Psycho-Nazi-Paleo --Brigitte

It's the first of the month, and a Monday...seems exactly perfect conditions for a whole30 challenge for me!

The last one I tried didn't go as planned; I had an unexpected trip to California thrown at me (to help my best friend clean out her grandmother's house), which led to a frightening amount of crap being eaten. Also in the last few weeks I lived through several double shifts at work, and my husband's birthday meals. OINK.

So. Away I go.

I didn't eat til about 3:30pm today. Drank lots of water to make up for it, but was trying to give my body a chance to flush out whatever amount of junk it could before I started putting healthy stuff back in. Once I got home from errands and yoga, I chopped up the leftovers from last night's ribeye steak, and threw it in a pan along with two scrambled eggs. Topped with avocado, I can definitely say the first meal of the new month was a WIN. Tonight is my small group night, and I know I won't be home around the dinner hour, so I threw together zucchini hummus and a fruit/spinach smoothie to round out the next couple of hours.

Zucchini Hummus (shamelessly copied from www.fastpaleo.com)
2 peeled and cut zucchini
3/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend thoroughly.

My review of above recipe: too salty. Too tahini-y. However...I rarely eat hummus by itself, and once I dipped cherry tomatoes into the mix, I liked it! Next time, though, I will cut back on the salt and tahini.
For my smoothie I combined fresh raspberries, frozen strawberries, a banana, a handful of spinach, and some coconut milk. Scrumptious :)

Now here's the real business.
I am going to post my measurements.
Egads.
This to keep me honest...and vulnerable, and accountable. Because I know I won't want to post the same numbers at the end of the month! This is NOT intended for any reason other than that.

As of August 1st:
Biceps: 11
Waist (at belly button, cuz that's where I'm widest): 33
Hips: 36.5
Rt Thigh (at the widest): 21.75
Rt Calf (at widest): 15

My upper body looks leaned out, muscular. The bottom two-thirds...not so much. Looking at those measurements, I see a recipe for heart disease (not enough difference between waist and hips)! Planning on this month changing these stats a bit.

Onwards and Upwards!