining room at the retirement center and I made dinner since he never gets a home cooked meal anymore since my grandmother is gone.

Breakfast: egg "scramble" from McDonalds

Lunch: chili (picked out the beans) and a spinach salad with hardboiled eggs, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and warm bacon vinaigrette

Dinner: roasted pork loin, green beans, baked sweet potato

Dessert: berries with coconut milk

DAY TWENTY-SIX - Saturday, January 26th

I was traveling back to Salisbury so lunch was going to be an issue. My grandfather didn't have much left at his house so I am not really sure how Paleo lunch was but I thought it was better than what I would have been able to get on the road.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausage, pineapple

Lunch: Taylor's pork roll with mustard and a bit of gourmet chicken salad

Snack: raw almonds and pecans

Dinner: at Green Hill - garden salad (hold the croutons), filet mignon, and green beans

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN - Sunday, Janaury 27th

I was feeling sick in the morning but got really sick towards the end of the day. After we went to the doctor and finding out I had the flu, the Hubs made dinner.

Breakfast: skipped - I slept in late and it seemed fine to just wait for lunch (something I never could have done before the Whole30 since I was always hungry as soon as I woke up in the morning)

Lunch: power spinach salad from Panera (without fried onions)

Dinner: scrambled eggs with sausage

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT - Monday, January 28th

I stayed home from work since I felt awful (and my doctor pretty much told me I had to.) I did not have an appetite for a real breakfast.

Breakfast: herbal tea

Snack: unsweetened applesauce with blueberries

Lunch: chicken soup

Snack: a few plantain chips

Dinner: one big meatball in tomato sauce and spinach

Snack: a few plantain chips

DAY TWENTY-NINE - Tuesday, January 29th

I slept most of the day. My cough medicine really knocks me out.

Breakfast: herbal tea

Snack: unsweetened applesauce

Lunch: sausage and scrambled eggs

Snack: a few plantain chips

Dinner: Korean beef short ribs over zucchini noodles.

DAY THIRTY - LAST DAY!!

I made it! It didn't really feel like the last day. Maybe it is because I have had the flu the last few or because I don't plan to abandon this way of eating.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and sausage

Snack: applesauce

Lunch: chicken soup and a banana

Snack: plantain chips

Dinner: red curry chicken over zucchini noodles

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So what do I plan to do after this? Well, I plan to use the 80/20 rule. I will eat like this the majority of the time but I won't stress during special occasions or while eating out with friends if I can't really find anything that is paleo. This is not just a diet for me, it is now a way of life.

I am amazed at how much better I feel. I didn't realize how bloated I was and how sick I felt all the time. Although this is self-diagnosed, I am sure I have a gluten allergy or at least a gluten intolerance. I don't want to want to go back to feeling almost constantly nauseous and lethargic. And, yes, I lost a little bit of weight which is always nice but wasn't really the reason I started the Whole30.

What do you plan to do when the Whole30 is over?