Julie's Post-W30

[juliejem]

Today is Day 31.  I have no desire to go back to eating the way I was before - which was pretty healthy but with way too many exceptions.  I want to keep my Exorphin Beast sleeping, because he's a major jerk.

 

My plan is to have one treat meal OR dessert per week.  I admit I'm looking forward to some ice cream tonight, but it's not a psychotic urge.  *AND*, in the past, I know I would've been all "I'm having ice cream tonight, so this day is gonna be a wash anyway, so why bother eating healthy?"  *SO* twisted, but I know so many people think that way.

 

I've learned so much about myself on whole30.  Like, how many calories I got through the day licking knives.  This morning while making the kids' sandwiches, I thought, "ooh, I can lick the pb & j off the knife now!", but then caught myself and said, "but why?!"  I know just that little bit of sugar can set me off, and that that one lick of pb usually turns into a big spoonful "because it's healthy".  But no more!

 

I feel so strong and in control.  During my whole30, though, I admit I often snacked when I wasn't hungry.  So I'm going to continue working on that.  Not as an excuse, but it's trickier for me because I'm training for a 100-mile bike ride and a half marathon and teaching 8 fitness classes per week.  So all those pre- and post-workout snacks throw a kink in the 3 meals per day, and I tend to rationalize because I don't want to bonk on a ride, run, or in the middle of leading a class.  But I probably over-relied on dried fruit and may not be as fat-adapted as I should be at this point.

So in my post-whole30 life, I want to recommit to 3 meals a day, following the meal template more carefully, and trusting in my fat adaptation to carry me through (especially because I bring a mix of baby food sweet potatoes and apple juice on my long rides/runs).

[pjena]

Welcome to the post W30 world!  Next time I'm tempted to lick the PBJ knife (which will be tomorrow, I'm sure), I am going to try to think "but why?"  That's a habit I let come back.  Thanks for the reminder!

[juliejem]

Yesterday was an extremely busy day - I work at the Y and was there four separate times, LOL!  But on those busy days I don't have time to wander into the kitchen and eat out of boredom.  And, by the time my yoga class got out at 8:30, I totally didn't really want that ice cream.  But I'd been planning it for a month and the thought had momentum.  Just like *EVERY* thought pre-w30!!!

So, for yesterday:

 

M1: eggs, ham, 1/2 avo, coffee w/ coconut cream

M2: chicken salad (chicken, hm dill mayo, dill, bell pepper)

O: sw pot/apple juice (during wo)

M3: 2 hamburger patties w/ hm dill mayo, broccoli w/ clar butter

O: ice cream sundae

 

Planning for today:

 

M1: eggs, 1/2 avo, grapefruit, coffee w/ coconut cream

M2: leftover pork roast, beets, hm applesauce

S: sugar snap peas

M3: beef roast, roasted veggies, peach

 

Tonight is candy bar bingo at the kids' school.  It's really fun, but after a month of sugar detox, cheap mass produced candy bars just don't have the same hold on me as they did before.  Going to try really hard to stick to my plan today, make sure the Sugar Monster goes back to sleep after last night's treat!

[juliejem]

I seem to be doing *better* post-w30 than I was on it, LOL.  I stuck to the food choices perfectly well, but had a harder time with between meal snacks.  I seem to be doing better with the food map now though.

 

Last night, the kids and husband had Bagel Bites for dinner.  Ugh.  Deeeesgusting fake food!!  Then DH had a ginormous bowl of ice cream for dessert.  He's a skinny guy but eats such crap and resists all my efforts to lead him to better eating.  I ate my lovely w30 meal, and literally wanted NOTHING to do with his food.  A month ago, when I started w30, I'd have *said* I didn't want it, but I really would have.  Now it turned my stomach a little, like eating cardboard and plastic. 

 

M1: egg scramble with peppers, onions, ham, coffee/"cream"

M2: huge salad with grilled chicken and tons of veg, hm dressing

S: sugar snap peas, baba ghanoush

M3: leftover pork roast, sweet potato, mango w/ chili powder

S: apple and almond butter

 

This morning I'm cycling 60 miles.  DH is planning to cook dinner (shocking!) - I hope he keeps it paleo because I don't want to be all snotty and not eat something when he cooks like 6x/year.  Today's plan:

M1: egg salad with peppers, hm mayo, coffee/"cream"

WO: sweet potato/apple juice, hm Larabars

M2: chili

M3: unknown dinner featuring scallops

S: mango w/ chili powder

[pjena]

My husband is like yours - tall and skinny and eats junk.  Most of the time, I really don't want his food either.  My struggle is the occasional glass of wine and chocolate.   It sounds like you're doing great!

[juliejem]

My dinner last night (the "unknown dinner featuring scallops") also had pumpkin mascarpone risotto.  I only had a little, and it didn't awaken any Sugar Beasts.  The kids didn't really like it, so I added a some brown sugar to get them to try a little more, but they still didn't.  So I chucked it down the disposal.  

M1: eggs, sweet potato

M2: scallops in butter, snap peas, cashews, raisins

WO: apple juice, dates, almonds (10-mile run)
M3: pork roast, salad w/ hm ranch

boo: Aussie bite

I made some stuff this afternoon, mini egg/apple frittatas (let's call them that instead of "muffins" so they're not swypo, but I made 'em for post wo's) and the hm ranch, so did have some BLTs (bites, licks, tastes) inbetween.  I'll consider that a post-WO snack, LOL.  

So I call it a great day, but after dinner for some reason those darn Aussie bites called me.  I *LOVE* them - they're these dense little cookie/muffin things from Costco that are "healthy".  When DH brought them home I knew I'd struggle.  I keep them out of sight / out of mind and just give them to the kids.  But my Rationalize Monster came out and told me, "you just had a great, healthy W30 dinner, your body will hardly notice this with all that protein and fiber in your belly."  At least I had the presence of mind to sit and savor it. :/

[pjena]

So sad about the risotto!  It sounds delicious.  Funny story - a few years ago, I made butternut squash risotto.  After 3 helpings, my now 11yo heard us call it squash risotto and said, "It has squash?  No wonder I didn't like it!" LOL

 

BLTs are my downfall!  I keep trying not to lick the sunbutter knife, but I can't help it.  I ask myself why and the answer is always because it's good!

 

What's in an Aussie bite?  I've never heard of them.

[juliejem]

Jen, I described the Aussie bites in the post.    

Yesterday wasn't so great.  Started out good, but then a really stressful afternoon lead to serious overeating.  HOWEVER, I have to admit my "serious" overeating is far different than it was pre-w30.  I mean, I sat next to a bowl of Hershey Kisses all night and barely noticed them.  

M1: eggs over sweet potato

M2: green salad w/ scallops, hm ranch
WO: apple juice (27-mi ride)

Post-WO: kale chips, banana w/ almond butter*

S: 1/4 cantaloupe

M3: butternut "pasta" bake

S: pumpkin puree w/ coconut milk

 

* I had a larger than usual Post-WO than usual because I only meant to ride 16 mi but my buddy and I wound up going way long.  Plus I'd eaten a really small meal as Pre-WO so felt I needed more calories.

 

I know - way too much fruit, or at least too much fruit being eaten alone, and a swypo'ish dessert.  I think I can trace it to the bananas.  They are my downfall.  So for now, I'm going to stick to the edict that "if you can't eat it responsibly, don't keep it in the house" and ditch the bananas.

How have I gotten to the point that I can have Hershey Kisses in my house but not bananas?  LOL!!!

[juliejem]

I'm reading through Shape magazine and my perspective is so altered.  "Eating *** decreases inflammation."  You know what else does? Quit eating crap.  "Almonds contain 20% of DRV for magnesium, a mineral that helps manage cortisol levels."  You know what else does? Quit eating crap.  Every small tidbit they share has to do with decreasing inflammation or increasing the important hormones.  How about we stop nitpicking specific ingredients and get to the source?!  Oh yeah, because that won't sell magazines month after month.

 

Cynical morning!

Thursday was not a good day foodwise.  I've been having too much fruit, which awakens the sugar dragon.  I wound up eating a massive bowl of ice cream that night, which does fall into my once-a-week treat framework, but the fact that it was totally feeding the sugar dragon and wasn't a *planned* off-roading for a good purpose bothers me.  So I decided to refocus yesterday and get serious about seriously limiting fruit.

M1: eggs, sauteed onion & peppers, 1/2 avocado

M2: sw pot whipped with coconut butter, scallops, 1/4 apple

Post-WO: 2 apple muffin-quiches

M3: tuna w/ hm ranch, tomato

M4: grilled chicken, hm ranch, cauliflower whipped with clarified butter

 

I had two big hard workouts yesterday.  Between M1 and M2 I swam, 3600 yd.  Then because I took a bonus rest day on Thursday I decided to run too, 5 mi, between M2 and Post-WO.  Then I was legitimately hungry (passed the "steamed fish and broccoli" question), so had the tuna and ranch.  I'm okay with the 4 meals, because I was in control!  And none of the meals were huge.

[amberino21]

As an Aussie, I want to know what's in an Aussie bite too!! (From your "cookie/muffin, that's healthy" description, I'm thinking oats and honey or syrup based? If it is, it sounds like a version of what we'd call an ANZAC biscuit)

[pjena]

I liked your cynical morning rant.  So true!

[juliejem]

Yeah, Amber, I looked that up and it seems like that. These are oat based, and have flax and some dried fruit.

I've been "paleo" but not very w30 for a few days. We went apple picking on Sun, and I've been eating SOOO many apples! I ate 8 in the fields (but no apple cider donuts!!!), and then I made applesauce and dehydrated apple "leather" so have been way overeating them. Big time food with no brakes!!

Today got confused because of my multiple and awkwardly-timed workouts, but in writing it out I see it's not as bad as I feared.

M1: sw pot w/ coconut butter, eggs

preWO: apple, pepperoni

WO: dates, apple juice (9 mi run)

M2: apple frittata muffins

preWO: cherry almond "sorbet"

(teach spin, Bodypump)

M3: bolognese over butternut "spaghetti"

Tomorrow's my crazy day, which every week seems to get an extra thing added to. Up at 4:45 for yoga, but at least my day ends earlier than usual!! I think I'm going to try a new calypso chicken recipe tomorrow night!

[juliejem]

Wow, I can get myself into a bit of trouble if I don't have enough food cooked and ready, LOL.  Although yesterday I was *so* tired all day, that probably contributed.  I fell off the road with an Aussie bite compulsion (the oatmeal/honey/flax/fruit things), but reigned myself back in.  I tried to grill some chicken for lunch but it wouldn't cook fast enough.  Bah.  Jammed it in the oven and am eating it for breakfast.  But since I didn't get a proper lunch I felt all disappointed and food-obsessed.  Then for dinner I made some steaks that turned out so tough DH wouldn't even eat them.  I choked it down by slicing it into tiny little bites, but choking down a steak is not exactly the way we should be loving food!!  I put his and the extra one I cooked back in the oven with some tomatoes and other stuff to braise down into a nice swiss steak.  

 

So between a failed lunch, and a moderately failed dinner, yesterday was no good foodwise!  

 

3 eggs, sw pot w/ coconut butter
celery, pb, dried cranberries (sampling during a kids cooking class I teach)
hb egg
apple, pb
dried apples
lettuce, 1/2 avo, pepper, hm-ranch
3 Aussie bites, 1 hershey kiss   

steak and mushrooms

grapefruit

 

A very nibble-y day as a result of poor meal planning and options.  

 

Today should be better.  I'm gonna stick to the meal map more carefully and drink more tea to avoid cravings.  My kdg daughter will be eating lunch separately, which tends to be hard for me.  I made her a lunch in a bento like her 3rd grade bro, so at least I don't have to *handle* any food.  

 

M1: grilled/baked chicken w/ hm mayo and full avo (too lazy to cut up any veg)

M2: trying out a new barbecue place; will go off road for the sauce but will not get any grains

M3: swiss steak, spaghetti squash

[juliejem]

Okay, I added in a few extras yesterday.  I really need to find some strategies for getting through the kids' after school snack time.  I'm never hungry then, but it's just such a tradition, going back to when I was a kid!  I had some cherry "sorbet" with almond butter.  Then after dinner DH went to get a milkshake.  I was sorely tempted, but had more cherry "sorbet", this time with some chocolate coconut cream I made.  Way too big a serving, though.  Sigh.  I really have a problem with brakes on food!

Today, I teach my get fit challenge class, then we're having a big family cleaning day ending in pizza...for the other 3.  Have to figure out what I'll have.  But at least now I've got plenty of leftovers!  Here's the plan...

preWO: coffee w/ coconut cream (5 mi run)
M1: 4 eggs over broccoli, clarified butter, coffee w/ coconut cream
M2: salad w/ grilled chicken
M3: leftover swiss steak?

I really want for today to be a perfect W30 day.  It'll be really hard to not "treat" myself after a big day of housecleaning...

[juliejem]

I am a sugar addict.  I need to just "say" that "out loud" like a 12-step program.  This whole30 has been terrible.  Every day I've been feeding the sugar dragon, and yesterday's Halloween party was just shameful, with the amount of cakes and treats I ate.  The thing is, though, so many people say "I'm a sugar addict" in a funny or self-depracating way, not as an admission of a real true problem they want to fix.  I'm saying it here just as seriously as people say, "I'm an alcoholic", because I am just as helpless to it - once I have a little - as an alcoholic is with that first sip.

My daughter begged to make gingerbread cookie skeletons.  I was awesome when we made the dough - not even a taste.  I made it through 24 hours strong ... then decided to have just 1.  As usual, one became 5 before I realized what had happened.  Then again when we decorated them (we got distracted and took awhile to get back to them, LOL), 1 suddenly became 5.  

I looked 5 months pregnant.  I felt awful.  And I *KNEW* it would happen.  That's my hardest thing - somehow, knowing what the bad result will be doesn't usually stop me from taking the hit anyway.  

I'm doing a running challenge in November - 5k/day.  I'm going to reset my whole30 then, tie the two together because I'm always WAY more successful with fitness goals than dietary goals.  I'm not giving myself free reign until then, though, just not getting hardcore focused for a few more days.  

[pjena]

I'm sorry about the cookies.  1 becomes 5 (or 10) for me, too.  Sugar is so addictive!  I think tying in a W something with your November 5k/day is a great idea.  Knowing you will be running in the morning (or whenever) might be the motivation you need to resist tonight.  Good luck!  It sounds like there are a bunch of us doing a W something of somesort in November, so you'll be in good company.

'

[Physibeth]

Julie just remember that being a sugar addict isn't something to be ashamed of...it's just something that is. I think you are doing the right thing reigning it in again. Have you considered bringing the kid's food in line with yours more?

[juliejem]

Yes, Bethany, I have - and they DO eat much more in line with me than most kids!  But there's the Halloween candy my husband insists they need as a part of childhood, and he's always bringing in crap.  Really, they would be F.I.N.E. on a W30 lifestyle.  It's the other grownup who makes it tough!!!  I need to recognize my weaknesses better and strategize.  I have a great almond-flour rollable cookie recipe.  It's not W30 and barely paleo given the amount of honey in it, but it would have been *better*.  Oh well.  Tomorrow is Day 1 again!  

[juliejem]

Day 1, and already, wow.  

When I had my stunted and failed W30.2, I hadn't told anyone.  I was trying to be stealthy or something, and that didn't work.  I made sure to tell lots of people (especially DH!!), and I think beyond just the accountability, it sets me up in my mind as begin fully committed.  I tracked today in myfitnesspal (which I know is a technical no-no), and still have like 600 calories left.  Previously, I'd have eaten something just because I could.  Now, I'm marveling at how FULL I am and have no intention of using them up.  I might have an apple and/or some pumpkin seeds later...

* eggs over butternut
* big salad, lots of veg, tuna, avocado, olive oil
* apple
* creamy pumpkin soup, sauteed chicken

And that's with a 75-min swim and 3.1 mile run.  

[Physibeth]

Julie, good for you for committing fully!

 

Please eat some more! That doesn't really look like enough food for how active you are! 

 

Also if you are still fighting the sugar dragon I would avoid eating fruit all by itself. Upping your fat a little bit will help with the sugar cravings as well.

[Physibeth]

p.s. I don't know if you saw this in my log, but I'm looking at doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox program January 1st. I think Jen is going to join me. Would you like to join us as well? The book just came out this week and I don't think it was that expensive.

[juliejem]

Thanks, Bethany.  And I assure you, my portions are quite large, LOL!  Yesterday I made a paleo version of one of my favorite comfort foods from when I was little.  It became a dilly ground beef soup, and it was SPOT ON.  The original is not too far from W30, other than that it's usually thickened with sour cream and served over potatoes.  I never cared for the potato part anyway, and sub'ed coconut milk and ACV for the sour cream, and it was just perfect.  I ate like four bowls of it, but it's just mostly broth anyway.  ;-)

 

I went to my niece's birthday party on Sunday.  Fortunately it was at an Italian beef place.  So it certainly wasn't grass-fed beef or anything, but I had plenty of salad, roast beef and super awesome chicken.  The skin was SO YUMMY and it felt good to be confident in eating it, LOL.  And the big ole giant cake?  Didn't even really care.

I've been taking pics of my meals and posting them on FB each day as a collage.  I took a pic of the cake too, to remind myself of what I *didn't* eat!  I felt proud, but it really wasn't even that big a challenge.  I guess the Sugar Dragon is asleep, because I was able to just look at it and see over processed generic cake and know that (other than it being in honor of a 1st birthday) it was nothing special.  

 

Yesterday I did wind up having a Clif bar, since I was teaching Spin, then BodyPump, then went for a 3 mile run, and had nothing else available.  Poor planning, I need to whip up another batch of hm Larabars.  I've noticed, though, that sugar DURING endurance stuff doesn't wake up the dragon.  

[juliejem]

Oh, and I just noticed your post about the sugar detox.  I'm going to be marathon training then so that's probably not a good idea.  

[vkanders]

 

Yesterday I did wind up having a Clif bar, since I was teaching Spin, then BodyPump, then went for a 3 mile run, and had nothing else available.  Poor planning, I need to whip up another batch of hm Larabars.  I've noticed, though, that sugar DURING endurance stuff doesn't wake up the dragon.  

I think this is because you don't get that insulin spike when you take in simple carbohydrates during exercise, as the glycogen goes STRAIGHT to your muscles and gets burned up, rather than sitting in your bloodstream. I can also take in some sugar during a workout without going nuts over it the rest of the day.

[Physibeth]

Oh, and I just noticed your post about the sugar detox.  I'm going to be marathon training then so that's probably not a good idea.  

 

Perhaps not. She does have special allowances for athletes in the book though.