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Lunarose

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Day 7 - coming to a close on the first week of Whole 30, woot woot! Getting to the end of the first week of it has given me more confidence that I can do all 30 days, and the spikes in anxiety I was experiencing days 1-5 are started to subside a bit (thank goodness). Not drinking alcohol has probably been the biggest challenge for me so far - prior to starting I was having drinks daily at the end of the day, it was my way of turning my brain off... letting that go has been hard but doing it as a part of Whole 30 in a strange way made it easier for my brain to just flip a switch and be like, "nope. can't have it"  

This morning I woke up really groggy, even though I thought my sleep was okay. I think I need to work on going to bed earlier. Yesterday afternoon I almost fell asleep in my chair! I know that's to be expected at this point in the timeline though. Just hope it doesn't affect my work productivity too much, I have a LOT to get done this week. 

Along with healthier hair, I've also noticed that I am standing and walking taller now -- hard to describe but I feel like my posture is improving which is awesome because I've always kind of been a sloucher. :D 

My husband is doing the Whole 30 too and it's a neat experience to face this challenge together. Yesterday we cooked dinner together (he rarely cooks, except for grilling on the weekends) and it was fun and the food was really tasty. We had pork tenderloin and he came up with a seasoning for it on the fly - fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, ground up in the coffee grinder. He cooked the pork tenderloins and I did roasted Brussels sprouts. Yum!

Wishing y'all a great day 7!

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3 minutes ago, Lunarose said:

 

Along with healthier hair, I've also noticed that I am standing and walking taller now -- hard to describe but I feel like my posture is improving which is awesome because I've always kind of been a sloucher. :D 

 

I ALWAYS feel taller on Whole30... which is saying something being near 6'!  I was just thinking about that the other day!

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Day 7! I agree @Lunarose this week has given me more confidence I can do the whole 30 days, even though I know there will be more challenges. Not drinking has been one of my biggest challenges as well. I have my sister coming to town this weekend and I'm already getting worried about it because it's my brother in law's birthday (and mine in a few weeks) so we usually have a big out on the town night, and I know they aren't going to be happy that I'm not drinking. 

And yes sleep is very important. I'm lucky that sleep is very rarely a problem for me. My body seems to be happiest at 7.5 hours, but since starting I have been sleeping more like 9. I'm ok with that especially because i'm waking up feeling.. well awake lol. I also haven't been getting really sleepy in the afternoons or early evening like I usually do, which is nice to be able to get more done.

I haven't really noticed any other changes yet, other than I just feel really good. Mind and body.

One thing that has been helpful to me (along with this forum) is a podcast called Primal Potential. For me this whole30 is really just a jump start into the habits I've been trying to nail down for a couple years now. She talks about health being long term and really an everyday practice, and she does talk about things that are very in sync with the whole30 as well, things like the blood sugar regulation and some topics that will be more relevant to when we are done our whole30. Just thought I would mention it because I love it.

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@Alisha Alexander  ooh thank you so much for the podcast recommendation! I work from home and listen to podcasts all the time, so I will definitely check this out.

As for the upcoming weekend, just remind yourself how awesome and proud you will feel for sticking to your commitment in these challenging situations. Especially if you are looking at this as a jump start to a more long term shift ... it's good practice for life situations for sure. 

Day 7 almost done, on to day 8! :) 

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@Alisha Alexander, thanks for the podcast suggestion...can't wait to listen to it. As for your night out, the book talks about social outing situations (pg. 390)...it basically says to go to the bar and order a sparkling water with a slice of lime and everyone will think you are having a vodka tonic. Of course, that isn't going to fool your sister, but if she knows that you are super excited about the program and that it would be devastating for you to start your 30 days over, maybe you won't get so much heat or pressure about it. 

 

By the way, my twin sister and I have had a very bad habit of celebrating our birthday by binge eating unhealthy foods for the weeks surrounding our birthday. Thank goodness I have until next April to come up with a new plan for "celebrating"!!!!!!

 

For my Day 7, I woke up un-tired (this never happens) and looking forward breakfast (leftovers from last night's dinner). Lunch was really good too. Dinner was not so great as I needed to eat some stuff that was going to go bad and it was just boring, but oh well.

 

@Lunarose and Alisha, the book says Day 8 and 9 may bring on some bloating and uncomfortable GI issues, so if it happens to either of you, it is normal.

 

:)

 

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@Alisha Alexander and @Lunarose, Just checking in to how your day was. I had a busy day full of boring adult responsibilities and did not get home until 9pm, BUT I managed to stay Whole30 compliant all day! I made the Whole30 Chili recipe that is in my book. It felt weird eating it alone (I guess sense it didn't have beans in it, it seems odd) so I put it on top of Zoodles...I love it!!

 

All, I bought a zoodle maker (the Veggetti Pro) from Wal-Mart today. It is an "As seen on TV" product so who knows how long it will last. So far I really love it and think it is well worth the $20. I decided that buying it showed some commitment to myself to keep eating like this after the 30 days are over!!

 

I definitely had the GI problems that the writers predicted...hope that is the last I see of that! :D

 

Congrats on completing Day 9! Sarah

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Day 8 was ok, I also had some GI problems and bloating! Good thing you guys mentioned that otherwise I would have been wondering what I ate or why I feel this way.

I have a spiralizer to make noodles as well, I also love it. I make zuchinni noodles all the time, but i've even done parsnip and sweet potato noodles and they worked really well too! Zoodles along with spaghetti squash and cauliflower rice are my go too's!

On to day 9 we go

 

 

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On 8/2/2017 at 1:13 PM, Lunarose said:

Today is my first day of Whole 30! I am mainly doing this because I'd like to cut out alcohol, but am looking forward to the health benefits in body and mind from all of the nutritious foods. I do like to cook and am excited about getting better at meal planning, cooking ahead, and utilizing leftovers more. Also hoping to lose a few pounds. :) This seems like a really good time of year to do it as farmers markets are open and produce is plentiful. I think cutting out the alcohol and sugar will be the most difficult part for me. Excited and nervous! I had been planning to get back into running daily in my first week but after doing some research it sounds like high intensity exercise isn't a great idea when you are first starting, so might just do a bit of yoga instead. My husband is very supportive and is going to do his best to follow Whole 30 rules as well. Ready, set, go!

How is it going? I start on Sunday and was curious how your first week went. 

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Day 9, feeling fine (kind of). Yesterday was a loooong work day for me so wasn't able to post, but last evening was the first evening where I didn't feel super grumpy and actually had a ton of energy - perhaps a bit of tiger's blood?? Unfortunately, due to said energy, I had a lot of trouble falling asleep and woke up early so once again feeling groggy this morning. I also had my first food dream - it was a cake that I baked, but not just any cake - each layer was made from a giant cinnamon roll LOL! For the record, I have never actually made this cake but might give it a go after whole 30. :lol: There was also fresh baked bread... I suppose this makes sense as my first food memories are of baked breads and sweet rolls that my grandmother made. But that cinnamon roll cake was ridiculous!

@SarahSun @Alisha Alexander looks like I've gotta get on the zoodle train! I saw them for sale at Whole Foods so I might try just buying a pack first and see how I like them before getting a spiralizer. Still haven't tried cauliflower rice either! For dinner night before last I made slow cooker butter chicken, here's the recipe: http://www.becomingness.com.au/blog/slow-cooker-butter-chicken I added boiled potatoes to it because was feeling like I needed more carbs. It was total comfort food, and had leftovers for lunches too which is always a bonus. Salting is definitely key to bringing out all the flavors of the curry. 

@imaginepilates The first week was definitely tough - everyone has different struggles with it and mine were fatigue and anxiety. I feel like day 8 is where I started to feel more balanced but I am still managing stress levels a bit. I did notice that a lot of times when I was feeling crummy, I just needed to eat more food, especially fats. This really helps with crankiness and fatigue, and probably drinking lots and lots of water too! I also eased up on my exercise routine and just stuck to yoga (I usually like to go for a run in the mornings). Trying to be gentle on my body as it goes through the detox process and metabolism changes, and also just didn't want to worry about having to make extra food for workout snacks. I will probably get back in to doing more cardio after the halfway point. I'm still figuring out meal planning too - I have never chopped so many vegetables or washed so many dishes in my life! The amount of time that goes into make all the meals is definitely challenging for me so I'm hoping to find more large batch recipes (especially slow cooker and cold salads like tuna, potato, egg etc) , it's still a work in progress at this point. Anyways I hope that is helpful! And congrats on diving into the Whole 30! I can definitely say that even though I'm only on day 9, I already feel like this is such a positive life change - not just for my health but quality of life in general. Remember to focus on (and maybe even write down) all the positive changes you see as you go along. You can do it!

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9 hours ago, imaginepilates said:

How is it going? I start on Sunday and was curious how your first week went. 

The first 5 days, I was extremely tired in the afternoon, but since I was reading the Whole30 book (Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom), I understood why it was happening and got through it! Conversations with people on the forum help me out a lot too. I am learning so much and cannot believe I am 43 years old and just now learning some of these things (example: pasta=sugar...mind-blowing to this naive pasta lover). The other thing that is helping me is finding recipes that taste good. I've NEVER been someone who enjoys fruits and vegetables and I rarely cook so it has been a huge transformation for me to be cooking every night and eating a ton of vegetables...with a smile on my face instead of a grimace.

One really important thing I have learned is that you can't trust ANYTHING to be Whole30 compliant. On 2 or 3 occasions, I have come home with something for a recipe and found out it was not "compliant" just in the knick of time. For example, I bought 2 cans of tuna to make "Mexican tuna boats"...the regular can of tuna was compliant, but the albacore chunk tuna has soy in it. This is a little frustrating, but I know I'll get better at it.

Feel free to email me anytime as you go through your 30 days to let me know how you are doing and what you have enjoyed eating.

 

Sarah

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@Lunarose and @Alisha Alexander, today was hard. :( I am a teacher and was lucky enough to start my Whole30 while still on summer break. Today was my first day back at work which brings copious amount of anxiety into my life. This, of course, has been my biggest trigger for eating sweets, pasta and soda my whole life until now. On top of that, breakfast was provided for our staff which included donuts, homemade cinnamon rolls and breakfast casseroles! I knew about the breakfast in advance so I came prepared with my own breakfast and lunch and was doing ok, but as the day progressed and the job stress got worse, I started getting angry and weepy that I couldn't use a pop or donuts to "solve my problems". These are some seriously stubborn neural pathways I am trying to "repave" here!

On a positive note, I am like Lunarose in that I have more energy than I ever had before. I am not running marathons or anything, but I used to spend all day at work trying to keep myself awake and that hasn't been a problem at all these last couple of days. I, too, could not fall asleep last night, but that happens to me every year on my first day back at school.

@Lunarose, that dream is hilarious! I haven't had any food dreams yet, but I dream often so I'm sure they will come. I followed the links provided on the daily email that was provided on Day 7 or 8 so now I have some free coconut oil and a paleo dessert recipe book coming in the mail soon. I look forward to seeing how I can reintegrate sweets/desserts back into my life in a more conscious and healthy manner.

One surprising thing that has happened to me in the last 2 days is that my 9 year old son and my husband have had a huge interest in the dinners I have been making for myself (they smell so great)...they have even tried and enjoyed them! Originally, I was just going to leave them out of it because I figured I had enough to worry about already, but it would be an amazing bonus to get the whole family to eat better!

Sarah

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@SarahSun I am so sorry you had an overwhelming day. Yesterday was really hard for me too, due to work stuff.  I have a big deadline coming up tomorrow and there were some glitches yesterday... I had even thought about waiting til the work deadline to start Whole 30 because I knew it would be stressful, but there's only so much you can do to avoid these situations and I really just wanted to get started! I'm glad you made it through though, and hopefully it will be easier today. 

Also, paper plates - genius!!! I am definitely going to get some paper plates today for sake of sanity haha. I feel like I'm running the dishwasher on almost a daily basis. 

That's great your family is getting on board with the meals - when I told my husband I was doing this, he was like "okay I'll try it too" and so far he's still going! It's neat how you can inspire loved ones to make healthier choices just by example. 

Once again I had trouble falling asleep last night, but I think it was just do to work stress. When I did though, I slept really well and for the first time feeling much more awake this morning. Hallelujah!

Almost 1/3 of the way done, woohoo!

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I agree, shrimp and zoodles look delish!

So I guess it's day 10, I've been feeling kind of the same for the last few days. Nothing terrible but nothing great either, I'm hoping for a surge of more energy... anytime now lol. I also agree that the food prep is a lot, I'm getting to the point of day dreaming about getting pizza for dinner. I know I wont actually do it, it's like one of you said its like a switch that is flipped off and It's nice because normally i'd debate and fight myself and then most likely end up getting pizza for dinner (and then feeling bad about it later), and now I just sadly resign to cooking or reheating food even though I don't feel like it. On one hand I'm feeling like this whole 30 is going to take forever! and on the other hand I don't want this safety bubble to go away because I am making better choices (even though it requires more planning) and I'm not having the internal debate every time bad food tempts me. 

@SarahSun that sucks about the stress of going back to work and being surrounded by bad food! If anyone understands its me, I literally have to decline pizza, nachos ect. from well meaning co-workers wanting to share. The best things I've found is always planning and having my food with me, so i'm never starving when someone tries to offer me bad food. And luckily it's in the back room so I just avoid going back there all together. Just know your not alone in this struggle!

Hope everyone has a good whole30 weekend!

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@Alisha Alexander, I know exactly what you mean...I have felt so strong in my conviction to turn down bad food and I have NO doubt I'll make it the whole 30 days AND I definitely love the feeling of the "safety bubble" of the program (and how much better I feel physically and mentally not being ruled by food), but sometimes it seems like a million years before I'll ever get to take a bite of cake (or pie or ice-cream or brownies) and it won't be such a big program-ending, guilt-ladden ordeal. :D Of course, the fact that I still want a bite of cake means that I NEED all thirty days because my brain is still hung up on those types of foods.

Going back to work has definitely been a challenge. After I made dinner last night, I had to make an entirely separate meal so that I would have something for lunch the next day. I also tried to freeze zoodles...DO NOT do that!!! When you thaw them out, they are soggy and not appetizing at all. Lesson learned. I also seem to always be missing at least one ingredient to every new recipe I want to try...I guess I better start using the shopping list provided by the Whole30!

I am glad you both can relate to my food temptations at work. Today, one of my coworkers brought in a whole bunch of different kinds of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for the entire staff (60 people)...that is a lot of cheesecake and cruel and unusual punishment!!!!!

The shrimp and zoodles recipe is an altered recipe from the book. I used sugar snap peas instead of cherry tomatoes and then just put it on top of zoodles to make it seem more like a complete meal. I'll attach the recipe here...

Congrats on another day down!

 

Whole30 Shrimp w: Pesto recipe.pdf

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@Lunarose and @Alisha Alexander, Hope you guys had a good Day 11...according to the book (and all of their research), Day 11 is supposed to be one of the hardest days and the day most people fall out of the program.

Long story made short, I survived. I tried to make homemade mayo...it is not edible in my opinion. I don't think my brain likes the idea of eating a raw egg mixed with a bunch of oil!!

Toast (bottled water, of course) to another day down.

@imaginepilates, Good luck tomorrow (Day 1, right?)!! You can do it!!

 

Sarah

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Day 11 was definitely one of my hardest day so far, I think due to poor planning and a long work day. @SarahSun it was like the day you had where you couldn't find anything to eat til very late in the day. I thought I was going to pass out - I was working on site for a photo shoot, and there were snacks available but all I could eat was basically carrot sticks, blueberries, and raw cashews. :( Got home around 9 (had to stop at the grocery store on the way home too) and my husband cooked up steaks and reheated potatoes for dinner. Oof. I really don't like choosing between starving and falling out of my whole 30! 

Anyways, lesson learned - I should have taken the time to pack a meal. Feeling better today and glad I made it through the "hardest day"! On to day 12...

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We all survived day 11, which sounds like it was in fact the hardest day for all of us! My sister and brother in law were in town and I am soooo impressed with myself for staying on track. We had a full day out of eating (and drinking for the rest of the group), and all my food choices were compliant with whole30 and I never gave in to having a drink! It ended up going a lot better than I thought and most importantly I showed myself I can have a good time out without it all being about bad food and drinking. And of course feeling good during and the next day is a big bonus! 

Having you guys on this forum really helped keep me accountable, because every time I was getting seriously tempted I would think about having to post on here that I gave in and now my whole30 was over, or I had to restart. It just wouldn't be worth it!

One of the main reasons for doing this whole30 was to help me with my relationship with food; bad eating habits and cravings to just binge on bad food, all that kind of stuff. I really am starting to feel that It is helping me dramatically with all of that, and I'm feeling really good about coming out of this whole30 with such a better perspective on my relationship with food! Also I definitely still have that urge to weigh my self but I'm learning to connect better with my body and It has been feeling really good.

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@Lunarose and @Alisha Alexander, as cheesy as this is going to sound, I am really proud of you guys! Both of those scenarios were really tough to get through, but you did it. I went to my dad's house for a bonfire last night and felt proud that I ate ahead of time because my assumption that nothing would be Whole30 approved was accurate. I also had a few people tell me they thought my face looked thinner which is really cool because I can't see the differences yet.

Have a good Day 12.

 

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On 8/10/2017 at 7:56 PM, SarahSun said:

The first 5 days, I was extremely tired in the afternoon, but since I was reading the Whole30 book (Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom), I understood why it was happening and got through it! Conversations with people on the forum help me out a lot too. I am learning so much and cannot believe I am 43 years old and just now learning some of these things (example: pasta=sugar...mind-blowing to this naive pasta lover). The other thing that is helping me is finding recipes that taste good. I've NEVER been someone who enjoys fruits and vegetables and I rarely cook so it has been a huge transformation for me to be cooking every night and eating a ton of vegetables...with a smile on my face instead of a grimace.

One really important thing I have learned is that you can't trust ANYTHING to be Whole30 compliant. On 2 or 3 occasions, I have come home with something for a recipe and found out it was not "compliant" just in the knick of time. For example, I bought 2 cans of tuna to make "Mexican tuna boats"...the regular can of tuna was compliant, but the albacore chunk tuna has soy in it. This is a little frustrating, but I know I'll get better at it.

Feel free to email me anytime as you go through your 30 days to let me know how you are doing and what you have enjoyed eating.

 

Sarah

Thank you Sarah. Today was interesting to say the least since it was my first attempt to make Whole30 compliant food. Everything was great but it does take some preparation and planning just like the book says :) I have the It Starts with Food book too and am in the process of reading it so I can understand what's happening to my body too. It should be an interesting first week. 

Heather 

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On 8/10/2017 at 10:18 AM, Lunarose said:

Day 9, feeling fine (kind of). Yesterday was a loooong work day for me so wasn't able to post, but last evening was the first evening where I didn't feel super grumpy and actually had a ton of energy - perhaps a bit of tiger's blood?? Unfortunately, due to said energy, I had a lot of trouble falling asleep and woke up early so once again feeling groggy this morning. I also had my first food dream - it was a cake that I baked, but not just any cake - each layer was made from a giant cinnamon roll LOL! For the record, I have never actually made this cake but might give it a go after whole 30. :lol: There was also fresh baked bread... I suppose this makes sense as my first food memories are of baked breads and sweet rolls that my grandmother made. But that cinnamon roll cake was ridiculous!

@SarahSun @Alisha Alexander looks like I've gotta get on the zoodle train! I saw them for sale at Whole Foods so I might try just buying a pack first and see how I like them before getting a spiralizer. Still haven't tried cauliflower rice either! For dinner night before last I made slow cooker butter chicken, here's the recipe: http://www.becomingness.com.au/blog/slow-cooker-butter-chicken I added boiled potatoes to it because was feeling like I needed more carbs. It was total comfort food, and had leftovers for lunches too which is always a bonus. Salting is definitely key to bringing out all the flavors of the curry. 

@imaginepilates The first week was definitely tough - everyone has different struggles with it and mine were fatigue and anxiety. I feel like day 8 is where I started to feel more balanced but I am still managing stress levels a bit. I did notice that a lot of times when I was feeling crummy, I just needed to eat more food, especially fats. This really helps with crankiness and fatigue, and probably drinking lots and lots of water too! I also eased up on my exercise routine and just stuck to yoga (I usually like to go for a run in the mornings). Trying to be gentle on my body as it goes through the detox process and metabolism changes, and also just didn't want to worry about having to make extra food for workout snacks. I will probably get back in to doing more cardio after the halfway point. I'm still figuring out meal planning too - I have never chopped so many vegetables or washed so many dishes in my life! The amount of time that goes into make all the meals is definitely challenging for me so I'm hoping to find more large batch recipes (especially slow cooker and cold salads like tuna, potato, egg etc) , it's still a work in progress at this point. Anyways I hope that is helpful! And congrats on diving into the Whole 30! I can definitely say that even though I'm only on day 9, I already feel like this is such a positive life change - not just for my health but quality of life in general. Remember to focus on (and maybe even write down) all the positive changes you see as you go along. You can do it!

Thank you for the tips and sharing your story. I made it through Day 1...yah!! Lol! I agree that it takes a lot of prep and planning. I couldn't find ghee at my local grocery stores (tried 2) so had to order it from Amazon along with coconut flour, coconut aminos, etc. I plan to keep a journal with what I've eaten and how I'm feeling so I can somewhat track my journey. I'm excited to do the program but know I'll have days ahead that will be a challenge. 

Heather

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20 hours ago, SarahSun said:

@Lunarose and @Alisha Alexander, Hope you guys had a good Day 11...according to the book (and all of their research), Day 11 is supposed to be one of the hardest days and the day most people fall out of the program.

Long story made short, I survived. I tried to make homemade mayo...it is not edible in my opinion. I don't think my brain likes the idea of eating a raw egg mixed with a bunch of oil!!

Toast (bottled water, of course) to another day down.

@imaginepilates, Good luck tomorrow (Day 1, right?)!! You can do it!!

 

Sarah

Yep! Day 1 is done! I made it. I just need to keep my boyfriend from trying to gnaw on my arm since he's hungry for his usual snacks between 8-10pm! 

Heather

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