Starting Whole30 on September 16 - need help and support, please!

[ksweet]

I'm starting the Whole30 tomorrow. I have put on 10 - 15 pounds at each pregnancy - but I have five children, so you can see where that ends up! My birthday is on the 20th. I know it's somewhat foolish to start before my birthday, but I had promised myself on my last birthday that this was the year I was going to start eating healthy - at least I can end the year on a healthy note! Plus, my husband is off for the week and I would prefer to do this when I have extra help with the kids (so I can nap or deal with headaches or have someone to talk me down from a trip to McDonald's). 

 

I have been researching paleo/primal eating for a couple of years and have stopped and started multiple times. But I need to make this stick so I can be a good mom and wife and so that I can break my bad eating habits. I eat well for awhile and then horribly for awhile - in cycles. I'm currently eating poorly so I'm thinking this week might be bad in terms of detoxing but taking baby steps doesn't seem to work for me. 

 

Any well wishes or prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Karyn

[Irish Rose]

hi Karyn, I am also a mum of five and paleo /primal has been the answer to my food bingeing cycles. It's not perfect but I am now a healthy weight and have been for over a year. The entire family will benefit. You can do this . Make up your mind, plan ahead and come here for support . Good luck xxx

[Tom Denham]

Baby steps doesn't work for most people. We highly recommend committing to perfection and making it happen for 30 days.

[AshleyAnth]

I am starting tomorrow as well!! I was actually on Day 19, then had a super busy weekend with all the events revolving around food, and poor planning on my part. Plus, me and my husband went out with a bunch of friends Saturday night, to a place with a lot of bars around... 

 

So tomorrow is Day 1 again! I was feeling FANTASTIC! So it's actually pretty easy to stick to, unless you go to a bunch of bars lol But I'm not doing that for the next 30 days! I don't care what my friends or husband says! 

[Breff]

Hi there!

I started my second whole 30 today! I finished my first on the 30th of August and was feeling pretty fantastic. I stuck mainly on plan for the following week but last week I ate out alot and was socializing quite a bit. It has left me feeling pretty fuzzy and BLOATED! Seriously my watch got tighter over night

 

Anyway, this time I want to really stick to three meals a day with no snacking because that's a habit I want to break. I know my results first time round were affected by the amount of fruit & nuts i was grazing on.

 

I was surprised at how manageable the programme is though and it really does leave you feeling sparkly and new and happy! Really really happy!

 

I will be following http://popularpaleo.com/ from the 1st Oct as she's undertaking her whole 30 then and is sure to have some delicious recipes up her sleeve.

 

I'm planning for a whole 45 as I feel I would have benefited from a few extra days last time.

 

Good luck everyone. The forums are great, definitely keep checking in.

[3girls]

I started today too.  Good luck to us all.

[ksweet]

Thanks, everyone, for the supportive responses. Good to know, Irish Rose, that this can be done with five kiddos. I didn't take into account that they would be detoxing as well. I feed them better than I feed myself (thank goodness!) but we still went out yesterday for an early birthday celebration since I wouldn't be partaking on my actual day. So not only was I cranky but the kids were as well (or maybe they were normal and I'm less patient). 

 

Yes, Tom, I have figured out that baby steps don't work (at least for me). I like what the book said about baby steps keeping your food choices on a conscience level instead of allowing them to become more habit. I find that I think about food all. the. time. I don't want to do that. 

 

How did you do on this first day, 3girls, Breff, and AshleyAnth? 

 

B: hard boiled egg, three slices of bacon, green tea with coconut oil

S: apple, pistachios

L: steak, avocado with vinegar, grapes

S: two slices of celery with almond butter, green tea with coconut oil

D: steak, salad, broccoli, seltzer water with splash of orange juice, apple

 

I don't usually snack between meals but I didn't eat enough for breakfast and I was just jonesing bad in the afternoon so I ate even though I probably wasn't too hungry. I also don't usually eat that much fruit but that's because I usually eat chocolate or something instead. But I at least stayed on track. I didn't realize dairy would be hard to avoid - I really wanted a slice of cheese. Maybe because it's one of the only non-Whole30 foods left in the house. 

 

Very tired and irritable but I don't feel too bad physically. I just tried to take it as easy as possible. Also tried to nap but that didn't work with the kids. 

 

One day down. It's hard to see from this end that I really might have energy and not crave stuff so badly one day. 

 

Thanks again for the responses!

[AshleyAnth]

Thanks, everyone, for the supportive responses. Good to know, Irish Rose, that this can be done with five kiddos. I didn't take into account that they would be detoxing as well. I feed them better than I feed myself (thank goodness!) but we still went out yesterday for an early birthday celebration since I wouldn't be partaking on my actual day. So not only was I cranky but the kids were as well (or maybe they were normal and I'm less patient). 

 

Yes, Tom, I have figured out that baby steps don't work (at least for me). I like what the book said about baby steps keeping your food choices on a conscience level instead of allowing them to become more habit. I find that I think about food all. the. time. I don't want to do that. 

 

How did you do on this first day, 3girls, Breff, and AshleyAnth? 

 

B: hard boiled egg, three slices of bacon, green tea with coconut oil

S: apple, pistachios

L: steak, avocado with vinegar, grapes

S: two slices of celery with almond butter, green tea with coconut oil

D: steak, salad, broccoli, seltzer water with splash of orange juice, apple

 

I don't usually snack between meals but I didn't eat enough for breakfast and I was just jonesing bad in the afternoon so I ate even though I probably wasn't too hungry. I also don't usually eat that much fruit but that's because I usually eat chocolate or something instead. But I at least stayed on track. I didn't realize dairy would be hard to avoid - I really wanted a slice of cheese. Maybe because it's one of the only non-Whole30 foods left in the house. 

 

Very tired and irritable but I don't feel too bad physically. I just tried to take it as easy as possible. Also tried to nap but that didn't work with the kids. 

 

One day down. It's hard to see from this end that I really might have energy and not crave stuff so badly one day. 

 

Thanks again for the responses!

 

Great job with the compliant foods! Although, I know we're not really supposed to snack, and just stick to the 3 meals a day. I found myself at first snacking, but eventually made sue I was eating enough at each meal, and making sure I wasn't wanting anything else afterwards. Not that I would stuff my face, but just made sure I was eating enough, and balance of proteins and fats is definitely key! It's hard not to snack at first though, since that's what we would've done before lol

 

Today I did pretty good! However, I was super tired after the foods and drinks I had over the weekend. Slept from 1030 pm until almost 1030 am. And surprisingly the baby didn't wake up until then! I did feel like I had a fog in my head most of the day. But my meals and lots of water have helped!

 

Breakfast: fried egg in olive oil, sauteed kale, peppers, cabbage, carrots, and broccoli in coconut oil, avocado, and a Monkey Salad (cashews, coconut flakes, and banana)

 

Lunch: more of a mini meal, because I wasn't super hungry... hard boiled egg, cashews, and carrots

 

Dinner: crockpot taco chicken, but instead of putting the chicken in a tortilla with cheese and sour cream, I put it on a spinach salad with peppers, kale, tomato, avocado, olive oil and vinegar, and hot sauce, and then 1/2 cup cantelope

[GFChris]

 

 

 

B: hard boiled egg, three slices of bacon, green tea with coconut oil

S: apple, pistachios

L: steak, avocado with vinegar, grapes

S: two slices of celery with almond butter, green tea with coconut oil

D: steak, salad, broccoli, seltzer water with splash of orange juice, apple

 

 

Hi there!  Stopping by to offer my well-wishes and some feedback on your 1st day.

Do you have a copy of the meal template? http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf  

- You want to be sure every one of your meals has at least 1-2 cups of vegetables. Your breakfast and lunch were missing them.

- Snacks should be a mini-meal including a protein and fat. Nuts and nut butters are considered a fat on a Whole30.

- Make sure your bacon is compliant: no sugar or other nasties.

 

[ksweet]

Another day down. Can't wait until work is done and kids are in bed and I can sleep!! Feel like I'm in a fog and I can't kick this headache. I'm also having emotional issues. On the one hand, I'm so psyched to be finally doing this after procrastinating for so long. On the other hand, I'm bummed out about having to eat these foods. I've never been one to prefer meat over the potatoes. I know this is sort of lame, since many people in the world would like to have this food. But I can't deny I'm not dealing with some food attachment. I just keep reminding myself it's for 30 (28!) days and then I can have it all back if I want to (and hoping that I don't!). 

 

B: cashews, banana, shredded coconut, green tea with coconut oil (my casserole was a disaster - hence the "salad")

L: steak with salad and avocado, apple, raspberry leaf tea

S: hardboiled egg (only one snack today!)

D: chicken soup with sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms

 

@ Chris the moderator - thanks for the reminder about veggies with every meal - somehow (wishful thinking) I wasn't thinking of veggies for breakfast. And I didn't know about the snacks = protein/fats. 

 

@AshleyAnth - I had to laugh when I saw your monkey salad, as I had just "discovered" it the other day on Cheap Eats and it saved me when my casserole didn't work out. And a baby sleeping until 10:30 - he/she must have known you needed some rest! Good luck with days two and three!

[Physibeth]

Also wanted to say welcome and add to Chris's comments that you should be eating more protein than a single egg for breakfast. A serving of eggs according to the template is how many whole ones you can hold in your hand (I'm 5'4" and can hold 4). My biggest advice for this is to memorize and stick to the food template. Print it out and tape it to your refrigerator.

[AshleyAnth]

Another day down. Can't wait until work is done and kids are in bed and I can sleep!! Feel like I'm in a fog and I can't kick this headache. I'm also having emotional issues. On the one hand, I'm so psyched to be finally doing this after procrastinating for so long. On the other hand, I'm bummed out about having to eat these foods. I've never been one to prefer meat over the potatoes. I know this is sort of lame, since many people in the world would like to have this food. But I can't deny I'm not dealing with some food attachment. I just keep reminding myself it's for 30 (28!) days and then I can have it all back if I want to (and hoping that I don't!). 

 

B: cashews, banana, shredded coconut, green tea with coconut oil (my casserole was a disaster - hence the "salad")

L: steak with salad and avocado, apple, raspberry leaf tea

S: hardboiled egg (only one snack today!)

D: chicken soup with sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms

 

@ Chris the moderator - thanks for the reminder about veggies with every meal - somehow (wishful thinking) I wasn't thinking of veggies for breakfast. And I didn't know about the snacks = protein/fats. 

 

@AshleyAnth - I had to laugh when I saw your monkey salad, as I had just "discovered" it the other day on Cheap Eats and it saved me when my casserole didn't work out. And a baby sleeping until 10:30 - he/she must have known you needed some rest! Good luck with days two and three!

 

That's too funny! I found it through google, and it was a girls blog of her whole30! It's delicious though isn't it?! I can honestly say, beforehand I wasn't much of a meat eater either. I would have it sometimes but not with every meal, and certainly not enough. So adding that in, along with all the healthy fats, freaked me out! However, I noticed within the first week that even though I was eating more food than I did before, I was fitting into my clothes better! It's still in the back of my mind that if I eat too much avocado or nuts that I'll gain weight. But it hasn't happened!

[AshleyAnth]

Day 2 was pretty good for me! 

 

Breakfast: pork chop with fried egg in olive oil, small sweet potato with salt and pepper, peppers, and a fruit salad with banana, oranges, kiwi, grapes, and almonds

 

Lunch: mixed berries with coconut flakes, cauliflower and carrots with guacamole, and a hardboiled egg

 

Didn't take a picture of dinner because it wasn't very pretty, but it was delicious! Cashews, pork chop, small sweet potato with salt and pepper, and baked eggplant with olive oil. 

 

How was everyone elses day?

[CortneyT]

So glad I found this thread! I started the 16th as well!

[Karyna]

Hi Karyn,

 

I also started on the 16th - how are you feeling?

 

I'm in a bit of a fog/headache but not that tired. My trouble is the snacking in the afternoons. Normally, before whole30, I would have lunch at 12:30, then snack at 1:30 and every hour after that until about 4. Then dinner at 7.

 

I'm happy today as I finished lunch at 1, and had snacky cravings but drank tea instead only three hours later did I succumb to the hunger and had a few cashew nuts and a banana (which, after reading the post above, should be a protein and a few cashew nuts. I'll make sure to do this tomorrow). Feel loads better and I feel I can last until dinner at 7.

 

My husband and 2 yr old aren't on the whole30, but since I'm the cook in the house, their dinners will be whole30. 

 

Good luck and let's keep supporting each other!

 

Karyna

[ksweet]

Definitely feeling better today - a little tired and foggy but not nearly so bad. As suggested, I upped my food intake for breakfast and was surprised how hard it is to eat that much. I have always forced myself to eat something for breakfast but not so much. I'm also happy that I will manage to get veggies in at all three meals. 

 

M1: few slices of steak, three eggs scrambled with green onions and green pepper, green tea with coconut oil

M2: chicken soup from last night, raspberry leaf tea, apple with 2T almond butter, small handful of macadamias and raisins

M3 (will be): pork carnitas (they're smelling great right now), salad, shredded cabbage, probably a couple of dates if I need something sweet

 

@ Physibeth - I love your tag; I'm "collecting" Scripture and inspirational quotes to use when I can't think straight through a craving.

 

@AshleyAnth - I noticed your breakfast wasn't a leftover from dinner - do you cook meals like that for breakfast every day and how do you manage it? Mornings have been rough this week since I feel sort of hungover-like.

 

@Cortney and Karyna (I won't spell that wrong, lol) - I'm so glad to see you here. I really need the support as nearly everyone around me (except hubby, thank goodness) thinks this way of eating is nuts. Did you do well with the snacking today, Karyna; I'm surprised how much I want to snack but I think it will settle down as my body adjusts??

[Karyna]

@Cortney and Karyna (I won't spell that wrong, lol) - I'm so glad to see you here. I really need the support as nearly everyone around me (except hubby, thank goodness) thinks this way of eating is nuts. Did you do well with the snacking today, Karyna; I'm surprised how much I want to snack but I think it will settle down as my body adjusts??

 

Snacking wasn't too bad today, Karyn. Before the whole30, I would eat my lunch at 12, and by 1:30, I'd be yearning for a snack so I would have cashew nuts, then a banana, then a nutrition bar... and done all that snacking by 3pm and won't eat again until supper. Today, I had lunch at 12:30, ate to the point I was very full (didn't finish all of my food which I haven't done in ages since my portions are normally so controlled), then I began to either get peckish or bored at the usual 2pm time, but I had a cup of tea instead and didn't snack until 4pm where I had cashew nuts and a banana and that was it and didn't eat again until dinner (which was bolognese with baked sweet potato). Happy with that!

 

Glad to see others here for support!

[kberg]

I started on the 16th too, along with my brother-in-law. It is my second Whole30; I finished one back in March. Unfortunately, I made a recipe yesterday that involved a can of plain tomato sauce. Only after I ate it did I realize that the "plain" tomato sauce contained corn syrup. Seriously?! I ended up eating the leftovers of the non-compliant dish today as we are on a super tight food budget, and couldn't afford to not eat it. 

 

I had planned from the beginning to extend my Whole30 beyond the 30 days, so I am not really worried about it. I guess that at this point I have no other choice but to extend it at least by three days, which doesn't sound to shabby at all!

 

Good luck to everyone on their day 3!

[Karyna]

I started on the 16th too, along with my brother-in-law. It is my second Whole30; I finished one back in March. Unfortunately, I made a recipe yesterday that involved a can of plain tomato sauce. Only after I ate it did I realize that the "plain" tomato sauce contained corn syrup. Seriously?! I ended up eating the leftovers of the non-compliant dish today as we are on a super tight food budget, and couldn't afford to not eat it. 

 

It's amazing how the things that shouldn't have sugar do! What has our society done to natural and whole foods?!

[amberino21]

M3 (will be): pork carnitas (they're smelling great right now), salad, shredded cabbage, probably a couple of dates if I need something sweet

Do you ever really NEED something sweet....or is it something you WANT? I'd try to avoid feeding the sugar craving with sugar- by doing that, you're just feeding your sugar dragon!

[AshleyAnth]

Definitely feeling better today - a little tired and foggy but not nearly so bad. As suggested, I upped my food intake for breakfast and was surprised how hard it is to eat that much. I have always forced myself to eat something for breakfast but not so much. I'm also happy that I will manage to get veggies in at all three meals. 

 

M1: few slices of steak, three eggs scrambled with green onions and green pepper, green tea with coconut oil

M2: chicken soup from last night, raspberry leaf tea, apple with 2T almond butter, small handful of macadamias and raisins

M3 (will be): pork carnitas (they're smelling great right now), salad, shredded cabbage, probably a couple of dates if I need something sweet

 

@ Physibeth - I love your tag; I'm "collecting" Scripture and inspirational quotes to use when I can't think straight through a craving.

 

@AshleyAnth - I noticed your breakfast wasn't a leftover from dinner - do you cook meals like that for breakfast every day and how do you manage it? Mornings have been rough this week since I feel sort of hungover-like.

 

@Cortney and Karyna (I won't spell that wrong, lol) - I'm so glad to see you here. I really need the support as nearly everyone around me (except hubby, thank goodness) thinks this way of eating is nuts. Did you do well with the snacking today, Karyna; I'm surprised how much I want to snack but I think it will settle down as my body adjusts??

 

ksweet, I do normally cook something in the morning. Fried eggs and sauteed veggies definitely. If it's a pork chop or ground meat, then it's leftovers. Or like, something like sweet potatoes. Those are leftovers. But I am a stay at home mom, and the baby sits in her high chair playing with spoons and eating her food while I cook. She watches me too as I pull her up closer to me. If I had to work every day, it would be different.

 

However, eggs and sauteeing veggies don't take but 5-10 minutes. And 10 minutes is an overestimate. lol

[Karyna]

Hi everyone! How is Day 4 going so far? It's mid-afternoon and I seem to be keeping the snacking monster away! I'm sipping a water and a coffee instead. And noticing that I'm not actually hungry! Whoo!

 

M1 (8:45am) - this unfortunately is almost 3 hours after I woke. I will try to get my meals in within 1 hour of waking. 

2 egg frittata with spinach, mushrooms and peppers cooked in ghee.

Strawberries

 

M2 (12:15pm)

Beef bolognese (onions, garlic, zucchini/courgette, yellow pepper, beef mince, passata, tomato paste) 

Zucchini/courgette noodles

Banana

 

M3 (about 7pm tonight)

Coconut chicken cooked in ghee

Salad with zucchini, red peppers, onion

 

I did wake up with a bit of a headache this morning which was why there was no workout. However, I plan to work out tomorrow morning with a planned PreWO snack and PostWO meal, plus all three meals.

 

I was offered a Krispy Kreme donut today which I declined. Whoo!

I also spotted quite a few cakes and treats around the office which I have avoided. It's now 3:45pm and I'm not hungry which is a really new feeling for me!

 

Hope you're all having a great day 4!

[AshleyAnth]

Hi everyone! How is Day 4 going so far? It's mid-afternoon and I seem to be keeping the snacking monster away! I'm sipping a water and a coffee instead. And noticing that I'm not actually hungry! Whoo!

 

M1 (8:45am) - this unfortunately is almost 3 hours after I woke. I will try to get my meals in within 1 hour of waking. 

2 egg frittata with spinach, mushrooms and peppers cooked in ghee.

Strawberries

 

M2 (12:15pm)

Beef bolognese (onions, garlic, zucchini/courgette, yellow pepper, beef mince, passata, tomato paste) 

Zucchini/courgette noodles

Banana

 

M3 (about 7pm tonight)

Coconut chicken cooked in ghee

Salad with zucchini, red peppers, onion

 

I did wake up with a bit of a headache this morning which was why there was no workout. However, I plan to work out tomorrow morning with a planned PreWO snack and PostWO meal, plus all three meals.

 

I was offered a Krispy Kreme donut today which I declined. Whoo!

I also spotted quite a few cakes and treats around the office which I have avoided. It's now 3:45pm and I'm not hungry which is a really new feeling for me!

 

Hope you're all having a great day 4!

 

Way to go on passing on the doughnut and the other sweet treats!! 

[ksweet]

I woke up this morning realizing - I had slept through the night! Granted, this doesn't happen often with five kids, dog, cats, and wild animals outside. But even when everyone is quiet, I wake up all the time. This is huge to me! I have also realized I'm not have digestion issues. I need to remember this when I think I can eat poorly "just this once" - I need to remember how good I'm beginning to feel. 

 

M1: pork carnitas, scrambled eggs with green onions and peppers, green tea with oil

M2: pork carnitas (I made a lot), cabbage

S: apple with almond butter, small handful cashews

M3: roast beef with carrots and onions, small handful of macs and raisins

 

I'm still getting a mild headache in the evenings - does anyone know what this might be? I don't think it's hunger or thirst; I'm assuming it's still detox. 

 

@Karyna - way to go on passing the donut. Those suckers are tempting, too!

@Kberg - welcome to the thread. Bummer with the tomato sauce; I can't get over how much one has to ferret out these ingredients. Wish I had time to make more things at home. 

@Ambrino - thanks for the reminder that I don't need sugar. And I didn't end up eating them anyhow. Growing up we always had desserts for the end of lunch and dinner and it's a hard habit to kick. 

@AshleyAnth - did you do okay this day? Looking forward to your food pictures (for fresh ideas, lol). 

[AshleyAnth]

I woke up this morning realizing - I had slept through the night! Granted, this doesn't happen often with five kids, dog, cats, and wild animals outside. But even when everyone is quiet, I wake up all the time. This is huge to me! I have also realized I'm not have digestion issues. I need to remember this when I think I can eat poorly "just this once" - I need to remember how good I'm beginning to feel. 

 

M1: pork carnitas, scrambled eggs with green onions and peppers, green tea with oil

M2: pork carnitas (I made a lot), cabbage

S: apple with almond butter, small handful cashews

M3: roast beef with carrots and onions, small handful of macs and raisins

 

I'm still getting a mild headache in the evenings - does anyone know what this might be? I don't think it's hunger or thirst; I'm assuming it's still detox. 

 

@Karyna - way to go on passing the donut. Those suckers are tempting, too!

@Kberg - welcome to the thread. Bummer with the tomato sauce; I can't get over how much one has to ferret out these ingredients. Wish I had time to make more things at home. 

@Ambrino - thanks for the reminder that I don't need sugar. And I didn't end up eating them anyhow. Growing up we always had desserts for the end of lunch and dinner and it's a hard habit to kick. 

@AshleyAnth - did you do okay this day? Looking forward to your food pictures (for fresh ideas, lol). 

 

Might still be the detox... are you making sure you have enough veggies, protein and fats in each meal? Pork carnitas sound amazing! You should show a picture or share the recipe. I'm always wanting to try new things!!

 

Today's food... I only have one pic of lunch. But I will share in a different meals I had throughout my first go at Whole30.

 

M1: hardboiled egg, cashews, 1/2 cup veggies leftover from last night (eggplant, kale, peppers, zucchini)... I know this wasn't a lot but was trying to eat early in the morning, like suggested, and I just wasn't hungry AT ALL. I actually almost got sick just eating this

M2: moroccan meatballs, baked veggies from last night, tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar dressing

1st 1/2 of M3: hardboiled egg, almonds, dates

2nd 1/2 of M3: spinach and kale salad with sausage and hamburger, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, avocado, lemon juice, salt, pepper, 1 small orange

 

It was absolutely delicious! My parents made spaghetti but before putting sauce in, I grabbed some of the meat for my salad, and saved my other hardboiled egg and pork chop for tomorrow.

 

Did my 1 hour core workout... P90X Core Synergistics!! Felt awesome to work out again after the sluggish feeling from my weekend mess up.