Wednesday, October 12, 2011

the whole30, day five

Food can be fun! Fun has got to be the focus if the plan is to stay on track while limiting one's choices. If we focus on the limitations, we're in trouble from the start.

My contention has always been that the best way to do this is to pay very close attention to foods we truly love that fall in the "safe" category. Often those are the very foods we've been limiting in our daily diets. If we focus, instead, on what we don't like, we're likely doomed before we begin. There will always be foods that seriously gross us out, or fail to excite us, in the list of recommendations. There will be foods we give up that make us moan a little at first. The magical area is in the middle or off to the side. It's where we find the foods that make us say, "Really? I can eat that?" with a very big smile on our faces.

I feel that way about avocados and beef and sweet potatoes. While I would not consider sweet potatoes daily, they're fun to have on occasion as a soft, squishy counterpoint to whatever simple protein I've chosen. My approach to the Whole30 so far has been to keep my meals very simple and very satisfying. Later I expect I may want to move beyond that, but right now there's a comfort in a bowl of braised shortribs and vegetables that I can't explain. One of my favorite quick meals is a small, sometimes large, pan-seared steak with sauteed mushrooms and a simple salad. It isn't just okay. To me it's an indulgent treat. I also like lightly browning a filet of salmon or halibut, then sauteeing fresh spinach to serve with it. Any of this I can take to work easily to serve as breakfast or lunch, though they's make equally good quick dinners.

My mood is decidely more upbeat as the days go by. And this is only Day 5. I'm getting seriously, really seriously, excited over the possibilities. If you're doing the Whole30, thinking about it, or have a food suggestion, be sure to comment here.

2 comments:

  1. you're inspiring pamela! you are doing so well! Very proud of you! I've been very unprepared this week! I need to get on the ball! lol!

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  2. Isn't it odd how some days it's a struggle and others everything falls in place where food prep is concerned? It's so darned hard to go off to work for the day wondering how you're going to manage.

    Thanks for your support, Carrie. The hardest part for me still is staying away from the scale, but I'm managing quite well so far.

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