Ann's Post-30 Log

[jhmomi]

I hope you are doing well this week Ann. Please be kind to yourself even though you might be frustrated and struggling. The more you practice, the better you will get at riding that bike!

I promise I understand how hard it can be to come back for Whole30 #2. It only took me a month post Whole30 #1 to completely return to my old ways. Sugar, grains, dairy, alcohol. Yes please may I have another. Ugh! I also have a history of binge eating and emotional eating so I would do horrible with my eating for a while, then recommit and reign it back for a day or two or three, then binge again. I finally gave up. I just tried to be reasonable with what I ate and gave up the idea of "Paleo" for a while. Mentally, I just wasn't ready to commit to it, even though I knew it would be good for me. Fast forward to late July and I was finally ready for Whole30 #2. Now almost two months later, I have committed to eating this way and I feel good about it. It's not hard to eat compliant foods, although I do consume too many nuts and too much dried fruit. I still have work to do on that, but I am just not making it a priority right now. Continuing to be compliant is my priority. After many, many months of trying to decide if this will really work for me, I can honestly say I can see myself continuing this lifestyle permanently with very minimal off-roading.

[Mich]

I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, and to remember that this is all a learning process. I had a relatively easy time sticking with my Whole30, but "Riding My Own Bike" is really really hard for me. Someone else posted on here that what matters isn't how many times you fall down, but how many times you get up. I'm looking forward to getting back on track

Hi Ann, I also find 'riding my own bike' more difficult than the whole30. It is sooo much easier when you don't have to make the decisions for yourself and the rules make it easy ..... yes/no.....black/white. Easy peasy.

Good luck with staying on track.

[Ann]

Okay, I'm back. Started a Whole30 log, lasted aaalmost two whole days, but got weak watching election coverage and had a glass of wine. Well, two. Giving it some thought, it seems clear I'm not really wanting to do a *real* whole30, but do want to keep a food log and work on eating closer to paleo as much as possible. The last two days, my non-w30 choices included high quality bacon (with sugar), and two glasses of wine. Not too bad, huh? We will call this Day 3 of my post30 log.

Day 3, meal 1 - 1/2 slice bacon, omelet w red onion, yellow peppers, and spinach (cooked in bacon fat), grapefruit (with Splenda, bad, I know), and iced tea.

[Ann]

Day 3 meal 2 - spinach salad w veggies and roast beef, olive oil balsamic dressing, olives, and a side of grapes.

[Ann]

The rest of my day got weird. I was struggling with munches so had a few slices of applegate salami and a V-8, and then a spoonful of coconut butter. Then I unexpectedly spent the late afternoon till about 8pm helping with details of my dad coming home from the hospital. Yay!!! Home at last! I had an apple in the midst of all the hubbub, and although I cooked a good dinner for my dad and stepmom (salmon, green salad, green beans, fruit), I left as they were sitting down to eat bc I was exhausted and just not hungry. I just really wanted to go home and collapse. I'm still not hungry (or maybe I am but I'm more wiped out than hungry), and am winding down from the adrenaline with a glass of wine and a handful of cashews.

The good thing here is that I did not hit burgerville in my way home! That's what I've been doing often for the last month. Drinking one or two glasses of wine in place of dinner is probably just about as bad though, I suppose. But if wine is considered paleo, I *did* have a totally paleo day. Heh, I'm SO good at finding a positive spin, huh?! Now that my dad is out of the hospital (yay!) hopefully life will get back to a more normal routine It is SO much easier to eat right when I have a regular routine (ie I usually get to go home after work).

Tomorrow I meet a friend for happy hour and then Don Giovanni - cant wait! It will be a nice change from nights at the hospital .

[Ann]

Meal 1 - spinach onion pepper sauté, 1/2 slice bacon, 2 fried eggs, olives, grapefruit, herbal tea.

[Derval]

Good news about your dad

[Ann]

Thanks Derval .

Meal 2 - quick shopping excursion (Sephora sale with a co-worker, whee!) on my lunch break today, we discovered a new restaurant opened just a couple blocks from the office. Potbelly Sandwiches, apparently a chain out of Chicago. Co-worker suggests we try it out, and I was tempted, but decided to go back to the office and eat my salad. Which was delicious as always. Yay! I'm planning a bit of off-roading tonight (happy hour before Don Giovanni!), so double yay that I didn't give in to lunchtime temptation.

Spinach, turkey, veggies, grapefruit, olives, olive oil/balsamic.

[Ann]

Snacked on Applegate salami and almonds mid afternoon.

Meal 3 - dinner out before the show: seared ahi, yam purée and braised greens, and 2 glasses of red wine. The ahi was supposed to come with mashed potatoes, but they were happy to sub the yam purée for me. It was all amazingly delicious. And the opera was pretty good too

[Ann]

Woke a little late morning and didn't make breakfast. Stopped at Starbucks instead - grapes, apple slices, hard boiled egg, V-8 (which I had in the office fridge), and an Americano with heavy cream. Left the biscuit, peanut butter and cheese parts of the protein pack in the break room for someone else to enjoy .

[Ann]

Lunch - from local deli, green salad w tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, tuna salad (with mayo likely non-paleo), dressing (olive oil, sherry vinegar, and honey). Not too bad as far as take-out goes.

Afternoon snack - black coffee, salami, almonds.

[Ann]

Dinner - "naked" rotisserie chicken (whole foods step 4) (on sale this weekend for $5.99!), Brussels sprouts sautéed in ghee with garlic and onions, glass of red wine.

[Ann]

The habit I have the hardest time breaking is daily weighing. In some ways I think it might be helpful - for instance, I halfway planned to off-road when I went out to dinner last Thursday, but when I saw that morning that I was half a pound from a "milestone" in my weight loss, I decided to make paleo choices at dinner. I understand it can get in the way of listening to your body, but at this point it all seems to be working for me so I'm continuing to get on the scale. Anyway ... this morning I was 159.8#!!! I haven't seen the 150s since January 2009!

Breakfast - slice of bacon, two eggs fried in bacon fat, leftover Brussels sprouts (sautéed in ghee), grapefruit (w Splenda, booo), coffee with heavy cream (pastured/organic), iced tea.

I need to put the Halloween decorations away...

[Ann]

Breakfast was somewhat late (9:45) and dinner on the early side (6:00), so I skipped lunch. By the time I was hungry, I knew dinner wasn't far off so just waited.

Had my folks over for dinner, my dad's first excursion since getting home from the hospital. He's on oxygen and has a wound vac, so it's a bit of an ordeal getting him out. Back story: my dad collapsed on a cruise ship in the Panama Canal a month ago and was intubated and then quickly evacuated to a small hospital in a smallish town. He was kept there five days, in an induced coma on a ventilator. Nursing care was bad, and he developed serious bed sores. Once he was off the ventilator and conscious, he was flown to a Portland hospital on a small medically equipped jet with a doctor and two pilots. Thank GOD they had purchased travel insurance!! After he was at the hospital up here, he became very sick and unstable, and they eventually discovered he had developed a systemic infection (from the bed sores) which almost killed him twice in the last couple weeks. The fact that he already has chronic heart disease, COPD and diabetes complicates all the other stuff. They did surgery on the bed sores (twice), treated him with super heavy duty antibiotics, and he is finally home and hopefully healing and regaining strength. Whew, it has been a long month.

Anyhow, he was feeling a bit stir crazy so they came for dinner . Chocolate chili with sliced avocado, and (for my son and folks) shredded cheese and cornbread/butter. Forgot to snap a pre-dinner pic, but here's the leftovers.

It was a hit! And bonus, lots of good protein to help rebuild the tissue in dad's booboo. .

[Ann]

Crepes! I made apple crepes! Eggs, light olive oil, coconut milk, and a small bit of raw honey, cooked them in a pan lightly coated with ghee. And for the apple stuffing, I sautéed thinly sliced apple in coconut oil, then added some coconut milk and cinnamon. Topped the crepes with chopped walnuts, and what a treat!!

[Derval]

Gosh what a dramatic story, your poor dad! Glad he his home and hope he's fully recovered soon.

[Ann]

Lunch - WF rotisserie chicken, 1/2 avocado, Bubbies pickle, last of Friday night's Brussels sprouts, and a V-8.

[kb0426]

I am so sorry about your Dad! What an ordeal! You must have been out of your mind with worry!

Just sitting here catching up on your post whole30 and it has been very educational! I, too, have found that little voice inside that says "you are done with your w30. You can have _______." Insert food choice here...I have been pretty good about not having anything in the house that could set me off, but today I made cookies and had 3! They were tiny, had no added sugar except for the homemade jam, and no gluten or flour, but STILL - who needs 3 cookies?

Your crepes sound good!!

[Ann]

Thanks KB and Derval .

Dinner - spiced yam mash topped with bacon, buttered steamed green beans, rotisserie chicken breast, iced tea, red wine.

(Mmm, this tastes like dessert topped with bacon.)

[Ann]

Breakfast - the usual, 2 egg/spinach scramble. One slice bacon, iced tea.

Oops, ate my lunch before taking a pic! Leftover chocolate chili, 1/2 avocado, red grapes.

[Ann]

Snack free this afternoon

Dinner was blah. Leftover rotisserie chicken (bought Friday, good sat and sun, but totally dried out by today - tasted like cardboard, I took one bite and tossed the rest), leftover yam mash (this was yummy on day 2), asparagus sautéed in olive oil and garlic. And a glass of wine.

I might need to snack on some WF deli roast beef to make up for the blechky chicken I left on my plate.

[Ann]

Update 10pm - totally craving bagel and cream cheese. Which happens to be available (within 4 quick steps from where I now sit) bc I bought it for my 18yo son per his req. Note to self: bagels don't call out to you if you have a full/balanced dinner. Going to bed with a cup of hot tea and my book to distance myself from the screaming bagels. They are NOT special or significant or delicious enough to go off road for.

[Ann]

Struggling with cravings this morning. Had trouble waking up, even though I slept well last night. Didn't feel like making breakfast, so stopped at Starbucks, and it took a lot for me to not get a pastry. Got an Americano with heavy cream and a protein pack instead (cheese bread and PB to be given to co-worker, so really just egg and fruit). *sigh*. Oh, and a V-8.

Mid-day update: Had the last of the chocolate chili, buttered green beans, and half an avocado for lunch. It filled me up, but wasn't very satisfying. Battling some of the worst cravings I remember, even during my W30. Maybe my elusive period is about to make an appearance?? (It's been 82 days since my last one!!!). I think I will plan a biggish snack this afternoon to hopefully bolster my willpower tonight.

[Ann]

Man. Long day. I hope my energy and enthusiasm come back soon. The last week has been relatively easy, but for the last day I have felt unenthused and unmotivated. I really wanted to just order a pizza tonight. But ... I'm sticking with it. I'm riding my own bike and all, but this is a normal night and my pizza delivery is far from special. Not worth it I know this will pass, and I want to save my off-roading for things I will truly enjoy. Tired/lazy isn't a good enough reason.

I did have a snack earlier (salami and almonds). Dinner: sirloin tips with mushroom wine gravy, served over delicata squash.

[kb0426]

Good for you for being strong and steady! This is not a question of willpower, as some would believe, but for logical reasoning. I would say you did a stellar job!