Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Day 6 about to come to a close here. I had been logging my daily observations elsewhere, but I feel like I'll get more expert support over on the Whole 30 Forum. Not sure why I didn't come here to begin with! Anyway, I am having tons of fun experimenting with new foods - cooked an entire chicken for the first time (and used the bones to make bone broth - any suggestions for a first recipe to use with the broth?). Have put my Blendtec to work full time (made tangy avocado salad dressing, basil pesto using avocado, cauliflower "rice", coconut butter, salsa, and I blend spinach with my eggs most days... I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting). This is my favorite part of the Whole 30! As far as side effects go, I only wanted to kill two things (not "all" the things), have experienced a little bit of bloat, and some fatigue. Frankly, I'm not even sure if it's from the change in diet, as there's been other things going on this week I won't get into here! The only thing I'm really missing are my fancy coffees - just drinking black with some cinnamon for now. But occasionally I'll have a daydream about Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Otherwise, I feel full all of the time, and am not really missing much else! My husband has had a little more trying times, but he's committed. I'm anxious for the high energy phase to get here - for both of us! And can't wait until tomorrow when I can say I've completed one full week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I use my bone broth for a really quick and easy soup. I put some in a pot with chopped celery, carrots, and other veggies. Broccoli really absorbs the broth well. I also like zucchini noodles and cabbage. If you'd imagine it in a soup, go for it! Then, I add cooked chicken and simmer until the veggies are to my desired done-ness. Add salt and pepper and enjoy! It's almost too easy. Don't forget to have a little fat with it. Lately, I've been having a salad on the side with homemade may-based dressing and nuts or olives. Congrats on all of your new kitchen adventures! You'll find tons of uses for your bone broth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Day 7. Here's what I experienced today: Definitely want a nap Have had two "Kill All the Things" moments today Feeling like all of this cooking I'm doing is unsustainable On that last point - I love everything I'm eating, and I do buy in bulk (helps reduce costs) and batch cook (reheat leftovers for lunches and dinners). Even when I'm reheating though, I'm still doing some vegetable prep and cooking. I am going to get a lot done for this week today and tomorrow, but I won't always have downtime on the weekend, and won't always have 3 day weekends. So... the question is... how do I keep up? Especially after the Whole 30 is over? A few thoughts: Once a Month Cooking: http://blog.stuffimakemyhusband.com/p/whole30-oamc-freezer-menu.html - Could be an option, but I don't know that I'm organized enough to make sure I have EVERYTHING on hand, plus I might need to make an investment in storage. Go to restaurants on busy days: I hear Chipotle has a good, compliant option. Any others you would recommend? Maintain the 80/20 rule: After all, it's not the whole 365, right? Still... I don't want to undo all of the good, healthy work I'm doing this month, and going back to convenience foods is probably not the right approach. Interested to hear how others have kept up with healthy cooking in their fast paced lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 So... the question is... how do I keep up? Especially after the Whole 30 is over? A few thoughts: Once a Month Cooking: http://blog.stuffimakemyhusband.com/p/whole30-oamc-freezer-menu.html - Could be an option, but I don't know that I'm organized enough to make sure I have EVERYTHING on hand, plus I might need to make an investment in storage. Go to restaurants on busy days: I hear Chipotle has a good, compliant option. Any others you would recommend? Maintain the 80/20 rule: After all, it's not the whole 365, right? Still... I don't want to undo all of the good, healthy work I'm doing this month, and going back to convenience foods is probably not the right approach. Interested to hear how others have kept up with healthy cooking in their fast paced lives. I suggest you complete the Whole30, then do controlled reintroductions, then decide how you want to eat going forward. The prep/meal planning does get easier. You find ways to not cook every meal. For me, I rotate through a handful of baked frittata recipes for breakfast. Each makes 4-6 servings. I cook once and have breakfast for 4-6 days. Lunch is either leftovers from dinner, salmon salad or chicken salad with a sweet potato and homemade mayo. With dinners also, try to make something that's multiple servings, so I have leftovers. I especially love this meatloaf recipe: makes 2 loaves at once. http://paleomg.com/paleo-savory-sweet-potato-meatloaf/ You may also find that you want to eat out less because what you can make at home is frequently tastier and cheaper. When you do eat out, I find best choices are places with gluten-free menus/options or that can cook to order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 I am working through cook-ups and efficiency right now, too. I love having three awesome meals a day, but the time and cleaning are overwhelming. I'm inspired by Well Fed and by Robb Wolf's food matrix. I want to convince myself that any protein-fat-veg combo can be OK for most meals with recipes for other meals. And, I want to second what GFChris said. Stay with Whole30 now and think about life after, well, after. It will be easier to develop good habits and keep your head in the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Day 8 kicked off with a day off of work for the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday, woo hoo! My 7.0 mile run today didn't go as well as I hoped.It was disappointing because I certainly had the energy to do it, just ran into some other issues (like needing a restroom pronto about mile 3.5 and not finding an open one in the park until mile 5.5). I'll try again on Saturday now that I know which bathrooms are shut down for the winter. Made an emergency stop at the grocery store on my way home (I was short one onion for my dinner recipe: http://blog.stuffimakemyhusband.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-pork-chops-with-apples.html)Threw everything in the slow cooker (hope the sauerkraut helps with some bloating) and taking the rest of the day to relax and read for a bit (today's book: Brain over Binge). An exciting development in my husband's Whole30, though - as he was leaving for work, he grabbed his lunchbox and said "What's for lunch? More yummy stuff from last night?" My jaw nearly hit the floor, as last night was a beef curry with zucchini and cauliflower rice. Since when does he like vegetables?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Yay for veggies! Boo for nature calls during runs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Day 9. My pants don't feel any tighter, nor do they feel any looser. Everything feels pretty normal, with one exception. I wake up at 5am. Same thing happened yesterday. And I have energy at 5am! I don't use it though - it's dark and cold outside my bed, so I go back to sleep But man... think of the things I could get done if I got up at 5;00 everyday and felt great about it. (I go to bed between 10:30 most nights - maybe I should go to sleep a little earlier?) I still have the occasional craving to cheat, specifically related to coffee. I was thinking I'd make myself a flavored coffee this morning - because "hey, what's the harm?" as my brain tells me - and then I quickly realized how dumb that was because I ground my own coffee with a cinnamon stick and it's fine. Why go for the artificially flavored stuff? They say tomorrow and the next day are the hardest days, but I am pretty sure I can power through. Again, still having trouble with the efficiency aspect, as today was yet another day making a stop for food, although it was a planned stop - Costco is near where I work, and where I buy my organic meat, so I figured I'd go today instead of later in the week since I had some time. Meanwhile, meals for today are reheated leftovers from my massive weekend cooking undertaking - the good news is that I shouldn't have to do any real cooking again until Thursday, and hopefully no more grocery trips until Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Alright Day 10, first of the "hardest days", bring it on! Still feeling great - energized and in a good mood! I woke up at 6 instead of at 5 this morning like I have the last two days - I'm wondering if the hour I spent shoveling snow last night made me sleep in just a tad longer. Had a minor headache this morning, which isn't the first time, but it's been a few days since I last woke up with a headache. They generally go away after I've had my breakfast and a cup of coffee. Because I like the way I'm feeling, I'm starting to get nervous about the reintroduction phase. I know I'm only 1/3 of the way through, but I don't want to go back to my sugar addicted bloated self. I'll try not to think too much about it yet, and take each day as they come. My husband gets on the scale daily, which I have yelled at him for. He understands the point of this isn't a "diet" but that we're trying to reframe how we approach food. I'm concerned because he's down 13 lbs in 10 days - we've discussed whether he's hungry after meals, when/how he's eating (i.e. larger meals instead of snacks) and adjusting as I want to make sure he gets enough food. I'm thinking this is just a ton of water weight - we were on a 4-day cruise right before starting the Whole 30, and there was definitely some major eating happening. Plus, this change in diet is much more drastic for him than it was for me, so hoping he'll stabilize the weight loss soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 If your husband wants to maintain, and not lose weight, he should read this article: http://whole9life.com/wp/2013/12/keeping-weight-whole30/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks Chris - no, he definitely wants to lose (and I am thrilled to help him get to a healthier state) - just want to make sure it's sustainable change and he's not losing too much too fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Can you hide the scale from him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Day 11 and agitated. I did not even consider quitting today - a good thing, as the hardest days should be over, right? However, I was a bit on edge with my husband today. He did a good thing by offering to cook dinner since he was getting out of work earlier than I - now, his track record in the kitchen isn't stellar, so I generally do the bulk of the cooking - but I understand he'll get better with practice and coaching, so I welcome the opportunity for him to pitch in. I sent him the recipe with some very clear instructions (Ex: use ALL the turnips). Well, all of the turnips did not make it into the meal, and he didn't use half the jar of avocado pesto for the zucchini squash, AND he refused to eat the artichokes in the meal. I could throttle him. Silly, right? Rationally - I'll use the turnips and pesto for something else, I won't include artichokes in our menu anymore, and I had one night where I could come home and relax and not have to worry about dinner! So why am I ready to explode?! Good thing bed time is soon, or else I might Kill All the Things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Day 12 and not experiencing boundless energy. Quite the opposite - I'm tired and still in a crummy mood from yesterday.I putzed around this morning getting ready (was not happy to find myself awake at 4:30 this morning like yesterday, but oh well) and then ended up being stuck in traffic for an hour and a half - so I was extremely late for work. And then - despite being productive - I felt overwhelmed by the volume of work I had to do. Ended up sticking around late, which ate into my gym time, and then just decided to skip the gym. I hate skipping because it means I'm not accomplishing something I set out to do. I should just plan two days off each week instead of planning just one day off - this way, if I do get the energy to work out on my planned days off or feel like hitting the gym, it's a bonus! Decided to hit up the grocery store because, as always, I need more produce. I also went in search of coconut aminos, but none of the grocery stores in my area have it. Not a necessity - I'll just wait until I'm near a whole foods. Tomorrow - getting a massage (something I booked a month ago knowing I might be in need of a "pick me up" right about now) after a treadmill run (still icy and snowy out, so no going outside). Might take a day off from cooking, have enough leftovers to get me through the day tomorrow. I'll save the cooking for the week for Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Day 13. I need to start each post with what "day" on the whole 30 it is because I can never remember. The first week flew by, but the days seem to be dragging on. Really, only 13 so far? Despite getting a run and an awesome massage in this morning, I've got no energy. I just want a nap. Disappointed to realize I am going to have to cook tonight because - even though I have enough to get me through the day today - I wouldn't have a lunch ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow morning I've got bodyworks and yoga, so I'll need something I can quickly reheat for lunch. And the waking up at 4:30am streak continues. Probably one of the reasons I'm cranky and tired, even though I can go back to sleep with relative ease and usually don't get out of bed until closer to 7. Adding food log for the past few days in case anybody has any suggestions. Meal 1 (this is what I do daily): 3 eggs, coconut oil, spinach. sometimes a bit of avocado Meal 2 (made a bunch for dinner one night and then have had leftovers for lunch): Roast chicken in olive oil with artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and turnips. baby spinach with avocado dressing. Meal 3: Slow cooked pork chops with sauerkraut, apple, onion. OR curried beef over zucchini (or zucchini noodles sauteed in ghee) coffee and tea daily. Sweet potato with coconut butter as a post workout meal. I certainly feel like it's enough food - never hungry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 You are not posting your food so hard to give advice but the lack of energy makes me think you are not eating enough starchy vegetables and possibly not enough in general. Pushing yourself through workouts when you are super tired isn't always the best idea as it can further increase your stress level. Would love to help more with the energy problem if I can so feel free to post your food for the past few days. I will say my workouts felt like crap for a full 2 weeks when I switched over to this style of eating, but my overall energy was better by this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Starting Day 14. I miss the energy and positive moods I had last week - please come back! Heading off to bodyworks and yoga in a little bit. Hope I have the energy to make it through. This afternoon, I have a few errands to run, some food to cook and prep to do for the week, and might catch a movie. But - to feel good about the weekend - I was hoping to start the first chapter of the novel I've been meaning to write. It's part 2 of the goals I've made for myself for 2014 (complete a whole 30, write a novel, and try crossfit). However, I'm feeling lethargic and uninspired. Today's meals: - 3 eggs with spinach. coffee - slow cooked pork chops, sauerkraut, apple and onion. coffee. perhaps a sweet potato following my workout (I know I've been missing the starchy carbs on workout days. The problem is I'm just never hungry enough to eat it.) - salmon, green beans, and fire roasted tomatoes. tea after dinner. I'll be cooking up some chicken this afternoon so that I can make chicken soup with the bone broth I made - adding in some turnips that my husband forgot to add to our roast chicken dish a few nights ago. Carrots, celery, onion, zucchini innards (slicing up some zucchini pasta) - anything else? I'll also be making the sunshine sauce from The Clothes Make the Girl so that I can easily whip up some pad thai tomorrow with the leftover chicken today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Day 15. Only halfway? For real? Made the paleo pad thai from http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2013/07/27/whole30-week-1-food-plan/ This may be why I'm in a better mood then I've been the past few days. Yum. I'm so glad I have enough to make later this week, as it seemed even my husband thoroughly enjoyed it. Whether it was my meals or not, I definitely felt a return of the good moods and energy I experienced last week. I was also able to get a 6 mile run in tonight with the moderate effort it usually takes. Tomorrow is a planned night off from the gym, but it's also our first challenge - eating out. We have to attend an event that won't get us home until pretty late - fortunately, I know there's a whole foods near the event, and - from scouring the forums - that seems to be a win when you have to eat on the go. So here's to making it halfway! I have no doubt I can make it the entire 30 days. Never questioned it - even with the multiple grocery stops I've made (I run out of eggs so quickly now. Plus the produce!), and the exhausting amounts of cooking I have to do (would not be able to do this without the help of my Blendtec)! But now that the halfway point has come, I'm starting to wonder what happens post whole 30... Forgot to write about today's meals: M1: 3 eggs, spinach, coconut oil. coffee. M2: home made chicken soup. baby spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Apple w/ sunbutter, sweet potato w/ coconut butter (meant to be a Post Workout potato, but a crazy afternoon of meetings left me in need of some energy). Coffee M3: Paleo Pad Thai w/ zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti squash. Tea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Day 16. If what I feel today is Tiger Blood, I am unimpressed. It could be that I'm feeling slightly discouraged because my workday hasn't been so great, but I also know I woke up feeling stressed. Stressed to get breakfast together quickly and get to work. Stressed about my new cat (long story). Stressed about tackling the "eating out" challenge tonight. Work-wise, I feel like I've been on the go since 7am without really accomplishing anything - just participating in energy draining meetings and phone calls. Today's meals: M1: 3 eggs with spinach, coconut oil, coffee M2: slow cooked pork chops, sauerkraut, apple and onion. Smoothie made with spinach, 1 apple, celery, and coconut milk (had some left over and wasn't sure what to do with it) - this actually made a pretty tasty drink, although it was more the consistency of apple sauce. Coffee M3: Who knows. Going to Whole Foods. And water throughout the day. Here's a question - is there such a thing as too much coconut? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Physibeth Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Too much coconut depends on your own body. Some people are more sensitive to it than others. I personally like to keep variety in my fats as much as possible. Please no more smoothies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah T Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Good luck tonight! You've got this! And keep pushing.. I felt the exact same way at halfway through. It changes soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 It's about 1:40 on Day 17 and I wish the day would slow down a little. M1 - eggs, spinach, coconut oil, coffee. No, I will never get tired of that for breakfast M2 - chicken soup, yam w/ coconut butter, smoothie with zucchini/celery/apple/coconut milk. If you are frowning upon this, consider it flavored applesauce instead. Coffee. M3 - Paleo Pad Thai and tea Just had lunch and am feeling a bit more energized than when I woke up this morning, although I'm feeling full. Too much flavored applesauce, I think.What I'm NOT feeling - Tiger Blood. Maybe I was just in worse shape than I thought, so each phase is taking longer to get through. If I had to guess, I would say I'm about a week behind the curve. What also supports this theory is that I've been having weird dreams the past few nights - sort of in line with what's supposed to happen on Day 4. Now maybe there was food in them or not - I can't remember them exactly, I just know they were odd and that I had a sense of relief when I woke up.I also had a bit of a struggle getting out of bed this morning. First time in a while I haven't woken up way before my alarm clock. Or it could be the sweet potato I had at Whole Foods last night that kept me asleep for a while? My husband and I survived our dining out experience, although Whole Foods didn't have as many options as I expected. Everything on the Whole Foods Hot Bar was non-compliant, and - with it being below freezing temps outside - the salad bar wasn't very appealing. We ended up looking through the prepared foods, consulting with the guy behind the counter, and choosing the balsamic chicken with a side of sweet potatoes. I would have liked something green with dinner, but those choices were already pretty expensive. We used the onsite microwave and chowed down, followed with a cup of tea. (it was ok tea - not the honeybush tea from Teavana we're currently drinking) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 In validation of yesterday's theory that I am one week behind the Whole 30 timeline, today - Day 18, not Day 11 - was my hardest day. For the love of Pete, I hope it's the hardest, because I don't want to go through it again tomorrow. I have an annoying headache, I'm feeling tense as all get-out, my clothes fit the same, my skin hasn't changed, and all I want is some damn cream in my coffee. But let's not blame the Whole 30. There are too many variables to really suggest diet is the problem here: I had a bit of a binge yesterday afternoon on sunbutter. It was a whole 30 compliant binge, but 5 servings is WAY too much and I felt a bit out of control. Found myself back in control with sunbutter today when I just had one serving with an apple during M2. Perhaps I can blame the headache on a post-binge hangover. Went to bed feeling stressed out about finances. That stress didn't go away when I woke up this morning. Cut back on my dosage of my anti-anxiety medication this morning, which probably didn't help my cause. Things were just not going my way at the office today. AND I kept thinking today was Day 19, not Day 18. And I keep getting pestered to watch the Super Bowl at a friend's house. (I know, worse things in life, right? But with the Whole 30 finish line in sight, I don't want anything to derail me). /rant I had a planned run at the gym - 3 miles interval training. But I don't feel too badly about deciding to skip out. At the end of the day, I just wasn't feeling up to it. I'm feeling a teensy bit better now, as I have a good plan to get myself on track financially and have begun to put it into action. Hoping for some tiger blood tomorrow. M1 - eggs, spinach, coconut oil, coffee M2 - chicken soup, spinach salad w/ olive oil and balsamic, larabar, apple w/sunbutter. Coffee. M3 - Paleo Pad Thai (I have a lot of sunshine sauce left, so this is going to be dinner tomorrow and Saturday also. I'm not sad about that). And tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Day 19. Some relief. I didn't wake up in great shape - I went to bed early last night since I wasn't feeling that great, and found myself awake at 5 - went back to sleep for a little while but then had nagging headache that hung around right until lunch time. Probably slept a little bit too much, as I felt pretty lethargic for most of the morning. When lunchtime came around - and with it a workplace Super Bowl party that contained cake, cookies, and chips - my headache disappeared and I was energized that I made it through the party with just a few pieces of melon. Felt great for the afternoon, just enough to get a short interval run in right after work. M1 - eggs, spinach, coconut oil, coffee M2 - A few slices of melon, chicken soup, spinach salad w/ olive oil and balsamic, yam, apple w/sunbutter. Coffee. M3 - Paleo Pad Thai (I know, my meals are looking the same. I like to bulk cook). Was still feeling ravenous post run, so I had a bit of applesauce and a whole 30 compliant beef stick as well. And tea. Hoping to feel energized tomorrow to perhaps take a 7 mile run outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Wheat on Trial Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Day 20. Woke up at 5am this morning feeling pretty good but of course went back to sleep, and was just thankful not to have a headache. Otherwise, an uneventful day.Since it was pretty nice out, I wanted to go running outside instead of on a treadmill - but when I got to the park that I like to run, it was still icy. So I went back to do a 6 mile treadmill run at the gym, then spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning my house - trying to get rid of the salt, dirt, and grime that follows me and my dog inside after it snows. Yuck. I have not made a grocery store stop since Monday, and also haven't really spent much time cooking - I prepared everything I needed to have paleo pad thai for the week, and also made soup last weekend, so that's been working well for lunches and dinners. Today, I got my shipment from American Farmer's Network for some grass fed steaks (it was an Amazon Local Deal I purchased a few weeks ago) - so I'm defrosting those and will probably marinate them using the balsamic marinade from Mark's Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-marinate-meat After about an hour of vacuuming, I became pretty hungry so had a snack. (Yes, I passed the 'steamed fish and broccoli' test. But honestly - I always pass the 'steamed fish and broccoli' test. I really like fish.) Now I want a nap. M1 - 3 eggs, spinach, coconut oil, coffee M2 - Paleo Pad Thai, coffee M3 - applesauce, two whole 30 compliant beef sticks, pistachios, coconut M4 - planning on a 6 oz sirloin and a sweet potato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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