Whole 30 - Day 23 {wiaw #8} #Whole30BlogChallenge

T-minus one week until we have completed our first Whole 30 Challenge at Casa de Crews! I can't not wait, ya'll. can.not.wait.

I say first, because I see us doing this again in 2014. I want to wait until we officially complete this first round, before sharing my thoughts, however.

Just know for now, that I feel a lot better, and my clothes are a tad loose, which makes Nikki one happy girl.

So, what are we eating this week as we near the end?

Whole 30 - Halfway There! {wiaw #7} #Whole30BlogChallenge

In all of the "diets" I have done, this is the first challenge that I haven't gone off plan, and cheated. Not once. This is huge for me, ya'll.

In one of the first few pages of It Starts With Food, the authors, Dallas & Melissa Hartwig, point out how the Whole 30 Challenge is only thirty days. And they are right -- it is ONLY a month. I don't know why this clicked for me so strongly, but it did. Whatever works, right?

I may have thought I was a pro meal planner before, but after starting this challenge, I clearly was not. A weekly meal prep takes approximately 4 hours. Almost every.single.thing. I prepare is homemade, and extremely "clean", and sadly a load of dishes. So usually, I prep my first few meals, wash dishes, rinse, and repeat. In some ways, it feels like a royal pain in the ass, but at the same time, when then I am done for the rest of the week! And bonus: I know exactly what I am putting into my body.

Whole 30 Challenge {wiaw #6}

Holy celebrations, Batman. I was doing really great up until the 5k, I mostly walked/jogged in mid-December. Then...came our ugly sweater party, a cookie exchange, Christmas, vacation...shall I go on? So instead of showing you all the healthy eats, I thought I'd share...the indulgent, celebratory eats, instead.

All this food makes my stomach, and eyes hurt. Any time I begin to indulge, everything is fine....but after a few days, I feel gross. I guess that is a lovely perk to getting older, huh?

After seeing so much buzz, I finally decided to read It Starts With Food (ISWF). I have wondered for a while how my body was reacting to certain foods and/or ingredients. And after reading the book, I knew there was no turning back, and that I would have to start the Whole 30 Challenge, because unfortunately ignorance is bliss, and I now owe it to myself to see how this goes.

What I Ate Wednesday #5 {and a recipe!}

Isn't it a pain that when one thing in your life gets off track,  everything else begins to, as well? No, this just happens to me? Well, okay.

I am back on track with meal planning, and working out. I got a bit derailed for a moment there, but am glad for the routine, again.

Breakfast


I pretty much always make some variation of egg "muffins", but get bored easily and need to try new ingredients, or I'll drive through DD on the way in to work for a coffee, and bagel the size of my head. I have recently discovered organic bacon. As I continue to try and eat "clean", I have found a few organic staples that I now can't live without, and bacon is now on the list. Seriously, it is so good.

This week, I decided to chop said bacon and add to bottom of my muffin tin, add one scrambled egg to each tin and top with cheese; so easy and only 111 calories for one "muffin"! I usually have two and a cup of coffee. No need to grease, or spray my non-stick tin, as the bacon has plenty.

Lunch/Dinner

I made 20 or so of Lane's chicken and zucchini meatballs over whole grain pasta {and zucchini noodles for Jason} and marinara.

Beef & Broccoli over brown rice. I could eat this every single day.

Copycat Culver’s Chicken Cashew Salad from Iowa Girl Eats. I may not be from the Mid-West, and have never experienced Culver's, but this salad sure is tasty, and super easy!

What are YOU eating this week?

XOXO,
Nichole

What I Ate Wednesday #4

Because I know you all care so much about what we're eating, I'm sharing my meals with you, again. Really it is to keep myself in check and stalk peruse others for meal ideas. I've been a busy, busy girl and so half of these photos are from Pinterest, which means at least most of the pins are prettier than snaps from my camera phone. Bon Appetit!

Breakfast:





I had a few leftover broccoli omelet cups in the freezer. Once we ran out of those, it was time to break out my go to sausage and egg "muffins".

What I Ate Wednesday #3

Sometimes, being an adult is annoying. I am so tired of being responsible, working, attempting to eat well, and work out, and all that jazz. But alas, as my mother likes to {occasionally} remind me, I'm not getting any younger. And so, as much as I don't want to be a grown up, here I am prepping my eats for the week. At least when it's done, I get to focus on other things, and you know relax. :)

Breakfast:

Broccoli and Cheese Egg "Muffins", from SkinnyTaste. I added ground turkey to mine, however.

What I Ate Wednesday #2

Guess what's back, back again. What I Ate Wednesday, tell a friend. Or don't. Whatever.

I have been killing it in regards to meal planning and eating better. It's time I came clean with you lovelies. And by "clean", I am referring to eating. The last ten days or so, I have mostly eaten 80% of my meals whole, and unprocessed and while I have SO much to learn, I can tell you that I feel less tired, and have more energy {though being less tired obviously means more energy, duh}, and the scale has moved down...4lbs. I'll take it. Please and thank you.

Though I did have a cheat meal with the bestie last Friday before we saw The Way Way Back. And two drinks, Saturday while out for a friend's birthday. Sometimes, you just gotta...

Breakfast:

My go to egg muffins in the morning. This week I used ground turkey sausage, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese. I decided to omit the cottage cheese, and really can't taste a difference.

Lunch:

+

Mostly this ridiculously great wrap stuffed with guacamole, egg salad, and chicken breast! It's bey-ond tasty. Jason loved it, so I call this one a keeper {recipe from Supper for a Steal}...paired with a cup of strawberries.

Dinner:

First up, brinner! My Greek Frittata for Sunday Supper.

Beef and broccoli stir-fry {sans rice for Jason}.

....and one of my favorites, chicken alfredo flatbread. I have made this recipe before, but instead of naan {how I love thee}, I used Flatout Multi-Grain, instead.

Snack:

BOGO at Publix means this gal stocked up.

What are YOU eating?

XOXO,

Nichole

What I Ate Wednesday #1

I seem to go through phases of eating well. Of course meal planning helps me immensely, but still...  Nikki always finds a way. Though I do realize that in the end, I am only hurting myself with self sabotage. So to keep on track, I'm sharing what I actually ate {and not just what I had planned to make} and because I also know you all care sooo much about what is cooking at Casa de Crews, right? I thought so.

So, with that I am back for another What I Ate Wednesday. I've linked up before, but can't seem to find past posts, so we'll  label this numero uno, and start back at one {I feel like there is a song title, somewhere here?}.

Breakfast:

Greek frittatas, and my standard egg muffins for this week's morning grub; recipe for the frittata, soon!

Lunch/Dinner:

Greek Salad w/ Chicken

Since I am mostly a party of one for dinner during Jason's semester, I tend to prep grilled chicken breasts for salads, wraps, and whatever else I can throw in, to chow down for both lunch and dinner. I portion it out for us to both grab and go.

I had a frozen package of sirloin in the back of my freezer and decided to make a yummy Bistro style steak salad, marinated in light French dressing for an hour or so. I wanted to lick my plate! Even with onions atop, and I {normally} detest onions.

I also made Hungry Girl's Outside-In Cheeseburger Patty {a stuffed burger}, paired with Alexia sweet potato fries, and a side salad. Obviously that's a side salad. If I don't portion the Alexia fries out before cooking, I'll make two three servings and eat em' all.

Snack:

Justin's Almond Butter and celery. It's not my normal snack, but I am trying to eat less processed where I can. I didn't initially love it {like I do peanut butter}, but it's growing on me.

This  is what Gigi is eating...

oink oink

What are YOU eating?

XOXO,

Nichole