Whole 29 2/3

I'm DONE! I finished the Whole 30... but not exactly. Yesterday was day 30 and Sean and I met our friends Barbara and Robert for a wine dinner (it was AMAZING) so we actually only completed 29 2/3 days. And I don't care! It was SO fun! I had lots and lots of delicious wine and Italian food... pasta! cheese! osso buco! cheesecake! So, so good.

So to sum up the experience...

week 1- sucked. Carb withdrawals are terrible.

week 2- not so bad. Felt way skinny.

week 3- sucked because Carson and I had terrible colds. The eating was a non issue because I had no appetite.

week 4- sucked because I was so close yet so far away from all the foods that I missed (and hormonal issues made me crave some serious chocolate and wine.)


And results? I lost 5 pounds. Yes, only 5. That number really annoys me. Five pounds sounds like nothing. I mean, I could gain 5 pounds after one big meal, and lose five after one trip to the bathroom. Five pounds is totally nothing. (I seriously doubt I've ever lost five pounds in one bathroom trip, but you get the point.)

Sean made me feel more successful by telling me how great I look (gotta love that, even if it is his job as my husband to do so) and that those 5 pounds were lost in a very healthy manner- and although it doesn't sound like much, it is actually 2.5% of my body fat that is now gone! I was working out consistently so I maintained muscle and lost fat. Not bad I guess. I couldn't fit into about 75% of the clothes in my closet before I started, and now I can't fit into about 50%. An improvement to be sure.

Other benefits- better skin. My skin is "glowing" according to Sean... so that basically means "zit-free" to the rest of the world (plus a slight tan doesn't hurt). I have more energy for sure. I canceled my housecleaning service (Gads!) and have had a fairly easy time keeping up with housekeeping, laundry, errands, and the like. I have more patience with Carson as well. He has this lovely habit of waking up from him afternoon nap a needy, whiny, bad little bunny who insists on being held and thoroughly entertained until after he eats his dinner... and I have been handling that a little better now. My new solution is to take him for a run as soon as he wakes up and has his snack. Before my solution was to begin cocktail hour. I think the running is probably better for both of us.

Would I do it again? Sure. Not anytime soon, but yes, I would. It's a nice lesson in self-control, patience, and planning. I do feel like I've accomplished something and I feel better about my appearance. We have a little Caribbean vacation coming up soon and I'm pretty sure I won't frighten the locals anymore. I'm feeling pretty good.

Would I recommend the Whole 30? Absolutely. You really can go 30 days without sugar, grains, dairy, or alcohol. It's not impossible and if you're thinking about it- just do it. And let me know if you do- I'm curious!

Back Yard Renovation

Shortly after Sean and I moved into our house, almost five years ago, our backyard was something we wanted to change. It had a wooden deck that collected leaves from the two Live Oaks like crazy (and animals lived under it... opposom for instance... GROSS) and it was surrounded by this lattice wall that I'm guessing was used by the previous owners to block the view from the levy behind our fence. Our first summer was a really, really rainy one and we discovered that we had serious drainage problems back there. It was like a swimming pool after even the slightest rain.

Little surprise we didn't spend a lot of time back there and now that we have Carson and we spend lots and lots of time at home, we want to actually use our backyard. Sean did most of the demo himself (including cutting down a tree and nearly cutting off his leg along with it), then we had a patio poured and drainage put in, along with new grass and landscaping. We LOVE it.

I don't have before pics from before he started the demo but I took some along the way and have several pictures of the finished project now that all the flowers and plants have started to bloom and the trees have leaves. When it was finished in December, it looked nice right away, but we really didn't get the full effect until this spring. The grass is greener everyday!



It seems as though I've just snuck in a picture of my cute (CHUBBY?!?!) son, but this picture is the only one I can find of the old deck and lattice. And the terribly overgrown landscaping in the corner.





Here you can see the TERRIBLE drainage problems we had. This was after some of the demo, but it was like this before the deck was removed as well. And check out the worst fence ever.



Here's the prep work for the patterned concrete patio. You can see the large hole in the yard where Sean dug out the stump after he removed the tree. At first I didn't want to cut down the tree... but it proved to be a great decision. It opened up the yard and now we have actual sunshine back there!









And after the patio was completed... already a major improvement. And now for the landscaping, grass, and fence!! (I should have taken some pictures as they were putting the drainage system in... the entire yard was dug up. It took a team of 4 men 3 days to complete it all. Here are the pictures from December...











And now, for some pictures I took a few days ago...





I love my little red tree.





Leaves!! So exciting!



Love these little flowers... I have no idea what they're called, but they sure are cute!



Love this plant too... so FUN!

Sean and I couldn't be happier with how it all turned out. At the end of this summer we're going to hunt for some outdoor furniture that's on sale, so for now we're just using the old table set. The grass is already quite a bit greener than it is in these pictures... I'll have to take some more pictures later...

Our azealas in the front yard were better than ever this year!





I really love this time of year in Texas. It's gorgeous. Love, love, love spring!

READ THIS BOOK

I know that sounds really serious and possibly threatening... but I have to tell you that you need to. You really need to read Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes.



This is not a diet book. It doesn't tell you to eat less and exercise more and spend your life feeling like a hamster on a wheel who is either hungry all the time, or exhausted, or both.

It is a book that completely explains, through lots of easy-to-read science, exactly what happens in your body when you eat carbohydrates, proteins, and fats and what exactly is making you fat, making you tired, making you sick, and putting you at risk for a multitude of diseases and cancers.

It is without a doubt the best "health" book I've ever read. I finished it in two days. My sister Jenni will tell you this is impressive because A- I "never read" and B- if I do read, I only read the first half of the book.

Read the book. Then pass it along to your familiy and friends.

Hale Lake

Yesterday, our little family of three went to Brazos Bend State Park (or what my brother and sisters and I used to call the "Alligator Park" when we were growing up) and walked the trail around Hale Lake. It was so exciting to see there was a Hale Lake- so of course we chose that trail!

It was a gorgeous day yesterday, and after an entire week of being sick and stuck at home, it was just what we all needed. Carson still isn't feeling better, poor baby, and you can see his red eyes and runny nose in all these pictures. But he was tired of being cooped up at home too, so we took advantage of such a pretty day and drove down to the park. Despite being sick, he was a trooper. He loves to be outside!





I absolutely love how he crosses his feet when he's relaxed. And I love those chubby legs!!

We stopped for a bit at the turn around point on the trail (Hale Lake is a small oxbow lake) and let Carson stretch his legs. And point things out to us. He wants to make sure we don't miss anything!











The wildflowers are in bloom around Houston, and in our yard we have azaleas and some other little annuals that I don't have a name for... so Carson has learned the word "flower." (His vocabulary has exploded lately- but his favorite word is "car." He is a true boy. He LOVES cars!!) After Daddy handed him this clover blossom, his "walking" was cut short. Flowers are distracting!!





He then decided he must hold a flower, or "wow-wa," as we started walking again (never mind that they're protected by the state of Texas and we shouldn't have picked them... oops.)



The trails were absolutely gorgeous. Everything is green again and there was honeysuckle everywhere! The whole trail smelled sweet!





We had such a great time. It brought back lots of memories of walking those same trails with my family years ago. And now we're making some of those same memories with our son. Precious.

Whole 30: Day 16

I've made it half way! And that's with baking cakes for three different occasions, and well as cupcakes just about an hour ago because my mom was here and wanted to eat the leftover buttercream in my fridge. It was a no-brainer. We don't let buttercream go to waste round here. So I just sent her home with three dozen cupcakes. We also don't do anything half-assed round here.

It hasn't been terrible going lately. I haven't been crazy craving carbs or anything (except when I leveled the almond cakes Monday afternoon. OMG. People. The aroma. Just, OMG.)... it's just getting a little old. I know in 14 days I'm gonna get to treat myself (I already have a bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge chilled and waiting) so I'm just ready to be done already.

I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to do after this... I mean, I don't want to gain back the weight I've lost (and it's fairly considerable at this point. I don't have a number because of the stupid Whole 30 rules, but I'd say it's noticable) but I also don't want to eat such a restrictive diet forever either.

I guess I have two weeks to figure it out. Will keep you posted.

Love. This. Cake.

Love the pretty ribbons.



Love the white icing and little pink and blue polka dots.



Love how my kitchen smelled like almond heaven while it was baking.



But best of all, I love that inside this pretty exterior was PINK cake that told the world one special little baby GIRL will be here in just a few months! Congratulations, Broome family! I am thrilled to have been a little part of your big announcement!

I'm not only doing the Whole 30...

I'm also busy with some other, much more fun things!

Carson was invited to a birthday party yesterday, and we had to have a gift for the sweet little Maci, so I made her a little reversible, open-back dress and ruffle bloomers to match. And, of course, a little flower barrette, because every little girl needs one of those. I used a Tie Dye Diva pattern for the dress and bloomers and used this free tutorial from Wisecraft for the flower barrette. Both the patterns and the tutorial are great- clear directions and pictures. I would definitely purchase from Tie Dye Diva again- I've made the dress and bloomers in three different sizes now and they've all turned out perfectly.



Unfortunately, Carson had a serious meltdown at the party. The cutest little girl, possibly in the whole world, just happened to pull at his shirt a little, and he lost it. I have never seen him just totally freak out like that, and it was sooo embarrassing. I had to give him a paci to settle him down (and the only one I had with me was pink. awesome.) and he would start crying again whenever he saw the sweet girl! It was crazy!

And, apparently as a divine test, I was asked to bake a cake and cupcakes for a baby shower during the midst of my Whole 30 no sugar eating extravaganza.











Neither Sean nor I ate a single taste of the stuff... and it wasn't always easy. Sean threw a little baby fit while the cupcakes were baking and filling the house with chocolate goodness. Poor guy. He got over it. Today is day 14!!! Two weeks... and tomorrow we're half way there!

Whole 30: Day 10

and days 6, 7, 8, and 9. Whew! I haven't updated in a while!

No, I haven't quit, if that's what you were thinking! Although I almost quit about 100 times this past weekend. FOOD EVERYWHERE. And I'm partly to blame for that seeing as I made cookies and cake for our visiting Uncle Jeff and his wonderful, adorable, awesome girlfriend, Catie. (I really like her, Jeff. Please keep this in mind as my opinion is, of course, the most important.) I wasn't tempted to eat the cookies- although they were cute if I do say so myself... but the chocolate cake was REALLY hard not to eat. I cried.

The heart is for Houston, you know, so Jeff would remember how much he loves Houston and that he can't wait to live here again. At least live in Texas again. Or the US. I'm not picky. I didn't take a picture of the cake... probably because I couldn't steady the camera in the midst of my sobbing.

I survived the weekend, however hard it was, and the last couple of days haven't been bad. I'm almost afraid to say this... but maybe my carb withdrawal is over?? I hope so. I have been in a good mood since Monday. I've been waking up without feeling groggy. I have been more patient with Carson.

"Car! Car! Car!"

This picture was taken at Dr. Pielop's office yesterday. He sure enjoyed watching the traffic below... and that's probably because he had no idea he was waiting for the second half of his flu shot. Poor baby! He took it like a champ, and was a fun, happy guy the rest of the day. I'm a lucky mommy.

And, I can honestly say that I have lost weight. Hallelujah! I don't know how much, because stupid Whole 30 says you can't weigh yourself until the 30 days is up (you're supposed to be focusing on your health, blah, blah, blah). I almost weighed myself anyway, and my rule-following husband stopped me. Whatever. I guess I'll wait. I can at least fit into three more pairs of pants that have been sitting in my closet- so that's a plus!

The food we've been eating isn't bad at all. My new favorite breakfast has got to be scrambled eggs smothered in avocado and salsa. YUM.



And I'm obsessed with almond butter. But only this kind...



This stuff is SO GOOD. With celery, with apples, off a spoon straight out of the jar... I love it.

Whole 30: Day 5

Oh my. I want a glass of wine. No. No, I want 3 glasses of wine.

Day five sucks. When is all this amazing energy supposed to kick in?!? Huh? How long does carb withdrawal last?

Of course Carson picked today to freak out and fuss all. day. long. My mom is here now, and I usually feel guilty doing this, but I'm totally letting her do it all and I'm sitting on my butt watching a kid movie. I'm so tired. And just plain pissed off.

I almost quit today, but Sean convinced me the first week is the hardest. He better be right. And I better lose weight. This better work.

Whole 30: Day 4

First of all, I'm pretty impressed with myself for actually blogging about this for four straight days.

OK. Day 4. I must say today was a HUGE improvement from yesterday. That's thanks to Lauren and Barbara and their sweet daughters for coming over and hanging out with Carson and me. Even though every child had a meltdown (Valor was the winner with Carson a close second), and we had a poopy incident (poor Barb. Potty training twins can't be fun) it was SO GREAT to see them!

I've been getting a few questions about this Whole 30 thing... it's really surprised me how people are interested in it, and not just thinking I'm a crazy loser. Here are a few common ones- and my answers. PLEASE keep in mind that this is only my fourth day- and there are some great testimonials on the website.


1. Is it hard?

Well, yes and no. It hasn't been hard to give up the junk (at least not yet). I haven't been dying to eat cake or drink wine. It's been a big help that we've planned ahead and made sure we have lots of good food in the house so when I'm hungry- I can eat. And, if you eat the good stuff, you can eat as much as you want. So, I'm not really feeling crazy hungry either.

I think what's hard is just the side effects of not eating the sugar, grains, etc. and my body cleaning house. I've been feeling tired and grumpy and not quite myself. I'm hanging in there because I know that can't possibly last long. A week or two max.

Plus- it's only 30 days. Come on. When you're pregnant you have to give up wine and sushi and tons of other stuff for at least nine months- longer if you're nursing. So, what's 30 days? I survived months of sleeping no more than two hours at a stretch- how hard can it be to focus on taking care of me for 30 days?


2. Are there side effects?

Sure- at first you feel pretty crappy (headaches, irritablity) but no worse than giving up caffine- and I'm still drinking my two cups in the morning- just without the milk and sugar!


3. Do you think you'll actually last 30 days?

Hell yes!


4. What have you been eating?

Eggs, lots of veggies, meat, fruit, nuts and good fats.

Here are a few pictures...

Carrot and Spinach Juice

Salad Stuffed with Veggies and Eggs, dressed in Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

STEAK!!! Sweet potatoes and Green Beans

Add to those pictures lots of snacks (almonds, celery and apples with almond butter, baby carrots, oranges, pears, berries) and lots of water and some coffee and tea, and you're pretty much looking at a day's worth of food.

Whole 30: Day 3

Today sucked. I woke up tired and headachy and generally mad at the world (I'm sure the result of my body freaking out at all the healthy shit I've been putting in it), and only after Sean got home did my attitude improve. I don't feel like giving up, but I do feel like today was hard enough that I should be seeing results already. I realize that's ridiculous. It's been three days. But still, I felt so damned skinny I tried on a pair of jeans that used to be loose on me (sob!) and I couldn't pull them up past my butt. That pretty much took any motivation I had to do anything today and killed it. So now I soak in the tub and await a better tomorrow... fingers crossed.

Whole 30: Day 2

It's late. I'm tired. I fiddled with my stupid computer for thirty minutes and now I just want to go to bed. (I know it's only 8:30, shut up.)

I stuck with it today- wasn't bad at all. Really. I had to remind myself several times that I couldn't eat cheese, but other than that I haven't even wanted anything that's not on the "good list."

Beginner's luck? We'll see...