Whole30 Week Four Recap PLUS Results

I have now been in post-Whole30 world for a week.  I have to say, the experience was pretty awesome.  To know that I am capable of being so disciplined for 30 days is an amazing feeling!  Not only did I eat wholesome, good for me foods, I also abstained from alcohol AND eating out (minus one birthday dinner out and four Chipotle take-out meals - all of which were Whole30 compliant). 

So 30 days multiplied by 3 meals a day minus 5 restaurant meals equals 85 meals that myself or my husband prepared!  (And cleaned up....)  From a family that goes out to eat and gets take out on a very, Very, VERY regular basis, this is amazing!!

So lets start this post with the fun stuff.  MY RESULTS!  Non-scale victories include better sleep (I'm not waking up four or more times a night anymore), more sustained energy throughout the day (no more 2:00 PM tiredness),  clearer skin (buh-bye pimples!), and my clothes are fitting!!!  They were all getting really tight and uncomfortable and I can happily say that is no longer the case!  Okay...  so now for the best part....  I lost exactly 22 pounds!!  TWENTY-TWO POUNDS!  And I was never hungry or deprived!  This was an awesome perk!

I use the Progress application to track my weight and measurements.

Now this brings on a lot of contemplation and responsibility.  I have done so well in the first thirty days.  I am afraid of my post Whole30 life.  I realize this may be an unhealthy feeling but I am really afraid of eating or drinking certain foods and it all just comes rolling back (the bad habits, the weight, the crappy sleep and no energy).  So even though I spent my first post-Whole30 weekend out of town in South Bend, Indiana, I was really afraid of eating or drinking certain things.  Now I did eat a little pizza, and I did eat a couple of noncompliant snacks (but we're talking nuts roasted in peanut oil and those snap pea crisps), and I did partake in some adult beverages...  All in all I thought I did pretty well.  Well I ended up gaining 9 pounds back!!  Ugh....  I realize a lot of this is water weight from the weekend splurge.  But it just makes me a little afraid of my past creeping back up on me....  So that is my cautiously-optimistic shpeel about my post-Whole30 life....

Hubby and I walking out of the Notre Dame tunnel.

That being said, lets get back on the happy wagon and take a look at what I ate during my final days of my freshman Whole30 journey.

Day Twenty-Two:

Breakfast: Homemade Breakfast Sausage, Broccoli Slaw with Tesamae's Lemon-Garlic Dressing, and Two Eggs (similar to days ten, eleven, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen).

Lunch: Leftover Paleo Buffalo Chicken Casserole (same as days nineteen and twenty).

Dinner: Moroccan Cod and Roasted Broccoli

Day Twenty-Three:

Breakfast: Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Crustless Quiche

Lunch: Loaded Taco Soup (same as days seventeen, nineteen, and twenty)

Dinner: Trader Joe's Italian Chicken Sausage, Seasoned Crushed Tomatoes, and Italian Roasted Vegetables

Day Twenty-Four:

Breakfast: Caramelized Onions and Butternut Squash Crustless Quiche (same as day twenty-three).

Lunch: Leftover Trader Joe's Italian Chicken Sausage, Seasoned Crushed Tomatoes, and Italian Roasted Vegetables (same as day twenty-three).

Dinner: Slow Cooker Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

Day Twenty-Five:

Breakfast: Caramelized Onions and Butternut Squash Crustless Quiche (same as days twenty-three and twenty-four).

Lunch: Leftover Slow Cooker Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce (same as day twenty-four).

Dinner: Baked Chicken and Cauliflower Rice

Day Twenty-Six:

Brunch: Southwestern Breakfast Bowl

Dinner: Justine's Chipotle Bowl Knock-Off with Steak, Chicken, Fajita Vegetables, Red and Green Salsa, and Guacamole on top of Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice.

(I woke up late this morning, and breakfast was very large, so I just had a light snack between meals).

Day Twenty-Seven:

Breakfast: Homemade Breakfast Sausage and Hardboiled Eggs (similar as days ten, eleven, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and twenty-two - hey - I made A LOT of sausage!)

Lunch: Loaded Taco Soup (same as days seventeen, nineteen, twenty, and twenty-three - I made A LOT of soup too!  HAHA!)

Dinner: Jalapeno Turkey Burgers and Spiralized Savory Sweet Potato Fries

Day Twenty-Eight:

Breakfast: Savory Breakfast Casserole (subbed bacon for chorizo).

Lunch: Leftover Slow Cooker Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce (same as days twenty-four and twenty-five).

Dinner: Chipotle Carry-Out:  Carnita's Salad (double meat), with Tomato and Green Salsas, and Guacamole.

Day Twenty-Nine:

Breakfast: Savory Breakfast Casserole (same as day twenty-eight).

Lunch: Leftover Justine's Chipotle Bowl Knock-Off (same as day twenty-six).

Dinner: Paleo Eggroll in a Bowl

Day Thirty:

Breakfast: Savory Breakfast Casserole (same as day twenty-eight and twenty-nine).

Lunch: Leftover Paleo Eggroll in a Bowl (same as day twenty-nine).

Dinner: The Whole30's Salmon Cakes (recipe from book) and Broccoli with Kalamata Olives, Garlic, and Lemon

So that's it!  That's the end of my first Whole30 round!  It was another week of delicious food.  The recipes I would say you HAVE to try include the Moroccan Cod and Roasted Broccoli, the Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Crustless Quiche, the Slow Cooker Basil Chicken on Coconut Curry Sauce (make sure you sprinkle some cayenne on top), the  Jalapeno Turkey Burgers, and the Paleo Eggroll in a Bowl.  So basically the entire menu for the week.  But seriously - SO GOOD!

So as the days and week progress, I will continue to post.  I am going to go back to my previous format, posting single recipes per post.  I have six more weeks of school left, so it may be a little slow-go till that is FINALLY over.  In the mean time, you can always visit my Instagram page.  My username is luckeynurse11 and I post meal pics almost daily.