May 5th start

[Marita]

Dave and Donna I am so happy for you that you have so much ENERGY and are feeling so good. Me not so much. I feel like my energy is so low. But I have no doubts about whole30 and finishing to my w45. My sinuses feel better and my joints feel better and that is why i began this journey. But I would like to have more stamina and energy. 

[AuburngalNC]

Hey Everyone! I've been missing the last couple of days but have been trying to follow the conversations from my email. I really learned from some of the office eating mishap stories and really made the effort yesterday and today to make sure I had plenty of food with me and a couple compliant snacks (just in case). I made it through yesterday and even went out to eat for my mom's birthday last night. We went to Outback and since I went there on mother's day, I knew just what to order (steak grilled w/o seasoning, steamed broccoli, and a sweet potato plain). It was still yummy and nice to know that I can go out with my whole family and still stick to my healthy choices. They were advertising a new cocktail and I have to admit that the thought of alcohol makes me a little sick right now...and that is good. I actually have a yeast allergy and shouldn't have any alcohol, but before the Whole30, I would still indulge in a glass of wine or two on the weekend.

 

@Marita- I'm sorry you haven't gotten to the energy phase yet. Keep playing with your meals. I didn't get there until recently and realized that I wasn't eating enough fat in my lunch and dinner. I've now added more avocado to my salads and burgers and a little ghee to my sweet potatoes and am feeling so much better.

 

Thanks for the well wishes for my interviews. I had 4 yesterday and one today so far with one more this afternoon. I should hear about both positions by the middle of next week. Hopefully it will be good news to celebrate along with the end of my whole30 (whole34 really). 

 

I know several of you have said your clothes don't feel any different and you don't think you have lost weight... did any of you take body measurements and before pictures before you started? I follow a blogger who mentioned she did this and it has really helped me notice the changes. I even took a picture of my face sans makeup on day 1 and can really see the difference in my complexion too. I look forward to taking my after pictures and posting them when I'm done.

 

Anyway...that is all for now. Keep up the great work everyone!

[Deb.]

I found the sugar free bacon last night ! whoo hoooo!!!

Sounds like everyone is doing great. 

Home stretch! 

[Marita]

Auburn~ I have been through an energy faze but now I am back to low. But you are right maybe i need to play with my fat intake again. i thought maybe I was taking in too much so I cut back.....maybe I need to add back in.??? 

 

My niece has been on w30, loosely, for two months.  Just went to her doctor today and she is "no longer diabetic status". She has been totally convinced she also lost weight and overall has felt better. Her husband also on the program with her has had little or no allergy symptoms in a month. He was taking allergy medication everyday before and now has only taken it twice in the past month!!

 

THIS is inspiring and gives me energy LOL!!!

[Kage]

Hiya *waving* I haven't abandoned you all totally just been laying low with a horrible head cold. I have stopped counting days or thinking about life after whole30 and settled into "eating this way forever unless some thing is really worth it mode" it's a good place, my clothes are looser, my skin clearer and my moods better. I will reintro gluten on day 31 ( that's next Wed right?) Just out of interest although I suspect its effect on me may be cumulative so I may not notice much. My MIL is traumatised I can't eat her pasta so I need to figure out if it really is "worth it"

[DonnaR]

Good Morning,

 

I agree with Kage, I will continue the Whole30 with moderation.

 

I am enjoying the non scale victories that I am feeling and that is what really brought me here,

 

I like the added energy that I had seemed to have lost slowly  .... in the past few years.

As mentioned previous I do not have any real medical issues and I would like to remain with no real medical issues and eating healthy is a step in the right direction.

 

Hope everyone has a beautiful day wherever that may be..... the weekend is almost upon us........ Gotta love the weekends!

 

Home Stretch @ DebC..... YAHOO !   

[AuburngalNC]

@Deb- So glad you found sugar free bacon! It really made a difference for me and opened a whole new world of recipes.

 

@Kage- Hope your head cold clears up soon. I feel the same way about eating this way forever unless some thing is really worth it. Pasta was always one of my favorite meals, particularly pasta with a cream sauce. I am now not thinking about how yummy those meals were, but how crummy I always felt afterward. I hope your reaction to gluten isn't too bad, but if it is, maybe you can win your MIL over by making some of her recipes with spaghetti squash or zoodles.

 

Speaking of winning people over....My son and I often eat dinner with my parents on weeknights. I chose my whole30 start day purposely because they were going to be out of town for the first couple of weeks. They are back this week and each day I've called my dad to ask what he was making for dinner to see if I could eat any part of it and if I couldn't I brought my own. Yesterday my dad sent me a message through facebook and was so excited that he was making a dinner I could have. He grilled chicken and we had grilled chicken salads with locally grown lettuce, strawberries, and blueberries. He also added walnuts and avocado. It was so great and felt so good to know that my dad was now thinking about the whole30. My mom has also expressed interest in reading the book and trying the whole30.

[dcducks1]

Welcome back from the shadows Kage! Glad you are posting again....hope you feel better......don't give us your head cold!

Marita....hope you find that energy again. For me......being active seems to recharge my batteries even more. The more I work, exercise, etc.....the more energy I have. If I lay around.....that's what i end up being good at! So, I stay moving, work on projects, and stay active until bedtime. Last night was "start painting the inside of the garage" night! My energy has slowed up a little bit in the past two weeks, but I think I can jump start it this weekend by taking the canoe out with my Black Lab "KC". I also have a ton of things around the house I want to do including finish painting the garage and the ceiling. My joints seem to have less problem if I keep them moving. I think they "rust up" if I stand still.

 

Everyone- is it me or is the sugar free bacon super salty? I need to check the package but it seems like all I can taste is the salt.

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Dave

[Geminimik]

Hi Gang,

 

Not much time today. It is so nice communicating with a group of people so focused on making their lives betters and the lives of those around them, truly inspiring...each and everyone of you.

 

Dave, I'll check out the low sodium bacon at Costco soon, someone said it is sugar free and low sodium. I hope it's good our I'll be shipping you  4 pounds!

 

Auburn, what a cool story about your folks. You are making them healthier by example and allowing them to honor your health goals, great job.

 

Donna, Keep up the good work, yes indeed, the home stretch.

 

Kage, isn't it interesting how our selfworth is sometimes tied to the dishes we make. Your MIL sounds sweet and interested in pleasing you, that is nice. Good luck on deciding whether it is worth it.

 

Marita, great news about your niece. The sinus improvement is big for me. I kept a journal and will continue to keep a detailed one on my next W30 starting June 9th.

 

Hey Deb, Glad you got your bacon. I think we need to meet for a green tea and a walk on the beach. I ordered the pain book...I'll let you know when I start reading it!

 

Auburn, Good Job on finding working solutions to the work-place landmine playground. I think having on plan, healthy mini meals ready in a pinch (half the size) has helped me. A moderator might say I'm keeping my "snacking mentality" alive and I will work on that on the next W30. I think Dave's point that if I keep a little busier at work on side projects or walk outside of the office, I might be less "bored" and tempted to get into trouble.

 

Marita, Hang in there....keep drinking fun waters. Someone drinks green tea with pommegranate, I need to find that! I like the Chai from TJs.

 

Make it a great day. Remember, "Success comes in cans, not in can'ts"

 

MamaMiki

[Marita]

My energy level is better maybe it was just that one day. I was so tired I had to sleep. I went for a walk and had to come home and take a nap, whew that was tired. I got 8 hours sleep last night and feel sooo much better. Day 29! I feel like I am getting ready for a graduation. When I get my newsletter in the morning and they are talking about success and the end being near I can feel the excitement in the air. I am going to go on for another 15 but still going to give myself a pat on the back. I have truly learned so much about food and myself. 

So happy to hear about everyones stories and life. Auburngal, I love the way you have set an example for both your son and your parents, inspiring!! Dave, shine on!! Miki Love all your sweet words of encouragements. My kids soccer coach used to say "there's no I in team" I feel like we have become a team together  Donna steady wins the race!

Looks like its gonna be a sunny day!! Off to make my chicken stock & thai meatballs with cauliflower rice (yum)

[jlmathis14]

Good afternoon everyone!  I'm still battling the sleep issues, but I do feel pretty good most of the time.  I noticed today that my fingernails are growing and not so brittle that a light whack to them causes them to just chip off.  So, a non-scale victory for me.  Small -- but hey, better than nothing.  :-)

 

I also on the page of doing whole30 all the time unless something is REALLY worth it.  Why would I change my eating habits now when it is helping me feel better?  And maybe eventually weight loss will kick in too.  And I have 9 days past the whole30 anyway since I had to start over.  

 

Eating this way seems easy; the hard part now is planning meals for the other people that live in my house.  I'm about to just tell them they have to cook for themselves unless they want to eat what I eat.  Seems fair...

 

Jamie

[Geminimik]

It's so nice to hear we're all feeling so much better!

 

Keep up the good work, and YES, if they want something else beside what you fix for dinner, I suppose they could make that themselves.

 

m

[Marita]

Eating at home is a piece of cake (pun intended) that ones for you dave!! But what about the real world. Being out with restaurants, meetings, gatherings this is what scares me. I've just been packing all my own food, which is great but I can't keep on w30 completely forever. I feel like I've been eating so clean that any alien invader will disturb the balance. 

[Deb.]

@Marita I've eaten out quite a bit and found that simple is best. Steak and salad. Grilled fish. Fruit plate. etc.

I have been very cautious about mixed things like burgers - I find people sneak eggs (which I am not eating) and sometimes breadcrumbs in there.  

Sometimes I call the restaurant ahead of time and really go through the ingredients of a dish I want to order, I also ask which dishes are gluten and dairy free or can be made that way. It saves time and also any feeling that you are being "that" diner in front of co workers etc. Helps! 

 

@Miki Yes to beach and tea!

 

Everyone seems like they're doing great! 

 

Just had a salad with dates and bacon for lunch. Yeahhhh bacon. It does seem kinda salty Dave but maybe that's because its without sugar?

 

I have to post this recipe which I am planning on making. If you sub coconut milk for the buttermilk it would be fully compliant and I bet just as good. For those opposed to anchovy, you wouldn't taste it here, it would just add an additional depth of flavor and "umami". Looks YUM!.  

 

http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1015232/green-goddess-roasted-chicken.html

[dcducks1]

Marita......you're punny! I think we should not worry or be afraid of what we don't know. I have been able to go to different places and still eat compliant. It might not be great......(salad with bland dressing) but it will work. You can order a steak or chicken breast or steamed  shrimp.....we can find something if we need to. Deb C has got it down pat!  There are options. In my line of work (aerospace) we would call something (like a precious metal) that can't be found "unobtainium"! WE CAN find unobtainium at restaurants if we try. Besides, many people are quite happy with a 90/10 lifestyle .....eating right 90% of the time......not so well 10%! I want to start my next W30 (and do it clean) on June 9th. After I am done (and I have lost my final 16 pounds) I will probably adopt the 90/10.

 

Salty bacon - I'm not sure if the salty taste is JUST because it doesn't have any sugar. I was reading about the "sweet and salty industry" and it is amazing how well that business does. Selling something sweet or salty is a gold mine (I'm guessing Fiddle Faddle is kicking ass!)

 

Mini - if you are planning on sending me bacon, let me send you the rest of my meat shopping list. I like ribeyes, ribs, NY strips, Filets, flank steak, tri-tips......I will send you the complete list in a separate email.

 

I had a female co-worker ask me if I had lost weight today. I told her 34 pounds and she said "nice ass!" That was complete sexual harassment! I have never been so humiliated in......oh wait......never mind!  I'm sure she was using some kind of technical term or something.

 

I am off to go see Rascal Flatts at an outdoor concert....in the rain! I am hoping it is sugar free rain and Whole 30 compliant. I am hoping I can also find some pine cones and bat droppings to make some more mayo or ketchup.

 

Have a great night everyone!

 

Dave

[Geminimik]

Punny...I get it now.

 

THAT RECIPE LOOKS AMAZING Ms. Deb.

 

Dave...you're uncontrollable, I bet you'll have a blast at your concert. I'm not sending you steak, you'll have to get over that..only low sodium bacon. I have to manup and start eating bland? sigh, 

 

I am totally addicted to hot & sweet or salty & sweet.

[Marita]

Thank you all for the help on eating out. I've been looking on line for a restaurant that would work and I found a paleo friendly one, pasture fed meat and all. Looks like I can make that one work tomorrow. 

 

Dave Im so jealous~Rascal Flatts!!

 

Deb, are you doing the AIP? Are you following it strictly? It seems I will be leaning that way for my next 15 days. My nose its still not clear so I feel I'm bound to see this through to the fullest. Any advice? That chicken recipe looks great!!

[monicav]

I must be doing something wrong.  I like that I'm skinnier.  I fit into my bathing suit from my honeymoon 7 years ago.  For the 1st time since.  My pants are starting to fall off.  My skin looks better. Um, I sleep better, but getting out of bed is harder than ever in my life.  I feel like I was hit by a truck AND have a hangover each morning.  By the afternoon I have trouble keeping my eyes open.

 

But anyway, so there's some good and some bad.  But I guess I'm struggling with after reintro.  I mean, I don't REALLY crave a lot of old stuff.  Like pizza.  It doesn't sound so hot anymore.  But either does anything. I mean, I guess I'll see what I can reintroduce later so its not so restrictive.  I'm torn, cause I want to reduce inflammation and lose weight and be healthy.  But I HATE EATING THIS WAY.  The thought of having to get through 2 weeks of reintro makes me so sad.  I'm just torn.  And why is everyone else so happy on this diet but me?

[abbyn]

Hey Everyone, 

 

All this bacon talk is making me hungry, I live kind of far from whole foods and I'm trying to limit my food budget but I'm looking forward to buying some for my next whole30, whenever that may be!

I'm so torn... I've heard such good things about extending a whole30 to a whole45 or whole60 but I just don't know if I can do it. I mean, I know I could, but I don't know if I would choose to make the extension a priority since I'll be travelling and likely moving (!) next month. 

 

The good news is, my mom is considering a whole30       and by extension my dad would be doing it! So I told her I would definitely do it with them and suggested we spend a few days preparing freezer meals and food prep. They go out to eat alot which I think would be a huge challenge so I said they could just come to my house instead. I love my parents so much and would love to see what this way of eating could do for them. My mom has pancreatitis (completely un-related to alcohol, she never drinks!) and has a lot of stomach pain. I think in some ways that would make this hard for her because she might be pickier about what sounds good to her, but I also really hope it could help heal her! I don't know if there's any sort of link between pancreatitis and eating paleo so if anyone knows of anything, let me know! Also, I would love to see my dad lose what we've affectionately dubbed "his pop-pop belly". 

 

Monicav- Have you been eating the same thing over and over or are you not finding good recipes...? It sounds like you need to find some meals you can really enjoy! I totally understand missing old foods but I've had alot of fun experimenting with food and honestly enjoy and find 90% of what I eat super delicious. Some days (like tonight) I have to force down some veggies cause I'm not in the mood but for the most part I'm happy on this diet because I like the food! And it doesn't hurt that my clothes are looser. 

 

Marita- I've been so hesitant about eating out, too. I think that's been the hardest part cause I'd love a cooking break. I've had Chipotle 2x and a sad, plain meal at Bob Evans. Good job for finding a restaurant that works, maybe I should have a little faith and look for one too!

[AuburngalNC]

Good morning!!!

 

@Marita- I have eaten at Outback Steakhouse twice and Chipotle twice. I was also lucky enough to google eating out in my area and found a forum post under the eating out section on this site where someone asked what restaurants there were in the area that were compliant. I look forward to trying some more of them out in the future. I'm glad you found that restaurant near you that serves items like grass-fed beef and hope you enjoy!!!

 

I haven't noticed the bacon being saltier, but I haven't eaten it by itself. I have been using the bacon as a flavor enhancer. I chop some cooked bacon and add it to my sweet potato hash or crumble it on my broccoli salad...that sort of thing.

 

I am finally sleeping better!!! It took more than 20 days for me to have that non-scale victory, but it has finally come. I have the fitbit flex on my wrist and have been using it to track my sleep. Previously I would have 12 times or so a night that I would be restless, but the past 4 nights I have only been restless 1-2 times. That leaves me feeling fabulous in the morning with extra energy. I am putting that energy to use this week too with having a BBQ at my house tomorrow for 12 people and I'm serving whole30 compliant food....ribs with cherry bbq sauce (I'll have regular sauce too just in case), deviled eggs, broccoli salad, cut veggies with paleo ranch dip, compliant hot dogs....I can't wait!!!

 

@Dave- How was the concert??? I am so jealous!

 

Have a great day everyone!!!

[Deb.]

Hello all, we are rocking and rolling towards Day 30, wow! 

I slept well last night for the first time since maybe Day 7. Good news. Must be the bacon ;-)

I have definitely had energetic ups and downs along the way here like many other peeps. I guess we just have to keep on going and see what works and what doesn't. I think a lighter evening meal definitely helps me sleep better. Also heavier exercise, went to a more vigorous yoga class and I think that helped as well. 

I'd like to eat more fish, as I have been leaning heavily on buffalo and chicken as my staples. I'm just never that inspired by fish :-( 

But I am thinking about a sashimi meal out soon. 

 

Oh, I made some good tapenade last night. Totally compliant and yummy with any kind of protein. 

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tapenade-recipe.html

 

I'm having friends over for dinner tonight and making these:

 

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3762844557/slow-cooker-korean-grass-fed-short-ribs

 

Lil nervous as my slow cooker aka crock pot has been in the garage for um, maybe 6 years. 

Also, be warned friends, grassfed short ribs are far from cheap I just about fell over at the price at Whole Foods so reduced the quantity and figured I'll try anything once! Will let you know how they are though. 

 

We're also having my now fave butter lettuce salad with lemon tahini dressing, watermelon basil salad, and broc rabe w/garlic. 

Oooh, it will be good. 

 

@Marita I thought Whole30 would be a good way to ease myself into AIP. So I'm doing this first, but doing it without eggs or nightshades, and then at some point in June will venture into full AIP - so basically what I'm doing now but giving up seeds, nuts and seed spices, and worrying more about compliance with nightshade spices. Black pepper is a seed, so eating out will become a greater challenge because really how can you dodge pepper, everything is seasoned with it. I am consoling myself by remembering that you can have SWYPO on AIP. Although I will try not to do that very much!  I have been diagnosed with a serious auto immune condition so I'm looking to ultimately make this a lifestyle, with modifications based on reintroductions. I read and was very inspired by "The Wahls Protocol" written by Dr Terry Wahls who raised herself from her wheelchair (she has MS) using the AIP principles (and some of her own). There really is proof of great success for diet as a means of treating disease so I am hopeful.  I'm excited for you that you're gonna follow it for the next two weeks!  Pretty much I eat lunch for breakfast and lunch for lunch! There are some recipes for coconut milk mayo, none of them really did it for me. I eat a lot of pesto right now, will making that nut free on the AIP. There are some great websites about AIP - check these out if you haven't already:

 

http://aiplifestyle.com/

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/

http://www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol

http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/09/15/my-experience-with-the-paleo-autoimmune-protocol/

http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2012/11/02/autoimmune-protocol-experiment/

[Geminimik]

Deb...how do we do sushi with no soy, and no wasabi...is wasabi a part of the nightshade stuff? I'm definitely looking forward to trying the lemon tahini dressing...where do we get that recipe? probably nomnom.

 

back to work.

[Deb.]

@Mik you can, and I have brought my own GF soy sauce, in the case of W30 you could bring coconut aminos.

Wasabi in its purest form is a root, kind of similar to horseradish and is actually not a nightshade BUT the green stuff they use at most sushi places is processed and not the real deal grated wasabi that you might find at a higher end sushi place. 

 

I found this explanation:

In most area sushi restaurants, the condiment called wasabi is almost always an imitation version, made from mixing water with a powdered "wasabi" that's concocted, typically, from horseradish, mustard, tapiocastarch and green food coloring (or dried spinach powder).

 

So....depending on the food coloring it could actually be compliant but its kinda risky. I know what a moderator would say. 

 

I guess the advantage of sashimi at a sushi place is the high quality of the fish for a fairly reasonable price and they also usually have pretty decent salads. The seaweed salads tend to taste like they have some kind of sweetening, so exercise caution there. 

 

I kind of made up the lemon tahini recipe, its just tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a splash of water. Garlic loves to stay with me for days so I don't use it raw but it would be a great addition, as would any kind of herbs. 

 

Inspired by this:

 

http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/07/16/cold-sesame-cucumber-noodles/

 

and this one from www.ohsheglows.com

 

Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing

Adapted from Tahini-Lemon Dressing.

Yield: Just under 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast or a bit more, to taste
• 2-4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 tbsp water, or as needed

 

Directions:

1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth. Makes just under 1 cup.

 

Nutritional yeast is W30 compliant as long as its gluten free. 

[DonnaR]

Hi Everyone!

Checking in a little late today..... Sounds like everybody is doing great!

I have also not ventured out for a meal.... Which is not to much of a problem, we do not normally eat out that much.... I will make up for it in June.... I think I have 4 or 5 lunches and a few dinners so I will test it out for the next time I do Whole30.

I will probably adopt the 90-10.... 90 Whole30 and 10.... A little cheating when I am not on the Whole30 plan of course depending on how I feel with certain foods ... I think that nuts do not agree with....... Both the edible kind and the people kind....LOL

Happy Friday everyone, enjoy your weekend!

Having a garage sale tomorrow and we finished our rock garden today, sod coming tomorrow to finish the front..... So busy, busy, busy....

Have FUN !

[Kage]

I must be doing something wrong. I like that I'm skinnier. I fit into my bathing suit from my honeymoon 7 years ago. For the 1st time since. My pants are starting to fall off. My skin looks better. Um, I sleep better, but getting out of bed is harder than ever in my life. I feel like I was hit by a truck AND have a hangover each morning. By the afternoon I have trouble keeping my eyes open.

But anyway, so there's some good and some bad. But I guess I'm struggling with after reintro. I mean, I don't REALLY crave a lot of old stuff. Like pizza. It doesn't sound so hot anymore. But either does anything. I mean, I guess I'll see what I can reintroduce later so its not so restrictive. I'm torn, cause I want to reduce inflammation and lose weight and be healthy. But I HATE EATING THIS WAY. The thought of having to get through 2 weeks of reintro makes me so sad. I'm just torn. And why is everyone else so happy on this diet but me?

It sounds to me like you might not be eating enough or possibly not enough starchy veggies. If you post a couple of days worth of what you are eating in the trouble shooting thread you will have lots of very knowledgeable people to give you advice. I'm not energetic at all but I am sick so it is impossible to judge.