July 1 Start Date - Who's with Me?!

[ArLaLeIE]

Day 3: I successfully walked past the Oreos in the break room today.

 

I get the thing about not eating fruit for dessert. I've never been one to eat big desserts anyway, just a small piece of dark chocolate after dinner. My main issue has been the mindless eating between meals (be it Oreos or chips or whatever).

 

Feeling good today.

 

Yay! Love that. I had a tough moment yesterday too, grandpa sure loves his blueberry pancakes coated with butter and local maple syrup. Made my morning a bit rough but glad we are able to push through! 

[amrosinski]

@wylandfn - I had the same experience with my coffee!  My (usual) coffee is just a little half-n-half and cinnamon - I couldn't imagine not having the cream.  But I also found it made me so full, I didn't want to eat breakfast and that just didn't seem right.  So on Monday I started drinking it black with a dash of cinnamon and I'm actually really enjoying it.  Stays hotter too!  

 

Yesterday was pretty good - maybe a bit too much fruit as we had friends over and they brought a big plate of cut up fruit.  I ate it as to not snack on other things (or have a beer).  So a reset on that today.  I will say that I was starving yesterday afternoon.  So I had a handful of almonds and some grapes.  Having been 75% paleo before this, my meals haven't been all that different - it's the absence of sugar and wine that is a change for me.  I did sleep in this morning much past when I usually do - didn't work out and I think that's just what my body needed.

 

I so enjoy reading the daily emails that come from Whole30Daily - if you aren't getting them, you should.  A fun read, start each day inspired to make the right choices and explanations of why you might be feeling one way or another.

 

Have a great day 3 everyone!  

[Chris74]

Tomorrow's menu looks mostly doable: 

 

ON THE MENU
Smoked Wagyu Brisket
Whole Roasted Pigs
Riverpark's Famous Fried Chicken 
Grilled House-Made Sausages
Fish Kabobs
Corn On The Cob
Tomato Salad
Cole Slaw
Potato Salad
Farm Vegetables
Biscuits
Watermelon
Banana Pudding
Strawberry Shortcake
Blueberry Pie Sundae
And More!
 

[wylandfn]

Day 3: I successfully walked past the Oreos in the break room today.

 

I get the thing about not eating fruit for dessert. I've never been one to eat big desserts anyway, just a small piece of dark chocolate after dinner. My main issue has been the mindless eating between meals (be it Oreos or chips or whatever).

 

Feeling good today.

Way to go @Imhowle on bypassing the Oreos! That's a big deal for being on Day 3 (really, it's always a big deal but, especially being on day 3 of our 'journey').  I too miss that little square of dark chocolate in the evening that I liked having as a rich dessert coupled with an iced decaf coffee w/ a splash of cream and some vanilla in it.  *sigh* I must add that feeling as good (and clean inside) as I am, it's been well worth giving that indulgence up!   

 

Day 3:  Going great so far!  After reading the daily Whole30 email for what to expect on Day 3, I'm happy to report that as of yet, I am experiencing none of the negative side effects that were outlined as possibilities.  I am realistic enough to realize though that my day has only just begun.  =)  I've never been a morning person so, if I'm a bit groggy or foggy-minded when I wake up at 4:30 am for work, it's really nothing out of the norm for me.  Given the choice, I've always been one to sleep in and rest anywhere from 9 - 10 hours!  I do find that if I take 3mg dose of Melatonin in the evenings around 7ish, I tend to sleep great and wake up feeling more refreshed at my usual 4:30 am wake-up time. 

 

This morning I did as was suggested yesterday and ate a portion of my pre-cooked breakfast which consisted of an egg scramble w/ sauteed mushrooms and spinach (used clarified butter, approved chicken broth & garlic) as well as some black olives for some additional fat before leaving the house so that my 'fast' was broken and my body got the signal to get going with my metabolism.  =)  I'll eat the rest of my same breakfast in another hour or so when I can take a quick break from work. 

 

Question:  Is anyone else amazed at what a difference just two days of this uber-clean eating has made in how great your body feels?  I'm feeling better and more like my old 'positive, healthy & happy' self and I'm only on Day 3.  It's great motivation for sure!  I'm not so jaded as to expect that I will not experience any 'lows' however; I'm optimistic about the journey and choose to embrace the wonderful way my body is feeling at the moment.  =)  (*sidenote:  yesterday I DID happen to experience the case of the 'cranky's' and the people & things that normally bother me a bit seemed to grow exponentially to the point of me just wanting to b-slap everyone and everything!)  [embarrasing but, honest confession]

 

Good luck everyone and have a great Day 3! (or whatever day your time zone has you in) 

[wylandfn]

@amrosinski I'm happy to hear I'm not alone in missing that little dash of cream in my coffee!  =)  I ordered some of that Whole30 approved vanilla powder and 100% Cacao powder to give it a try in my black coffee and see how it goes.  Both of them just arrived in my mailbox yesterday so, I'll experiment with them over the next few days and see what I come up with.  If both are epic fails, then I'm okay with the black coffee... I'm getting used to it and actually don't mind it as much as I thought I would.  I like not having that 'full' feeling you so accurately described after (and while) consuming my pre-Whole30 coffee blend.  =)

[wylandfn]

Quick Question for the Group: 

 

Has anyone dealt with going to the movies while being in the middle of their Whole30?  I'm going to the movies tomorrow and normally I share some popcorn and a caffeine-free diet coke with my husband.  Neither the popcorn or the drink are anywhere near being Good Food by Whole9/30 standards!!  I'm not concerned with caving and eating them, I just wanted to know whether any of you have taken other things with you to the movies or if I'm better off just foregoing any food at the movies to sever that link between movies & eating. 

 

Comments/ideas/suggestions welcome! =))

[mamaxt]

Hi all! 

 

I'm suffering from what feels like a (carb?) hangover this morning. My Whole30 Daily email said that today I might experience feeling tired, cranky, worse allergies, etc. Yep! Check to all of those items on the list. 

 

My plan is to drink TONS of water today! I feel like if I can help aid my body in the process of cleaning out all that latent junk in there I'll feel better soon. 

 

How is everyone else feeling today? Ready to stay the course!??

[GFChris]

Quick Question for the Group: 

 

Has anyone dealt with going to the movies while being in the middle of their Whole30?  I'm going to the movies tomorrow and normally I share some popcorn and a caffeine-free diet coke with my husband.  Neither the popcorn or the drink are anywhere near being Good Food by Whole9/30 standards!!  I'm not concerned with caving and eating them, I just wanted to know whether any of you have taken other things with you to the movies or if I'm better off just foregoing any food at the movies to sever that link between movies & eating. 

 

Comments/ideas/suggestions welcome! =))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just finished my first Whole30 last week. Half-way through, I took my 10-year-old niece out to a local theater. She ordered a popcorn, which, at times, I held for her during the performance.   

Luckily we went out to dinner immediately beforehand, and I had a Whole30 compliant meal which left me pleasantly full. Had zero desire to eat even one popcorn kernel!  Wasn't hungry and didn't want to mess up my progress at that point.

 

Based on my experience, perhaps you do the same, meaning eat a meal at home or at a restaurant immediately before the movie, so you won't be hungry during the show.  

[wylandfn]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just finished my first Whole30 last week. Half-way through, I took my 10-year-old niece out to a local theater. She ordered a popcorn, which, at times, I held for her during the performance.   

Luckily we went out to dinner immediately beforehand, and I had a Whole30 compliant meal which left me pleasantly full. Had zero desire to eat even one popcorn kernel!  Wasn't hungry and didn't want to mess up my progress at that point.

 

Based on my experience, perhaps you do the same, meaning eat a meal at home or at a restaurant immediately before the movie, so you won't be hungry during the show.  

 

 

Holy.Cow.Crazy~  I don't  know that I would've had the strength to hold the popcorn!  Great job!!!  =)  Very impressive indeed!   

[sallyk]

Hi everyone!

 

I just started my first W30 yesterday, so today is day 2.

 

So far, so good. I definitely miss a little splash of milk in my coffee, but other than that I haven't had any cravings.

 

Pre-W30 I was terrible for mindless eating and convenience foods. I would choose a meal based on how easy it was to prepare as opposed to how nourishing it would be for my body.

 

Knowing these things about myself means that I need to be on top of my meal preparation game at all times! I made a big batch of mini frittatas and meatballs on Monday, as well as some oven roasted veggies (which are now mostly gone!).

 

Tonight I am debating between doing a mocha steak or a shrimp curry. I think I am going to end up doing the curry so I can freeze some individual portions for quick meals. Steak can wait until tomorrow night.

[mamaxt]

Popcorn is SUCH a weakness of mine! You'll do great though, @wylandfn, simply because you're already making a plan to be successful and resist the temptation. If it were me, I'd sneak in some Whole30-approved food to eat just in case. But eating immediately beforehand is probably your best bet. though snacking isn't recommended, you won't fall off the wagon if you have some compliant trail mix and a fizzy water to drink during the show. 

 

I'm facing a similar challenge this evening with a trip planned to see our local baseball team. Stadium food will surely not be compliant, so I'm going to eat beforehand and sneak in some snacks. Or, maybe, just maybe, I'll have a brat without the bun but with a heaping pile of sauerkraut.   

[HeatherH]

Day 3

I went to bed last night with a headache and still had it when I woke up this morning. I am thinking it's from sugar withdrawal, so I will probably try to take a nap this afternoon (my body wants more sleep when I have a headache).

 

As far as food, here's today's:

Breakfast: 2 eggs + 1 yolk scrambled in a little coconut oil, small sausage patty, and a few roasted baby carrots (vegetables with breakfast just seems odd to me, but I'm trying!)

Lunch: Salad with homemade avocado mayo

Dinner: Slow-cooked chicken with roasted sweet potatoes. 

[wylandfn]

Baseball games... difficult by way of healthy eating... I drool whenever I see someone walk by with nachos or ice-cream!  All power to you @mamaxt!!! 

 

@sallyk:  I get weak in the easy prep meals myself.  I find that I do best when I block out one day of my weekend to whip up multiple different crock-pot meals which can then be portioned out and frozen for quick easy lunches/dinners and also a big batch of egg bakes (just eggs with whatever veggies I have on hand mixed in them and baked in silicon muffin liners).  I also like to use that same day to cut up fruit and veggies so that I have plenty prepped for upcoming meals in the week ahead.  I think this weekend I'm going to try out the recipe for chocolate chili (I think I saw it on either 'theclothesmakethegirl' site or the 'nom nom paleo' site).  I'm also going to try my hand at whipping up some homemade mayo in different flavor combos to have some ranch and other flavors available for veggies and salads.  Yayyy! 

[Chris74]

I quit drinking alcohol in 2007, if I viewed every situation where I was around alcohol as a situation where I was confronted with something I wanted or as something I was denying myself of, I would go insane and never be around alcohol again.  At some point you have to become a person who doesn't need to/want to drink alcohol... or in any other case, I am the person who doesn't need to/want to eat a box of donuts.  If you're in a prolonged constant state of denying yourself shitty food you need to reevaluate your priorities.  I'm not one to mince words, so, instead of being the person denying themselves popcorn, be the person who doesn't eat popcorn, it's much easier that way.

[crispy26]

Still haven't convinced myself to get up early enough to make eggs but I'm feeling alright with just the fruit in the morning.

 

I'm a snacky person though so I'm a little worried I'm eating too many raw cashews and not too sure what to eat in the meantime...Same meals yesterday as the day before lol with chicken/veggies for lunch, swai fish/veggies for dinner with cashews and veggies in between.  I just got a crockpot so I'm going to put that to good use this weekend. 

 

Do you guys know if portions are a huge deal?  I've been having a pretty good sized piece of chicken or fish with a medium-large portion of veggies and not sure if I'm over-doing it.  Also, is chili powder okay?  in the ingredients it lists some manner of dioxide...

[MrsRobinson]

@Chris74 that was really well explained. I've been trying to figure out how to express what you just said. I dumped sugar and wheat months ago so I have gone through that mourning period already and now when the boxes of Dunkin Donuts come in to the comm I no longer have to talk myself through why I can't have them, I simply don't want them. Part of it too is uncoupling the "when I go here I eat this" train. Rejecting food-as-recreation. And observing the internal panic over this, and letting it pass. It does pass.

[mamaxt]

@crispy26 - I spent a lot of time on my last, "squishy," W30 snacking and not being very careful about portion size. This is just from my experience, but I don't think it was as successful me as it could have been if I were a little more strict about following the guidelines/suggestions that are outlined in the plan. That's just me and my body though. It could be a totally different experience for you.

 

As as chili powder goes, I think it's okay in general. Check your ingredients against the plan's protocols, though. I don't know about the dioxide, specifically. Maybe it's best to switch to another brand...

[crispy26]

Thanks for the info @mamaxt!

[GFChris]

Still haven't convinced myself to get up early enough to make eggs but I'm feeling alright with just the fruit in the morning.

 

I'm a snacky person though so I'm a little worried I'm eating too many raw cashews and not too sure what to eat in the meantime...Same meals yesterday as the day before lol with chicken/veggies for lunch, swai fish/veggies for dinner with cashews and veggies in between.  I just got a crockpot so I'm going to put that to good use this weekend. 

 

Do you guys know if portions are a huge deal?  I've been having a pretty good sized piece of chicken or fish with a medium-large portion of veggies and not sure if I'm over-doing it.  Also, is chili powder okay?  in the ingredients it lists some manner of dioxide...

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A couple of things (and this is all intended to be helpful advice).

 

Avoid having only fruit as a meal.  Every one of your three Whole30 meals should have a protein, vegetable and fat, per the meal template. http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf   Protein should be 1-2 palm sizes and shoot for 1-2 cups of vegetables per meal.

Limit fruit to 1-2 servings per day (serving size = your fist) and have fruit with or immediately following a meal described above.

If you are hungry between meals, have a mini-meal snack including a protein and fat.

On the chili powder, if it contains sulfur dioxide, that's a no-no on the Whole30, as no sulfites are permitted. Get another brand without sulfites.

[annabel]

@crispy26, I wouldn't worry too much about portion sizes so long as they're at least hitting the minimum guidelines of the meal template... as the month goes along you'll hopefully figure out what works best for you.  And personally, I don't think you can overdo it on veggies.

 

I found with my first W30 most of my days were really low calorie... Which I only know because I had to do a project a few weeks back as part of my government-funded computer training course. (Don't ask) I didn't count calories during my W30 and I don't count calories as part of normal practice.

[eldunn6396]

Day 3 is going well! My dog was sick this morning so that sort of side tracked breakfast. I had a larabar as I ran out the door with black coffee. Made up for it at lunch and had a big salad with grilled chicken, cucumbers, carrots, onions and balsamic dressing with a little olive oil. 

 

Dinner will be later than normal but planning on acorn squash and meat sauce.

 

I've never made hard boiled eggs before and I know people make them different ways... anyone have a method they find to be fool-proof?

[mamaxt]

@ eldunn6396 - Try this method from Nom Nom Paleo: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/7332351633/perfect-hard-boiled-eggs

[CharDoll]

Quick Question for the Group: 

 

Has anyone dealt with going to the movies while being in the middle of their Whole30?  I'm going to the movies tomorrow and normally I share some popcorn and a caffeine-free diet coke with my husband.  Neither the popcorn or the drink are anywhere near being Good Food by Whole9/30 standards!!  I'm not concerned with caving and eating them, I just wanted to know whether any of you have taken other things with you to the movies or if I'm better off just foregoing any food at the movies to sever that link between movies & eating. 

 

Comments/ideas/suggestions welcome! =))

 

 

I would just have a great Whole 30 meal before you go and not eat anything (especially if it's post dinner!) 

If you really feel the need to munch on something during the movie (which would be mindless eating according to the plan) you could try

"monkey salad" which is on http://goodcheapeats.com/2013/02/monkey-salad/  I made a version of it last night with coconut flakes, strawberries and crushed almonds. It was a very satisfying "dessert".  So that might be an easy snacky think for the movies.

 

What if instead of eating or drinking diet coke you bring (in your bag!) a bottle/can of seltzer water? That always helps me.

 

GOOD LUCK! 

[crispy26]

@GFChris, I appreciate your insight thanks for the helpful tips

[MrsRobinson]

I ate a salad in the movies once. We live in a small town with a small old timey theater and they truly don't care about you bringing in outside food.