Day 7: Versatility is the key

Entry 3

Day 7 (Sunday January 13, 2019)

I’m shocked by how well things are going on my diet. I really thought that by now I would have completely given up and just started eating as normal, but here I am, one week in and holding strong. I’m heading into week two of AIP! Well, my own version of AIP (still drinking my morning tea, caffeine, but using Agave has my sweetener and no milk).

I wanted to write a post a bit earlier, but then decided to wait until Sunday night, mostly to see how I lasted throughout the weekend. The weekend really is my time to shine as far as cooking/baking goes. Most of my recipes and photos happen on the weekend since I have time and daylight for photos :)

But the weekends can also indicate trouble. I’m out of my usual routine of wake up, breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, relax/workout/work/plan. My days just sort of unfold haphazardly and I don’t plan out my days. I fell into some pitfalls this weekend due to my lack of routine. While I kept mainly to the diet, I did eat a bit of chocolate today and yesterday, while wandering the mall, I did snag a sample piece of a sugary Wetzel Pretzel. Do I feel horrible about either? No. Did I only have these treats in moderation? Yes. And that’s why I can’t beat myself up over it. Life happens! (And maybe they shouldn’t make malls smell of delicious pretzels and melted butter!)

As I started to look towards next week, I knew I needed a good plan. Last week, I learned the basics of the good foods vs. bad foods. My main goal is to have easier meal preparation and more variety.

This leads me to VERSATILITY! When eliminating foods from your diet, that doesn’t mean you get bland chicken and steamed broccoli. Who wants to eat that?!?!? Even if you are trying to loose weight, eating boring food isn’t a prerequisite.

I got a large bag of sweet potatoes and made three different dishes, gnocchi, fries and chips. That’s the same veggie, three ways. I even have some left over I intend to shred for morning hash or I may just bake some for a baked potato.

I made pork meatballs for the first time and realized how versatile they can be, they’ll work with a number of sauces and vegetables. They also store well (frozen or fridge) and make for an easy grab and go lunch.

Speaking of sauces, I made a basil-cilantro pesto which is great with the gnocchi and pork meatballs.

And lastly, I made a whole chicken. Like the rotisserie chicken you can pick up at the store, mine can work with any dish and makes for a super easy grab and go lunch (as you can see, I’m all about grab and go lunches).

Reading up on AIP, many will say become accustomed with “batch-cooking”. At first, it sounded daunting., even though I used to meal prep to some degree and don’t mind spending all day in the kitchen. I’m not sure you can call what I’ve been doing “batch-cooking” but I have responded well to ingredients being pre-prepared. I chop, cut and store ingredients so all I have to do is toss things into a pan to cook. This has helped tremendously!

So how am I feeling? Phenomenal! I really didn’t expect to feel that different. I have a sneaky suspicion the main reason I feel better is because I’ve completely eliminated dairy and carbs. I honestly feel like my energy is different. Even my hunger is different. Instead of feeling empty hunger, like my blood sugar is dropping and depleted, I’m just hungry at meal times. I’m excited to see what next week brings and what sort of improvements I see.

I’m also feeling a lot more positive about the food and making the food work for me, rather than becoming a slave to what I’m "allowed” to eat. Till next time…