The Adventures of Mrs.Movie Snob

God, could that title be any more pretentious? Bread and dairy. Dairy and bread. I'm wondering what I could say to convey the utter terror that overwhelmed me when I was first presented with the Whole30 plan. No bread? Christ. No CHEESE?! What's the point of living? Still, we pressed on and made it through a dairy-less and grain-less month. Toward the end, all I could think about was garlic bread. Warm, buttery, garlic bread; crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Oh my. Yes, my addiction to these food groups is real. And I'm guessing eliminating them is a HUGE factor in my loss of inches. Reintroducing them is also terrifying. I'm actually doing fine without them. Cravings have subsided but, again, I fear that slope is a most slippery one. But this is our last step in completing our Whole30 journey and so we splurged. Day 40 - Grains If we're going to do this, let's do it right. On grains day, we started with smoked salmon and bagels. And let me j...

Vanessa here. You know, that girl who finished Whole30 ten days ago. (Wow!) I'm here to tell you a little secret. Are you ready? Whole30 is longer than 30 days. Oy. Well, ok, that's not really a secret. It's all outlined in the program. If you do it right, you are not going to order a double bacon cheeseburger with a pint of beer on Day 31. The Whole30 plan is only step one. On Day 31 the fun actually begins; Reintroductions. What that basically means is that we add those no-no foods slowly back into our diet, one at a time, each on their own and see how our bodies react. It's pretty interesting actually because I am already reacting to things that I would bet my life on were very benign. So here's what we know so far: Day 31 - Alcohol. Woo hoo!! I made us a celebratory dinner on Day 31 - A delectable steak with shrimp to go nicely with our bottle of red. The old me would've been on glass 2 by the time dinner was served. The new me poured the glass, started...

That is all. Cheers!

Yep! You read that right. Today, my friends, is our last day of Whole30. No big deal... Just kidding. IT'S A HUGE F'N DEAL! We have gone 30 days with no sugar, no grains, no legumes, no booze and no dairy. Nothing processed has passed over these lips in a month and that is pretty incredible. Three weeks ago, probably hungover and definitely not feeling all that great, my Huband and I decided that things needed a change. We were very aware that this endeavor would be much more successful if we did it together. After what felt like 10 whole minutes of discussion, we really couldn't think of a reason not to. And so it began....and here we are; a little lighter and a lot wiser. Day 30 (AKA Tomorrow I can have wine!) How the book says I'll feel: Holyoprahitsalmostoverwhatamigoingtoeatnow ? How I actually feel: Confident. This was a life change and it feels like it. Our house is still full of healthy foods. So there's no slope to slip on...just y...

Two days until wine. And oh shit. Day 29 How the book says I'll feel: Holyoprahitsalmostoverwhatamigoingtoeatnow? The realizatoin that this is ending combined with the terror of trying to do it freestyle. How I actually feel: A little panicked honestly. For almost a month now, the list of what I can't have has been the focus of everything. I've changed plans because I couldn't drink and didn't want to be tempted. We've changed restaurants because there were noncompliant foods. And our daughter now asks for healthy treats rather than chips and cookies. So...now what? Tomorrow is our last day. OUR LAST DAY. And after that, we are on our own. I see now why many people just choose to do it again right away. Although it's a pain in the ass, it would be easier just to keep these rules in place. But, we live in the real world. And keeping up this regiment would be tough (and expensive) long term. I have to remember that this was meant to be a short ter...

DAY 28!! DAY 28!! DAY 28!! I want to scream it from the rooftops. I just finished DAY-TWENTY-FUC*ING-EIGHT!! Day 28 How the book says I'll feel: 28 is as good as 30...right? So close to the end but apparently 90% doesn't count. How I actually feel: There have been thoughts of ending early, I'll admit. Nothing I'm actually following through with. Still, there is a big part of me that is like what difference will 2 days make? The book says you committed to 30 days, so finish. And I will. I can't imagine letting myself down this late in the game. Today was kind of a breeze. No work meant I had time to make us a healthy breakfast. Husband worked and my daughter was a day camp, so for lunch, I was on my own. I had a lovely tuna salad. It was nice. Around 3, I realized that I absolutely was not cooking tonight. Called Husband and informed him he was taking me out. He did. What a guy! We found a restaurant that actually had an allergy manual...these foods have l...

And suddenly we're nearing the end. Woo hoo!! Days 24-27 I've missed blogging the last few days because the How the book says I'll feel is the same through Day 27. They claim there will be few interludes along the way, however, with a "I'm so over this" and "The scale (and mirror) are calling." How I actually feel: A little nervous. After nearly a month of nothing but goodness, I am absolutely terrified of two things: 1. That milk/grains/sugar/booze are going to be so much more delicious than I ever remembered and my introduction phase will just be a slippery slope. 2. That milk/grains/sugar/booze are going to throw a monkey wrench into what now feels like a body that working properly. With those in mind, we've decided to pretty much keep going after thirty days. (Yes, we're crazy.) Not on such a grand scale but definitely a much stricter regiment than we had pre-Whole30. It just seems like the right thing to do.We both feel go...

(Just imagine Eye of the Tiger is playing while you're reading this) Still feelin' good, obviously. Day 22 & 23 Welp, we survived our company while being on this diet. I'm fairly proud of that. We only ate out a handful of times and were able to find things that worked for us. (AKA - Meat and salad.) How the book says I'll f ee l: La sangre de tigre. How I actually feel: In a groove. Which is both good and bad. We have less than a week to go on our Whole30 adventure and there has been much discussion about what's going to happen after. I've researched paleo a bit and this is what we've decided on. Essentially, if I'm getting this right, it's about the same just a smidge less strict; 80/20. All I hear is I can have an occassional glass of wine. So .... win. I'm terrified of what is going to happen my body when I reintroduce the forbidden foods. Apparently, we're supposed to start with alcohol? Geez...twist my arm. So, on Day 31...

Guess what, kiddos? We only have one more week to go. 7 more days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. But, who's counting? Day 20 & 21  How the book says I'll feel: TIGER. BLOOD. How I actually feel: Physically? Awesome. Mentally? Proud. I can't believe how far we've come and just how much has changed in this house in 3 weeks. Our refrigerator and pantry are now thoroughly transformed. Only a few snacks left, mostly for the kid. The adults have one small section of the middle shelf. The only things on it are Larabars, coconut milk, various nuts, tomato paste and all kinds of different spices. Potato chips are nowhere in sight. The reason I'm mostly proud is because the last few days have not been without challenges and temptation. We have company staying with us and our favorite past time with her is eating out, snacking and drinking. Both Saturday and Sunday were busy days for us so not cooking was a very attractive option. On Saturday we ventured into a rest...

Hi all. I'm posting every few days now beacuse not much has changed. I'm feeling great. Cravings are under control and I think I solved my sleeping issue -- I just can't drink anything an hour before bed. Damn old lady bladder. Day 18 & 19 How the book says I'll feel : Tiger Blood. Me-ow. How I actually feel : Just call me Tony. Grrrrrrreaaat. Productive and energetic. And very focused. It's like Me 2.0. So strange. Our eating habits have changed dramatically. I am pretty comfortable with what I can't and can have now. Although, I still find myself double checking labels. Labels that are no longer gibberish.  We 've been trying to get more creative with breakfast. Today's menu was Shakshuka. Doesn't that sound delicious?! Well, it was. It's Middle Eastern dish consisting of eggs poached in a tomatoey-red pepper sauce. My only regret is that I couldn't serve it with bread. That sauce would've sopped up amazingly well. ...

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. I know now that I can do this. However, there is a big part of me that is really over it all. The last few days have really tested me and I'm realizing that I'm a lot stronger than I realized. Day 16 & 17 How the book says I'll feel: Tiger blood! Seriously, it says Tiger blood. From now until Day 27 we are supposed to be feeling mighty fine; over the bumps and reaping the rewards. How I actually feel: Now, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't feeling different. I was really looking forward to this part because when we heard "you'll feel amazing," I didn't know what that meant. I'm not sure if I'd call it Tiger blood :) but I'm feeling pretty good. Both of us have lost many inches. I can feel it in my clothes. I can feel it in my blood and I can feel it in my brain. I'm focused. Clear. Which, honestly is a good and a bad thing. My sleep is now being affected. Brain won't t...

Skipped blogging yesterday. I could lie to you and say it's because I sooo busy but the truth is I just didn't wanna. I woke up tired. I was moody and my cravings for something sweet are kind of intense right now. Fruit helps but all I can think is 2 more weeks and I can have a donut. Yeah, I need to get that thought right out of my head... Days 12 & 13 How the book says I'll feel: "I dream of...junk food?" Cravings. Cravings. Cravings. Along with some good energy. How I actually feel: Oh ok...so this is normal? I'm having trouble (donuts!) staying focused. These (eclair!) cravings are serious right now. And I'm realizing (doritos!) how many ads there are on everything. Every marketing ploy (cookies!) is working on me. Look how delicious that cereal looks (mmm...cereal!) as the milk splashes on it in slow motion. Oh God, I'm drooling now. I'm staying on track though. Breakfast both days has been a combination of eggs and veggies. Tha...

Today, I hit a wall. A soft wall, mind you. But a wall none the less. I woke up absolutely exhausted after sleeping a full 8 hours. I'm hoping it was just the weather; we woke up to grey and rainy dreariness. Only tomorrow will tell. Day 9 How the book says I'll feel: Another "Noooo...my pants are TIGHTER!" How I actually feel: Well, first off my pants weren't tighter. The opposite, actually. I purposely put on pants today to see how they felt. (They were getting a bit snug) They felt good and my long shirt wasn't as fitted around my tummy. Score! Breakfast was eggless and delicious. A nice change. Roasted butternut squash, raspberries and sausage. Super yum. We were both pretty happy. After dropping off the kid, I came home and quickly faded. So tired. A little nap sounded so good! Yeah, that little nap turned into 2 hours. Thank goodness I didn't have to work! The good thing is I slept through any hunger pangs. I woke up and made lunch. I got...

A new day. A new week. And hopefully we'll get some new benefits from this program. Whole30 at a glance. Day 8 How the book says I'll feel : "Nooo! My pants are TIGHTER!" Some fancy things are supposed to be happening in my gut. Using new energy, working properly...all that. And as such, some experience a short-lived bloating. How I actually feel: I didn't wear pants today so I'm not sure if they were tighter but I didn't feel bloated. Quite the opposite. I was a ball of energy today. And very productive. My 2 p.m. crash didn't happen. I'm really okay with that. Breakfast was scrambled eggs (again), and some left over veggies from my roasted chicken a few nights ago. It was pretty good. Coffee wasn't as nasty sans cream. I read an article that told me to try coconut milk. I just don't know.... For the first time, I was on my own for lunch. I made "Mexican Tuna Boats" - A recipe from the Whole30 book and they were fa...