Starting 6/19/13-Being the ME I've Always Been

[runninglawyer88]

Well, I am starting my first whole 30. Here's a bit of background information. I have always prided myself on being extremely fit, lean, and dedicated to being the best I can be. Then my husband came along and the thought of TTC made me ease up on the running and I had to accept SOME weight gain to regulate my hormones. (I started at 95-100 pounds at 4'11 and only 13% bodyfat--March 2012). 

 

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2012--by this point I had already gained 10 pounds and that should have been it, but no, it wasn't. I continued gaining due to medications intended to regulate my cycle (I've had no menstrual cycle in ~6 years and I'm only 24). I gained ~20 pounds in 14 months...landing me at 115 pounds which isn't so bad except that it's not a good weight for ME in terms of my physical and emotional well being. I feel awful about myself and it impacts almost every aspect of my life. 

 

To make matters worse...

• I have severe GI issues--I'll go days without GOING and that's not unusual at all. 
• I still don't get a menstrual cycle. 
• I want to have a baby soon but due to the aforementioned issue that's not possible.
• I have outgrown all of my clothes and suits are not cheap. 

 

So, that's what brings me to the Whole 30. I'm hoping to regain control of what I put into my body and feel better about myself. I am doing to FODMAPS version because I suspect some food sensitivity issues given my history of IBS. I'm not going to weigh myself until the 21st so that any bloating from my horrible eating the past few days is gone. Then I'll report back with my ending weight on JULY 18TH!!! 

 

The hardest things for me to go without will be: 

1. mozzarella cheese
2. soy
3. oatmeal
4. diet soda

BTW I generally eat rather healthy but due to my current job situation (summer associate at a large law firm) I go out to eat for lunch every single day and I sit for a lot longer than I would in my every day life. I still run every day and lift weights a few times a week--usually I take a day off every 1-2 weeks depending on how I feel. But yeah, that's a bit about me. I'll report what I eat each day and keep everyone posted! 

 

So, here goes nothing! Back to being the ME I've always been!

[Derval]

Hello & welcome Hope your w30 is succesful & help resolves your issues. Was your amenorrhea not related to your very low (for a woman) body fat%?

[melbournegirl]

Good luck RL. I found the whole30 style of eating pivotal in getting my hormones working again after being on BC for 20 years then nothing happening for the last two years. Two months of whole30 late last year got everything going again. I hope it works for you too. I also have fodmap issues and am ready to start running every day again after taking a break due to surgery 6 weeks ago.

I started a new whole30 today after stuffing up my last one

[runninglawyer88]

Thank you ladies for the warm welcome!!! And to answer your question, i THOUGHT fat gain would bring my periods back but it didn't so now I wonder if it really was the cause at all. I'm certain it didn't help the situation but there's MORE going on than that.

In the event that I fail to restore my cycles I'll be starting injectibles late September in order to get pregnant. I'm hoping this works--that there's simply inflammation or something going on in my body and that removing the culprits will bring the relief I'm hoping for.

So, yesterday was a "test run" and I did pretty well except for a few slip ups that will NOT happen for the next 30 days--I had half & half in my coffee, I knowingly drank a diet soda and are a protein bar (telling myself they were my last ones), and I ate a bite of a friends cheese tamale, a bite of retried beans, and the shrimp out of shrimp pad Thai (I didn't eat the noodles).

All in all these were avoidable and conscious decisions that I will not make today or during any time that I'm on the whole 30.

[runninglawyer88]

Okay, so today's food plan is the following:

Breakfast: 4 whole, hard-boiled eggs and a banana

Lunch: salad with some protein source (there's usually eggs OR salmon/shrimp), red or yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives with balsamic vinegar for dressing. I'll also have a side of grapes/pineapple/strawberry since they're FODMAPS friendly.

Linner: I am packing food for the tone between lunch and dinner--sometimes lunch is at 12 and dinner isn't until 7 or 8 so I get rather hungry. I made steamed zucchini with lemon pepper, have canned/wild tuna, and 3 hard boiled eggs.

Dinner: broiled salmon with steamed zucchini. (Already chopped it and stuck it in a tupperware so that I can pop the salmon in the oven and the veggies in the steamer while I shower).

That's the plan--it's pretty low carb for now which is intentional. I'll do this for the next 3 days so that I can minimize water retention and maybe reduce some bloat before getting a starting weight. I know from experience/prior logging that the above is approximately 1600 calories and my TDEE is roughly 2000-2200 --which means that I have an expected loss of ~1 pound a week. I'm not going to weigh myself regularly (maybe only once at the halfway point) or count calories during this time because I WANT to listen to my body even if it means eating more than what would result in weight loss. So, after 6 years of counting calories I'm going to stop now. That will be a huge accomplishment in and of itself.

[melbournegirl]

Good plan... To ease out of counting calories, it helps to count/tick your meals against the template. This gives you the balance and the amounts to aim for to ensure success, and helps you minimise snacking later on when your body has adjusted.

Can you add some fat and veg to your tomorrow breakfast? Some olives and carrot sticks for example? Or?

I got through my first day okay except for a bit of corn and sugar in leftovers, will add a day... And I went for my first run in a good while... 3km to start, quite hilly and cold but I kept going so that's the main thing.

[runninglawyer88]

Good plan... To ease out of counting calories, it helps to count/tick your meals against the template. This gives you the balance and the amounts to aim for to ensure success, and helps you minimise snacking later on when your body has adjusted.

Can you add some fat and veg to your tomorrow breakfast? Some olives and carrot sticks for example? Or?

I got through my first day okay except for a bit of corn and sugar in leftovers, will add a day... And I went for my first run in a good while... 3km to start, quite hilly and cold but I kept going so that's the main thing.

Well, I eat whole eggs to provide fat. They have a pretty significant amount and that's all that is available really that's whole 30 compliant. I did have olives as part of a snack today. Those were yummy. Everyone was eating really indulgent stuff so I had an orange, bell pepper strips, and some olives. I also had **mozzarella**on tomatoes. OOPS! It wasn't much and it was my only slip up today so I'm still proud considering I have access to diet soda all day and had NONE! No sweeteners either which is HUGE for me. Today was a total win! 

[melbournegirl]

Breaking a diet soda habit must be extremely hard! Well done. You are right about the eggs, I always wondered if they count as protein and fat and just looked up they are 10% fat so two is equivalent to a tablespoon or a thumb.

A lot of people add avocado for fat but that is high fodmap. I can tolerate some every so often. I've been having bacon instead of eggs in the mornings or I have soup with ghee and cooked meat stirred in, or ground turkey with grated zucchini and carrot cooked in coconut oil. It's nice with a few blueberries and cinnamon thrown in too. Today I had left over chicken curry. I used to be a yoghurt and grains for breakfast person but after my first week of whole30 in November I got used to having dinners for breakfast and haven't switched back.

[runninglawyer88]

That's awesome!! I think I'm going to stick to eggs and a fruit. 4 eggs and low FODMAP fruits (banana or pineapple/blueberries/strawberries or and orange or grapefruit).

I went shopping yesterday--bought spinach, tomatoes, yams (I baked 3 for dinners--plan to eat 2/3 of one each evening), and carrots.

Today's plan: no dairy AT ALL ( including cheese-despite it's low levels of lactose), and basically the same foods as yesterday except today's lunch is sashimi (we are going out for sushi). I'm packing food for when we return because I'm sure I'll be hungry.

[runninglawyer88]

I'm adding a day and making today my official #1. I will report my hunger/mood/workouts in addition to what I ate. I like the blogs where people do that.

[Physibeth]

Adding vegetables to your breakfast (meal 1) is actually really important. Fruit should never be pushing vegetables off your plate. 

[runninglawyer88]

Adding vegetables to your breakfast (meal 1) is actually really important. Fruit should never be pushing vegetables off your plate.

I'm eating what's available. I would eat them if they were available but since they're not I have a fruit because otherwise it would be only eggs. No bueno.

[runninglawyer88]

I messed up AGAIN. Okay, so this is what a day in my life is like as a summer associate...and what I ate is bold

 

Breakfast Options:

• whole fruit
• fruit cup (mixed melon, pineapple, grapes)
• breakfast sandwiches on croissants
• breakfast potatoes
• oatmeal
• sometimes waffles
• greek yogurt
• cottage cheese
• eggs

Lunch

• lots and lots and lots of sushi (on rice--which I love and I passed it up) 
• hand rolls (with rice--passed it up)
• minimal sashimi  (ate it all)
• mochi ice cream (passed it up)
• unsweetened green tea

*no veggies*  (I was starving after this) 

 

Snack

• cupcakes with buttercream frosting
• whole fruit (2 oranges and a banana...I was still starving and I NEVER eat fruit like this)
• cheese (where I messed up   )
• crackers
• wine
• dried fruit
• nuts
• diet soda (passed it up)
• water and black coffee
• chocolate
• bruschetta

(too many calories, not enough nutrients. I was still unsatisfied and felt bad about the 1-2 oz of cheese) 

 

Dinner: (made at home)

• spinach
• salmon
• sweet potato
• water

[melbournegirl]

When I am in this situation I take carrot and celery sticks, sundried tomatoes and canned fish for lunch, any chance you can do that?

And your dinner if you made extra and mixed with eggs could be made into muffins to have for breakfast .

After awhile you get pretty good working out alternatives that work

[runninglawyer88]

I can't do that because I HAVE TO go out--it's part of being a summer associate. The social aspect is rather important for securing a job offer.

Today I'd really like to have a 100% on point day!!

Yesterday's workout was 7 mile run and walking from work

Today's workout was a 45 min spin class and a 3 mile run.

Breakfast is 4 eggs, lunch ??, dinner is same as yesterday.

I was really exhausted yesterday. I felt like poop and really wanted to throw in the towel completely, I kept asking myself "why are you doing this Christina?" But I only caved with the cheese and I feel good about that. Diet coke is definitely a very tempting "treat" and I want so badly to sweeten my coffee but I refuse to give in. No gluten/grains, no sugar, no artificial sweetener, no lactose. The fact that I chose the noncompliant food that's the lowest in lactose makes me feel better about it, although it doesn't excuse it.

[Physibeth]

Is it possible to eat before most of a compliant meal before you go to these events so you can still be social? If there really is no way for you to ensure you can eat the template this might not be the best time to attempt a Whole30 but to instead just eat as close as possible. Constantly breaking the rules when it is mostly out of your control is probably not really good for your overall mood.

[catyshark]

I like what Physibeth said. I'm doing Whole30 with my roommate and she's going through some personal and emotional stuff, together with a very demanding job and inflexibility around meals that makes it really hard for her to stick strictly to the plan. So while I'm 100% in (and know I can, the only thing in my way is me)...for her just the better choices she can make (more veggies, proper dinner meals, eliminating wheat, etc.) are good and to be celebrated. When her life settles down a bit, maybe then it would be a good time to go full on Whole30. She was beating herself up a bit, but we can do what we can do. Honesty helps. Can you do a little bit better? Then let yourself do a little bit better. If you can't, you can't. Reality winning again

[runninglawyer88]

Is it possible to eat before most of a compliant meal before you go to these events so you can still be social? If there really is no way for you to ensure you can eat the template this might not be the best time to attempt a Whole30 but to instead just eat as close as possible. Constantly breaking the rules when it is mostly out of your control is probably not really good for your overall mood.

I agree. I really can't avoid it--I mean I'm at work all day and there's one event after another. All work related. So, maybe that's what I'll do--FODMAPS approved and start the whole 30 July 27th--the day after my last day. I'll eat gluten, lactose, and added sugar free as best I can. I think having it in the back o my mind is useful even if it's not the "whole 30" if that makes sense-it still helps me from going off the rails.

[Physibeth]

I think that is a really good choice. I've been mostly Paleo since mid-March but I waited until now to do my Whole30 because I knew it wasn't a good time to be super strict before now. We all have to do what works best for us and decide what our priorities are.

[runninglawyer88]

I think that is a really good choice. I've been mostly Paleo since mid-March but I waited until now to do my Whole30 because I knew it wasn't a good time to be super strict before now. We all have to do what works best for us and decide what our priorities are.

Smart move. I think you're 100% correct. I don't want added stress/pressure during an already stressful life stage. I'll do the best I can given the circumstances. I'll still follow along with others and eventually come back at it when I can give it 100%.