DAY5// WHOLE30 CHALLENGE

Monday. Day 5. Another day back in the office surrounded by sweets and junk food. Monday was perfect. I felt strong and i felt on top of the world. I wake up, drink my coffee, get ready, sit and do my devotionals/read my bible and if i have enough time i work on my real estate classes. Im superwoman in the morning. This week Morgan is making all my lunches, next week i will make hers. She is an awesome cook! Thanks MO! 

Breakfast (not pictured): Blackberry Chia Pudding Click for recipe. 

Lunch by Morgan: Venison with homemade WHOLE30 approved BBQ sauce. And balsamic veggies. 

Snack: Mango Heaven

Dinner: Cauliflower Pizza.

 I asked Colby if he liked the crust, he said he loved the crust up until i told him it was made of cauliflower. Safe to say, this is a fantastic recipe for WHOLE30 and husband approved.
Turkey meat, kale, onions, mushrooms, organic sauce, bacon.

Day 5, check.

LIFE WITHOUT AN APPENDIX & GALLBLADDER

Doing this Whole30 challenge has reminded me of something. That i am lacking certain organs that help me break down fats. Not that i needed reminding, but i got so caught up in the change and the challenge that i was not thinking about the back bone of the new diet. Fats for energy.

In August of 2012 while living in Houston after college, i was rushed into emergency surgery to remove my Appendix. While doing the CAT scan, they saw i had numerous stones in my Gallbladder. And out they came. My lifestyle as i have said before, was terrible. Of course this would happen.

Did i read the take home packet the Dr gave me on how to properly eat from now on? No.

Did i pay for it later? Yes.

In came 2 years of bloat, constipation, fatigue, weight gain. You name it. I never stopped eating fats, or dairy.
When i met Colby is when my whole life changed as well as my diet. He taught me what was good, vital nutrition. I remember the first time he juiced for me. Beets, kale, oranges and carrots. I chugged it and almost threw up. Its like my body was rejecting the most purest form of nutrition because i was only used to eating slop.

Slowly, after doing much research and lots of late night talks with my husband (who has a degree in nutrition) we decided, taking out dairy is what should of been happening a long time ago.

"The gallbladder is a small organ located on the underside of the liver. Its primary purpose is bile storage. The liver makes bile, a substance that helps the body break down fats. The gallbladder then stores the extra bile the liver makes, releasing it when you eat a meal with fats that need to be digested."

Now that you know that the gallbladder helps break down fats, and now that you know that i do not have a gallbladder, this Whole30 challenge is going to hurt me. Yes, i am going to stick with the no bread, no rice, beans, grains, sugars. But i just cannot start eating fats again.

I won't do that to my body. So, do i believe in the Whole30 diet? I sure do. Do i think that someone who lacks a way to break down fats should be doing the Whole30 diet? Probably not, unless they are willing to tweak it at bit. Like me.

My digestion has its up and has its downs. Thankfully, my Super Enzymes and Magnesium keep me on track and help to break down the stubborn fats i eat daily.

If you are like me, and lack a gallbladder, or lack an appendix, i have years of experience on what to eat and what not to eat. What vitamins to take and what vitamins to avoid. If you want to see pictures from my surgery, click here: Surgery.

Not all diets are going to work, not all challenges are going to be met. Sometimes we have to change and mold ourselves around them. Right now, that is what i am learning. Thank you Whole30!

DAY4// WHOLE30 CHALLENGE

Day 4 was a normal day for me. Feels wise. I woke up, no headache, no intense cravings. Nothing.
We grabbed coffee and headed to church. After church we decided on a local taco place. Best decision. I think i pretty much confused the little guy taking my order. After it was all said and done he looked at me and said "Do you have a food allergy or something". That statement actually made me happy.

Because i chose to eat so well, that he thought it was forced. But it was by choice.
No bread, no cheese, please.
I stuck with Ahi, Shrimp and Salmon.
I even resisted the chips and guac that were shoved in front of my face by Colby and our friend Dillon. Okay, i ate some of the guac. But thats Whole30 approved.

After lunch we cruised home, sat on the couch and watched the Masters. My husband was consumed. He wanted Jordan to win. He screamed. He paced. He probably cried a little bit. So entertaining.

Colby left at 6pm to go to a study group. So i cooked dinner and binged watched Criminal Minds.

Dinner: Red potatoes, chicken and asparagus.

I found this on Pinterest. Fits perfectly with our life. Hehe.

Day 4, I beat you. I won. I did not fall victim to temptations. I think i can get the hang of this thing.

Say your prayers, tell your family you love them, and eat healthy. 

Cheers.

DAY 3// WHOLE30 CHALLENGE

Day 3 i woke up with another headache. This time not so prominent. I also wasn't hungry, which was a blessing. I woke up around 7:30am to get ready to go to the track and workout with Morgan, whom i am doing the challenge with and our amazing friend Erica from work. Her and her husband do Spartans Races multiple times a year. They are a power couple. 

Before i even met them at the track they had already ran 4 miles. I am not a runner, but i need to be after this workout.

We started with an 800 meter run, followed by 20 pushups then another 800 meter run.

Lunges up and down the field, crab walks, bear crawls, burpees, jumping jacks, more pushups and another two rounds of 800 meter runs. I was famished. I didn't have too many carbs the day before so i was definitely feeling weak during the workout. But we all pulled through and made it in about an hour and a half. 

Best way to start a Saturday.

From right to left: Morgan, Erica and me

Pushups after pushups and even more pushups.

Morgan and i passed out after completing what felt like a marathon.

After the workout Morgan and i went to the local farmers market and grabbed some coffee to regroup. I went home and crashed on the couch for 30 minutes then went and grabbed brunch.

Again i went to Fresh and got a HUGE breakfast bowl. Eggs, chorizo, corn salsa, pico, bacon and salsa. The way to my heart is mexican food with anything.

 I then hustled over to Starbucks to eat and meet my friend Bri and her beautiful daughter, Aubrie.

I should of gone home and rested, but studying is always priority. Majority of the day was spent in the books. Colby and i grabbed take out from a local Asian food place called 3Z. I got beef and vegetables and an amazing Coconut Soup. 

We finished the night watching a movie and listening to the thunder storm. FYI, don't see Hateful Eight. Unless you like gore, sex, blood, violence and murder. Yuck.

Day 3 was good. I am feeling good. Bring it on.

DAY 2// WHOLE30 CHALLENGE

Day 2. Was hard. I work up with a headache from you know where. Coffee always helps motivate me in the morning so i picked my favorite cup. 

The key to making this challenge work, is prep. Prep before, prep after. Prep before you go to sleep and prep when you wake up. If you do not plan your day ahead (mostly if you work full time like me) you will fail. So every morning, i make my breakfast and prep my snacks for the day. And everyday it saves my butt.

Coffee: Third Coast Coffee, Ethiopia, Medium blend

I am so proud of my breakfast. And its super easy. The night before, mix blackberries, chia seeds, almond milk, vanilla extract and shredded organic coconut flakes. Store in air tight container and the next morning, bam. A healthy, nutrient punched, easy breakfast. I added pistachios on top for a nice crunch.

Recipe from:  Blackberry Chia Seed Pudding

Mid morning snack was Applegate Chicken links with dijon mustard.

Lunch is my favorite meal of the day. I went to the local Whole Foods Market in Tyler, Fresh. They have the best taco bar in town. Super cheap. Super yummy. I chose chicken on a bed of lettuce, lots of pico, lots of corn and tomatillo sauce.

My afternoon snack was heaven. Organic Kombucha, flavor: Strawberry Serenity. Seriously if you have not tried this stuff, get your hands on some. The benefits are even better than the taste.

Unfortunately i forgot to take a picture of my dinner. Its a Friday night and we were spending time with some dear friends so, forgive me, I'm only human. But i did have two chicken patties, steamed carrots and some plantain chips. Thank you Bri Lomas. You should check out her blog. She is seriously the best cook i know. You won't be disappointed.    Healthy and Hooked

To conclude day 2. It was difficult. But the goal is far more important to me then my cravings for sweets. And i will defeat them. Those pesky sweets...

Cheers.

DAY 1 // WHOLE30 CHALLENGE

Day 1, was okay. I made it through the morning like a champ. After lunch i was feeling great. Then during the 3pm lul at work, a sweet little girl brought Nothin Bundt Cake cupcakes as a gift for the office. I just stared at the box, smelling the sugary aroma of fresh cream cheese and red velvet heaven. Next, i walked into the kitchen, walked right past those cupcakes and cooked me some eggs and turkey sausage. YUM. All with a smile on my face.

These Applegate breakfast sausages are a staple in my diet. 130 calories for 3 links.

Breakfast. Strawberries and Applegate links.

Lunch. I have recently found Fit City Foods to be the best thing since sliced bread. Ill link their website below. They make pre cooked, healthy meals and deliver them to my work weekly.

Today i had Amanda's Meatball and Zucchini Spaghetti.

https://www.fitcityfoods.com

Snack. Two breakfast turkey sausage patties, 2 farm fresh eggs and veggies.

Check out these beautiful farm fresh eggs! Dale (the chicken guy) brings me a dozen every week. Every time they still have feathers on them.

Dinner. Another Fit City Food favorite. Chicken, sweet potatoes and vegetables.

I honestly cannot complain about the process so far. I know i have 29 brutal days to go but as of now, I'm keeping my head above water.

Cheers to 29 more.

WHOLE30 CHALLENGE

Today starts the journey to a healthy life.

I consider myself a healthy eater, until it comes to sweets. Then i cave.

I feel good most days, but still have digestions issues due to lacking a gallbladder and an appendix.

I mentioned doing this challenge to a sweet friend of mine who i also work with. She is in.

Together we will go back to our roots, back to "the" roots actually, and start eating clean.

http://whole30.com

^^ Click the link above for the direct website ^^

This is my first weigh in and the only weigh in during the challenge. Per the challenge rules.

This number i am actually pretty happy with.

I graduated high school at 119 and after 5 years of college, i gained the Freshman 50.

170. Yup. Thats right. I lived under a terrible lifestyle plague. I ate what i want, i drank what i want and only worked out a few times a month.

Slowly in 2013, when my husband and i started dating, he introduced me into the world of nutrition.

Bless your heart, darling.

So this number is a success story.

But i want to go deeper.

Live clean. Eat clean. 

I try to think of it as, only eat what Jesus would of ate. hehe.

Jenna Specs:                                                                                                                         Morgan:

5'7                                                                                                                                         5'4

143.5lbs                                                                                                                                166 lbs

25                                                                                                                                          25

Active                                                                                                                                   Active

RULES: Pretty much, no sugar, at all. Nothing.  No rice, beans, bread, dairy, alcohol.

What is allowed: Fruits, proteins, ALL THE VEGETABLES YOU WANT, fats. The basics, ya know.

Morgan and i will be prepping lunches for each other weekly, so we don't get bored with our own cooking and to spice things up.

 What kind of challenge doesn't have before pictures?

These were taken this morning, the start of the challenge, on a Thursday, yes.

4/7/2016 - 5/7/2016

My sweet and beautiful friend, Morgan!

This girl is a beast. Her and her husband run marathons, triathlons, duathlons. You name it!

She has come a long way with her fitness/health journey and I'm so glad we are doing this as a team. 

This challenge is designed to be a challenge.

Years of eating processed foods and overload of carbs and sugar does a number to your body, inside and out. Mostly inside.

I could talk all day about the benefits of taking vitamins and only eating organic. But that can wait.

Here is a list of my daily vitamins that keep me healthy and keep my digestion issues on point:

1 chewable Vitamin C

5000iu Vitamin D

Omega 3

2-3 Magnesium (life saver)

Super Enzyme with every meal

 CHEERS and welcome to our journey!