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Starting today - August 13th!


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I am seriously loving this. Weekends take some preparation -and I need to come up with better snacks (almonds or apples are not ISWF recommended snacks). I'm thinking a hard boiled egg might be better.

 

I know I've mentioned the Chocolate Chili recipe by Melissa Joulwan (taken from Well Fed), but not sure if I also added the link. Here it is, just in case:

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2009/02/22/my-favorite-chili-recipe/

 

It's my favorite dish yet, love it madly.

 

Also a fan of her Gingered Zucchini Soup (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/11/05/silky-gingered-zucchini-soup/), and her Golden Cauliflower Soup (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/10/24/golden-cauliflower-soup/).

 

Cannot wait for Well Fed 2 to be released!!!  :D

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I am seriously loving this. Weekends take some preparation -and I need to come up with better snacks (almonds or apples are not ISWF recommended snacks). I'm thinking a hard boiled egg might be better.

I know I've mentioned the Chocolate Chili recipe by Melissa Joulwan (taken from Well Fed), but not sure if I also added the link. Here it is, just in case:

http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2009/02/22/my-favorite-chili-recipe/

It's my favorite dish yet, love it madly.

Also a fan of her Gingered Zucchini Soup (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/11/05/silky-gingered-zucchini-soup/), and her Golden Cauliflower Soup (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/10/24/golden-cauliflower-soup/).

Cannot wait for Well Fed 2 to be released!!! :D

Peskigirl - if you're finding that you need snacks because you're starving, perhaps look at your portion sizes? Increasing the protein or fat (or both) a little may help you go without the snacks. If you do that and you're still starving, mini meals are recommended - throw some vegies in with your HB eggs and you'll have a perfect mini meal!

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Today (my day 6) was pretty awful. 

 

I didn't eat enough at lunch time, and I knew it, but I was rushing out the door to get my kids to the doctor.  My blood sugar crashed hardcore by late afternoon and I was dizzy, headached, and extremely irritable.  After I ate dinner (mashed sweet potatoes, chili, sauteed kale) I felt so much better, but now I'm just sitting here feeling defeated.  I've been suffering aggravating sugar cravings and fluctuating energy levels for the past two days, not to mention a host of negative emotions, including being irrationally angry at "those other people" who can eat whatever they want and be "just fine". 

 

I know this is probably typical for the first week, but it sure sucks to experience.

 

I'm hoping things improve soon and I can go back to feeling optimistic and determined.

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Something to keep in mind...those other people may be 'just fine' now, but our bad diets do catch up with us.  

 

It hit me hard when, during my first clinical rotation in my last year of nursing school, my assigned patient was 450 lbs., and, of course, diabetic.  She had already lost one toe, and was about to lose a foot.  And her kidneys were starting to fail.  She had already had one open heart surgery.  She was...52.  52!!!

 

And now that I've started in ICU, so many of the people we see (we aren't a trauma center, so no car accidents or things like that) are sick with things that are the result of many, many years of not taking care of themselves.  Diabetes is rampant, and we always have COPD patients (most with histories of smoking).  And not all patients who have diabetic complications are overweight!  One patient was a man in his 50s, tall and lean *looking*, and he was having his lower leg amputated due to gangrene...the poor circulation was due to years of uncontrolled diabetes and high blood glucose levels.

 

You are making an investment in yourself so that you will not be one of those people who spend so much time not living and literally disabled by their acquired conditions.  

 

And a good amount of these patients just really had no idea what they were doing was harmful (well, except for the smokers!, but addiction to anything isn't easy to stop)...one patient literally told me her high blood glucose level was due to the steroids she was taking (which were given because of her COPD, she was STILL smoking)...and then she argued with the doctor to take her off the 'diabetic' diet because she couldn't eat anything.  smh  And then she ordered carbs and sugar.  

 

Ok, this kind of turned into a longer rant than I meant...but the takeaway, we need to remember that what we see on the outside is not necessarily an indicator of health, and that what we do know *matters* so much in later years!

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Thank you, Topaz!  It definitely helps to have that perspective.  Despite my cravings and negative emotions, I do have to admit that my digestive system definitely feels much better, and I'm even feeling a bit leaner already just from lack of bloating and whatever else.  I'm definitely looking forward to the day when the sugar cravings die back a bit... I've never had them so strong, and so consistent.  I wasn't even eating much sugar at all before the W30, but man, my body wants it lately.

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No problem...I think I am 'lucky' in a way that I constantly get reminded of that perspective!

 

Its funny, I thought I would have very specific sugar (sweets) cravings, but mine are more carby in general!  Did that even make any sense?  Haha!  I wonder if I was taking in more carbs than I realized before?  If nothing else, this program really gets you thinking!

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Peskigirl - if you're finding that you need snacks because you're starving, perhaps look at your portion sizes? Increasing the protein or fat (or both) a little may help you go without the snacks. If you do that and you're still starving, mini meals are recommended - throw some vegies in with your HB eggs and you'll have a perfect mini meal!

 

Thank you amberino21! I think it's more of an anxiety thing with me -I was so used to eating in-between meals, sometimes an apple, sometimes a pear, or a handful of blueberries & raspberries with a kiwi fruit and some chia seeds, etc. With the Whole 30 my fruit intake has gone WAY down. But I don't think it's related to me being hungry, but just anxious. I will just increase my water intake (which is really high now, I love that), and try to control the need to snack that way.

 

I had a veggie frittata and some avocado on the side for breakfast this morning, and I am looking forward to lunch SO MUCH! It's a grilled tuna filet, in a bed of broccoli and mushrooms, and with a super yummy sauce I picked up at my favorite health food store (all natural, checked out all the ingredients, nothing funky -it was a bit too hot for me so I mixed it with a tbsp of coconut milk and some lime juice too). Can't wait till noon!!  :D

 

You know how we're supposed to read every label? Check every single ingredient? I read the label of the air freshener can, it contained alcohol and a whole other lot of nasty stuff (Glade). And yeah I know it's not like I snort it or spray it on my food, but still, no more air freshener for me please, thank you.

:ph34r:

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@Exastris - I had my worst 'feel sorry for myself' day yesterday. I visited a friend who is doing this Whole30 with me in the morning and she told me how much she hates her life and is miserable because of all the diet restrictions, eventually she decided she's just going back to Primal eating (b/c of dairy and alcohol and natural sweetners). It's her choice and I'm totally fine with it but it just made me so weirdly sad and I started thinking about all the things I couldn't eat too, and wondering why I am even restricting myself like this and...anyways...I think I'm seeing more benefits in the way I feel so I don't feel quite like she does, but it was definitely hard to have the only other person eating this way with me decide it wasn't worth it.

 

@Topaz - I get those examples all the time. I'll have diabetic patients who won't eat the ADA diet, have their family members bring them Honey Buns and then say "why don't you just give me extra insulin?" - it's sad. Also sad, the diabetic diet has pasta dishes incorporated like every day. I don't really feel as though I can blame them. All of the nutritionists and gov't agencies promote a "balanced" diet with whole grains and I think the 2000 calorie diet incorporates 300 grams of carbohydrates daily. All of these people think they are eating the right way and so few medical professionals advocate a Paleo diet, as it contradicts the "everything in moderation" by eliminating certain food groups.

 

It's a good reminder to think that is isn't about the here and now necessarily, it's about making a lifestyle change for a healthier future. After caring for so many patients who are on 15+ daily medications by age 60, it definitely inspires me to do the best I can now.

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[quote name="peskigirl" post="135432" timestamp="

You know how we're supposed to read every label? Check every single ingredient? I read the label of the air freshener can, it contained alcohol and a whole other lot of nasty stuff (Glade). And yeah I know it's not like I snort it or spray it on my food, but still, no more air freshener for me please, thank you.

:ph34r:

If you want a real eye-opener on toxicity of body/makeup/personal products, check out

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

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OK that's scary stuff. I wear makeup like once a year, for a wedding or something big like that, but never on a daily basis, not even for a date or a fancy dinner or whatever. But even with the little use I give my makeup, this is quite concerning. I will look further into it, thank you for sharing!

 

How is everyone doing today? I am having a wonderful day. Yesterday I used my brand new food processor -it is so much better than just a blender. I processed a bunch of walnuts, stuck them in the oven and then used that as a base for Well Fed's "Velvety Butternut Squash" (http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/11/17/velvety-butternut-squash/). It was so yummy! Reminded me of some sort of quiche (because of the flavor), but loved the texture that the walnuts added. It was a veeeery thin layer though, since there were pecans already in there. 

 

Yesterday I went back to the gym. I had been avoiding it since I read that we should take it slow on the first week (and of course my lazy side kept saying well, by "take it slow" I bet they mean "skip the gym entirely", so that's how that happened. But the laziness is over. Yesterday I went back, did my upper body strength training routine (well, almost all of it, skipped a couple of exercises near the end, I was seriously tired). Still it was 2.5 hours (it's usually ~3).  And now I feel the nice burn all over -love it.

 

This morning I woke up at 5am, no fuss. Went to the gym again for my 20' HIIT. That's where I felt a HUGE difference, it's probably more related to my time away from the gym than to the Whole 30 -my energy level was awesome, but I got exhausted way faster than before.

 

Now that I'm back on track I will pay close attention to my body's response as time goes by. I expect to be back where I was in about a week or so (hopefully!). 

 

Is anybody else drinking this much water? I don't count my intake but it's just... like double of what I used to have (and I thought I was drinking a lot of water already!). Not complaining of course.

 

Oh yeah and I pre-ordered Well Fed 2 already... cannot wait till it's out!

B)

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i rarely wear makeup either - but what i do have, and what I've used for about a year is chemical free....i had to have my makeup done for a gig last week, at a conventional makeup counter. my whole face was kind of puffy and red the next day!

 

the exhaustion during your HIIT may have something to do with whole 30, and only being in your second week - you  may not get the full energy for another week?

 

i always drink a lot...didn't get any more or less during whole 30....5-6 litres a day is normal for me!

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Hi everyone.  Day nine for me.  I am feeling... well, alright.  There is a noticeable lack of energy and motivation.  It's hard to get going sometimes, but it's half physical and half psychological.  Has anyone else been going through emotional fallout?  It's taking me a bit by surprise... I've been very introspective lately (more than usual), and the strange dreams continue.

 

I'm also starting to get into a rut with meals.  I've been trying to eat a variety of proteins (salmon, tuna, sardines, chicken, beef, eggs), but I'm starting to get really SICK of protein.  And I love vegetables, even before W30, but I feel like if I look at another squash or head of cabbage I'm going to scream.  I've been mixing it up with veggies, too, don't get me wrong... mostly I'm just losing the motivation to feed myself "proper" meals.  I'm doing some poking around the internet, and I have "Well Fed" on hold at the library, hopefully it'll come in soon...

 

That said, it's not all doom and gloom.  My stomach and my body in general are feeling a lot happier, and I'm actually already feeling slimmer, less bloated.  My face is clearing, but I can't tell if that's the W30 or my hormones (I just finished my cycle, and the flare-ups usually die down a little bit right afterward, only to get going again in full force about a week after that).  So, only time will tell with that, and i don't want to get my hopes up, but what a relief that would be.  I never suffered acne when I was younger, but for some reason I got it bad when I was pregnant with my daughter (almost 5 years ago now) and it has never gone away, only worsened each month.

 

I am still getting cravings, and I do miss my beer with dinner, but I bought a 12-pack of cans of plain sparkling water, and I have one in the evening over ice, with a lime wedge.  Surprisingly refreshing and satisfying :)

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Anyone still read this? :)

 

I'm on Day 13, feelin alright.  I go back and forth, sometimes feeling awesome and optimistic, other times feeling resentful and angry.  The amount of emotional stuff I've been pushing through has taken me by surprise. 

 

SO, this weekend I'm going to a bonfire, where I am promised there will be "lots of drinks and snacks".. translation: booze and junk food.  Sweet, just what I need!  I'm not really sure what I'm going to do... does anyone have any ideas or tips?  I'll also be seeing some other friends this weekend and going out to lunch and/or dinner, though that should hopefully not present as much of an issue (I haven't eaten out at all since starting W30, and used to 1-2 times per week). 

 

How is everyone else doing?  Anyone?  Bueller? 

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...

I'm also starting to get into a rut with meals.  I've been trying to eat a variety of proteins (salmon, tuna, sardines, chicken, beef, eggs), but I'm starting to get really SICK of protein.  And I love vegetables, even before W30, but I feel like if I look at another squash or head of cabbage I'm going to scream.  I've been mixing it up with veggies, too, don't get me wrong... mostly I'm just losing the motivation to feed myself "proper" meals.  I'm doing some poking around the internet, and I have "Well Fed" on hold at the library, hopefully it'll come in soon...

 

 

I think I would be absolutely bored if it weren't for Well Fed. It has truly made this experience fun for me. And I realized, I'm not THAT creative when it comes to the kitchen. I got like 3 ways to do eggs -that's it. Well Fed showed me so much more than I could think of... The cauli "rice" pilaf, the chocolate chili, the velvety butternut squash, the salmon a l'afrique du nord, the mashed cauli, the zucchini noodles aglio et olio... wow, so many awesome things that I would've never been able to come up with! Next on my list are: the best chicken you will ever eat, the bora bora fireballs, the shepherd's pie, the pad thai, the egg foo yong and the scotch eggs. 

 

 

...

the exhaustion during your HIIT may have something to do with whole 30, and only being in your second week - you  may not get the full energy for another week?

...

 

Thank you amberino21! I do feel my energy is returning. I have contacted a local business near my place (it's called KO workout system), to find out when I can start training with them (haven't been going to the gym lately, and I want to start something fun like this).

 

 

 

So... it's day 16 for me, and I'm doing great. This past weekend was my first anniversary, so my gf and I went to the beach for a couple of days to celebrate, ~4 hour car drive. It was just lovely. I prepped SO WELL, it was freaky. I made sure the room had a microwave oven and a fridge. I brought food for every single meal (it was 7 meals but I brought 8 and a couple of cans of "protein emergency" too, just in case, and pastured eggs as well -I never used them or the canned trout either). 

 

It was dreamy, but now that I'm back home, I'm glad to be back in the kitchen cooking meals from scratch and not having to re-heat everything. I did get some sort of mini-cold yesterday, was sneezing like crazy and my throat was itchy, didn't feel great. But I had tons of herbal tea with sliced ginger root and fresh lime juice, and now I'm all better. If that was truly a cold, it's the first time it's gone away so quickly. It was like: oh no, a hurricane! Oh no, wait, no no, it's just a sand storm. Yah.

 

My freezer is absolutely empty now though, so this will be a cooking weekend for me (and I am REALLY excited!). This Friday is a national Holiday in my country (not labor day, ours is in May), so I will make good use of it and cook like a maniac, yay! Gf said she'll be my sous-chef  :D

 

How is everyone else doing? ExAstrisScientia, how did that bonfire go? It sounded way too tempting for me!

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@peskigirl, the bonfire is this weekend... Saturday night to be exact.  I'm also getting dinner out with some friends Friday night, lunch out on Sunday, and breakfast with a friend on Monday! (I am visiting the other side of the state, where I have a lot of friends I don't see often, so when I'm there we usually cram in as much face time as we can).  I'm so nervous about it.  Part of me thought maybe I should just end my W30 (which would make it a W18 or something) so I don't have to stress about food, but that seems silly too... so I don't know :(

 

Also nervous about the restaurants, because even if I can just stick to ordering some kind of protein and a salad, I have no idea what they cook with, what little additives are thrown in, and forget any of the salad dressings they're likely to have there (and I'm sorry, but salad sans dressing isn't even remotely appealing to me).  I guess all I can expect to do is make the best choices I can in the circumstances and hope I don't screw myself up somehow.

 

Ahhh, I'll have to report back after the weekend (we're coming home on Labor Day) and let y'all know how it went.  Fingers crossed.

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Yeah I see what you're saying, I haven't eaten at any restaurants since I began my W30 because of that too. 

 

If I absolutely had to dine out, I think I would just do it so that no secret ingredients would be hidden in the food. Like, I'd ask for a plain salad, absolutely dry, no dressing. Olive oil on the side please, salt and pepper, and maybe some fresh limes for me to squeeze myself (perhaps some oranges if I'm feeling French, or blueberries if I'm feeling Danish, or pineapple if I'm feeling Caribbean). No vinegar since I don't trust you, no, thank you though sir. Protein? Hmmm... I would think chicken, not as good as the one I eat at home, farm raised, but it could work. I'm so paranoid I would ask for it to be steamed or grilled, but absolutely no oils or seasoning -please sir, just bring the bird dry and tasteless, I brought my own dressing and I'm allergic to ANYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLE USE. I think I might also go for the hard boiled eggs, that's gotta be a safe choice. 

 

 

My advice is to make a decision ahead of time. If you will just stop your W30, then just decide that you'll do that, so you don't have to feel guilty all the time. If you decide to keep at it, then plan your meals. Is there a possibility of you bringing a cooler? Are you driving or flying there? If you want to keep at it, there's always ways to do it. But my advice is to make a decision beforehand. 

 

Hope you can make it!

:D

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Well, the good news is that I'll be staying in my mother-in-law's house while she is out of town, so I kinda have free reign over her kitchen and I can cook whatever I want for the meals that we won't be eating out.  I'm planning to bring a few things from home (yes, I am driving, it's only two hours away) and then hit the grocery store (Trader Joe's, my one true love) once I get there.

 

As for the restaurants, I was poking around on the Traveling forums and a lot of people were saying the carnitas bowl at Chipotle is a really good option, if you skip the rice, add lettuce, and top with guac and salsa.  That sounds delicious to me, so I might do that at least once, if not twice.  The breakfast will be a bigger challenge but I'll figure something out :)

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