First Whole30 and I'm AMPED.

[megsinthecity]

Hey there, everyone!

 

Let me just get this started by saying that I'm SO PSYCHED to be here. A friend of mine is about two thirds of the way through his challenge and I was intrigued by his posts on facebook and spent most of the last several days poring over the website. I decided to jump right in and I'll begin tomorrow!

 

I might be a little delusional, but I'm not very nervous. As it is now, I mostly eat a diet rich in protein and veggies and fruit. The biggest difference for me will be giving up my oatmeal for breakfast and all that extra sugar...mostly stevia and agave, but sugar all the same. (Someone remind me in a couple days how easy I thought it would be.  )

 

I did a lot of grocery shopping yesterday to prepare for the week and was BLOWN AWAY by the extra crud that is added to almost everything on the shelves. Did you know that almost every brand of tuna contains soy? I didn't! I couldn't even get the cashews I wanted because they were covered in peanut oil! I'll have to visit a specialty or organic store for a few items, but it really was a wake-up call.

 

Here are my biggest goals for the next 30 (or more...) days:

1. Balance. I started on my own health journey just over two years ago. I had lost a total of 40 pounds in a mostly healthy manner, but have gained about half back. I say mostly healthy because there have been some too restrictive calorie cutting plans along the way, which has only led me to binge later. I have had a relatively unhealthy relationship with food for most of my life - I'm either cutting all the calories or eating all the calories. I just want to fuel my body for the activity I've grown to love and love my whole self along the way.

2. I've been on the losing end of tension headaches for many years (more so recently with some added stress) and have recently found out that the intense pain in my hip is due to cysts and dysplasia. After reading so many testimonies where people talk about the power food had in overcoming various aches, pains, and health issues, I'm dying to know if relief could be as simple as paying attention to my diet. 

So. Balance and Relief (and Self Love). 

Here's to tomorrow!!!

Megs 

[Kryztle]

Great post! And yes I have realized that 90% of shelf food is processed!!! It's crazy! But as far as tuna goes, get the tuna that is in water! You are going to do wonderful!! Can't wait to see your updates and congrats on taking the first step

[Kat B.]

Good luck! I thought my diet was pretty good until I did my first W30 - it is totally a wake up call

[megsinthecity]

I made it! 1 day down, 29 to go!

 

I had a hard time with breakfast this morning because I had to eat it so much earlier than I'm used to. My tummy was a little unsure about that. Typically, I eat oatmeal and I prepare it at work. Since I'll be eating a lot of eggs and I pretty much only like them scrambled or in omelettes, I'm chained to the stove. Other than that, the day went pretty smoothly. There are tons of temptations all around me, but I'm very vocal about what I'm doing so my coworkers are respectful and keep it away.

 

Near the end of the workday, I felt a headache looming. This isn't entirely unusual, but I think it might be the first signs of my hangover...

 

BREAKFAST

Two eggs, two egg whites, scrambled in coconut oil with red bell pepper, spinach and avocado, sprinkled with cholula // one grapefruit

 

MORNING SNACK

Banana // coffee with coconut milk

 

LUNCH

Kale and spinach salad with tuna, red bell pepper, black olives, avocado and cucumbers, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice // unsweetened apple sauce

 

AFTERNOON SNACK

Sugar snap peas // almonds

 

DINNER

Steak cooked with olive oil, salt, black pepper // steamed broccoli // sweet potatoes roasted with coconut oil and kosher salt

 

And lots and lots of water!

I feel pretty good right now. Definitely satisfied and not hungry. I kept feeling like I wanted everything I couldn't have today, but I know it was all in my head. I missed sweetening up my coffee a bit the most, so I almost feel like I should just not have it. Caffeine doesn't really affect me - it's just something I enjoy having. It's a morning ritual, but I can go without and have before. We'll see...I'll give the coconut milk another shot. I might just need higher quality coffee!

 

Now if you'll excuse me...I'm POOPED. Must sleep.

[megsinthecity]

Yay! Another day! Go me!

Today felt pretty damn good. I didn't have the hangover I was expecting to because of the timeline (maybe my headache last night was it?) and I felt satiated most of the day.

I had a panicky moment when someone asked me to babysit at the last minute and my healthy dinner was sitting at home in my fridge. I ran to the grocery store and picked up some chicken apple sausage to throw together a meal. That stuff is so stinking delicious, I can't quite believe it's compliant! And then while babysitting, the kiddos cracked open a Tupperware container full of homemade chocolate chip cookies and the glorious smell of it made me literally start salivating! That's been my worst obstacle thus far.

BREAKFAST

Leftover steak // two eggs, one egg white with cholula // one grapefruit

LUNCH

Spinach salad with tuna, avocado, red bell pepper, cucumber, black olives, dressed in olive oil and lemon juice // unsweetened applesauce

SNACK

Banana // a couple almonds

DINNER

Two chicken apple sausage links // zucchini and sweet potato roasted in olive oil and sea salt

Question: How much fruit is too much fruit? I had three servings yesterday and today. It satisfies my sweet tooth. Tonight, I wanted to have a pear, but worried it might have been too much for the day. Thoughts?

Onward!

[GFChris]

Question: How much fruit is too much fruit? I had three servings yesterday and today. It satisfies my sweet tooth. Tonight, I wanted to have a pear, but worried it might have been too much for the day. Thoughts?

Onward!

The Whole30 recommendation on fruit is 1-2 servings a day, where a serving is the size of your fist. Further, they recommend having fruit only with or immediately after your meals, not as part of a snack.  Beware of using fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth  -  the idea of a Whole30 is to change your relationship with food.

 

Regarding snacks, the need to snack can be an indication that the portions of your earlier meals needs to be bigger. So perhaps play with the portion sizes until your meals satiate you for 4-5 hours. In the meantime, if you are genuinely hungry in between meals (hungry = you could eat steamed fish and broccoli), have a mini meal that contains a protein and fat. Nuts are a fat source on a Whole30.

[megsinthecity]

The Whole30 recommendation on fruit is 1-2 servings a day, where a serving is the size of your fist. Further, they recommend having fruit only with or immediately after your meals, not as part of a snack.  Beware of using fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth  -  the idea of a Whole30 is to change your relationship with food.

 

Regarding snacks, the need to snack can be an indication that the portions of your earlier meals needs to be bigger. So perhaps play with the portion sizes until your meals satiate you for 4-5 hours. In the meantime, if you are genuinely hungry in between meals (hungry = you could eat steamed fish and broccoli), have a mini meal that contains a protein and fat. Nuts are a fat source on a Whole30.

 

Thank you, Chris! That's super helpful. I'll be more mindful of my fruit intake.

I could likely cut out an afternoon snack with little issue, but because of my job, it's unforunately 6-7 hours between breakfast and when I'm able to eat lunch. I can definitely attempt to rethink the morning snack itself, though, and make it a well-rounded mini meal.

[Physibeth]

If you eat all 4 eggs whole at breakfast instead of 2 eggs and 2 egg whites than you will most likely be a lot more satisfied until lunch. Also making sure those breakfasts have at least 1-3 cups of veggies will help too. 

[megsinthecity]

Phew, made it through day 3!

Today was tough, because I had to report for jury duty and it's only going to get tougher...because I was selected to serve! Ugh! But, it's okay. I've got my mental game on and it just takes a bit of preparation.

I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of things and the feedback you guys are giving is great. It's only going to help me continue to refine what I'm doing and get the most out of this month. I had three servings of fruit again today, but they were all with meals, and I didn't snack! Baby steps! Feeling proud of my progress and I'll just keep pushing to improve.

BREAKFAST

Leftover steak // two eggs, one egg white with cholula // one grapefruit

LUNCH

One chicken apple sausage // spinach salad with cucumbers, red bell pepper, black olives and dress with homemade mayo cut with balsamic vinegar // unsweetened apple sauce

DINNER

Ground turkey cooked with garlic powder, salt, pepper and apple cider vinegar // roasted sweet potato // steamed broccoli // one pear

I really can't believe how good I feel. I haven't really had any hangover! Tomorrow's supposed to start Kill All the Things, though...my boyfriend's scared!

[megsinthecity]

If you eat all 4 eggs whole at breakfast instead of 2 eggs and 2 egg whites than you will most likely be a lot more satisfied until lunch. Also making sure those breakfasts have at least 1-3 cups of veggies will help too.

You're right, I should definitely be incorporating more veggies into breakfast. I had more whole eggs my first day, but it kind of messed with my stomach. Because I'm needing to cook at home, I'm eating breakfast a good 2-3 hours earlier than I have been for a long time. It's taking some time to adjust my tummy, but I should be able to ramp up my portions a bit soon.

[megsinthecity]

Trucking right along! 4 days down, 26 to go!

 

Unfortunately, I was selected to serve on a jury. MAJOR buzzkill. But I got my tush up early this morning to make sure I was prepared and felt ready to face the day. And then I promptly got my wrist slapped when the guy at the metal detector told me I couldn't bring my metal silverware or my glass bottle of Cholula into the courthouse. DUH, Megan. #whole30problems

 

Today was similar to yesterday: three servings of fruit, no snacks. I wasn't hydrated enough, which I think left me feeling a little fatigued, but otherwise I felt satisfied. I had two small hiccups throughout the day: a. desperately wanted a piece of buttery toast to go with my egg scramble this morning and b. now that I'm babysitting, I feel inclined to fall back into my old habits and raid the family's kitchen for snacks and sugar. Babysitting seems to have provided me the most challenges so far!

 

I didn't Kill All the Things today, though.  My mood has been surprisingly stable for someone who can often get hangry, which I think attests to the quality of food I'm fueling up with.

BREAKFAST

Two eggs, one egg white scramble with ground turkey, kale, and red bell pepper // one grapefruit

 

LUNCH

Tuna salad with homemade mayo, red bell pepper, cucumber, and black olives, served in kale leaves // unsweetened apple sauce

 

DINNER

Ground turkey // roasted sweet potato and zucchini

 

Feeling good! Oh, and if anyone would like to follow me on instagram, I'm posting all my meals daily! Find me @megsinthecity16. 

[megsinthecity]

So, first things first, after I wrote last night's post, things took a slight turn. I had been babysitting and the parents didn't get home late, so I had to take a cab home. By that point, it had been about 6 hours since I'd last eaten and the jerky cab ride made me feel really weak and queasy. To be honest, I knew I hadn't really consumed enough calories or even water and I could really feel it. I got home and downed some water and a banana just after midnight. My stomach calmed and I fell asleep with ease. I grabbed a banana because it was the first accessible thing I saw, but what might you have chosen were you in my position?

Today has been good. With no obligations, I was able to pace my meals exactly how I wanted, which led to only one serving of fruit and no snacks! I was with my boyfriend, however, and I typically indulge when I'm with him. I felt jealous of his after dinner drink and chocolate, but concentrated on the movie and my ice water. I was perfectly full from dinner, so I knew it was all psychological. I'm just trying to make choices, one by one.

BREAKFAST

Two eggs, one egg white scrambled // one chicken apple sausage link // half an avocado

 

LUNCH

Leftover ground turkey // roasted sweet potato // steamed broccoli // banana

 

DINNER

Steak cooked in olive oil // kale salad with red bell pepper, black olives, and cucumber, dressed in olive oil and lemon juice

 

My mood has been pretty high until tonight. I saw a picture of myself last spring, when I was eating an almost entirely clean diet and participating in a 30 day bikram yoga challenge. My stomach was the leanest it's ever been, the culmination of 18 months of hard work. But I was being incredibly strict and unforgiving with myself and I couldn't maintain it. I quickly gained back about 10 pounds. It makes me sad to see what I had accomplished and what I've let slip away, but I know that it needs to happen in a sustainable way this time. I need to love my body and learn to love fueling it with healthy, whole food, while allowing myself to make mindful indulgences sans binging. Day by day, right?

[Physibeth]

Grabbing a banana was certainly not the worst thing you could have done. It isn't entirely recommended to eat fruit by itself but it isn't dreadfully horrible. Personally I probably would have quickly fried up and egg if I were in a similar situation.

 

It is good that you are looking to achieve your goals in a more sustainable fashion this time around. I completely get this. It is taking me much longer to lose the weight this time around but I feel overall healthier and that is so important to me.

 

How is increasing your first meal size going? If you are still struggling you might cut back a touch on the protein and start adding some vegetables at that meal. Still a size you can handle but closer to the template.

[megsinthecity]

Today was an all around really good day. I felt productive and calm and content and never hungry. My breakfast was definitely a little bigger today, but I was at my boyfriend's and didn't have all my produce, so it completely lacked veggies. I made up for it with my other two meals, though! And only one serving if fruit and not snacks again today!

BREAKFAST

Two chicken apple sausage links // three eggs scrambled

LUNCH

Huge mixed greens salad with red bell pepper and cucumber, dressed with creamy balsamic dressing // half a roasted sweet potato // banana

DINNER

Meat sauce with zucchini noodles

I'm so thankful to have seen someone's idea to cut homemade mayo with balsamic vinegar for a salad dressing. It's so yummy! Tart and creamy and sweet. Dinner tonight was totally fabulous and felt very indulgent.

I've been feeling very calm these days. I usually sleep well, but I feel that I've been rising better. And my tummy is pleased and much more...ahem...regular.

[megsinthecity]

I MADE IT THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK!

Yay for me. Today was another really good day filled with lots of delicious food. I checked out the Whole30 Timeline this morning, however, and was relieved to find that Day 7 falls under "I Need a Nap..." Because even though I got a lot of fabulous sleep last night, my eyelids were heavy for most of the day.

I needed a break from eggs for breakfast, so I did some internet sleuthing and found this delicious dish on Gutsy by Nature. It's INCREDIBLE, like a savory apple breakfast pie. And it made my apartment smell delightful.

BREAKFAST

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Pancetta Hash

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, red bell pepper, black olives, cucumbers, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic // unsweetened apple sauce

DINNER

Leftover meat sauce with zoodles

And that's all she wrote! Simple, whole, satisfying.

[megsinthecity]

Another great day in the books. I should mention that I'm STILL serving on a jury, so I've been doing all this at a courthouse. I think it's helped distract me from snacking, as I obviously can't eat in the courtroom. I got a few funny looks when I asked to stay in the area they come to retrieve us when we broke for lunch, but I have to say I get a little smug satisfaction about saying I have my own food. Let them eat fast food...I want none of it!

 

I had a bunch of leftovers today, but I'm not bored at all because it's all so dang tasty.

 

BREAKFAST

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Pancetta Hash

 

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, red bell pepper, black olives, cucumbers, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic // one pear

 

DINNER

Leftover meat sauce with zoodles

 

I got a bit of a dull tension headache near the late afternoon, but that subsisted with excedrin and I feel fine now. It occurred to me during dinner that I'm eating more slowly, which I'm quite pleased about. I'm being more mindful about enjoying each bite because I know there won't be lots of nibbles and snacks until my next meal, so I'd better enjoy it! It's making mealtime all the more satisfying. Lots of little benefits of Whole30 stacking up that I wasn't expecting!

[megsinthecity]

Day 9: Dunzo!

Today was Lincoln's birthday, so there was no court. I headed back to work for the first time in a week and was SWAMPED. It made for a pretty unpleasant and stressful day and not the most ideal in terms of pacing my meals. I went waaaaay too long in between my meals and was so crazy, I didn't even think about eating a snack. I even had a container of almonds with me, and I never grabbed them. I was also peeved to find a gigantic, Costco-sized box of M&M's under my desk when I arrived. Thanks, guys.

BREAKFAST

Little bit of sweet potato, apple, and pancetta hash // 3 eggs scrambled

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with cucumber, red bell pepper, black olives, grilled chicken, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic

DINNER

Leftover meat sauce and zoodles

I feel okay. Wiped. But work does this to me. I was better about being hydrated and do believe I didn't feel the same intensity of WANT when I saw the candy throughout the day. Minor but noticeable improvement for me.

I was hoping to prep a breakfast meatloaf tonight, but got home too late, so I'll be making another hash. It's delicious, so I don't mind, but I was looking forward to trying something new.

[Physibeth]

I hope you found a new home for that box of poison. Like a trash bin? Life is too short for bad chocolate.

[megsinthecity]

Well, I'm several days behind on my log, but don't fret! I'm still on track.

Day 10:

We were hit with a wicked storm on Thursday. I wound up being sent home from work early, which I was very thankful for some I had some cooking and prep to do.

BREAKFAST

Sweet potato, apple, and pancetta hash // one grapefruit

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, black olives, cucumber, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

DINNER

Grain free Italian wedding soup with meatballs

Day 11:

Happy Valentine's Day! Today was harder than the rest because I was surrounded by so many sweet treats. Breakfast was one of the recipes I prepped yesterday and I was unfortunately a little disappointed. It was pretty dry.

Today was the last day of jury duty, so we had to hear closing arguments and deliberate. They ordered all the jurors lunch, but not me! I had my sack lunch, of course. The day was long and stressful and I felt ill by the afternoon. I had a tension headache that began to make me feel a bit nauseated. I took some excedrin and drank a lot of water and it seemed to do the trick.

My boyfriend was all worried he wouldn't be able to make me a nice Valentine's dinner, but I was like, "Come on! I can have steak and veggies, what more do I need?!" He did a good job.

BREAKFAST

Slow cooker breakfast meatloaf // two eggs scrambled with spinach

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with a slice of the breakfast meatloaf, red bell pepper, black olives, cucumber, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

DINNER

Steak cooked in olive oil // large kale salad with red bell pepper, black olives, cucumber, dressed with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Day 12:

Today was definitely not my best day. I stayed compliant, but my meals were not ideal. I went with my best friend to look at apartments for her to move in to and it took a lot longer than I was expecting and I wasn't prepared with food. I've noticed my stomach is definitely shrinking and I'm getting more accustomed to not snacking, though. It takes a lot longer than it used to for me to start feeling really hungry and then doesn't take quite as much to make me feel better.

BREAKFAST

Sweet potato, apple and pancetta hash

2PM SNACK

Bowl of mixed fruit: mango, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, kiwi

LUNCH

Grain free Italian wedding soup with meatballs

DINNER

Another small bowl of soup

I'm totally exhausted and a little bored of my soup. Need to pick up more veggies tomorrow. This month is expensive...

[megsinthecity]

WOOHOO I'M HALFWAY THERE!!! I'm actually going to be logging Days 13 and 14, but I'm on Day 15 and I'm already feeling pretty triumphant.

 

Day 13:

Today was a pretty easy peasy day. I was wiped after apartment hunting with my roommate the day before, so I felt pretty groggy. Managed to go to the grocery store and prep some more food. I was going to stay at my boyfriend's place, so I had to pack a bunch of meals. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, right? I had a bit of a dull headache most of the day, but I don't think I was well hydrated, so I just focused on that.

 

BREAKFAST

Slow cooker breakfast meatloaf // two eggs, one egg white scrambled with spinach

LUNCH

Grain free Italian wedding soup with meatballs

DINNER

Meat sauce with zoodles

Day 14:

I had brought over spinach for my eggs at breakfast, but my guy cooked me breakfast while I was still sleeping, so I couldn't really complain! Very lazy day, easy to pace my meals. It occurred to me that I haven't been feeling very bloated or gassy at all! It might be a little TMI, but I can't remember the last time I passed gas! lol As long as I can remember, I've experienced that kind of discomfort, so I'm looking forward to pinpointing what the culprit is.

 

BREAKFAST

Chicken apple sausage link // three eggs scrambled

 

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with tuna, red bell pepper, cucumber, black olives, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic dressing

 

DINNER

Grain free Italian wedding soup with meatballs (the never-ending supply!!!)

Tonight should be my last night with the soup, which isn't terrible, but I don't love. Then meat sauce and zoodles and I will ride off into the sunset, in love forever. I'd actually like to try a curry of some kind, but can't get enough of those zoodles. 

[megsinthecity]

Alrighty! I hit my halfway point yesterday! Come oooonnnnn Tiger's Blood! 

Day 15:

 

BREAKFAST

Slow cooker breakfast meatloaf // two eggs, one egg white scrambled with spinach

 

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, red bell pepper, cucumber, black olives, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic dressing

 

DINNER

Grain free Italian wedding soup with meatballs (the LAST bowl!!!)

 

People are starting to comment that I look like I've lost weight and that I look "brighter." Everyone, including myself, has been shocked at how not moody I've been. I've tried nasty diets in the past that have made me a little "hangry," but that couldn't be further from the truth with Whole30. I've been pretty damn pleasant.

 

Tonight (day 16) will be my first attempt at dining out. Stay tuned! I'm nervous!

[megsinthecity]

Day 16 saw my first attempt at dining out on Whole30! It was successful, though I definitely didn't get enough food for the full day. I planned to have a couple small compliant sides at the restaurant and then return home for a small bowl of my meat sauce with zoodles, but we wound up staying much later than I anticipated at the restaurant. When I got home, it was really too late to be eating.

 

I noticed 

 

BREAKFAST

Slow cooker breakfast meatloaf // two eggs, one egg white scrambled with spinach // one grapefruit

 

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, red bell pepper, cucumber, black olives, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic dressing // unsweetened apple sauce

 

DINNER

Brussels sprouts with pancetta // roasted butternut squash // small dish of olives

 

I noticed a very unexpected side effect of the program while I was out. The rest of the party was complaining about the heat from the moment we sat down. All of them were sweating, fanning themselves, removing layers, the whole nine yards. I'm normally a very warm person and I get hot easily, but I was incredibly comfortable the entire time. When I mentioned it later to my boyfriend, he says my body isn't working as hard to digest my food, so it's dropped my body temperature a bit. I don't know if that's totally true, but it makes sense to me. So strange!

[megsinthecity]

Day 17 was fairly uneventful. I expected to wake up very hungry after my small dinner out, but I actually felt the opposite. It was quite hard to eat my breakfast. It wasn't until mid-afternoon that I really started feeling very hungry and DEVOURED my dinner. 

I've been keeping very hydrated - at least 3 liters of water a day - and feeling like my body is operating smoothly. I think day 17 might have been the first day that I didn't have even the tiniest ping of a craving for something non-compliant. I've been a little fatigued, but I'm just not getting as much sleep as I'd like, so I don't think I can blame it on the program.

 

BREAKFAST

Slow cooker breakfast meatloaf // two eggs, one egg white scrambled with spinach // one grapefruit

 

LUNCH

Mixed greens salad with grilled chicken, red bell pepper, cucumber, black olives, and dressed with homemade creamy balsamic dressing // unsweetened apple sauce

 

DINNER

Meat sauce with zoodles