Day 1 - October 21st

[Greek to me]

Question for you exercisers in our group. Do you do the pre and post w/o food. I tried yesterday but my goodness-that's a lot of food that doesn't count toward our meals.

Next ? Anyone experiencing a slump in the afternoon? Not hunger...just an energy crash.

Been a rough few days with temptations and I don't know if my ratings off or I'm just craving like crazy!

[amberino21]

Question for you exercisers in our group. Do you do the pre and post w/o food. I tried yesterday but my goodness-that's a lot of food that doesn't count toward our meals.

Next ? Anyone experiencing a slump in the afternoon? Not hunger...just an energy crash.

Been a rough few days with temptations and I don't know if my ratings off or I'm just craving like crazy!

You crave things when your body is looking for nutrients. Which means you need to give them to it - most people go for the foods with no nutrients when they crave, which doesn't give the body what it's looking for, so the body tells you to keep looking (and eating)....

A slump in energy is a sign you need fuel - if you're exercising more, you need the extra nutrition for recovery and to keep your body refueled.

[morkkel]

Guacamole salsa? What are the details on that? Greek - the bora bora balls are out of well fed and have lots of coconut, but they were really tasty to me. That being said, it was a bit ambitious for a "school night". I need to find easier meals, especially since I want to start throwing weights in after work. Right now, I usually just run or walk my pups in the morning - no weight training. That's also why I skip pre and post w/o food, which would probably explain my hunger. But my running is not what I would consider high intensity. So not really understanding the "minutes of high intensity versus the amount of food" graph that was in the book.

 

Mayo Robert? Was it delish? I know I plan on reintroducing some things to my diet, so am a bit nervous about adding high fats (like mayo) that I'm currently not addicted to. I know that sounds like I'm losing faith, but... makes me nervous I guess. I am also nervous about completely binging when I get off this. Yikes! 

 

How are you guys doing with starchy veggies? I feel like I may be eating too many. I usually have sweet potato, squash, or like last night - plantains at most meals. I am wondering if I should lessen the amount of those I am eating...

 

On another note...it's probably really bad to add in wine before the 30 days is up right?? I'm kind of hoping the answer is "no - go ahead - wine isn't too bad for you!" Cause right now, at 8am, I'm really hankering for a box.

[Greek to me]

@ Amber so if I'm craving, what am I lacking? Normally when I'm craving food, I can tell you ie I'll crave salad or broccoli and know that my body want those vits, but wanting candy just because its there even though your not hungry.... Don't know what I'd really be craving.

Hmmm re the extra fuel. I'm slumping at 2 p. I finish lunch at 1p. I'm not even close to hungry. Could it really be a fuel issue? I have increased exercise, but on both days I experienced this, I hadn't exercised.

@morrkel, can't recall where I saw the guacamole recipe. But guacamole is easy to make and enjoy. Avo, diced tomato and onion, lime juice, salt, and if you like, cilantro. (I'm not a fan so don't use this). Easy and quick! Hope that helps.

[morkkel]

Okay, thanks - I thought it was some new combined salsa guac combo I've never ever thought about!

[Robert2014]

Had a great time at Disneyland yesterday with my son.  And made it through clean without a problem.  Doubled my breakfast protein and then brought in my own food.  I was running hard from 5:00 a.m. until midnight.  No energy crashes.  I felt great.

 

My goodness, we are moving on to the next chapter in a little over a week!

 

Happy 19!

[jesmarie]

Happy Friday Everyone!!

 

Morkkel- If you are looking for a new salsa, costco has a tomatillo avocado salsa that is whole30 approved (at least from what I can tell from the ingredients list) it's pretty freaking delicious. As for starchy vegetables, I don't them all that often. I made butternut squash soup the other night and every once in a while indulge with sweet potato fries (when it's a particularly bad day). Wine is a no go, however, a bath is lovely and so is tea. Especially at 8 am my sweet little wino's! I do ask that you do one thing for me when the whole30 is up. Have a glass for me alcohol is unfortunately one of my most reactive allergies :/

 

Robert- have you been to disneyland yet?! how did it go? did you conquer the mayo master chef?

 

Greek- I usually workout before a meal (there's a lot of opinions either way working out on an empty stomach but it's what works for me). Most of my workouts are in the morning so I usually have a HUGE breakfast. Well, I guess huge for me. But if I end up having to work out later in the day I try to schedule it to fit right before the following meal. Just a suggestion, it's what works for me. I hope you're energy levels out!

 

And on to my every wavering confidence, I am sitting at PDX about to fly to my parents home for the weekend (baby bro's football team is in the play-off's, woot woot!) Again, I am just going to surrounded by food that I just don't have in my house and a lot more chaos than I am use to having in my daily life. This experience is really showing me how sheltered I keep myself, haha. I have some ideas to help me stay out of the house and I have one project that I'll be doing to keep me busy while I am at the house while everyone else is at work but i'm just freaking out. It's like the psych out before a big game. But so far on the correct path, brought my breakfast to the airport and wore my workout clothes so I can go for a nice run around the neighborhood when I land. 

 

Here's to wishing all of us a weekend of serenity!

[Travelin Texan]

Yay Robert...you conquered Disney!

 

Morkkel...I am surrounded by 27 wineries right now...Wino' s United...We can wait...We got this!

 

Jesmarie...sounds like you have plans in place and that is half the battle.  Remember how good you feel when you follow the plan and eat right.  Your mantra "I can do this.  I am worth it."  Focus on your family and being together...not the food.  You got this!

 

Journey on...

[Robert2014]

WARNING TO SELF:  DAY 2X IS NEAR!

 

Bring on Day 2X!!

[Robert2014]

And on to my every wavering confidence, I am sitting at PDX about to fly to my parents home for the weekend (baby bro's football team is in the play-off's, woot woot!) Again, I am just going to surrounded by food that I just don't have in my house and a lot more chaos than I am use to having in my daily life. 

Jesmarie - If possible, jump on line and give us a shout it if and when things get dodgy.  We are here!!

[morkkel]

Robert! I LOVE THIS! Thank you, thank you. This is seriously JUST what I needed. I was seriously thinking...what would a couple of days do with wine! Your post has gotten me back on track before it was too late!!!!! YOU. Are. Awesome!

[Greek to me]

Woohoo Robert!  Congratulations on you Disneyland success. So glad it was an enjoyable AND successful trip for you!  And THANK YOU for the post!  I loved re-reading that segment and your analogy of it.  Also very grateful that you  mentioned how valuable having each other here is.  I ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!!

 

Jesmarie - yes..if you have access...jump out and say hi!  Thanks for the guac/salsa at Costco.  Looking forward to checking it out!

 

Happy soon to be say 20 all!  Enjoy your weekend.

[JKStarcher]

I really hate it when I type up a really long message and then my computer locks up and I have to refresh & lose everything.

 

Moving on...

Robert -- High 5 for surviving Disney! I am impressed...though not suprised. Knew you could do it!  And your story for splendidly  motivational & a GREAT reminder to everyone. It's a slippery slope out there ya'll. More than once I have danced with the idea of taking a nibble or sip here & there. But I remember the results I've already seen and what is yet to come. We are all worth sticking to this commitment and seeing it through. We are all CAPABLE of sticking to this commitment and seeing it through as well. In fact, High Fives to everyone in this group because we all rock!

 

Not sure who asked about the pre-post WO meals, but I've been sticking with it the last couple weeks. I WO 4x/week for about 35min-1hr each time. Usually once at 6am and the rest around 4:30. So I either end up eating my main meal at work, or at home.  My fav/easiest pre-WO snack is a diced up HB egg mixed with 1/2 mashed avocado (if I have anything else to throw in there, I will...like onions, tomatoe, red pepper flakes or cholula, some S&P)...post-WO is a few spicy tuna cakes (if available), otherwise, some leftover protein of some kind and maybe a microwaved sweet potato. It's been working well for me. I TRY to eat my post-WO snack within 30 minutes, but sometimes it 40-45min...just depends on where I'm at and what I have with me. I'll eat my main meal within 1hr of eating my post WO snack. My recovery time has improved, my endurance has improved, and my general mood has improved.  All in all, positive things to report.

 

In any case, hope everyone is doing well and has a great weekend! Travelin' Texan, stay strong!! In less than 2 weeks, you can enjoy your wine....and REALLY enjoy it knowing that you stuck to your commitment and held off for 30 days!  You got this.

 

And for giggles...

[Greek to me]

JK...LOVE the cartoon!!! Hysterical.  Thanks for sharing.  Well, Saturday has arrived.  9 more days to go.  Did my grocery shopping earlier today.  Got caught unprepared this a.m. when I had nothing prepared and ready to go.  Had to work a short day but still had to be out of the house and unable to prep.  So, I opened a can of tuna for breakfast (I know...I know...I was grimacing the whole time) and downed an apple with some almond butter.  I figured if I couldn't have what I needed that was breakfast...I just had to eat a very mismatched meal.  In short, eat to live, not live to eat.  It worked.  I wasn't hungry again until noon...when I was still at work.  I felt myself almost panicking and going through the checklist of places I could go quickly and get something to eat.  No not Pizza, no not Subway, no to Chinese, No to this that and the other thing.  Wasn't happy.  Finally made it home and cooked something to get me through the next few days.  Lesson learned.  BUT...I found that putting myself into this position made me feel fragile.  I reached for the handful of dried cranberries (whole30 approved)- but then I remembered that this wasn't a legitimate snack...so I added a little protein and fat and called it a snack.  I wasn't really hungry.  I was just wanting to chew something. 

 

The point is...I caught myself with the "old attitude" toward snacking.  So, I'm going to work on getting my new attitude pulled together.  To aid with this...I'm going to avoid the dried cranberries tomorrow.  I know they are legit. but I can't help but feel like they may be subtly sabotaging me.

 

Anyway...going to go try and find some spaghetti squash recipes! Hope you're all hanging in there!

[JKStarcher]

Nice job on 'catching' yourself, Greek. I've been there...dried tart cherries & macadamia nuts. Lol

Today is my prep day, and I haven't yet planned my meals for the week. So, I'm up before the boys and going to work out my plan and then hit the store. I'm definitely going to keep more fish on hand...it thaws quickly & doesn't require a lot of time to prepare...good for those work days when we've run out of leftovers & I'm too tired or disinterested after work to *make* dinner.; also easy to keep at work & bake/roast in the toaster oven. And more bags of frozen veggies. Last Thursday I ran out of meals and was tired after work. But I had a little leftover cooked sausage, a bag of frozen broccoli&cauliflower and eggs...threw that all together in a skillet with some seasonings and end up with a really tasty & filling frittata...AND leftovers for both my husband's and my breakfasts the next day. I'm also going to make mini frittata loaves for pre & post WO...some with eggs, spinach & coconut milk (pre) and some with added sausage & shredded sweet potato, but no coconut milk (post)...and then some more tuna cakes....bc those are just really tasty & easy to make & even edible when UNheated, after a workout, in the car on the way home.

Btw - can't believe there's only 9 days left. On Day 31, I have a date with my friend who is also on this program. We keep talking about all the foods we're going to consume once we're allowed again (wine, chocolate, bread & butter, etc. lol). Truth is, it probably won't be as balls-to-the-wall food mayhem as we're dreaming it to be. I really do want to figure out how strongly I react to certain foods...so I'm starting to plan what specific "trial" foods I'll be reintroducing, & when, so that I don't fall into some kind of food vortex & end up reintroducing multiple foods at the same time.

Anyone else planning on the reintroduction phase??

Happy Sunday everyone!

[Robert2014]

Greek, awesome working through the "OMG I don't have any food" situation.  I have been there.  I assume pretty much everyone else has been there.  For me, cashews, a Larabar, and a bunch of water down the hatch!  There are those days when I look at my lunch which is a combination of yesterday's dinner and the morning's breakfast and think, "blah!"  But it all comes down to planning.  And if things don't look very appealing, I just get it down and move on.  I am discovering that a meal can be like a shower.  Sometimes you have the luxury of that long hot uninterrupted shower/meal.  Other times, you just gotta jump in, get clean/full, and keep moving.

 

One thing that I do know, considering that this has been such a positive experience for me, is that Whole 30 is a big shiny new tool in my lifetime tool belt.  It is a tool I can pull out in a year or three to readjust and rebalance if things get a bit sloppy.  I will have done it and, therefore, I will know I can do it again.

[Travelin Texan]

Hey Gang...glad to see everyone is doing well and plugging along.  I only got to try 1 crock pot recipe this week since Hubby has been gone home for 4 days taking care of some business and I didn't wants tons of leftovers.  I do like leftovers but being only me...I would get tired of it before it was gone.

 

I really like the crock pot cookbook my Mom let me borrow.  I have tagged about 30 recipes to try.  It has many categories including Sauces & Spreads, Ethnic, Breakfast and Kid Friendly along with recipes broken into Seafood, Poultry, etc so you can go straight to a meat category.  The name is The Everything Paleolithic Diet Slow Cooker Cookbook by Emily Dionne MS, RD, LDN, CSSD, ACSM-HFS ....dang that is a bunch of letters...haha.  I also went to the public library to find other Paleo cookbooks...they only had called The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Loren Cordain, Ph.D. ...I only tagged 4 recipes from the whole book...course everyone is different and you might find more.

 

Chicken and Artichokes

 

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs ( I used ck breast cause had them)

1/2  cup Chicken stock or broth

1 T fresh lemon juice

2  t dried Thyme

1 clove Garlic, peeled and minced (I used 3)

1/4  t fresh ground Black Pepper

1 (13 oz) can  Artichoke Hearts, drained

 

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, stir to mix.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hrs.  If necessary, uncover and allow to cook for 30 mins or more to thicken sauce.  **I added a can of tomatoes about an hr out from being done.  I just thought it would be better..more flavor...and I like that combination.  We really liked it and will make again.  I also upped the amount on spices...I find most recipes to be on the low end.  

 

I served this over spaghetti squash and with a green salad.  

 

I find crock pots...slow cookers...whatever you want to call them...a huge help in the kitchen...used them for yrs.  Perfect for a working, on the go family.

 

Oh...how did the Mayo making go?  I use mine in chicken salad, tuna salad, as base for dressing and dip my carrots in.

 

Have a great week...Journey on...

[JKStarcher]

Random thought:

I sure hope Santa is planning on bringing me some awesome kitchen gadgets for Christmas if I'm going to keep spending 5-7hrs in the kitchen every Sunday.

 

P.S. - Robert...really like what you wrote. Great way to think about it.

 

As it is, for me, I don't think this plan has eliminated any of my cravings. My husband & son were eating "Cinny-bun" pancakes this morning (mind you, I rarely ever ate pancakes in the past anyway) and after cutting up my son's pancake, I really would have LOVED to have licked the sugar glaze off the knife, right there in the middle of the restaurant. And the roasted potatoes that I inadvertantly forgot to have them leave off my plate look excruciatingly enticing this morning. And then the pumpkin bundt cake that I was wrapping up for my family this evening was taunting me -- "Just eat the crumbs..." <rolling eyes> Maybe I'm just having one of those days. At the very least, I know now that I can ignore the cravings if I really want to. That's something, right?

 

Here's to a stellar Monday!

- Jen

[Greek to me]

^{Thanks all for the encouragement!} 

 

 ^{I apologize for the small print...it looks tiny as I type.  Hopefully it'll post larger than it's typing.  It says it's a 12 font  Go figure!}

 

^{Robert - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your analogy of the shower and eating.  I feel like if I am choosing to do without, I at least want to enjoy what I eat.  Which I do almost all the time.  But on the odd occasion, you just have to plug the whole and know that that's just the way it is....for now.  I appreciate the insights!  I also am glad to hear how the whole30 has worked for you.} 

 

^{Jes- I know you're not "out here" right now...but when you return from you family trip - I wanted you to know I was thinking of you and hoping it is going well!}

 

^{JK - I loved your random thought and your plans for the future.  I can't say that I don't want pancakes etc either.  But that was never  trigger food for me.  But...it was a food that if I ate (rarely as well) It wouldn't sit with me very long and I was hungry again.  I'm looking at my post 30 in 2 ways.   I want to understand my triggers i.e. candy (a known trigger for overeating) vs. lack of satiety.}

 

^{As I look at moving on, post whole 30, I have contemplated continuing.  Still am but won't determine that until day 31.  I know more about what I want to avoid, than what I want to do right now.  Prolonged restriction often leads to the feeling of deprivation and the results are a backfire.  I want to avoid this entirely.  So I am proceeding VERY cautiously.  When I do re-introduce, I want to add back in things like oatmeal (I don't crave oatmeal) and see if by eating oatmeal in the a.m. and cutting back on the # of eggs, I'll still be able to stay as "full" for as long as I am on the Whole 30.  In short, I believe in grains.  I think they are a healthy component if they are the right thing.  But I also believe that if I'm not balanced with them, I'll end up being  hungry and overeating which leads to the next layer and the next layer etc.  So, if I decide on day 31 to re-enter, I will have oatmeal (steel cut) two days in one week.  Everything else will stay the same.  I want to give one week to each change to fully evaluate the way it impacts me.  I have no plan to return to dairy for some time, likely the new year.  Grains first.  We'll see!}

 

^{Anyway, happy day 22  tomorrow all!!!}

[Greek to me]

Oh and FYI....

 

I transitioned off dry cranberries today.  I made fresh cranberries with fresh squeezed orange juice and water.  Threw in some blueberries at the end. 

Today when I had my mashed sweet potatoes, I topped them with the cranberries.  It was AWESOME!  The lack of sugar in the cranberries was totally taken care of by the sweet potatoes. 

Experiments (successful) like this is exactly the reason I love things like the Whole 30.  I wouldn't even have tried this if I hadn't been chosen to avoid the dried fruit!

 

Enjoy day 22 all.  Happy Monday!

[JKStarcher]

Thanks for the feedback, Greek. Pancakes aren't a trigger for me either...sugar is. I think it was the icy glaze ON the cinnybun pancakes that was calling to me.  (candy, pastries, cake, sweets...) Even healthy fruit smoothies in the morning became a no-no for me. The amount of sugar in them triggered cravings for more sugar...anytime I would have a breakfast smoothie, I ended up ravenous at work and eating everything sight. And I've learned that oatmeal just doesn't keep me full like eggs & protein & avocado do. So, for me -- I don't think I'll be adding many grains. I do miss my quinoa bowls, though. I am trying an "oatmeal" alternative this morning that my friend found (almond meal, water, shredded apples & cinnamon...and then once you've slow clooked it all for about 4-6hrs, it's ready to be served with some coconut milk & added fruit. I added larger diced apples sauteed in coconut oil, cinnamon & ginger. It's a "grainier" texture...but comforting. I'm curious to see how it sits with me. It's not something I'll do often b/c of the HIGH fat content...but it's been cold the last few days and I was wanting something a little 'homey' and warm.

 

Like you, I'm also a little nervous about going off the plan. I've known for awhile that I am sensitive to dairy...so I am probably skipping that reintro and moving on to the gluten grains first. I have not lost any weight, as far as I can tell...and losing weight was a secondary goal for me. So, I think what may happen is I'll try to stick with the Whole 30 in as many ways as possible without it feeling too restrictive and see if I can start shedding some pounds. I'll need to allow myself a treat every so often in order to stick with it for the long run and make it a permanent lifestyle change. It may take longer, but slower tends to mean more permanent change.

 

Anyway...hope everyone has a great start to their week!

 

[JKStarcher]

So, my friend gets the daily Whole 30 newsletter (1 day late), and it appears that my intense cravings yesterday were completely normal.   It's called "Extinction Burst".

 

"You're so close to finishing your Whole30. You've nearly banished your cravings, and it's been easier and easier to pass up desserts and sweet treats—even the Whole30-approved ones. You're practically a healthy-habit-machine these days! And then…
Your brain rebels. You get the worst case of cravings you've experienced to date. You're practically sitting on your hands to avoid raiding the pantry, and you cannot believe that this far along into your program, your Sugar Dragon is breathing fire right down your back… again! What's going on?

The science-y term for this phenomenon is “extinction burst,†and the good news is that this is totally normal—expected, even. And if you know it's coming, you can brace yourself for it.

Any time you quit something cold-turkey (as you do when you give up old habit-foods during your Whole30), your brain will make a last-ditch effort to return you to your habit. Once you become accustomed to reward, your brain gets really upset when you can't have it. So when you expect a reward and nothing happens (it's after dinner… dessert must be coming! But wait… it doesn't come? What's going on!) your conditioned response starts to fade away… and your brain freaks out.
 

This is actually good news. It means that you are on the brink of giving up that long-term habit (dessert) for good! Your brain is going through one last-ditch effort to keep getting that reward, so the cravings come back in full effect. But you are smart. You know they're coming, and you've prepared for this. You have strategies in place for dealing with cravings and boosting your willpower.
You will resist… and kick that habit to the curb. Winning!"

 

So, TAKE THAT you stupid cravings!

[Greek to me]

Lol. I get it. Totally understand. Sigh.....

Hey, that Oatmeal recipe sounds awesome. Can you share it? One thing I am learning is that forcing me to experiment with healthier options, I'm finding recipes and food that I love but would never have eaten otherwise. From salmon burgers to roasted cauliflower/garlic/leek purée (thanks Amber, that was awesome) to spaghetti squash tossed with sundried tomato purée/pesto minus cheese - totally enjoying food options that I would never have attempted.

Happy day 22. I'm hoping we'll keep in touch post day 30!!! You guys have all been great. I'm grateful.

[amberino21]

Lol. I get it. Totally understand. Sigh.....

Hey, that Oatmeal recipe sounds awesome. Can you share it? One thing I am learning is that forcing me to experiment with healthier options, I'm finding recipes and food that I love but would never have eaten otherwise. From salmon burgers to roasted cauliflower/garlic/leek purée (thanks Amber, that was awesome) to spaghetti squash tossed with sundried tomato purée/pesto minus cheese - totally enjoying food options that I would never have attempted.

Happy day 22. I'm hoping we'll keep in touch post day 30!!! You guys have all been great. I'm grateful.

 

the "oatmeal" sounds like a great treat to have post whole 30 - it's unlikely you're also going to include protein and 2-3 cups of vegetables with it.

 

glad you enjoyed the cauli/leek/garlic puree

[Robert2014]

JK - thanks for sharing about "Extinction Burst."  This weekend we had alot going on in our household.  Had a BBQ Saturday night at a friend's house and my parents over last night.  With two young kids and a bunch of their friends running around, plus a bunch of adults, I was often on the "front lines" dishing out the kiddies their mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, ice cream, cherry pie, left over Halloween treats etc. and refreshing the adults' goblets of red wine etc.  I went into the weekend thinking "I got this, no biggie."  But d@mn some of that stuff looked really tasty.    I didn't crack but my brain was pushing hard -- full on "Extinction Burst."

 

Be strong everyone!  Happy 22!!