Dianka25's Whole30

[dianka25]

Day 23

Overall mood

 

B- 2 eggs over spinach with 1/2 avocado

L- 2 leftover spicy tuna cakes with spinach again, 1/2 green pepper, apple

D- leftover slow cooker pork with Paleo Zucchini Fritters

1 cup berries with splash coconut milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, cinnamon

 

Mood- Frustrated today because I tried to go for a run and was so tired!  Also have had a headache for most of the afternoon- I skipped my morning coffee so I'm not sure if that's the reason. 

 

Body- Kinda run down today.  Another hard day at work and poor performance during my attempted run afterward.  Not sure why- I feel like I've been eating plenty lately.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

 

D

[dianka25]

Day 24

Overall mood

 

Yay my energy is back!

 

B- 2 celery sticks with almond butter, 1 cup coffee with splash cinnamon and canned coconut milk

L- 2 leftover spicy tuna cakes with spinach

D- Grilled Pork Chop with Stone Fruit Slaw and pickle

 

Mood- Feeling great today! 

 

Body- Took a long walk after dinner and happy to say my energy is back! 

[dianka25]

Day 25

Overall mood

 

B- Celery with almond butter, 1 cup coffee with splash coconut milk

L- Leftover chicken breast with mixed greens

D- Celery, small apple, couple tbl almond butter again, pickle

 

I know today was a weird eating day- I worked SUPER late so had no exercise and missed dinner.  I didn't want to go to bed with nothing to eat because I was worried I would feel like crap tomorrow.  Feeling good today- lots of energy and no mid afternoon crash still.  I was tired at the end of the day when I left work after 7pm, but that's to be expected.  5 more days!
 

D

[dianka25]

Day 26

Overall mood

 

B- 1 fried egg, 2 zucchini fritters. 1 cup coffee with cinnamon and splash of canned coconut milk

L- leftover Grilled Porkchop with Stone Fruit Salsa

D- Rockin Moroccan Chicken (from Everyday Paleo book)

 

Mood- A little discouraged today because I was trying on dresses for a wedding I am going to on Sunday and was not too happy with the results.  I am nervous about what my measurements/weight will be after Day 30!  I feel like the initial results I saw with this diet change have not really grown-- or worst yet, have disappeared!  Ugh I hope not. 

 

Body- Energy was good today,  I was dragging this morning, but that's Friday for ya.  I shopped after work and made myself workout (Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 2) tonight after dinner.  I didn't do the Pre WO and Post WO snacks- I just ate dinner first and then exercised about 1 hour later.  It would have just been too much eating for me to do the snacks on top of dinner.  I figured it was better to eat earlier (around 730) and then workout about 830-9 rather than eating afterward, and plus I didn't really have the energy to workout when I got home without eating something. 

 

I am seriously starting to ponder what I will do after Day 30.  I definitely plan to do the reintroduction protocol, but after that I'm not sure.  I think it will depend on my results (weight/measurements).  I think if I haven't lost more than 8 pounds I will rethink this diet as a weight loss tool.  That is, I may need another method of tracking intake (ie weight watchers) rather than just following the meal template alone.  I feel good overall but I have definitely noticed my workouts have been fewer and not as strong since starting.  That may have cost me some lost pounds- we will see.  I suppose the experts would suggest more healthy carbs but there are only so many sweet potatoes you can eat!  Either way I go, I have definitely experienced a shift in the way I think about food.  I considered myself a pretty food aware person before doing this- even if I didn't always choose to eat the right thing, I was not under the delusion that Healthy Choice frozen meals are the way to go. But I have a new appreciation for hidden sugar and other chemicals and additives in pretty much any food that I haven't prepared myself.   Will I go back to my Cooking Light magazine and counting points?  We will see!

 

D

[ShannonM816]

Read this.

 

Specifically this part:

 

And I ATE. Until I wasn't hungry and even felt full after every meal. I ate prodigious amounts of food for this week. Three eggs, giant plates of veggies and a huge apple with pecan butter. A chicken thigh, half an avocado in a giant container of lettuce and shredded veggies. A heaping serving of pork, paleo coleslaw and sweet potato. Cashews for pre run snacks, chicken and dates for a post snack. I ate a LOT. I didn't feel hungry ever. As I began to feel peckish, I realized it was lunch and time to eat anyway, vs staring longingly at the clock waiting to eat again. I realized I must have been restricting my meals a great deal without really intending to...telling myself I couldn't possibly eat more than two eggs at breakfast

 

 

This thread  and this thread and this one also have some good points.

 

There are starchy veggies other than sweet potatoes. There's plantains and any of the winter squashes (like spaghetti or butternut or acorn). Regular potatoes. Carrots. Pumpkin.

 

If you're eating enough, you'll have more energy, and your mood will improve. And while it may not happen as fast as you would like, you will lose weight.

[dianka25]

Overall mood

 

B- Paleo Breakfast Porridge (recipe made about 3 servings), 2 cup coffee with splash coconut milk

L- Mixed greens, about 1/4 cup guacamole, watermelon salad (watermelon, grapes, tomatoes, white balsamic vinegar, mint, basil)

D- TIlapia with Roasted Green Beans and Lemon Ghee Dill Sauce (I used tilapia instead of mahi mahi)

 

Mood- Went to a housewarming party today around lunchtime so I was proud that I resisted any temptation to drink/eat something I shouldn't.  Had salad and fruit and felt great!  There were many good food choices since our hubby's brother and his wife are very health conscious (their party), so that helped. 

 

Body- Felt a little jittery after those two cups of coffee this morning.  Had one cup before even eating anything and I knew that would be a mistake.  1 cup is about right for me.  My stomach was hurting a bit today after breakfast- wonder if I just ate too much (the porridge with about a cup of berries was quite a lot of food), or it was the extra coffee, or maybe the almond meal in the recipe?  Was the first time I've had it and I think I heard almonds can be reactive for some people.  Something to keep in mind for next time I use it.  The porridge was really good though.  Took a walk before dinner to get my 10,000 steps for the day. 

 

Wedding tomorrow- hope there is something I can eat!

 

D

[dianka25]

Day 28

Overall mood

 

B- Paleo Porridge leftovers, 1 cup coffee with canned coconut milk, cinnnamon

L- Nothing (late breakfast)

D- Wedding.... salad (balsamic dressing, grapes- skipped the glazed walnuts and blue cheese), rosemary lemon chicken, beef with mushroom sauce,(skipped the penne pasta and loaded mashed potatoes), seltzer with lime (skipped the spiked punches)

 

Mood- Wedding on Whole30- I did it!  No wedding cupcakes, no loaded mashed potatoes, no alcohol... I'm feelin pretty good.  The only thing I messed up was that they had corn and I had a bite before I realized that although it was the "vegetable" it's not allowed on WHole30!  Oops.  Oh well I'm definitely not starting over for that!  The sauces used on the meats could have had some added sugar and other bad stuff but I'm not worrying about it too much.  I consider the evening a success considering everything I skipped!

 

Body- Played tennis this morning and was quite sluggish, but it is also quite muggy and sunny today so both me and my hubby were dragging and I don't associate with the diet.  Made sure to stick to just one cup of coffee and drank it after I started eating breakfast which I think helped- no jitteriness.  My stomach hurt a little bit today after the breakfast porridge again... I'm not sure if it's the almond meal or maybe just the amount of food- it's quite a large portion and I probably should have split it into more servings.  When I think about the fact that there's a whole can of full fat coconut milk in it... I split it into 3 servings but that's still very hearty not to mention the fruit and flax seed- lots of fiber!  No wonder I wasn't hungry for lunch.  The good news is that it definitely helped get the bowels going yesterday and today!  I have had two or three nights lately where I get leg cramps so I am trying to up the magnesium and potassium.  I take a daily prenatal vitamin but I often either don't take the full dose or skip it altogether so I'm trying to be more conscious of it.  I am really considering just magnesium though because I know it can have a laxative effect to which would help me!

 

Two more days!

D

[dianka25]

Day 29

Overall mood

 

B- 2 eggs fried, zucchini fritters (3), 1 cup coffee with coconut milk and cinnamon

L- 1 Tbl almond butter, 1 small apple

D- Paleo Taco Salad (lettuce, grass fed beef, spices, tomato, olives, avocado)

Bedtime snack- 1/2 cup bone broth, homemade pickle

 

Mood- Woke up very refreshed this morning, but then I really crashed mid afternoon.  I think it was because I ended up going to my sister's house and did not eat "lunch" until after 4... too many hours without food!  Otherwise felt good today.

 

Body- No complaints today.  Didn't exercise but I did a 20 min meditation video this evening.  Success in the bathroom again this morning- hope that continues.  Managed to make the menu plan for the week (yay!) so I am set with my meals. 

 

I'm lucky enough to have a brother and sister in law who make homemade bone broth with local butcher bones and I got a quart from them at their housewarming party on Saturday.  Yum yum!  Debated whether I would make a soup, use the broth in random recipes as needed, or just drink it.  Decided to try a cup before bed today as I heard it helps with digestion, etc.  Day 30 tomorrow!!!

 

D

[dianka25]

Day 30!!!!!

Overall mood:

 

B- Whole 30 Pumpkin Breakfast Pudding, 1 cup half caf coffee with coconut milk and cinnnamon

L- leftover paleo taco salad

D- Paleo Guacamole Burger (used turkey instead of beef) with Four Seasons secret guacamole and Sweet Potato Fries

 

Mood- Feeling GREAT because it's my last day of Whole30!  I can't believe I did it! Actually I can, but I am so proud of myself.  Nervous about weighing in tomorrow, of course, but I'm happy I did it no matter what the scale/tape measure shows.  If anything else, it's a test of will power and self control.  I am not a slave to food and I don't need food to cope with life!

 

Body- Got only 5 hours of sleep last night so I woke up tired this morning, but otherwsie feeling good.  Something did not agree with my stomach after dinner today and I was stuck in the bathroom for a while... not sure what that is all about. 

 

The pumpkin pudding was pretty good this morning.  I deliberately tried to divide it into 6 servings so I don't eat too much at a time and it was plenty filling.  As it baked I was worried it was too runny but then it firmed up as it cooled.  It was nice to have a "fall" flavor that was satisfying and healthy and not a sugar filled dessert!  Next time I will add some raisins and maybe nuts I think. 

 

I think I will start my Post Whole30 blog tomorrow on that forum with my thoughts about the program and my reintroduction story.  Initial thoughts right now:

 

1.  If you are thinking about doing Whole30- log your journey on this blog! 

 

I did not want to plaster my story all over Facebook, but I was comfortable sharing my feelings on this forum and have appreciated the feedback and advice.  It also made me accountable which helped me stay honest! 

 

2.  Read success stories and advice when you are having second thoughts. 

 

Especially at the beginning I found myself doing this a lot and it was very motivating.  Ignore the posts about failing or not losing weight. 

 

3.  Do not skip meals.  Do not go hungry.  Eat enough carbs.

 

I believe the main reason I was able to complete the Whole30 was because I ate enough (usually) and did not go around hungry all day.  This increased my self control and made me less likely to succumb to temptation.  Also, do not view this as a low carb diet and deliberately try to avoid high carb veggies.  Everyone is different and you will likely need the sweet potatoes, especially if you exercise.  I know I did. 

 

4.  Plan plan plan

 

Every weekend I set aside time to plan my meals, type in my grocery list (I used Grocery IQ- which can sync with my husband's phone too), and go shopping for the week or at least 3 days.  This also decreased the likelihood of ordering pizza mid week because there was no food in the house.  I mostly ate leftovers for lunch everyday and that worked out fine for me. 

 

5.  Focus on the YES.

 

At the beginning it was hard not to focus on everything I couldn't have, even though in reality most of my meals were very similar to what I would eat on any given day.  Remember that you can most foods when you really think about it.  Think about your favorite recipes and how you can make them Whole30 compliant (or maybe they already are!).  Look for Whole30 recipes online and don't always make it complicated.. many of my favorite recipes were pretty easy to throw together for a quick dinner.  I also premade my breakfasts so that I wasn't stuck eating eggs for 30 days straight and that helped a lot.  If you don't eat a good breakfast you will be in trouble.

 

I will have more feedback tomorrow I am sure!

D

[dianka25]

Day 31

 

Results:

 

-1.5 inch from waist

-2 inches from hips

-14 lbs!!

 

Very happy today!  Shocked at the weight number- almost 10% of my weight!  I know a lot of it was water weight that I got off but still- awesome!  Although I could have technically started legumes or one of the other reintro food groups today, I pretty much stuck to my Whole30 diet.  Pumpkin pudding for breakfast, fish and green beans for lunch.  I went out for a friend's birthday for dinner though... first time in 30 days!  I did not overly worry about sauces and oils and such, but I avoided alcohol and anything fried or grains.  I had grilled swordfish with crab, roasted mushrooms and spinach.  Very tasty!  I do feel a bit bloated and gassy now though I am feeling apprehensive about coming off the diet.  I know it's not sustainable in this drastic a form for me, but I have grown to appreciate the structure and sense of comfort it provided.  I guess in a weird way my Whole30 food has become comfort food!  Perhaps tomorrow I will start with legumes, we will see.  My goal now is to identify any food triggers, maintain the diet as much as possible (with treats allowed once weekly max), and increase my exercise, which really tanked while I was on the diet. I want to continue blogging the rest of my journey, so I will move on to the Post Whole30 area!  So glad I did this!

 

D