Ginsky Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I started my Whole30 challenge today as planned. I was hit with some tragic news this morning and briefly considered changing my start date to anything but today. Then I decided to stick with it. So right out of the gate I'm changing a habit or impulse to indulge in certain comforts during times of grief and stress. I do admit I'm a bit behind my schedule. I made a nice omelet for breakfast, slightly later than my usual time, and got some lamb seared and into the crock pot for dinner which might still be finished at my usual dinner time or not too much later than it. I just have to take care of lunch now... any minute now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Day two went well as far as my eating went. I went into my office and realized I had not swept it like I did my home but I took care of that before I left. So now that's also whole30-ified. I am sticking with this but the dominant feelings for me right now are centered around the loss of my friend. I cannot say what may be coming from the whole30 since it really seems so incredibly unimportant. I'm irritable but I blame genuine grief. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe the whole30 is the cause or maybe it's both intertwining which I guess makes more sense. I had a great walk this morning with the dogs to kick off day 3 and my meal plans are on track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Attackkitten Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 I'm sorry about your loss. I wish I could start every morning with a nice dog walk. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Thank you, Attackkitten. I made it though another day. Meals are coming together nicely but I noticed today I feel fat and I'm puffing out of my jeans. I wasn't expecting anything like that so fast but at least I knew it was coming at some point. I'm feeling weepy and miserable and I still am not sure how much of that, if any of it, is coming from the dietary changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Yesterday was a rough day. I was so tired and achey I couldn't imagine doing anything. Yet I did things. I made poached eggs and brussel sprouts for breakfast. I went to the store to stock up on some more fresh healthy foods and a few frozen and canned things like veggies and olives. I made fish patties and roasted carrots for lunch and Czeck meatballs (from the Well Fed cookbook only I used wild boar instead of pork) and zucchini for dinner. I admit, lunch was late and dinner was early since I was so tired I was slow going to get around to making lunch after the store. By the time I ate lunch I figured I better go ahead and pull dinner together in case I crashed too hard to get up and cook again. I was so tired yesterday yet when I finally got to go to bed I felt awake and took a while to actually fall asleep. I tried not to get annoyed because that would only keep me awake longer. And now it's day 5! I feel better this morning, still a bit tired but not as achey. I need to shower and have breakfast, go to work... You know, be a productive head of household. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 26, 2014 Author Share Posted April 26, 2014 Day 6 is well under way. I'm getting over the tiredness and maybe also still the crankiness. I had some leftover fish and veggie soup with bacon, eggs, and tomato for breakfast, small side salad and then more veggie soup and chicken for lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 I feel pretty good today, day 7. I finished the last of my pot of veggie soup last night with dinner, steamed clams. I made sausage and beets for breakfast this morning. The plan is fritatta for lunch and cracklin chicken for dinner. I have yet to make this week's meal plan but I do at least have a mental outline for the next day or so to avoid catastrophe. I'm supposed to go out for lunch, favorite sushi place, with a friend tomorrow. I will bring coconut aminos and maybe some fish sauce and have sashimi. I'll have to ask them about their salad and vegetable options but I am pretty sure their seaweed salad would be compliant as I've asked about it before due to my other food allergies. I'll still double check now that I have whole30 in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 I'm really starting to feel good. I noticed I was happier and more energetic yesterday afternoon. I still ended up having a rough time falling asleep but woke up on time this morning and did 4 or 5 mile walk with the dogs. (I lost track right around 4 miles) I ended up switching lunch and dinner last night simply because I decided I felt like it. I made Michelle Tam's magic mushroom powder yesterday for chicken and it's delicious. I used the seasoning blend on my poached eggs this morning and ended up really impessed with myself. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Day 10. I'm having delicious and usually simple meals. ground beef with tomatoes and zucchini, eggs and beets, steak and eggs with swiss chard, tuna salad, etc. This morning was a another round of poached eggs because I just can't resist them. They are a favorite of mine, whole30 or not and can eat them daily especially when I change seasonings and sides. I had green beans, another favorite of mine and some macadamia nuts to add some fat. I sometimes wonder if I'm doing this wrong because I'm really enjoying it and finding it to be so easy now. I'm probably standing directly under the other shoe unaware that it's about to hit me. lol Back to work now. Probably should try to hit the grocery store after work for some fresh vegetables and maybe some fish and chicken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 Day 11 was a breeze. I went to the store for a few more vegetables and some fresh seafood plus some shrimp for quick snacking during tomorrow's fusses. I didn't like the poultry selection at that particular store so I'll get to another store this weekend for that. I pulled some thighs out of the freezer to hold me over until then. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day getting my daughter ready for her senior prom and then we're out the next day. I'll be cooking double tomorrow so I can pack up a day's worth of whole30 meals to go. I don't want to rely on finding compliant foods and in balance of the template while out since it's more than just one meal. I'll be making hard boiled eggs, frittata with chicken sausage and spinach, tomato and cucumber salad, cracklin chicken, squid and bay scallops, more ground bison, sweet potato, and various sauteed veggies probably including noodle-cut zucchini. I never was into pasta but I do love zucchini in noodle form. So I may not be checking back in here until Sunday but I'll at least try tomorrow. Breakfast today was eggs over easy with steamed broccoli. I really love my veggies on the simple side and never like sauces on them so it's no adjustment for me to do it whole30 friendly and I'm not just going bland for lack of knowing what to do with them. I had some olives with this. Lunch was ground bison with bell peppers and lots of kale in olive oil. Dinner was fish with fennel frond and more broccoli and a handful of macadmias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Day 13 is here. Yesterday went smoothly. Now I need to start my mad dash to get ready for a day away. I got food made and have to say, I am loving the riced cauliflower! I will have to make more of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 Day 14 is off to an easy start. I woke up pre-dawn as usual with dog paws dancing on my bladder. That always gets me motivated to start the morning self and dog exercise for a couple of hours. I had made so much food for yesterday that I think today is going to be a largely leftovers day as far as the meat portions of my meals are concerned. Yesterday for breakfast I made sauteed squid over baby spinach then packed asparagus frittata, cracklin chicken, shrimp, hard boiled eggs, fresh berries, and salad in the cooler for shore day. I had also browned ground bison but didn't even pack it as I had more than enough of everything else. I was so glad I did pack as much as I did though because I could not find so much as a safe salad or piece of fruit on the boardwalk. Two pieces of chicken and multiple eggs came home with me to join the bison in the fridge. So this morning I decided I wanted to use at least some of that ground meat and couldn't resist the call of the zucchini and yellow squash next to it. I used both to make noodles and once again felt like dancing around my kitchen at the way the squash absorbs the flavor when it's cut into strands. This stuff is genius, so glad I found out about it. (bison, bone broth, tomato paste, seasonings, squash noodles = breakfast.) I'll probably make some deviled eggs with the hard boiled eggs later, my daughter loves them. I might top some with capers, some with black olives, and others with just a dab of parsely. And paprika for all because I just love paprika especially how it looks on deviled eggs. Cucumber and tomato salad will accompany that. Maybe I'll roast a red pepper too, I'm undecided. lol The chicken will get paired with some eggplant for dinner. It looks like rain so I'll probably broil it in slices rather than grill. ETA: Minor adjustment to the menu. I ended up broiling some yellow squash instead of eggplant. My daughter was going out to dinner but loves eggplant so I decided to make it another night when she could enjoy it with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Yesterday I woke up in a horrible state! I had a dream that I was in a restuarant, ordered whole30 compliant food, was served non-compliant but ended up eating it thinking somehow since they told me it was safe,that it was. I woke up in such a state of confusion and disappointment, even anger. It took a few minutes for me to fully comprehend that it was only a dream, that I had not actually eaten any "no" foods and certainly did not have to start over. AFter that I sailed through my day 15. poached eggs (nibbled some strawberries while cooking) and beets for breakfast, steamed and lightly sauteed dandelion greens with beet stems and ground bison for lunch and ended up having some more of the bison with the kale and swiss chard I had left and wanted to use up. Yesterday was definitely a day I used to go through any and all greens that had been around the longest since I went to the store for a few more fresh things. I nibbled a few macadamias in middday but less than a handful. Now it's day 16 and I'm officially in the second half of the 30! I'm preparing to make a spinach salad with bacon, egg, black olives, and shitake mushrooms for breakfast, turkey burgers with roasted peppers and watercress salad for lunch, and some stew for dinner which I'm going to be getting together in the crockpot in a bit. I may steam some brussel sprouts or some such at some point if my planned veggies don't seem to fill enough space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 Day 17 is going well. I stayed on course with yesterday's meal plan so nothing to add about day 16. I vaguely feel like I dreamed about eating noncompliant food again but can't remember the details this time. Breakfast was berries and bison. lol I was in a mood. Lunch was leftover turkey burger to make sure that didn't get lost in the fridge which I ate with some sauteed portabella mushrooms. For dinner I baked a red snapper covered in coconut milk, fresh ginger, garlic, coriander, lime and a dab of light olive oil (was tempted to go with coconut but didn't want to overpower the fish) served with sliced broild eggplant that I brushed with coconut oil, basil, and balsamic. I had a few nuts here and there earlier in the day while running errands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 Day 18 is underway. I just had a mixed breakfast. Baby spinach, collard greens, shitake mushrooms, ground bison, poached eggs. Even while not doing whole30 I could eat poached eggs for breakfast every day so you might notice them mentioned on a lot of days. I have a bison london broil marinating in a balasamic vinegar blend I threw together and I'll be making that for lunch with a roasted red pepper salad. I have pheasant waiting in a brine/marinade for dinner which I decided to serve with steamed artichokes and a side salad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 I don't think I had food dreams last night. I used leftovers from yesterday in a couple of today's meals. I had fried eggs and roasted peppers for breakfast instead of the frittata I thought I might make. Lunch was tuna salad with mixed greens and dinner was leftover london broil with brussel sprouts. I made it to Wholefoods today to pick up a few things and was sad that there was no Pederson's no-sugar bacon in stock but I'll survive with the other yummy fresh things I got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 Day 21 here and all is great for Mother's Day. My daughter and I made brunch together rather than go out. I had much more fun and found it much more relaxing this way. I get up earlier than her so went with a standby favorite breakfast of poached eggs and spinach with garlic. We made the salmon patties from the nom nom paleo book except we used tuna, sardines, anchovie, and salmon instead of just salmon. We made cucumber salad from Well Fed to go wtih it. There is so much leftover I may end up just repeating that later as dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Day 23 already! Yesterday was a good day, I made roasted chicken with sweet potatoes,carrots, onion, garlic for dinner with a side of zucchini noodles in green coconut curry sauce for dinner. I had some broiled fish and steamed broccoli for lunch and just a simple poached egg and spinach salad for breakfast. I have more leftovers than anticipated due to dinner plans changing, I had cooked for multiple people but ended up plans changed so it was just me eating by the time it was done. I am still mentally rearranging my day's meal plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Day 24 is coming along nicely. I keep rereading the part of It Starts With Food concerning the reintroduction process to help prepare myself for next week. Obviously I'm never reintroducing gluten foods and I really don't think I shouldn't with dairy either but I might go forward with the officia dairyl reintro day just to have a good clean final test on it to help me avoid letting it slip in here and there. You know, letting myself turn a blind eye, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 Day 27 went well. I haven't been bored or craving anything. I had leftovers from yesterday and then also made a beef stir fry with riced cauliflower for dinner. I have mixed feelings about what I'll be introducing on Wednesday. I bought some organic red wine in case I choose that first or for whenever I do decide to tackle that reintro. I wasn't a big drinker and might naturally go weeks between drinks at times but I think I miss other things even less. I have a family gathering to attend tomorrow so I'm thinking of making a fritatta to take along with me. I already have some sparkling water to bring and have been warned little to nothing there will be whole30 compliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 19, 2014 Author Share Posted May 19, 2014 It's day 29. Yesterday's family event went well even though I ended up deciding not to bring my own packed luch. I was able to nibble on all sorts of fresh veggies, sans dip of course, and even a few bites of fruit. I enjoyed sparkling water in a wine glass and blended right in with everyone else who was enjoying the day. I made myself some eggs when I got home since the meats available there were either processed or had been seasoned with sugars, etc. So that was simple enough to complete my meal template. I haven't been writing much lately for no particular reason other than that I'm just moving along easily with the cooking. I do need to get to the store for veggies. I have some organic carrots and sweet potatoes in the fridge and a bag or two of frozen veggies. Eeep; didn't mean to let it get so dire after my mini vegetable shopping run Thursday evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 20, 2014 Author Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hello Day 30! I had some pork belly and eggs with steamed green beans for breakfast. I'm planning a simple lunch of tuna with a salad of mixed greens, cucumber, and tomato. Dinner will be scallops with zucchini and cauliflower. I was disappointed in the organic selection at the store yesterday but was able to get enough things to hold me over until my next veggie run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginsky Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Well that was that, my meals went as planned yesterday for day 30 and now I guess I'm off the explore the reinto area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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