a 'whole' new me

[Dani Jill]

I'm so excited to start my first Whole30 on September 1st, which also happens to be my first wedding anniversary.   My husband deployed last week so this will serve as a distraction from missing him and serve as a jump start to getting healthy and working out again and losing that 'newlywed nine' (I got out of the military a little over a year ago). It will also really help me keep gluten at bay while I figure out how to deal with this newly discovered gluten intolerance. 

 

So far, I have had nothing but support from people in other forums on this site, which only serves to make me more excited, motivated, and determined. I've noticed a trend of people restarting Day 1 for seemingly weeks on end, though. This scared me (and reminded me of myself) so I've gone out of my way to prepare.

 

It's just me in the house for now, so I won't have to worry about accidental stashes of non-compliant food. This week I've focused on emptying my fridge and freezer of EVERYTHING that isn't Whole30 worthy. This may mean that I've been unhealthily binge-eating sugar laden freezer pops and chugging the about-to-expire milk among other culprits from the cool depths. I've opened the pantry a few times, but haven't tackled it yet. That may be way tricky. I'm still not quite certain what can and can't be in there, which leads me to my next preparation step...

 

I bought the book. I've been putting it off for months thinking it just wasn't worth it - all the information I need is on this site free. I am SO glad I made the purchase. I haven't even finished yet, and already It Starts With Food has paid for itself. It answers every question you could possibly have with enough detail to make your head spin - not in that I have no idea what that means way, but in that OMG I get it already way. It definitely has a way of driving the point home of what not to eat and why and also what TO eat and why. 

I enlisted my mom and sister and a friend to do this with me. My mom and sister have never heard of it before, but are also dealing with the gluten thing. My friend is just awesome like that and has already done it once. Actually, I don't know if she finished it the first time, but we plan to provide moral support for each other and hold each other accountable. I also signed up for the Daily emails. 

 

I think I know my weaknesses. One, I love ease, simple, grab and eat food. So... basically every processed individually wrapped anything ever. I've made a conscious effort to make sure that I either have something prepped or on-the-go food on hand - like a salad greens, cut/sliced veggies and a homemade compliant dressing (the recipe of which was conveniently supplied in the book) or a bag of baby carrots, portioned tuna salad, and hard-boiled eggs. Two, sometimes I like to treat myself to a better than black coffee, I'm partial to an after dinner drink, and I like sweets. Like a lot. Hmm. I guess that's more like two through four. Anyway, for the coffee, let me start with I enjoy black coffee, but occasionally I like it all doctored up and pretty. I understand that's a comfort thing, but if it comes down to having my pretty coffee or falling off the wagon, I'm having that coffee. I have vanilla extract, cinnamon, and coconut milk creamer recipes on standby. I'll just ignore the lack of whipped cream. My go-to after dinner/pre-bedtime cordial is Amaretto or Creme-de-menthe, so I've finished all the bottles on hand and stocked up on a variety of teas. As for sweets, I really think fruit will curb that craving. My husband isn't a huge fan of fruit, so it's never really in our house, until now. 

 

Basically, I think I have my bases covered and am setting myself up for success. I'm stoked and am ready for the 'whole' new me. 
 

[GFChris]

Wow - sounds like you're preparing well! It's always great to have others going through the process with you, so that will provide valuable support.

 

On the teas, double check to ensure they don't contain any nasties like soy or stevia leaf.

 

On the vanilla extract, confirm that it doesn't contain sugar or alcohol.

 

Welcome to the forum and best of luck on your journey!

[Dani Jill]

Thanks for the advice! I'll be sure to check those things - didn't even cross my mind. 

[Dani Jill]

So Days 1 & 2 didn't actually go as planned. I did the planning part, but never had time to do the shopping prepping part.

 

So, Day 1 Meal 1 was 3 scrambled eggs, bacon, and a v8 spicy veg juice. And coffee of course. Meal 2 was 6 'naked tenders' and a few carrots. I work at Buffalo Wild Wings for 5 to 12 hour shifts, which makes it really difficult to eat on time. After you work some place long enough, you grow tired of the food, so cravings aren't a major issue. Meal 3 though was rough. Around 2 am, when I got home, I had chicken broth, a cup of tea, and a can of smoked oysters. Yup. A can of oysters.

 

Day 2 was even worse. Meal 1 was coffee and a v8. Meal 2 was sausage, peppers, garlic, and onions in the slow cooker. I went grocery shopping after work and somehow spent $265. That doesn't include meat! And it's JUST FOR ME. Note to self: Self, never go grocery shopping when you are quite literally starving. I ended up with some strange stuff... to include baby food. I am not a baby nor do I have one. But it looked delicious and organic and travel-able so it happened. When I got home I sorted, washed, refrigerated, stored, cut up, froze - the works. I went to bed around 3 am. Meal 3 happened during all the post shopping stuff - I ate an apple on my way home, bits of broccoli and cauliflower here, and bits of green pepper and mango there. The worst part is when you don't eat for so long, you're not hungry. Food makes you feel nauseous and you get full after 2 bites. 

 

Day 3 was a little better. I woke up late (only 4 1/2 hours of sleep, but still late) so I said hell with a shower - I NEED FOOD. I scrambled some eggs with the rest of the sausages and peppers and made a cup of coffee that I never really managed to finish, and ate a red plum. I even managed to make a homemade dressing in preparation for the salad I was going to include in Meal 2 at work. Well, Meal 2 rolled around and I ate 5 wings no sauce and attempted a salad with the dressing. Yuck. I just couldn't do it. It was absolutely unsatisfying. I ate a slice of cucumber about 3 bites of lettuce and 2 chunks of tomato. That was it. I went and did a Body Pump class after work and surprisingly didn't want to die or pass out. Progress. Meal 3 I grilled a steak and some scallops - DELICIOUS. I was too tired to cook any veggies, and I just couldn't handle the dressing thing so I went to bed. I went to pick up all the meat and such from the Augusta Locally Grown online farmers' market. I'm stoked about all that. I have meat for months. 

 

Day 4 It's almost noon and I have yet to have Meal 1. I woke up at 9 (after a decent 8 hours of sleep, finally), brushed my teeth, pulled on yoga pants and a hoodie (yes, I know it's 85 degrees outside) and went to my 9:40 dentist appointment for a replacement filling. My mouth is still numb!! The doc said not to eat anything until I could feel my face. I'm almost tempted to eat in front of a mirror to ensure I don't bite my tongue/lip/cheek off because today I'm actually hungry. For real hungry. Like KILL ALL THE THINGS hungry. I'm so glad I took the day off or people would be in tears all over this city. If I can find the energy, I'm going to go make some tuna or chicken salad to have on standby and maybe a few meals to just pop in the crockpot or on the stove/grill when I get home.

 

I looked up actual whole 30 compliant dressings. Actually I just googled Tessemae's. They look edible, but rather pricey to order and ship. The nearest store that sells them is an hour and a half away. I also need to find coconut aminos. I don't know if I should just suck it up and make the drive or order them online. I do know that I need to eat more veggies, eat more consistently, and sleep. I haven't cheated or eaten something I shouldn't have though, so there's that. I hope everyone else is having an easier time with this. 

[Dani Jill]

So Day 4 ended pretty well. While I was waiting for my face to regain feeling I sliced up sweet potatoes for the freezer and made a huge batch of tuna with whole30 mayo, carrots, onion, celery, and spices. Meal 1 was tuna salad on butter lettuce - SOO GOOD - with celery and almond butter. Meal 2 was pancetta wrapped scallops pan-fried in coconut oil and a mixed greens salad with sundried tomatoes, cilantro, and a dressing that actually tasted good!! I just took what I originally had and added some guac and some spicy guac. Absolutely delicious. I even had seconds on the salad. Meal 3 wasn't really a meal. It was more of a late snack. I had a cup of tea and some whole almonds dipped in almond butter (tastes like an almond joy minus the chocolate). I ordered coconut aminos from Amazon. Made it through another day! Getting easier.   Other than feeling frustrated, I haven't really had any side effects. I think my mood yesterday was due to legitimate hunger bc after I ate I was chipper again. 

[amberino21]

. I do know that I need to eat more veggies, eat more consistently, and sleep. I haven't cheated or eaten something I shouldn't have though, so there's that. I hope everyone else is having an easier time with this. 

 

yes, yes and yes! you sound like you are getting more organised and in the swing of things, but working on the veggies, consistency of meals and sleep will make a huge difference to your whole 30 experience.

 

every meal should have protein, fats and vegies - even if you can't face a full meal, go for a mini meal over a snack. this mini meal should still fit the template.  Don't forget to include pre and postWO food if you workout - pre is fat and protein, post is lean protein and starchy vegie carbs. you need this to refuel and recover properly!

 

take some time to breath and relax - your posts sound like you're going a million miles an hour