kcrady57 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 A riverjack is a rock, worn smooth by the flowing waters of a river. Some are large boulders, some are small pebbles. Some are solid and stable, some rather wobbly, or slippery with moss. I spent many a childhood afternoon hopping rocks on a small mountain stream, trying to find my way along or across without getting my feet wet. Sometimes it would be easy, with large steady rocks close together. Sometimes the rocks would be smaller, or slippery with moss, and I'd have to step with care to keep my balance. Sometimes a rock that looked steady would surprise me and wobble under my feet. At times the rocks would be too far apart and I couldn't move forward without stepping into the water; if the water was too deep to wade I might have to turn back and find another way. And occasionally, despite all my caution and careful balancing, I would fall in. What an analogy for life! I'll be hopping rocks on my Whole 30 journey, jumping from one riverjack to another, trying to find my way without falling in! Anyhow - I'm on day 2 of the official August Whole 30 - or day 12 of my personal Whole 30 (or is it a Whole 40 now?) I've been resisting starting a log for a while; as some others have mentioned, I have a strong aversion to logging my meals and micro-managing my food - reminds me too much of certain weight-loss systems that I have tried in the past. The worst thing about those programs was that it felt too much like work, and I felt like a failure if I didn't post every single morsel or sip that passed my lips. (Not to mention that the more weight I lost, the less I was allotted to eat - thereby punishing me for being successful... what?!!) Never again! I know that the logs here are what we make of them ourselves - no hard and fast rules, so here I am, telling you about my progress. I won't be logging my meals, though if I try a particularly good recipe I might share it. I promise to check in periodically to let you know how I'm doing. Today - I'm feeling happy and full of energy! Love it! I admit to some curiosity over weight loss, but so far I've avoided the scales. Pre-Whole 30, avoiding the scales usually meant I was in denial, eating too much crap and not paying attention to the creeping weight gain, so it does feel strange to be doing good things for my body without jumping on the scales to prove it. I know that for some of you, weight loss is simply a happy side-effect of this process, but for those of us who tip the scales into obesity, it is an important health issue all on its own. I'll resist the urge to weigh, though, but I'm not tossing out the scales just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithb63 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Awesome post! Enjoy your journey over the riverjacks! You are doing great so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 Day 3 / 13 (depending on how you count it...) and I'm still feeling great for the most part. Had something unexpected yesterday though - I've suffered from some mild plantar fasciitis for several years; yesterday while I was walking through the grocery store I was hit with a sudden sharp pain in the back of my heel that seems worse when I'm putting weight on the ball of my foot. Trying to stay off of it today to see what happens. The dogs aren't happy - they miss their morning walk, and I do too! Funny thing is the emotional response I had to this injury - I didn't want to cook, didn't want to eat healthy, just wanted something easy and 'comfortable'. But I resisted the urge and cooked pork chops and broccoli for dinner, with a few cherries and an apple for desert. My foot is still sore today, but I'm in a much better mental state. The cold brew coffee is done and in the fridge, and the pantry got a face-lift this morning. There were still some lingering gluten-free mixes and other odds and ends that had hidden out. As of now, the pantry is paleo with the single exception of some splenda that we're holding on to as a courtesy to guests who still need something sweet in their tea and coffee. Most of the pantry is Whole 30 compliant, aside from the alcohol, some honey and maple syrup in store for non-Whole 30 cooking, and some apple butter I'm saving for a special treat. (The apple butter was made and sold by the Piney River Volunteer Fire Dept in Piney River, VA, - home town for me - and it's doubtful I'll ever get my hands on another jar of it. NOT pitching it out or giving it away...) Had what I'm calling 'leftovers scramble' for breakfast this morning! I had part of a porkchop and some broccoli left over from dinner last night, so we sauteed some onions and mushrooms, then diced the broccoli and pork, and tossed that all together with some eggs! Yum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 Day 14! Almost to the halfway point! My foot seems to be much better today - skipped walking the dogs one more time, but I got in plenty of walking between the farmer's market and Whole Foods, and it never bothered me. Tomorrow the dogs will be happy with me again; planning to explore a slightly longer route for some variety. It's Hatch Green Chile days at Whole Foods here in Texas, and I have a bag full in the fridge now. I'm planning to add some to a pot of chili, and probably put some in some scrambled eggs as well. Anyone have any good ideas for other ways to use them? Or suggestions on how to prep them for freezing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 Day 16! 24 days to go in the Whole 40 we've decided to do... my partner and I talked about it, and we're planning to sample one off-program food on August 31st - we're splitting a pint of Haagen-Daz Deluxe Salted Caramel Truffle Ice Cream. If anyone else follows Matt Madeiro's blog Make Every Day Count , you'll understand the idea that WHEN you choose to eat 'crap-food' you should make it worthwhile - by picking the best quality of that particular food that you can find. So we'll eat our delicious ice cream, as both a treat and an experiment. I fully expect to suffer consequences... The next day, Sept 1, we'll go right back to eating clean until my sister comes to visit at the end of September. We'll allow a few minor deviations while she's here - eating out once or twice, for example. After she goes home, we'll go right back on track. I've read what others have said about this way of eating being a lifestyle choice, and not just a temporary deviation from eating SAD. I can't say that there's any food that will never again pass my lips - that's too stringent and inflexible, and something in me just rebels. But I plan to choose carefully what I eat when I go 'off the road' and make sure that it's worth the consequences... and not too convenient. Want a piece of cake? Then I have to go into town to my favorite bakery and eat it there. I do intend to keep on eating as clean as I can for the rest of my life. Anyhow - the Whole 30 is going well for me so far. We've been eating on a new breakfast cassarole for the past two mornings - this morning I had a grapefruit as well. Lunch yesterday was a beautiful salad topped with roasted chicken - and homemade ranch dressing. Dinner was on the light side, with some more roasted chicken and garlic green beans, followed by a bowl of berries topped with a few pecans, some coconut chips and cinnamon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithb63 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 What is SAD? I love the idea - once Whole 30 is over of course - that if you deviate from healthy eating to make it worth your time. I have spent a great deal of life eating crap and I now realize I deserve better than that. I deserve to have healthy food and feel good and be happy, which is why I chose to do the Whole 30. I also love your quote - it really is all about the journey and I am loving mine. Have a great day! Faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 S. A. D. = Standard American Diet - full of sugar and processed foods, limited on good fresh produce, etc... In other words, exactly what I used to eat! Ugh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Day 18! What I'm finding is an overall general sense of well being at this stage of my Whole 30(40) journey. My energy level is higher and my stamina is better. My knees don't seem to be hurting me as much. My digestion is better. I'm sleeping better. My mood is higher and more stable! Nothing really drastic has changed (at least that can be easily observed) but I just... feel better. And that in and of itself is worth this journey. I've had a few cravings here and there, and one or two really tough days where I'm glad all the junk food was gone from the house. But in general, I feel as though I've been eating like a gourmet, even though I'm spending less money on food! (It's amazing how much cash disappears when it's so easy to order out for lunch and dinner...) Today we have a friend coming over for lunch. She's been forewarned of our dietary changes, but she's a trooper and willing to try whatever we're serving. I don't think she'll be disappointed today. I have a rack of spare ribs in the oven, seasoned with the dry rub recipe I got from "Paleo Comfort Foods". There's some ISWF bbq sauce in the fridge to go on it. We'll serve that with some Sweet Potato Dollars (recipe from "Nourishing Traditions" - the overall book is not paleo but this recipe is... sweet potatoes, clarified butter and sea salt) and a salad topped with the ISWF Dreamy Avocado Dressing. For dessert we'll be serving a bowl of berries topped with pecans, coconut chips and cinnamon. Cooking is so much fun these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Sounds like an awesome lunch, enjoy! And great that you are feeling great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 The spare ribs were amazing - we polished off the leftovers for dinner this evening! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lola Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Well, I'm glad you started posting Kaye.. I like the way you look at things. I can relate to so much of it, though while I was reading your first post and your analogy of not falling in while navigating yourself around the Whole30, I though, hmm, maybe we're supposed to fall in!! Anway, loved the whole riverjack story, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Hi Lola! I think in my riverjack analogy, you can step in the water intentionally to make a crossing, or you can fall in by accident and get soaked... stepping in would be a planned 'off the wagon' venture - like me planning to have that ice cream on August 31st to see how my body reacts. Falling in would be like going out to happy hour with friends and deciding 'just one drink' or 'just one chip' - and waking up the next day bloated and miserable from the binge that resulted! Either way, we pick ourselves up out of the water, dry off, and continue on our way, right? Glad you stopped by! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lola Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 ah, okay... my bad interpretation had me thinking that if you fall in, you're falling into the whole30 program head first.. But, yes, it only makes sense that falling in the river represents going off plan... It's okay, I'm okay, I'm followin' ya now!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Day 19! Almost halfway thru the Whole 40! Okay, I just added a new book to my paleo library... 'Practical Paleo' by Diane Sanfilippo. If you haven't checked this one out yet, head over to Amazon and put it on order... Part I: The Why - Food and Your Body. Yes, we've read it all before, in ISWF if nowhere else. But this has to be the best presentation of the information that I've seen - including a step-by-step analysis of the digestive process, what can go wrong at each step, and what you can do to fix it. Part II: 30-Day Meal Plans. There's one in here for everybody! There are 11 different meal-plans, ranging from AutoImmune Conditions to Cancer Recovery to Blood Sugar Regulation. There's a plan for athletes and another for those wanting to lose weight - and the 'Squeaky Clean' plan for the rest of us. Part III: Recipes. Wow! The cookbook section is half of the book and includes all the recipes you'd need for the food plans and more. Gorgeous photography for every recipe. Not all of it is Whole 30 compliant, so those Flourless Mocha-Bacon Brownies will have to wait until September... Breakfast was a small steak and an egg, with an apple and my kombucha. Lunch was some garam masala chicken, a salad and some cherries - a bit light, and I was still hungry afterwards so ate a handful of nuts. For dinner I have some sliced flank steak marinating in coconut aminos and assorted spices; I'll stir fry that with some broccoli or mixed veggies. Still feeling good and going strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithb63 Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Gee your breakfast and lunch looks familiar (lol)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Woot! I'm a hot topic! Day 20 and halfway to August 30! I'm having a little carb flu or something today - noticed last night that I had a swollen gland, my throat is kind of scratchy, and my energy level is lower than usual - or at least lower than what is NOW usual. It occurs to me that I used to feel like this all the time! The flank steak stir fry last night turned out yummy; we were hungry enough at dinner time that we didn't have any leftovers - and then passed on the fruit we had planned for dessert because we didn't need it. I'm so happy that I no longer 'need' to have a sweet at the end of my meals! It amazes me that certain diet systems actually PLAN for that sweet craving and give you prepackaged treats just for that purpose. Breakfast today was hearty - farmer's market sausage and scrambled eggs, half an avocado and some slices of tomato, and grapefruit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithb63 Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I just want to say that I am so proud of you! You Rock and you make really good stir fry! Hugs Your Whole 30 Buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lola Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Good for you Kaye.. I love not having a need for sweets after a meal anymore too!! I think that's the best part of W30, it's not a pre-packaged plan... like the analogy in ISWF, they lead you to water... oh, no I think it was the teaching us how to fish analogy! Anyway, my point is they provide the tools, and you go about building your own perfect, custom plan... even if sometimes you have to tear down and re-build... that's part of the journey I think... making it work for you. Happy Friday too you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 I took a day off from posting, but not from my Whole 30! It's Day 22!! Yesterday was busy - I bounced back from my carb flu or whatever, so I took the dogs for a short walk, had a yummy egg scramble for breakfast (it included farmer's market sausage and some freshly roasted hatch green chiles) and then headed off for my Saturday shopping. I loaded up on meats and eggs at farmer's market - got a lovely whole roasting chicken among other things. I may try Melissa Joulwan's (Well Fed Cookbook) recipe for roasting it this time. Then off to Whole Foods for everything else... Still full of energy today, and the dogs and I went on a longer walk. One of my dogs is still getting used to the walking routine, so the longer walks really wear her out - I try to only do that once a week for now. For all my high and mighty talk about doing the Whole 30 for health rather than focusing on weight loss, I still find myself thinking about that regularly. I admit - I look forward to the 'sexy in a bathing suit' bodies that some of you talk about, but that's a long ways off for me. But I did have an interesting talk about this with my SO yesterday. If we think of the Whole 30 as a means to lose weight, then it becomes just another weight-loss program to be endured 'until...' - which is a sure road to ultimate failure in my experience. But if we think of the Whole 30 as a means to greater health, vitality, longevity, etc - it becomes a journey with ever greater rewards on the way - sustainable as a total lifestyle change! Here's to the journey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 If we think of the Whole 30 as a means to lose weight, then it becomes just another weight-loss program to be endured 'until...' - which is a sure road to ultimate failure in my experience. But if we think of the Whole 30 as a means to greater health, vitality, longevity, etc - it becomes a journey with ever greater rewards on the way - sustainable as a total lifestyle change! Here's to the journey! Huzzah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 This is so true! And this is the first time I have started this type of journey with the expectation that it will simply continue. I've thrown out or given away food that isn't good for me. Isn't it awesome when your thinking changes so thoroughly that you are now playing a brand new tape? Melissa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcrady57 Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Aberrantatavia, we've cleaned the pantry so many times it's funny... The last box of food was carried out by a friend a few days ago. I have a few items lingering for post Whole 30, but I think we finally got all the real crud cleaned out! My refrigerator looks so different it feels odd when I open it. I'll get used to it, though - and the new habits. One of those new habits for me was a commitment to keeping the kitchen clean. I don't know about you, but when I walk into a kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink and stuff crowding the counters, the last thing I want to do is cook. My SO and I knew going in to this process that getting the dishes cleaned right away and putting things away was pretty vital to our success on the Whole 30... happy to report we've been successful! Funny how big a difference can be made by so small an action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lola Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Kaye, you can take the day off from posting anytime... especially if you're going to come back so strong! Okay, I just have to say, it's a little bit more than bizzare, the things we have in common. We totally just had the same talk yesterday about making this a permanent lifestyle, for the sake of our health. I can't even tell you how often we sit and evaluate all the good things that being W30 has brought and is bringing to our lives. I for one am just not willing to EVER go back there. You totally illustrated your quote to a tee.. I love it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aberrantatavia Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Ugh, I'm not great at the kitchen being as clean as I'd like it given that I don't have a dishwasher and I work really long hours. I just don't feel like taking care of them after a long day of work. And if there are only a couple of things, I justify not doing them and before you know it I've got a full dishpan. I need to find either a punishment or reward for myself for taking the time to keep the dishes done. And you are right, it does make a difference in your success because you have the right environment to work in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Kosowan Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Thank you for your post! I really need to break the mindset of this being a weightloss journey. I struggle with this factor. I can see that it is improving my health on a grander scale, but I still really want to lose the chub around my midsection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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