GFChris Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Day 14 I realized this morning that I completely forgot to add a fat at Meal 3 yesterday aside from the olive oil in the sauteed veggies and the fat in the ground turkey. Whoops. Fat is the macro I have the hardest time including. I'm trying to avoid eating too many nuts/nut butters and my avocados aren't ready yet. I'm having coconut milk pretty frequently. Aside from those and clarified butter, are there options I'm missing? I don't like olives. Other good fats include coconut oil, ghee, lard, and tallow. Oh ... and homemade paleo mayo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Oh I keep meaning to make that mayo. I even bough the light olive oil. Maybe I'll add that to the list tonight. Thanks! Are lard and tallow used just like olive oil & clarified butter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 Day 15 Meal 1 (7:45) -meat crust quiche -2 c cauliflower -coconut milk w/ oolong tea Meal 2 (12:45) -chicken breast topped w/ spicy salsa & 2 T avocado -1.5 c roasted carrots I brought a small spinach salad with a little olive oil but I'm just not feeling it. Tonight I'm making the eggplant F'armesan that I didn't have the ingredients for the last time I attempted, so that'll likely be dinner. In other news, I'm halfway done. I need some serious inspiration so I'm going to schedule a massage for Day 20 or 21. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Oh I keep meaning to make that mayo. I even bough the light olive oil. Maybe I'll add that to the list tonight. Thanks! Are lard and tallow used just like olive oil & clarified butter? Not exactly. Lard and tallow would be cooking fats exclusively. Olive oil can be used in a dressing and drizzled on top of vegetables. Clarified butter can be used as a cooking fat, melted on top of vegetables (I find it's particularly yummy when mixed into mashed cauliflower), and even blended into coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 Thanks Chris! I actually saw lard at the grocery store yesterday but I chickened out. I do a LOT of olive oil drizzled over steamed veggies. Usually at least once per day. I'll have to try the clarified butter in coffee. It's Day 16! Really not much to report. I was really happy to see the Tough Love post on the Whole30 blog today (http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-tough-love/) because I'm definitely that person. Being sick for years makes you pretty quick to get skeptical, especially when others are shouting from the rooftops how great things are going for them. I needed to hear the short answer to concerns like mine: "You. Are. Not. Done." I feel like I have all of the nuts & bolts of the program down pretty solidly. This week, I think I want to give more effort to observing the SPIRIT of the rules more. I have yet to give as much time or attention to actually EATING my meals as I should, and I think that messes with my perception of fullness and my enjoyment of the food. Onward and upward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 I have a little bit of good to report! The horrible break-outs that started about a week ago seem to be calming down. I'm back to my pre-Whole30 acne levels. Time for a recap: Mental: Focus comes and goes in waves but it's been 10% more level than usual the past 2 days. Energy: Afternoon slump still happens but isn't as severe. Still not waking up energized, despite getting a minimum of 8-10 hours per night since starting. (And sleep deficit isn't a factor--I've averaged at least 8/night for years now.) I also seem to consistently be ready for bed around 9:00 which has been a serious drag on the weekend plans. And 2.5 weeks of avoiding anything but the briefest of weeknight socializing has gotten old. Behavior/Habits: I'm consistently (and nearly comfortably) eating 3 meals per day without snacking. Hunger is less urgent and eating isn't constantly on my mind, although the desire to snack definitely increases in the evening. I resist :-). Big success in this area! Tummy: discomfort got worse the past week but is now 80-85% gone. That bloating never seems to be completely gone though. Activity level: Nonexistent. But that's pretty normal for me. I have dragged myself to the gym twice since beginning. The workout on Day 13 was weaker than my usual. Not that I was really bothered by it. (I could stand to be a little apathetic at the gym but it worked to my advantage this time.) Mood: Yesterday seemed to be a little cheerier for me. Only time will tell if it was coincidence! Overall: I'm trying to temper my expectations in a major way. If nothing else, the worst of it seems to be fading away, so I know I can get through the last 13 days. I don't think I could have handled feeling worse than my usual bad for much longer, so thank goodness for the reprieve! On another note, I never knew how much I like roasted eggplant! That was a fun discovery 2 nights ago when I made my eggplant f'armesan and I find myself REALLY enjoying it. This will definitely be added to the post-W30 rotation (aka my Pinterest board). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 Day 19 More good moods here. My face continues to clear up slowly. I don't see a huge difference in body composition thus far but that's okay. Energy still hasn't surged. In fact I'm still sleeping a lot more than my normal… basically my body WON'T wake up without an alarm unless it's slept 11 or 12 hours. Normally after a work-week of sleeping 8-8.5 hours per night I get one 10-hour slumber on the weekends and then level out. I'd like to go back to that because I'm sleeping away half of my weekends! Woke up at 11 a.m., and nodding off by 10 p.m.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h e a t h e r Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I like the caramelized coconut chips from Well Fed for another fat option. And coconut butter tastes so good with sweet potatoes if you have not tried that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curly30 Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I have a little bit of good to report! The horrible break-outs that started about a week ago seem to be calming down. I'm back to my pre-Whole30 acne levels. Time for a recap: Mental: Focus comes and goes in waves but it's been 10% more level than usual the past 2 days. Energy: Afternoon slump still happens but isn't as severe. Still not waking up energized, despite getting a minimum of 8-10 hours per night since starting. (And sleep deficit isn't a factor--I've averaged at least 8/night for years now.) I also seem to consistently be ready for bed around 9:00 which has been a serious drag on the weekend plans. And 2.5 weeks of avoiding anything but the briefest of weeknight socializing has gotten old. Behavior/Habits: I'm consistently (and nearly comfortably) eating 3 meals per day without snacking. Hunger is less urgent and eating isn't constantly on my mind, although the desire to snack definitely increases in the evening. I resist :-). Big success in this area! Tummy: discomfort got worse the past week but is now 80-85% gone. That bloating never seems to be completely gone though. Activity level: Nonexistent. But that's pretty normal for me. I have dragged myself to the gym twice since beginning. The workout on Day 13 was weaker than my usual. Not that I was really bothered by it. (I could stand to be a little apathetic at the gym but it worked to my advantage this time.) Mood: Yesterday seemed to be a little cheerier for me. Only time will tell if it was coincidence! Overall: I'm trying to temper my expectations in a major way. If nothing else, the worst of it seems to be fading away, so I know I can get through the last 13 days. I don't think I could have handled feeling worse than my usual bad for much longer, so thank goodness for the reprieve! On another note, I never knew how much I like roasted eggplant! That was a fun discovery 2 nights ago when I made my eggplant f'armesan and I find myself REALLY enjoying it. This will definitely be added to the post-W30 rotation (aka my Pinterest board). About your bloating...have you tried digestive enzymes? They've helped me A LOT. i had horrible bloating in the beginning, but sonce taking them, things have gone back to normal. I also try to cook my vegetables instead of eating them raw. Found out that really helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 I like the caramelized coconut chips from Well Fed for another fat option. And coconut butter tastes so good with sweet potatoes if you have not tried that. Thanks for the tip! I'd never even heard of these but I'll definitely give them a try! I think I'm going to give in and buy the $12 jar of coconut butter. I shopped around hoping to find something cheaper than Whole Foods but it's time to cave and try it :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 About your bloating...have you tried digestive enzymes? They've helped me A LOT. i had horrible bloating in the beginning, but sonce taking them, things have gone back to normal. I also try to cook my vegetables instead of eating them raw. Found out that really helps. I think there's some stubborn part of me that just wants my body to work it out without any outside help. I have promised myself that I'd try them if anything got worse (it's only mild bloating, just always there). I actually cook just about all of my veggies. They're baked, steamed, roasted, sautéed… Salads are usually the only time I eat much raw veggies. Do you have to continue taking the enzymes, or is it more of a one-and-done thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curly30 Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I think there's some stubborn part of me that just wants my body to work it out without any outside help. I have promised myself that I'd try them if anything got worse (it's only mild bloating, just always there). I actually cook just about all of my veggies. They're baked, steamed, roasted, sautéed… Salads are usually the only time I eat much raw veggies. Do you have to continue taking the enzymes, or is it more of a one-and-done thing? I was just SO uncomfortable with the bloating and felt like I needed some help before I gave up on the whole program. I finished 60 capsules (one with each meal--so 20 days or so), and don't plan to take anymore unless it happens again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Day 21 I made it 3 weeks! I am shocked and so proud to be able to say that I haven't had chocolate, Diet Coke or wine for so long. The last couple of days have passed so quickly. I haven't felt as prepared with my meals lately, so I've planned some major cooking as soon as this snow storm passes. I also had a snack that was just fruit last night--my friend dug into a homemade caramel apple crumb cake (and made me momentarily rue the day I began Whole30) an hour after dinner and I let myself have the sweetness of fruit. No regrets on that concession! I went to the doctor today so I did get a peek at my weight. Won't get into specifics but I'm a liiiiittle sad it was no more, even though weight loss wasn't my #1 goal. But since Tiger Blood is still illusive, my face hasn't fully cleared up, and I can't SEE much by way of body composition changes, I was hoping for some tangible results SOMEWHERE! I know, 9 days left. I'll be patient. Anyway my doc was impressed with the concept of the Whole30 and said a lot of his m.e. patients (like me) play with drastic food restrictions to try to get results. Exercise is really hard on me but I've been encouraged to find some kind of non-contact martial arts-type of activity to do in short bursts throughout the week. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them! I haven't charted out a schedule yet but I've been thinking a little about what I want to reintroduce when the time comes. I'd like to get a feel for my reactions to: dark chocolate, wine (and let's be serious: rum/vodka/whiskey/tequila…), artificial sugar & honey & stevia, soy, maybe hummus… That might be it. Except for occasional splurges, dairy's been out for almost a year and grains and sugar have been out for nearly 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 Day 22 Meal 1 (9:00) -meat crust quiche -coffee w/ coconut milk didn't eat veggies aside from the estimated 1/4 cup in the quiche... snowstorm/bad roads resulted in a late morning which means I didn't get a chance to run down to the microwave between meetings (ate the quiche cold but wasn't about to do that with steamed veggies!) Meal 2 (1:00) -fireballs -more coffee w/ coconut milk (which made me really jittery--I know I haven't had much coffee this past year but that's still so unusual for me!) -roasted zucchini -steamed green beans w/ olive oil Meal 3 TBD I'm not sure if I can credit my increased fat intake, the coffee, or the fact that I'm on Day 22, but I've now had 2 days of better-than-usual energy. Nothing ridiculous, but I'm dragging less--hooray! Tomorrow I'll continue with the fat and ease back on the coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Day 23 (2/6/14) Meal 1 -meat crust quiche -sweet potato -green beans -coconut milk w/ coffee Meal 2 -fireballs -eggplant f'armesan -broccoli -1/2 avocado Meal 3 -compliant "chili" -sauteed onions & mushrooms -1/3 avocado Day 24 Today's food is gonna be just about identical to yesterday, so no need to log. I'm excited to be on Day 24! One week left, counting today. My sleep requirements are still higher than usual, but my energy still feels slightly better than usual. Hoping to increase it even more over the week. Also hoping to start waking up feeling energized. My clothes are fitting pretty much the same, and my acne is about the same as a week ago: clearer than usual but still a handful of new blemishes per week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Day 25 Nothing new to report except to say that I'm so excited to have made it this far! Tiger blood or not, it's cool to be on the home stretch of such a challenging month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Day 26 I woke up after 9.5 hours and had nothing to do, so I did the unspeakable: a morning workout! I can't say that it's anything like what many of the athletes on this forum do--no 7 mile run or Crossfit or hot yoga. In true Delicate Flower form, I got a little dizzy after just 25 min of Tae Bo, so I wrapped it up with a 15-min vinyasa yoga video. But I did it! Getting closer and closer to the end! I am excited to have chocolate, but I wouldn't say I've craved it since the first week. Yesterday I went online and picked out a gourmet cupcake for my bday celebration with my family (on the 22nd) It's decadent and binge-proof! I also arranged for a protein-based dinner that I'll bring my own sauce to. I also have similar measures in place for Valentine's day (my first post-W30 day). Now if only I could figure out how to handle the celebrations with friends so well... I'll give the last few days before making any final judgment calls on how the Whole30 has made me feel. I keep telling myself that there's still time for Tiger Blood. I'm definitely coming back for Round 2 on March 1, but since AI is 90 days, I think I'll hold off on that until it better fits with my work, travel and social schedule (I might even do a few W30s this year and hold off until early next year for AI). Plus I'm terrified to lose eggs! Meal 1 -egg/chicken/onion/asparagus/spinach scramble (with coconut oil) -coconut oolong tea w/ coconut milk fun fact: I went my entire life hating coconut, but take a look at that breakfast :-) Meal 2 -fireballs -eggplant f'armesan -1/2 avocado Meal 3 TBD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Today I am grateful to be able, for the first time in my life, to feel hunger without being overwhelmed by it. After lunch, I was unable to eat again until 8 p.m. I hardly thought about it. Astounding and wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Day 29 Still going strong and ready to finish out today & tomorrow. Energy's still only slightly higher than my usual "meh", so maybe these last 2 days will be the ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvaK Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Day 29 Still going strong and ready to finish out today & tomorrow. Energy's still only slightly higher than my usual "meh", so maybe these last 2 days will be the ones. You are almost there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Day 30 I probably won't have time for the recap tomorrow so I thought I'd do it today. I wish I had more positivity to share (and if you're not up for something of a downer, please stop here), but I feel like I got a double dose of the bad and very little of the good promised with this program. The majority of the month, I was so tired that couldn't make it past 9 p.m. comfortably, and never once woke up before my alarm during the work-week. With my autoimmune disorder, I am already tired every. Single. Day. And this program seemed to only make it worse; I had 2-3 "good" days, where I felt slightly better than exhausted, but that's actually fewer days than a typical month. Mental clarity is exactly the same today as the day I began. My moods were completely out of control for probably 7 days total, and I believe there were only a couple days where I was in a noticeably good mood--again, not much different than a typical month. Acne levels are completely average. Although my most important goal wasn't met, the month wasn't all bad. The simple knowledge that I successfully completed a Whole30 is nice. I have more power over my cravings than I thought, and I'm less overwhelmed by hunger these days. In a weird twist, Whole30 helped me focus LESS on food and stop letting it run my day. My body composition looks a liiiiiiiittle bit better, and this morning the scale said I'm down 4-5 lbs. I'll take it. So here's the part that's probably surprising, given all of the above: I still plan to come back for more. I know I only got about 10% of what I wanted out of this Whole30, but there is just no way that this isn't doing my body some good. I have hopes that a second round (which will start March 1) will prove more effective. Honestly, after 4 years of searching for the thing that will fix me, I'm running low on options and ideas. This round will be 45-60 days. (AI protocol may come later but I'm just not up for the workload of it quite yet.) I hope to get my boyfriend in a more supportive place between now and then, because he is currently very unhappy with the thought of me putting myself through all of this again. So to everyone still finishing up their Whole30s, best of luck. I truly hope you get that Tiger Blood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 I'm sorry your results were not entirely what you wanted. Have you considered doing a round (or half a round) of the AIP protocol? It is hard to know if your lack of energy issues are food related (not enough carbs and or fat are usually the suspects) or if they are because of your autoimmune disorder or a combination of both. Have you already posted in the troubleshooting section to see if you can get some more precise feedback? I'd be happy to review through your log again and see if anything glares at me but if you post in the troubleshooting you might get feedback from people with more experience with the other issues you are dealing with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Thanks Physibeth. I haven't posted in the Troubleshooting section and will give that a shot. I hope to do the full AIP protocol later in the year but it feels like a little much with my schedule and energy levels right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocoholic382 Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 A quick update on my Round 1 results that I keep forgetting to post: I got my blood pressure taken last week and it was much healthier than usual! Blood pressure issues cause almost 1/3 of my non-fatigue symptoms, and I was up to 110/75! I don't think it's been that good since pre-diagnosis! I hadn't even noticed that the faint feeling has been slightly less frequent. I'm giving the credit on this one to Whole30. SO nice to be able to point to a chartable benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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