avocado Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Today is day 2 of my first real whole 30. i've had several paleo false starts over the past 6 months, but i've always gone back to eating crap, which is a shame since my goal is not only weight loss, but to fix a leaky gut and hopefully clear up some extremely persistent skin conditions. ah, self sabotage! Not this time! one of the ways i make excuses is to convince myself that i'm eating _____ or doing _____ "for other people". An event, a night at home with my bf, going out to dinner, all of this is potential fodder in my brain, convincing me to eat that sandwich, even though i know i'll feel bloated and acid reflux-y a few hours later. yesterday i made it a point to tell all of the important people in my life that i am going on a doctor recommended cleanse to figure out food sensitivities (all of this is true! love my osteopath...he literally wrote a prescription once that said "BE A CAVE WOMAN!" haha). this way, there will be less "peer pressure" and i think it will help me stick to the diet, knowing that going off plan going to derail all my progress in fixing my issues. i'm also, at this point, desperate to get back to my comfortable weight, which is about 10-15 pounds less than what i am now (i don't use scales, but i know i'm about 143 right now). i realize that's not very much in the grand scheme of things, but the urgency i feel now is much stronger than it has been in the past, and i refuse to be miserable because of something i can change so easily! SO with that! here's what i've eaten the last two days. from here on out, i'll be posting daily to keep me accountable and cheer on everyone else here! we can do this! 8/1 b: avocado, apple, green tea l: green pepper, turkey, artichoke/red pepper spread, 25 almonds avocado d: 2 pork ribs, 2 eggs, vegetables, 1 peach, 2 thin rashers bacon, 1/4c berries 8/2 b: 2 hardboiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 peach l: kale massaged with 1/2 avocado; 1 chicken breast, 1/2 sweet potato with artichoke spread, 1/2 peach, 20 almonds workout: run around a lake + 1 time walking (4 miles total) d: beef meatballs in marinara sauce over shredded brussels sprouts cooked in olive oil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted August 3, 2012 Moderators Share Posted August 3, 2012 Looking good, but you did not have any protein at breakfast on 8/1. Breakfast on 8/2 worked better with the eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 You're right! I was unprepared (decided to do it on the way to work), and I feel like I generally struggle with breakfast protein. Might be time to pick up some whole foods sausages! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carie Skeahan Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Breakfast protein can be steak, ground beef, chicken...doesn't have to be traditional "breakfast". Just a thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thanks for the reminder, Carie! Morning meals are a struggle for me, but I'm definitely trying to branch out so I don't get too worn out on eggs alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 day 3 so far woke up and walked around the lake (found out its 3 miles) breakfast was 4 eggs that i had to scramble last night when i dropped the whole carton in the sink and a bunch of them broke. so clumsy. ate them with some kale that i sauteed in olive oil and sprinkled with pepper. came into work and had a mug of green tea i knew i was going for a work lunch, so i brought a snack of leftover meatballs and brussels just in case we were going to a restaurant where my options would be limited. had those around 12, then ended up eating about half of my cobb salad with chicken breast, bacon, avocado, egg, and tomato (with a little balsamic vinegar) when we went to lunch at 1:30. edit: dinner ended up as steak and shrimp fajitas with a bunch of delicious guacamole! love steak and guac, need to experiment with that as a morning meal feeling pretty good today, but i'm still struggling with some leaky guy issues. i'll be eating raw sauerkraut and making bone broth for the weekend and next week, which i hope will start to help. i already feel less bloated, and its only day 3! can't wait to see where the month takes me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 Weekend went pretty well: For breakfast on saturday, i had 2 eggs, some sauteed brussels, and a small avocado. we went shopping and exploring, after which i snacked on chicken thighs, salad, cherries, and some delicious watermelon. Around dinner time, i split an insanely delicious medium rare sirloin steak served with some grilled onions, followed by scallops, enoki mushrooms, salad, and a few more cherries. I got a really terrible stomach ache/bloat later in the night, i'm thinking it's related to the onions? i'm going to make sure to note when my stomach is bothering me and try to figure this out. Sunday was 2 eggs, 3 bacon, and a small avocado for breakfast. Had a few bites of hot dog (all beef applegate farms), chicken thigh, cherries, and some dried seaweed midday. Dinner was half a sweet potato, more eggs and bacon, a few almonds, zucchini cooked in oil, and 2 small apples Today started off with leftover meatballs and an over easy egg (the yolk made everything taste SO GOOD), two slices turkey, an apple, and some green tea for my caffeine fix (i can't believe i haven't had coffee in almost a week). Lunch will be chicken breast and kale with avocado, olive oil and vinegar so far i'm feeling pretty good. i'm still having some digestive issues that i'm going to put off worrying about until i've been doing this for a bit longer, seeing as the body does need time to adjust to dietary changes. Bloating is generally down, skin is not flaring up, so far so good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 finished up my work day with a strawberry (yes, just one haha) and a handful of cherries. just had dinner a little while ago, and oh my god it was the best meal i've had in a long time. for the veggie portion, i browned some zucchini slices in a pan with a drizzle of olive and sesame oils, finished with some black pepper. delicious. however, the real star was the homemade, whole30 friendly, asian style scotch egg. oh my god. i got the recipe HERE, and am now in dire need of the well fed cookbook. I took a cue from nomnompaleo and made them asian style by subbing about 2tsp of chinese 5 spice + tsp fresh ginger + a few grinds of sea salt for the italian seasoning. i'm not even kidding, this is one of my new favorite foods. super easy to make, incredibly delicious, and very very filling. so impressed! prepped and planned my meals for the next few days, including some simple lamb sausage patties, which i'm pretty excited about. feeling really good, and getting into the paleo groove here. meal planning doesn't feel as daunting as it did before, and everything seems to taste better now...just cooked some plain sweet potato and zucchini in a pan (meal prep) with a tiny drizzle of oil to prevent sticking, and when i tasted for done-ness, the flavors tasted much more vibrant than usual. another added bonus i guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 i've been really paranoid this week about whether or not i'm losing weight. part of it is the fact that i don't own a scale, as to not trigger any ED related behaviors, but i have such a hard time physically judging small, incremental weight loss. i feel like i'm doing well, and keep reminding myself that its only day 6, but i think i'm just so desperate for results. i'm so impatient. i dont know, i have that lingering need for validation through numbers, and it's stressful to be embarking on something for my health and not be able to measure with tangible facts. just trying to stay focused. i guess my consolation prize can be to weigh myself at the end of the 30 days, though i'd much prefer to just be happy with how things fit and how i feel. we'll see. Breaktast - a bit of homemade lamb sausage, a hardboiled egg, brussels and most of an apple steamed in the pan (not enough food!) S: half an avocado and a couple almonds. really need to eat more at breakfast, i havent needed a snack in a week! L: sweet potatoes and zucchini cooked in a bit of olive oil, baby carrots, one of my beloved asian style scotch eggs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Kosowan Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I hear you on the validation point. I would love to hop on the scale to see a smaller number. I prefer to see smaller numbers going down throughout the process than wondering at the end if it is what I am expecting. All I can do is go by how my clothes are fitting. So far the pants are a bit looser than they were last month. Hang in there. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! and habits are hard to break too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Yeah, i just have to be patient (why is that so hard!). I figure i'm already breaking so many habits with this challenge, i might as well throw in the scale! found out i got a new job yesterday (SO EXCITING), went to celebratory dinner with my bf after work. i can officially say i ate whole 30 compliant at an indian restaurant, even though he got rice and naan! i had lamb and chicken curries made with ghee and a green salad with apples and vinegar. definitely missed the rice, was ok without the bread, and was so proud of myself for not giving in. after this challenge, i think i will make temporary, worth it exceptions for rice or yogurt, but am feeling more and more confident that i can continue this way of eating for a long time. it doesn't hurt that i havent had any GI distress in days - a first for me! after the initial adjustment period (that's a tmi i dont want to get into here!), i've felt 100% great after every single meal. wow. today is day 8! Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3 mini lamb sausage patties, fresh blueberries. i'd like to point out that someone brought freshly baked bread into work, which i have never been able to turn down, and i had literally no interest in eating it. felt like i was prepping myself for post-challenge eating by asking myself if it was "worth it", etc (no way, not that time!) Lunch: scotch egg, zucchini and about a 1/4 of a sweet potato cooked in ~tsp olive oil, and a handful of cherries mid day i snacked on a few baby carrots. not sure if this was a boredom snack, but i was feeling hungry. either way, i'm not worried - it was a handful of carrots! so much better than a cupcake or whatever crap i would usually assuage my boredom/hunger with. Dinner is another celebratory meal, where i'll be eating a steak and whatever vegetables i pick up on the way there (cooking at their house) really glad i cooked in bulk this week. the lamb sausages, pre cooked vegetables, and scotch eggs have been great, and it's so easy to just throw a few things in a tupperware before work. love that convenience, plus i feel totally satisfied. so much of this feels intuitive, even if i am struggling with a few things (coffee! the scale! worries about weight loss!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Congrats on the new job and your indian compliance too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 thanks Day 9 has gone pretty well, but i woke up with an intense craving for sprite! not sure where that came from, i haven't had sprite in...2 years? i haven't really been a soda drinker in a long while, maybe a few times a year (pre paleo obviously). drank some cold water and that seemed to do it, i guess i was just thirsty. i've had a few random cravings throughout the day, hoping it doesn't continue! i don't even know where some of them are coming from. i guess the "what to expect" page was right - i'm craving things i dont even *like* Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with some olive oil, ate it with homemade guacamole Lunch: more delicious homemade lamb sausage (definitely making this again, or maybe turkey next time) with a zucchini, some baby carrots, and a packet of seaweed was running errands on my lunch break in >100º heat, had a vitacoco. wouldn't make it an every day thing, but i'm not worried about it Dinner is about to be a scotch egg and some chard cooked in olive and sesame oil before i head off to a welcome-home dinner/drinks at a gastropub. not worried at all since i'm eating before (keeps me on plan and saves $!), but i looked at the menu and they have a compliant kale salad that i'll probably get as a snack/part of dinner. tomorrow marks 1/3 of the way through! i'm feeling much more confident today, and finally less anxious about the scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 day 10. oh my god cravings!!! maybe it's hormones? i dont know. i went to the store to get a kombucha, and was hit with an overwhelming desire for coconut butter, almond butter, chocolate, etc. literally had to force myself to walk away from various items. almost bought a raw coconut macaron made with coconut, coconut oil, coconut milk, and dates because 1. they were expensive and 2. even though they're technically compliant, i'm really trying to reset my body/brain, not just give into cravings by eating what was probably a mediocre substitution. so here i am with my trilogy kombucha, looking for distractions Breakfast: lamb sausage and guacamole, green tea, handful of almonds Lunch: last scotch egg, yellow summer squash sauteed in tsp of sesame/olive oil blend topped with guacamole, and trilogy kombucha ate a small handful of almonds and a chunk of an apple at around 6. felt SUPER cranky (partially hunger, partially work/life), knew i needed to eat a small snack before i braved rush hour traffic. i need to pick up some jerky or other quick, non-perishable emergency protein for times like these. maybe keep some frozen portions here at work. Dinner is now going to be whole foods salad bar/hot bar! my favorite place in the world. plus, they list all the ingredients above each item, which is fantastic. thinking i'll have a big salad with hardboiled egg, tuna, chopped vegetables and whatever paleo hot foods they have. yum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 I can't stop thinking that I'm eating too much. Weird day. Need to just focus on nourishing myself Breakfast was 3 eggs and guac plus a little bowl of blueberries Had a few olives a bit later Lunch was apple with guac, pan seared wild caught salmon, and enoki mushrooms Dinner was a 1/4 lb burger with bacon, onion, and tomato, plus a salad with egg, beets, hearts of palm, oil and vinegar, and a trilogy kombucha It's so hot here, I just feel tired and gross. Hoping to make tomorrow a better day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Kosowan Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 I struggle sometimes with thinking that I am eating way too much for my size. But I am just trusting the process. Your meals look great! well balanced. Good luck with today being a better day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoriLifts Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Hi from a fellow Whole Foods salad bar/hot bar lover! I travel for work, the first place I go is to the local Whole Foods! Congratulations on making it to the double digits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 thanks renee! i feel a bit better now, but you're right, just trust the process and then go from there. and walkerlori, whole foods is my go to when i'm traveling, especially if i just want something easy/a sure bet for a delicious meal. obsessed. Yesterday's log: Breakfast: 3 eggs, a slice of avocado, blueberries Lunch: 3 chicken drumsticks, cucumber, apple, guac, and a seaweed snack Dinner: salmon, shishito peppers, and a bite of leftover chicken Today: Breakfast: 2 eggs, blueberries, guacamole Lunch: tuna and 1/2 avocado mixed with fresh lime and salsa, almonds, apple...ugh trying to scrounge up veg, but i can't leave the office...might have some baby carrots hiding in the fridge Snack: larabar (definitely keeping these in the 'rarely' category, but i very much enjoyed my treat!) Dinner is going to be some emergency protein stirfry (probably ground beef with taco-style seasoning, peppers, carrots, and onions) with some pan sauteed zucchini i am officially avocado-ed out for at least the next day or two! I stayed on track this weekend (maybe too much sodium? could explain feeling more bloated) but can't stop feeling like i've cheated. maybe just phantom guilt from the not-so-distant past when weekends would mean giant calorie/carb bombs and painful, sick feeling mondays. the good news is that this feels so easy by now. i'm still going to meal plan in order to save time/money, but i really don't have to put much thought into figuring out what i'm going to eat anymore. really nice to have this feel so natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avocado Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 last night's diner was chicken with onions and peppers and some cucumbers today has started off well. cooked breakfast and lunch early this morning, which i really prefer. i think it's kind of a nice way to wake up. I also "slipped" and stepped on the scale, and have conflicted feelings about that. on the one hand, i'll just say that it makes me trust this way of eating. on the other hand, i don't think weight is an accurate or useful measurement in most cases, and will be keeping weigh-ins to once a month or less. i also need to get back to the freaking GYM (feeling so sluggish), and if i put on some muscle and my weight stalls, i'm fine with that, too. it's almost like seeing the number on the scale made me realize that it really IS about how you feel, not what some stupid number says. at least that's out of my system Breakfast: 2 mini lamb sausages, 2 eggs, salsa Lunch: zucchini, onion, green bell pepper, grass fed ground beef with 5 spice seasoning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.