Anyone else starting July 22nd?

[NavyGirl]

Good morning everyone and can't believe we are 2/3 complete with our Whole30!!!  I feel like an evangelist because I keep talking to friends, family and co-workers to share the good news about my Whole30 and encouraging them to read ISWF!

 

KC, regarding your question on satiety, I have always been a slow eater, even as a child, and I find that helps with noticing you are satisfied. I usually put down my utensil between bites...comment on the day's events...daydream...turn the page or whatever   In the beginning I felt that stretchy feeling of my stomach screaming at me to stop eating but these days feeling full is much more subtle.  Maybe making a conscious decision to eat slower would help?

 

I worked Sat & Sun which makes for a long two weeks but am definitely getting better in the kitchen and planning things for the week. I already have the next few lunches lined up and some easy options for the next 2 or 3 nights because I'll surely be too tired for a big cooking project. Gonna make broccoli cream soup to use up leftover veggies, though. This morning pineapple coleslaw with homemade mayo, roasted sweet potato (CrossFit tonight) and slice of veggie meatloaf. At lunchtime, roasted butternut squash (something I did not like before Whole30 but now yum) with bolognese sauce and a plum. For meal #3, salmon cakes from ISWF and broccoli. Maybe some berries and coconut cream, too.

 

Cravings did not bother me much in the beginning but I have been having some strong cravings for ice cream the last day or so! Maybe it's the "extinction burst" that Whole9 talks about, because while I am fond of ice cream, I generally do not spend an excessive amount of time thinking about how wonderful it is and how I really NEED SOME RIGHT NOW.  Yipes!  I even feel nervous and edgy when I think about it. I'm not planning on going out and getting any but it makes for an interesting psychological/self-reflection experience.

 

I have also been noticing food advertising a lot more lately -- ever notice how the sales flyers and commercials highlight soda and junk food?? No wonder the SAD is so poor with such a huge and largely-detrimental advertising focus.

 

SunnyJen, many blessings on your anniversary!!  How about the mocha-rubbed steak from ISWF? Perhape some wonderful dried figs wrapped with bacon and a spinach and strawberry salad with olive oil/balsamic vinegarette? My feelings about restaurants have changed since I started all this, and my mom & sis are getting on board with me.  I think I'd rather cook at home than go out! Cheaper, better and way more fun!

 

I have been doing well with 3 meals per day and I usually feel hungry for breakfast. Still waiting on Tiger Blood but overall my energy levels have been moderate, my moods calm and it's easier to fall asleep at night and to get up in the mornings.

[demos88]

I am back. And today is my new day 1.

 

My week of vacation, on the road, was not a Whole success.  We were considerably more active than usual... walking miles and miles around Philly, biking on the Allegheny Passage trail, etc, etc... but still, I was off the Whole30 about one meal a day.  I just couldn't manage perfect compliance with my family on the road...

 

I am ready to get back on through the end of the August.  My Whole30 journey will be 14 days on, 7 off, 18 on. Not exactly following the program, I know, but a good reset.

 

I am so impressed by everyone's great diligence here for the last 22 days.  Keep going strong!

[snowflower]

Happy Day 22!

 

I had a great weekend and am still going strong.  

 

I have been eating at 7am, 12:30pm, 6:30pm.  I haven't needed snacks/mini-meals most days. 

 

I think my tiger blood is being camouflaged by my BP issues.  I decreased my medication last week and was feeling great after about 3 days on my new dose.  Now I'm low again and am feeling light-headed and weak especially when going from seated position to standing.  I may need to decrease my meds further!!  

 

Have a great day!

[ElizabethP]

My meal schedule has been 7am, 12:30pm, & 6:30pm as well.  Some days I've been fine with just that, others I've gotten pretty hungry later in the evening.  I find that my hunger in the evening mostly depends on if I've eaten enough during the day.  Also finding that including enough healthy fats really helps with satiety.  Tonight I made my own "meetza" and roasted some green beans. Finished it off with a spoonful of coconut butter.

 

I don't know about tiger blood, but I do definitely feel better than pre-Whole30.  My clothes feel looser and I've gotten several comments about "how good I look."

 

It's interesting that I am finding this radical change easier to stick with than just trying to eat smaller portions or eat more vegetables or.... whatever. I think most of it is that I'm really actually not hungry inbetween meals.  That makes "self-control" much easier.

 

Made my own coconut milk last night... haven't crunched the numbers but I think it will be significantly less expensive than the canned organic stuff.

[primalamy]

I generally eat 3 meals a day, but I let my body dictate when it wants to eat. Sometimes I won't eat breakfast until 10 and lunch until 2. Sometimes I am ready for dinner right after I get off work at 5.

 

Breakfast was steak, sauerkraut, avocado, roasted beets and crimini mushrooms. Lunch was roasted chicken (I used this recipe, but added way more basil) with roasted beets, homemade pickles and avocado. Dinner was mussels and shrimp in a coconut milk broth I made with ginger, basil and turmeric and veggies.

[SunnyJen]

Thank you all for the suggestions for my anniversary dinner! I haven't decided what I'm making yet and it may not be until the weekend because of kids' schedules (ugh!). I am slowly convincing my husband that he needs to do this with me. Maybe the anniversary dinner will sway him.

I've been talking to friends about whole30 quite often. Some are interested and some think I'm crazy. I did have one friend buy ISWF and take it to her doctor and nutritionist. she told me i was doing the right thing because they both thought it was a good program. (Not that I needed to be convinced)

I've been reflecting a lot lately on how far I've come regarding my cravings and emotional ties to food. It is amazing to me how differently I feel and how I am able to just say no. I have such a strong desire to eat healthy and enjoy the challenge of coming up with new food combinations. Everything just tastes so good. In my past, if something was that good, I would not know when to stop eating. I would easily keep shoveling it in. I'm starting to recognize when I'm full and can just tell myself to stop. This is such a victory for me!

Keep up the great work everyone!

[NavyGirl]

Good morning everyone!

 

I had the best breakfast ever and wanted to share it with you! I wanted to make soup this week to use up some leftover and kinda sad-looking veggies and the recipe for "cream of broccoli" soup from Practical Paleo inspired me! Really I just used up whatever I had in the house: browned some onions and garlic, chopped 2-3 cups of broccoli and the stems (I did peel the stems first as they were woody), a handful of cremini mushrooms, a bunch of peeled radishes and about a cup of frozen kale. I dumped all that into my pressure cooker along with the leftover water (maybe 2 cups) already in there from steaming some sweet potatoes and also about 2 cups of the bone broth I made last week. After reaching full steam, I cooked everything for 20 minutes, threw in a can of coconut cream and hit the whole thing with my immersion blender.

 

YUM!  I had some last night with browned pork sausage from US Wellness and had a steaming bowl for breakfast today with softly-scrambled eggs stirred in. It's rainy and gray today so a hot bowl of soup hit the spot this morning! Prior to Whole30, I certainly would not plan on soup for brekky/meal 1 but now I think "Why not?" 

 

I don't really those "fake out" foods -- you know, the vegetarians who say "Try this smoked tofu, it tastes JUST LIKE kielbasa." Obviously these people have never eaten the real thing  although the smoked tofu was alright for what it was: smoked and processed soybeans. I don't like to settle for "tastes just like" or "reminds me of" and much prefer to like something for it's own sake, whatever it is.  I used to eat a lot of oatmeal and then feel hungry later, because sometimes you want a hot and hearty breakfast on a winter morning. Now I think a hot bowl of vegetable soup would hit the spot, when you're in the mood for a warm and comforting meal on a cold and snowy morning! 

 

Wow...thanks Whole30 for opening my eyes to all of this. What an amazing journey so far. Keep up the awesome work, everyone!!

[Whole Amy]

Good morning everyone - lots of interesting stuff coming up in this last week!

 

Snowflower - glad that you got your BP meds changed, that is great!

 

Dernos - welcome back, 2 out of 3 meals on plan while away is pretty darn good.  You said, 7 days off...but really it was just 7 meals off....only 2.5 days if you think about it.

 

Elizabeth - I agree, this is much easier for me than trying to just, eat less sugar or not snack between meals. 

 

SunnyJen - I am with you - this has also changed my relationship with food.  I honestly feel like the years of disordered eating and the love/ hate relationship I had with myself is getting slowly cured.  I know I have further to go, but this is a totally different focus from what I used to do in the past which was - eat less, and then go get on the scale.....not lose much, get depressed and then going in a tail spin and continue asking, what can I do to get out of this mess!  Instead of focusing on making meals that have as few calories and fat as possible my focus is on making meals as high quality as possible, the best meat, the best fats, etc.  Brilliant! 

 

For the past 10 days or so i have cut back my exercise, I was starting to exercise almost every day at the start of 2013, trying to lose weight.  It did nothing but make me more frustrated and cut into my sleep.  I was noticing that I was waking up at 5:50 every moring (my alarm was set for 6) even on mornings when I wanted to sleep.  I know I needed sleep as I had only gotten 6 hrs...but I could not sleep any longer.  Finally this week I am able to go until 6:15 or 6:30!  Some nights I have gotten into bed earlier (that may help too) so I am getting close to 8 horus most nights now, this is huge for me.   Although I love exercising and the feeling that I am helping my body lose weight, I think the extra cortisol and the increase in hunger that comes along with it is not helpful for my body.  I am better off with an every other day routine.

 

Keep up the good work today everyone!

[Whole Amy]

One last comment - today I started the day thinking - I LOVE THIS, I don't ever want to stop eating this way....but at the end of the day yesterday I was thinking, I can't wait until this is over and I can have a cracker   This back and forth has been going on for a few days now....is this happening inside anyone elses head?

[salemsister]

Good morning!

 

I wasn't on here yesterday much and it was so great to get on here and read all the comments and additions! GREAT stuff!

 

It is interesting to me that while the meals are M1, M2, M3 - I do still tend to eat "breakfast" meals for M1. Although some hot soup on a cold morning does sound pretty appealing, Navygirl!

 

Demos - welcome back and great effort! I haven't had any extended travel since on W30 but there have been a few times when I knew that it was likely the foods I needed wouldn't be available where I was and so I took a little personal cooler for "after" to eat my needed foods. It really does take some pre-planning - for on the road and to stay on track even throughout the week!

 

WholeAmy - I agree 100% I don't see myself going back to carbs and crappy eating. W30 will be the center of how my family and I eat from now on, but DAMN I can't wait for a glass of red wine!

 

Can't believe we are almost at 30!!! Yea us!

[ElizabethP]

Whole Amy - Yes!  The back and forth does still happen in my head.  One moment I'm thinking "I feel great, I think I'm going to eat this way forever" and then suddenly my mind is stalled out on the thought of an English muffin or a Diet Coke or a Chick-fil-a sandwich with fries.  I'm curious if that part of things will get easier over time...

 

Had sauteed bell peppers, onions, and chicken italian sausage for breakfast, along with a roasted sweet potato.  Not what I used to think of as breakfast food, but yummy, satisfying, and a nice break from eggs for today.

[38flamingo]

Good morning all! I am also back now from my vacation travels. Demos, I know what you mean about how hard it can be, and I also applaud you for managing to hang on for MOST of your meals instead of just throwing in the towel. The nature of my vacation was very different. For most of the time I was shopping and cooking in our rented place, and otherwise hanging out on the beach. So that part was really easy. The only really tough day I had was driving from Cape Cod to Philadelphia for a college visit there before finally returning home. I thought it would be easy enough to stop places for meals where I could at least order a salad with grilled something on it, or eggs, or a plain piece of meat or fish, It turned out that the trip was long and grueling, down route 95 through every coastal city from Providence RI to New York City, and just a series of horrendous traffic jams. SO - we really just tried to find food at rest stops, and I didn't really bring much in the car. At one point I nearly had a meltdown sitting and watching my son eat pizza while I was starving and waiting to scrounge what I could find in the car. But that was the worst of it, and I managed through that very long day to not eat anything off plan, although I definitely ate too much fruit and nuts. At one stop I bought a Starbucks sandwich and pulled out the meat! Once we arrived in Philly we were able to go out for a nice meal (fish). Same for our remaining meals and the much easier drive home yesterday, with a little supplementation with the couple of hard boiled eggs I had left. Glad to be home now!

As we near the end of the 30 I am clear that the major problem food for me ( both emotionally and in my body's reactions), is sugar in all its forms - including alcohol, and probably to some extent fruit. So I feel like I have to work toward some longterm decisions there. Also, I surely have an addictive relationship with crunchy salty things. I am considering saying a more longterm no to these "food groups." On the other hand, having meat, fish or eggs at every meal is starting to be overwhelming. This is what happened to me a while after starting paleo about 2 years ago. I found elanaspantry.com and started baking some almond flower breads and nut and seed bars - which include lots of eggs and are pretty high in protein. Recently (before starting W30) I also added locally made plain yoghurt to my diet. Truly, life is much easier with these foods as an option, and I may choose to return them to my diet.

The discipline of sticking with the tight rules of the W30 is truoy a learning experience. I have found myself far more committed to sticking with it, than tempted to give it up. Really that has never happened. I believe that participating in this group is a huge part of that. Thanks so much to each of you.

[snowflower]

I, too, have been thinking about what I'll add back in. My first thought is dairy not because I miss it per se, but because restaurant eating would be easier. I went out on Sunday night and would really have liked my steak with the horseradish crust, but it was made with butter. Also...my bf's lobster bisque smelled amazing. I would've loved a taste. Other than that, I'd like to have a glass of wine when I go out. I honestly don't miss anything else. I made bolognese sauce last night over spaghetti squash and it was amazing. The pasta I made for my kids didn't even tempt me. I haven't tried zucchini noodles, but that's next on my list of new things to try.

[demos88]

Wow, Flamingo-- I am so impressed how you handled the vacation and travelling.  I knew I was going to go off the plan during the long bike rides on our trip.  Whole30 without enough sweet potatoes does not seem to align with long-distance cardio,  But I seems like a perfect fit for Crossfit.

 

I feel great to be back into the routine. This is such a great time of year for vegetables-- I have not been to enough Farmer's Markets at all, but even the produce at Costco is terrific.  Can't wait for my steak salad lunch with asparagus and olive oil.

 

I am so impressed by everyone's commitment here.  I hope you all stick around until I can finish 30 straight 'perfect' days.

[NavyGirl]

I don't think I'll ever go back to daily gluten intake. Really just not healthy for me. Strangely I don't miss bread, beyond the convenience of making a sandwich for lunch and being done with it.  Years ago the doc told me I was lactose intolerant but I ignored the "change your lifestyle" advice in favor of eating foods I liked but that probably weren't very healthy for my body. A few months ago I met a friend for breakfast and even the butter on the toast bothered my stomach! I have not tried kefir or kombucha but I was very fond of quark when I lived in Germany. I am planning to reserve dairy for very infrequent occasions and I am pleased to see how many paleo-friendly ('tho not Whole30 friendly) baking recipes there are.  Looking forward coconut flour pancakes sometime : )

 

I enjoy eating "not very breakfast-y" things for meal 1 much more than I enjoy "breakfast for dinner"!  I recently found local farm that sells eggs and pastured pork, poultry, beef and lamb. Can't wait to try some of this fresh, local meat. There is a Korean farmstand right near my house that has bins of all manner of fruits & veggies -- I have made this place a regular weekly stop and always pick up something new. I like far more veggies than I ever thought I would.

 

Diet soda with lunch? I dunno. Maybe every now and then? Definitely a crave item for me and I know I'm better off without it. Lately I have been making my own jugs of green and black iced tea and bringing that to drink with lunch, along with fresh water. Chewing gum? Probably better off without this, too, since I chewed it every single day. Bagel with cream cheese and a double-dose of gluten and dairy? Probably not a good idea either and I used to have this once or twice a week at least. Part of me mourns for the passing of these things and for eating anything you want without a care, but I really like the way I feel lately and I think things can only get better.

 

I definitely do NOT want to be one of those old people with hypertension and diabetes and arthritis, taking a dozen medications and struggling to get through the day. I just want to live the best life that I can, and be the best me that I can be, and enjoy today and look forward to the future. Bagels with cream cheese, chewing gum and diet soda are not going to help me get there.

[Whole Amy]

Thanks everyone - great to ready your persepctives!  

What is so interesting when I look back at my old eating is that my "meals" were very healthy from a vegetable and protein view, never that carb filled because I knew they were not that good for me.  My problem was that I never ate enough, my meals were WAY too small and have little fat, so it left me hungry and then I filled in those missing calories from my meals with all of the food groups I excluded from B, L and D.....like wheat in the form of pretzels, chips and crackers, lots of nuts, nut butter on fruit and of course sweets after most meals.  I tried to curb my cravings with gum, I probably had 10 pieces a day or more...and a fair amount of other mints and candies.

Overall I think the biggest change in this way of eating is how I have embraced fat!  I eat a whole avocado at lunch most days, it seems crazy to think about it.....not saying I never ate that amount of guacamole and chips in the past!  My body requires a good amount of fat so I want to keep that going and I have learned the way to keep it working is to eat the fat without raising insulin...this point is huge for me.

 

I am with navygirl that wheat will stay out for a while along with dairy, they have never been good on my stomach.  I am also sensitive to some of the FODMAP fruits and vegetables.  I will stay watching those too.  I will try to keep with the pastured meat, it just tastes better!  I think a glass of wine will be the first thing to bring in...and maybe some oatmeal or almond flour based granola bar.

[primalamy]

Morning everyone! I had an improv class last night and got home late, so I didn't have time to post my food.

 

Breakfast was ground beef with mushrooms, kale and sauerkraut. Lunch was left over shrimp and mussles with avocado and more kale. Dinner was roasted chicken, beets, avocado and veggies.

 

As ar as my reintro, I am doing the autoimmune protocol, so I also cut out eggs, nuts, nightshades and all seed spices. I will never eat gluten again on purpose because I have hidradenitis suppurativa, and it makes it worse. I would like to try some dairy, but I am not sure. I think goats milk doesn't seem to bother me as much as cow's milk. It would be nice to be able to use butter sometimes instead of coconut oil. I would love to be able to eat tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant again, but I have psoriasis, so they may be out forever. Same thing goes with nuts and eggs. I plan on taking my reintro super slow, and checking for any autoimmune reactrion.

[demos88]

Hi everybody... I think I saw someone comment that recovery/soreness after working out takes longer on W30-- I agree. My legs are still sore from Monday.  

 

This week has gone quickly.  So has the last 24 days.  I keep saying to myself that 30 days isn't really that long.

 

Even though I fell off for a week, I didn't weigh myself when I restarted-- it isn't about the weight! (I keep telling myself).

[primalamy]

Demos, you should look into taking glutamine after you work out. It should help with your recovery.

 

Breakfast was the last of the ground beef with mushrooms, kale and sauerkraut. Lunch was steak and pork loin with braised purple cabbage and apples. Dinner was a big salad with romaine, kale, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, beets, mushrooms and chicken.

[Whole Amy]

HI Everyone -

Dernos - you are right, 30 days is not that long.....especially when you think that I was really trying to clean up my eating on my own for the first 6 months of the year with no luck.   I also am dying to get on the scale, but really I am not sure if I have lost that much (if any) but for the first time in my life I have to say the other improvements are better than a lower number on the scale.  When I created my goals for this WHole30 weight loss was not on the list - conquering my sugar addiction was - and I have done that with great success!

 

PRimalAmy - I finally got some sauerkraut!  I will have it with my dinner tonight I think.

 

Day 25 for this crew - very exciting.  I went out for lunch yesteday at a japanese plae and had a fish soup in a clear broth and sashimi tuna.....something in there was a no no, and I am not sure what it was.  I spent the afternoon feeling shakey, confused and dizzy...not fun.  My stomach was also not so stable.  THe waitress was hard to understand so even though she said there was no MSG or soy in the foods there could have been along with other things.  

 

One of these days when I introduce problem foods back I am curious to find out what the problem was.

[snowflower]

Day 25!! I can hardly believe it.

I've been thinking that I should start up again with another Whole30 on Day 31. This next one would be the low histamine regimen. It scares me a bit, bc I love my lemons and limes (the other not allowed foods won't be an issue for me), but think I might have better results if I don't add back in anything first. My system would be "clean". I'd be doing the low histamine plan for my dermographism and daily itching / hives. Weird thing....about day 9 I felt like I was getting some relief! I even skipped a day needing a benedryl. But then after that day I skipped...it seems to have gotten worse. Or maybe I'm just hyper-aware bc I was hoping it would get better.

Doing another 30 would also eliminate the need to add food back in. That process has me worried. I REALLY don't want to fall back into my old patterns. I had such a stong craving for ice cream yesterday it actually freaked me out a bit. I was able to pass yesterday (knowing I had leftover bolognese and spaghetti squash at home ready to be warmed up), but was thinking "that'll be what I add on Day 31" and then panicked that I'd have no brakes and eat way too much. I am re-reading ISWF now. I read it so quickly the first time, so eager to get started....I'm savoring it this time.

on to easier things......I got a bag of tomatillos from my CSA and plan on making tomatillo salsa today with onions, cilantro and Serrano chiles. I thought it'd be yummy with jicama and other raw veggies and am really eager to try it with eggs or a grass fed burger.

Have a great day!

[demos88]

Your day 25... awesome. It is my reset day 4.  I had a small skin procedure on my shin and I am supposed to not exert myself until the stitches come out in 2 weeks.  I will need to find some way to be active... I have been in a consistent AM workout routine for 4 or 5 years, so sleeping in just doesn't work.

 

On W30, I like waking up hungry and making my 4 eggs.  Today it was  with guacamole.  Steak salad for lunch with asparagus. Tonight in tuna steaks.

 

Happy Thursday!

[primalamy]

Whole Amy - What kind did you get? I aks because some commercal sauerkrauts are over processed and don't have all the good fermented stuff in them. I hope you like it. Sauerkraut is definitely one of my staples now.       

 

I forgot to mention yesterday that I started my first batch of kombucha. I am addicted to it, but at over $3 a bottle, decided to start making it myself because it adds up fast.                                                            

[SunnyJen]

Happy Day 25!!

It turns out we were able to have our anniversary dinner last night. We enjoyed steak, steamed shrimp and grilled zucchini, mushrooms & onions. I forgot to make my husband his baked potato (oops!). It was a delicious, filling dinner and plenty of food even without the potato. For dessert we grilled peaches. The rest of the family had them with vanilla ice cream, but I drizzled mine with coconut milk and sprinkled on cinnamon and coconut. It was heavenly

In the past i would have "celebrated" with the ooiest, gooiest dessert i could find. It would have been cheesecake or frozen custard, ice cream, anything with hot fudge or caramel. It still sounds good to me....but I can't imagine how I would feel after eating something like that. I know I am conquering my unhealthy relationship and addiction to all things dessert.

Thanks again to a great group for your support and ideas!!

[NavyGirl]

Happy Day 25 all! I survived yet another snack-laden Bible study...this time they had chicken and an entire tray of french fries from the local BBQ place!  I have eaten there before and it is usually super-salty but good but I didn't have any.  I always bring a healthy treat to share and the bag of apples were a hit. I still think about eating unhealthy stuff but I really like how I feel with good stuff on board. And it's getting easier in the kitchen, too, and I'm sure will be ever better when I have a bit more leeway after our Whole30.

 

I should probably read ISWF again, too. Maybe I'll have some better insight at this point.  I don't seem to have any issues with eggs, but I am thinking about cutting out nightshades for a week or two after our Whole30 to see if my psoriasis improves. At present, it is dormant but I used topical steroids for a few weeks earlier in the summer to get it under control.  Many nightshades are things I never liked anyway -- tomatoes, eggplant, pimentos, cayenne pepper -- so maybe my body was trying to tell me all along?

 

What is it about food and love that makes them so inter-twined?  Really they are not but, like SunnyJen was saying, it's so common to celebrate happy occasions with a caramel cheescake or plate of fudgy brownies or chocolate chip cookies the size of tea saucers. Food can definitely be a way to show affection or to just "treat yourself". No wonder I have such issues with the Sugar Dragon and eating too much cake, candy and pasta!!