Acumen's Whole 30 Log!!!

[Acumen]

Ah! Day 1!!!! I've been nervous and putting it off for about a week. But now I've read the book cover to cover and went on a whole foods shopping spree. I'm stocked up but still missing a few ingredients that will help vary up my meals a bit.

I had dreams all night last night of excruciating hunger and how hard this will be...but I woke up realizing that I won't be that hungry and it shouldn't be crazy hard. I'm still eating lots of food...just healthy food instead.

My past eating habits are horrendous! I literally eat out every meal and buy super sugary snacks every night. This will be a big change but I'm committed!

I'm a breastfeeding mom to one 2 year old boy. My husband says he's on board but hasn't read the book, the website or anything related to whole 30. I tried to tell him that it's not quite as simple as meat, veggies and fruit only, but even if he does just that, it'll be better than how we have been eating. And who knows, maybe he'll realize the way he's eating those meats, veggies and fruit isn't the best and he'll pick up the book or come seek advice from me.

My goals for this whole 30 are to lose some weight (I need to lose 40 pounds but I know that won't happen this month...but a good start would be nice!), slay my sugar dragon, and get a grip on my snacking. I would also love to have more energy, I yawn all day no matter how much I sleep so an energy boost would be helpful.

I work part time and its crazy hours and on various sets around the city so I often don't have confirmed access to a fridge to store lunch or dinner. Luckily, work is winding down so if I can get through this busy week, it should be easier the next few weeks when I stay at home.

I have started to find ways that I enjoy working out. I take my son on bike rides but he'll only make it about 4-6 miles before he's over it. I do some trampoline fitness which is a crazy good workout but its tough to get away from the family for 2 hours. I'm not a huge fan of running but I have a treadmill and can do that if the weather forces me inside. When I shed some weight, I'm excited to go to the pool and swim.

My stats as of now are:

Weight: 179 (yikes!)

Height: 5'10

Gender: Female

Notes: Breastfeeding

[Acumen]

So far so good! I'm pretty tired and lack energy but I ate well. This is a major shock to my system so I'm nervous for the days ahead.

Breakfast:

Sweet potato

2 fries eggs

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil mayo

Greens (arugula, spinach, red and green chard, etc)

Pear

Dinner:

Deconstructed burger

Kiwi

I'm not sure my husband will make it. He's already struggling and it's only day 1. But this was my idea to begin with so he doesn't quite have the passion for it that I do. My son gas done okay with it. He wasn't feeling the greens tonight so I gave him son soup instead. He's 2 so obviously I have no concerns about his weight but I'd like him to eat less processed stuff.

[melissaD14]

Great start!  I don't have kids, but my husband is eating *some* of my whole30 approved meals, other times he makes his own revisions (adding cheese to his salad, adding store bought BBQ sauce containing sugar to his chicken).  He is not committed to completing the challenge, but is very supportive of my journey.  Keep up the good work!

 

BTW, I'm on Day #9 and its been tough, stay strong.

[Acumen]

Thanks for your support Melissa! My husband has been eating non compliant but has stayed with the general idea of the plan. He's having salads at work but with their non compliant dressing and cheese. And he had a glass of milk yesterday without thinking. I'm happy he's trying even if he veers off course a bit.

My son, on the other hand, is eating crackers with peanut butter and non compliant soup. So he's non compliant but I'm keeping him to the stuff that doesn't tempt me. He's been begging for ice cream though. He's only had it a few times but we brought our dog to the ice cream shop last time and he thought that was amazing so I'm pretty sure that's why he wants it so bad...for the experience. I'm not letting him have it cause I know I would cave!

I was exhausted all day on day 2. It got better after dinner and I even tried to go to my trampoline fitness class but it was a full-in instructor and he didn't have keys to the building and no one was there to unlock the doors for him. I was so bummed. It's tough for me to get out of the house and work out by myself for an hour so I was excited to have the chance...and it didn't happen

I've had the same thing both days for lunch and the first day I HATED it...but day 2, I actually kind of liked it! I was surprised. I had to snack yesterday which I was hoping to avoid but I was actually hungry so I had some raspberries. It may have been because of my wimpy breakfast. i'll try to incorporate more veggies from now on. Fruit has really given me something to look forward to. I'm trying to limit it to 2 servings a day.

Breakfast:

2.5 hard boiled eggs

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil nation super greens

Strawberries

Snack:

Raspberries

Dinner:

Sausage

Broccoli

Orange

[Acumen]

I couldn't get the forum to work last night so I wasn't able to post day 3 but I stuck to the plan and felt great.

I didn't eat enough variety for breakfast but I didn't feel hungry so that was good. For dinner I tried to make roast chicken and vegetables but the vegetables were fried to a crisp...yuck. I guess there wasn't enough water and juices to keep them from drying out. The chicken was great so I had an orange with it. No veggies but I came into this not knowing how to cook anything so I've burnt a few things and ruined a few dishes. I've now got a stockpile of great ready to go food so if I ruin a meal, I've got a backup!

Breakfast:

Hard boiled eggs

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil mayo on super greens

Strawberries

Dinner:

Roasted chicken

Orange

[Acumen]

Day 4!

Today was my first day on whole 30 that I had to work. I was nervous because I work in Film so there's always catering and craft services. I wasn't ready to eat out in the real world yet so I packed and brought my own breakfast and lunch.

I've been experimenting with more recipes and have found my favorite! I made blueberry sausage patties that are incredible! I also made scrambled egg cup with kale, red peppers and onions. I'm not a fan of the peppers and onions but I'm hoping my tastes will change to accommodate those.

I had my first little breakdown tonight. I've been up since 6am, worked all day, then picked my son up and dealt with tantrums all night. My husband came home at 8:30pm and I had to hand my son off and shed some tears upstairs in my room. Normally things like this don't get to me...at all...but I guess I'm right on schedule for some brain rebelling and hormone craziness.

Breakfast:

2 egg muffins

2 blueberry sausages

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil mayo on super greens

Orange

Dinner:

Sausage with peppers

Apple with almond butter

1/2 hard boiled egg

[Acumen]

Day 5!

Another day completed! I found my new favorite meal! Spinach an garlic meatballs with a baked sweet potato! Soooo good. My son couldn't get enough of the meatballs! I was starting to get a little bummed about some of the food aide I was burning stuff and it wasn't tasting as good as I was hoping but this meal was perfect! I made 2 giant sweet potatoes and I cut them to make 6 servings so now I have even more food ready to go!

I definitely haven't been drinking enough water. I have a 16 oz bottle at every meal but need to be drinking more...especially while breastfeeding. So I'll be working on that in the next few days.

I'm excited to be 1/6 of the way done!

Breakfast:

2 egg muffins

3 blueberry sausages

A few apple chicken sausage pieces

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil mayo on super greens

Orange

Dinner:

Spinach and garlic meatballs

Baked sweet potato

[Acumen]

Day 6!

This is the first weekend day and I'm feeling strong. My mom offered to watch our son for us (which never happens!) so we could see a movie! I'm not feeling tempted at all by the popcorn and drinks. I'll bring water and maybe some fruit. Excited for some free time!

[Acumen]

Day 6!

Today was a little tough at dinner time. We were out at dinner time and I was starving. I began thinking about how easy it was to eat out and could I really do this for 30 days? As soon as we went home and I ate, I felt much better and knew I could complete the 30 days. It's crazy what hungry can do to you!

Breakfast:

2 egg muffins

Blueberry sausage

Raspberries/strawberries

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil mayo on super greens

Sweet Potato

Dinner:

Sausage

Broccoli

Carrots

1/2 orange

Kiwi

[Acumen]

Day 7!! I made it one week!

What a great day! I'm noticing more energy and no cravings. I went shopping at two different grocery stores and didnt get tempted by all the junk food. This week is supposed to be gorgeous so I'll start running and riding my bike outside now that I'm seeing a bit more energy.

Breakfast:

2 Fried eggs

2 Blueberry sausage

Orange

Lunch:

Tuna with olive oil mayo on super greens

Baked sweet potato

Dinner:

Chicken apple sausage stir fry

[Acumen]

Day 8!

I had a protein packed breakfast but didnt have any veggies. That proved to be a mistake because I wasn't hungry when lunch rolled around. Now I know to balance things better and follow the meal template better.

I'm ready for some more energy. I have a bit and I'm not yawning all day but I definitely feeling like I'm lacking a lot. My sleep has gotten worse since starting Whole 30. I used to sleep all night and not wake up at all. Now I'm waking up several times a night. However, I do sleep 10 hours a night so maybe my body has more energy and doesn't want to sleep that long?

Breakfast:

3 Turkey and eggs

Lunch:

Apple

Dinner:

Grilled Chicken with BBQ Sauce

Broccoli

[Acumen]

Day 9!

My meals are suffering a bit because I haven't had much prep time. So to get back on track, I made some egg muffins with tomatoes, broccoli, and kale. I also made bacon. Today, I'll make some more olive oil mayo so I can eat tuna on super greens again for lunch.

I went for a 6 mile bike ride with my 2 year old strapped to the back. This was the first workout I did on the whole 30 besides walking at the park with my son. I felt great and realized I have more energy after I work out...even if I feel exhausted to begin with. So I'll try to push through the tiredness and get active each day.

Breakfast:

Hard boiled Egg

Raspberries

Strawberries

Turkey

Lunch:

Turkey

Raspberries

Strawberries

Carrots

Dinner:

Italian sausage

Baked sweet potatoes

[Acumen]

Double digits! I can't believe I'm 1/3 of the way there! I had the best meal ever tonight, steal with the steak rub recipe in the ISWF book and sweet potatoes. Yum! I've never cooked steak before but man, it was so easy! I'll definitely be making more...although steak is expensive!

I've had so much energy too! I took my son on a 10-mile bike ride, then took him and my three dogs to the dog park, then mowed the lawn! I'm normally super sedentary so this is a huge improvement. I've decided to take progress pictures next Monday (day 15) to compare to my before pictures. I can't wait to see the difference!

I still need to push for more veggies...I didn't have any at lunch today! But I wasn't very hungry at all at lunch so I didn't eat much.

Breakfast:

2 egg muffins with tomatoes, kale and broccoli

Orange

Lunch:

Hard boiled egg

Raspberries and strawberries

Dinner:

Steak

Sweet potato

[Acumen]

Day 11 was a success even though it was hard, very hard. I'm getting sick of all the cooking and the cleaning that accompanies it. My husband had a big basketball game tonight and it did not go well. My 2 year old was acting like a maniac an I caved at halftime and bought him a lollipop. He's loosely following whole 30 but not super strict like me. The lollipop kept him calm for the rest of the game which really helped. After the game, my husband was grumpy an I so badly wanted to just grab a pizza or drown his sorrows in ice cream but I stayed strong and resisted.

I had my first food related dream. I dreamt I was at the basketball game and had just finished a milkshake. When I finished, I thought, "We'll, I already ruined my whole 30, I might as well eat more junk food!" That proves to me that m unhealthy habits are still lingering and I don't quite have the healthy relationship with food that I'm hoping to ain from whole 30. More proof that I need 18 more days!

Breakfast:

2 Egg muffins

Strawberries

Lunch:

Turkey

Broccoli

Orange

Dinner:

10 minute chili on super greens (from ISWF)

[Acumen]

Day 12.

I'm getting so sick of cooking and it's effecting my meals. Luckily, I had a pre-cooked breakfast...but the rest of my meals were pretty pathetic.

Breakfast:

2 egg muffins

Orange

Lunch:

Raspberries (pathetic, I know. I took a nap with my son and missed lunch)

Dinner:

10 minute chili leftovers.

Orange

[Acumen]

Day 13:

So far so good! Almost halfway there! I'm continuing to notice changes. My nails are growing like crazy so I'm getting a birthday manicure in the next few days! I'm definitely losing weight but I still don't fit into clothes that I wore last summer Man, I really pigged out this winter! I'm paying the price and learning better habits now though.

Breakfast:

2 egg muffins

Orange

Lunch:

10 minute chili leftovers

Dinner:

Grilled chicken with BBQ sauce

Roasted Asparagus

2 strawberries

5 blueberries

[Acumen]

Two weeks down!

Tuesday is my birthday and I'll be going out to eat for the first time on my whole 30 journey. I'm not worried because I can get a steak and broccoli just like I had for dinner tonight...yum! I completely skipped lunch (horrible, I know!). I was so grouchy and exhausted by the time dinner rolled around...even though I wasn't starving, I can see how good effects me. I went shopping and stocked up for the week. Lots meat and lots of fresh fruit and veggies...man, that get expensive!

Breakfast:

Homemade turkey sausage

Blueberries

Dinner:

Steak

Broccoli

[Acumen]

Day 15:

Breakfast:

Homemade sausage

Raspberries

Blueberries

Strawberries

Lunch:

2 Fried Eggs

Banana

Dinner:

Spinach sausage

Green Beans

Raspberries

[GFChris]

Hi there-

 

Nice progress, and Happy Birthday!

 

For best results, aim for having 1-3 cups of vegetables at every meal: don't let fruit push veggies off your plate.  Especially where you're breastfeeding: ideally get at least one carb dense vegetable in daily.  You get so much more nutritional value from veggies vs. fruit - would hate to see you miss out.  

 

Also, when eggs are your protein, be sure you're eating enough: the serving size is the number of eggs you can hold in one hand. For most folks, that's at least 2-3.