The 30 Day Carnivore Challenge

Day Thirty: The Final Post

It's official... the 30 Day Carnivore Challenge has ended. It has been an amazing experience for Shell and I to go through together. He has learned so much in last few weeks, tried new foods, made some new friends, fell in love with this vegan restaurant, learned to like broccoli, and has become more aware of his food and where it comes from. As I write this last post, he is on his way to get his blood work done. Last night we had talked about everything he was going to eat today including a McDonald's sausage mcmuffin on his way home from the blood lab. Then on his way out this morning, he said "I'm not sure I want to stop at McDonald's anymore..." Interesting.

So what now? Shell went into this challenge because I asked him to and he came out of it with a completely different mindset. I know that Shell will never give up meat & dairy for the rest of his life... I knew that going into the challenge. But he has said multiple times that he is ready to cut back substantially and only eat it on occasion. He has realized that his health is not something that he can take for granted anymore and as the saying goes, we'd rather "pay our grocer than our doctor." Click HERE for his Results.

Breakfast: Vegan McMuffin

Lunch: Thai Food!

Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry w/ Steamed White Rice

Dinner: Chipotle Veggie Bowl w/ Guac

Dessert: Vegan Glazed Doughnut Holes & Vanilla "Ice Cream"

Day Twenty Nine: Losing MORE Weight!!

I can't believe how much weight Shell has lost during this challenge! The big reveal will be at the end of day 30 so be sure to stay tuned. The best part of this weight loss for Shell has been that he has never felt hungry or deprived. All of the stomach irritation he had during the first couple weeks is completely gone and he feels fresher, lighter, and has much more energy overall. Tomorrow we are celebrating a turkey-friendly pre-Thanksgiving dinner with our friends and family and everyone is so excited to see Shell and congratulate him on his journey.

Breakfast: Jamba Berry Topper w/ NO yogurt

Lunch: Wood Ranch BBQ Chop Salad w/ Portabella Mushroom & no ranch

*not pictured*

Dinner: Veg Lasagna & Steamed Broccoli

Day Twenty Eight: Another 30 Days??

Saturday night, Shell and I were on our way to see A Christmas Carol in 3D and we were talking about what day he was going to get his blood taken next week. Well, instead of the answer I was expecting, "as soon as I wake up on Wednesday morning," Shell turned to me and said the unexpected. "Maybe I should do this vegan thing until the end of year..." What?! You want to continue to not eat meat until the end of the year? What about Thanksgiving? We started when we did just so you could have turkey on Thanksgiving. A few moments of silence passed... "Ehh, I don't really care if I have turkey or not," he says. "I would rather go until the end of the year and (here's where the catch was) then get my blood test. Yes, you heard the man. He almost backed out of getting his blood work taken on Wednesday because he thinks he can show better results after one more month. Well, of course I'm sure that's correct. But the whole point is to see what type of results you can get after ONLY 30 days! After a bit of back and forth, he agreed to get his blood drawn this week but now he took back the extra 30 days. Go figure...

Breakfast: Oatmeal Apple Crisp

Lunch: Veggie Pizza w/ Daiya "Cheeze"

Don't you wish you had daiya cheeze... mmmm... I do!!

Dinner: A Special Treat!!

Lentil Pancakes, Steamed Rice, Potatoes, Veggies, Beans & Tomato Soup

Day Twenty Seven: 3 Day Countdown

Breakfast: Cheezy Bakin Hash, Van's Flax Waffles

Lunch: Penne w/ Spinach & Creamy Tomato Sauce

Dinner: Mary's Secret Garden

Open Faced BBQ Sandwich & Berry Smoothie

Day Twenty Six: Who Needs Meat?

Seriously... who needs meat when you can eat french toast and bbq burgers? If you had a tasty substitute for every guilty pleasure you loved, wouldn't you switch for your health and for the health of your family? Not only is all the food ~~tasty~~ ~~good~~ mouth-watering, you wont get the food-hangovers associated with all the salt, fat and animal protein. Just ask Shell!

Breakfast:

Vegan French Toast w/ Strawberry Compote

Lunch: Corn, Tomato & Arugula Pockets ("pocket" not shown)

Dinner: BBQ "Bakin Cheeze" Burgers

Day Twenty Five: Pillowy-Gnocchi Heaven!

I'm skipping the day's events and moving straight to Shell's new favorite [pasta] dinner. We got home sorta late and I was totally rushed to get something on the table. After checking out the pantry and the fridge, I grabbing ingredients that I thought would just go well together. Gnocchi, pomadora sauce, tomato paste, cashews, garlic, hot pepper flakes, fresh cherry tomatoes, zucchini, fresh basil... that's good! The sauce couldn't have been more perfect! Between the creaminess from the cashews, the kick from the hot pepper flakes, the pop-in-your-mouth from the cooked cherry tomatoes and, of course, the pillowy gnocchi... we ~~devoured~~ savored every bite!

Breakfast: "Cheezy" hash with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes & "cheeze"

Mid-Morning Snack: 30DCC Approved Energy Bar

Lunch: Chewy's Famous Chicken Salad sans chicken & cheese

*not pictured*

Dinner: Yes... the most amazing pasta

Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Heaven

Dessert: Leftover Almond-Butter Cup

Day Twenty Four: Still No Cravings

You'd think that as approach the end of Shell's 30 Day Challenge he would start to get anxious for a big, juicy, cheeseburger! Well, to my surprise, not only does he still not have any cravings, he has also lost his after-dinner-sweet-tooth. Last night, I experimented with my own peanut-butter cups. When I presented one to him for dessert, he said that he totally forgot about having dessert since he wasn't even craving anything sweet! Interesting...

Breakfast: Melted Banana Oatmeal

Thanks to a trick I learned from Chocolate-Covered Katie,

melt some banana in the microwave and then mix it with your oats.

Using a hand mixer makes it that much creamier!!