Serious whole30 this time...

[abarbs]

This is not my first whole30. I bet it is my 20th. I have no idea how many times I have tried as I have never completed the actual 30 days. I have gotten through probably 14 days in the past, multiple times 7 days, but most often only through breakfast day 1. I usually slipped up with something like a cupcake on accident when I was hungry at work, or when I come home from a long day at work and my husband actually thought about food/dinner and ordered pizza from our favorite place as a surprise. 

I used to eat fairly clean, mostly unprocessed foods, light on dairy/sugar. More and more over the past few years I have been incorporating more sweets and grains/breads, and take out. My biggest issue is delivery food now, and I would like to get back to cooking for myself. 

 

So, here goes. Today is/was day 1. I didn't really mean to start today, but realized I was doing it already and thought maybe I should stick with it. 

 

What am I doing differently this time?

Writing here. 

Removing the grubhub ap from my phone. 

 

In the past I attempted to start the whole30 on my own, only mentioning it to my husband/friends/coworkers. Now I am talking about it with complete strangers on the internet. I feel like having accountability to this forum will help me to be more responsible about what I am eating. 

 

Here is what I ate today:

 

breakfast:

scrambled eggs with coconut oil, asparagus, yellow bell pepper, shallots, and a small amount of broccoli

dark leafy greens

green grapes

black coffee (which is what I already drink every day)

 

snack: 1/2 small avocado

 

lunch: dark leafy greens with olive oil, small amount of avocado

 

dinner: grilled chicken thighs, various grilled veggies

 

I need to go buy some sweet potatoes and more proteins. I didn't have a lot of good protein on hand today, and lunch was WAY light on protein. Kind of rough to wait for dinner. 

 

Wish me luck! 

[CaGirl]

Wheres your lunch protein? and your Fat at Dinner… and your fat at Breakfast?  You gotta follow along properly. Go Check out the meal template. I don't know how to be fancy and plop it in my note to you but you know how to find it.. Do you have the Book by chance? its really nice having the book.. I suggest you order yourself one.   Good luck girl.

[Carolyn66]

You can do this! You've been down the road so many times 30 days should be easy, especially if you can get past 7. It's your head; you're bigger than your head right?

Go for sweet potato at breakfast and lunch if you have too. Until you're clean, you'll crave and that IS all in your head.

Hope that helps, it's how I motivate myself...

[abarbs]

Thanks!

 

Completely aware of the meal plan and the template. My problem today was not having anything on hand, I needed to hit the grocery store. Made it through the day, went to the grocery store and stocked up. Looking forward to the next couple of days. 

[jessiegetswhole]

Hi abarbs! I started on June 19th, and I'm in the UK, so we're kind of on the same schedule I've just had "meal 1" on day 4.. and I'm feeling like I've eaten enough, but I'm still low energy and a bit headachey. So I'm going to get myself together and cook up some food for later in the day... I'm thinking: oven-baked sweet potato fries, because I haven't been eating enough carb-dense veges, and then probably get some chicken marinating to make damn fine chicken to eat this evening.

 

Anyway, just wanted to connect since we're almost on the same track. Keep at it!

[abarbs]

So this is my restart day 1. It was probably a bad idea to start on a Friday, with my 1st wedding anniversary being yesterday. I was tempted by friends over for a  BBQ and champagne, and then pizza. I knew it was going to be rough and made the decision to restart today. It was more about mental preparation for me, which I didn't really do when I decided to start last week, and knowing the first couple of days are my hardest.  The husband is a huge de-motivator. He is one of those people who is all muscles and bones, and doesn't care about food. He eats food for fuel only, and only really enjoys eating pizza, although he will eat anything I put in front of him for the most part. Starting over today, June 23rd. Probably better for me to start on a Monday anyway as by the weekend I will be in the whole30 mindset, making it harder for me to mess it up. Here goes.

 

Breakfast day 1:

 

black coffee

scrambled eggs+onion/peppers/avocado

clarified butter used for sauté veggies

leftover grilled pork chop (with whole30 approved marinade)

small green banana 

greens with olive oil

 

So I have my protein, my fat, my veggies. I would have liked to have more veggies other than chopped peppers/onions/greens, but didn't have any on hand. I figured adding in the green banana would substitute, although I ended up only finishing about half of it. 

 

I am about to grill some chicken thighs, and am making some hard boiled eggs to have on hand and a sweet potato. I also just shredded a head of cabbage to have ready. I have to hit the grocery store again as I am already out of veggies. Luckily there is a produce market down the street from my house! If I'm going to make it I need to have pre-made stuff ready to eat. 

[Kathy622]

Have you told your husband you are doing this? If not, how is he going to know not to bring home pizza??

[MissWolvie]

Good luck with your restart! I know I wouldn't want to be on a Whole30 on my anniversary. What kind of foods are you going to prep in advance?

[abarbs]

Thanks!

 

Husband is fully aware. Completely oblivious. Says "Oh, you're still doing that? You aren't eating pizza?" Like a broken record. We both have really busy lives, and don't often eat together so it isn't a huge issue.

 

Day 2 down, successful. It got a little rough at work, when I was really tired, and couldn't take a break or sit down. I just ended up eating some grilled chicken thighs with some carrots at the end of my shift, that way I can avoid forgetting about the whole30 when I get home starving. It worked! I work 12.5hr long shifts, with not a ton of down time (basically none) so it is difficult to go and get a healthy snack sometimes. I stocked my lunch bag with extra back up food other than my planned lunch, that way I had absolutely no reason to stray.

 

Premade food I like to have on hand:

I shred cabbage for stir fry, eggs, salads, basically anything I can put it in. I switch it up with kale sometimes, or any other sturdy green I can cook or eat raw
Grilled chicken thighs

Hardboiled eggs

Chopped peppers/onion mix

I try to switch up the pre-made food every few days, as it can get pretty boring eating the same thing all the time, but I don't like stuff to go to waste. 

 

Here's to day 3 tomorrow. 

[abarbs]

Day 3 complete, success. Not too much to say today! Here's to day four. 

[abarbs]

Day 4 down, day 5 so far so good. I ate the best breakfast (at least one that I love to eat and isn't a change from my regular diet)

 

3 eggs over easy+clarified butter

avocado + hot sauce

greens

grilled asparagus

 

It was kind of nice to not have any meat with a meal, as I have been eating so much of it. 

For dinner last night I made a stir fry with organic, grass-fed ground beef, two different type of cabbage, shallots, and onion, with chili powder, paprika, and garlic. I plan to eat left overs for lunch today. I felt like I was cheating when I was eating it last night, although I know if I added chicken broth it would have been better. I need to make some homemade chicken broth to have on hand for cooking as I get deeper into this whole30. 

 

I am definitely eating a lot, which large quantities of food have always been something I have struggled with. I realized I ate 6 eggs in 1 day the other day. It is interesting to experiment with food amounts-portions of meat vs veggies vs fats. I think for me just eating and not focusing on portions is what will work for me right now, and then I can start to scale back a bit as my body gets used to everything. I also need to watch my fruit intake, which at this point I'm not sure if it is a lot or not. I ate some yellow watermelon and grapes for a snack the other day, which I think was a sweet substitute and I didn't have protein or fat with it. I know this is not a good snack, and I am becoming more aware of what I am eating and trying not to make that mistake again. 

 

I am definitely more engaged with myself this go-around, and am feeling pretty good about that. 

Here's to day 5! 

[abarbs]

Day 5=exhausted. Even the smallest tasks were difficult. I just felt completely exhausted. I ate great today-even went out to dinner with a friend and stayed the course. It wasn't difficult when I ate at a bbq place which had the basics-smoked pork and greens. It is hot out so stuck to water to drink.  I wasn't hungry all day, just tired. Hopefully this weekend will be better. Working 12 hr shifts Sat/Sun, so no time to worry about what I'm going to eat. 

[Kmlynne]

Those 12 hour shifts are a mixed blessing . On the one hand, you can only eat what you pack. On the other hand, they are long and if you are busy, it's too easy to skip meals.

[jessiegetswhole]

How are you going abarbs?

[abarbs]

Doing well! Thanks for checking in. Day 8 just about over. All weekend at work went well. Avoided pizza, popsicles, cake, coffee cake, and candy. I didn't even want them, which is abnormal for me! 

Going to work on decreasing portions this week and see how I do. I am starting to notice I am not as hungry as normal, and am not eating everything on my plate. 

[abarbs]

Day 9 in progress. 

Meal 1: 3 eggs, scrambled with a little coconut oil, 4 small cucumbers chopped up. I was in a hurry, and didn't have time to prep. I was also low on have at hand foods, so breakfast was rough and light today. 

Meal 2; Again, rough! Had 3 hard boiled eggs, a small amount of guacamole, a ton more cucumbers. Had a sweet potato at work with me, but was full so didn't eat any of it. 

 

Just got home from a short shift at work, and guess what? Hungry. Like where I would normally go straight to crackers, or bread, or ordering pizza hungry; I was ready for anything-i.e. boiled fish and I don't even like seafood. I ate another hard-boiled egg and a small amount of leftover sautéed eggplant/onion/kale mix from last night's dinner.

 

I am going to head out to the store now that I am no longer hungry and stock up. Apparently the groceries I bought the other day didn't make it very far! I think I need to plan meals ahead for this week, to avoid running low. I did a little planning last week, which makes a huge difference. 

Also- I know why I'm hungry. No meat protein and not enough actual vegetables (cucumbers are basically like having a glass of water for me). I wasn't hungry after either meal, I just got hungry way earlier. Or-I guess I ate breakfast at 530am, lunch at 11am, and got home at 4pm starving. Really that is a meal 5.5hrs, then again 5hrs, so I guess I am due for dinner which could explain. My normal routine is the same though-I just usually arrive home after 8pm, so I drink water at about this time and am busy at work-not arriving home and walking into my kitchen. 

 

One last thing. I made brownies for my husband last night per his request. Zero desire to eat them. I didn't lick the spoon, or even put a crumb in my mouth. My normal brownie behavior is to cut them with a plastic knife while they are hot and burn my mouth shoving them in. 

[jessiegetswhole]

 

One last thing. I made brownies for my husband last night per his request. Zero desire to eat them. I didn't lick the spoon, or even put a crumb in my mouth. My normal brownie behavior is to cut them with a plastic knife while they are hot and burn my mouth shoving them in. 

 

WOW. That's pretty amazing

[abarbs]

Been working too much to post anything or even think about my computer. 

 

Day 14 just about done. Pretty sure my gallbladder is not liking me right now. I have had abdominal pain in the past, most likely gall-stones, but am able to control the attacks with my diet. I think the high protein diet with the whole30 is not helping right now. I had pain all day yesterday and this morning, starting to subside throughout the day and pretty much gone at this point. I think the trigger was the whole30 approved hot dog on friday. It was pretty spicy, and I think maybe the fat content got me.

I have never been overweight, or really eaten too bad of a diet, but I definitely have a family history of gallstones, and I have all of the symptoms. (cue the "why don't you go to the doctor?") Disclaimer: I'm an ER/trauma nurse, I am around people with gall stones quite often, and I am around doctors all day long, I have classic symptoms so have a "yeah probably" diagnosis. Not too worried about getting further testing, as I can usually get through the pain with it resolving on its own. I also have only had 1 attack/year for the last few years, which means I don't need surgery for gallbladder removal. 

So, to alleviate myself from going through pain like this all week I have eaten super light today, starting with a cup of blueberries this morning, veggies with a small pork chop for lunch, and I think I will have grilled chicken for dinner with sautéed greens. Trying to go a little lower fat. Clearly I didn't have a fat or a protein or vegetables at breakfast, but I think eating bland this morning helped to get over the hump with the pain. I'm also going to go easier on the eggs and try to keep my cholesterol intake down. I have been doing eggs every day for breakfast, and maybe need to lay off a bit. 

[jessiegetswhole]

Sounds tricky. Good that you're finding ways to cope though.. I don't know enough about the "science" to comment on your menu, but I'm offering support to get you through the difficult days! 

[Kmlynne]

Sounds like you have a good plan going! Good luck and feel better!

[abarbs]

I haven't had time to post in a couple days. Doing well, stomach pain pretty much gone. Yesterday I didn't have time to prep my meals for work so I threw leftover pork chops in a bag, broccoli, and a raw sweet potato. I picked up hard boiled eggs from the cafeteria for breakfast, and ate the broccoli with it. For lunch I threw the sweet potato in the microwave. It was the best sweet potato I have eaten in a long time. I felt like I was cheating. I brought the leftover sweet potato home for dinner, and had it with the rest of my pork chops I didn't finish at lunch with some random veggies and some fruit I had left over from the weekend. One thing I am loving about this whole30 is how amazing fruit and veggies taste. I normally always love them, but I am very picky about them being fresh-like green fresh. Last night I ate a half of an orange left over from cooking this past weekend and it was so flavorful and good. I am wasting a lot less food that I was before, which equals saving wasted $$$. 

The next few days may be fairly rough. I am flying out of town after work tomorrow, and then driving cross country in a rental truck full of furniture. We will be with my MIL moving and packing furniture, so my guess healthy cooking is off of the table. I know she will order pizza and make sandwiches. Hopefully I will be able to hit the grocery store and just stock up on veggies/protein that I don't have to cook. (The whole house where we are staying at is already packed up so most likely no cooking tools) I'm not going to be able to bring enough food with me to last the entire time. (or even through the flight!)  

Wish me luck! 

[Kmlynne]

I just finished a week long trip (multiple places to stay - some with cooking, some not) and family reunion (eating my stuff when everyone else ate typical SAD). Life certainly got interesting!

For your flight - pack a couple meals in your carryon (watch for fluids).

For your cross country trip: when you stop at a grocery store, try to buy one of those cheap styrofoam coolers to keep in the truck with you. Use this time to show your MIL how much better she will feel eating well!

Good luck on your trip!

[Carlaccini]

Cooler is a great idea. 

 

While on the road I don't strive to be perfect whole 30, but I try to come as close as I can.

 

I buy grocery store roasted chickens, eggs to make omletes in a microwave, some pre cut veggies to put in omlete, Salad, sweet potatoes to cook microwave style.  Semi Clean roast beef makes in to make wraps with, baby carrots, canned tuna and salmon.

 

Also as an aside to your gal bladder issues - many with gal bladder issues cannot digest fats properly.  So you may have to go lower fat than most.  I know your pain has subsided but I thought I might share that info. 

[abarbs]

Thanks for the tips!

Hello. Just got done working 5 12hr shifts in a row, so haven't been able to post. Trip went ok. The first day was rough-had to work 4 days in a row prior to going directly from work to flight, so no time to pack food. At airport I thought I would be able to get a grilled chicken salad or something for dinner-no such luck. Had to settle for a pre-packed veggie tray and coconut water. Clearly not protein or whole30. I made it through without cheating while  my husband ate a salami sandwich and pretzels. Got in so late we went straight to bed. Breakfast the next morning ended up being fruit. The continental breakfast at the hotel had eggs-mixed with cheese.   Ate grilled chicken and veggies for lunch. Talked MIL into taking me to grocery store immediately, bought rotisserie chickens (5 of them-I'm not kidding), veggies, avocados. Ate chicken every day for every meal. For 5 days. Went out to breakfast at the local diner on last morning, was able to eat a veggie omelet-very nice change. The chicken was rough, but I stayed the course. The entire house was completely packed, and everyone else was eating sub sandwiches for lunch and dinner, with cereal in bags for breakfast and muffins. There was no way for me to cook-I had to use a plastic knife to cut up the chickens. 

On the drive home I brought along two cut up chickens, cucumbers, bananas, cherry tomatoes, and a few other veggies. I again stayed the course for lunch, had a grilled chicken salad for dinner (only choice at the restaurant we ate at-they had burgers but they were frozen patties with who knows what in them). Next day we skipped breakfast (bad, I know) and headed home to unpack our truck. Stayed the course again for lunch with you guessed it-more grilled chicken-and then a spinach salad with hard boiled eggs and veggies for dinner. This was while our moving helpers were eating hot dogs, beef sandwiches, and then pizza for dinner. 

Upon arriving home I went to grocery store and stocked up on the usual suspects-no chicken this time! Made an assorted cabbage/onion/pork chop stir fry for the 5 day work week, and ate assorted eggs each morning, or a chicken sausage with veggies.  My husband loved it-which I was shocked by, so I made it again and we ate it for lunches and dinners for a few days. 

I have been craving beef recently, which I usually don't eat. After work this weekend we ordered Middle Eastern food and I had a really wonderful beef/lamb shwarma plate with baba ganoush. The tahini in the baba ganoush is made with sesame seeds, which I know is a limit food-but I haven't eaten them at all, or really any nuts/seeds, so I am not too worried about that. 

Last night I stopped at the store on my way home from work and bought t-bone steaks. We had them grilled with grilled asparagus and sweet potato. It was awesome. 

Lunch yesterday was my usual chicken sausage, with salad, a lentil soup, and some broccoli/carrots. 

Breakfast this morning was 3 scrambled eggs with sautéed yellow pepper, onions, spinach, and a little bit of spicy guacamole. 

For meal 2 today I will have spicy chicken sausages with roasted cauliflower.

Meal 3 will be roasted pork loin, roasted sweet potatoes, and a mixed greens salad with tomatoes, onion, and left over cauliflower. 

 

I believe I am at day 29 today. 1 day left. Interestingly enough, I want to keep going with it. I have zero desire to eat something not whole30 compliant. But-it won't happen after this Friday. I am leaving for vacation for 10 days to my in-laws cottage on the lake. It will start off with a wine tasting party (it is in wine country in upstate new york) filled with all the awful food people love to eat at parties. I will make good choices, but I am looking forward to at least partaking in the wine tasting. I usually spit out all of my wine anyway, but always sip on the ones I like!  That and my husband's aunt makes "CCBBs" chocolate chip blonde brownies. They are a staple of the wine tasting to the point where people hide them all over the cottage to save them for themselves for later. I may have just one. 

[Kmlynne]

Sounds like you did a wonderful job while traveling!  Congratulations on a successful w30.  Enjoy your vacation but listen to your body since you won't get a full reintroduction!