Alicia Jaybird Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Today was the first day of my Whole30, and so I'm still in the "very excited and everything is great" phase. By eating this way for a month, I'm hoping to see just how good I can feel. I'm especially curious to test reintroducing dairy and sugar (in the form of honey and maple syrup) after the month is up. In additional to all the feel-good goals, I have a few extra for myself: Eat breakfast every morning. Kick the daily coffee habit and save it for a weekend treat (this is mostly budget-related, and I've been doing a good job of it for the past two weeks). Keep a day-by-day photo log of what I'm eating on my blog, both to stay accountable and to try to encourage others by showing that it isn't so hard to eat this way. I've been nursing a wicked cold so I haven't been especially hungry, but I did have some simple meals from leftovers. I'm also making bone broth overnight and hoping that I can make a hearty beef stew in the next couple days. Breakfast: chicken, steamed spinach, and tomato Lunch: jambalaya/chili/stew full of ground beef and vegetables Dinner: some leftover chicken and spinach, a small avocado, and amazing sweet potato rounds (cooked in coconut oil) from Paleo on a Budget I know part of the Whole30 is kicking the craving for sweet things, but eating these sweet potatoes felt like having dessert for dinner! I made them with cinnamon and cayenne pepper instead of the recommended rosemary, but I think that would be fantastic for a more savory version. I'm glad to have the recipe up my sleeve but I'll have to save it for special occasions. This month has given me a great excuse to try lots of new recipes. I'm glad the forum is here so I can read about how the Whole30 goes for different individuals, and hopefully find resources during the times when that non-compliant bacon/cupcake/honey-in-tea seems to be calling my name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa Urban Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I really like your goals and objectives. Habit research shows that those with a clear plan to achieve their goals will succeed far more frequently than those who do not create a plan. Your objectives with breakfast, a photo log and such are all great (and fluid, not rigid, which is the key) stepping stones to your big picture goal. Well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimS Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Good luck with your Whole30!! I'm just over a week in and I'm already surprised how much more 'in tune' I can be with nutrition, even after eating pretty strict paleo for a while. Also, thanks for sharing the sweet potato round recipe... I'm making some tonight for my daughter's birthday dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia Jaybird Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 Jim, I'm glad you're benefiting from the recipe too! So tasty. I am trying to shake that cold/cough so any feelings of change may be masked by the feelings from my body fighting that. So far it seems like the biggest change is saying "no" to things where I would normally be okay stepping over the line--some white rice in sushi, a bite of a friend's sugary snack, etc. Keeping the photo log has been GREAT as it's made me think seriously about balancing my meals and actually preparing a good breakfast for myself. I did sleep like a rock last night and hope that will be a new trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia Jaybird Posted April 22, 2012 Author Share Posted April 22, 2012 Whole30 is still going well; I'm on Day 7 now! Keeping a log has been the best solution for staying accountable. My friends check it and ask me about what I'm eating or certain recipes, and knowing that people who see me regularly are supportive has been great. I feel leaner when I wake up and have noticed that my stomach looks flatter. My sleep was great until last night, when I didn't conk out til 1 and woke up a couple times in the middle of the night. Hopefully I'll get back on track with that tomorrow. The Whole30 has inspired me to make regular meals into "treats" since I can't have things like dark chocolate or unhealthy munchies at work...so I've been playing around with new recipes and flavors, which has kept me engaged and content with the way I'm eating. I don't feel like I'm missing anything (though I should probably do a better job of eating more vegetables). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia Jaybird Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Today marks Day 21! I have really enjoyed gaining more awareness of some of my food triggers and the times I use food as a coping mechanism for stress rather than sustenance. No surprise, when I'm very stressed out, I want coffee, large quantities of nuts, and oh boy do my eyes pop at chocolate in the store. I could swear that my mouth actually watered when thinking about chocolate in the first two weeks. I've tried a lot of new recipes, which is fun for me! An update on those goals: 1. I have indeed had breakfast every single day! I feel really good about this one. 2. Coffee has been more iffy. Due to significant problems regarding my living situation, I've had to take time off work, work outside of the house, and spend some long days packing my things. I decided that it was okay to relax slightly on this one and have coffee as a treat on a few weekdays. I still haven't had more than two cups on any day which is progress from this time one year ago. 3. The photo log is going really well! Many of my friends keep up with it and ask how things are going. They always say it looks like I eat very well and/or that they're jealous of my meals. Glad to be showing that Paleo and Whole30 are more accessible than people might realize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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