May 5th start

[Geminimik]

Dave,

 

You had me laughing till I cried with your "bedeating standup". 

 

Yes, I tend to take on more than I can chew, but nothing like you and Bluegrass Farmer Mama.

 

Donna, good job on the skin. It is amazing how much is shows, isn't it?

 

The boys at the gym are my sons. Single mom's need to find common ground. I tried video games, but I just can't hang. So we stick to movies, the gym, tennis and bowling (the last thing I can still beat them at, but not for long).

 

Lou, 100% compliant, that is really something to be proud of, you are a great example! I imagine a Paleo life style would be a good place to land.

 

What are my positive results from the first two weeks (almost) - still suffering from sinus/allergies - skin is better, sleep is better, waking up is much easier, stamina during the day is improved and I feel like in the next couple of weeks with closer compliance and new behavioral skills I will be able to have my clothes start getting a little looser (please). Food urges are definitely less and tomatoes are SO SWEET.

 

Let's go!

 

miki

[abbyn]

@Dave-  I do a version of composting that happens in my chicken run. Since I didn't have any made this year I got a load of manure delivered. I am just planting whatever I want to since I finally have the space, but I'm sure I will learn a lot this summer!
I don't have ANY fencing up yet, I really need to get moving on that! I have a dog and the garden is somewhat close to the house but I know those deer could do serious damage any day now. 

Hmm, I really need to do my homework on pigs! I didn't think a couple would be too bad. I'm not set up for it right now because our fencing is barbed wire- which also wouldn't work for sheep. I think a goat would be great for lawn mowing purposes but ultimately I'd like to end up with some meat and I don't think a freezer full of goat meat is as tempting as a freezer full of pork! 

 

I am feeling great about whole30 in general but could really use a night off cooking. 

[AuburngalNC]

Hey! So...day got off to an interesting start with a sick kid providing me with an unexpected day off. I am still going strong though. Got the remainder of the plants needed to plant my garden today. I have tomatoes, roma tomatoes, bell peppers (green, red and yellow), jalapenos, squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, and cucumbers. I am so looking forward to spending less at the grocery store again this year! I also am going to try my hand at canning this year.

 

If you are on instagram I highly recommend following the new account called whole30recipes. I found a fabulous pork chop marinade on there yesterday that made the most delicious pork chops ever!

 

@Dave -Thanks for making me laugh. Yesterday was a most stressful day but your posts the past couple of days have helped.

 

@Bluegrass_mama -take a night off! You can go out to eat, just choose your restaurant wisely. Steak or seafood restaurants make good choices because you can get grilled meat and don't have to worry about the oil that is used.

 

@Miki- I am too a big eater in bed. It is tough to break the habit but worth it. I can also relate to you with activities to do with your boys. Last year I invested in kayaks for my son and I so we always have an activity we can do together. Single moms have to get creative with boys!

[Gabenick2]

Good Morning all!!!

I used to pop tums like crazy, after every meal and prilosec twice a day as well. I no longer have heartburn, eczema flared up again because of the sauce in the fish. I feel like my abdomen is a bit flatter (just a minute tad) I think.

I couldn't eat breakfast this am, I am getting tired of eating eggs. I had spaghetti this am for breakfast made with zucchini noodles. I am not hungry and I find that I am getting full quite quickly.

I am leaving town tomorrow and am worried it will not be easy to stay on track. I will be traveling at 0300 carpooling with family members for 9 hours that enjoy eating all the forbidden goods.

Have a great day everyone!!

[dcducks1]

bluegrass - hogs need good fencing, you wont be able to get away with barbed wire or electric fence. You would be better off (financially) by buying a hog or two (however much your freezer can hold) from a nearby hog farmer and have it butchered. Less mess, less cost, outside smells sooooooooooooooo much better. My dad always said it was the "smell of money" but I have never had my wallet smell like THAT!

Auburn - you are welcome! I am just working with the material that the group is providing. Laughing should take your mind off food....or eating beds!

Miki - bowling! Do you go to the Palos Verdes? I went there once a few years back. Love that area. Been out that way several times when I was in the military and with my current job.

All - Althouygh our dog passed away last week, my wife has found a replacement who is a male, 3 year old Lhaso Apso that goes by the name Rocky. He instantly came into our home and became part of the family. Actually, he might be my replacement.......haven't gotten a chance to talk to the wife about my reduction of bed space in the King bed. He is quite a character. I had carved a wooden swan for my wife and she was taking a picture of it and Rocky photobombed it. She said he was sleeping behind the pillow and she couldn't see him and he popped up at the last second. Anyway, again, I just wanted to say thanks for the warm wishes as we transitioned from one pet to the next.

Dave

[Geminimik]

LOL...Dave, Rocky is too great.

 

Yes, we go to Palos Verdes Bowl and Gablehouse Bowl which is on Hawthorne right by my house.

 

Auburn, it's good to know I'm not alone.

 

Gabenick, I'm having just the opposite problem My body is SO used to eating all the time that 5 hours is a long and distracting haul for me.

 

Hang in there gang.

[abbyn]

Haha I think I overshared my farming ambitions here, sorry guys! But thanks for all the encouragement and advice. 

 

Dave- good point to try to notice any other changes- I've definitely noticed less bloating, most clothes fit better and for some reason I feel like my posture has improved? I already sleep pretty great and have no trouble getting up but I do think I have more energy in the morning. All fruit tastes amazing to me, and I don't really have a sweet tooth. 

Congrats on the new dog Dave, and Miki- puppies are a ton of work but I think it's so rewarding to have a dog around!

 

LouH- I cannot get past the olive oil taste in my mayo, yes, I miss the real thing for sure! I don't even love mayo but tartar sauce and devilled eggs just don't taste the same since I started making my own.

 

Auburngal- thanks for the encouragement, I probably should go get a steak somewhere but I'm so intimidated by all the questions I'd have to ask and honestly feel like I should keep eating up all this food I bought and not spend money going out to eat. Tomorrow I'm going to try making some meals for the freezer so I really can take a night off from cooking. Great job on your garden! I am excited about saving grocery money too, I keep thinking- even if just my onions all come up, my garden will have paid for itself . I will have a little bit of spinach and some lettuce to harvest soon. 

 

Gabenick- I'm having the same trouble in the mornings and feel full earlier as well...in fact the only time I really notice being hungry is right before bed, what's with that!! I don't want to "snack" but I'm burnt out on meal making and scrounging together a 4th meal is the last thing I want to do at night. As far as breakfasts, I've tried making homemade sausage, frittata, sweet potato hashbrowns with fried eggs, scrambled eggs with hot sauce... I think I could eat frittatas every day but they're not the same without cheese. Definitely helps to rotate. Maybe I'll try to find some appealing recipes tonight and post them here. 

Good luck on your trip! 

 

My sweet baby ate all the sweet potato fries I'd made for lunch (which is just as well cause I ate a bunch of plantain chips while I was getting lunch ready! oops...) and it thrills me she is mostly eating what I'm eating and not living off goldfish crackers like a lot of kids her age. Hope I can get her to keep eating all kinds of food and don't end up with a picky(or carbs only) eater!

 

Off to clean my kitchen. Have a nice weekend, everyone! 

[Geminimik]

Bluegrass Mama,

 

Very encouraging update. Yes, just teaching kids to love real food is such a great start to a healthy life.

 

Hey, I am surprised how amazing fruit tastes, and how sweet tomatoes taste. It does seem like food just tastes stronger and better.

 

Later gang.

GEM (miki)

[Deb.]

Hello 5/5 - ers its so great to see how well everyone is doing. 

 

I am trucking along, I did have some Veganaise and then noticed it had brown rice syrup, yet 0% sugars listed on the label. No, I am not starting over, thanks to Dave who says do the best you can. I know, Moderator, I know but I'm not. I'd like to make my own mayo but I've cut out eggs as a precursor to doing the Auto Immune Protocol. Must try some of the eggless mayos I've seen. Otherwise all compliant and enjoying eating protein/meat for breakfast.  One thing I have noticed as someone who didn't eat a lot of red meat - and none at all for two years  -  is - body odor! For years I've only used the crystal deodorant as I didn't need anything else. But red meat makes you stanky! 

 

I was sleeping more deeply for a bit but seem to be up and down on that. I finish work late and often end up eating late and I think that could be the culprit. I definitely have more energy and started a 40 day yoga challenge last Tuesday. Yay! This from someone who was in the hospital for three weeks in January and wasn't driving til March is huge. HUGE! So am very very happy about that.

I noticed my acid reflux was completely gone for the first week or so of Whole30. It has been back for a few days this week - not major - eating late again could be the problem or also maybe some of the drugs I was given for surgery on Monday.

 

I'm so grateful for the great resources we have at our disposal, so many fantastic recipes and inspiration out there on the internet - and from all of you guys. 

 

Almost halfway!!!!

[Geminimik]

Deb C,

 

Great Job. I do love veganaise.Glad you're feeling better in certain ways.

 

Looking forward to getting some cooking done as soon as the new stove and refrig arrive tomorrow.

 

Keep the faith.

 

Miki

[kaeteee]

Hey 5/5ers, I have been absent a few days but I have been glancing at the forum when I get a chance from my phone.  You all seem to be doing GREAT!! You're keep me motivated!  I have been headache/migraine free 6 days, which is the longest I have gone without one in about 10 years. I am excited for that and I don't think I will ever go back to soda; I am going to try caffeine in the form of coffee and chia tea once this is over and see how it goes.  My days seem to be getting easier and easier and I am no longer getting tired in the afternoon!  I plan on adding yoga back to my normal routine next week once my schedule at work cools down.

 

Have a great weekend 5/5ers!!!

 

kaetee

[Geminimik]

Keep up the good work Kaetee.

 

Have a great time.

[missmary]

I did have some Veganaise and then noticed it had brown rice syrup, yet 0% sugars listed on the label. No, I am not starting over, thanks to Dave who says do the best you can. I know, Moderator, I know but I'm not. I'd like to make my own mayo but I've cut out eggs as a precursor to doing the Auto Immune Protocol. Must try some of the eggless mayos I've seen.

 

Great Job. I do love veganaise.

 

Deb, did you have the veganaise and then notice the brown rice syrup, or did you see the brown rice syrup and have it anyway? If it is the first one, we wouldn't have called for a restart on that, but the latter, yes: it's a sign you are making your own program, not really doing the whole30. We really do recommend following the whole30 to the letter one time through before you tweak and decide which rules are important to you*. For me post-whole30, brown rice syrup in veganaise wouldn't be a big issue, but many other aspects of that product keep me avoiding it with a 10-foot pole. It's even more processed than regular mayo, has terrible oils in it, and in most formulations, contains soy protein which is a major gut disrupter. If you are prepping for the autoimmune protocol you need to be seeking out less processed alternatives, not something pretending to be something else. Mayo, while delicious, is not a required component of the human diet. Avocado creates a creamy mouthfeel; coconut milk too. Maybe try a few of those options instead?

 

*let me say this again: you can not possibly know which rules are important until you have tried them first. Don't cheat yourself out of the amazing discovery possible on this plan; go all in.

[Geminimik]

I think that's why I'm so impressed with people who get all the way through the first time they try. I'm amazed at how much we've learned, "on the job". I may NEVER get over the partially hydrogenated soy bean oil in my GARLIC POWDER...come on people. 

 

DebC - I want to start the auto immune version of this too, just to see if that could possibly end my hand pain. I honestly wonder if I would rather have hand pain or be able to eat eggs and salsa, that my be a difficult call for the rest of my life, but for 30 days...maybe not so bad, just so I know.

 

MissMary  - your continued help to keep us understanding the full potential benefit and the need to "follow the letter of the law" really does help. I think it is in our human nature to get away with as much as i can. I'm going to start another Whole 30 (my official, official one) on June 9th. I'm starting to build the personal list of foods I'll eat for those 30 days.

 

DOES ANYONE KNOW, whether when they say "sweet potatoes" they mean the orange fleshed ones, the white fleshed ones, or are both yams and both kinds of sweet potatoes are okay?

 

I'm out of vegetables and waiting  for my new refrigerator to be delivered. THAT'S RIGHT, that's committment, I'm even getting a new refrig for the first "Official, Official Whole 30".

 

This weekend I'm going to start using coconut Milk and I'm looking forward to that wholeheartedly.

 

I'm trying to establish a list of dishes that I will cook on Sundays and have ready for the week, to which I will just add a veggie too. Stinky soup is one (any meat, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, cabbage and mushrooms (are mushrooms allowed on the AI protocol?). Maybe one of the curries. some cooked sweet potatoes for quick frying. a bowl of tuna with homemade mayo, celery and onions to plop on arugula.

 

I'm going to back off fruit for a few days, because I think it may be causing my "need" to snack". I've not been paying attention and attention and addiing a 1/2 an apple with almond butter to  my lunch, considering it a fruit and a protein and fat...wahoo, but I think for me, it may not work in the big picture.

 

I DO WANT TO EXPERIENCE TO REAL AND FULL WHOLE 30 AND I'M COMMITTED TO LEARNING AND FOLLOWING THE RULES.

 

There I said it.

 

What am i doing this weekend? I'll be sitting in whole foods and sprouts, reading labels and flirting with butchers, you?

 

hugs

Geminimik

[abbyn]

Ugh MissMary I really really needed to hear that this morning! I made TJ's bacon for my husband and nephew and declared to my husband, "I don't care, I'm just going to eat a piece" but he (thankfully!) talked me out of it and breakfast wasn't so bad without it. It's amazing how quickly my mind tried to rationalize it. I have made two mistakes that I know of that aren't compliant- the first was store bought rotisserie chicken that didn't come with an ingredients list so I'm assuming the worst (and I ate for the first 3 days of whole30). The second was dijon mustard I used a week into the whole30, that I carefully read over to make sure there was no wine, and there wasn't! I read over it again later cause I couldn't believe how easy it was to find, and found there was sugar in it.  I had used a teaspoon in a dressing for a carrot salad that made 6 servings, so I figured that didn't require a restart but was part of the reason I decided to do a whole45. I want those to be my only missteps!

I am once again right on track as far as the whole30 timeline, you've all seen it, right? I'm wanting comfort and frankly just want to stop caring. I know it's totally mental right now and believe super strongly in how much your mind can affect your body because I birthed my baby naturally by practicing relaxation techniques in the months leading up to her birth. (A.K.A. hypnobabies, if anyone's curious!) It was an amazing experience and and I really need to employ some of those techniques to get me back on track! 

http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/

 

 

Geminimik I started using coconut milk in my coffee and I think that's partly how I am able to stay full during the day. I love your commitment and careful attention and I think you're doing great!
 

Kaetee that is so fantastic your migraines have decreased! That must be great to have found some relief. I just started a yoga class last week and was surprised how great I felt afterwards. I've taken yoga on and off for years but would really like to be more consistent. I hope you find a class you like. 

 

I'm sorry I'm so chatty lately, I feel like my updates are way to long but it's so nice to process here and thanks to anyone who makes it through my posts, I share here so I don't bore my family and friends, this made me chuckle:

[Juler]

I didn't know there was sugar free bacon? I started my first whole30 on March 15, so it's great to have everyone's input. Feel strong now, hopefully it continues. 

[DonnaR]

Everyone sounds like they are doing great, not much time but I thought I would check in!

[Deb.]

@Geminimik lol re flirting with butchers. You are doing an amazing job! 

I have experienced terrible joint pain in my life and sympathize with you on that. 

[Deb.]

@missmary The ingredients listed in the soy free Vegenaise (the only kind I buy) are as follows:

 

Expeller Pressed (this means without chemicals) High Oleic Safflower Oil

Filtered Water

Brown Rice Syrup

Apple Cider Vinegar

Pea Protein

Sea Salt 

Mustard Flour

Lemon Juice Concentrate 

 

It says dairy, gluten, soy free and non GMO. 

 

Now obviously the brown rice syrup should be a red flag, but when the rest of us are shopping and reading labels, the rest of that does not look so scary. Perhaps you can elaborate on how we can know if ingredients are "highly processed" and if a product that looks innocent enough, is not? 

[missmary]

Perhaps you can elaborate on how we can know if ingredients are "highly processed" and if a product that looks innocent enough, is not? 

 

The vegenaise I am familiar with has canola oil and soy protein. The one you picked is much better.

 

That said, you can do better than seed oil and pea protein. Any time there is an isolate like this it is a clue that this is not a fresh/whole ingredient. Processing peas to get an isolated protein like this is what I mean by "highly processed".  The pea protein and brown rice syrup keep this product from being whole30 compliant.

[drtracyb]

I'm glad the Moderators are chiming in here - this group has too much of an "oops, I made a mistake but I'm not starting over" attitude.  There is nothing more fulfilling than truly, truly finishing a Whole30 in which you have been 100% compliant.  Sure, you can be 99% paleo, but you're not truly doing a "whole30" unless you follow all the rules.  The group is here to support us through it, not to support us when we decide "our" transgression was ok.

[Geminimik]

Dear 5/5's,

 

Do I have the questions for you!

 

Has anyone found a tuna fish without soy in it? What's up with that. I thought a can of tuna would be a no brainer, made with my mayo, celery, onion and lemon juice, served atop a pile of arugula, glistening with meyer lemon olive oil, fresh basil and tomatoes?

 

Does anyone know why I waited two weeks to buy coconut milk? I fried up some ground chicken with green onions and carrots, then added a can of coconut milk (it took me several tries to find a compliant one in the grocery store, which was quite a sight since I forgot my glasses...sheesh) and Red Curry Paste - which seems to be fine, but I think I'll list the ingredients somewhere to double check with a pro. Anyways, I served this over a sweet potato (white flesh) and it was nothing less than intoxicating and very sweet!

 

I can't wait to try coconut milk in my coffee tomorrow morning.

 

OH, and I made bone broth, or am making it.

 

Darn, I'm proud of MamaMiki today!

 

Only 3 meals, actually rather small for me and I worked pretty hard all day around the house.

 

Off to the jacuzzi to read my book of breaking habits....still struggling, but gearing up for pure perfection starting June 9th. I think this coconut thai curry may do the trick.

 

GEM

[Geminimik]

Donna, thanks for checking up on us.

 

Juler, we hope you're doing well.

 

I love our group, transgressions and all!

 

Miss Mary - we really appreciate you and Chris and your continual guidance. We do understand what you're saying and although many of us know we need to start over to do it completely, we really meld well with this group and we're continually trying and learning, while not chastising each other but rather helping each other focus on our successes. You watch, we'll get it. Thank you.

 

Miki

[jlmathis14]

Crappy day today; was in the process of cleaning my house when I discovered wet carpet in the basement.  :-(  I was not happy, needless to say.  We had water back in September (2 days before our wedding!) in the same place.  The builder is not feeling like its their responsibility.  I'm about to hire a lawyer.  This house was completed in July of 2013.  Not even a year old and water in the basement twice.  

 

So, I probably ate more fat than necessary today; but I remained compliant at least.  Hope everyone else had a better day!  :-)

[Geminimik]

JLMathis,

 

My heart goes out to you, really? whose fault is it if not the builder's? I like the lawyer idea. There must be someone that oversees contractor's right?

 

Good for you for keeping your food choices clean...at least you won't have a leaky body!

 

Hang in there.

 

Hugs,

MamaMiki