kotten7 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Why: I have been eating Paleo for about 2 years now. Pretty clean. I finally decided to do a Whole 30 to reduce snacking and to tame the "Sugar Dragon". While I don't eat sugar at all (and haven't for a long time) I still have those post-meal cravings for something sweet, like fruit or celery with almond butter. Who: I am a 32 year-old breastfeeding mama (to a 3.5 month-old babe). I am one of those unfortunate women who gained weight while breastfeeding - yes, it happens. I lost all of my pregnancy weight when I had my baby and now am up 10 lbs. While I am not making weight loss my goal, I would be happy if I lost a bit. Of course, breastfeeding is my primary concern right now, so if I need to keep this weight on to keep my baby healthy, then so be it. I also want to mention that i have a history of eating disorder/body image issues. Background health stuff: I have PCOS (was diagnosed a few years ago before going Paleo, so I'm not sure of the status of it right now, especially since I just had a baby). I also have acne and have had it forever. I have a history of adrenal fatigue, although I'm not sure of the status of my adrenals now. Probably not great due to sleep deprivation (my baby still nurses about every 2 hours, even overnight). Exercise: I walk/jog daily and have been playing around with kettle bells, squats, and lunges at home. I also do postnatal yoga weekly. I am trying to heal my diastasis recti, so my exercises are somewhat limited while I heal the separation. I am a healthy weight but don't like carrying on this extra 10 lbs. Lots of it is belly weight from the pregnancy. I do very subtle core work to heal the diastasis daily. I look forward to lifting more heavy things. Carbs, blood sugar, intake: As part of this Whole 30, I have increased my carb intake because I have been so tired and wonder about my adrenals. I am curious, though, about blood sugar. I just tested my blood sugar about an hour after Meal 2 and it was 112, which is higher than I would like for it to be. (I test sometimes because of PCOS.) Also, I feel like I eat more than everyone I know! But really, I need to eat *this much* in order to stay satisfied in between meals. Also, breastfeeding has increased my appetite immensely. Here goes Day 14 Meal 1: 2 eggs, 1 organic chicken sausage, sautéed kale, sauerkraut, 1/2 small avocado, decaf coffee with coconut milk and cinnamon. Coconut oil in skillet. Meal 2: salad: chicken breast, 1/2 green bell pepper, green onion, mixed greens, 3 grape tomatoes, 2tsp evoo, 1T balsamic vinegar, 1 small baked sweet potato with ~1T coconut milk 4:00pm: decaf coffee with coconut milk I will post Meal 3 after it happens...just wanted to get this going while I was inspired... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I would increase your breakfast a bit more and eat a 3rd or 4th egg. Remember you need enough nutrients for both you and baby! Because you are breastfeeding you could probably do 4 or 5 meals as well instead of just 3. If you have not already I suggest you check out the posts in the pregnant/breastfeeding Whole30 section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 Thanks, Physibeth! The sausage is like a full-sized one (from Applegate) but sometimes I do have 3 or 4 eggs on top of all of that. So, I recently (like an hour ago) had a weird thing happen where I got really shaky, mouth felt numb, got really sweaty and weak. I needed to eat, and this is usually not the way my body lets me know this. This was more like a low blood sugar thing. Meal 3: Tuna, olives, plantain chips. Not ideal, but I was desperate! Dinner in a while... Also I should note that this was after doing 50 kettle bell swings (helps boost my energy and mood in the afternoon) and going on a short, 15 minute walk with my baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 You should probably do a post WO meal of starchy carbs and lean protein after a workout. I would say that your body just needed food after that exertion even though it doesn't seem like a lot because your body is doing so much other stuff like feeding an entire extra human being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 Yes, it's amazing how much it takes to feed this one. She is in the 99th percentile for weight and height, so it's going somewhere! Meal 4: Taco salad: ground beef, tomato, 1/2 avocado, olive oil, black olives, mixed greens; small peach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Day 15 Meal 1: 2.5 scrambled eggs (shared 5 with hubby), 1 Applegate organic chicken sausage, mixed greens with tomato and 1/4 large avocado, sauerkraut, decaf coffee with ~2T coconut milk, 1T beef gelatin, cinnamon; coconut oil as cooking fat Meal 2: salad: og chicken breast (big portion! maybe two palm sizes), tomato, olives, mixed greens, small sweet potato with ~2T coconut milk, kombucha Meal 3 (mini): 3 slices Applegate organic smoked turkey, handful of black olives, decaf coffee with coconut milk Meal 4: 1/3 lb burger with portobello mushroom "bun", tomato, 1/4 avocado, sautéed zucchini, lots of coconut oil as cooking fat (for shrooms and zukes), 5 raspberries Snack: As I was writing this I realized I was really hungry! So I ate 1 small green-tipped banana with 1T coconut oil + 1T coconut butter (the coconut butter alone is too sweet for me), with cinnamon. Not a "meal" per se but I was so hungry! I got a 30 minute chair massage today! Yay! The Whole Foods in Boulder has a drop-in massage place, so while my hubby shopped I got a massage. Also, no exercise unless you count running errands all day (and caring for an 18 lb infant!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted August 31, 2013 Author Share Posted August 31, 2013 Day 16 My sleep was awful last night. I had an improvement in sleep initially in my Whole30 but it has gotten worse. The maddening thing about it is I can't sleep even when my baby is sleeping early in the morning. This is so frustrating. I have struggled with sleep problems my whole life, so it's not surprising. I am not blaming this program on my lack of sleep but argh this is hard! My baby does not take naps during the day, and when she does it is on my body when I am wearing her or when we are out and about, so "sleep when the baby sleeps" isn't working for me. Anyway here goes: Meal 1: leftover ground beef, 2 eggs, mixed greens, tomato, 1/4 avocado, sauerkraut, handful plantain chips, decaf coffee with coconut milk, cinnamon and beef gelatin mixed in. *I added plantain chips because I had just done a mini workout including 90 kettle bell swings, 40 lunges, and 50 squats. I don't know if that warrants dense carbs but I went for it. Meal 2: 2 Applegate organics chicken sausages, salad greens, tomato, kombucha Meal 3: 2 slices roast beef (Niman ranch, lunch meat style), 1 HB egg, a few olives, a handful of plantain chips *I did another mini workout of 90 kettle bell swings and 25 squats a little bit before meal 3 Afternoon: decaf coffee with coconut milk Meal 4: I can of salmon on mixed greens, grape tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, evoo, balsamic vinegar, handful of raspberries I wasn't all that hungry for Meal 4 but knew if I didn't eat I would be starving in the middle of the night. Might need to adjust/make Meal 3 a bit smaller. We are traveling this weekend to Indiana so I hope that I can keep it totally clean. My worry is soybean oil...if worse comes to worse, I will reset because I think I will be extending this Whole30 anyway. Of course, I will do my best to stay compliant. I just feel better when I eat this way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 4, 2013 Author Share Posted September 4, 2013 Catching up on food log after traveling. I kept track of meals/notes while we traveled. Day 17: Traveling It's our first time flying with our baby! We traveled to Indiana, so time was off, and meals were a bit more irregular. I will catch up to today. 1: HB egg, 2 mini sausages, 1 sm. sweet potato with coconut milk, greens with balsamic; decaf coffee with coco milk and beef gelatin 2: coconut butter, HB egg, 3: HB egg, baby carrots 4: big salad with beets, chicken breast, evoo, balsamic, tomatoes, olives 5: smaller salad similar to above, kombucha Dacaf coffee with coconut cream *We ate regularly at a co-op that is in the town we were visiting. It just makes the best sense for us while traveling and with an infant. I had a repeat of this big salad a few times. Day 18: Traveling 1: coconut cream with decaf coffee (okay, obviously not a meal, but it's what I had first...no breakfast at the hotel) 2: HB eggs, roasted turkey slices (the guy at the counter said it had no sugar but I wondered about that...), 3: big salad with chicken, evoo and balsamic, grape tomatoes, green onion, kombucha 4: salad, steak, corn in the salad (TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT CORN) - so I had bloating/gas, there wasn't much but I feel like it counts - RESET (?) I had planned on going on beyond 30 anyway... 5: banana, coconut cream, decaf coffee I was able to squeeze in a 30 minute walk while wearing my baby. Day 19: Traveling Luckily the gas/bloating was very temporary, but man was I tired when I woke up today! 1: scrambled eggs, avocado, salsa, mixed greens, tomatoes, chicken breast, decaf coffee 2: mixed greens with 2HB eggs, sliced turkey (lunch meat) at airport (sugar in meat? - I was starving) 3: banana with coconut cream, decaf coffee 4: 2 sausages (applegate organic), salad, tomato, 1/4 avocado, evoo, balsamic, some canned butternut squash with coconut milk and cinnamon, about 1 C 5: celery, lots of coconut butter/coconut oil mixed together - this became food without brakes - I did not eat enough during the day. Looking forward to getting back to routine and large meals. Day 20: Back home, feeling well! 9/4 1: 1 applegate chicken sausage, 2 eggs, kale, 1/2 avocado, decaf coffee with coconut cream and beef gelatin, cinnamon mixed in 2: mixed greens, 1 can of salmon, grape tomatoes, olives, green onion, ~1C butternut squash with coconut milk, kombucha 3: ground lamb, zucchini, crookneck squash, mushrooms, 1 banana with some coconut butter/coconut oil blend (coconut butter alone is to sweet for me) I had more decaf coffee with coconut milk during the day, too I went on a 1 hr walk/jog while pushing my baby in her stroller. Good to be back home. Sleep was a bit better, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 9/4 (oops! I said it was 9/4 yesterday...today is 9/4), Day 21: Sleep was not good. Well, I slept well but not long enough. This is a trend that I am trying to end. I think it's anxiety so I finally made the decision to order a HeartMath system for home to help decrease anxiety with the hopes that sleep will get better. I have a background in meditation, but I have trouble sticking with it, especially with a baby. Hopefully HeartMath will help! Waking up every 2 hours to nurse my baby doesn't help with sleep, either, although we are both able to stay pretty sleepy throughout nursing because we co-sleep. I have a sore throat and post nasal drip today (allergies?). M1: leftover ground lamb, mushrooms, kale, zucchini (small amount), 2 eggs, mixed greens, tomato, balsamic vinegar; decaf with coconut milk and beef gelatin, cinnamon M2: (snack) 3 slices turkey (no sugar added Applegate), kombucha M3: 2 chicken sausages, mixed greens, tomato, balsamic, handful plantain chips, decaf coffee with coconut milk M4: (snack - so hungry today!) 3 slices turkey, 1/2 avocado, handful plantain chips, a few olives Exercise: 1 hour walk with stroller; mommy & me yoga class Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 M5: mustard chicken thighs (from Practical Paleo), 1 med. sweet potato with coconut milk, salad with evoo, balsamic Day 22 (9/5) Okay so I am definitely sick. I still have quite an appetite, but just feel awful - achy, congested, throat is killing me. I guess lack of sleep had to catch up with me at some point. M1: Swirly Crustless Quiche (Practical Paleo), 3 small sausages (Applegate), mixed greens with balsamic, 1/2 small avocado, decaf coffee with coconut milk, gelatin M2: Leftover chicken thighs, mixed greens, olives, HB egg (there wasn't enough chicken for me), 1/2 sweet potato with some coconut milk M3: Few slices of applegate turkey, handful of olives, plantain chips, decaf coffee with coconut oil M4: Burger with portobello "bun", 1/4 avocado, salad with carrot, olives, evoo, balsamic, another handful of plantain chips (I know, I know) M5: (snack) So hungry - not ideal, but ate 2 celery stalks with some sunflower seed butter mixed with coconut oil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 If you are getting hungry after dinner eat more at dinner. I often eat two burgers when I eat burgers. Are the plantain chips ones you made yourself? You probably could have eaten more at M2 as well. You are getting it though and your snacks are not ideal but they are not the worst ones I've seen either. Keep on keeping on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Day 23 (9/6) Acupuncture helped alleviate some of my cold symptoms, which is great because caring for an infant and being sick is so hard! My appetite is still as strong as ever, so I'm going with it. Exercise: This morning I went on an hour long walk with my babe in her stroller. (No exercise yesterday because I felt like total crud.) M1: Leftover swirly crustless quiche (from Practical Paleo), 1 organic chicken sausage, 1/4 avocado, sauerkraut, kale, 1 small (not baby) carrot, decaf coffee with coconut milk, gelatin, cinnamon M2: grassfed burger, tessemae's bbq sauce, sm. sweet potato with coconut milk, mixed greens, evoo, balsamic, kombucha M3: Quiche, olives, grape tomatoes, decaf coffee with coconut milk M4: Grassfed flatiron steak, mushrooms, kale, sweet potato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Day 24 (9/7) I am still sick, but getting better. My appetite is still strong as ever! I am trying to add more protein to each meal to see if it helps me feel less hungry between meals/at night M1: Leftover steak (a small piece), 1 organic chicken sausage, mixed greens with balsamic, 1/2 avocado, decaf coffee with coconut milk, gelatin, cinnamon M2: 4 eggs scrambled with a bunch of (frozen! - rare for me) veggies, mushrooms, 1/2 avocado, 2 small organic applegate sausage links, kombucha M3: ground beef (grassfed) with zucchini, mushrooms, olives, tomato sauce; canned butternut squash with some coconut milk M4: (snack - I really tried to make it with just 3 meals today!) celery with coconut oil/sunflower seed butter mixture Exercise: 45 min walk with stroller - very tired, still recovering from this cold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 You are breastfeeding so be OK with 4 meals. Perhaps aim to make that your norm. Your day 23 meals were great! Increasing your fat is what I have heard suggested for bfing moms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Day 25! (9/8) Still sick, but on the up and up. LIfe is so busy taking care of an infant. I am still shocked at how little time I have to do anything. I am grateful that I somehow manage to put together full meals every day. M1: 2 eggs, 1 organic chicken sausage (full sized), steamed kale, 1/2 avocado, sauerkraut, decaf coffee with coconut milk and gelatin M2: Leftover ground beef, zucchini, olives, mushrooms, tomato sauce; cauliflower soup (The Clothes that Make the Girl's Golden Cauliflower Soup); kombucha M3: 1Chicken thigh, zucchini, snap peas, roasted red pepper, couple cherry tomatoes; decaf with coconut milk M4: Big salad with 1 can wild salmon, mixed greens, roasted red peppers, evoo, ac vinegar, avocado, sliced almonds; butternut squash with coconut milk Exercise: 1 hour brisk walk with my baby in the stroller. Man, it has been hot in Boulder the past few weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 Day 26 (9/9) M1: 2 eggs, 2 mini chicken sausages, cup of cauliflower soup (added fresh spinach), sauerkraut, 1/2 small avocado, decaf coffee with coconut milk M2: 1 HB egg, handful olives, few plantain chips*, rooibos tea M3: 2 organic chicken sausages, mixed greens, evoo & balsamic, handful grape tomatoes, 1/2 small avocado, some sweet potato with coconut milk, kombucha M4: (got that shaky, sweaty, numb mouth thing again - this really surprised me because my lunch seemed gigantic...are the carbs - even though not much - messing with my blood sugar? anyone have thoughts on this?) Single serving sized packet of tuna, a few olives, grape tomatoes, splash of evoo, balsamic, handful of plantain chips, decaf coffee with coconut milk *Plantain chips are from Whole Foods. Ingredients: plantains, palm olein, salt M5: Chicken thighs, carrots (slow cooker - soooo yummy and easy!), steamed kale Chicken thigh/carrot idea: http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2013/08/slow-roasted-carrots-chicken-thighs.html Exercise: 1 hr. Run/walk with stroller. Tried squats/lunges but was too tired. Still recovering from nasty cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 Day 27 (9/10) Rainy, wet, chilly day - yay! Finally relief from 95 degree weather. Last night I realized that i had lots of energy right up until it was time to go to bed. This means I am feeling better from my cold and that Whole 30 is working. I was worrying a lot last night that I am eating too much and gaining weight. Does anyone else do this? I don't have any evidence that I am gaining weight, but I worry about it often. It just seems like a lot. of. food. Don't ya think? And honestly this is what I need in order to feel satisfied. Will post the rest of my meals later, after they happen. M1: 2 eggs, 1 organic chicken sausage, cauliflower soup with added kale & spinach, and added coconut oil for more fat, sauerkraut, decaf coffee with 2 T coconut milk, gelatin, cinnamon M2: Mixed greens with several slices of organic turkey (applegate), few olives, grape tomatoes, cucumber, 1 tsp evoo, balsamic, med. sweet potato with 2 T coconut milk, few bites of leftover chicken thighs/kale/carrot from last night (wasn't nearly enough for a meal, hence the salad); kombucha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 (Day 27 continued) M3: Olives, red bell pepper, plantain chips (totally lacking emergency protein) M4: Taco salad with pastured beef, mixed greens, 1/2 avocado, few olives, red bell pepper, cucumber, 1 tsp evoo, salsa, med sweet potato with coconut milk Exercise: 1/2 hour brisk walk with stroller (poured rain on us, so shorter than our usual); African singing/dancing class - counts for something, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 Day...28?! (9/11) Hey team. Another rare, rainy day in Boulder, CO! I am feeling well. Still congested, but overall energized. Here's my question: if I feel so well, why even try to incorporate grains, dairy, etc.? I mean, I have read the book (twice), I have been paleo for a couple years, but never this strict or consistent. So, why go back to being inconsistent? I mean, I know I will have a treat here and there, but overall I want to stick to the script. Anyway, here goes. And yay for the crock pot! M1: 3.5 scrambled eggs (shared 7 with hubby), 3 small breakfast sausages (applegate), kale, 1/2 small avocado, sauerkraut, decaf coffee with coconut milk and gelatin, cinnamon M2: Taco salad: ground beef, 1/2 small avocado, purple bell pepper, Tessemae's southwest ranch dressing (1T), mixed greens, kombucha, few plantain chips M3: 2 egg/veg muffins, some sweet potato with coconut milk Decaf coffee with coconut milk M4: Everyday Paleo's Red Curry Beef Stew with lamb instead of beef Exercise: 45 min brisk walk with stroller, 90 kettle bell swings, 40 lunges, 50 air squats, carrying a 20 lb. baby around all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 The reason for doing reintroductions is so that when faced with the occasional treat you know how your body reacts to different foods so it is easier to answer the question "is it worth it?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 13, 2013 Author Share Posted September 13, 2013 Day 29 (9/12) Today was a good day. Day 3 of constant rain falling. I'm in Boulder, CO where the city is flooded. Luckily we live about a mile from the nearest creek so we should be good. The rain is still falling, though. It rarely rains here, and when it does it is very short lived, so to see it like this is insane. M1: 3 egg/veg cupcakes (Everyday Paleo recipe), bit of ground beef leftover from yesterday, kale, decaf coffee with coconut milk, gelatin, cinnamon M2: Leftover lamb curry from yesterday, more kale, kombucha M3: 2 egg/veg cupcakes, few olives, handful of plantain chips Decaf coffee with coconut milk M4: Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs (Practical Paleo), steamed carrots, mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette, coconut oil on the carrots, banana with sunflower seed butter/coconut oil blend (still hungry after eating my share of dinner, hence the banana/butters...also this was post work out Exercise: Torrential downpours=no walking today But did 90 kettle bell swings, 80 lunges, 100 squats, 60 push-ups on the counter (can't do real ones until diastasis recti heals) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Stay safe! Sounds like ya'll swapped weather with us. Been sunny with record highs here in Seattle. Hoping the rain stops for you soon! Looks like you are getting the hand of the food. Yay! Great job getting a huge workout in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 14, 2013 Author Share Posted September 14, 2013 Day 30! (9/13) Wowsers, I can't believe it's day 30! This morning my husband was off of work because his clinic flooded so I got some stuff done in the kitchen, including making ghee from grassfed butter and bone broth from local lamb, chicken, and beef bones. Hooray! The sun came out for a few hours, and there was only a little bit of rain today. M1: 2 eggs, 1 organic chicken sausage, 1/2 avocado, sauerkraut, mixed greens with balsamic vinegar, decaf coffee with coconut milk, gelatin, cinnamon M2: Okay, so this was not great. Got hungry before a walk. Had some squash with coconut oil. Not good but not bad, either. M3: 1 can of salmon with mixed greens, a few olives, 1 tsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar; more squash with coconut oil, kombucha M4: 2 egg/veg muffins, decaf coffee with coconut milk, gelatin, cinnamon M5: Chicken and veg soup (made with my homemade bone broth and ghee!) Dang. I'm still hungry. Hmmm. Exercise: 4 mile brisk walk with stroller. Scoping out the water damage on our neighborhood. NOW WHAT? I am not clear with myself on what to do next. Whole 30 is working for me. Not sure if I have lost weight or inches, but I feel better physically. My skin has fewer breakouts. I am really going to have to marinate on what to do next! To be continued... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kotten7 Posted September 14, 2013 Author Share Posted September 14, 2013 9/14 (Day 31 - 1st day post Whole 30, but basically still on Whole 30+) At least for now, I am just going to continue eating this way until I come across something amazing/totally fancy/unique/intriguing/sexy to eat that is off plan. I think I will continue to log in the Post-Whole 30 area, and document any reactions I might have to aforementioned off-plan stuff. I do not miss grains, dairy, etc. so why eat them? Thanks for those who followed me here...even though you didn't comment I know you have my back! Feeling well, no desire to go crazy on off-plan foods or to do a formal reintroduction right now. See ya on the flip side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misshannah Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Wow, I just caught up on your log. I think you did amazingly well....you have an infant (and associated sleep challenges), you were doing all that intense exercise, you're breastfeeding, and you got sick! You should pat yourself on the back, you are actually an inspiration!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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