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Back in the saddle again!


Wynne Jones

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I have been doing Whole 30 on and off for quite a while now, and here's the truth: when I am on I am, as we say in AA, "happy, joyous, and free". I feel clear-headed, my inflammation goes away, I'm more comfortable in my skin, I feel years younger. What's not to love? 

BUT, when I am off, I am OFF. I'm talking Hostess cupcakes off. I'm talking Cheerios and skim for breakfast, pb&j with a side of corn chips for lunch, multiple chocolaty snacks (I literally just ate 4 mini Hershey bars) and a pizza for dinner off. There is absolutely no middle ground, no moderation. And, as with most addicts, there is this terrible phenomenon I encounter: when I know I am scheduled or planning to quit something, it makes me desire it all the more. This was true for sure back when I was a wino (I have been sober 4+ years) and it is true for cupcakes, too. 

I am planning to start another W30 on Sunday, March 9. I have set aside Saturday as a day to clean out my fridge and do a shopping. I am also gathering up some favorite recipes and planning out my meals for the first week. One thing I am super excited about is that I am attending a Whole9 Nutrition Seminar with Melissa Hartwig on March 29 in Salem, NH. I will be on Day 21 and feeling fabulous :)

I am going to try to use the principles of AA to help me  - it worked really well when I completed a Whole 40 last spring.

Step 1 - I am powerless over sugar and my life is unmanageable. 

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Today is Day 0. So far today I have done my prayers and meditation, met with a friend at the Farmer's Market where I bought some haddock and beef, taken my dog for a good long walk, and cleaned out the fridge to make space. I'll be heading out shortly to buy all sorts of yummy food, then I plan to make mayo and some hard-boiled eggs. 

I'm feeling hopeful, prepared, and willing. 

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  1. PRAY and MEDITATE

Read a success story from the W30 forum before every meal

Clean up after myself without fail - it is hard to cook in a messy kitchen

These are my strategies for today, Day 1! I am cooking up one of my favorite simple breakfasts - roast sweet potato, chicken-apple sausage, onion and apple with rosemary. My kitchen smells wonderful and my coffee tastes great (I never went back to creamer, and I've adjusted to black coffee fine). Lunch will be haddock and salad, supper will be zoodles for me, pasta for the family, and this: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2013/03/01/school-italian-meat-sauce/

 

Happy Daylight Savings!

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About to go to bed after a pretty good Day 2. 

My food:

M1 - roasted ssg, sweet potato, apple and onion with some olive oil; black coffee

M2 - leftover Italian meat sauce from Well Fed 2 with spaghetti squash; clementine; black coffee

snack - coconut Larabar

M3 - tukey burger on a salad (lettuce, tomato, avocado, drizzle of evoo), 1/2 a baked sweet potato

 

If history repeats itself, I will wake up with a beast of a headache tomorrow morning. 

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Day 3!

Here are a few of the reasons I am doing the W30 again. I know I will achieve these goals, because it worked so brilliantly the first time!

1) I want to be able to go a few hours between meals without the shaky, crazy blood-sugar plummet. That's the earliest benefit from W30, and it feels great.

2) Relief from chronic inflammation in my gut, joints - especially my achilles tendonitis - and fingers.

3) Freedom from sugar addiction

 

Today's meals:

M1 - sauteed kale w/ shallots, fried eggs, sausage, black coffee

M2 - Caribbean seafood stew (http://everydaypaleo.com/caribbean-seafood-stew/), carrot sticks and snap peas

M3 - Damn Fine Chicken (http://nomnompaleo.com/post/4207543396/damn-fine-chicken#), big ol' green salad with avocado, 2 tangerines

(What, no snack?! :D )

 

Feeling pretty good - headache not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, though I am very body-achy and a little emotionally sensitive.

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Day 4 in the bank!

Two more reasons for W30 - 

1) Once I get past the first two weeks or so, I sleep like a baby. Oh, how I love to sleep!

2) I want to set a good example for my kids and my students. I don't want my daughter to watch me shoving cookies in my mouth and then feeling guilty about it. I want her and my son to see that I respect my body enough to nourish it with the good stuff (and maybe inspire them to eat better, too).

 

Today's meals:

M1 - Kale and sausage, 1/2 a baked sweet potato, black coffee

M2 - big salad w/ two chicken thighs

snack - Granny Smith apple w/ tablespoon almond butter

M3 - pot roast with onions, carrots, and sweet potato (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/2008_the_year_of_the_pot_roast/ )

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Day 5 and feeling a bit worn down and defeated, truth be told. The mix of Daylight Savings, another bad storm, and my new eating has me tired and funky. But I'm sticking to it! 

 

M1(6AM) - kale (again - I bought a huge bag of it) sauteed with prosciutto and 2 fried eggs, black coffee, 1/2 a sweet potato 

M2(11AM) - the other half of the sweet potato with leftovers from last night's pot roast, 2 tangerines

snack(3:30PM) - Granny Smith w/ almond butter

M3(6:30PM) - leftover Italian meat sauce (no spag. squash, so I ate it like a stew), salad with avocado and olive oil, tangerine (as I was eating it, I realized it was my third of the day. Oops! Sugar will find a way! I will be more careful with fruit tomorrow)

 

Found out today that on 3/21 & 3/22 I need to go to Cambridge for a teaching conference. Feeling nervous about eating on the road. I'm already weird because I don't drink - now I don't eat "normally" either? Fact is, worrying is a terrible waste of energy. I think I'll sleep instead. Goodnight!

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Reaching the end of Day 6. Woke up, after hitting the snooze button three times, wanting nothing but a big bowl of cereal with milk. Luckily, the feeling passed once I had a good meal in me. Very tired all day - the Whole30 timeline is freakishly accurate. 

 

M1 - scrambled eggs with kale, black coffee, 

snack - apple

M2 - leftover pot roast, black coffee

M3 - grass-fed burger on lettuce, sweet potato fries, kiwi

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Yesterday was Day 7 and was a bit rough! So, so sleepy, cranky, and questioning whether I could do it. This is where my prior experience with the W30 really came in handy - I am able to see this detox for what it is: proof that the SAD diet really F's me up. 

 

M1: kale, pear & chicken thighs ( I don't recommend), black coffee, tangerine

M2: egg salad lettuce wraps, carrot and celery sticks

M3: ssg, kale, scallion & mushroom saute, handful of nuts, black decaf

 

Today I I will be doing a charity walk here in 30 degree Maine. I'm feeling a bit better than yesterday and woke up with some willingness. 

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Ok, Day 8!

M1: tomato frittata (I needed a break from kale!), black coffee

snack: coconut Larabar

M2: sausage, kale (almost finished the bag), scallion saute in coconut oil, 

M3: taco salad - holy yum. Lettuce, peppers, salsa, meat with this seasoning: http://cavemanfood.blogspot.com/2009/04/taco-salad-and-homemade-taco-seasoning.html, and the most perfect avocado half I have ever eaten. I can't wait for lunch tomorrow when I can have the rest!

 

Mood seems to be getting better, life is feeling more manageable. Tiger blood is within sight and I can't wait!

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Day 9 already? Wow! I am feeling much better - energy is up and consistent, tummy issues are getting better, I'm sleeping well, and most of all my mood has been even keeled and positive. Ahhhhhh!

 

M1: kale and sausage cooked in coconut oil, two fried eggs, black coffee

snack: coconut Larabar

M2: taco salad (not as good as last night, but still good)

M3: roast chicken, roasted Brussels sprouts - I was supposed to have half a sw. potato too, but it didn't finish baking, so I just had big portions of the other two. 

 

Tomorrow I am planning to buy a new pair of running sneaks in celebration of Day 10. 

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Day 10 done! Great day - busy start to finish, consistent energy throughout. Woo-hoo! Didn't get to buy those new sneaks yet - perhaps tomorrow. 

 

M1: 1/2 sw. potato, leftover taco meat, salsa, 1/2 avocado

M2: chicken leg, 1/2 sw. potato, roasted Brussels sprouts, handful of almonds/cashews/pistachios

M3: steak, salad, tangerine

 

Also did Week 1/ Day 1 of the Couch 2 5K program. I didn't do a pre or post meal - will need to figure all of that out. 

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Day 11 - tummy upset is back with a vengeance today, not sure why. Highly unpleasant!

 

M1 - scrambled eggs with mushroom, onion, ssg, black coffee, banana

snack - coconut Larabar

M2 - big leafy salad, olive oil dressing, leftover steak, almonds, 

M3 - steak with mushroom sauce, baked sweet potato, bananas & blueberries

 

Really hoping I feel better tomorrow

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Day 12 - my sleep last night was AMAZING. I use an app called Sleep Cycle which monitors my sleep - it said I had 97% sleep quality - I'm usually around 75/80%. Cool!

 

M1 - sw. potato fritters, last of the steak, 1 fried egg, black coffee, banana

M2 - big salad, chicken, olive oil, tangerine

post WO - chicken, carrot

M3 - 1/2 baked sweet potato, tomatoes, hamburger

 

Trying to have lots of starchy foods to, eh hem, get things a bit more firm. Still having pain in my gut and the Big D. Since I am a school teacher, this is Very Trying. I had to just leave my kids to fend for themselves for a moment today. Luckily, nothing was on fire and nobody was bleeding when I returned. 

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Day 13. 

Spent today at a teaching conference in Cambridge. Did fine all day until this afternoon when I started having gut pain and diarrhea. Nothing like having gut pain and diarrhea when far from home, right?  :wacko:

 

M1 - sweet potato fritters, fried egg, sausage, black coffee

M2 - salad with salsa, carnitas, guac., 

snack - coconut Larabar (wondering if this might be the problem??)

M3 - planning to have some squash soup and a hard boiled egg, if I can. 

 

My gut is taking longer to heal this time, and it is so frustrating. My colleagues went out for dinner without me - I'm off to have a hot bath and feel sorry for myself. 

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Yesterday was Day 14.  I definitely did NOT follow all the rules of W30 on this day, but I didn't go completely off the beam either. 

 

M1 (around 6am) - one hard-boiled egg, banana (woke up in my hotel, gut still hurting from the last night's bout with nastiness, and all I had for veg was raw peapods and tomatoes)

M2 (around 10am) - scrambled eggs, fruit salad, and 1 slice bacon provided by the conference hosts. Almost certainly non-compliant bacon, but I chose to have it

snack (around 3pm) sardines, beets

M3 (around 7) - went out to Sebago Brewing Co. and had the steak, veggies and sweet potato fries from their gluten-free menu. Again, was all compliant? No idea. 

 

Good news - gut feels much better today. I am off raw veg, nuts, and Larabars ( :o ) for a while, hoping that helps. 

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Day 15 - super tired due to a lack of sleep, but otherwise feeling good. Great meditation meeting tonight, where I confirmed my commitment to my HP to "Let Go and Let God" when it comes to my food. The W30 is simply the discipline I'm using to help me do that, and it is working!

 

M1 - scrambled eggs with mushrooms, peppers, onions; bacon; fruit salad; black coffee

M2 - leeks, sausage, apple sauteed in coconut oil; tangerine

post WO - one Applegate hotdog with sauerkraut and mustard

M3 - pork chop in balsamic vinaigrette; braised cabbage (http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1356598429/worlds-best-braised-green-cabbage); tangerine

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Day 16 - good day! Other than some rather horrific gas (yikes - sorry everyone within twenty feet of me) my belly issues are a bit better. Plus, since I'm quite certain what caused the gas, I know not to make the mistake again.

 

M1 - roast sw. potato, leeks, chick. apple sausage with rosemary; black coffee; tangerine

snack - Granny Smith apple (cause of gas #1)

M2 - pork chop, braised cabbage (cause #2), cherry tomatoes

Post WO - 1/4 sw. potato, chick. apple sausage

M3 - acorn squash soup; 2 Applegate hotdogs, 

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Day 17 was terrific! Tummy issues much better, energy fabulous, I kept me temper with 8th graders all day  :P

 

M1 - turkey burger, apple, cinnamon and black coffee

M2 - chocolate chili, guac, 2 small tangerines

snack - black coffee and a Larabar (I know, I know...I donated blood and this seemed like the best choice)

M3 - two hard-boiled eggs, pickled beets, banana, handful almonds (I know, I know)

 

Today was the first time in a while I was allowed to donate blood - my hemoglobin was too low the past few times. Yay, iron-rich foods!

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Happy to see the forum back up! Today is DAY 20!! Fighting a head cold, but otherwise feeling good. Wearing my skinny jeans today :)

Eating has been good the last two days - continuing to cut back on nuts and Larabars. Will post my meals tonight!

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