My 2nd Whole 30

[DanielleM]

It's been about a year since my first Whole 30. I travel a lot for my job, and it's not always possible to stay compliant...or even paleo...while traveling. At least not in my situation. I won't go into details...but it's past time for a "Detox from the Road" as my boyfriend calls my Whole 30.  

 

I am home for about 40 days currently, so it's a perfect time to reset! 

 

Day 1 (4/12/14)

 

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs and kale in ghee, black coffee

Lunch: Leftover paleo meatloaf with a salad of hearts of palm and olive oil.

Dinner: Spring Salad with olive oil, Chicken thighs with mustard sauce (from Against All Grain using compliant mustard) and mashed cauliflower with ghee

 

Day 2:

 

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with sweet potato hash (Nom Nom Paleo), black coffee

Lunch: Leftover chicken thighs with Kale salad with olive oil

Dinner: Slow Cooker Kalua Pig (Nom Nom Paleo- used smoked paprika instead of bacon), Spring Salad with Olive Oil, Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

Day 3:

 

Breakfast: 2 Scrambled Eggs and Kale in ghee, black coffee

Lunch: Leftover Mustard chicken thighs & Brussels Sprouts, kale salad with olive oil.

Dinner: Leftover pork, home-made salsa and guacamole, baked plantain chips (from Well Fed)

 

 

So far, I'm feeling great! I can tell that I really needed this after several months of less than optimal eating habits. 

[DanielleM]

Day 4: 

 

Breakfast: Leftover pork, kale salad, olive oil, black coffee

Lunch: Kale Salad, Leftover pork, leftover chicken, salsa, guacamole (using up some leftovers! )

Dinner: Leftover pork, home-made salsa, tomato, red onion

 

A little tired today. Not sure if i'm going to make it to yoga tonight. I do need to get back into that routine, though...

 

Didn't make it to yoga. I finished out the day very tired and opted to go home for a quiet evening.

[DanielleM]

Day 5: 

 

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with 2 big handfuls of kale sautéed in ghee, 1/2 cup black coffee, cup of green tea

Lunch: Leftover pork, spinach salad, home-made salsa

Dinner: Grass-fed steak with sautéed mushrooms and onions in ghee, roasted brussels sprouts, salad with olive oil. ( my boyfriend decided to make my favorite dinner- because he said I deserved it. Luckily it is perfectly Whole 30!)

 

 

Tired again today. I feel like I am sleeping a little better though. Not sure if that's an effect of the Whole30 or finally being home for a while after staying at hotels so often in the past few months!

[DanielleM]

Day 6: 

 

Breakfast: Sautéed Kale and 2 eggs in ghee. (the kale got really crispy this time- very nice!) and a few macadamia nuts. 1 cup of Black coffee, 1 cup of green tea when I got to work.

Lunch: Leftover steak, mushrooms, onions, and a few brussels sprouts, and spinach salad with olive oil. 

Dinner: Salmon Cakes from Well Fed 2 with home-made mayo dill sauce (mayo, dried dill, garlic powder, roasted onion powder, salt), Curried Cauliflower, salad with olive oil

 

I slept through most of the night, I usually wake up 3-4 times. I slept better last night. Feeling ok today- a little tired at mid-morning hence the green tea. I brought macadamia nuts to work just in case. I didn't have enough fat with lunch yesterday and ended up hungry an hour before I went home from work. Hopefully today will be better since I added olive oil to the salad for lunch and I won't need the nuts!

 

I have noticed the past 2 days I have been ridiculously clumsy. I keep dropping things. Forks in particular. Weird. 

[DanielleM]

Day 7:

Breakfast: sautéed spinach & 2 scrambled eggs in ghee, 1/2 cup plain mashed sweet potato

Lunch: Leftover salmon cakes and cauliflower with dill sauce (mayo, dill, garlic, onion), handful of macadamia nuts

Dinner: Shrimp scampi from Well fed 2 and zoodles

We made home-made mayo for the first time last night- wow! We did the immersion blender method and it was so easy! (I say we- I really mean my boyfriend, who does 90% of the cooking. )

I wanted a sauce to go with the Well Fed 2 Salmon cakes (which are amazing by the way) but none of the sauces in the book sounded good. I called up my mom to ask what she used to put in her Dill Sauce she would serve with Salmon. She used sour cream, dried dill, powdered garlic, and powdered onion with some lemon juice.

Well, we decided to Whole30 it and used the mayo as a base- wow! I think it's a keeper. It's even better after chilling overnight.

I think the macadamia nuts are giving me a headache- so I'm going to eliminate those and just make sure there is more fat in whatever I bring for lunch.

[Attackkitten]

Thanks for the sauce idea! I'm nervous about making mayo but I might give it a try soon. Wishing I had an immersion blender for sure!

[DanielleM]

I was really nervous about trying to make mayo too- and I've been paleo for about 2 years now. But the immersion blender worked great- just little short pulses. 

 

I watched my boyfriend make it- I was too nervous to do it myself! 

 

It was great. I almost feel confident to make it myself. Almost.

[DanielleM]

Day 8:

Breakfast: 3 eggs and spinach scrambled with ghee, small sweet potato with ghee
Lunch: canned tuna with the leftover dill mayo over spinach salad with red onion and hearts of palm, kombucha
Dinner: Chocolate chili from Well Fed
Snack: grassed gourmet jerky

Went to yoga today....it was much needed! It was a yin/flow/restorative class- so we get a little of all 3 types of yoga. Very nice to ease back into practice. Still headachy in the mornings and afternoons, but I am trying to go without pain killers. I'm using essential oils instead, which seems to be helping.
Everything is blooming, and it think I am developing allergies this year. That is likely contributing to the headaches as well.

[DanielleM]

Day 9:

Breakfast: Two eggs scrambled with spinach in ghee, Penderson's Paleo-friendly Bacon (I can't believe I found this at Whole Foods!)

Lunch: Leftover chili, macadamia nuts for added fat 

Dinner: Chicken breast, salad with olive oil, baked sweet potato with ghee, cucumbers with compliant guacamole

 

Day 10:

Breakfast: Two eggs scrambled with spinach in ghee

Lunch: leftover Chili

Dinner: Smoky Chicken thighs wrapped in Penderson's Paleo Bacon, salad with olive oil, mashed cauliflower with coconut milk

 

Day 11:

Breakfast: Two leftover chicken thighs, spinach salad with olive oil.

Lunch: Three leftover chicken thighs and mashed cauliflower, macadamia nuts (small handful) and kombucha

Dinner: Asian Orange Pan-seared Scallops (I forget which cookbook this is in but it's amazing!) over spinach

 

Had a terrible headache Sunday and Monday. I couldn't shake it. I had to give in and take advil as it was turning into a migraine. Still feeling it a bit today as tension in my shoulders and neck. 

 

Saturday night brought a whole new ball of stress in the form of a 4 month old kitten we adopted. He slept on my chest all Saturday night. and I didn't sleep a wink because I was afraid I'd disturb him. That didn't help the headache! That and the 12 year old cat is trying to adjust to having a kitten in the house is a little stressful too.

[tinman57]

 

Day 2:

 

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with sweet potato hash (Nom Nom Paleo), black coffee

Lunch: Leftover chicken thighs with Kale salad with olive oil

Dinner: Slow Cooker Kalua Pig (Nom Nom Paleo- used smoked paprika instead of bacon), Spring Salad with Olive Oil, Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

I have GOT to make some kalua pig this time around.  I did it my first go-round and was ever so grateful to have it on hand.

[DanielleM]

I have GOT to make some kalua pig this time around.  I did it my first go-round and was ever so grateful to have it on hand.

 

The Kahlua pig was awesome. Especially the leftovers that make easy meals afterwards! We also make the Citrus Carnitas from Well Fed- that can make lots of delicious leftovers too.

[DanielleM]

Day 12: 

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs + 1 Egg white (I used the yolk for mayo that I made this morning) over medium in ghee with spinach, coffee with coconut milk and cinnamon 

Lunch: Canned tuna mixed with mayo, spring salad with olive oil

Dinner: Sashimi with a house sale (no dressing) and avocado slices.

 

Didn't sleep well last night. Took the Kitten into the vet- he ended up with a respiratory infection. We were there for about 3 hours. Kitten ended up with a cone of shame and lots of drops for his ears, etc. He kept waking me up with the cone hitting my face when he tried to snuggle. And the cone does wonders to amplify the purring right in your ear. 

 

Made my very own first batch of mayo! The immersion blender method was as easy as it looked! I can't wait to try it for lunch. We didn't have leftovers last night, so I get to be creative when I run home to check on the kitten. 

[DanielleM]

Day 13: 

Breakfast 2 eggs and spinach sautéed in ghee

Lunch: Canned tuna and home-made mayo (I love this stuff!), baked sweet potato with ghee, 1/2 bottle of kombucha.

Dinner: Pork loin, salad with olive oil, baked sweet potato

 

Dinner last night was out at a sushi place. I got a house salad with no dressing and added avocado slices to it, and my boyfriend and I split a sashimi platter. I brought my own coconut aminos. It was good, but I had to avoid a couple items- the marinated seaweed, etc. as garnish. Easy enough to do. 

 

I am feeling much better today. My headache is gone..finally! I hope it lasts. I do have some soreness with a knot under my shoulder blade. I am beginning to suspect the headache was both allergy and tension related- allergy headache triggering the tension? Anyway, I'm glad the pain finally subsided. I am much more clearheaded. And the kitten let me sleep- although he woke us up 30 minutes before our alarm. But we all went to sleep earlier than we have been, so I suppose it evens out.

[DanielleM]

Day 14:

Breakfast: 3 eggs sautéed with spinach in ghee, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: Leftover pork loin salad with olive oil

Dinner: Pork sausage (home made) stuffed portobello mushrooms with salad and olive oil.

Woke up extremely tired today, added and egg at breakfast, which seems to help. I got very hungry an hour before lunch. I'm thinking it's due to having sweet potatoes twice yesterday. I may have to have another one today- I have to go to the store and stock up on other veggies.

Found out yesterday that I have to travel on day 24 & 25 to a client meeting in Seattle. I am really nervous about this- so I ordered some Epic bars (the beef ones, so compliant) and primal pacs. There is a Chipolte a couple of blocks away from where I will be staying, so hopefully I can do that for dinner after I fly in. Breakfast can be a bar or primal pac, lunch will likely be provided. I'm hoping there will be a dressing-free salad at least, and I can eat a bar or primal pac for protein and fat. I should be home in time for dinner on day 25, but will bring extra food just in case. Not exciting, but I can do it. Having access to Chipolte makes me feel a little better about the situation though.

[DanielleM]

Day 15:
Breakfast: 2eggs scrambled with leftover pork sausage, Carmelites onions
Lunch: leftover stuffed portobello mushroom with pork sausage, drizzle of olive oil because it got a little dry
Dinner: dolmas - stuffed grape leaves with lamb (from well fed 2) and baba ghanoush (from well fed 1) and salad with olive oil

Dinner took a long time! The grape leaves were tasty but very labor intensive. Tired and achy today, just not feeling right.

Day 16:
Breakfast: leftover grape leaves, coffee with coconut milk (which I realize I have every day, but forget to record it...)
Lunch: leftover grape leaves, hearts of palm with olive oil
Dinner: Kailua Pork with taco toppings...lettuce, tomato, guacamole.

[DanielleM]

Day 17: (Really?!)

Breakfast: Salad with kailua pork and olive oil, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: Leftover stuffed grape leaves with baba ganoush

Dinner: kailua prok in marinara sauce over spiraled sweet potato (this was surprisingly good. The sweet potato "noodles" started to disintegrate in the sauce, so it really didn't end up anything like a pasta. I liked it better this way- almost like a stew. I think this is a keeper to use with the leftover kailua pork!)

 

I can't believe it's day 17 already. My boyfriend said that this one seems better than my first- in that I'm not talking about craving things this time. I don't remember craving things last time. Of course he says this to me after we have to walk down the chocolate and wine aisles in the grocery store...

I even resisted the wine last night when we had guests over. It was hard- it was a varietal I really like! I did allow myself to smell it since it's a different brand than the one we had last time. It will be nice when I'm off the Whole30.

[DanielleM]

Day 18:

Breakfast: two eggs scrambled with 2 handfuls of kale, half a red bell pepper, sautéed in ghee. Coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: Leftover pork-sweet potato-marinara concoction, hearts of palm salad with olive oil. 

Dinner: Leftover kailua pork, guacamole, salsa, plaintains

Snack: Epic bar- turkey

 

Still very tired. Not sure what is going on. I am sleeping, but definitely having a hard time with energy levels. I am eating some starchy veggies- especially lately. Plenty of fat and protein. I am fairly clear headed, and I feel good- just tired. The thought of going to yoga is almost painful. Hopefully I will get over this soon. 

 

I actually had a snack today. I never usually feel the need for a snack anymore. I think it was due to a lunchtime conference call, and I couldn't break away for lunch until an hour later than usual. 

 

My stomach began hurting after lunch, about an hour after. Not sure what's going on. It could be the epic bar, but I doubt it. there were 3 hours between eating that and the pain. Too much sweet potato? Maybe. 

[DanielleM]

Day 19:

Breakfast: two eggs and 3 handfuls of kale sautéed in ghee, salsa, plantains, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: leftover kailua pork (finally!) salad, salsa, guacamole, hearts of palm, drizzle of olive oil.

Dinner: steak with onions and mushrooms sautéed in olive oil, sweet potato roasted with Rosemary and garlic.

Feeling mentally tired today, not really physically tired. Despite the fact the now-feeling-better kitten decided that an hour before the alarm was a good time to wake up and play! Good thing we've been going to bed earlier.

Slight stomach pain again today following lunch. No epic bar today- so I don't think it was that. Everything else was the same we had for dinner with no problems. Hearts of palm? Maybe- but I eat those on almost every salad we have for dinner.

Maybe this is just the Day 8-9 feeling, but 10 days late? I do feel like I am behind on the timeline.

[Kmlynne]

Good luck with your traveling!

 

You have given me much inspiration for my meals - thanks so much

[DanielleM]

Thanks, Karen. 

 

It helps to have several cookbooks to pick from. Usually my boyfriend will already have picked something and is in the middle of cooking when I get home from work. He understands the rules and modifies recipes (if needed) for my W30. So I can't take all the credit for being inspiring!  

 

We have a lot of good cookbooks to flip through- Well Fed 1 & 2, Nom Nom Paleo, Against All Grain (she uses a lot of sweeteners, but we usually just eliminate them and recipes turn out just fine- we haven't done any of the paleo-ified recipes or baked goods yet though), Paleo Comfort Foods (Which i didn't intend to order from Amazon, but it somehow ended up in my cart- and has some surprisingly great recipes so it was a fortuitous accident), and Practical Paleo. All are pretty good, and the pictures are inspiring. "Oh-that looks good- let's make that!" That's our meal planning in a nutshell. 

[DanielleM]

Day 20:
Breakfast: two eggs and kale scrambled in ghee, avocado
Lunch: leftover steak, baked sweet potato
Snack: beef epic bar
Dinner: King Crab legs with clarified butter, steamed veggies, salad with fresh lemon squeezed over it.

I feel much better today. Got a solid 8 hours of sleep, and the kitten let us sleep almost to the alarm! I had the extra avocado at breakfast knowing I might not get lunch...we had a vet appointment around lunchtime. I ended up eating the epic bar in the waiting room, which was 2 hours after my normal lunch time. I did eat lunch after we came home. Tonight we are going out to a seafood place... My plan is the crab legs, clarified butter, and steamed veggies with a side salad.

[DanielleM]

Day 21: 

Breakfast: Ground lamb sautéed with kale in ghee with a spoonful of tahini on top, coffee with coconut milk

Lunch: two eggs scrambled in ghee, sweet potato with ghee

Dinner: Shrimp Scampi from Well Fed 2 and sweet potato "noodles"

 

Dinner last night was great! I had crab legs out at a restaurant for the first time- so nice to have the server crack them for you! We make them at home, and I am not so good at the cracking yet, so the meat is usually cold by the time I get to it. 

The server was fantastic. When I asked for no rice or potato, but extra steamed plain veggies, and no dressing on the salad, she was really accommodating. When she brought my salad, she said she left the croutons off since she figured I was doing no carbs. (I had forgotten to ask) She also suggested to squeeze fresh lemon over the salad and brought some slices for me to try. It was great! She asked how long I was doing this- and I said about 20 days or so. I didn't go into details, I just said I was avoiding bread and potatoes and the like. The server said she's only been able to do a day or two without bread- and that I have a lot of willpower that I'm able to go without. 

 

I'm feeling better. More energy, although last night was rough. I couldn't sleep. I woke up every 2 hours. And the kitten decided 4 AM was play time. Hence, I can't stop yawning today- but at least my energy levels are doing ok despite the interrupted sleep. 

[DanielleM]

Day 22:

Breakfast: three eggs, bacon

Lunch: Leftover shrimp scampi with sweet potato noodles, baked sweet potato with coconut butter

Dinner: Salad with Chicken sausage and guacamole

Snack: Primal pac

 

Day 23:

Breakfast: Salad with chicken sausage, guacamole, fruit

Lunch: Salad, hard boiled eggs, almonds

Dinner: Salmon cakes, mashed cauliflower, dill sauce (homemade mayo, dill, lemon)

Snack: Primal Pac

 

Day 24:

Breakfast: Salmon cakes, mashed cauliflower, dill sauce (homemade mayo, dill, lemon)

Lunch: two eggs and spinach in avocado oil, sweet potato with coconut butter (running out of ghee!)

Dinner: Chicken "parmesan" (paleo- used almond meal, tapioca flour, egg and spices for the breading), marinara sauce, asparagus

 

Day 22-23 were my travel days... I tried to go to Chipolte for dinner in Seattle- but it was closed. I did find a small grocery store where I got a big container of greens, Aidell's Chicken apple sausage, and compliant guacamole. I ended up with a hotel room with a fridge (this never happens!) and had that for dinner and breakfast the next morning. 

 

I asked my client to order a special meal for me- which ended up being just a salad (better than nothing!) when I got to the airport a couple hours later, I found hard boiled eggs, raw almonds. I had a primal pack right before I got on the plane. The travel I was so afraid of was do-able. I was lucky to find that grocery store, and the Aidell's sausage and guac. it is so good to be home though!

 

Primal pacs are good, and filling, so great to have in emergencies... but they seem.. slimy. The dried fruit ends up being sticky. Maybe because it's hot where I live and they melted? Can fruit melt? Anyway, hard to eat on the run because they are so sticky.

[DanielleM]

Day 25:

Breakfast: two eggs and spinach sautéed in avocado oil, sweet potato with coconut butter, black coffee

Lunch: Leftover chicken parm, sauce and asparagus

Dinner: Mustard Chicken thighs and Sauteed red cabbage from Practical Paleo.

 

Feeling pretty good today- although this morning was rough. I was awake and restless from 2AM to 4AM. Work is stressful, and I just couldn't seem to turn my brain off from thinking about everything I had to do. 

 

Still some lingering tiredness overall. I still haven't been able to go back to yoga regularly, but I wasn't going regularly before the Whole30 anyway due to my schedule, so I could just be out of the habit. 

 

Not sure how I feel about having sweet potato for breakfast like today. I think it helps me more at lunchtime, actually, to keep energy levels up though the afternoon. 

[DanielleM]

Day 26:

Breakfast: Leftover chicken thighs, sautéed cabbage, drizzle of olive oil, black coffee

Lunch: Tuna with dill mayo, sweet potato with coconut butter

Dinner: West african stew (Well Fed 2) with poached fish (instead of chicken), mashed cauliflower, salad with olive oil

 

Feeling better today- although still stressed and missing sleep because of that and the kitten. I can't believe I'm almost at the end of the 30 days. This time has been much easier- except for the bout of headaches I had week 1-2. I'm not sure if that was diet related or environmental allergies/weather change related.