Whole30: COMPLETE!

So about 30 days ago, Jake and I launched ourselves into a lifestyle change. I was fed up feeling shitty after eating and over eating and he wanted a new challenge. So we started eating Paleo. 

This past Wednesday, we completed our first 30 days of the challenge! To sum up the experience, I have really enjoyed not only the challenge of the first 30 days but I really like the results!

As a "special treat" in celebration of our first 30 days, Jake and I decided to embark on a food journey through all our old favorite foods. It mainly started because for the past week I've been craving cheese pizza. Every night, we would tell each other what we've been craving lately. So yesterday, we decided to eat whatever we wanted, in secret hopes that it'd make us feel shitty and we won't want them again.

Let me tell you, it totally worked. For lunch, we went to BarHop and had fried pickles and french fries to start. Then I ordered one of my favorites, a Reuben sandwich, with a Cesar salad on the side (I didn't think I was going to be able to do that many fries...). It was all very, very delicious but this was how much of my lunch I was able to eat:

 

Yup, that's it! I managed half of and half of a sandwich and a few big pieces of lettuce. It was so good but almost instantly, I started to feel too full and really, really gross. it didn't help that before lunch Jake wanted to get donuts (Canada, if you didn't know, is pretty famous for Tim Horton's. It's like the Canadian Dunkin Donuts but way, way better. The donuts are absolutely to die for and we wanted one...or two...).

 

After getting our lunches wrapped up to take home, we stopped by Shoppers (Canadian version of Rite Aid) to get some Tums...and Easter Candy (we thought, hey go big or go home). We stumbled home and crashed on the couch, both to take a food-induced nap to help settle our tummy's.

 

The nap didn't help.

 

About 3 hours later, I felt like someone had inserted a beach ball into my body and was slowly blowing it up. Last night I couldn't help thinking, "I can't wait till I get to eat carrots and hard boiled eggs tomorrow."

 

All in all, I'm glad we felt like shit last night. It made me shudder at the leftover box I saw in the fridge this morning as I reached for my orange and hard boiled eggs for breakfast.

 

I don't think I've lost a ton of weight over the past month. I started working out more (about 6 days a week) and am feeling better. I sleep great and I never, ever get that too full, gross feeling after I eat. I'm excited to continue with paleo this next month and work out more. I think after the next 30 days, we'll allow ourselves another cheat day. I'm looking forward to some wings in 30 days!

 

Jake with his tiny beer!

I felt miserable in thsi picture...

 

My first real beer in a long while...so good!

Fried pickles and french fries.




 

 

 

Weekend In Photos (And a few from last week!)

Oh boy! Is it "Monday" already?! We had a three day weekend in Canada for some Civic holiday, which meant I had a four day weekend since I already have Friday's off! OVer that weekend was my 24th birthday (eek!) and I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of those who wished me a happy day! It turned out so, so great!

I had a job interview, which I am still waiting to hear results, then Jacob took me to MAC and bought me all this new make up, after getting my make up done for the day. I have never owned nice thing, let alone amazing, expensive make up! All I want to do is play with it. Then we went to lunch at an adorable little Italian place on Spadina Ave downtown. 

And after a little bit of shopping (which was unsuccessful), went to cocktails with some new friends at Beir Market, where we were thrilled to see an amazing selection of beer! As you know, we're on a beer quest so I think when we have more time, we'll have to come back and explore the selection here! Then he surprised me with an amazing dinner. And I'm talking amazing. So fancy. Probably the best food I've ever had and, as Jake put it after paying the bill, probably a once in a life time kind of place (hah! What a great guy!). The wine was so delicious, it was like butter in your mouth. I wanted to take pictures so badly but it was the kind of place where you do NOT do that. But I snuck a few, fuzzy as they are, you get the idea! Here are some Instagram's (which you can follow me @FreyaLily88) and some regular photos! 

Breakfast this morning. Getting back on the health wagon!

A lecture at Hotel Ocho. Beautiful.

Where I had my interview (Post Magazine, not Bayview Magazine)

Penne ala vodka, of course.

Scaramouche for dinner, appetizer: goat cheese three ways. Amazing.

Scaramouche: Partridge. Probably the best thing I've ever eaten. 

Birthday outfit: Salmon dress, black belt, diamonds Gram's gave
 me for Christmas, wedges and Armani blazer from Gram's.

Saturday stroll around Harbourfront. I hate the use of "ou".

Harbourfront. So big you forget it's a lake.

Walking up Yonge St past the Russian immigrants. 

Chopstick walrus.

Sunday lunch with friends at the Ultimate Cafe.
Montreal Smoked Meat sammie and a garden salad.

Morning coffee: B-52 (Kailua, Bailey's and Grand Mariner) 

$5 craft beers. Tractor beer.

How was your weekend???

Come on, Canada, lets be real.

So Jacob and I have been in Toronto almost three weeks now. While it feels like forever already there is one thing we keep noticing that's quite different up here. 

The beer.

Craft Beer.

So far, Jacob has been appalled by the beer here. He continues to order IPA's that don't taste like IPA's. He's been horrified. Me? Honestly, I'm totes cool with light beer. I don't really enjoy extremely hoppy beer so Canadian beer and I have been getting along great.

We were in LCBO, which is Canadian for liquor store, and looking at beer. They were mostly pilsners or lagers. Jake wanted something rich, flavorful and hops filled. Eventually he located a warm 6 pack of Hoptical Illusion and we waltzed home, me cradling my lager while he mumbles about IPA's. 

We got to chatting on the walk home about why he hasn't been able to find any beers he likes so far. We thought maybe the hops crops here aren't as abundant in Canada as they are in the States. Maybe it's too cold? Maybe they don't know any better? Maybe we're just stuck in a country where beer is light? (which again, I do not mind)

But after a bit of reading, I am sad to announce to Jacob but we are wrong. Canadian's love their beer, thinking it almost superior to American beer (to which I laugh). They pride in hops and craft beers here, however, they do prefer the lighter, lager taste.

So my conclusion? I will set off on a beer adventure! I will venture out, obvio with Jacob, to discover the best beers in Canada! We will find Jacob his IPA if it takes a whole year of drinking!

If you are from Canada or know Canadian beers, do you have any suggestions?? I couldn't honestly tell you what ones we've tried because they all have weird a$$ names and there's a lot of French involved...