Starting Whole30 September 1st.

[rhed]

Thanks y'all. Today was another rough day because the stupid cat is still sick and she had to go back to the vet this morning. I wasn't hungry, so didn't eat before I left, and ended up really emotional and not thinking clearly. Came home, ate some eggs and sweet potato, and felt much better and more level. 

 

Trudging through. Day 11 is done.

[bookworm05]

I went to a party tonight and there were cupcakes (that my roommate baked) and chips (I looove chips and dip) and everyone was drinking. Not gonna lie, it was very tempting to just grab *a* chip when someone offered me the bag, but I survived it. I'm sad it's Sunday already tomorrow but with each week gone it means i'm one week closer to being on Day 30. I"m starting to fantasize about what I will eat when it's done. 

[Rocko25]

Mmmm cupcakes. I was tempted last night too when my fiance ordered a pizza and ate the whole thing right in front of me. Then he proceeded to eat some wafer cookies for dessert. At first I was tempted because of the smell, and then I thought about the food he was actually putting into his body and became grossed out. So, at least that's a good sign. 

The past few days I haven't felt any "sugar crashes" and my energy has stayed pretty constant even after 5 hrs without food. I've never had that before. I've always "needed" to eat every 2-3 hrs. I didn't think my diet was doing much harm before I started this process, and now I know it really was. 

[bookworm05]

Omg so I went to a party last night and everyone was drinking and eating chips and dip and my roommate made cupcakes for the party. Cravings are out of control right now but no weird dreams yet. Today I just want chocolate. 

 

Cutting back on some fruit and adding in some more starchy vegetables this week to see if that helps balance me out a bit. Soooo close to being halfway done and yet it still seems so far away. 

 

How's everyone's weekend going? Today is Day 14 for me. 

[BecFreeby]

LauraP, I'm sorry to hear you are struggling- you CAN do this, you have already gotten through the worst of it so don't give up now!  When I have a really intense craving, I go on a walk to get myself out of the house and away from temptation. Just remember that nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.  Stay strong

[rhed]

How's everyone doing? Pretty quiet around here...

 

I've been craving stuff. Waffles with strawberries, and milk chocolate in particular. So I complain about it on my Facebook feed, and my pregnant sister in law eats it for me, lol.

 

Today I went to the farmer's market (I work at a college, and there's one every Tuesday) and got most of my veggies for the week: zucchini, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, sweet peppers, apples, and beets. The beets were my 'let's try something new!' for this week. I'll have to figure out how to cook them. 

 

Tonight I got home late, so I pulled some chicken thighs out of the freezer and was going to do a stirfry, but then decided to do a curry instead. 2 chicken thighs, a heap o' green curry paste, a can of coconut milk, 2 sweet peppers, 2 tomatoes, and a can of bamboo stuff I really needed to use. Voila! Sweet delicious curry.

[Rocko25]

So far so good. Yesterday I was describing the Whole 30 to someone and I realized that I actually enjoy having limited food options. I never realized how overwhelmed I felt at all the food choices I had before. Limiting my options makes it so much easier for me to decide what to put in my meals (it has actually decreased my stress level). I no longer have sugar cravings either, but I still do get hungry before bed. I'm going to eat more for breakfast and lunch this week to see if that helps, or I may have to continue the whole30 until those go away. Also- this weekend I was able to fit into a pair of jeans I haven't been able to get over one thigh in a year! That was pretty exciting!

[BecFreeby]

Hey everyone!  Welcome to Day 18- can you believe that we only have 12 days to go?  What a crazy awesome journey this has been.  Cargy25, I know EXACTLY what you mean- in the beginning, I actually felt overwhelmed by how limited I was, whereas now, I feel a sense of freedom in the knowledge that I can just grab and go- and not regret it later.  I was spending so much time reading labels, and then had the "AHA!" moment where I realized... the solution is to eat things that DON'T HAVE LABELS!  Who woulda thought?

 

I do miss some things, but not as much as I thought I would. There are days when I would put the hurt on a croissant with sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese, but I honestly am so stinking proud of myself for sticking with this that I won't jeopardize my bragging rights for anything right now.

 

Another plus is that my blood sugar levels are so much more level and consistent.  I don't get tired in the afternoons, and I am not a ravenous monster by dinnertime.  Also, workouts = BEAST MODE.  I dropped my mile time by almost a full minute yesterday.  A minute.  60 seconds. I haven't seen times like this on my stop watch since I was 17 years old!

 

Thanks for your support, and for contributing to this community of freakin' rockstarts- you all are an inspiration!

[Helgahelga]

Rhed- I hope your cat is doing better

Laura- I hope the last couple of days were good for you!

BecFreeby- that is remarkable! A whole minute that's amazing! Congratulations!

I wish I would have the energy some of you seem to have. I was sick last week and it was rough. I can't get a good night of sleep thanks to my potty-training, teething, sick, 2 years old son. I soooo could use a nap on most days but I very rarely take one cause I have things to do. My cravings seem to be under control, but I remember in April during my first Whole30 on days 21-24 my cravings were the worst! I spendt those days day-dreaming about food, I hope this time will be easy.

On Friday I have an event to attend. My SO's niece is getting married in October and they are having a Bachelorette party lunch, luckily, it won't be the crazy, booze party, this is just one that her mom and MIL to be are hosting (is it a bridal shower?). I think I'll eat something before I go. The bride-to-be is very strict, eats steamed fish every 3-4 hours and that sorts of things so I expect some healthy options but I don't want to risk getting too hungry. Wish me luck!

I hope you guys are doing alright, we are more than half way there so lets rock this!

[Mahaley]

Hi everyone! It's just one of those busy weeks. It looks like we are hanging in there and I can't believe we are over the halfway mark! Things are getting easier, but my reflux is horrible due to the increased protein. I just started taking HCL tablets and digestive enzymes to help so hopefully that will work. Going on whole 30 was a way to help straighten out the reflux so maybe my gut is healing.

My parents are coming into town this weekend so it will be interesting to see how challenging it will be to alter the meals for 6 people. I'm hoping to convert my Dad since I'm pretty sure he has a gluten allergy, but keeps on eating grains.

Keep up the good work and resist the urges!

[kacheentemple]

Hey guys! Days 13-18 have been amazing. The weekend out of town at the ren. Faire was awesome, and went very well. The hotel we stayed in had a minifrige/freezer that was big enough for all my food. Which was easier than keeping it iced in a cooler all weekend. I can almost guarentee that was the only time that room had seen a dumpling squash, lol. I did go out to Red Lobster on the drive back, and was very happy with my experience. I asked for their allergen menu while we were waiting to be seated. The chef actually came out and talked to me. I ended up ordering the wood grilled lobster, shrimp, and scallops, with roasted veggies and steamed brocoli, all "dry" since the had only canola oil. It still tasted wonderful I used lemon salt and pepper to season everything. Good thing I looked at the menu, almost everything on it had wheat and soy, even the asparagus. I asked the chef why, and he said it was in the special seasonings they add to almost everything. Glad I passed on that. So my food came with no oil and no seasoning, just the lemon wedges. They had fresh ground sea salt and pepper grinders on the table. So it didn't look very good, but tasted amazing! The first of this week has been crazy, so I haven't been able to check in. Had a rough fitness class tonight. Did some bag work, think I got a little over-zealous. My wrists are kinda sore, and my legs hurt where I was contacting the bag. I already have bruises showing. I also got backhanded by my bag partner, who was a big guy, that didn't feel good.

RHED! I love beets! Actually just got finished frying some up for my breakfast tomorrow. My favorite way to cook them is to saute them (sliced as thin as I can get them) with onions, peppers (mix of bell & hots), mushrooms, and garlic when I am not to lazy to mince it. I season with S&P, garlic powder, paprika, and italian seasoning. Then when it is done I throw in a few handfuls if dark greens (usually spinach) and cook for another minute till it wilts. Sometimes I throw meat in there too. If I am making ahead of time for breakfast (like tonight), I don't add the spinach yet. I will toss the rest in a plate, and in the AM I toss back in the pan with the spinach, and reheat it til hot, and spinach cooked. Then I remove from pan and fry up two over-easy eggs to put on top. Breakfast of champions! But also works for any meal. I never had beets till this spring, and have eaten probably 30+ pounds since then. Guess I had to makeup for a lifetime of loss, lol

Keep up the good work everyone! We are over the halfway hump!

[bookworm05]

Day 18 for me here. Part of me cannot wait until this is over, but the other part of me is trying to remind myself to relax and enjoy the process. I have no intention of going back to my former ways of eating when Whole30 is done (though I do plan on modifying the program a bit depending on how I respond to different foods). I need a good plan. Has anyone else started to think about their post-Whole30 "plan"??? 

 

This is actually a big milestone for me. I tried Whole30 twice before - once at the end of June and once at the beginning of July. Both times I binged (in June I binged on Day 6 and in July on Day 15). And we're talking like ...5 day long binges when I went home to visit my parents for a few days. This is the longest I've gone on Whole30 without binging (though I'm not going to lie, I've been feeling tempted to eat non-compliant foods. Today's food of the day is greek yogurt with honey. I keep staring at my roommate's carton longingly). If I can make it 30 days with no binges I will consider this a huge success. 

 

I'm quite hungry today. I ate my usual three egg scramble with kale, peppers, tomato and onion for breakfast and some pecan crusted chicken with roasted sweet potato and onions for lunch but I'm already hungry again. I'm wondering if it's because I didn't get enough sleep last night and I'm mid-ghrelin surge. Lol. 

 

Yesterday I had a fantastic day. Not sure if it was the Tiger Blood or if I was just in a really good mood because I had an interview go really well, but I'm hoping if I get enough sleep tonight the energy will come back. I was planning on working out between classes but I think I need the rest. 

 

Hope everyone's Day "whatevernumberyou'reon" is going well! This time next week we'll be in the home stretch! 

[rhed]

Helgahelga: Thanks, she's fine. She finally ate on Sunday, and pooped Sunday night (it had been a couple of days), and now she's done with meds and back to normal. I stand by my theory that she was just being a pill.

 

Kacheen: Thanks for the beets idea! I'm going to try that tomorrow night. Hopefully will have pulled pork with it (if the pork roast finishes thawing). 

 

Day 16...I feel like I'm floating along. Made an Epic Burger tonight. (Hamburger with a fried egg and whatever assorted veggies I have on hand...tonight was tomato, avocado, and sauteed bell pepper, onion and apple, plus pickles.)

[rhed]

bookworm: I'm proud of you! Good job making it to day 18. I have faith in you to make it to 30. 

 

I've totally been thinking about after day 30 for me and my eating. I want to stick with paleo, for sure. I'm going to do a reintro this time (in July I didn't, because I didn't know it was a thing until day 15 or so). I want to see if I can eat beans without problems because I miss beans. And I'm going to try rice and corn (separately). I already know cheese isn't great for me and should be an occasional treat only -- and after reading Salt Sugar Fat, I'm determined to make it a component on my plate rather than just an ingredient in a dish. I'll probably stay away from most other dairy, just because I know I can live without it.  I'll try gluten as well, just so I can know how it affects me. I don't eat a lot of bread or grains anyway, but it would be nice to go out for Chinese and have fried rice, or sushi. 

[kacheentemple]

I am definatly going to start day 31 with some bacon for breakfast, although I don't see that being an issue. Next will be the ice cream I've been dreaming about. We have a chain called Mitchells Homemade in Cleveland that uses all local ingredients, grassfed milk and cream, organic sugars and other ingredients. Most of their flavors contain organic soy, I have never tried any of those, probably won't. I have absolutly no desire to add soy back into my diet in any form. But the non-soy flavors I have had are tasty. I usually buy the pints from a grocery store closer to home that sells them, since I live kinda far to go to the actual shop. I have a bad habit of polishing it off in 1-2 days, so I only buy it once or twice a month. I will attempt to exercise self control now. Other than that I will try corn chips to see how I react, I don't eat those often, but sometimes just want some fresh salsa and chips After that I will just go with the flow. Well, time to get my beauty sleep. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

[bookworm05]

Day 19. Not going well so far. I'm feeling really depressed for some reason. I feel like I'm having a quarter-life crisis and, because of that, there's nothing I want to eat.   I just feel really emotional. 

 

Maybe going to the gym will help. 

[BecFreeby]

My cravings yesterday and today are stronger than they have been for a long time.  I want snacks, which is so weird because I didn't think I was much of a snacker.  I think I may not be getting enough protein.  I am out of fresh meat and I don't have money for groceries, so I am trying to piece things together.

 

Does anyone have advice on what to order at a Mexican restaurant?  My husband wants to take me on a date and I don't want to screw everything up.  Maybe carne asada, grac and salsa? 

[BecFreeby]

grac = guac.  My bad :-)

 

And also, is anybody else just getting tired with food being so inconvenient?  I feel so frustrated the last few days that I have to plan every little thing.  Whine, whine, whine.

 

Cue the "first world problems" comments!

[rhed]

When I do Mexican, I do fajitas, without the shells or rice or beans. It's been filling every time I've had it. I've ordered a "guacamole salad" as well, which was a dollop of guac on iceberg lettuce, but it was still a good addition to the fajitas (and the fajitas came with guac, lettuce, and tomato). Carne asada would be good too, and you can ask for a side of sauteed peppers & onions & mushrooms (if you like mushrooms...I'm not a fan).  

[bookworm05]

Anybody have the book "Against All Grain"? Korean Beef Noodles (minus the honey) are soooo good. Made my day. 

[GFChris]

My cravings yesterday and today are stronger than they have been for a long time.  I want snacks, which is so weird because I didn't think I was much of a snacker.  I think I may not be getting enough protein.  I am out of fresh meat and I don't have money for groceries, so I am trying to piece things together.

 

Does anyone have advice on what to order at a Mexican restaurant?  My husband wants to take me on a date and I don't want to screw everything up.  Maybe carne asada, grac and salsa? 

Watch the seasonings on the meat and veggies, as they are suspect for gluten. Also some salsas contain sugar, so ask. You would also need to confirm they cook using a compliant cooking oil. Perhaps call the restaurant ahead of time to ask about the items you're considering?

[kacheentemple]

Bec, I second the fajita idea, sounds pretty safe. I know real food is not as convenient. But I like the saying "You are what you eat, so don't be fast, cheap, or easy"

Bookworm, I hope you feel better after going to the gym, usually works for me

Hang in there guys! We are 2/3 done!

Everyone have an awesome weekend!

[BecFreeby]

Kacheen- ha! We ended up doing stir fry at an open grill, where I got to pick what went in my bowl and and the oils/spices, which was AWESOME!

By the way, I am volunteering at an event right now and they are giving away free Krispy Kremes. I gazed longingly, then turned and walked away, telling myself that the last 21 days and a very angry gut are not worth it. Virtual high fives for me!

[bookworm05]

Kacheen - I do feel better, thanks. I don't know what made me so emotional yesterday. 

 

I'm sad to say that I'm not feeling great. I had more Tiger Blood last week than I do today. Feeling bloated and groggy. Slept like...9 hours and still woke up with no energy so that's disappointing. Yesterday morning I woke up with a headache so I'm hoping maybe it's just a sinus infection or allergies or something making me feel like this. 

 

Two-thirds there! Omg. So exciting. 

 

I will say that my sugar cravings have gone down a lot. I want some chocolate but I'm not dying for some...if that makes sense? 

[Helgahelga]

Kacheen- never thought of sauteeing beets! I always boíl them and use them cold as part of a salad but your idea sounds amazing! I have to try it!

Bookworm- I am still very tired too, I think I was not eating enough fat so I am trying to add more. I hope that will help. I have Against the grains and I am marinating the meat right now to make the Korean beef. I never thought about not adding the honey duh! Before the whole30 I made the Orange sesame chicken as is (with honey) and it was really good. I wonder how it would result without honey too. Guess I'll have to try it!

Yesterday I went to a Bridal Shower which was more like a wedding. We were 200 guests, live music, they served appetizers, asparagus soup (cream based) and steak with mushroom Sauce and veggies. There was ice cream and a very large dessert table. I only ate some cucumber and salmon from the appetizers, the rest was not compliant. I am so Happy to report that I didn't feel tempted at all! Not even by the turrón ice cream (which I love) and the assorted mini cupcakes and candies which are all my soft spots. It simply wasn't an option to eat any of it so my mind didn't even care to crave it. It felt awesome!

Have a pleasant weekend everyone!