slow and steady

It’s a new year. Again. Does anyone else feel like they should stay the same age this year’s birthday? Can I turn 26 again in 2021? 2020 was a limbo year. When 2021 hit, like most others, I set some new year intentions. Also like most others, one of those intentions is to lose some weight and gain some strength. Ground-breaking, right? This time felt and is different though. I didn’t set a date that revolved around me being in a swim suit. I didn’t start January off with a Whole30 or cut out sugar, although I almost started a Whole30. So what’s changed? Why is this time different? Why is this year, really the year I get healthier again?

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meal preppin’ once again

After much back and forth {and to be honest laziness}, I decided it was time to meal prep for the week once again.  This has been a back and forth relationship indeed.  I used to go over the top with the prep and it ended up stressing me out–not the end goal.  After trial and error, I’ve found the best way for me, and here is how it goes…

thai turkey chili

It may be Spring, but in Colorado, that still means cold, windy and/or snowy days here and there.  And when that happens, I am in the mood for something to warm me up, so how about some chili?  Thai Turkey Chili to be exact!  It’s so good.  Good things can happen when you have some random ingredients laying around.

day thirty-one | thoughts on whole thirty

Day 31.  31!!!  I did it!  We did it!  If you just completed your January Whole30, congratulations!  If you are still on a Whole30 (like my best friend), keep after it!  It’s worth it.  In this post I’ll dive into all the things I accomplished, my experiences, my plans for now, etc.  

day twenty-six | whole thirty

Hello beautiful humans!

It’s day 26 on my Whole30–26!

I can’t believe it.  If you can’t tell, my spirits are high and my energy is THROUGH THE ROOF! (I challenge you to count the number of exclamation points in this post… *wink*)

Here is a recap of the last few weeks, plus a delicious omelette…

halfway whole thirty

Cheers!  Today marks two week into my Whole30.  Yes, I am still rocking and rolling along.  I stopped the everyday updates.  The days started running together and there wasn’t much to update daily.  So here I am.  I do have a few tips and tricks I have learned along the way to make things go a bit more smooth during this journey.

non-scale victories | day three

image downloaded from the Wholesome newsletter (subscribe at whole30.com)

Day three in the books and I am rearing and ready to rock!  My Whole 30 is going swell so far (if you can’t tell).  I surprisingly haven’t really been feeling the effects of the Whole 30 timeline (knock on wood).  I am not complaining though!  Here are some things I have noticed so far:

hello goodnight sleep | day two

Happy day two of the Whole 30!  Holy sleep cycles!  This is my biggest non-scale victory so far, and it’s only day two.  Last night, I got the best night of sleep I have had since coming home for the holidays.  To be honest, I cannot recall the last time I got NINE hours of sleep–that’s right, nine!  I even went into “deep” sleep for the longest time since getting my Fitbit for Christmas.  

new year the whole30 way | day one

I am doing the January Whole30 reset.  Two years ago, I did a Paleo Challenge that sort of morphed into a Whole30.  I didn’t do my research.  I was new to it all.  I begun with paleo and as I did more research, I stumbled upon the Whole30 and began following the program then.  I slipped a few times, I cut it a day short, I didn’t scrutinize labels… It wasn’t really a Whole30 at all, which brings me to now.

more than a cupcake

I posted this on my Instagram (@emvalerioti) a few weeks ago.  It was a huge moment for me, one that I am still proud of.  It also is so prominent because Melissa Hartwig, Whole30 headmistress herself, gave me positive affirmations on my food freedom story, and approved of my selection of cupcake with the “proper cupcake to frosting ratio.”  Love. Love.  Love.  I don’t have celeb crushes really, Robert Downey Jr. aside, but I do have some serious author/blogger crushes.  Melissa being one of them.  Keep reading to read my original post on Instagram, word for word and see a pic of when I met Melissa two months ago, eep!