My Whole30 Summary (nearly 60 days later!)

Man, oh man, oh man...where do I even start?!?!

First of all...yes I am still blogging. I just don't have a whole lot going on in Washington that's
"blog-worthy"
but I promise, I'm sure there will be a TON of blog posts to come since I return to Bahriain so SOON!

No offense Washington, I loved you, I really did.
But...I. Want. To. Go. Home.
Not to mention,  I miss my studly husband...A LOT.

I could write a whole post about it - but I don't want to make you throw up right now. Nope...this post is dedicated to my...

WHOLE30 SUMMARY!
(finally)

Seriously, I finished my first Whole30 about, hmmm...60 days ago! Oops, I'm a little late!
I meant to write my summary then, honestly. But I got kind of busy doing things like flying around the world, visiting family and friends, breathing humidity-free air, going to Whole Foods (aka heaven), and...eating Chick-Fil-A - eek! I know, I know, but WHO TURNS DOWN CHICK-FIL-A?!?!?! No one, that's who.

So that this isn't a long rambling post I'm going to ask myself questions and then answer them for you. I have gotten A LOT of questions about the program, tips, advice, etc...so here it is.

The Whole30 According to Kristina

1. What was the thing you LOVED the most about the Whole30?

Honestly, I LOVED the way I felt. Aside from the first 2 weeks where I felt like I had been run over by a semi...around day 14 I just started feeling awesome. Not only did I PHYSICALLY feel better, but my mental state was better. I was so proud, inspired, and happy with the choices we were making that I found myself just walking around with a smile. All. The. Time. It felt lighter, and not just from the weight and inches I was losing...I just stopped having that 'oh my gosh, I ate too much, I'm sooo miserable' feeling. You KNOW the one I'm talking about! I also just felt much more care free. I can't really explain it, except to say that I felt like I was out of a permanent food coma and had mental clarity and a general happiness that just felt so darn good. 

2. What was the thing you hated about the Whole30?

Okay, okay...there is always a downside. I know. What did I hate?! Well, honestly the thing that was the hardest was how difficult it was to socialize during the Whole30. If you know me, you know that I really like my social time. While Andrew goes to a quiet place to get energized, I have to find people to talk to. It's my thing. I love it. I need my people. Unfortunately being social and food often go hand in had. Frankly, I was just not strong enough to resist (or so I thought). So I was a hermit for 30 days. I went out to go grocery shopping and to work out...and that was pretty much it. It's not like I wanted to even go crazy and get cheesy fries or something - I just really wanted to be able to grab a salad and NOT freak out over hidden sugar or preservatives in the balsamic. So that was the hardest part for me.

Oh, and it was just kind of inconvenient at times. Like when I was exhausted and just wanted to grab something fast. Fast food and Whole30 REALLY don't go together well...so there were a few nights that I just wanted to have something delivered or go out to eat, but we couldn't. It was TIME CONSUMING to say the least!

3. Okay, back to the positive...what are some of the changes you noticed?

Where to start.....

- I felt like I was literally melting away! I've never so quickly seen my body change and transform. One of these days I'll post my before and after, but I need a little more confidence first. All I can say is...WOW! I lost a lot of inches...even I was shocked! 

- My skin glowed! No, it wasn't just from the nonstop sweating in Bahrain...I felt like I was glowing from the inside out. Happy gut, happy skin. Happy me. 

-NO CRAVINGS!!!! This was the best and most awesome part for me. I am that girl that would always find myself nauseous when I "NEEDED" to eat. I would say, "I need to eat now or I'm going to be sick" I was craving food. THIS. STOPPED. How crazy is that? I would literally be going about my day and then think, 'Oh Crap! It's 3 and I haven't had lunch yet?!" I was so satisfied from my nutritious food that I just stopped "NEEDING" things. Like I used to THINK I did!

- I ate less, but was NEVER hungry!  This also blew my mind. I used to have a largish dish of a decently healthy meal, that usually also included potatoes or rice or something....eat it all, get seconds sometimes, feel disgustingly full, then an hour or so later be hungry again. NOW I could use a salad plate eat it, be FULL but not over-full (yes there is totally a difference). Instead of my stomach being in pain because there wasn't any more room, my body was just satisfied. It got all the nutrients it needed, it was happy, and we were done eating. To top it off, I never felt hungry! 

- NO MORE HANGRY!!! A few blog posts ago I introduced the term "HANGRY!" When you're dieting and hungry and angry because you can't eat what you want...you're HANGRY! I LOVE that phrase, I think it's hilarious...but sadly I don't think I get to use it anymore. RIP Hangry...I'm so over you. I'm satisfied, and healthy, and happy. The complete opposite of how I've ever felt while trying to eat healthy. 

- SLEEP! I'm not sure why it happened, but I started sleeping better and deeper during the Whole30. I would get extremely tired in the evenings and just WANT to go to bed. I fell asleep quickly and only woke up when a certain little baby wanted to eat in the middle of the night! It was glorious. Sleep took on a whole new meaning to me. 

- I'm sure there are a lot of other things, but this is what I can remember right now. Like I said, it's been a while....If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

4. Tell us what we all want to know...THE STATS!!! Did you lose weight?!

DID I EVER!!!! I KNOW it's not about the weight. The Whole30 is about becoming more healthy, kicking bad food cravings, and teaching yourself how to fuel your body with good nutritious food. But who are we kidding? Who doesn't want to also loose a little weight and maybe some inches?!?

I was honestly SHOCKED by my results. I had decided that I wasn't going to weigh myself on day 31 because I didn't want the disappointment and backlash I would feel if I hadn't lost as much weight as I was hoping I had. (I could get into a big discussion about my unhealthy relationship with the scale...but I'll spare you). With that decision in mind I went to Davis's 6 month appointment on day 30. Well, as my luck would have it their infant scale was broken so they made me get on the scale holding Davis and then get on without him. I KNEW it was a good sign when I stepped on the scale WITH Davis and was already less than I had weighed before my Whole30! I was STOKED to see that I had lost 21 POUNDS!!!!! Insane...I know! 21 pounds in 30 days. NO wonder I felt amazing. 

I also lost a lot of inches....

Waist: 4 inches

Hips: 6 inches (yes...half a foot. Off of my hips...Andrew was sad, but he's coping)

Bust: 2 inches

Thighs: 2 inches 

Ummm...NOT BAD! This was reason enough for me to keep going. Plus I felt so amazing!

5. Will you do it again?!

YES! In fact I did do it again! After being home for 2 weeks I realized how crappy I was feeling. I wasn't eating horribly but a cheat here and there was adding up. So I started my second Whole30 round. I knew that this time I probably wasn't going to make it to the 30 day mark, but for me this second round WAS about losing more weight and just feeling good from the positive choices. I think I hit day 21 before there was an event that I had some non compliant food at. I knew this was going to be the case. (and you know what...in those 21 days I lost another 10 pounds!)

I plan on doing a STRICT Whole30 again as soon as I get back to Bahrain. Then I plan to lead a group of people in kicking off the new year with a Whole30 in January! 

6. What's your biggest tip?!

Hmmm...that's a hard one. (Ha...that's what she said!) I guess it would be to use your time wisely! I spent a good chunk of time meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping. This will consume A LOT of your life during the Whole30. Embrace it and plan for it. If you do these things well the rest of your Whole30 will be a BREEZE! 

Honestly, if I had been in the United States for our Whole30 I think it would have been SO MUCH EASIER! I would have just ransacked Whole Foods or Trader Joes. Or gone to a local farm for fresh eggs and veggies! Seriously, that would have been amazing. BUT I as in BAHRAIN! The Middle East doesn't have much to offer on food co-ops, and health food stores. The spice selection was pretty much the only thing that rocked our Whole30. But hey, if I can do it from Bahrain, then you can most definitely do it in the States. 

(Note...I went CRAY CRAY when I got to the States! I was so excited to be able to buy the things that other Whole30 bloggers talked about that I couldn't get, that Andrew informed me that I spent like $50/day at grocery stores for the first few weeks. It was TOTES CRACKERS. But I loved it, I indulged...and now I don't get those luxuries again until July 2014. So have fun at your Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Brats.)

7. Do you have any tips for life AFTER the Whole30?!

Honestly, I wish I had better advice here. I really do. I am trying to figure this out myself. It's been extra hard for me because I went from isolating myself and doing the Whole30 in Bahrain to being back in the States where I want to enjoy my favorite places and be social with my favorite people. 

I spent the first 2 weeks after the Whole30 eating 80% clean. There was Chick-Fil-A, some pizza, and ice cream involved as well. But you know what...I FELT LIKE CRAP after eating them. Just disgusting, bloated, unhappy, and gross. So 2 weeks after arriving, I hit it hard again (my kind of 2nd round of Whole30) and it felt AMAZING to be feeding my body so nutritiously again. 

Right now though....right now I am "indulging" here an there as my trip to the States winds down. I STILL feel like crap every time that I'm finished...but when you aren't going to be at the State Fair again for 3-4 years then sometimes a girl needs a scone, and a caramel apple. It's hard. It really is, but I am trying to find that balance for myself. This is my honest take on it. If I were happy with my weight, etc. I would probably eat Whole30 clean 6 days a week. Have one day where you indulge in a meal or a treat or something. Hit it hard during the week, but cut yourself some slack during the weekends. 

One important thing to point out is that what an "indulgence" is to me NOW is what "every day eating" was to me before the Whole30. It's truly changed the way I view food. 

When I get back to real life in Bahrain my plan is to hit it pretty hard. Go a Whole30 round and keep going as long as I can. Once I reach my goal, which by the way, is not defined by a number on a scale, I will ease back a little bit. I'll know when I get there!

8. What are your favorite resources? (I know this is what you've been sticking around for)

WEBSITES:

www.Whole9life.com - obviously

www.nomnompaleo.com - awesome food and she documented her own Whole30!

www.theclothesmakethegirl.com - AMAZING Whole30 food! YUMMY!

www.paleomg.com - hilarious blog, I love her

www.thefoodee.com/tag/whole30/ - if you only go to 1 website go to the first one...then GO HERE! This links to hundreds of Whole30 recipes! It will even prepare your grocery shopping lists for you once you choose your meals! Genius website!

www.marksdailyapple.com - wonderful website with great, educational articles!

www.balancedbites.com - another great website with yummy recipes and great articles!

RESOURCES:

The Whole30 Timeline 2.0: I visited this timeline every day! Find out WHY you are feeling the way you do!

The Whole30 Daily Emails: Best $15 I've spent in a LONG time! You'll get an email from the Whole9Life crew every day. Filled with recipes, encouragement, fun facts, etc. I looked forward to these DAILY!!!

PRODUCTS:

Coconut Oil

Coconut Aminos: A must have! This is a soy sauce substitute....and so much better for you! LOVE this!

Lara Bars: While it's not encouraged to eat these often, they were great for us to have in case of emergency! They are only made from whole natural ingredients. My new obsession is making them at home!

Ghee: I made my own from THIS recipe. Delicious flavor...and great to use in your cooking!

RECIPES:

Bacon Onion Balsamic Jam Burgers - obviously no bun. BF said it was the best burger she's ever had!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Coconut Chicken Fingers

Pineapple Fried Cauliflower Rice with Garlic Prawns - this has been repeated a lot!

The BEST Chicken You Will Ever Eat Ever - no joke, it was! The Moroccan dipping sauce was to die for!

Rogan Josh

Carnitas Stuffed Sweet Potatoes - SO yummy!

Mexican Cottage Pie - makes great leftovers too!

Paleo Salisbury Steak - this has been a favorite of ours for a long time!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Bruschetta Chicken

Mustard Lime Chicken

Steak with Avocado Salsa and Chopped Broccoli Salad

There are even more than this. But these were our favorites. With SO MANY resources online you can easily cook a new recipe EVERY night. We always made extra dinner and then used leftovers for lunch the next day or had 1 or 2 nights during the week where we ate leftovers. Man, I love leftover night! Spend some time exploring all of these websites and you'll be sure to find a ton of other recipes too!

If you've stuck around this far...you are a ROCKSTAR! I apologize for the LONG post - but there is just so much to say about how amazing the Whole30 is. I honestly believe that everyone needs to try this at least once in their life. The results will amaze you. 

I am inspired by how many of my friends are now trying their first Whole30. Earlier today I counted up about 15, then I posted something about it on Facebook and was told by 5 MORE FRIENDS that I inspired them to do the Whole30. That's a whole lot of healthy eating going on! I'm just so excited to be able to encourage anyone that is interested! Please let me know if you have ANY additional questions and I can add them along with my response!

Someday...someday...I'll post a picture. I just have to keep working on my own self-confidence. We'll see my friends....we'll see. 

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

TOTES CRACKERS!!!

No, no, no....I'm not talking about carrying around a snack in my bag or something obvious like that.

I am simply referring to Miley Cyrus and her VMA performance this week. 

You KNOW  what I'm talking about...

If you didn't see it, let me just say it was...

"TOTES CRACKERS!"

Still confused?!

Let me explain...

Two months ago I was perusing some Bahraini celebrity gossip magazines for fun. On the cover of one of them was a picture of Miley Cyrus and the title, 

"Totes Crackers"

I was super confused at first - like they were accusing her of carrying around some saltines or Ritz or something. Then I realized that it was just Bahrain's version of using American Slang. 

Totes = Totally

Crackers = Crazy/Insane

Totally Crazy/Insane = Totes Crackers

Obviously.

So...there you have it folks. Bahraini gossip magazines nailed this one months ago. She is "Totes Crackers" and NOW I have my new favorite slang. Along with Cray Cray of course. As for as I'm concerned the two are totally interchangeable. 

The whole Syria debacle: Cray Cray

How hot it is in Bahrain right now: Totes Crackers

The people I saw in WalMart today: Cray Cray

My mother without her hormones: Totes Crackers 

(love you Mom!)

See they both work for pretty much anything

And if I can add my two cents now...I have a PRETTY high threshold for what I consider "inappropriate" or "scandalous"and it takes a lot to offend me....but while watching her VMA performance I was totally embarrassed and uncomfortable.

 I would NOT want my young children to watch that - heck I didn't even want my Mom to watch it! I fast forwarded parts of it - and THAT'S saying A LOT. More than anything I was just sad for her. Sad that she felt she had to perform that way - and sad that no one else really stood up and told her that it was too far over the edge. BUT, I suppose that if her goal was to get some buzz...she's accomplished it. Everyone is talking about it...

I'm sure you've read some reviews written by much better and eloquent bloggers like this one:

"Dear daughter, let Miley Cyrus be a lesson to you"

or my personal favorite since I have 2 sons:

"Dear son, don't let Robin Thicke be a lesson to you"

or if you are a music person:, then this one is good:

"Forget Miley: How to talk to your children about their shitty taste in music"

Since I can't write as wonderfully as that. I'll just sum it up as my Bahraini peeps do and say, 

"Miley....that was TOTES CRACKERS!"

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

I Dare You...

I DARE YOU NOT TO LAUGH. 

Go ahead...try. 

Watch this adorable video and don't you dare laugh or smile....

I'm pretty sure it's impossible. 

Andrew doesn't think I'm funny at all - BUT Davis thinks I'm HILARIOUS!

Davis thinks I'm funny all the time. Not just when I have the hiccups - actually, he laughs at pretty inappropriate times. Like....when I'm scolding Caden, or when I drop something, or when I'm trying to be serious....that cracks him up....that and hiccups. Hiccups seem to make him laugh harder than anything ever in the world.

Such a far cry from our serious baby. The first two months of his life, all he did was Mean Mug people.

Like this.

I kind of miss that grumpy face. It was so cute.

Anyways, now he is happy and laughy....and thinks everything is SO FUNNY. He especially thought I was funny today as I was dripping in sweat trying to mail stuff at the post office on base. He was being super cranky in his carseat, so of course I ended up holding him with my left arm while I tried to fill out 3 customs slips with my right....as he's trying with all of his might to grab them and stuff them in his mouth...while his OTHER hand is firmly embedded in my hair pulling on it like there's no tomorrow. 

I was SERIOUSLY struggling and frenzied. AND of course - while he is raining terror on my attempts at getting gifts in the mail he is smiling so sweetly and cooing at the people around us. So while I am schlepping around the post office with a baby hanging from my hair (that's what it felt like) they are all, "Oh...he's SOOO cute." and talking and laughing with him. Clearly they couldn't see past the cute baby to the mommy that was trying to do with one hand what even a normal person would need 5 for. I mean, he IS cute...but in that moment all I cared about was not losing my mind.

I'm sure you moms know what I'm talking about - and really it's not that bad to have to juggle a baby, boxes, and paper - but for some reason when you are also burning up from the heat and humidity - with hair that looks like you stuck your finger in the light socket - and clothes that are sticking to you, and sweat dripping off of your face and down your crack....IT. IS. SO. MUCH. WORSE. 

Oh...and did I mention that I was STILL wearing long sleeves as well since it's Ramadan> Insanity. It's like a million degrees out. 

BUT....we survived. We always do. AND we have the cutest video of D ever. So that makes everything okay. Cute pictures and videos ALWAYS make it better.

...and That's 'Watts' She Said

Home Away From Home...

I'm not talking about Bahrain. I'm talking about the MANY MANY grocery stores I've been frequenting lately. I swear, I spend more time there than ANYWHERE else. This Whole30 is a time-suck. I mean, I'm super grateful to be able to lead my family in this healthy journey...but it's consuming my life! 

I'm either searching for recipes, meal planning, making shopping lists, driving to the grocery store, fighting for a parking spot at said grocery store, actually grocery shopping, cooking, or cleaning up from the meals. Luckily I've been able to make time every day this week to work out - it's helped me keep my sanity and given me a break from the food. 

So....to keep my readers entertained and exposed to the crazy Bahraini world I want to talk about....

drum-roll please....

GROCERY STORES!

Exciting, I know. But, TRUST ME...these aren't your run-of-the-mill grocery stores!

So far the Bahraini grocery stores I frequent the most are: 

GEANT

Carefour

Al Jazira

Alosra

YES...I do go to all 4 of these at least once a week - more likely 2 or 3 times a week. So I'm becoming pretty familiar with them. And so talking about how different the grocery stores are is about as exciting as my life gets right now. Grocery stores, gym, cooking, cleaning...oh and wiping butts and feeding Davis, and constantly telling Caden to stop kissing Davis so much. Glamorous.

Here are a list of the things I find intriguing so far.... 

1. LIQUID CHEESE. They have aisles and aisles of this Kraft, liquid cheese. I'm not sure what else to call it. There are several varieties and sizes. These particular lot was in the "Ramadan Special" selection. I've never seen cheese like this back home. I can only imagine all of the health benefits. But hey...it's KRAFT...must be good? This is just one example of the STRANGE products I've found.

2. AMERICAN PRODUCTS. Most of the stores carry a few American products, which I am grateful for. I'm even more grateful when they slap a big American Flag on the shelf to make sure we notice them. I've still never seen any other country's flag posted. I wonder what makes us so special?

#3 GROCERY CARTS. Not only do you have to PAY to get a grocery cart, but these grocery carts are possessed. I HATE THEM. They don't just roll forward and backwards...no, of course not. They also go side to side or really whatever way you want them to go. Ever tried pushing an office chair down a hallway? Maybe that's a bad example....but because it can go anywhere - IT WILL go anywhere. I've run into a few people. They were not amused. Sorry, silly American coming through - nope, I can't even operate a grocery cart - but hey thanks for the American Flag signs.

 

So, to get a cart out your have to insert 100 Fil (about the size of a nickel and worth about 25 cents USD) into the cart to release it. When you return your cart, you get it back. A lot of people just leave their cart next to their car and don't return it. So, someone can get rich off of gathering them up and cashing in. Then again - it is SO hot outside, who wants to do that? I'll admit, I've ditched a cart or two and left my 100 fil before. Some things just aren't worth it. After loading groceries, Caden, a crying baby and myself in to the care in 110 degree heat, sweat dripping everywhere, the last thing I want to do it return a grocery cart to get about 25 cents back. 

#4 NOT FOR MUSLIMS. In case there is ANY confusion - there are signs all over the place making sure the Muslims are aware of what they are and are not allowed to purchase. 

#5 THE PORK ROOM. AKA - THE BEST ROOM! BACON - YAY! When we first moved here I wasn't even sure if I would be able to buy pork anywhere. Which, in my humble opinion, would have been a tragedy. 2 years without bacon. How un-American. Luck is on our side. The NEX sells pork products and so do most grocery stores. They just have the "Pork Room" set off from everything else. Often they are also labeled with, "NO MUSLIMS ALLOWED" signs as well. They usually have a pretty good selection. I just still laugh every time I enter the "Pork Room". I'm PRETTY sure the last time I bought pork the female cashier was afraid to even touch the package. She picked it up by the corner edge of the package and held it away from her like it was something rancid and disgusting. No my friend...in that package is the best thing in the world. BACON.

#6 PRODUCE. I've never appreciated the produce section of grocery stores back home like I do now. The produce here is difficult. It tends to go bad super quickly, and it's REALLY expensive. I spend an insane amount of money on produce each week. Not only that, but it's just odd sometimes. Like these GIANT green bell peppers we found a few days ago. Or the fact that red onions are teeny tiny. You need 3 or 4 to make up for 1 from back home.

Also - after you select your produce you have to bring it all to a special guy setup in the produce section. He or she, weighs it and tags it all right there. This is a simple, but easily forgotten step. When you are used to just grabbing it having the cashier enter it, it's easy to forget. Believe me, people in line DO NOT like it when they have to wait for someone to run your produce back to the Produce Man to get tagged because you forgot. I'm learning this lesson. 

One cool thing about the produce is that the fruit is usually delicious AND they have some fruit that I've never even heard of. Our goal is to try one new fruit each week. So far, so good. We haven't encountered anything too crazy yet. 

#7 SPICES. Okay, so not everything is bad or weird. Some things are pretty darn awesome. Like the bulk spices section found in the bigger stores. They have any spice you can think of and more. We've started buying all of our spices in bulk, which is a good thing with the Whole30, as we are going through it like water. The only problem is communicating how much I want to the Spice Guy. We pretty much have a system now. I point to the spice and use my hands to show how much or how little. 

They also have different kinds of nuts, different flavors of nuts ie: spicy cashews or honey cashews, all sorts of dried fruit, and things like almond flour, coconut flour...so much to explore here. This area makes me happy.

#8. The MEAT Section. I don't really want to talk about this. If you know me, you know why. I'm not a big fan of meat. I have to convince myself it wasn't once an animal to make myself eat it. My siblings tortured me when I was little. No, I'm not talking about how they convinced me that I was adopted, I'm talking about how they would make animal noises while I ate meat. SCARRED FOR LIFE. I still can't eat meat off of a bone - unless it's a hot wing - and even then, if I get ONE bite that reminds me it's an animal, I'm done. Meanwhile, Andrew picks up my half eaten hot wings and pretty much sucks them dry. That's teamwork.

So - there IS a meat section and they have all sorts of things that you wouldn't find in the meat section back home. I can't even bring myself to write about it. I think I'm going to throw up. 

HOWEVER, I do have to tell you the story of the bones. One day I noticed that they sold packs of "Beef Bones" and "Lamb Bones" at Carefour. I had NEVER seen this in a meat section before and I was pretty much immediately grossed out and had to leave without purchasing our meat. Fast Forward to the Whole30 and me trying to find beef broth without preservatives. Pretty much impossible. Remembering that they sell beef bones at the grocery store I looked up some broth recipes and decided that we had to make our own broth, or rather, that Andrew had to make our broth. I mentally accepted that I would have to go to the store and buy a pack of the beef bones...I had NO IDEA how horrible it would be. 

I bravely set out for Carefour last week. Beef broth was our only missing ingredient for the week, and it was time to make the leap and buy some bones. I COULD DO THIS. 

Well, I walked up to the meat section with confidence. I was going to grab the bones and get out of there. I was a big girl - I could do it. As my luck would have it - they were all out of beef bones that day. 

Damn. I was going to have to ask someone. I drove 25 minutes, parked in the crazy City Center parking garage, and got myself, Caden, and Davis in the store for these bones and we weren't leaving without them. 

So, I walked up to the butcher and said, "Umm, do you have any beef bones?" The butcher said he had to check in the back and came back out holding FLINSTONE STYLE HUGE WHOLE beef bones. These WERE NOT the small cut up bones from the packages out front. These were HUGE in tact leg bones from some poor cow. 

I literally started dry heaving right then and there. The butcher tried to hand them to me and I just kind of waved him off, and turned the other way. I tried to exlain that I needed them to be smaller and he cheerfully said, "OK!" and walked away. I watched him as he walked over to a saw and proceeded to saw them up into little pieces. I can't even tell you the horrible things running through my head at that point. I had to turn around and sing songs in my head. I was seriously about to throw up everywhere. UGH. I can't even write about it anymore. It was horrible. It scarred me even more than I already was. 

When it was all said and done he handed me my package of beef bones, and I carried them through the store like a waitress carrying a tray of food through a restaurant. Above my head where I couldn't see them. Did I look crazy? ABSOLUTELY. But the alternative was to actually puke. So I chose crazy. 

AND...YES - Andrew was the one that made the beef broth. I could not do it. I sat there and stared at the ingredients for about 15 minutes, then just turned and walked away. I may be able to eat the meat right now - but that is one job I still can't do.

That's about it on the Grocery Store front. Exciting?! Yes, I know. I guess I'm still amused by the little things here. 

OH....and a Whole30 update. Day 11 done. Still going strong. I haven't dreamt of food in 2 days! I just am craving peanut butter like nobody's business. Our food the past few days has been pretty boring. Veggies, grilled meat, salads, eggs. That's about it. However, dinner the past two nights has been pretty great. 

DAY 10 DINNER:  Chicken Rogan Josh

Rogan Josh is an Indian dish that Andrew loves. It's traditionally made with lamb, but as you can see from my rant above, I struggle with meat, and lamb is just something I can't do yet. So I made it with Chicken. It was delicious. Next time I am going to halve the amount of cloves she calls for and make it "mild" I did the "medium" version and it was just a touch too spicy. We also made cauliflower rice to put it over. Andrew made it tonight and it was perfect - you could hardly tell that it wasn't real rice! Definitely a keeper though. And I'm loving the blog this recipe came from. Tons of Paleo and Whole30 recipes. www.theclothesmakethegirl.com

DAY 11 DINNER:  Mexican Cottage Pie 

This was a fun one tonight. It definitely helped shake things up a bit. I have to say though, it really reminded me of our favorite Paleo Chili. I even topped mine with some avocado and chopped onion. It was DELICIOUS. Plus we have a ton of leftovers. The sweet potato cauliflower mashed topping was awesome. This is a great way to sneak a ton of vegetables in to your meal. Another keeper for us! 

That's all I've got for tonight. I hope you all enjoy going to the grocery store this week. What I would give to be able to drive up to a store, get out, walk a few feet to get inside, and then find everything I need in one place! You all are spoiled!

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

My Name is Kristina and I Pee During Workouts....

If you don't want to read about pee - or me peeing my pants - just don't read this post. 

You're welcome.

(But seriously, who doesn't want to read about me peeing my pants? It's humbling and it's embarrassing, but I don't really care)

That's right. It happened again...and then again...and then again. I'm starting to think this is just going to be the norm from here on out. 

Those damn double-unders. They get me. EVERY. TIME.

(for my non CrossFit friends; double-under: while jumping rope you jump a little higher, move your wrists a lot faster and the rope goes under your feet two times before you land again. It's seriously hard...until you hit your rhythm. The pros make it look easy - it's not.)

This whole problem started after sweet baby Davis was born. I had never really had this problem before (okay, maybe a LITTLE bit when I was 8 months preggo and doing double-unders) but NEVER to this extent. Poor Andrew was witness to the first peeing-my-pants during a WOD episode. D was 3 weeks old, and I had been cleared for light workout. Andrew came with me to the Box (again non CF friends - that's code for CrossFit gym - I know we are special and annoying, we have all kinds of secret lingo) and held D while I worked out. Well - double-unders were in the warm up, so I picked up the rope and jumped. 

That. Was. A. Mistake.

One double under attempt was all it took, and the pee FLOODED everywhere. Not just a little - a LOT! After I was done with the warm up (yes I continued in my pee soaked pants...I was on a roll. Don't judge.) I walked over to Andrew and said, "Ummm...I just peed my pants." He said, "Really?" and I said - "Just look down" and in my black workout pants was a HUGE wet spot. Not like softball size - but like huge inflated balloon size. There was ZERO control. (and yes...I finished the whole workout like that)

I was hoping this problem would go away - but it still hasn't and we are four months down the road. So - not only is my body all kinds of out-of-whack from birthing sweet D, and I'm exhausted, and a little stressed, but now I need to add "pees my pants" to my resume.

I thought I was alone in this...until I stumbled upon this AWESOME video from the CrossFit Games Facebook page!

Watch it - it's great! Most importantly...

I AM NOT ALONE

And according to The Games Competitors...I am just going at it harder than those that aren't peeing their pants! SO take that. 

If you aren't peeing your pants, you're not doing it right. 

SO - what's the solution? Because, though it's kind of cool that I'm so hardcore that I pee my pants (really though, I'm not that hardcore - I'm just going with that theory instead of the 'week bladder from having a baby 4 months ago' theory) it's not okay to smell like pee wherever I go. 

My short term fix is to properly dress for my WODS (AGAIN non-CF friends WOD: workout of the day). AKA - I have to pretty much wear Depends. I feel like a Grandma. A Grandma doing burpees and double-unders. No offense Grandmas. 

As my sweet husband covertly puts it, "Kristina are you DRESSED (raises eyebrow) for today's WOD?"

I think he is sick of the pee, or me complaining about the pee, though he would never admit it. 

He loves me so much. 

So, I'm out of the closet.. I'm starting a support group for all of my weakened bladder friends. Do you pee when you workout? Join me.

My name is Kristina and I pee during workouts. 

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

Shoo Fee Ma Fee - A Restaurant Review and More...

No...this isn't some crazy babble that I just made up. This is the name of the cool, delicious, Lebanese restaurant we went to tonight. This post may be boring to some - but I know some of my family and friends that REALLY want to know about the food here (I'm talking about you Stephanie and Mary). When we found out we were coming here their biggest concern aside from car bombs, was "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO EAT?" Food is important to us. Very important. It's especially important to Mary and Stephanie. 

Andrew informed us all that Bahrain has some wonderful restaurants...and they DO. So I'm going to start doing some occasional "Restaurant Reviews" for those that care...don't worry there's plenty of personal stories about the day in here as well.

Apparently "Shoo Fee Ma Fee" is a Lebanese catch phrase that means, "What's Up?" and "sparks conversation between friends and encourages them to express themselves". 

(I learned this from the placemat - I love learning while eating).  

So, "Shoo Fee Ma Fee" my friends? 

I'm going to bring this phrase back to the States with me. Though, when we left the restaurant I couldn't remember the name and actually Googled, "Moo Shoo Fee Shoo"...eh, close enough. If you hear me say something like this, just go with it.

We've been cooking most of our meals in the hotel lately - but since we are moving next week to the FAR AWAY islands of Amwaj, we want to visit some of these restaurants while it's convenient. We are getting incredibly spoiled. Amwaj is only 15 minutes away from Adliya, where all of the great places are, but it seems SO FAR. As far as I'm concerned the two are practically worlds away...then Andrew pointed out that back in Maryland it's about as far away as our house was from Target; and I didn't mind making that trip daily (it's Target...who cares about the distance? Oh what I would do for a Target right now...)

We ended up here by accident. Originally Andrew wanted to go out to eat at a place called "JJ's"; an Irish Pub that he remembers from his last trip to Bahrain (4 years ago). This boy loves some mashed potatoes and Shepherd's Pie (I'm sure that's what he would have ordered - I don't even know why he wastes time looking at the menu. I blame the Southern in him). When we got to JJ's, he suddenly remembered that on the weekends it's kind of a "hot spot" - and the place was crowded and ready for the party scene. So as we turned around to head back to our car we passed Shoo Fee Ma Fee and decided to give it a try. 

We were literally THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE! This big huge wonderful place and we were the only patrons. Not always a good sign. (okay, maybe there was one other family there, but they don't count because they were finishing as we arrived). Anyways....it makes a better story if I say we were the ONLY ONES THERE! Servers in Bahrain are pretty attentive, but this time it was even more so. Our server stood off to the side of our table through the ENTIRE meal. If I even looked up at him he rushed over to help. Pretty awesome. 

This is the second time I've been to a really nice, lavish restaurant and been the only party there. It's strange and kind of disconcerting. I don't even think that I can recall a time in the states where I was the only person in a place like this. I don't know how they can afford to stay open. There were like 12-14 different staff that I saw. Oh well, better service for us.

Anyways - back to the food.

The menu was pretty impressive. I've never had Lebanese cousin before, and was intrigued and excited to try it out. After eating super clean for the past week I was only looking at the salad section, then decided that since I had never had Lebanese before, I was going to try some of their dishes - hey, I never said I'm perfect. I do not regret it...well actually my stomach does, my taste buds don't. 

Here's the rundown:

Starter:

 Kafta b/Ajin Manakeesh

I'm so glad this menu had great descriptions and pictures. Kudos to their marketing partners. 

Manakeesh is "The traditional Lebanese fluffy pizza-like delicacy with an infinite choice of delicious toppings and ingredients. It comes to you fresh and hot out of the oven." 

Say what? Fluffy pizza like bread. Sign me up. 

The Kafta b/Ajin variety was, "The famous Lebanese minced beef mixed with chopped parsley and onion. Eat it the traditional way with tomatoes, pickles, and Hommos on the top." (fyi hommos = hummus)

Well - this sold us. Traditional and famous, we had to try it. 

It was good. C and A LOVED it, and I LOVED the bread part. Really - as a whole it tasted like a better more ethnic version of a hamburger to me. The bread was like fluffier better naan bread. Win. Win. That bread...man that bread...I'm going to dream about it. Halfway through my piece I dumped the ingredients and savored the bread. (Good thing I kicked my own ass at the gym today). Now I need to wipe the drool off of my face.

Main Meals:

Caden - Shawarma Arabi: C is our resident shawarma LOVER. He will do anything for a shawarma. Though we already have a favorite place, he still wanted one from here too. So he had the, "Chicken shawarma wrapped in toasted Saj bread. Served with French Fries and a platter of fresh vegetables, mixed pickles, and Tahina or garlic dip." The Saj bread was delicious (yes, Andrew and I stole some of his dinner, hey we had to try it!). C ate his french fries by dipping them in the garlic sauce. That's My boy! C gave his dinner a thumbs up. The Saj bread was just like the manakeesh bread! Delicious. 

Me and Andrew - Falafel Wrap and Djaj w/Jebneh Wrap.  Somehow we both ended up with wraps. Huge amazing menu and we both got these. Oh well - more reason to come back later. The wraps were "fluffy Lebanese bread baked in the oven and wrapped with delicious variety of ingredients."

I had the Falafel: "Fried crushed beans mixed with parsley and our special herbs. Wrapped with tomatoes, pickles, parsley and fresh mint leaves and topped with Tahina sauce"

Andrew had the Djaj w/ Jebneh: "Grilled chicken chops wrapped with lettuce, corn, melted cheese, and our special sauce. "AKA spicy chicken wrap. It was AMAZING. The special sauce was SPICY.

I had never had Falafel before and I liked it, it was kind of like deep fried hummus. Worth trying...but not as awesome as the bread it came in.

Beverage:

Since MOST restaurants aren't allowed to serve alcohol, a lot of them have fabulous juice selections. It's not like the juice you are probably thinking of (ie: apple or orange juice). They make the juice fresh when you order it. It's almost more like a smoothie - but it's only the fruit.

Andrew and I both ordered strawberry, lemon, mint juices. MY NEW LOVE!!! I need to figure out their process. It was refreshing, and delicious, and fantastic. I'm not sure how I lived before this juice. 

Davis ate his fist for dinner. I'm not sure how he gets the whole thing in there - it's pretty impressive. 

I wish I would have taken pictures of everything - but I didn't think to do this review until after we had devoured everything. It was wonderful - we will definitely go again. I am still in disbelief that we were THE ONLY ONES THERE!!! (kind of - definitely the only ones when we left)

Here's a picture of their menu that I found online so you can get a taste of what the food looks like. Wish I could give you a taste for real. Someone needs to invent that.

I think Andrew's meal was the picture on the bottom right. 

As we left and were walking back to the car I got another great glimpse of the AWESOME Bahraini drivers and parkers. 

If your car doesn't fit in a spot. Just do this. 

Block the sidewalk - black the street. No big deal.

I think it's important to note that this was parked outside of the, "Extrovert Cafe" - I'm not sure why, but this name makes me laugh. 

I laughed almost as hard as I did today when I was getting pampered at the salon on base. That sentence should be an oxy-moron. Pampered - salon on base. Hmmm...

Well, in Bahrain, the salon on base rocks. Great service, GREAT prices. I know it's Father's Day weekend, but my husband is just that awesome. He stayed at the hotel with the boys while I went on base and worked out, and got a pedicure and a wax. Hey, he owes me for leaving me all alone on Mother's Day and my birthday a few weeks ago.

Back to the funny part...Bindu, the beautician that was working with me was commenting on the fact that I had come from the gym. She was super sweet and spoke broken English. For the most part we got along. Then she asked, 

"Your husband, is he skinny...or is he like you?"

I'm not sure she meant to imply that I was the opposite of skinny...but she did. It was awesome. Thank you for that Bindu. Good thing I saw the humor in it. I told Andrew tonight and he almost choked on his juice from laughing. 

That's all for now. Now I'm going to go to bed and dream about the fluffy pizza like bread...it's going to be a long time before I eat that again. 

and That's 'Watts' She Said...

"Your Mum, She's Fat"

I was really confused when my husband sent me an article with this title. I thought - wow, he is being mean to my skinny mom...or wow...is he trying to tell ME something?!

I was so wrong. This article made me cry. I think every mom needs to read this...every WOMAN needs to read this. 

See, my husband loves me and supports me in every way imaginable. Yet, he gets SO upset at me when I'm super hard on myself for not looking how I want to look, or not losing all of this pregnancy weight yet, or not being what I 'think' I should be. He gets frustrated when I constantly compare myself to my thinner more beautiful friends that lost their pregnancy weight within weeks of delivering. 

Ultimately, he gets sad that I don't love myself as much as he loves me - and I don't see myself the way that he sees me, and the way that Caden sees me. 

He tells me over and over again how beautiful he thinks I am - but somehow, I don't believe him. This article though...it really spoke to me...and he knew it would. I love him even more for reading it and sending it to me.

I posted the article below - I really hope you read it, I promise you, it won't be a waste of your time. Here are the parts that spoke to me the most...

 "...I have spent my whole life feeling fat. When did fat become a feeling anyway? And because I believed I was fat, I knew I was no good."

"Let us honour and respect our bodies for what they do instead of despising them for how they appear. Focus on living healthy and active lives, let our weight fall where it may, and consign our body hatred in the past where it belongs. When I looked at that photo of you in the white bathing suit all those years ago, my innocent young eyes saw the truth. I saw unconditional love, beauty and wisdom. I saw my Mum."

I have already committed to eating clean and MAKING time to get to the gym, but I was still very much stuck in the mindset of hating my body and ultimately hating myself for looking the way I do. I would look in the mirror and say out loud, "Ugh...I'm disgusting" - (Andrew swore that if I said that one more time he was going to make me repeat, "I am beautiful" 5 times every day). It was poisonous to myself and I was spreading it to my family. I don't want to be this way anymore. I want to love and accept my body. I want to be proud of what it has accomplished and what it can do. Hello...3.5 months ago I had a Pitocin induced labor and had a successful DRUG FREE natural VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) HELLO...that's pretty badass. I literally thought I was going to die - but I NEVER gave up. Let's focus on that! My body can deadlift 215 pounds and endure crazy workouts and burpees and lifting and has run 3 half marathons. I have carried two beautiful babies - and heck, I can still pick up and carry my 5 year old when he needs it. 

First time overhead squatting - 115 pounds...pretty awesome!

So instead of focusing on the imperfections - I am committing to trying to see myself as my boys do - and according to them - I'm the most beautiful woman in the world. 

I know it's going to be hard, and I will look in the mirror occasionally and be upset about what I see, but I am not going to let this define me. 

I am healthy, I am strong, I am loved, and I am beautiful. (Andrew is going to be SO proud of me for saying that!)

I want to share this with my friends and family because I can only hope that this article speaks to you, as it has spoken to me. I know as women we are SO hard on ourselves; and it needs to stop. 

Seriously - please read this, it was beautifully written. I only wish I could write something so wonderful. 

When Your Mother Says She's Fat  by Kasey Edwards

"Dear Mum,

I was seven when I discovered that you were fat, ugly and horrible. Up until that point I had believed that you were beautiful - in every sense of the word. I remember flicking through old photo albums and staring at pictures of you standing on the deck of a boat. Your white strapless bathing suit looked so glamorous, just like a movie star. Whenever I had the chance I'd pull out that wondrous white bathing suit hidden in your bottom drawer and imagine a time when I'd be big enough to wear it; when I'd be like you.

But all of that changed when, one night, we were dressed up for a party and you said to me, ''Look at you, so thin, beautiful and lovely. And look at me, fat, ugly and horrible.''

At first I didn't understand what you meant.

''You're not fat,'' I said earnestly and innocently, and you replied, ''Yes I am, darling. I've always been fat; even as a child.''

In the days that followed I had some painful revelations that have shaped my whole life. I learned that:

1. You must be fat because mothers don't lie.
2. Fat is ugly and horrible.
3. When I grow up I'll look like you and therefore I will be fat, ugly and horrible too.

Years later, I looked back on this conversation and the hundreds that followed and cursed you for feeling so unattractive, insecure and unworthy. Because, as my first and most influential role model, you taught me to believe the same thing about myself.

With every grimace at your reflection in the mirror, every new wonder diet that was going to change your life, and every guilty spoon of ''Oh-I-really-shouldn't'', I learned that women must be thin to be valid and worthy. Girls must go without because their greatest contribution to the world is their physical beauty.

Just like you, I have spent my whole life feeling fat. When did fat become a feeling anyway? And because I believed I was fat, I knew I was no good.

But now that I am older, and a mother myself, I know that blaming you for my body hatred is unhelpful and unfair. I now understand that you too are a product of a long and rich lineage of women who were taught to loathe themselves.

Look at the example Nanna set for you. Despite being what could only be described as famine-victim chic, she dieted every day of her life until the day she died at 79 years of age. She used to put on make-up to walk to the letterbox for fear that somebody might see her unpainted face. 

I remember her ''compassionate'' response when you announced that Dad had left you for another woman. Her first comment was, ''I don't understand why he'd leave you. You look after yourself, you wear lipstick. You're overweight - but not that much.''

Before Dad left, he provided no balm for your body-image torment either.

''Jesus, Jan,'' I overheard him say to you. ''It's not that hard. Energy in versus energy out. If you want to lose weight you just have to eat less.''

That night at dinner I watched you implement Dad's ''Energy In, Energy Out: Jesus, Jan, Just Eat Less'' weight-loss cure. You served up chow mein for dinner. (Remember how in 1980s Australian suburbia, a combination of mince, cabbage, and soy sauce was considered the height of exotic gourmet?) Everyone else's food was on a dinner plate except yours. You served your chow mein on a tiny bread-and-butter plate.

As you sat in front of that pathetic scoop of mince, silent tears streamed down your face. I said nothing. Not even when your shoulders started heaving from your distress. We all ate our dinner in silence. Nobody comforted you. Nobody told you to stop being ridiculous and get a proper plate. Nobody told you that you were already loved and already good enough. Your achievements and your worth - as a teacher of children with special needs and a devoted mother of three of your own - paled into insignificance when compared with the centimetres you couldn't lose from your waist.

It broke my heart to witness your despair and I'm sorry that I didn't rush to your defence. I'd already learned that it was your fault that you were fat. I'd even heard Dad describe losing weight as a ''simple'' process - yet one that you still couldn't come to grips with. The lesson: you didn't deserve any food and you certainly didn't deserve any sympathy.

But I was wrong, Mum. Now I understand what it's like to grow up in a society that tells women that their beauty matters most, and at the same time defines a standard of beauty that is perpetually out of our reach. I also know the pain of internalising these messages. We have become our own jailors and we inflict our own punishments for failing to measure up. No one is crueller to us than we are to ourselves.

But this madness has to stop, Mum. It stops with you, it stops with me and it stops now. We deserve better - better than to have our days brought to ruin by bad body thoughts, wishing we were otherwise.

And it's not just about you and me any more. It's also about Violet. Your granddaughter is only 3 and I do not want body hatred to take root inside her and strangle her happiness, her confidence and her potential. I don't want Violet to believe that her beauty is her most important asset; that it will define her worth in the world. When Violet looks to us to learn how to be a woman, we need to be the best role models we can. We need to show her with our words and our actions that women are good enough just the way they are. And for her to believe us, we need to believe it ourselves.

The older we get, the more loved ones we lose to accidents and illness. Their passing is always tragic and far too soon. I sometimes think about what these friends - and the people who love them - wouldn't give for more time in a body that was healthy. A body that would allow them to live just a little longer. The size of that body's thighs or the lines on its face wouldn't matter. It would be alive and therefore it would be perfect.

Your body is perfect too. It allows you to disarm a room with your smile and infect everyone with your laugh. It gives you arms to wrap around Violet and squeeze her until she giggles. Every moment we spend worrying about our physical ''flaws'' is a moment wasted, a precious slice of life that we will never get back.

Let us honour and respect our bodies for what they do instead of despising them for how they appear. Focus on living healthy and active lives, let our weight fall where it may, and consign our body hatred in the past where it belongs. When I looked at that photo of you in the white bathing suit all those years ago, my innocent young eyes saw the truth. I saw unconditional love, beauty and wisdom. I saw my Mum.

Love, Kasey xx

This is an excerpt from Dear Mum, a collection of letters from Australian sporting stars, musicians, models, cooks and authors revealing what they would like to say to their mothers before it's too late, or would have said if only they'd had the chance.

All royalties go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Published by Random House and available now.

- Daily Life"

So, here's to committing to a life of loving, honoring, and respecting our bodies. Eat clean, stay active, push yourself, love yourself. I'm going to try - who's with me? 

and That's 'Watts' She Said...