Amy_Michigan

I’m so happy for you that you are starting again and making that commitment. I had one good, compliant meal today, so that is a start. If I can keep improving my habits this week, I might be able to join you soon!

This log is going to be an outlet for me. I don't post a lot on social media. I don't want to talk about my feelings or anxiety over this pandemic on here. I mostly want to use this as a place to center myself and have some normalcy each day. I want to post what I eat, the recipes I try, and which ones I want to try next. I want to write about how my day went and what I did with my husband and kids. So on that note, I will start with today. April 1st 2020- Day 1 of my work-from-home food log (I hadn't yet decided to start this log yet, so I'm hoping to go back to better habits I learned from my whole30s starting tomorrow) M1: White bakery bread with 1/3 fat cream cheese, cinnamon kind bar M2: oreos (too many), graham crackers (too many), and milk M3: 1 mini pot pie muffin, cucumber slices and avocado ranch Snacks throughout day: Another 2 slices of white bakery bread with 1/3 fat cream cheese, 3 or 4 cans of vernors/pop, 1 strawberry yogurt, 1 popsicle, 1 bottle of apple juice After work I did a puzzle with my kids, read them a chapter from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and watched them try out some yoga moves that my son's preschool teacher posted a video of. My husband and I watched an episode of Gargoyles on Disney+, and we have started watching Game of Thrones for the second time, so tonight we watched another episode (near the middle of Season 1). I was in bed trying to fall asleep, but realized how important it was to get back up and type this out for my "day 1" so that tomorrow can I can move forward/passed this and try harder on day 2.

@Brewer5 I'm alive- thank you for asking me to check in. I have occasional coughing but I'm feeling 90% back to normal. My family is also doing well. I'm able to work from home for the new job I was hired for (whew), but I'm not extremely busy. I think things will improve in time. Construction projects are a little up in the air right now, even though public works was considered "essential". I work at a civil engineering consulting firm and everyone in my office has set up their computers at home and continued working. My husband, I may have mentioned, is a stay at home dad who works from home part time as an online test-prep instructor. So we've been okay; he is homeschooling the kids. I am going to start a new journal on this site somewhere to help me through April. Not sure what it will be under- food freedom maybe. All I know is that I've been eating like crap the last 2 weeks because of the temptations from being at home all day. And for some reason when I was loading up the grocery cart a couple weeks ago for my family, I happened to grab all my old favorite snack foods/comfort foods... wheat thins, cheese-its, graham crackers, oreos, and LOTS of granola bars that look like candy bars. So that wasn't very smart. I've been noticing a few health related consequences of eating junk- some lupus related skin issues. I have noticed a few red bumps inflamed on my arms, and I got this weird under-the-skin blood spot on the crook of my left elbow. That was weird enough that I messaged my rhematologist. She didn't think it was an emergency, but I will also let my primary care/internal medicine doctor know too, just in case. I noticed it yesterday and it already seems to be fading a little bit today, like a bruise would. So I'm putting my health in jeopardy when it is NOT a great time to do that. On the plus side, after 45's tweet about my lupus medication being a possible miracle drug (which is NOT proven), I was able to pick up a 3 month supply...Thank God- I thought my pharmacy would have been cleaned out like how stores were with toilet paper. So at least I don't have to worry about that for a little while! Oh- and I have been praying every day for this pandemic to end. I live outside of Detroit, but not far. Looks like Detroit may be following in NYC's footsteps, at least in terms of the steep incline of cases. There are about 600 cases in my county right now. I'm trying not to let anxiety get to me.

Day 43: Friday- March 13- still sick- not on whole30 M1: chick soup with broth, carrots, potato M2: sweet pot soup with chicken, and drank more broth Snack: steamed broccoli- shared with kids M3: Banana pancakes, kids rxbar Also drank a couple of glasses of Naked juice (blueberry type) Day 44: Saturday- March 14- still sick- not on whole30 M1: sweet potato soup with chicken, some broth on the side to drink Will probably have a salad for lunch

Awesome!! I love that you are keeping track of compliant vs not complaint too. I wish I was doing that, but I have a guilt issue when my eating structure/template and choices suck even when they are compliant. You don't seem to have that problem. Your meals/pictures look and sound delicious!

I've been there when I tried AIP (autoimmune protocol of the Whole30) a few years back. Because I have lupus, I feel this huge pressure to be on the perfect diet to manage it and reduce inflammation. However, I have determined a few things about myself: 1. As much as I want to make a forever lifestyle change, my my mind/body/life cannot handle being that consistent. Maybe some people can do that forever but I'm not one of those people. 2. I feel pretty good when I eat paleo/whole30 meals and avoid overeating. Staples that have always worked well for me to keep me full and happy are sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and squash. And I have gotten used to soup purees with added meat, or salad for any meal. I think if we can find favorite fruits and vegetables that don't make our bodies feel bad, we can develop routines with recipes using those foods. Even if I have an off week, I can always go back to that routine... that is what I'm trying to do now, anyway.

So I started my new job this week. And I got sick starting today. I was going to start my next whole30 today but I have training today and tomorrow and it is catered with Jimmy John's so I decided to extend my break to a later date (TBD since now I am sick). Yesterday I ate mostly complaint except for Cesar salad dressing at a restaurant where I was taken out for lunch on my first day. Here are my meals written out: March 9- Day 39 (not on a whole30) M1: Banana (my tummy growled at me during the HR presentation for not leaving myself enough time to make or pick up breakfast) M2: Chicken Cesar Salad from a restaurant, some complaint mixed nuts for a snack after M3: Sweet Potato Basil Soup with chicken March 10- Day 40 (not on whole30) Today was not good. My daughter got sick starting Sunday night and last night (Monday night) I didn't get a lot of sleep because she was up several times. Thankfully my husband took over taking care of her so I could sleep a little bit. My symptoms are mostly just sore throat and cough. My daughter has had a fever and cough and has stayed home from school Mon/Tues. I also had a lot of gas and bloating today...I am thinking it was due to eating something that didn't agree with me since I've been adding in foods I haven't eaten in over a month like Kind bars and chocolate almond milk (and the cesar dressing yesterday). My poor tummy hurt with cramps from gas during my training (even before the Jimmy John's sandwich). Eek! M1: A cup of mixed melon, two kind bars, and a bottle of chocolate almond milk M2: Jimmy John's Sierra Sandwich (turkey) M3: Homemade (my husband's doing) Chicken Soup made with potatoes, carrots, chicken, and broth.

Happy Birthday! Have a happy day! I'm totally in this with you with the goal to feel good each day...why ruin any days of our remaining time on this earth doing otherwise?

Day 36... 4 more days until I start my next whole30. M1: Sweet potato basil soup with chicken M2: Strawberry, Banana, and Coconut milk (1/2 can) smoothie. Only 3 ingredients and it was still delicious! M3: Taco salad with romaine lettuce, ground beef, taco spices, and salsa. Then ate half a cauliflower-crust pizza with pizza sauce, ground beef, and half of a string cheese. Saving the other half for my moms birthday party tomorrow where she is having pizza delivered. I am making a gluten free chocolate cake to bring so I can partake. As you can tell, I loosened the reigns slightly for dairy, but not grains/gluten yet. The cauliflower crust was gluten free but did have a small amount of cheese and chickpeas (legumes). I went to see The Invisible Man tonight at the theater and didn’t get any drink or food. Yay me.

Yes! Meal prep is the absolute hardest part about starting the whole30 in my opinion. There are times I want to cook, and many many more times when I look through my cupboards as a habit to try to find something whole30 compliant. My last round I ate the last few boxes of raisins. Now there is nothing “snacky ” left except stuff in the fridge like fruits and vegetables, which makes it easier to eat only at meals. Anyway, good luck - hang in there! Look up old whole30 recipes you loved last round if you need inspiration! Or search for new ones!

My meal before bed yesterday turned out to be 2 eggs over easy and roasted potato and carrot fries. ***Also, I’ve decided to start my next whole30 on March 10th.

Yesterday - Day 34 on this site (not on plan) Worth noting: I started my period on this day. M1: Banana I think? M2: Panera chicken salad, apple, and non-dairy peach blueberry smoothie. M3: Avocado pudding made with avocado, cocoa powder, almond butter, and maple syrup. I made it with a large avocado and regretfully I ate the whole thing myself. I can’t remember if I ate anything else. Today- Day 35 (not on plan) ... still no idea when I’m going to be ready to start Day 1 I have cramps and no appetite. M1:Zucchini Spaghetti with ground beef Might have some of my sweet potato soup with chicken before bed.

Since I'm between Whole30s I want to share my starting weight for the next round. SW (Jan 1 2020): 240 pounds SW (Feb 1/Start of Whole30): 230 CW (March 4): 220 I will take measurements in a week or so (after my period) and compare them to measurements I took a month ago. I did not go to the gym or do intentional exercise during my February Whole30. I did do walking on the treadmill to start my weightloss journey in January, and I want to get back in the habit soon. GOALS: - Always have food/grocery shop 1-2 times per week - Make crockpot soup every week to last 5-7 days - Always have lettuce, salad dressing, hard-boiled eggs, and cooked chicken on hand - Do not eat after 7 PM - Space meals out pretty equally: M1: 8 or 9 AM (7 on an early day) M2: 12 or 1 PM (11:30 on an early day) M3: 6 PM (4 on an early day)

Making a double batch of sweet potato basil soup in the crockpot right now- yay me!

M3 yesterday was zucchini spaghetti and compliant pasta sauce. --- Today...Day 33-Note: In between whole30 attempts M1: Tuna Patties (tuna, almond flour, eggs) M2: Chicken salad (Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, avocado ranch) Snack *Not Compliant*: Chocolate covered almonds (too many) M3: Zucchini Spaghetti with ground beef & compliant pasta sauce Side of Cucumbers