I Only Drank Coffee for the Sugar....

In three short days I've discovered that black coffee sucks.  Okay, I actually figured that out on Day One but I now accept the fact that it won't get any better.  Black coffee just sucks and I was clearly only drinking it for the milk and sugar I put in it.

 

Not any more.  Thanks to the

 

I've survived to see Day 3. 

Survived is not to strong of a word. 

My kids did not like the threats that the only food allowed in the house would have to follow these rules:

 

Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize.  Clearly I underestimated my addiction to sugar because this one has proven super hard.  Plus sugar is in every thing!

• Do not consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. (And it should go without saying, but no tobacco products of any sort, either.) Not an issue because I gave up alcohol a life time again but did you know it's in all the extracts you use for baking?!
• Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this program, corn is a grain! This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.  This is another temptation simply because bread makes meals especially for kids much easier.  So it's a lazy factor.
• Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.), peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter, either. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).  This delayed my start day by a day because I bought hummus not thinking about chickpeas being a legume and ate some.  Duh!   And come on!  No PB.
• Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese (hard or soft), kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or ghee. (See below for details.)  Butter isn't a big deal but cheese.  Cheese makes everything better, right? 
• Do not consume carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. If these ingredients appear in any form on the label of your processed food or beverage, it’s out for the Whole30.  Not a big deal here since I avoided this stuff before and already know which brands/items we buy that have or don't have it.  Read labels!
• Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best to leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes off your plate.  Skipping the potatoes isn't an issue either.  Not a big challenge. 

Luckily for my children I didn't throw out all the non-compliant food.  Their eating habits will have to be changed in a much more gradual way or they will revolt and you will find my floating face down in our swimming pool. 

 

 

We celebrated S'ghetti girls 12th birthday this week and I did buy a cake.  I didn't risk baking one that early in the plan The kids enjoyed the sugary treat.  I couldn't have gotten my nose closer to that icing if I had tried...and I did.  It was really hard to not indulge but the kids have all been very supportive of mommy's new "eating plan."  S'ghetti girl reminded me that it's only 30 days and I will be so happy after I complete my 30 days that a simple piece of cake won't be such a temptation any more.

 

 

 

These days I'm drinking my coffee iced with coconut milk and bonking on my most of my runs.  But hopefully that feeling will pass as my body gets used to the new fueling program.  With the super secret spy out on a mission, the kids filling the role of cheerleader and a healthy supply of healthy foods around I'm excited to see how I'm feeling in 27 more days.

 



 

And in case you were wondering, while you will be seeing pictures of my yummy meals, you probably won't be seeing those "before" photos any time soon.