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My first whole30 adventure


meili

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How exciting!  I have made up my mind that I am going to give this whole30 challenge to kick start a brand new lifestyle - toasting to health and happiness but minus the bubblys and the wines (Oh I am gonna miss you so so much!!)  those are my greatest temptations along with anything chocolate....  But I know I can do it!  

 

T minus 3days.  

It starts with food - breakfast will be the most difficult for me as I don't think I can have eggs everyday and I really love overnight oat groats with chia/hemp and some fruits, my daily brekkie that I actually look forward to waking up every morning for the past years.... Anyone has interesting breakfast recipes to share?

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Thanks GFChris for the suggestions! :)

Today marks the start to my DAY 1 of whole30. I am excited and at the same time a little fearful, I know it sounds silly but I don't want to fail at this and let myself down :S I woke up asking myself these questions: how am I going to cope socially (food wise) when I am out with friends or invited to dinner parties? How am I going to turn down a glass of wine without everyone asking? Argh.... I might be a hermit crab for the next one month! The good thing is my hubby is in full support by not tempting me to any food I am not allowed to have. Anyhow, my food log today:

Breakfast (8am to 12pm) I snack along the hours the following:

A glass of lemon water, a big cup of black coffee, half an apple, 5 walnuts, 1 Brazil nut, one small piece of MACH that I invented made of maca powder, Acai berry powder, coconut oil and hemp seed, mixed together and firmed up in the fridge like a "chocolate" bar - super delicious!

Lunch: Palm sized salad, 5 olives, half a roasted sweet potato and 2 pieces of chicken wings.

Dinner: a medium bowl of cabbage with palm size amount of minced chicken meatballs stew in homemade chicken broth.

I use a teabag (organic India, cleanse tea) and topped up with hot water and drank throughout the day, it kept me very full and reduce my cravings to snack.

I hour of aerobics at the gym (I drank 750ml water with 1 TBS chia seeds during class)

29 more days to go....

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Welcome! 

 

That powder/"chocolate" bar you made sounds like a paleo-ified treat, and is therefore off-limits for a Whole30, sorry.

 

Snacking is discouraged.The idea is to eat 3 meals a day that each follow the meal template of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies, and the appropriate amount of compliant fat.  

 

Eat the first meal within 1 hour of waking to set your day up for success. 

 

So have that first meal instead of snacking through noon.

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Thanks Chris for the feedback, it really helps to have someone tell me what I am not doing right.  Ok looks like I will have to stop the bar for 30days.  I actually made it because I have found taking maca powder and acai berry powder to be very beneficial for hormonal balance (PMS etc) and I have always taken it with yogurt but with the whole30, I can't think of other ways to add the powder into my meals.

 

I also find from experience that if I start with a big breakfast (even if i have a big 2 eggs omelette and bacon), I tend to think of food all day long and tend to want to snack (I know it sounds very strange) and yet in the last few days when I started off the day with very little food, I don't think about eating all that much....

Day 2 (I had my breakfast at one sitting):

Breakfast: Warm lemon water upon waking.  A big cup of black coffee, 2 almond nuts, 3 walnuts, 1 brazil nut, a slice of papaya, one TBS of fresh promegranate.

 

Lunch: Shredded chicken with zucchini, carrot, seaweed and goji berry in homemade chicken broth.

 

Dinner: Stir fry green cabbage and thai chicken burger patty (made with minced chicken, mae ploy red curry paste, coconut milk, thai basil)

 

Exercise: 100 squats with light weights.

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Thanks Chris for the feedback, it really helps to have someone tell me what I am not doing right.  Ok looks like I will have to stop the bar for 30days.  I actually made it because I have found taking maca powder and acai berry powder to be very beneficial for hormonal balance (PMS etc) and I have always taken it with yogurt but with the whole30, I can't think of other ways to add the powder into my meals.

 

I also find from experience that if I start with a big breakfast (even if i have a big 2 eggs omelette and bacon), I tend to think of food all day long and tend to want to snack (I know it sounds very strange) and yet in the last few days when I started off the day with very little food, I don't think about eating all that much....

Day 2 (I had my breakfast at one sitting):

Breakfast: Warm lemon water upon waking.  A big cup of black coffee, 2 almond nuts, 3 walnuts, 1 brazil nut, a slice of papaya, one TBS of fresh promegranate.

 

Lunch: Shredded chicken with zucchini, carrot, seaweed and goji berry in homemade chicken broth.

 

Dinner: Stir fry green cabbage and thai chicken burger patty (made with minced chicken, mae ploy red curry paste, coconut milk, thai basil)

 

Exercise: 100 squats with light weights.

 

Ok, two points:

- on the powder, can you set it aside for the Whole30?  Powders are really not part of the Whole30 program. Folks have achieved hormonal balance on this program by eating a combination of the right whole foods.

- do you have a copy of the meal template? Whole30 recommends that every meal follow that template. Lunch and dinner look fine. Breakfast did not meet the template: it was missing 1-2 palms of protein and 1-3 cups of vegetables.

I encourage you to trust the process and adhere to the meal template for all meals, to get the most from taking on this program. Perhaps start with the smaller end of the template for breakfast - 1 palm of protein, 1 cup of veggies, and the appropriate amount of compliant fat - and see how that works for you.

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If you're still looking for non-egg recipes, here is a REALLY easy recipe that I make all the time: 

 

http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com/2013/03/faux-tmeal-paleo-oatmeal.html ... just make sure not to use that honey. It's still good without it :-)

 

The only caveat would be to make sure you're not using this as a substitute for oatmeal if that's something you crave. I personally have no strong ties to oatmeal and hadn't eaten it in about 5 years, so there was no habit reinforcement for me.

 

Also, note that this is not a *complete* meal according to the Whole30 template. You're missing a protein source.

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If you're still looking for non-egg recipes, here is a REALLY easy recipe that I make all the time: 

 

http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com/2013/03/faux-tmeal-paleo-oatmeal.html ... just make sure not to use that honey. It's still good without it :-)

 

The only caveat would be to make sure you're not using this as a substitute for oatmeal if that's something you crave. I personally have no strong ties to oatmeal and hadn't eaten it in about 5 years, so there was no habit reinforcement for me.

 

Also, note that this is not a *complete* meal according to the Whole30 template. You're missing a protein source.

 

Thank you for noting that this dish does not measure up to Whole30 meal standards. If you want to make a sweet acorn squash dish and call it oatmeal, I won't object, but this does not come close to serving as breakfast by itself. You have to have protein with veggies and fat to satisfy the nourishment needs of our bodies. 

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Hi Chocolic382, thanks for the acorn squash recipe, it looks very similar to oatmeal!  Unfortunately I have never seen an acorn squash sold here, so I might try that recipe with another squash after the whole30 (Thanks Tom for the reminder).  My breakfast before whole30 used to be overnight raw oat groats blended with yogurt and chia seeds and fruits, I do miss it a little but I am very determined to complete this whole30.

 

Thanks again Chris for monitoring my food log.  Yes I follow the template closely for lunch and dinner, indeed I must make a change. Today (Day 6)

Breakfast: Stirfry 2 cups of cabbage with onion and 2 small poached eggs, a big cup of black coffee.

Lunch: one medium stir fry luffa with 2 fried eggs (I think I ate too many eggs today, I couldn't find another protein source at home)

Dinner: Half a roasted sweet potato, salad and 2 chicken wings.

Reflections:

Having a bigger breakfast did keep me very full (almost too full, I will have to cut down the portion from now on) and I had lunch 2 hours later than usual (I ate even though I was not hungry).  The whole afternoon, I seem to feel I have indigestion.  

I also had a slight cramps in my right calf so I ate a banana and the cramps didn't get worse.  

Since Day 3, I barely have any stamina to complete gym workouts, even walking up the stairs make me breathless.  Every night, I have a heavy head like a headache is coming on but when I wake up in the morning I feel fine.  I am planning to have more red meat for next week.

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4 eggs is not too many eggs. I ate 8 yesterday (not normal...just what I wanted). 

 

You are not eating nearly enough protein. There is hardly any meat on a chicken wing. 

 

2 cups of cabbage is probably what made you feel gassy and bloated in the afternoon as cabbage is one of those vegetables that can cause excess gas.

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Day 7

Physibeth, you might be right - maybe I am not getting enough protein and that's why I am so much lacking of stamina to do any workouts, I will up protein and more sweet potatoes for more energy.

Breakfast (8am) shredded chicken, lettuce, wakame seaweed and goji berry soup in homemade chicken broth.

Snack (12pm) black coffee, 5 almonds and 3 pecan nuts ( I was out and didn't want to skip a meal so had a snack before lunch)

Lunch (2pm) one large sweet potato and 3 chicken wings, one mandarin orange (fastest lunch I could have when I got home)

Dinner (8pm) half a whole steamed fish (Palm size), too full and didn't eat veg.

Reflections:

Apart from physically tired, I feel fine. Walking up the stairs still make me breathless and I have no motivation at all to do any workout today. I was extremely full after late lunch and didn't have any appetite at all for dinner but made myself ate something. I feel like a cold is coming and just so tired by 9.30pm and I went to bed. I really have to eat lunch earlier and maybe cut down on the sweet potatoes that filled me up too much.

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Day 7

Physibeth, you might be right - maybe I am not getting enough protein and that's why I am so much lacking of stamina to do any workouts, I will up protein and more sweet potatoes for more energy.

Breakfast (8am) shredded chicken, lettuce, wakame seaweed and goji berry soup in homemade chicken broth.

Snack (12pm) black coffee, 5 almonds and 3 pecan nuts ( I was out and didn't want to skip a meal so had a snack before lunch)

Lunch (2pm) one large sweet potato and 3 chicken wings, one mandarin orange (fastest lunch I could have when I got home)

Dinner (8pm) half a whole steamed fish (Palm size), too full and didn't eat veg.

Reflections:

Apart from physically tired, I feel fine. Walking up the stairs still make me breathless and I have no motivation at all to do any workout today. I was extremely full after late lunch and didn't have any appetite at all for dinner but made myself ate something. I feel like a cold is coming and just so tired by 9.30pm and I went to bed. I really have to eat lunch earlier and maybe cut down on the sweet potatoes that filled me up too much.

If you need to snack between your main meals, make it a mini-meal including a protein and fat. Nuts are considered a fat source on a Whole30.  

I wonder if you might be better off having your sweet potato (carby veg) at breakfast, to both give you energy and satiate you better than lettuce and seaweed? 

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You are right Chris, I finally made it to gym and completed 1hour powerpump class (what an achievement! :-)

 

I am now eating more at breakfast, I must say that it keeps me very full to the point I have to remind myself to eat lunch and dinner, I could have easily skipped dinner today actually but I make myself eat for the sake of eating in a way.... I am really happy that I haven't had any cravings for chocolates or wine or cheese (all my favourites just a week before!) I also find that I am using either no or less salt in my cooking and they are still very tasty.  Also maybe the sweet potato reduces my cravings since it is starchy and sweet.

 

 

Day 8:

Breakfast (8am): one medium roasted sweet potato, one egg, 2 slices of raw beetroot, one brazil nut, 5 almonds, a cup of black coffee.

 

Lunch (2pm): one medium roasted sweet potato, "cauliflower fried rice" in 1tsp coconut oil with sliced chicken, egg, leek and onions.

 

Dinner (8pm): One roast chicken leg (could only finish half), roasted vegetables (carrots and pumpkins)

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Day 16

I am getting the hang of my meals, this has been how it looks for the past week, quite similar everyday and I am enjoying it.

Breakfast: a slice of chopped of papaya sprinkled with some cinnamon powder and 1 TBS goji berries/pumpkin/hemp/sunflower seeds, one quarter avocado, 4 olives, one boiled egg, one piece of fresh coconut meat, a small handful of mixed nuts (Brazil,almond, pecan and hazelnut)

Lunch: 3 cups of stir fry lettuce or chard, one palm size portion of meat (leftover roast chicken or beef or fish), a small to medium sweet potato, two slices of raw beet root.

Dinner: a piece of steak or roast chicken or fish, grilled or roasted vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, carrots), 5 strawberries or 2 passion fruit.

I am still not feeling that boost in energy yet but overall I feel quite good and not had any cravings yet (I can bake bread and cookies without even tempted to eat any or lick the dough for a taste). Though for the past week, I had to stop myself from eating too many nuts, I was adding it to every meal and saving them to the end of the meal to enjoy the crunch but now I limit it to only breakfast, eating with a meal alternating between the different food on the plate. I am starting to be really aware of my food choice and eating pattern.

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Having your breakfast meet the recommended meal template may help with your energy.  Breakfast yesterday was missing vegetables, light on protein, and heavy on fats. Remember when eggs are your protein, your serving size is the number of eggs you can hold in your hand. For most people, that's at least 2-3.

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