First, a quick recap of yesterday (Day 3). Dinner was a rather generous portion of the Chicken Tikka Masala that my wife and I made on Sunday. It was yummy, but it seemed like a pretty big portion. Either that, or I’m being very hard on myself and being very thoughtful about portion sizes. But I was not only sated, but it was delicious. This week, my wife made all our favorites; okay, she made all MY favorites, and it makes rolling into this Whole30 a lot easier when the foods are delicious.

This morning, I skipped weighing myself. Not because of any particular reason other than I woke up about 30 minutes later than I like, and I got dressed quickly before I realized I hadn’t weighed myself. Oh well; I’ll do it tomorrow morning.

Today’s breakfast was the Catalina Crunch (keto cereal) with blueberries. I know: cereal is SWYPO according to W30, but I NEVER eat real cereal. Heck, it’s been nearly eight years since I had real cereal, so I’m not replacing anything from the “Pre-Paleo Diet” days. I do stick to the rules on ingredients, portion size, and 99% of the SWYPO rules, but I can’t give up the one quick breakfast I have that sates my appetite until lunchtime with almost no prep.

Lunch will be chili. I freaking love chili. I have since I was a kid. I loved it so much that my grandmother used to tease me about it. Whenever I spent the weekends with my grandparents, most times we’d go out camping if the weather was nice. On those trips, they’d always stop somewhere; usually a diner or some non-fast food place. I was kind of picky about food; I didn’t like hamburgers or cheeseburgers, and not many places had hot dogs, so my go-to was chili. It was almost always great, and I grew to really love it. I remember going somewhere and my grandmother saying, “This time, try to pick anything other than chili.” I went through the menu and explained to her why each of the other items didn’t meet my culinary expectations or needs. She sighed and relented; “Fine. Get your chili.” She loved telling that story. I honestly think of her every time I eat chili.

Dinner will likely be the meatloaf and sweet potato hash. It’s another one of my absolute favorites, and a food I didn’t really grow to appreciate until my mid-20’s. My mother cooked almost exclusively Hungarian cuisine for my family, with the occasional exception of French or Italian food. I loved all kinds of food, but when it came to hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and meatloaf, I had an aversion. They seemed so pedestrian compared to the amazing meals I was accustomed to from my mother. School lunches were a challenge; there were days I didn’t eat the main portion if it was one of those three food items and I’d just eat the sides. I’d trade away my burgers for chips or fruit.

But then something crazy happened. When I was 13 or 14, I used to ride my bike a lot. Like 30-40 miles a day. I would ride my little 12-speed to neighboring towns, and most days, I’d find myself far from home and hungry. I started asking my mother for lunch money on those days I rode far, and since it was summertime, she was glad to give me the money to make me disappear for the day so she could focus on her housework. One day, I was riding and got very hungry, and as I was riding past a McDonald’s, I could smell the fries. I loved fries. So I went inside and as I was about to order fries, the person in front of me ordered a Quarter Pounder with no cheese. I thought that was a good option, and I’d work my way through it with the fries and a Coke. So, I got the Quarter Pounder, fries, and a Coke and I sat down. I took a bite of the burger expecting to be repulsed, but it was amazing. I don’t know if it was because I was so hungry, so tired, or both, but it just hit different. From that point on, burgers were on the table.

Meatloaf took a little longer. I was in the Marines and as an MP, we were not allowed to eat at the chow hall (dining facility) due to our work schedule and because we were paid a stipend for food in lieu of dining privileges. So, the other Marines and I would search out the best places to eat that fit within our budgets. One was Bob’s Big Boy, and the other was Norm’s, a diner in Santa Ana, California. One day at Norm’s, I asked what the daily special was (these were always very generous portions for an incredibly reasonable price), and on that day, it was meatloaf. I didn’t have much cash on me, but I had enough for the special and the tip, so I went for it, and it was amazing. Once again, I marveled at having missed out on meatloaf for so long (at the time lol) in my life. Like hamburgers before it, meatloaf was now on the table.

Cheeseburgers never quite made it. I can abide a swiss burger, but I prefer my burgers without cheese. I don’t know what it is. My wife thinks it’s because I respect cheese too much, and maybe she’s right. I do like cheese; just not on burgers. I love nachos, Mexican food, French food, and even Hungarian foods with cheese on it. Just leave it off my burgers.

Anyway, that’s a stupid long explanation of why the meatloaf tonight is going to be a treat, and I’m looking forward to it. Fortunately, my wife sets the portions, so I wont’ over-eat. But I will eat slowly and savor it.

I have a slight headache today that I recognize as the Whole30 haze. But on the positive side, the cravings were much lower yesterday than the day before, and I expect them to be even less today. I also feel less bloated; I measure this with what I call the “Ring test.” I check to see how easy it is for me to take my wedding ring off. If it comes off easily, then I’m not bloated. But if it is hard to remove or doesn’t come off at all… well, then I know I’m bloating, and it’s usually from grains, dairy, or sugar (of which I had all of while in the Balkans).

I’m excited. The more I get into this Whole30, the more motivated I am becoming. I don’t look at the foods I can’t eat; I actually prefer the Whole30 foods because I know they’re healthy for me, and I know that in between meals, I will feel so much better in a few weeks. There’s no replacing that with bread or a dessert.