Last year throughout the month of January, I shared several of my favorite Whole 30 recipes here on KBStyled. I teamed up with my bestie, Jennifer of Carolina Girl Cooks, to put together these delicious recipes for you all.
I'll be restarting Whole 30 again on 1/1/18 and I've heard from many of you that you will be doing the same. I thought it would be easy to put these recipes together in one post so you don't have to search my blog for them. Throughout the month of January, I will also be making and sharing some additional healthy recipes so be sure to check back often and stay tuned on my social channels as well.
One of the recipes that I am sharing is banana egg pancakes. According to Whole 30, you should not make these because they are associated with a treat food (pancakes) and the concern is that you will allow yourself to fall off the plan if you are eating foods that you normally consider a treat. The thought process is more around mental tenacity. I make these because the ingredients are all Whole 30 compliant and I know I can personally maintain willpower and not fall off the plan eating these. If you are afraid that you will not be able to stick to the plan, just skip these and don't make them.
Below, I will share the image of the recipe and then link provide a link to where you can get the ingredients and directions. Let me know if you have any questions!
Cheers to a successful Whole 30 January and cheers to a great year ahead!
Photography by Jennifer Glover of Carolina Girl Cooks
Who doesn't love a great meatball?! I know I do and these turkey meatballs are divine. Comfort food at its best yet in a much healthier form. Jenn, of Carolina Girl Cooks, has perfected this meatball.
More recently, I've really enjoyed eating cauliflower and this garlic cauliflower mash is just about as yummy as real deal garlic mashed potatoes. Make a large batch of these and reheat them the next day...delish!
Whether or not you are on Whole 30, this meal is sure to become one of your go-to's! Hope you enjoy this one...recipe details are below!
p.s if you have wrapped up Whole 30, I'd love to hear your thoughts and how you are feeling!
Turkey Meatballs and Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
SERVES 6
Ingredients
1 lbs of ground turkey
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 cup of sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup of almond flour
Olive oil
2/3 cup of marinara sauce
1 heaping Tablespoon of tomato paste
1 head of cauliflower
1/3 cup of Roasted Garlic Aioli, link to recipe above
3-4 cloves roasted garlic, link to method above
2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat up a skillet to medium heat. Add two teaspoons of olive oil and add the chopped onion with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes until the onion begins to soften and becomes translucent.
Add the minced garlic to the onion and cook for another minute or so. Transfer the onions and garlic to a food processor and set aside.
Heat the same skillet back up to medium heat. Add two teaspoons of olive oil and add the mushrooms along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms begin to brown. Transfer the browned mushrooms to the food processor.
While the mushrooms and onion mixture are cooling, preheat the oven to 350. Also prepare the meatball pan. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil into each hole of a jumbo muffin pan and grease the bottom and sides.
Add the egg, parsley, almond flour, ground turkey, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the food processor that already has the onions and mushrooms in it. Process until everything is combined.
Divide the turkey mixture in the muffin tin to make 6 meatballs.
In a small bowl, mix together the marinara sauce and tomato paste. Spoon a little on top of each meatball.
Cook the meatballs for 30 minutes on 350.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the mashed cauliflower.
Steam the head of cauliflower. To do this, I fill a large stock pot with about 1-2 cups of water and place a steamer basket in the bottom. Bring the water to a boil. Cut the cauliflower head up into large pieces and place it in the pot. Cover the pot and steam until the cauliflower is fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Clean out the food processor you used to make the meatballs with hot, soapy water and dry.
Place the steamed cauliflower in the processor along with the roasted garlic cloves, Dijon Mustard, roasted garlic aioli and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Process until the cauliflower is smooth and resembles mashed potatoes. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
To serve: Serve a turkey meatball with a big scoop of mashed cauliflower and a side of green beans. You can add a little extra tomato sauce to the meatballs for good measure.
Photography by Jennifer Glover of Carolina Girl Cooks
Talk about a meal that packs a healthy punch...this is it my friends! Teaming up with my bestie, Jenn of Carolina Girl Cooks, to bring you another mouth watering, healthy, fulfilling recipe. If you are heading to the grocery store this weekend, you MUST make note of these ingredients and make this recipe...you won't be disappointed!
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins, nutrients, and healthy carbs...it receives 5 stars in the healthy foods department. Pure GOLD! Add protein with the chipotle chicken and healthy fats with the guacamole and you have a well balanced DELICIOUS meal.
Truly...this is one that you've gotta try. Pin one of the images above to Pinterest or bookmark this page for easy access.
Let me know what you think after you try it! Have a wonderful weekend friends!
Chipotle Chicken Over Sweet Potatoes & Easy Guacamole
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken. I recommend a rotisserie chicken from your local grocer
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
2 adobo chilles in the sauce
2 Tbsp of water
2 avocados
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp of minced red onion, optional
1 Tbsp of minced cilantro, optional
1 small clove of garlic, minced, optional
olive oil
salt
Instructions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sweet potato slices on the baking sheet. Brush with a little olive oil and roast for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Flip the potatoes and roast for another 10-15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and begin to brown on the edges.
In a bowl, mix together the BBQ sauce, chopped adobo chillies and about 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Add the water if it's too thick. Coat the shredded chicken with the BBQ sauce.
To make the guacamole, mash up the ripe avocados in a bowl with the lime juice and a sprinkle of salt. I like to stop here because I like super simple guacamole, but you can add red onion, cilantro and garlic to increase the deliciousness if you'd like.
To serve, top a slice of sweet potato with a scoop of chicken. Add a couple spoonfuls of guacamole. Serve warm.
If the title of this post didn't make your mouth water, I'm not sure what will! Anything with the word bacon or avocado in it reals me in EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
One of my favorite recipes to make while on Whole 30 is The Wonky Spatula's Avocado Zoodles so Jenn of Carolina Girl Cooks and I teamed up to recreate this crowd pleasing favorite. We've put our own twist on this recipe and instead of putting bacon in the zoodles, we've wrapped chicken breasts in bacon.
What I love about this slight tweak to such a great recipe is that the avocado zoodles are served as a side dish instead of the main feature of your meal. They are such the perfect compliment to the bacon wrapped chicken.
Either way, you can't go wrong with this delicious combo! Both the chicken and the avocado zoodles are simple and quick to make. I love flavorful recipes that don't require a ton of work.
Let me know if you decide to make this one and what you think! As always, thanks so much for stopping by...have a great day!
Ingredients
4 small chicken breasts
1 package of bacon (whole30/paleo compliant)
4 small zucchinis or 2 large
1 ripe avocado
1/2 tsp of garlic powder, divided
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons of water
salt and pepper
cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of pine nuts
*Special Equipment: Spiralizer
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle both sides of each breast with a little salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Wrap each piece of chicken with 3-4 pieces of bacon and place on the baking sheet.
Bake the chicken for about 30 minutes or until the bacon has gotten crispy around the chicken. Remove from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes before slicing.
While the chicken is baking, toast the pine nuts. Heat up a small skillet to medium heat and add the pine nuts. Toast just until they become brown and fragrant.
Next, wash the zucchini and cut the tops and bottoms off each. Sprialize them into noodles. Choose whatever thickness of "noodle" you'd like. Sprinkle the zoodles with a tiny bit of salt and set them aside in a mixing bowl while you prepare the sauce.
In a small food processor, add the avocado, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon of the garlic powder, olive oil, lemon juice, water and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Blend until it's a pourable sauce. Taste it to adjust the seasoning if need be. Pour about half of the sauce over the zoodles and toss to coat. Add more if you need more.
To serve, plate 1/4 of the zoodles on a plate. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Slice the bacon wrapped chicken and serve on the side of the zoodles.
Photography by Jennifer Glover of Carolina Girl Cooks
Sweet potato bites or sweet potato patties are one of my favorite things to make while on Whole 30. Jennifer of Carolina Girl Cooks and I teamed up today to make sweet potato patties, which was inspired by the sweet potato bites that I've made from The Wonky Spatula.
These are not only wonderful for breakfast but they are great snacks throughout the day too. I've even eaten these for lunch with a side spinach salad. They are just so yummy and obviously so good for you too!
Hope you enjoy them and as always, thanks for stopping by!
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup of chopped green pepper
1/2 cup of chopped red onion (you can use any other onion as well)
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
2 eggs
1/2 cup of almond or coconut flour, if needed
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cut the ends off the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake the potatoes for about 45 minutes to an hour or until they are cooked through. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
While the sweet potatoes are cooling, heat up a skillet to medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, spices and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
Next add in the chopped green pepper, another sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Allow the mixture to cool.
When the potatoes are cool enough, peel their jackets off, place them in a bowl and mash them up a bit. Add in the onion and pepper mixture, eggs and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
If the mixture is thick enough, proceed to the next step. If not, add about 1/4 cup of the flour to the mixture to thicken it. You should be able to form a patty and the mixture stay together and not be too sticky.
Form patties with about 1/3 cup of the mixture. Place them on a plate and continue forming the patties until all the mixture has been used.
You can cook them one of two ways. Method 1: Heat up a skillet with about 1-2 tablespoons of oil to medium-high heat. Place a few of the patties in the skillet and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Repeat until all the patties have been cooked. Method 2: Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through so that they brown on both sides.
Serve with whole30 compliant bacon and eggs however you like them.
**If you double the recipe to freeze the other half, make sure you cook the patties through and cool them completely. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place them a freezer safe plastic bag. To thaw, leave them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to overnight and reheat them by the skillet method or by the oven method.
Photography by Jennifer Glover of Carolina Girl Cooks
Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Any fun plans to ring in the New Year? We will be hanging at home watching my Clemson Tigers play in the Fiesta Bowl. Fingers crossed for a big win and a chance at the National Championship title again!
I'm also spending today gearing up for the re-start of Whole 30. Gearing up means grocery shopping and prepping food for the week. It's a lot of work but it is well worth it!
Today, Jenn of Carolina Girl Cooks and I are sharing a healthy Whole 30 snack option...Zucchini Chips! These zucchini chips are a great for those afternoon snack cravings that are sure to hit! These are also the perfect on-the-go snack too. I highly recommend that you pack snacks to take with you on the go...it will help keep your temptations at bay.
Hope you will give this recipe a try and if you do, I'd love to hear what you think!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and a safe and Happy New Year. Cheers to a great year ahead and a successful start to Whole 30!
ZUCCHINI CHIPS & MUSTARD DILL AIOLI
Ingredients
3-4 Zucchini
salt & pepper
parchment paper
1 egg
1 cup of walnut or other light tasting oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp of minced fresh Dill
1/4 tsp of garlic powder
special equipment: Blender and mandolin slicer
Instructions
To make the zucchini chips, cut the top and end off the zucchinis. Slice the zucchinis thin on the mandolin.
Lay all the slices out on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with a tiny amount of salt and pepper.
Bake the zucchini on 200 degrees for 2-3 hours. Check them after about 1 hour and rotate the pans in the oven.
Remove the zucchini from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Transfer to a zip lock bag or airtight storage container for up to a week.
To make the aioli, add the egg, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, dill, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a 1/4 cup of the oil to a blender. Blend for about 10-15 seconds until everything begins to come together. While the blender is still on, slowly pour in the remaining oil until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To serve: spoon a little of the aioli in a bowl and plate next to the chips for easy dipping. Enjoy!
I'm so excited to share one of my absolute favorite Whole 30 dinner recipes with you...No Bean Turkey Sweet Potato Chili! I typically make this recipe once a week and often times I will double the recipe so I can eat leftovers the next day for lunch (its even better warmed up the next day)!
Part of what helps me stay on track while on Whole 30 is making recipes that are not only super easy to make but that are also something that I can easily (and cheaply) double. You will be cooking A LOT while on Whole 30 so I say why not make a recipe that you can eat off of for a couple of days...in turn making your life a bit easier! Plus being able to warm something up quickly will help you fight the urge to grab foods of convenience (which most likely is not Whole 30 approved...no more chips my friends).
Today, Jenn of Carolina Girl Cooks, and I have teamed up again to bring you this DELICIOUS 100% whole 30 approved goodness that you are going to want to make note of. Bookmark this post or pin it to your recipes board on Pinterest for easy access. Make your grocery list now and add this simple cheap ingredients to the list!
With winter upon us, there is nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of chili and I PROMISE, you will love this recipe as much as I do!
No Bean Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients:
1lbs of ground turkey
1 cup of chop sweet white or red onion
2 gloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped or crushed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1/2 tsp of ancho chili powder, optional
1/4 tsp of paprika
1/8 tsp of nutmeg, optional
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper, optional
1 can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
2 tbsp of tomato paste
1 cup of water
olive oil
Directions:
In a dutch oven, large soup pot, or large deep skillet, heat up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Add in chopped onion and a sprinkle of salt & pepper, cook for about 5 minutes until the onion has softened (stirring to ensure that the onion does not burn).
Next add the garlic and cook for about a minute (again, stir constantly to ensure that your garlic does not burn).
Add ground turkey and all of the seasonings, including another sprinkle of salt. Stir and cook the turkey until it browns breaking up the turkey into smaller pieces as it cooks.
Then add the peeled and cubed sweet potato, Rotel, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Stir to combine all ingredients.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potato is tender and all flavors have come together. You will want to make sure that the the liquids have thickened some for a more hearty and less soupy end result.
Serving suggestions: ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro, dices avocado, and sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños.
If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think! And if you missed one of my favorite Whole 30 breakfast recipes from Monday...you can catch up HERE!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!
The New Year is fast approaching and so is the reboot of my Whole 30 journey. I've MAJORLY fallen off the wagon the last few months and I am beyond excited to get back on the Whole 30 train. Why? Let me tell you...when I am on Whole 30 I feel sooooo much better, I have more energy, my weight is where it should be, my mind is more clear, my mood more cheerful, and overall I feel great knowing that I am fueling my body with "whole" foods.
Those of you who follow me on social media and who are regular readers of KBStyled, you most likely remember my previous posts about my Whole 30 Journey. For those of you who are new to KBStyled, first of all...WELCOME, I am so thrilled you are here! If you want to read more about why I began Whole 30 on January 1, 2016 and why I stayed on it for many months after the initial 30 days, you can read up HERE.
This week I will be sharing some of my favorite Whole 30 recipes in the case that you are starting this journey as well. I also plan to share more recipes with you throughout the month of January!
I'm excited that one of my best girlfriends, Jennifer Glover of Carolina Girl Cooks, agreed to team up with me for these posts. I've shared some of my absolute favorite Whole 30 recipes with Jenn and she has taken the time to cook them and photograph them...aren't these images beautiful?! Not only is she an amazing cook but she has a knack for food photography as well!
So first up...my Banana Egg Pancakes! GASP! Just wait until you taste these...you will start craving them on the regular! These pancakes are packed full of protein and they are 100% Whole 30 compliant. Not to mention, they are super filling and soooooo easy to make!
We've put together a list of ingredients and the directions for you! I recommend that you bookmark this page or pin one of the images to a Whole 30 Recipes board on Pinterest.
Banana Egg Pancakes
serves 2
4 eggs
2 bananas
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
dash of salt
coconut oil
1 cup of mixed, frozen berries
1/2 cup mixed fresh berries, optional
In a small saucepan or skillet, heat up 1 tsp of coconut oil to medium low. Add the frozen berries and cook until they have thawed. Lightly smash them to make a sauce.
While the berries are cooking, add the eggs, bananas, cinnamon and the dash of salt to a blender. Blend until all the ingredients are smooth and it makes a “batter.” If you don't have a blender, you can simply mash up your bananas in a bowl, add the eggs and scramble in with the mashed banana, and stir in the cinnamon and dash of salt.
Heat up a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 tsp of coconut oil and let it melt. Pour a little bit of batter in the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side and then flip, cooking the other side. *They cook quickly so stay close by to flip. Transfer to a plate and continue cooking the batter until it’s all used.
*To make for 1 person, just use 1 banana and 2 eggs. I make this recipe several times a week while on Whole 30 and it tastes just as good every time.
**My favorite almond butter to use is Justin's. Make sure you pick up a plain all natural almond butter that does not have sugar, maple, or any other sweetener in it.
So tell me, are you kicking off the New Year on Whole 30?! Please feel free to leave any questions below, I am more than happy to answer them!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you all have a great start to your week!
Today is my 100th day on Whole 30...wow, I can't believe I have finally hit 100 days!!! I've been wanting to write this post for some time now but I also wanted to ensure that I wrote it at a time when I felt like it deserved to be written (if that makes sense?).
There is so much that I want to share with you all, its hard to know where to start, and I hope you will hang in there until the end as this post is certainly going to be lengthier than my normal style posts.
As I write this post, in my mind, it makes sense to go back to a time in my life nearly 2 years ago. At that time I was working out nearly 5 days a week, doing Crossfit, and I was the strongest I have probably ever been. I was so very proud of my Crossfit accomplishments BUT I wasn't happy with what the scale said and at times with how muscular I had become.
At the time, I was eating fairly well but not really limiting myself and I most certainly didn't cut anything out of my diet. I ate what I wanted and had the mindset that I would work it off the next day in class. I knew I wasn't fueling my body with nutrient rich foods and had I been, I would have achieved much more lean results through my daily workouts. I always "aspired" to be better, to do better, to eat better but I never did.
Then around May of 2014 we received news that our daughter Addison must undergo open heart surgery to correct a hole in her heart (you can read more about her story HERE). This news rocked us to the core. We always knew she would have to have a "procedure" to correct the hole in her heart but we never imaged it would be as invasive as open heart surgery.
From about mid May until July 9, 2014 we sat on this news and had to digest it (not sure that we ever truly digested it). We experienced an array of different emotions...it was rare for us not to think about it. The "what ifs" caused many sleepless nights and many emotional vulnerable moments.
Although we had our family and friends behind us offering support, it still felt very lonely and isolating at times. Besides talking to one another, Peter and I truly didn't open up to many people about how we were feeling. After all, we didn't want to be downers about it and we always tried to keep a positive perspective on things. In our minds...how could anyone possibly understand how we were feeling considering they weren't going through the same thing.
I tell you all of this because this was the beginning of my turn towards an unhealthy lifestyle. I never realized that I am an emotional eater but boy am I an emotional eater. I ate my fears, my worries, my sadness away and I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I stopped working out and I found comfort in food. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved food but I've never eaten the way I did from about May 2014 until January 1, 2016.
I found comfort in fast food, junk food, sweets, sodas, etc etc and before I knew it, I had gained nearly 25lbs. I didn't care either. I was going to eat and enjoy the foods that at the time, I thought I truly enjoyed.
I would watch the scale steadily increase but I had no motivation to do better, to be better. I didn't want to give up the foods that I enjoyed and I couldn't find the motivation to get back into a consistent workout routine. I attempted to return to Crossfit after Addison's recovery period but I had lost all fire at that point. I remember thinking..."what's the point in coming in here, busting my butt, to only leave and pick up Wendy's or Taco Bell on the way home". I was giving up. Saying that is tough for me because I have never been a quitter and all of a sudden I had become a quitter.
No one could decide for me that I needed to make a change...that had to come from within. I didn't feel my best, I certainly didn't look my best, but I had no real reason to make a change (at least that is what I told myself). There were excuses after excuses after excuses. You name them, I probably made them.
You know the saying, "the struggle is real"? Well I am here to tell you, my struggle was real.
I don't exactly remember what ignited from within me to decide that it was finally time to make a change but after all of the holiday cheer of 2015, I knew come January 1, 2016 it was game on. I felt a surge of motivation...a desire that I could not quiet any longer. A desire that wouldn't tolerate being pushed to the side. A desire to begin a journey...a journey to a more happy healthy fit ME!
It was time to give my life back to myself! To no longer let my emotions and food control me. I was tired of it and I was so ready to get back to the self I have always known.
So on January 1, 2016 I started the Whole 30 plan. I'm sure many of you have heard of this plan and if not, I'm going to share a bit more about the plan here. There are also a ton of resources online as well.
For me, I had to do something drastic. I don't have a lot of willpower when it comes to food and I knew that I would need to cut out certain things to retrain my brain and to retrain the way I look at and experience food as a whole. Sweets are my weakness and I knew I would have to give them up (after all, I was eating some type of dessert nearly every day...not good).
Prior to 1/1/16, I spent several days researching Whole 30, finding recipes, and planning my grocery list. Talk about information overload...whoa! But the more and more I read about it, the simpler it became. The premise of Whole 30 is eating whole foods and cutting out those foods that don't nutritionally fuel your body.
My first grocery shopping trip was one for the books...I think I wandered around the store for at least a couple of hours trying to find everything that I had on my list. The good news is, most everything you need is in the produce and meat section.
I arrived home with all of our groceries and began prepping food. I never knew how much prep was involved...there is a TON of prepping involved but it is essential to ensuring that you stick to the plan. After all, who wants to be caught in a moment of weakness, HANGRY, with no food in sight?! Not this girl.
I was cooking ALL OF THE TIME and that was a big adjustment for me. Not to mention, all of the dishes that had to be cleaned after I spent time in the kitchen, phew.
BUT...I quickly realized how much I was enjoying eating real whole foods. The first couple of weeks were tough for me. I was giving up all sugars (except natural sugar in fruit), all caffeine, drinking only water (I never really drank much water before this plan), eating less, and still fighting every urge to eat those foods that I was used to eating.
I had multiple headaches within the first couple of weeks, I was sooooooo grumpy, and I was questioning (nearly every day) whether or not this was going to be worth it. But I knew I had to make it to 30 days.
After the first 2 weeks, I started to turn a corner and feel as if I understood this lifestyle and I felt as if I was finally adjusting (mind, body, and spirit). It was at this time that I decided that I wasn't going to just do 30 days as the plan called for but that I was going to continue on in hopes of making this more of a lifestyle change versus a 30 day diet challenge.
I continued to hit milestones, 45, 60, 75 days and as of today...100 days on Whole 30!!! I'm pounding it and giving myself lots of high fives over here!
I'm sure you are wondering if I have allowed myself any treats along the way and the answer is YES! During the first 30 days, I stuck to the plan to a T...I did not waiver. Right around Valentine's Day, which was about 45 days in for me, I allowed myself to have dessert when we went out for dinner and I've occasionally allowed myself to have dessert ever since.
After all...if you told me that I wouldn't be able to eat another dessert for the rest of my life, I'd throw in the towel right away. I can't live my life like that BUT I can live my life eating according to the Whole 30 plan 99% of the time.
At about days 54, 55, and 56 I decided to complete a 3 day juice cleanse as well and I am so glad that I did. My cleanse came from Juice from the Raw and I really LOVED this cleanse. Their juices taste fantastic and after completing the cleanse, I had lost another 5lbs!
If you juice or enjoy doing juice cleanses, I highly recommend that you try Juice from the Raw. They have various packages and juice combinations that you can order and they are delivered frozen right to your doorstep with complete instructions on how to successfully complete your cleanse.
AND they are offering my supporters a discount of 52% off of their cleanses...just use code "kbstyled" to receive this discount.
I promise you that you will not be disappointed if you choose to try this cleanse. I am actually ready to do it again and can't wait to receive another round of their juices.
As part of my daily diet, I have also been drinking Teami Tea Blends. I drink their "skinny tea" every morning and their "colon cleanse" tea every other night. These teas are a great "natural" way to boost your metabolism and to activate your colon and get things moving and they work.
I will tell you...if you decide to try these teas, especially the colon cleanse tea, you will need to be prepared to be close to home the next morning. It is a cleanse and I can tell you, it will clean you out and it definitely helps with cutting the bloat.
Teami has offered my supporters a discount code as well...use code "kbstyle" for 10% off your order.
I started this journey just a little over 3 months ago weighing 150lbs...just 4 pounds less than what I weighed when pregnant with our kiddos. I was considered overweight for my height (I am only 5' 4") and this was the heaviest I have EVER been my entire life. My ideal weight is around 125.
As of today, 100 days in, I currently weigh 129! I still have a few pounds to lose as well as lots of toning left to do but I am beyond pleased with how far I have come. My hard work, commitment, and dedication is paying off.
I'm sharing all of this because you need to also know that I have been working out 5-6 days every week as part of my journey to a healthier me. Reaching weight loss and fitness goals are much easier to achieve when both your nutritional diet and your workout plan are in sync. Diet and exercise go hand in hand...it is proven to bring in big results when you do both.
My workout routine consist of doing home videos. I started on 1/1/16 with Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 DVD. I did this video for the first 30 days and I saw immediate results! I am a big fan of this program...it is ONLY 24 minutes per day.
I've really enjoyed working out at home...it is such a time saver and I can get it done anytime throughout the day when I have a spare 30 minutes. I love not having to get dressed for the gym, driving to and from a gym, etc. I've given myself so much time back in the day by doing my workouts at home.
Below are the links to the workout gear that I started with on day #1:
With regards to recipes, I have saved my favorites that I have tried so far and that I go back to time and time again on my Pinterest board HERE! I wanted to put them all in one place for anyone who wanted to try recipes that someone can vouch for...if I didn't love the, I didn't pin them!
If you decide to try any of these recipes, let me know what you think and if you have any recipes that you can share, please leave a link or the recipe information below in the comments section!
I told you this would be a long post and I know that I am leaving something out so please, if you have any questions, leave them below and I'd be happy to answer them!
Overall, I am so happy that I decided to give Whole 30 a try and that I've decided to continue on. There is no stopping now...I'm only moving forward from here! If you want to make a change in your life for the better, I HIGHLY recommend giving Whole 30 a try. Eating well has never tasted better and I honestly look forward to eating my veggies when in the past, I would go all day without picking up a veggie much less eating one.
Thanks so much for barring with me on this lengthy post. I hope you found some value in learning more about my experience and again, if you have any questions, tips, or recipes to share, please leave them below. I'd love to hear from you.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by and Happy Friday!
