Ann Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Here we go! I'm a TOTAL newbie, but read the book last week and am seriously ready to do this. I want to have more energy, sleep better, lose some weight, and just generally feel really good. Day 1 Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs (org/free range) 2 slices uncured bacon 1/2 avocado 12 oz low-sodium V-8 Cup of decaf tea (Egyptian Licorice, my fav!) Plan for lunch: Big salad with mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, and Applegate turkey slices Dressing: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and garlic 1/2 sweet potato with cinnamon and ghee Snacks packed "just in case" (I suspect the first few days will be tough): Macadamia nuts Lara Bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted July 9, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 9, 2012 Welcome. Your food looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 So far so good - I'm glad I brought my snacks though, they helped. I will eat a little more at breakfast tomorrow, and add more protein to my salad at lunch. It's now 5pm and I'm leaving the office, dinner probably around 7-ish. I'm not feeling hungry at all, so I'm feeling pretty confident that today will be a total success. Tonight's dinner: Salmon (baked with fresh herbs, garlic and lemon juice) Roasted asparagus Steamed broccoli San Pellegrino w/slice of lime Dessert: Walk the neighborhood with a friend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 10, 2012 Author Share Posted July 10, 2012 *gasp* I know we aren't really supposed to track calories, etc., but just finishing the first day, I was curious how it added up. I plugged my food into FitDay, and it looks like I ate 2365 calories, and 156 GRAMS OF FAT!!! That can't be good, can it?? (27 saturated, 21 polyunsaturated, 98 monounsaturated.) Good news: 49 grams of fiber, and 97 grams of protein, and according to FitDay I met the RDA on everything except calcium, iron (very low) and vitamin D. Definitely putting lots of spinach on tomorrow's menu. 1 avocado 3 eggs 2 strips bacon 12 oz V-8 Generous handful of macadamia nuts Lara Bar 2+ C salad greens, 1 tomato, 10 slices cucumber 3 slices deli turkey Homemade balsamic/olive oil/mustard dressing 1/2 yam (with salt + cinnamon) 5 oz salmon (cooked with olive oil/herb marinade) 1.5 c steamed broccoli 15 asparagus spears (roasted with yet more olive oil...) (best guess olive oil = 3T between salad, salmon + asparagus) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 I made it thru my second day! Biggest complaint - caffeine withdrawal headache/body aches throughout the day. I know I can have caffeine, but since my preferred method of ingestion is coffee with half & half, I decided to switch to tea, and my favorite happens to be caffeine-free. So now is as good a time as any to eliminate caffeine. My numbers in FitDay look better tonight - I think eating an entire avocado, too many macadamia nuts, and using olive oil in too many places yesterday sent my fat off the charts. Today it was only (only?!) 95g (27 of those saturated), which still seems like too much, but I'm going to try to just have faith and trust the plan. If there's a moderator/expert out there, I'd love some reassurance that even with 95g of fat, I'm on track... Day 2 Food: Meal 1 3 eggs scrambled 2 slices uncured bacon 12 oz V8 Meal 2 2C mixed salad greens 2 small tomatoes 3/4 of a cucumber 5 slices deli turkey (Applegate) 1/2 avocado Dressing (homemade - olive oil, balsamic, dijon) Meal 3 1C green beans (steamed) 1/3 of an acorn squash Chicken thigh (boneless/skinless) "Country Captain" sauce (onion, raisins, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, coconut milk, lime juice) Snacks 3 dried pineapple rings (omg, these are dangerous...) Lara Bar (cherry pie) 5 macadamia nuts (five... not 22... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Jeanne Penrod Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I think they want you to lose the notion of tracking calories and start to listen to your cues for food. Is it food or habit why your hungry? Trust me I was a calorie counter for 10 years after losing 160+ lbs but I'm so tired of being a slave to it. Stick to your portion sizes and gauge how you feel with what you've eaten. Not knocking the counting calories, but ir may not really help you get the psychological part of ISWF, which ultimately what they want you to work on through eating whole foods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 I really plan to not count calories/fat grams/etc -- really I do! But for the first couple of days, I guess I just really felt a need to know. I can get really OCD at times with lists, etc, and sometimes it's hard to help myself. And I swear, I will stop, beginning tomorrow!! But still .. isn't the 156 grams of fat I ingested on Monday a little concerning?? Maybe my body and mind will get in sync pretty soon and I will just eat what I need, and if that's 156 grams of fat, then I guess that's what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Today I didn't need a mid-morning snack to bridge Meals 1-2, didn't even think about it. I was ready for lunch, but not starving. Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 12, 2012 Author Share Posted July 12, 2012 Day number three - CHECK! Today's victory - someone offered me chocolate, and I declined. I like dried pineapple slices better anyway, right? Meal 1 3 eggs scrambled 2 slices uncured bacon 6 sliced mushrooms 12 oz V8 Meal 2 1.5 chicken thighs (boneless/skinless) "Country Captain" sauce (onion, raisins, ginger, garam masala, curry powder, coconut milk, lime juice) A few leftover green beans 1/4C leftover squash 1C mixed salad greens, 1 small tomato, 1 medium roasted beet Dressing (homemade - olive oil, balsamic, dijon) Meal 3 Brussels sprouts (steamed then sauteed with garlic/ghee) Spinach salad (with red onion, grape tomatoes, red peppers, and homemade dressing) Grass-fed filet mignon (on the grill, YUM) Snacks 3 dried pineapple rings Banana w/1T almond butter Small handful of freeze dried banana slices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 Day 4, still on track. Success of the day: Had "dinner and drinks" with the girls and not a cheat to be seen! I sort of over-did the snacks this afternoon in anticipation, because I didn't want to be hungry and have a moment of weakness when I was out. So, at dinner I stuck with water with a slice of lime, and had a "black and blue" salad with mixed greens, tomatoes, and blackened sirloin, and had them leave off the dressing and the blue cheese crumbles (I guess that makes it just a "black salad" hehe), and had them bring me olive oil and vinegar. I asked what was on the outside of the steak, and the waiter said only cajun seasoning, and it was seared over a flame not pan fried, so the whole thing seemed pretty compliant to me -- and it was delicious. I was able to look away from the cheesy spinach dip and tortilla chips, and just focus on our great conversation. It was a good night. Looking over my food today, I'm thinking I need to cut back on snacking. I think having the "safe snacks" with me at work makes me THINK about snacking, and then I start craving those nuts, or the dried pineapple, or the half an avocado in the office fridge. I've tried the "glass of water" or "cup of tea" to figure out of I'm really hungry, but I still just keep thinking "maybe I need a snack .....", when really I could probably make it to the next meal just fine. Actually, just typing this makes me feel like having a snack ... there's a banana and a jar of almond butter right behind me..... this is something I will need to work on. Today's food: Meal 1 3 eggs, fried in ghee (with Frank's Red Hot) Steamed broccoli V-8 Meal 2 4 slices Applegate turkey lunchmeat 1/2 acorn squash with a little ghee and cinnamon Broccoli rabe (steamed) 1 nectarine Meal 3 Mixed salad greens Blackened sirloin w cajun seasoning Tomato Oil & Vinegar Snacks (too many, but it was for good reason - so I wouldn't be tempted to eat something off-plan when I was out with the girls tonight) 2 slices dried pineapple (before lunch) after lunch: 1 nectarine (my nectarine at lunch was so good, I had to eat another) 1/2 avocado 20 almonds 5 macadamia nuts (too many nuts...) * 8:45pm update - add banana/almond butter to list of snacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Today (day 5) was a weird day -- I attended an all-day college orientation/registration with my son. We were scrambling to get out the door, but I managed to fry up some eggs and ghee, and chug down a V-8, and called it good. I was hungry by mid-morning, and nibbled a few macadamia nuts to get thru to lunch. Lunch was served buffet style, with slim pickings. I had a small salad (greens and cherry tomatoes) with no dressing (blechk), and a big spoonful of limp, over-salted, probably frozen vegetables. I supplemented it with a Lara Bar and the rest of my macadamia nuts. I left the orientation early to spend a couple hours at the office, and had a banana and small handful of almonds at my desk for a late afternoon snack, and then a nectarine (I was hungry - lunch was truly unsatisfying). Got home 20 minutes ago, it is now 7:40, and I haven't yet made dinner. I'm hungry (my stomach is actually rumbling), but needed a few minutes to sit down and decompress before cooking. Despite the unusual day, I am still on track. Lesson learned -- plan ahead for the weird days, not just the "regular" days. Oh, and I'm exhausted and hungry and I WANT A GLASS OF WINE. But I am drinking a cold Pellegrino on the rocks with a twist of lime. Day 5 Food: Meal 1 3 eggs fried in ghee 12 oz low-salt V-8 Meal 2 Salad greens/tomatoes Mushy boiled vegetable medley Lara Bar 5 macadamia nuts Meal 3 Organic chicken breast, probably in the oven with olive oil and seasoning of some sort Steamed asparagus Mixed greens w/avocado, red onion & mushrooms AND homemade yummy dressing (balsamic/olive oil/dijon) Snacks 5 macadamia nuts Banana Nectarine Small handful of almonds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Glad to report my first Saturday has been (so far) successful. I ran errands in the morning, and another errand in the afternoon, which kept me busy and my mind off snacks. Only one snack today! Feeling good! I'm having trouble staying off the scale. That isn't grounds for starting over, is it? I am going to go right now and put the scale in the garage so it won't tempt me anymore. One of my errands was a trip to Whole Foods. I know now why I've heard it called "Whole Paycheck Foods" -- wow, they've got some great stuff. Like AMAZING deli roast beef (at $15/lb!) - it is SO good. I bought quite a bit of good meat and tons of organic veggies. One of my challenges is that I have diverse eaters in my household: My 20 yr old daughter (home from college for the summer) has been vegetarian for six years, and she has gone vegan for the summer. She is often just cooking for herself, but I do try to keep her in mind when shopping and cooking. And my 18 yr old son, who brings all kinds of goodies (baddies) into the house (chips, soda, ice cream...). Fortunately, he is easy to feed, and will eagerly eat nearly anything I put in front of him. He has no problem eating vegan, or paleo (or McDonalds). But when I was shopping today, I was trying to decide whether I ought to get some milk for him. I decided against it - he doesn't need milk. But it somehow feels weird to not have milk in the house. Day 6: Meal 1 Handful of spinach, sauteed in ghee 2 eggs over-easy Grape tomatoes 1/2 avocado Meal 2 Thin sliced roast beef (the REALLY good stuff from Whole Foods) Steamed broccoli with homemade balsamic/olive oil dressing 5 macadamia nuts Meal 3 Pork tenderloin rubbed w garam masala - grilled 1/2 sweet potato w ghee and cinnamon Steamed green beans Snacks Banana w/1T almond butter (and one single juicy grape, which escaped the bag as I was putting away groceries ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 can you share where you found that dried pineapple? So far I haven't seen any without sugar added, which seems so strange when pineapple is so so sweet (now I'm craving it, urg. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Oh, forgot to mention - helping my son make himself an egg salad sandwich, a blob of mayonnaise dripped off the spoon on the cutting board, without thinking I scooped it up with my finger and put it in my mouth. I didn't even close my mouth, but looked at my son with my mayonnaise-laden tongue hanging out and said "AAHHHH!!", grabbed a paper towel and wiped it clean before I could swallow any. Hahah! My kid thinks I'm crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Missmary - the dried pineapple rings are at Trader Joe's. Ingredients: Pineapple. And you are right, it would be totally gross if you added sugar, it is already like candy. Which is I'm sure why Whole30 warns us to be careful with dried fruits. I left my baggie of them in my desk at work so I wouldn't be tempted all weekend .... I could very easily sit down and eat the entire bag in one sitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmary Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 ok, thanks...although you are right, I might be better off not tempting myself with candy-like substances at the moment, lol. it is hard enough staying away from the (fresh) cherries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 I'm thinking I should keep track of my sleep too - I've been sleeping SO MUCH better since I started (eliminating caffeine and alcohol can do that for a person). I have a long history of going to bed around 11, waking at 3 or 4am, tossing/turning/obsessing about stupid things for 2+ hours, then sleeping lightly for an hour or two until I have to get up at 7. I have low back pain, and am unfortunately a stomach sleeper. As hard as I have tried, I can't manage to sleep unless I'm on my stomach, but I wake frequently because my back hurts (and sometimes also bc my mind won't stop racing). Since I started a week ago, I have been sleeping better, until last night. Last night I was restless - lights off at 11pm, I woke at 1, 3, and 5:30 (to go pee), then again at 6:30, and finally got up at 8. I didn't have much trouble getting back to sleep each time, and didn't have the racing mind problem, but it sure doesn't look like a very refreshing night of sleep. Plus, I woke with a mild lower-GI disturbance (to put it politely). Maybe too much sweet potato at dinner? Anyway, relating to the whole sleep thing, I'm considering taking a Vitamin D supplement -- any thoughts on this ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 ONE WEEK! I made it for a full week so far! And it's not bad at all, I can TOTALLY do this!! And today was my first day with no snack necessary. Meal 1 Spinach sauteed in coconut oil 2 eggs fried in same oil (w Frank's Red Hot) 1/2 avocado 1/2 banana Meal 2 Leftover pork tenderloin w/mango salsa Salad greens w/roasted beet and red onion (homemade olive oil dressing) 1/2 banana 5 macadamia nuts Meal 3 (later - lunch was late, dinner won't be until prob 7:30) Hamburger patty (Omaha Steaks) Guacamole (Whole Foods) Red Onion Vegetable stir-fry (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, snap peas, bell peppers, red onion) in coconut oil Strike dinner - my stomach has been feeling rumbly today, and I'm getting a headache and just feel kinda puny. Maybe later I will have a snack (maybe a Larabar and a cup of tea), but I'm not hungry at all for dinner. Hope I can just sleep this off (but not until after the season premier of Breaking Bad!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bebe Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 You are doing great, Ann! One week in, you've got momentum going now! I think I'm going to follow your example and buy some pelligrino and limes. Giving up the wine if going to be hard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Bebe - I expected giving up wine to be harder than it has been. It's just 30 days, right? After I'm done with my 30, my hope is that I will have transformed into someone who decides to have a glass or two of wine sometimes (once, twice a month? once a week?), instead of it being a nightly ritual (get home from a long day at the office, pour a glass of wine....) At this point, I can totally see that as a reality - I feel SO much better in the mornings, so I guess it must be true that even a glass in the evening can be disruptive to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Woke up feeling much better - had a good breakfast and am ready to face Monday. And I slept better - to bed at 11:15, woke once at 5:30, and again just a few minutes before the alarm went off at 6:30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Day 8 - just a normal day, not a lot to report, other than I'm feeling good (thank goodness whatever stomach issue I had yesterday was short-lived). Noticing that I have a real thing about craving a snack mid-afternoon at the office (around the same time I would normally go pour my afternoon cup of coffee). At home this last weekend, I didn't seem to think about it as much (surprisingly). Meal 1 Spinach sauteed in coconut oil 2 eggs sauteed in same coconut oil (w/Frank's Red Hot) Handful of grape tomatoes 1/2 avocado Meal 2 Deli roast beef (Whole Seasons, W30-friendly) Mixed greens w red onion, mushrooms, roasted beet, grape tomatoes, cucumber & homemade vinaigrette Nectarine 1/2 avocado Snack 3 dried pineapple rings Small handful of almonds Meal 3 Beef patty w/guacamole, sliced red onions, and mushrooms sauteed in ghee Roasted cauliflower (w/olive oil + dijon) Handful of green grapes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Good night of sleep - To bed at 10:30, woke at 1:30 for a few minutes, and again at 5:30, then was hard asleep (and having a good dream) when the alarm jolted me awake at 6:30. Usually I am sleeping so lightly, I am glancing at my clock every five minutes or so before the alarm goes off, and turn it off before it wakes me. This is such a big change -- for the last couple of years, I regularly woke every couple of hours and struggled to get back to sleep, and was very very often awake at 3:30am and would toss and turn for two or more hours unable to turn off my mind. Yay sleep!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 Day 9. Tired tonight, but had a good day. Thought a splash of bitters might taste good in my sparkling mineral water, and of course read the label first -- how the heck did I NOT know bitters had alcohol in it?! I thought it was more in the grenadine category, more like just a flavoring thing. Live & learn! (I did not imbibe ) Do I need to stop with the afternoon snacks, or maybe a snack is actually just necessary for me to get thru from lunch to dinner? Or maybe eat a later lunch? Breakfast by necessity must be at 7:30am. Generally I have lunch at 12:30 or 1. And dinner is often not until 7:30-8pm. (I go to bed at 11). Meal 1 Spinach sauteed in coconut oil 2 egged fried in same oil 1/2 avocado Meal 2 Deli roast beef (man, it's good stuff) Salad greens with green peppers, mushrooms, roasted beet, red onion, oil/vinegar/dijon dressing 1/2 avocado Snack 2 dried pineapple rings closed handful macadamia nuts Meal 3 1 open nature mild Italian chicken sausage w/dijon for dipping Big pile of cabbage sauteed w/ onions in olive oil Bubbies kosher dill pickle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 I can't figure out how to make the pictures bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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