Whole60?!?!? I got this!!!

Hello Whole30/Paleo/healthy-eating friends! I am glad to be back and a little over a week into my first Whole60 and going strong. Since I last updated, a pretty big life-changing event happened....I GOT ENGAGED to my best friend and the love of my life<3 (also my Whole30 partner in crime). Nick asked me to marry him at one of our favorite spots, Estes Park, Colorado. The proposal couldn't have been more perfect and neither could the ring. It very well may be the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes upon. Long story short, I'm one lucky gal to have such an amazing man in my life and I can't wait to spend forever with him. We've been engaged a little over a week and now starts the fun part...the planning! So, I have just a little over a year to reach my ultimate weight-loss goal. Of course every woman wants to look amazing in their wedding dress, but those of you that know me know that I have been on the health and fitness journey for a while now, trying to lose weight and improve my overall health. It was a journey before the engagement and it's still a journey now. I think now I just have that little bit of extra motivation to kick my butt into overdrive;) With that being said, here are some photos and recipes from my first eight days of the Whole60! Enjoy!!!

I am still really loving these RX Bars when I am in a crunch for time. Most days I make eggs or smoothies, but usually about once per week I will treat myself to something a bit easier. These are super yummy and they go great with your morning cuppa' joe. They are pretty filling as well with a whopping 12 Grams of protein per bar. I usually bring some berries along for these mornings too. Perfect combination:) 

For some reason, I have really been on a buffalo kick lately. I use Tessemae's Whole30 approved buffalo sauce (super yummy). You can stock up on Whole30 approved dressings and condiments on their website with free shipping over $40. This salad was a mix of spinach and romaine, some leftover peas, tomatoes, onion and then grilled chicken slices that I usually prepare on Sunday evenings. Salads are great for using up leftover veggies--I always just throw whatever I have sitting around in the fridge on them. Drizzled with a little Tessemae's buffalo and a little zesty "ranch." Yummy and satisfying! 

Ever get tired of buying avocados and having them go bad on you in a day? This happens to me often and is such a waste of money, which is why packets of Wholly Guacamole are great to have around! About $4.50 a box at Walmart or any grocery store. These are great to pair with eggs for breakfast, salads and wraps for lunches or your dinner protein. I have found that when I add a serving of guac to my meal, I stay full MUCH longer. Plus, just super yummy. Also, leftover dinner potatoes pair great with eggs the next morning;) 

Nick's mom gave me the idea to try a fried banana when craving something sweet (thanks Jo-Anne!) and I am sure glad I did! Very simple and takes about two minutes, if that. Just use about a 1 Tsp. coconut oil heated up in a skillet, slice the banana down the middle and fry each side for about a minute, until caramelized. I also added a few almonds, shredded unsweetened coconut and a dash of cinnamon. Perfect dessert! 

If you are like most of us and enjoy soaking up every bit of nice weather that the weekend has to offer, than homemade trail mix is a quick and simple fix for you. I just really don't like to spend my entire weekend in the kitchen. This trail mix is a blend of raw almonds, Trader Joe's variety colored raisins and Trader Joe's dehydrated strawberries. Yummy! Paired with a black current berry iced tea that I found in Boulder, CO. Perfect no-hassle lunch! 

While in Boulder last weekend, we discovered something amazing! There was a Penzey's location at the Pearl Street Mall! If you don't use their spices, you should. Great quality and almost all of them are Whole30 approved. I made sure to stock up while we were there. I love experimenting with all different kinds of spices. It makes cooking more fun and a hell of a lot more flavorful! Check them out! 

One of my favorite lunches has come to be a Paleo wrap (you can find them on Amazon or at your local health store for around $10.99 per package). I usually put some type of protein and some greens with a little Paleo mayo or mustard on top. I try to pack in lots of colorful veggies at lunch time as well. My new favorite are these little mini sweet peppers. They pack so much flavor! For this lunch, I even decided to do a little experimenting to make a salsa ranch dipping sauce. I just used 1 part coconut milk, 1 part Trader Joe's traditional salsa and 1 part Tessemae's Whole30 mayo. I whisked in a bit of dill weed, parsley, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon and it turned out absolutely delicious! Great things can come from throwing ingredients together:) 

Two words: SEAFOOD SCAMPI. This meal was by far a favorite of mine thus far on the Whole60. I used a package of frozen mussels and 1/2 package of wild-caught frozen shrimp from Whole Foods. I also added a package of frozen English peas from Trader Joe's. But first, before all that....the sauce. I added about 1/4 Cup ghee to a skillet on low with 2 Tbsp. Tessemae's garlic spread, 1/2 Tsp. parsley, a dash of red pepper, 1 Tsp. minced garlic and a dash of salt and pepper (you don't have to have the Tessemae's garlic spread to make this recipe. Just add a little extra garlic to your liking!). I heated this up on low and then added my peas and seafood and turned it up to medium/high until done. As it was cooking, I added a little extra ghee and a little olive oil to the mixture and then covered it and let it soak in the flavor for about ten minutes. We paired the scampi with Cajun roasted potatoes (the tri-colored ones from Trader Joe's). Just slice them up and drizzle with olive oil and old bay seasonings and pop in the oven at 400 until done. I used a small dollop of Paleo mayo with dill on top. This meal was pretty much heavenly. 

And then sometimes it's just easy to keep it simple and sweet for dinner. One of my go-to meals is salmon with a sweet potato. You can't go wrong! Season up your salmon with lots of herbs and spices and then pan sear with a healthy fat (olive oil, ghee or coconut oil). Remember, salmon doesn't take long and it is EASY to dry out, so it doesn't need much love in the skillet. I like to drizzle a little coconut oil and cinnamon on my sweet potato. It is perfection to the taste buds! And never forget your greens! We try to do some type of green for every single meal, even if we don't feel like it. Nutrients, nutrients, nutrients!!!!

Again, lunches are simple. Usually a wrap or a salad paired with veggies. Here I used some leftover guac and salsa for dipping from the fajitas that I had for dinner the night before. Get creative. Lunches should be quick, filling and easy, with plenty of protein to get you through the day! 

Again, I really like experimenting in the kitchen to keep things fresh and interesting. I found a recipe on Pinterest for almond butter banana bites, but I decided to take it up a notch and turn them into chocolate almond butter banana bites;) These are super simple and the perfect dessert. Just enough sweet! Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and then slice up some bananas that are about to go bad (the more ripe, the better). I used three slices per every tin. I added a dash of cinnamon directly on top of all the bananas. I then mixed a couple tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to two large spoonfuls of Trader Joe's crunchy almond butter and then placed a dollop of this mixture into each tin. Freeze and voila! Easiest dessert ever right?!?

Did I mention my recent obsession with buffalo? I think it shines through in this post. lol. You don't have to have Tessemae's buffalo, Frank's Red Hot would work just fine. I love to drizzle a little over my wrap at lunch. Spicy foods get the metabolism moving!!! 

We absolutely love Whole Foods' chorizo sausage in the mornings. Whenever we visit we always stock up on this. Very reasonable at about $3.99 per pound and easy to freeze and use later as well! If you mix this in with your scrambled eggs, you won't need any additional seasonings as it is pretty darn spicy! I like to top my chorizo egg scrambles with guac for a little extra "umph" to get me through the morning. Also, in case you are wondering, for coffee: I like to add 1 Tbsp. coconut cream and some cinnamon. Really gives the coffee a great flavor and is Whole30 approved! 

Sunday mornings are our treat mornings. We buy the uncured, no-sugar-added Paleo bacon from Whole Foods. This is another great meat that you can buy in bulk and freeze for later. It cooks up so nice and crispy it tastes like a cheat, even though it isn't. I highly recommend spending a few extra dollars for quality bacon. Otherwise, I would stay away from it completely. Pair it with some eggs with salsa and guac. Yum!  

Another great breakfast option when you get sick of eggs is a green smoothie! I fill my Vitamix to the top with organic baby spinach and then do either 1 Cup coconut milk or 1 Cup almond milk for the liquid. I add about a handful of frozen fruit (whatever I have on hand), usually a banana, chia seed, flax seed, 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon, 1 raw pastured egg for protein and usually a couple almonds or walnuts. This blend keeps me full until lunch and then some! 

A favorite quick lunch of mine is uncured Applegate Farms all beef hotdogs. Throw some raw kraut and a drizzle of spicy mustard on top and you have a delicious meal. I usually serve mine with a pickle and some type of veggies for lunch as pictured here. Quick, healthy and delicious! 

Like I said...keep breakfast simple. Throw some veggies together in a skillet and scramble in with some eggs. Here I just sauteed some baby spinach and mushrooms with a couple eggs and then I topped with some salsa verde. Delicious! 

Thank god for quick and easy Mexican restaurants. When Nick is away on travel I usually get tired of preparing beautiful meals for just one person. Luckily, Oya is right down the street and they take under ten minutes to prepare some healthy chicken fajitas. Although, I always tell them "no beans" and that never seems to matter. lol. I do eat the lettuce and the pico and then I pour the salsa and guac over top all the chicken and veggies and it's a very filling and delicious meal! 

To be honest, I usually don't snack much as it is not recommended in the book, but sometimes you need a little extra fuel to get through the day or before a workout. I really love these tiny mandarin oranges and paired with a protein, you should be good to go until dinner! (Unsweetened iced tea also comes in handy for afternoon slumps!) 

I always like to save the best for last...and this dish was definitely the best of all of this week's meals. I have to admit...we cheated a little and bought the pre-cut sweet potato noodles from Whole Foods. They are just so dang convenient! You can also make these yourself with a spiralizer. We actually cooked the noodles in the oven at about 350 on a lined baking sheet and seasoned up with lots of yummy spices. The sauce consisted of 1 Lb. ground beef cooked up with some onion and mushroom and 1/2 jar of Whole30 approved tomato basil marina from Whole Foods (you can easily make your own marina, we do that all the time as well). Cook the sauce on low heat until your noodles are done and voila! Perfection:) 

Well, that's it for this week folks! I will post again in another week or so with more Whole30/Whole60 inspiration for you. Until then, be well and remember this! I'm losing for good this time!