Jesse B. Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 This is Day #1 - I don't think I'm going to have a particularly hard time, as I've been practicing a Paleo diet now for two weeks and feel the worst of the cravings are probably behind me. I was, however, allowing myself one "treat" per week, on a Saturday; a nice hot cafe latte from Jamaica Blue. This morning I thought I might try a decaf long-black... just to see if it's something I could handle. So far, I'm finding it heavy and bitter - but not altogether unpleasant. I think I might just be able to get used to it. Some tips I've found over the last two weeks of my Paleo-ness to make the journey a little easier is to have ready-made meals or food items in your fridge. Every Sunday, after I've done my big shop at the Fruit & Veg store, I create a big container of salad - which I use throughout the week. I also boil about half a dozen eggs, ready as a quick snack (or breakfast) and keep in my fridge. Lastly, I either cook or buy a whole chicken and pull it apart, so during the week I can add chicken to my salad, or have a snack on hand. I'm excited! The transformation photos of some previous Whole30 success stories are so inspiring. Anyway, it's still the morning here... I've got the whole day to get through... but I'm confident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SummerGirl Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 You sound well prepared and positive! Being organised and prepared really is half the battle in terms of avoiding pitfalls. Hope you have a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Oh dear. I've been so tired today. I even fell asleep at my desk at one point! Don't know why I'd be so tired, this hasn't been a huge leap into a new diet... I've been at it for a few weeks now. Perhaps my subconscious is setting me up to feel this way? We just finished dinner: roasted chicken drumsticks, carrot, onion, pumpkin... I added scrambled eggs with spinach and walnuts... but I think all in all, it was probably too much flavour. I couldn't eat the eggs. I've already had 3 hard-boiled eggs today! Feeling a little ill now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 So, I'm feeling a little "doped" up... like I've taken a handful of painkillers (which I haven't!). It's not an altogether unpleasant feeling, indeed- I feel all warm and fuzzy. I wonder why!? Someone at work suggested it might be because I haven't had any sugar - but I've eaten a banana and a kiwi fruit today, so I don't think that's it. I felt a little like this yesterday too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Last night's dinner was amazing. I keep raving about it to my peers at work. I cooked rosemary and mint flavoured lamb backstrap, stuffed capsicums full of diced celery, squash and spinach - topped with an egg... and garlic sweet potato chips. DELICIOUS. Who said eating healthy was boring? That was probably the best meal I've had in years! I'm finding that I'm being more creative with my meals... and cooking is something I love to do... even more exciting with the challenge of only using wholesome ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Last night I attended a work function in an upmarket restaurant in Toorak. I had provided advice prior to our booking that I would have a special dietary requirement and was to make myself know once I arrived. After explaining the things I wasn't allowed to eat (I summed it down to dairy and grains) they handed me a menu for the function. Turns out, there was no item on the entree menu I could order, or even modify... so I asked if them if they could make me a salad instead. They were fine with that, however when it was placed in front of me it looked like it had been tossed through some sort of cream. I felt like a bit of a nuisance, but I took my plate to one of the waitresses and explained that I could not have any dairy. She disappeared for a five minutes and returned to tell me it was simply a vinaigrette and egg mix. So, I ate. When the waitress was placing bread rolls on each of the settings, I asked if she could skip me. That was hard, because they had just been cooked and smelt delicious. Dinner was easy to modify. It was Moroccan chicken with beans, pumpkin and potato bread. I asked if they could hold off on the potato bread. Throughout the night, all my peers got tanked on good wine, while I quietly sipped my sparkling water with lemon. It wasn't enjoyable during the night, but afterward, I felt very proud of myself for maintaining the Whole30. I've just had a big sleep-in so I'm hoping my tiredness is past me now. Waiting for my fiance to wake up so we can go out to a cafe and order a cooked breakfast. I'm thinking peppered eggs, bacon, spinach and avocado... with a decaf long black. Yesterday at work a few people told me they thought I had lost weight! I explained that I couldn't weigh myself for 30 days so I couldn't be sure. I think, yes, my body shape is changing, but the weight hasn't begun to fall off me just yet. I may only be into Day #4 of the Whole30, but I'm two weeks into my Paleo lifestyle, so it would make sense that there would be some physical changes. Last night I was online looking for Paleo-friendly restaurants in Melbourne. There was only one! I downloaded their menu (which sounds mouth-watering) and I'm going to take some inspiration from it. Day #4 going strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Something else I forgot to mention was, last night at the restaurant when I was explaining to the waitress what I couldn't eat... she asked me if I had allergies. I started telling her about the Whole30. Next time, I think I might just say I have allergies. I feel it will save me feeling like a nuisance and ENSURE they don't put anything on my plate that I can't eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 So I'm on to DAY #6 of my Whole30. What I have found amusing is that I've been feeling incredibly tired lately - and have just been reading in my Whole30 Daily e-mails that this is expected. My pre-Whole30 diet consisted of a lot of sugar. Like most women, I was a major chocolate fiend. In fact, we had a rule in the house that my fiancé was NOT ALLOWED to bring home chocolate, otherwise, I would gorge myself on the whole block in one sitting. So, it is no surprise to read that as my body learns to rely on its fat-stores for energy, rather than its usual sugar-stores, I will feel a little sleepy throughout the adjustment. I went to a Baby Shower on Saturday and it was the most difficult social situation I've had YET. I should have told the Mum-to-be about my special eating program, but alas, I did not think there would be so much focus on food. There was cheesecake, sandwiches, cupcakes, raspberry crumble, cheeses, biscuits - and a small platter of fruit. The cheesecake looked amazing... and I thought to myself at one point: "If I can get past this social situation with my Whole30 in tact, then I can get past anything." So, I nibbled on some watermelon... helped myself to some green tea. I was feeling a bit hungry at one point, watching everyone scoff wickedly sugarlicious treats that I asked the Mum-to-be if I could be a super-dag and eat the contents from inside one of the sandwiches. She looked really annoyed... but agreed. So I ate the meat and salad and left the bread. Turns out, I was the only one who even touched the sandwiches anyway! I got through it anyway. I think what helped me was that when I arrived I had taken a photo of the food... and posted it on my Facebook profile with the caption: "Look at all this food that I'm not going to touch" ...which was my way of taking a public stand, announcing my intentions. I got quite a few questions from people regarding my "diet" and I took great pleasure in telling them all about the focus of the Whole30 and the changes I've started to notice. Today, at work, I've been told that my skin is looking radiant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 16, 2012 Author Share Posted August 16, 2012 Ok, second person today to tell me my skin is "glowing" Should I be pleased, or concerned!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Reading the Whole30 Daily DAY 12 was my favourite thus far. I took a lot away from that email. There are noticeable changes happening with my body. I'm not so much losing weight, rather - my "pear" shape is turning into an hourglass! My waist is shrinking! I think perhaps the love handles will come off with a bit of exercise, but my body composition has been greatly affected by food. It's quite remarkable, really. I had a little bit of a binge on nuts today. I need to restrain myself. Take a handful and walk away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 I'm almost half way through my Whole30. I've stayed strong. Physically, I feel amazing. My chiropractor says, whenever he tries to go Paleo he makes it to week 3 and then bombs out. Apparently it's the hardest week. Well, I'm going to prove him wrong. Today I am seeing a noticeable change in the way my clothes fit me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Kosowan Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 You sound like you are going into week 3 strong! Keep at it and it will be over before you know it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 WOW. This is Day #15 and I can't even begin to describe how much my body has changed. I wish I had have taken a picture of my body at the beginning of my Whole30 to compare... but alas, I didn't. I had my first food dream last night. I was half way through a round chocolate mint biscuit before I realised what I was eating and spat it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 So, after two weeks of no headaches (which is a MASSIVE feat. for me, considering I was chewing through at least 6 pain killers a day) I decided I was doing ok - better than ok - in fact, I thought my headaches were gone for good. Then - on Wednesday, I was hit with a whopping migraine. Granted, it was only a few days ago that I decided to take myself off my migraine-preventative medication. I honestly thought I'd be fine without it, considering I've had NOT ONE headache in the last two weeks. Alas, I was mistaken. So it looks as if my new clean-eating has improved my daily headaches, but overall, I still need to take my preventative medication for the migraines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Ok so more food dreams. I'm at work and we're provided afternoon tea and I start eating a strawberry jam sandwich without even registering that it's grains. Then suddenly my brain clicks over and I spit it out... but I think I've already swallowed some. Feeling guilty, I then sit and watch all my work mates stuff their faces with this warm, fresh bread - that (in my dream) I actually really want. In reality, yesterday I was very close to giving in and buying a cafe latte from Jamaica Blue. It was my fiance who convinced me otherwise. I'm on Day #19 and as much as I hate to admit it, just as my chiropractor suggested, it seems to be harder now than ever! Perhaps my food dream last night relates to my weakend sense of resolve yesterday? Anyway, I'm going to keep at it! I've come so far, I would be STUPID to start from Day #1 all over again! On another note - I've been doing a bit of research about my wee I've noticed lately that it's been a very dark yellow colour, despite the large volumes of water I've been drinking. I've not had any vegetable that would give it such a strange colour and, furthermore, it's had an unusual "chemical" smell about it. It would appear, my body is in a state of ketosis... and the chemical smell is acetone. Fascinating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 I am so excited to be drawing to the end of my Whole30! I'm on Day #21 and counting down. It is a MASSIVE feat. for me to have made it this far without giving into temptation. I would have never thought I was capable of maintaining such a strict diet... but it's been surprisingly easy. Of course it's had it's share of trials. Socially, it's been a very difficult thing to maintain and at times I've looked upon my drunk and disorderly colleagues and wished that I could indulge. I'm looking forward to getting my final WholeDaily emails for some advice... as I'm a little worried about what I'll do with myself once I've finished my Whole30. How will I approach my diet and lifestyle after I finish my Whole30? Hmmn... perhaps I should start looking through the forums for some help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Today was TORTURE. You would think, on Day #24 I would be past the chocolate cravings... but alas, old habits die hard. There's a girl who only works for us on a Friday. She spent all day in the seat next to me eating chocolate and asking me if I wanted any, knowing perfectly well that I couldn't have it. I suppose, in a way, it was a good test of my will-power. But oh, it was hard. I could see and hear her eating it and the memories, taste... everything associated with chocolate... came flooding back. I still have some food demons to battle. Even this far into my Whole30. Specifically, binge-eating on nuts... and having fruit as a dessert. I've decided from now on, whenever I buy a bag of nuts, I'm going to divvy out portion sizes into snap-lock bags. That way, I don't take the whole packet and overindulge. With regards to substituting fruit as a dessert... I haven't quite come up with a solution yet. It's something I'm going to need to work on. Growing up, we always had a sweet after dinner... so (yet again) old habits die hard. This time next week I will have finished my Whole30! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Oh, on another note- I had lunch with some work colleagues today at a cafe/restaurant. The menu was all a bit "iffy" ... but all the side dishes were acceptable. When the waiter came to take our order, I explained that I had "allergies" and would have to concoct a meal out of the side dishes. He was fine with it! Success! I had egg, bacon, spinach, mushroom and avocado for lunch. Yummy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Kosowan Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Great idea matching the sides together to make a full meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Good dealing! sitting & eating chocolates all day at work is a bit gross anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse B. Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 Good dealing! sitting & eating chocolates all day at work is a bit gross anyway Tell me about it! And would you know it, this girl at work is the tiniest little thing ever. Mind you, I think if I were to bend her, she'd probably snap in two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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