jstyler3b Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Hi. i'm Jenn. My story: This is my third attempt at a whole30. The first (June) one lasted 23 days, at which point I was on my 3rd straight antibiotic (4th week) and for biological reasons, the doctor suggested I start eating some yogurt. I did. The yogurt led to other foods that I would describe as non-primal. That week, I gained 4 lbs. Prior to ending the W30, I had lost 10 lbs. The second one came in July. I worked my tail off to lose those 4 lbs and get back to regular weight loss. I ended #2 after 25 days as my SIL wanted to do a Whole30 for August. I agreed to join her to motivate her to commit to it. I was having some cravings, so I ended early to get them out of the way before starting my 3rd. I lost 10 lbs with the 2nd whole30 as well. I gained back 4 after giving it up by allowing non-primal things back in. I started following the Whole30 guidelines again this last Monday and quickly lost those 4 lbs so that I could start today at my ending weight for the last W30... and that's how I got here. I hope I can lose another 10 lbs. More importantly than my weight loss, I hope my SIL has a good experience with the Whole30 and reaches whatever goals she's got set. I've had amazing results with both of my shortened attempts and wish the same for her. I fully intend to complete the entire 30 days this time around. No stopping short. I have had great results in 23 and 25 days... I can only imagine what 30 days will bring! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Plan for Day1: B: 3 eggs 4 sausage links L: leftover pastured pork chop leftover sweet potato with coconut oil leftover fresh steamed broccoli D: pastured chicken drums and bone-in breast roasted zucchini and summer squash with fresh garlic tomato salad with olive oil, basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper Movement: either a 45 minute walk over lunch or body weight functional movements at the gym How do I feel: I've been crabby lately. I assume this is sugar withdrawal. I've successfully gone 2 days with no forms of sugar, to include sugar from fruit. Fruit, in the last two attempts, was used as a crutch for sugar cravings so this time I cut it out to slay the sugar dragon. I attribute my crabby mood to this detoxing process and everyday stress. I hope the crabbiness ends soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carie Skeahan Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Welcome! Your day 1 looks really good...protein, veggies and fat. Nice job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Day 1 nailed down. On to Day 2: B: 3 eggs fried in bacon grease 4 slices bacon (nitrate/nitrite free) L: 3 chicken legs with coconut oil and various spices roasted summer squash, zucchini and garlic tomato salad D: Either leftover chicken or grilled bison How do I feel: in a better mood today. Still cranky, but not as bad as the last couple of days. Upcoming Challenges: this week I am facing my first challenge that I think will actually be a tough obstacle. My husband's birthday is coming up so we're going out to eat to celebrate. He chose Olive Garden. Really? Why! *sigh* It's not the pasta. I can pass up the pasta. OG actually has a really nice looking gluten free menu. It's not enormous, but it's adequate and looks delicious! Very W30 (as long as they don't use any funky oils). What I will have a problem with is the breadsticks with alfredo sauce that DH will order. I'll have to start stuffing salad into my face while he's eating his breadsticks. Why couldn't he have chosen Texas Roadhouse? I could easily order a steak with no seasoning (I bet you 10 to 1 that they use MSG in their seasoning), a baked sweet potato (and snuck in my ghee), with steamed veggies. So much easier! But he chose Olive Garden and it's his birthday so who am I to contest? It's times like this where I wish I was still living the SAD... but I was sad then (literally - on 3 medications for anxiety and depression before going Primal/Paleo) and now I'm not. I know I can do this. I just wonder about the mental implications - the regret, sorrow and sense of loss at not being able to experience those textures and flavors. Hopefully the gluten free menu tastes as good as it looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Too many almonds today. I think it's the direct result of boredom eating and sugar craving. Today is a boring day at work so I want to munch mindlessly, and the guy I share an office with is crunching on an Atomic Fireball, which is making me want one of them. Turned to almonds instead. Definitely a better choice, but too easy to overindulge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HikeMoreTrails Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Hi Jenn. Good luck with Olive Garden. You can do this! Just tell yourself none on that trip -- and next time, if you choose to, you can eat as many breadsticks as you'd like! When I do this I kind of intellectualize it and think, but I know I'm only kidding myself about next time. but then I think, nope, I think I really may choose to eat those breadsticks next time, so there!... just not tonight. Silly that it works, but it seems to for me for all kinds of stuff. Delayed gratification, something I've never been very good at, but have gotten better with good effort. Maggie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Delayed gratification, something I've never been very good at, but have gotten better with good effort. Maggie the postponment of present pleasure , as my dad call its Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithb63 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Hi Jenn, I know you can go the Whole 30 this time! Your roasted summer squash looks great - I am going to have to try that! Cheers! Faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 Hi all. Lots of traffic. It turns out we're not going to OG now. DH changed his mind and would rather watch a dirt track race instead, so that's what we're going to do, which will make things easier in the temptation arena, but will greatly reduce my good food choices. Race tracks don't have Whole30 approved foods, so I think I'll probably end up making something at home or grabbing some nitrate/nitrite free lunch meat to gorge myself on. Have started an almond habit, I think. Luckily they're gone now so I should be ok from here on out. I only got them b/c my nose dr put me on a steroid to reduce inflammation in my sinuses in an attempt to avoid sinus surgery. They're working, but I find myself having the munchies more. And I can't tell if it's sugar withdrawals or the steroids, but I am one cranky biotch in the morning!! I have some apologizing to do to my kiddos for being a mean mommy this morning and not having patience with them. Of course they are only 5 and 2 so they want to dilly-dally in the morning and play around. They don't understand time management (which I am very bad at) and don't understand time crunches, so it's hard for them to comprehend when we've gotten up late, or when things are taking longer than they should, etc. But today I was really cranky with them. I think I hurt my son's feelings (he's 5) b/c when I snapped at him was silent for the remainder of the trip to summer day camp, whereas normally he's a chatter box. And I know I hurt my daughter's feelings (she's the 2 year old) because when I snapped at her for running around and having fun instead of getting in the car, she's cried and gave me that "how could you" look. So, I have some cuddling and apologizing to do tonight before we leave them with Grandma so we can go out to celebrate DH's birthday. Hopefully the sugar withdrawal crankies will be gone soon. Plan for today: B: 3 slices bacon 3 OH eggs fried in bacon grease L: 2 Primal meatloaf "meatballs" steamed carrots with ghee and dried parsley D: still up in the air... prolly Hormel lunch meat and a pepper or something. I wish we'd have time to make a real meal before going. DH said we could stop anywhere I want to eat, but where we're going has fast food restaurants only... nothing worth breaking a W30 on. Movement: took my daily walk (1.67 miles over lunch) and tonight we'll be wandering around the pits at the races non-stop, so lots of slow movement. How am I feeling: I'm a cranky mama bear in the morning. Need to get this in check. Also plan to keep an eye on the keratinosis on my arms. I have it on my forearms. Can't tell if it's improving or not, so going to keep watching it. I think sugar in my diet is the culprit. Will be interesting to see if eliminating sugar helps or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffany Precissi Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Your food looks delicious! I may need to try some of your ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HikeMoreTrails Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I can totally relate to the whole kiddo thing. Mine are now 10 & 11, and while every age has it's challenges (mine are so pre-TEEN, oh the drama!) toddler age through FT school-age for me, seemed all-consuming and trying to take care of myself admist that sure wasn't easy, especially the time management stuff. you're doing great! maggie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 I adjusted my plan yesterday. I decided to allow some fruit on occasion. I was prowling through the house eating anything free of sugar that wasn't nailed down last night and I knew it was because I wanted fruit. So I had a strawberry. Then I blended some canned coconut milk (separated from the water) with some frozen strawberries for a coconut ice cream kind of thing. It's seriously missing something, but not sure what it is. Might try adding some pineappe or apple juice to it or something. I don't know that it was missing sweetness, per se, but it was missing something and I'm not entirely sure what it was. I guess I'll keep experimenting until I get it right. Last night we celebrated DH's 30th birthday at his mom's house. There was cake. I was able to avoid it with ease. My kids, on the other hand, each had a piece with ice cream. I felt so bad for thier little hearts and spleens and livers. All that sugar! Neither of them ate a very good dinner - not that the selection was all that great - there wasn't a SINGLE whole30 approved protein or fat source. Whole30 carbs included watermelon and cantaloup, brought by my SIL who is also doing W30. Otherwise, there was nothing. I ended up bringing food for myself and SIL - catfish and cod seared in clarified butter then baked to doneness, baked quartered sweet potatoes brushed with coconut oil and sprinkled with cinnamon and tomato salad with onions, olive oil, a touch of vinegar and various spices. Not sure what happened to my cod - maybe simply the fact that it was frozen. It never seemed to soften up and flake like it's supposed to. It was very tough and not very good. I made the last 3 fillets I had, thankfully. Next time, I'll stick with the "fresh" stuff at the meat counter. Tried a tuna steak yesterday. Very good. Will definitely do that again. What I love the most about W30 and Paleo in general is that it forces me to try new foods I wouldn't have ever tried if I was still eating the SAD. I'm experimenting with spices and mixing foods I would have never thought to mix before. It's liberating, actually. I mixed sweet potato and beets the other day. That was exciting for me. But, I'm pretty easily amused. Plan for today: B: 3 sausage links 2 eggs L: leftover yucky cod leftover yummy catfish (I squandered 2 tiny fillets for today) leftover seasoned chicken tenders (I buy raw tenders and then use them for salads) in case I give up on the cod - likely to happen leftover quartered sweet potatoes leftover tomato and onion salad D: Not entirely sure yet... This week, we have the choice of chicken thighs, burgers, bison steaks, spare ribs, pot roast, or spaghetti (I made up a pot of spaghetti sauce the other night) - I have completely fallen in love with spaghetti squash! No one else likes it, but I adore the stuff. So yummy! Oh, and I have a pork roast in the freezer as well that I could toss in a crock pot at some point and make pulled pork. Yum. That sounds so yummo! The choices are endless!! Anyone have a recipe for W30 approved bbq sauce or seasoning?? ETA: DH decided on burgers and oven fries. I'll cook up some bacon (almost done), and add the bacon grease and bacon to the burger and make patties, then pan fry them in bacon grease. To keep from wasting any bacon, I'll also probably make green beans with garlic and bacon (om nom nom nom) and cut up some potatoes for him and the kiddos and put them in the oven with coconut oil and some garlic salt. Those sound delish! Too bad white potatoes are out! I'll probably cut myself up another sweet potato or just take double green beans. I love cooking!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 I started a new project for my family called the lunchbox project where I plan to buy a compartmentalized lunchbox for my boy and prepare him primal lunches to take to school instead of his garbage lunches of lunchables, store bought cookies, pudding packs and koolaid pouches. I know, horrid lunch but he wanted cold lunches and I was unprepared. Slowly working on this. This is my excitement for the day. I already have a week's worth of lunchables for him, and I don't have a compartmentalized lunch box yet, but have one in mind. It might be a couple of weeks before I can implement my plans as funds for frivolous spending are nil, but that allows me more time to work on my ideas and solidify my plan. I'm thinking nitrate/nitrite free lunch meats, block cheese cut into chunks, grapes, watermelon, cantaloup, strawberries, etc, carrots, cucumbers, celery with cashew butter. maybe some gluten free cookies, homemade larabars, etc for treats. Maybe even some cashew butter on paleo bread since that's his new asked for snack (he's always asking for a cashew butter and jelly sandwich). It'll be fun. And once my whole30 is over, I can partake in the yummy bars as well (except one I found has zero added sweetness, so it might be ok for W30, if you forget about the whole "no paleo treats" rule). Today's Plan: B: bacon and eggs 1/3 small green pepper L: leftover bacon burgers leftover bacony green beans 2/3 green pepper D: Crockpot Ribs with a Paleo bbq rub mashed potatoes (for them, not me) Steamed broccoli Movement: took a walk. How am I feeling?: Mentally, pretty good. Physically pretty good. I added some fruit back into my diet. No more than 1 serving a day. I had some frozen strawberries blended with coconut cream. Decided I'll use fresh fruit next time. I'm not as grumpy now. Which is good. Might save my marriage. lol I still have a short fuse though, especially when it comes to my son's behavior, which is prompting my sudden desire to radically change his diet. Right now, the only meal I don't control is his breakfast at school, and given some time and effort, I could probably change that from being cereal at school to being something else at school. All in due time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Day 10 Plan: B: eggs, bacon and small green pepper L: Leftover ribs with a dry bbq rub Leftover steamed broccoli D: Spaghetti squash homemade tomato sauce Movement: walk - headed out in my runners. Decided to turn around shortly into it b/c the shoes were causing me some problems. I don't normally wear shoes in the traditional sense. I wear Dr. Scholl's Fast Flats to work (pretty much a slipper) and usually also wear them on my walks. Today it was supposed to rain, so I brought my runners just in case b/c the flats are not waterproof. I've only worn those shoes maybe 3 times since March. About 15 minutes into my walk, my left knee, right big toe, and IT bands on both sides started talking. I turned around and went back to the office. How do I feel today: Eh, it's cloudy... This morning I got out of bed more easily than usual (I could have gotten up earlier, but didn't want to, so I stayed in bed and forced myself to snooze). When I was getting ready for work, I found myself getting winded and my arms got tired trying to put my hair in a ponytail. Not sure what THAT'S all about. Today is DH's birthday, but we already celebrated twice (Friday at Olive Garden and Sunday at his mom's) so that shouldn't be a problem, but it feels like this whole30 is just dragging on and on and on... I feel like it should be day 15 instead of day 10. And I haven't lost a single freaking pound. Not sure if my pants actually are getting bigger or if it's just an illusion (stretched out from wearing them, etc), so maybe something's changing in the waist area. I could go measure my waist since I don't follow that no weighing rule anyway... I already know how good the changes in diet make me feel, so at this point, it IS a weight loss thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Made the decision to start the transition on my son b/c of behavioral issues. We're going to do it in phases. Gluten and preservatives first. Possibly dyes as well. Fruit snacks are going to be so hard to avoid as Grandma always has a huge assortment of fruit snacks laying about. School will be hard with snacks and what not. Breakfast, maybe not so much as I can send a box of cereal for the wee man or make him ELaD waffles or something... but snack time is going to be freaking hard! Very few parents are paleo or concerned about gluten. The only restriction (if any) that our school has on snacks is that they're peanut free (I'm not even sure they have that rule in place). So, it's going to be tough, but DH seems to be on board and DS is aware that changes will be taking place. I'm excited to see how his behavior changes! Once we make it through the initial phase, we'll work on sugar and other grains, etc. Day 11 plan: B: 3 scrambled eggs 3 sausage links small green pepper L: leftover spaghetti squash leftover spaghetti sauce (homemade) D: Chicken thighs Sugar Snap peas mashed taters for the fam (although this might be a bad idea since they sound so tasty right now. will re-evaluate when I get home) Movement: walked over lunch How am I feeling: Pretty good mentally. Pretty good physically. Really excited to start my son on this journey and take him from S.A.D. to Happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Jpeg Izaurralde Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I also ate wayy too many almonds when I started my Whole30. My appetite was totally out of control the first week since I had also quit taking Adderall. Around the second week I switched to Brazil nuts, almonds just started tasting too sweet. Now that I'm on my third week I really don't think about food until I'm hungry. I seem to be at my metabolic sweet spot. It's true what they say, you just really need to give your body time to adjust. Good luck with your son. I truly believe real foods will make him happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstyler3b Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Reached the end of my whole30 at about day 23 or so. I slipped and that just sent me spiralling downward. Despite my best efforts, I found it incredibly difficult to get back on track. I am pleased to report, however, that despite zero pounds lost on the scale (I'm definitely plateaued - how else can you do 3 weeks of faithful W30 and not lose a pound), I lost 3.5 inches (bicep, butt, belly, waist). Pretty pleased with that, but I'd really like to see that scale shift... of well, it doesn't matter right? Congrats to those who successfully finished all 30 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 23 days is still a good run, there are other prpgrams that are 21 days after all - like the 21 day sugar detox. great inch loss, better that & no loss on scale than t'other way around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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