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Even though I finally like wine...


Alliea

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Day 14: compliant bacon, eggs, avocado, and sliced oranges for breakfast. My plate was pretty :-) I'm also cheerful because I found some really good flavored coffee beans (chocolate essence....mmmmm). Little bit of coconut milk in that and yummm.

 

And then, there's exercise. Okay, I'm both good and bad about that. I walk to work (totals about 3 miles 5 days per week), and I added lunging down the hall every time I go to the restroom during the day at my office. Luckily, the second floor of my building rarely has people present so I can lunge all the way down the hall to the bathroom without looking totally weird. Combine that with a bladder the size of a walnut, and that's a fair amount of lunging. However, I know I need to add some strength training. I was being good about lifting weights twice per week, but then my gym shut down for six months to be remodeled, and I had no trouble at all dumping the whole routine. I'm divided about getting going again with that, or accepting that I think the whole gym routine feels sort of artificial and silly. I look around at the gym sometimes and think that all the people in the room could build a house with the energy they're expending, and they would end up just as fit at the end of the day--and someone who needed one would have a house. In case anyone reads this and gets offended, I'm speaking as someone who has gone to the gym on and off for the past 25 years or so. It's really only recently that I've wondered about building the strength training into what I'm doing anyway, rather than going and paying to build strength elsewhere. There's environmental issues built into this also, but really, I'm just wandering now. All the same, I like this exploration that Whole30 puts me on when I do it--thinking about what's best for me, what fits best with my beliefs. Maybe that's going out every morning and attempting to lift my car before I leave it in the driveway and walk to work--huzzah!

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Day 14: compliant bacon, eggs, avocado, and sliced oranges for breakfast. My plate was pretty :-) I'm also cheerful because I found some really good flavored coffee beans (chocolate essence....mmmmm). Little bit of coconut milk in that and yummm.

 

 

Were there veggies in that breakfast?  ;) Don't let fruit push vegetables off your plate: aim for 1-3 cups of veggies per meal.

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Were there veggies in that breakfast?  ;) Don't let fruit push vegetables off your plate: aim for 1-3 cups of veggies per meal.

You got me, GFchris :-) Usually my breakfast is a giant mound of veggies of every description, with spinach and tomatoes mixed into eggs and thrown on top. Very yummy, but I wanted a break from "breakfast mess" as I call it, and went for something simpler. Are breaks a bad idea? Create the wrong mindset?

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You got me, GFchris :-) Usually my breakfast is a giant mound of veggies of every description, with spinach and tomatoes mixed into eggs and thrown on top. Very yummy, but I wanted a break from "breakfast mess" as I call it, and went for something simpler. Are breaks a bad idea? Create the wrong mindset?

 

Breaks/changing it up isn't a bad idea - you want to avoid boredom.  But if you're going to make changes, continue to remain compliant with the template. 

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Whoever's recipe it is didn't seem concerned about the raw egg added--I'm not that worried about getting sick from it, but I am wondering if it cuts down on it's shelf life in some substantial way. We'll see!

Just skimming your thread for the first time, and it looks like Chris and Bethany have you all set in the advice department...but...this statement scared me a little.

 

By "shelf life" you mean on a shelf inside the refrigerator, right? The mayo you make yourself shouldn't sit out for more than a hour or two if you are culturing it. Otherwise, put it straight into the fridge.

 

I'm having visions of you storing the mayo in a warm cupboard by the stove...not good. not good.

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By "shelf life" you mean on a shelf inside the refrigerator, right? The mayo you make yourself shouldn't sit out for more than a hour or two if you are culturing it. Otherwise, put it straight into the fridge.

 

 Hah! Yes, I mean shelf life in the fridge. I'd be far too food-nervous to even culture it as you mentioned. I'm trying to figure out how to make mayo in smaller batches without ending up with a spare half egg because I'm afraid I won't go through it fast enough that it will keep even in the fridge. Also, a lot of the mayo recipes say to use neutral oil. I used the blandest olive oil possible, but it still ended up a touch bitter. However, EVOO and coconut oil seem to be the only compliant oils I could use. Are there any others, or do you have a very mild evoo you recommend?

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I tend to use avocado oil or macadamia nut oil, or a blend with one of those + "lite" olive oil. Both avocado oil and macadamia nut oil have a little flavor--nutty in the case of macadamia nut oil, a little grassy? in the case of the avocado oil, but I like it. 

 

It will keep safely in the fridge at least as long as the expiration date on the eggs, so you can use that as a guide.

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Wo-oh halfway there. Wo-oh, livin on a prayer. Day 15 and return to veggie pile for breakfast. I'm actually trying not to think of this as something that will be finished in 15 days. I made permanent changes after my first Whole30, and expect no different this time. Salmon baked in foil with veggies and homemade mayo for tonight. Regretfully, I haven't thought through lunch yet but luckily I work right across the road from several options for getting compliant food (grocery store, salad from Chipotle with all compliant ingreds). Did the 7 minute workout yesterday, something we've done on and off. I'm starting to think if I work bits and bobs of exercise into lots of different areas of my life, maybe it won't be the ongoing battle I had when I was going to the gym. So tiresome to argue with myself. Snowstorm forecast for tomorrow-wheeeeeeee!

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Day 16, and pleased to report that the salmon in foil (with green peppers, onion, mushrooms, and homemade mayo) last night was very good. We had some sweet potato chips with that, and a mango for dessert that was so sweet it felt like cheating. I was tired and crabby last night and had a strong desire for a nice glass of wine, but no sense I would have given in and no wine in the house anyway. I'm on day three of working on the snacking between meals. Doing better, but not there yet. I'm particularly prone to throwing a handful of nuts in my mouth between lunch and dinner. I'm genuinely hungry (yes, fish and broccoli sounds good), but I'm also at the office and haven't thought ahead well enough to have anything but nuts on hand. Seems like I'm eating plenty at mealtimes, and probably overdoing the fat, if anything (1/2 avocado and coconut are the most typical fat sources, but also often EVOO). LOTS of vegetables, so no real reason to get hungry.  Could be I've just gotten my stomach into the habit of expecting food at that time so it's wondering (loudly) where it's at. 

     Tuna with celery and carrots for lunch, maybe an orange to go with it. Dinner? ummmmmm....

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Maybe make your 2nd meal that you bring to work with you larger than you can finish so you have leftovers to have if your stomach growls in the afternoon. 

Hey, if that's okay, sounds good to me! I didn't know if that would come under the category of snacking. Thanks for the idea!

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It isn't snacking...it is having a mini meal. ;) 

 

It's also possible that using this method you find you can eat more at that meal than you thought and won't have that mid-afternoon hunger. That should be your goal. 

 

Just make sure if you take this route that you eat around your plate so you have protein, veg, and fat leftover when you are full. Does that make sense?

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It isn't snacking...it is having a mini meal. ;)

 

It's also possible that using this method you find you can eat more at that meal than you thought and won't have that mid-afternoon hunger. That should be your goal. 

 

Just make sure if you take this route that you eat around your plate so you have protein, veg, and fat leftover when you are full. Does that make sense?

Yes, definitely. In other words, don't gobble up the avocado for lunch because I happen to like it the best and leave behind the steamed broccoli :)  Thanks for your thoughts!

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Day 17 and planning out the Physibeth method of avoiding afternoon snacking. My lunches are already typically veg heavy and plenty of fat, so I'm going to increase the protein and try to have leftovers in case I get to as stomach rumbling place.

 

GET BACK, INTERNAL SNACK FIEND! My goal for today is to avoid mindlessly shoving things in my mouth entirely. Yeah, okay, I may not otherwise be perfect today--I already did a breakfast that was more 50/50 fruits and vegs (and two eggs and some coconut) vs. 2/3 or more vegs. Oh well, I will reform my evil ways one part at a time. 

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Pat pat pat. That's the sound of me patting myself on the back. Even though dinner ended up being quite late last night, I managed to do no snacking at all. Increasing protein at lunch helped keep away the tummy rumblies until my usual dinner time. After that, I was hungry, but also determined. Enough of this nonsense! Of course, that was only day one of the experiment. I'll eat more protein and a larger meal at lunch today as well--if leftovers, that will be a mini meal, but if not, maybe the extra protein will carry me through again. 

    Day 18 and too lazy to cook up my usual giant pile of vegetables for breakfast. However, because it is actually possible for me to learn, I heeded previous advice and ate some raw vegetables to make sure that they were still present enough. I downed a bunch of carrots, then made a bed of guac and put some fried eggs and tomatoes on top and added some compliant bacon. Followed up with a banana, coconut and raisin mess with a small amount of almond butter. Serious piglet, but breakfast is usually my big meal if I have time to make it that way. I still eat too much fruit in a day--more like three servings vs. 1-2. However, as I mentioned above, I'm dealing with one vice at a time. I want to keep working on the snacking issue for a couple more days, then I'll start cutting back on the fruit. 

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You go girl! I too didn't want to cook veggies this morning so I sliced up a cucumber and salted it and am happily dipping it in mayo right now. 

 

Something to consider...the snacking issue and the fruit issue may be connected. I generally find that the more fruit I eat in a day the hungrier I am. Just something to consider. 

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Following the idea that everything tastes better wrapped in bacon, I wrapped some scallops in bacon last night, sprinkled them in garlic and baked. Yummmmm. Easy to make as well. 

 

Day 19! Breakfast was usual eggs scrambled with spinach and tomato, carrots on the side and a little bacon, as well as 1/2 banana and coffee. Continuing on my no-snacking challenge. I didn't really have enough protein in my lunch today (a few leftover scallops), so this day may indeed be a challenge, but I feel more settled into trying this properly so I think I'll be fine. 

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Day 20. Overdid the protein a bit this morning. I had a half steak leftover from dinner last night, so I decided to be all Aussie and have steak and eggs for breakfast (along with a pile of vegetables). The steak and eggs together are sitting kind of heavy in my gut right now. Note to self!

     We discovered last night that Outback is willing to make plain steaks (no seasoning) on the wood grill for us, and they also have "dry" baked sweet potatoes available. We had those along with their steamed vegetables, which are unseasoned. It was kind of hard watching the Bloomin Onions going by to other tables, as well as ice cream sundaes and the like--however, when we looked around we noticed that at least 3/4 of the folks in there were overweight. No, I didn't judge them for that--I've been there myself--but it did make it easier to feel good about the healthier food we had in front of us. We asked for olive oil to put on the potato, and they dutifully brought a cruet. I need to write the company about the sad brand of olive oil they use. Seriously flavorless. Overall, however, I was really pleased at how accommodating they were. Sounds like they've had this sort of special request before!

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I have heard that Outback is one of the better chain places to get W30 type food at. This is good as it is one of my husband's favorite places (and he is picky). Good job making great choices! Every time I think of a Bloomin Onion it makes my stomach churn because I got such unrelenting heartburn the last time I had one. 

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Every time I think of a Bloomin Onion it makes my stomach churn because I got such unrelenting heartburn the last time I had one. 

 

Thanks for the props, and the vicarious conditioning above. I've never actually had a bloomin onion--just always thought they looked pretty good. I think I'll go ahead and assume they would give me heartburn also. If I never try one, I'm pretty sure it won't mean that something is lacking in my life. 

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Three weeks in now and things are still going smoothly. Dinner at a friend's house who went to great trouble to make the meal paleo. There may have been a bit of white wine in the dijon mustard she used; however, it was two teaspoons of mustard as part of a marinade for some stir fried veggies, so I'm thinking if I had some wine, it's probably at the molecule level.

     I've got better hold on the snacking thing, though not perfect yet. Will keep working on upping the veggies, cutting back the fruit, and maybe most importantly, thinking of it as a habit I need to break rather than the result of a need for food. 

     I have a regular poker night that has been going for years--it's potluck and the source of the best food in Charlottesville as the poker ladies are awesome cooks. Naturally it's next weekend, before my Whole30 is over. I don't anticipate any trouble staying compliant, but as with last time, it will be a bummer to sit out the food. Two things will help: the first is that a friend who originally got us going with Whole30 is also doing another one right now, and she'll be there. I'm going to talk her into bringing a couple of paleo dishes, and I'll do a couple myself so we'll have at least a mini banquet to choose from. The other thing is a discussion from another post about remembering that none of this stuff is disappearing from the planet while I'm doing Whole30. The poker ladies will continue to be awesome cooks next month, so if I want to jump in then, I can--very likely with more control than I had in the latter part of last year. And, of course, the food isn't the most important thing. It's taking their dimes and nickels with my amazing poker abilities!

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Day 22. Just found some plain, shelled Brazil nuts, which I'd been looking for because I'd heard they are tremendously healthy. Okay, the deal is, Brazil nuts aren't that good. Maybe that's why I haven't been eating them all these years. I also found out that chewy dried banana isn't that great. I had a bit with my lunch (shrimp, scallops, a LOT of brussel sprouts, garlic, EVOO) along with a few brazil nuts. Yeah, okay, no strong need to eat either again but probably will as part of a meal because the Brazil nuts were $10 for a little bag!

     As far as I'm concerned, this is the homestretch!

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Day 23, one week left. I was not so great about breakfast this morning--in a rush and poor planning so I ate fruit instead of veggies along with some eggs. However, all my planned meals for the rest of the day are veg heavy, so at least the day will balance, if not the meal. Last night I peeled a sweet potato to fry it up and discovered it a was a white sweet potato, which I didn't even know existed. Pretty well tastes exactly like a regular sweet potato, if a little less sweet. I finally got around to buying some sauerkraut, since it's a recommendation, and also found some Bubbie's pickles, which someone or other said was fermented. I got the refrigerated sauerkraut, and it was good! Ate it along with a rotisserie chicken that Whole Foods makes that did not have any non-compliant ingredients listed. Boy, if Whole30 teaches me nothing else, it's how often I am inclined to eat out because I don't want to cook. More things to work on in this process of becoming an absolutely perfect human being. Yeah, okay, maybe that's a long long term goal, but anyway, I'll continue to nibble at the process. And speaking of nibbling, I've continued to be pretty darn good about not snacking between lunch and dinner. I still have a small tendency to graze while preparing dinner, but one step at a time. 

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I just read through some of your posts - you're doing so great!!

Nice to know about Outback and other restaurants.  I think it would be hard to pass on those onion rings.  One of our date nights revolves around beer and onion rings - sighing - new traditions can sometimes stink!  But, feeling healthy and looking healthier go a long way.

Congrats on the minimal and no snacking.  It's hard.  I still struggle with it in the afternoon, but I think I'm getting better if I keep almonds out of the house.

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I just read through some of your posts - you're doing so great!!

Nice to know about Outback and other restaurants.  I think it would be hard to pass on those onion rings.  One of our date nights revolves around beer and onion rings - sighing - new traditions can sometimes stink!  But, feeling healthy and looking healthier go a long way.

Congrats on the minimal and no snacking.  It's hard.  I still struggle with it in the afternoon, but I think I'm getting better if I keep almonds out of the house.

Thanks for the support, Emma, and back atcha. How about we be antisnack buddies for the remainder of our Whole30s (though looks like you are quite a bit closer than me!). Anyway, I won't if you won't  :)

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