My Very First Whole 30

[Lisa L]

Here it comes. My very first whole 30. 

Hi, I'm Lisa and I'm addicted to sugar. Not just mentally but physically. If it's around, then that's all I think about. Then I eat it and I feel awful...my tummy hurts and I get a headache. I still eat it. I have a small sensitivity to chocolate (not quite allergy)...I still eat it. I wake up with a food hangover on almost a daily basis. It's that bad.

 

I start Sunday December 29th because if I push it off any later, I will eat all the sugar I can find because "I can't have it ever again." I know that's not the truth but I digress. I'm practically falling asleep as I type this, I'm so tired. I know the first few days will be awful with headaches from sugar withdrawal but I will persist. I'm writing out dinner ideas and my grocery list. I deserve to be good to myself for 30 days (at least). I have been working out consistently for years and have done nothing but gain body fat due to my poor diet. I will lighten up on the weight training for about the first week as my body adjusts (more walking, less weights). Then I hope to see some results. 

 

My goals:

Wear my wedding ring again

Fit into my "fat pants" (they are too tight right now)

 

As I surpass those goals I have a few more on the back burner. I also filled out the goals worksheet but don't have it in front of me. Something about sleeping at least 7.5 hours a night, eating slower (and not in my car), promising not to weigh myself and spending more quality time with my kids. 

 

Two more days...I cannot wait!

[Lisa L]

12/29/13 - day one
Breakfast was a frittata with eggs, coconut milk, zukes, red peppers, mushrooms, spinach and sausage.
I had a larabar snack because I found myself away from home and too hungry.
Lunch was turkey, avocado and mayo 'salad' with lots of cukes and carrots
Dinner will be meatballs with summer squash.

Edit: I had about 3/4 of an apple after dinner because I was used to that something sweet. My dad was visiting and presented me with a bowl of ice cream before saying "you can't have this, can you?" Ugh! I said, "not today."

[Lisa L]

12/30/13 - day two

Feeling the same today - absolutely shocked that I don't have a splitting headache and I'm waiting for that shoe to drop. :-)

Breakfast was a 3 egg scramble with ham, spinach and coconut milk

Lunch was leftover meatballs with summer squash and an apple (a handful of almonds for fat too)

Dinner was a taco salad: ground meat, salsa, lettuce, spinach, avocado and homemade plantain chips. I was still needing something else so I grabbed a spoonful of coconut butter and that calmed me down just fine. 

 

I did purchase a couple of larabars at the store yesterday for emergencies only. I plan to be very well-prepared but if I don't plan for an emergency then I'm screwed. Also I'm very used to snacking and may have a hunger strike before lunch. I would rather have a bite or two of a bar than to hunt down the candy dish. Although I promise to evaluate my hunger before that if I feel it coming on. In all likelihood, it's just an emotional response to my "normal" eating pattern.

 

Edit: OMG - headache started about an hour ago. Ugh. I know that bitter foods will help me (like kale). I will add some to my taco salad tonight.

[lrlolrl]

I've never heard of bitter foods helping with a sugar withdrawal headach. I can't wait to hear how it goes!

I'm also addicted to sugar, so I feel your pain. Sounds like you're doing great so far!

[Lisa L]

12/31/13 - day three

I am tired (after 8 hours of sleep) and I have a headache. It is taking everything I have to not get a coffee (with cream and sugar) or something else for a pick me up (that will let me down later).

Breakfast: leftover frittata and sweet potato/coconut milk/pecan mash

Lunch: the last of the meatballs with summer squash with 1c raw cucumber slices

Dinner: spaghetti squash bake with sausage and kale

Edit: today has been really rough. My husband is really sick so I've been bearing the brunt of the family work. We are getting one of our houses ready for sale and also doing a software upgrade at work. I broke down (emotionally - I didn't eat something off plan) at lunch because I really just needed/wanted that food to comfort me during this stressful time, instead I had to deal with the emotion head on. I've never cried at work before so it was quite embarassing. I'm glad tomorrow is a holiday.

[trezkholl0806]

Hi Lisa, I too am addicted to sugar! I just started my 2nd W30 yesterday. You look like you are doing really good so far.

 

Just a couple of thoughts, are you getting in enough healthy fats with each meal and 2-3 cups of veggies? Just wondering about your hunger you are facing in between breakfast & lunch. I know that getting in those healthy fats really help me to stay fuller longer. Try using avocado, olives (compliant), coconut flakes, coconut oil/milk as your healthy fats - or cashews instead of almonds (which are in the occasional list). 

 

Also, your brain can't differentiate between different types of "sugars", so if you are craving sugar or are used to eating something sweet after a meal, don't feed that craving by eating fruit, because even though it's fruit, it's still sweet and your brain can't tell that you are eating something healthy rather than a bad sweet (so you are still feeding the "sugar dragon"). Does that make sense?

 

I think you are going to love W30 - Before I started, I was at the point that I literally thought that if this didn't help me, I didn't know what would because my cravings were so bad and I was so addicted to sugar. I did not have one single craving during my first Whole30. It's really a great program.

[Lisa L]

Hi Trez- I think I'm doing okay with fats and protein. My problem is that breakfast is usually 5:30am and lunch rolls around at 12:30pm (sometimes later)- that 7 hours seems like a long time. Short of eating at my desk, those are my only time options. Dinner is generally before 6pm and I can handle that timeframe just fine.

I will keep that in mind about the fruit. I get really strong "I just need something sweet to finish this meal" cravings and feel "hungry" until I get it. I did not eat an apple after lunch today, I had cucumbers during lunch instead. My tummy is making all sorts of noises and I don't feel quite full. But...it is day three and it's been pretty rough. Tomorrow will be better. 

[Lisa L]

1/1/14 -day four

Headache is mostly gone today. I am off work today and hoping to get some cooking done. I slept 9 glorious hours last night.

Breakfast: three egg scramble with salsa, spinach, and avocado. Half an Apple.

Lunch: leftover spaghetti squash, sausage, kale bake

Dinner: chili smothered broccoli and avocado.

Got lots of cleaning done today, decent energy.

[Jacki Hayes]

I too am up VERY early in the morning and have to wait until late to do lunch.  So I started "second" breakfast at my desk.  I know they suggest just 3 meals, but there is no way I can go that long between meals.  So when I first wake up I have a hard-boiled egg and a mug of bone broth.  This holds me over to a more decent hour for an actual breakfast, which I eat when I arrive at work at 8:00 am (usually something like sausage, eggs,and sweet potato hash).

[Lisa L]

1/2/14 - day five

Very tired today due to bad sleep. Not my fault though. My 2-year-old wanted to stay up and party so I was up and down with her until about 11. I am usually asleep by 9. Got about 6 hours of sleep last night.

Breakfast: same as yesterday because it really stuck with me a long time. 3 eggs scrambled with salsa and spinach with avocado. Half of an apple.

Lunch: leftover chili over green beans with avocado.

Dinner: pork roast with zukes, red pepper and mushrooms. Roasted hazelnuts with cinnamon.

I am doing a volunteer event on Saturday where we do physical labor outside all day. They feed us lunch (pizza). I'm starting to panic a bit but working through my game plan for the day. I think I will bring a cooler...hard boiled eggs, raw veggies and mayo (made into a dip) and maybe a larabar in case the labor makes me hungry. Any other ideas?

[Lisa L]

1/3/14 - day six

I woke up pretty tired today but doing alright. I think I still want to kill all the things. People are just rubbing me the wrong way today. I hope it gets better.

Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with salsa and spinach, avocado, half an apple. This meal is really sticking with me so I think I might continue with it.

Lunch: pulled pork, raw veggies, coconut butter

Dinner: pulled pork with the same veggies as last night. Hazelnuts.

Last night I didn't have any vegetables available so I almost made coconut flour tortillas for tacos but I found 1/2 a zuchini, part of a red pepper and some mushrooms. They were SO good!!! For my fat I took a handful of raw hazelnuts and roasted them, tossed in a little coconut oil then cinnamon. Yum! Nuts are a "no brakes" food for me so roasting only what I should eat was helpful because we all know that raw hazelnuts are gross.

I have been walking this week but hoping to start my workouts again on Monday.

[Lisa L]

1/4/14 - day seven

Today was pretty much a bust in terms of organized food but I stayed on plan.

Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with salsa and avocado. Sweet potato with cinnamon.

Spent 6 solid hours chipping Christmas trees. I am beat.

Lunch on the go: 2 hard boiled eggs and a couple pieces of salami. Raw veggies with mayo. Later I ate another two eggs and more veggies. I think all the activity made me more hungry.

Dinner: leftover chili with avocado. Half of a larabar.

I know...too many eggs and I had a bar. Still technically on plan and tomorrow will be better.

[GFChris]

Hi there. Just checking: is the salami compliant? No sugar, sweetener, gluten or other nasties?

[Lisa L]

Yes. I was very careful with the salami. I don't have any more of it and don't plan to either. It was that or deli turkey with carrageenan. Not a salami fan. Thanks for checking up!

Day eight!!

Breakfast: scrambled eggs. Apple with coconut butter.

Lunch: big salad with lettuce, taco meat, salsa and avocado.

Dinner: spaghetti squash with meat sauce.

[GFChris]

Great - glad to hear it on the salami.

On day 8, all looks good except your breakfast was missing veggies. Make sure you have 1-3 cups of veggies per meal.

[Jtandi]

welcome Lisa! I'm a super sugar addict, too. I think there are LOTS of us on here. I remember eating powdered sugar out of the bag by the spoonful when I had nothing else in the house. I've gotten off track over the holiday and it surprises me how much, just sitting at the end of the meal or at the end of the day realizing I was sneaking in more sweets than I thought (mine in the form of Lara bars. which I have now banned.)

 

good luck! and enjoy!!

[Lisa L]

Thanks Chris, I knew about the veggies...I was due for grocery shopping and went before lunch so I have lots now.

[Lisa L]

01/06/14 - day nine

I was tired this morning even after 8.5 hours of sleep. I dreamed of eating waffles telling myself that I would lie on the forums and still pretend to be whole 30.

Breakfast: another frittata - eggs, sausage, zukes, spinach, mushrooms and red pepper.

Lunch: leftover spaghetti squash with meat sauce, carrots and some almonds

Dinner: burger patties and sweet potato coconut soup

[Lisa L]

01/07/14 - day ten

 

Almost 1/3 of the way done! This time has flown.

I slept awful last night. My dogs kept me up in the wee hours. I'm exhausted today but holding up just fine right now.

 

Breakfast: leftover frittata - 1/2 apple sauteed in ghee, cinnamon and coconut flakes

Lunch: burger patties and sweet potato coconut soup

Dinner: chicken piccata with broccoli - I've got this one all figured out. I will use ghee in place of the butter and a tiny bit of almond meal in place of the flour - no other subs necessary (olive oil, chicken broth, lemon juice, capers). I CAN'T WAIT!

 

Overall I feel very similar. My emotions are definitely less "up and down" but I find that I need to deal with them more often. No more stuffing a good cry down with a piece of cake. I have to cry. 

I never really had any acne issues so that hasn't changed. This weather is not helping my skin. My fingers are still cracking and bleeding like normal. I'm starting to think about what happens after 30 days. 

[Lisa L]

1/8/14 - day eleven

 

Officially 1/3 of the way complete. I can say that I slept great last night but still waking up exhausted. As I type this my eyelids are heavy and I'm yawning. Maybe my body is still healing from things not related to food?? Not sure.

I do plan to start lifting again today. No metcon workouts yet, I'm still really lethargic. I think walking and some weight training will help get me back on track for a bit though. 

 

Breakfast: last of the frittata, apple sauteed with coconut flakes, ghee and cinnamon

Snack: been having a larabar almost every day I'm so hungry. Today I brought an egg and some olives.

Lunch: leftover chicken piccata with broccoli (this turned out great last night!)

Dinner: T-bone steak with sauteed veggies. Almonds.

[Lisa L]

1/9/14 - day twelve

 

I had a dream last night that on day 15 I ate cake and ice cream at a friend's birthday party. I debated on whether to just scrap the rest of the Whole30 or to start over. The thought of starting over after 15 days terrified me. I remember eating the ice cream (mint chocolate chip) THEN realizing I was doing a whole30. 

Woke up before my alarm. I have good energy but a very low grade headache. I'm craving coffee (which I don't like) - I think I am really craving something substantial to drink (like a latte) rather than just water or tea. 

 

Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled with salsa, spinach and avocado. 1/2 sweet potato with a bit of ghee.

Snack (if needed): hard boiled egg, almonds

Lunch: last of the burger patties, sweet potato soup, banana, almonds (wasn't feeling the soup today - I know I will be hungry later)

Dinner: crockpot salsa chicken with veggies....some fat too but not sure if I want avocado or nuts or???? 

 

Today's e-mail was about stress. I wish it had come around day 2 or 3 for me. I am/was an emotional eater so when I was going through the hardest part of the Whole 30 it would have been nice to have some alternative ways to handle my stress/emotions other than eating. 

I am glad I paid for the e-mail support for this. I really enjoy the information and I feel like clicking the "I did it!" button holds me accountable. 

[Lisa L]

1/10/14 - day thirteen

 

Slept almost 9 hours last night. Still waking up tired. Still dreaming of creamy coffee. 

My dad came over last night and ate.every.single.leftover. I had. Today will be interesting...

 

Breakfast: 3 fried eggs and 1/2 sweet potato

I'm already hungry and I ate less than an hour ago. No veggies will do that to a girl.

Lunch: roasted chicken, bag o' frozen veggies and avocado/few olives

Dinner: I did take out a steak to defrost. I think I will do a stir fry with veggies. 

 

I found a food cart near where I live that is Paleo. On their website they say, "just tell us your diet: primal, Whole 30, paleo - we get it" Sounds like they will only feed me what I can eat. Tomorrow will be day 14 and I'm ready to not cook and have a meal "out" so I may head over there for lunch. 

[Lisa L]

I didn't post this weekend. There are so many other posts it takes a lot of time to scroll through them and find my old one. I have some friends that started on Sunday so we have a small facebook group now and I post my meals there. I am eating compliant, yummy foods. I did not snack at all this weekend. I woke up early this morning and went for a walk. Things are good.

 

Today's plan:

Afterworkout - 1 egg, a few bites of sweet potato

Breakfast - 3 egg scramble with salsa and spinach, 1/4 avocado. Sweet potato hashbrowns cooked in ghee.

Lunch - leftover spaghetti pizza bake.http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/ No cheese, added zukes and mushrooms. cashews.

Dinner - shrimp with sauteed squash and onions

[Lisa L]

01/14/14 - day seventeen

 

STILL completely exhausted. I don't know when this energy is supposed to kick in but I wish it would soon. People at work (and home) are starting to comment on how tired I look all the time. I can't concentrate and I just want a nap. I'm sleeping worse than ever because of the darn food dreams. Having a hard time staying on the forward path...

 

Breakfast: two eggs and sweet potato hashbrowns - not much food, not hungry and feeling SO tired I could barely stand up to cook

Lunch: chicken, broccoli and ghee

Dinner: chicken and veggies - almonds

 

I brought a snack today in case my breakfast wasn't enough. I'm just so tired today that I could barely stomach any food this morning. I know there are others out there who have experienced this too...please offer some encouragement.

[Priscilla]

Wow! Thanks for posting all this. I'm on day two and reading how other people mad it through is helpful. Also seeing what people are eating. Having an emergency snack ready seems like a great idea. Better to have something available than to have to make do with what is around, I signed up for the emails too, and it's really helping me.