What do you mean there's nothing to eat???? My first Whole 30

[sassyboo62]

I started my Whole 30 on September 1, 2014, which thankfully fell on a Monday (I'm very OCD and everything has to start on Monday), however, it really sucked because it was a holiday.  Oh well, I would live, lots of good meat and veggies to eat, so no problem.  I spent weeks actually planning my Whole 30.  I read  ISWF front to back; bought the Well Fed Cookbooks, tabbed recipes that I wanted to try (alright, I have almost all pages tabbed in both cookbooks) and even started a Pinterest board.  I threw EVERYTHING out that had sugar in it.  No saving it for "when I could have it", I was NOT going to self-sabotage myself.  I was getting ready!!!! I started buying and cooking on Thursday before the "big day".  I cooked from sunup to sundown.  I made sauces, mayo, dressings and even my own spices.  I made hamburgers, meatballs, zoodles, a luscious and silky sweet potato/coconut milk soup and chocolate chili (heaven).   I had dishpan hands because I must have washed every dish in my house twice (not really, but if you've done a Whole 30 you know what I'm talking about) but I was PREPARED.

 

Of course, during the course of those two weeks I spent preparing, I binged like crazy - eating everything I normally don't eat.  I haven't ate fast food in years and found myself driving through McDonald's TWICE in ONE freaking week.  And I didn't get no sissy hamburger - no - I went full out - a Big Mac - TWICE IN ONE WEEK.  With fries and a coke.  What the hell????? I ate cake, candy until it came out my ears and chocolate on chocolate.  I even went and got a Dairy Queen something or another and I am freaking lactose intolerant (did I mention I normally don't eat fast food so much so that I can't even remember what I was eating).  Finally on Thursday, I slapped myself silly and said enough of this crap and finally put it all down.  I got busy. 

 

Thursday and Friday I started eating some of the food that I was preparing and I have to say, everything was absolutely delicious.  I had never had zoodles before, but OMG, put them in a little ghee with some browned garlic and that was heaven.  The only problem was there weren't enough of them.  When I first shredded it, it looked like I could feed four people, when they drained out, barely enough to feed me.  But that's okay, I now know that I have to have a LOT of zucchini to make a meal. 

 

Sunday we went to the NASCAR race and I ate my last bite of pizza there.  Within two hours, I knew why I decided to go on the Whole 30 in the first place.  The cheese and gluten were really playing havoc with my stomach and I was so glad that I brought some Alka Seltzer chewies with me.  I was lusting after an Italian Ice but really, with my stomach hurting so bad, I didn't even want to attempt it.  So I just sucked it up and knew, Day 1 was approaching.

 

Day 1 - all pumped up; I'm prepared right?  WRONG!!!!  I forgot my husband was home (he works out of town all week and comes home on weekend) and one of my sons spent the weekend with us so I started the day off going "oh crap" what am I going to feed THEM?  I spent a few minutes opening and closing the refrigerator and freezer and finally settled on hashbrowns sautéed with onion, bacon and eggs w/melon on the side.  Not bad right?  Whew Meal 1 down. 

 

Uh oh, here comes Meal 2. I just finished those dang dishes and it's already time to cook again?  So here I go again, what to eat, what to eat?  Pulled out some of the frozen hamburgers I made the other night; thawed them out and cooked them in some vegetable broth and made a huge salad and there we go, Meal 2 in the books.  I'm thinking, I got this, it's all good.  Did more dishes and what do you mean it's supper time?  Seriously need to start loading the dishwasher.  I really was stuck for Meal 3.  I had no clue because by this time, I realized I was grossly unprepared for my Whole 30.  I focused so much on the meat that I forgot the most important thing - I had no vegetables.  So after opening and closing the doors again for another 10 minutes, I thawed out some pork chops and pulled out some squash that we grew this summer and I had froze.  So we had fiesta style pork chops (w/tomatoes, peppers and onions) and fried squash and onions. 

 

Day 1 was in the books.

 

Day 2 came bright and early and I knew exactly what I had to do.  I drank me a quick cup of coffee (w/coconut milk only); downed a cup of my sweet potato/coconut milk soup because I had NOTHING to eat for breakfast in the house and all but ran back to the grocery store.  Needless to say, I am much better prepared today than I was yesterday. 

 

Breakfast while lacking in protein was my sweet potato/coconut milk soup.

Lunch was ribeye steak, tossed greek style salad w/homemade vinaigrette dressing, watermelon and figs w/8 cashews.

Supper was ground beef "tacos" made in a lettuce leaf w/avocado, onion, tomato and green pepper and 1/2 sweet potato. 

 

I am starting to get the "carb flu" - feeling achy, nose is running, headache.  But I know this will pass and I'm just putting one foot in front of the other until it does. 

 

I started this journey because I have autoimmune disorder (Hashimoto's thyroiditis; chronic fatigue; fibromyalgia, IBS); allergies; acne (I'm 52 years old and I have acne, SMH); chronic joint pain and inflammation; leaky gut syndrome; high blood pressure; Type 2 diabetes; high cholesterol.  I have done the 21 Day Sugar Detox and know that was the best I've ever felt in my life, however, I never gave up dairy and I believe that is what is keeping me inflamed most of the time.  I do not want to do the AIP as that is way too restrictive for me, but if I don't see good results, I'll do that the next round.   

 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

You're well prepared, Sassy.  Hope you feel better, soon.

[sassyboo62]

Day 3 - This too shall pass......

 

After a night of constantly getting up to pee, and the vivid dreams I had, Day 3 got under way with a full case of carb flu and sugar detox.  My face looks worse than a teenagers. My adult acne is kicking it!!!!  I've had a case of the smuckettes (southern slang for lazies) all day and can barely put one foot in front of the other, but I refused to give in to the nap that I desperately wanted this afternoon because I want to sleep tonight.  I've been achy and spacey and headachey, but all in all, I am right on track. 

 

On the plus side, I have not experienced any reflux and that is a MAJOR improvement.  Even with all this food.

 

Meal 1 - Ribeye steak, sweet potato/coconut soup, grapes

Meal 2 - Cabbage boats (tacos in a red cabbage) w/avocado, onion, tomato; sweet potato, cole slaw and mixed melon

Meal 3 - Pina colada chicken (chicken w/pineapple, peppers, onions in a mixture of coconut milk and seasonings); roasted beet salad.

 

1/10 of the way there.  Tomorrow is going to be a better day.

[GoJo09]

Smuckettes is a fabulous word.

[sassyboo62]

Day 4 - Wish I Could Fast Forward To Those "Good" Days

 

Holy crap - I feel like someone took the plug out of me and drained all my energy.  Could I please just sleep until Day 8, 9 or 10 or whenever the heck I may start to feel better?  Woke up from a fitful night of extremely vivid and wild dreams (not of food - food would have been nice) but just really crazy dreams.  And fitful, because I keep walking up every few hours to pee.  Thought I just might have "skipped" over the worst part of the detox because I had a tiny spark of energy when I first woke up.  That did NOT last long.  By 9:00 I was wanting to get back in bed and pull the covers back over my head.  But I plunged headlong into my day and yawned my way through the whole day.  I refuse to nap because I don't want it to be harder to sleep at night than it already is. The headache that plagued me today was just a constant nagging headache.  Not horrible, just there.  And I couldn't seem to put two coherent thoughts together to save my life.  Brain fog has settled in nicely, but I just hope it doesn't get too comfortable. 

 

I was totally compliant on my food:

 

Meal 1 - Steak, one egg, wilted spinach/kale, honeydew melon

Meal 2 - Leftover pina colada chicken and roasted beets (will have to leave peppers out of my food as I believe they trigger my bloating)

Meal 3 - Taco salad on bed of greens, cucumber salad, pickled cauliflower and black olives, watermelon

 

I found myself reaching for grapes everytime I opened the fridge but I stopped myself from eating them as a snack.  So that is a victory.

 

I am also going to pare back some of my food as I am overly stuffed when I finish eating and have been eating really good sized portions of meats and vegetables.  So starting tomorrow, I'll put a little less on my plate and see if that will sustain me.  If not, I'll eat a fourth compliant meal.

 

I am going to claim that tomorrow will be better and I am off to bed to hopefully dream good dreams and not so many crazy dreams.  If this continues, I may have to look into the magnesium.

[nomnomNW]

Sassy- I started my whole30 on sept 1st too. Solidarity thru the "kill all the things" stage!

||m||

[sassyboo62]

Day 5 - Please tell me I am over the hump (even if you have to lie)....

 

I feel so good today.  Woke up feeling refreshed and without a headache.  My face has calmed down and my belly even looked flatter (until I ate that is).  And I wanted to do something - well a lot of somethings actually.  So I fed all the critters, fed myself, cleaned my house, mowed the lawn, weedeated and still had energy to spare.  Oh can it be this easy?  I am praying the worst is over.  I am so very cautiously optimistic.

 

I have started to decrease my portions as I feel overly stuffed after I eat.  I am eating all compliant foods - lots of proteins, lots of veggies and lots of good fats.

 

Meal 1 - Chicken sausage w/fried egg on a bed of sautéed spinach and kale, mushrooms and onions; melon

Meal 2 - Pork cutlet, 1/2 sweet potato, 1/2 cucumber drizzled w/creamy Italian dressing (homemade); melon

Meal 3 - Shrimp scampi over zoodles; Italian salad w/olives, pickled peppers and sun dried tomatoes drizzled w/creamy Italian and yes, more melon.  I am trying to eat the dang melon up but it is never ending.

 

Looking forward to tomorrow.  At this rate, I think I may be ready to start PiYo on Monday!  Woo Hoo.  1/6 of the way there!

[sassyboo62]

Day 6 - I see bright things, really bright and colorful things......

 

The first thing I noticed when I got up this morning is that my face has cleared up.  No sign of acne anywhere.  I feel so good that I had to go back and re-read both versions of the Timeline to make sure I didn't miss something.  I seem to be well ahead of the timeline and am so dang thankful for that.  If I had to feel like I did on Day 4 for two weeks, I'm not sure I could have made it.  I have moments, but those pass pretty quick (had a headache this afternoon, but drank some water and it passed pretty quick). 

 

The other thing I noticed as I left to go to the Wal-Mart is that things are bright, really really bright and really colorful.  It's like a veil has been lifted from my eyes and I am seeing clearer.  Is that even possible?  But the sky was bluer, the trees greener and really vivid.  I love it. 

 

Also, my tongue is no longer coated in a while film.  Nice and pink and I can taste the sweetness of fruit again and am learning to love the taste of a good steak with just salt and pepper on it.  Delicious. 

 

As I was cleaning up my house today I also realized that I am not having to take my trash out as often as there are no boxes or crap taking up room.  Most of the peelings go into my compost pile and the rest is just meat wrappings.  How great is that.  Not only is Whole 30 good for me, it is also good for the environment. 

 

I took my first trip to Wal-Mart today and other than having a moment as I passed the specialty cheese (I'm a big cheesehead)  and another moment as I walked by the greek yogurt, I made it through there with my head held high.  I'm a Whole 30'er and no food is going to take me prisoner. 

 

Meal 1-chicken/apple sausage on a bed of wilted greens, melon (finally finished that dang melon)

Meal 2-Leftover shrimp scampi over zoodles; plum, 2 figs & handful of macadamia nuts

Meal 3-Ribeye steak, sweet potato, Italian salad w/olives, peppers & sun dried tomatoes w/homemade creamy italian

 

I have a pork roast in the slow cooker which will be tomorrow's supper and I am loving this meal planning.  Other than the dishes (oh so many dishes), I am really beginning to enjoy cooking my meals. 

[sassyboo62]

Day 7 - Vivid dreams of pork roast and spiders

 

So I guess I just thought the vivid dreams were over LOL.  Of course, mostly it was my fault for starting the NomNom Paleo's Kahlua Pork at night.  Stuck it in the slow cooker at 10:00 last night and by 2:00 a.m., I was dreaming of eating pork roast, garlicky pork roast.  I guess the smell of that awesomeness was permeating my brain - so lesson learned - do not cook at night while I am trying to sleep.  But the spiders - oh gosh - the spiders were the nightmare.  I hate spiders.  I also hate killing anything so right now here in Georgia we are having fall spiders spinning these gigantic webs that you walk face first into before you know and where the hell did the spider go?????  So after battling those around my house yesterday, I guess they also permeated my dream world and yuck. 

 

Anyway - Day 7 is done and I am on a roll.  I only ate two meals today and one mini-meal because we ate breakfast really late (10:30) and then went visiting family until 2:00.  I knew dinner was going to be early because my husband had to leave to go back to work, so I ate a small meal of the aforementioned pork roast, grapes  and a handful of macadamia nuts. Then we ate dinner at 6:00. 

 

Meal 1 - Steak, egg, 1/4 potato, kale, mushroom & onions, grapes

Mini Meal - pork roast, grapes, macadamia nuts

Meal 3 - Pork roast, mustard greens, cucumber salad, roasted beets, plum

 

Peace.

 

Oh and something I figured out about myself - I don't suffer fools and people who "slip up".  I really take to heart the rule "unless you fall face first into the food, there is no slip-up, you make the choice to put the food into your mouth (I am paraphrasing this)".  That is one of the reasons I started this - that rule and the rule about it being hard sold me!!!!

[Brewer5]

I really love to see people so determined.  Congratulations on making it through the acne and the smuckettes!  Also, love the part about seeing things more clearly -- brighter colors, etc.  It literally IS like you have been walking around in a fog.  Almost unbelievable, but so true.  You become like a different person when you really, truly feel good.  Keep up the great work!  

[sassyboo62]

Day 8 - Please give me back my magic and I'll give you back the bloat  - Dang - I knew it was too good to be true Woke up this morning with a headache, allergies kicking, and sore and achy.  Not to mention BLOATED.   Crap.  I tried to go off my allergy medicine "just to see" but guess I'll have to go back on it in the morning and maybe finish this Whole 30 before I try to kick it.  As for the bloating, I know this too will pass, it's just a little disheartening after feeling soooooooo good the last few days.  I got through the day in "one foot in front of the other" mode and finally it is done.  On the positive side, my skin is really clear and my hair does not feel so brittle thanks to all the fats and oils I've been eating.   I can't wait till the day that all this goodness fits into one day and then into my life for good. 

 

100% compliant today and thankfully, it was leftover, easy meal day.  I love having food preplanned and pre-made.  Made all that prepping and cooking prior to the start so worth it on days when I just don't feel like cooking.  I have to take that forward with me too.  That way the siren song of convenience foods won't sway me. 

 

Meal 1 - Chicken/apple sausage (I'm addicted); egg, coleslaw (I'm really getting used to eating vegetable in the morning); grapes

Meal 2 - Roasted Kahlua pork, tomato w/homemade creamy Italian, sweet potato/coconut soup; grapes

Meal 3 - Chocolate chili over a bed of lettuce, onions, avocado. 

 

So on to Day 9 and hopefully a better day.  One thing I am so grateful and thankful for is that I don't have any cravings. All of this food and fats are really doing what they are supposed to be doing and that is keeping me full and the cravings at bay.  I love this even when I don't

[sassyboo62]

Day 9 - Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs

 

I realized that not only am I extremely fatigued and tired today, I am also sneezy, wheezy, drippy, itchy, bitchy, weepy and irrational.  I went off my Claritan in high hopes that my allergies would magically disappear, but crap, they are here with a vengeance.  So I am sneezing, wheezing, my nose is running like a faucet, my eyes are red and itchy.  So I went off to the Wal-Mart to get my Claritan and there I became weepy and irrational.  As I walked around the store picking up a few needed items, all around me was the temptation of Halloween candy.  And the cravings kicked into high gear.  So I got my stuff checked out and got the heck out of there.  All the while I was pissed and wanting to slap someone for putting all that crap out, and that is so normally not me.  I am a really positive, happy, peppy person.  Damn sugar blues.  I really want to go back to feeling like I was last week.  I know it's coming, I've read enough on the forums to know this is normal, but oh, please fast forward me to Day 25 lol. 

 

My meals were all compliant:

 

Meal 1 - Egg fried in ghee, chicken sausage, avocado and sugar snap peas and raspberries; coffee w/coconut milk

Meal 2 - Roast pork w/horseradish mayo, 1/2 apple, sugar snap peas

Meal 3 - 4 oz filet mignon fried in ghee w/mushrooms and onions; Italian salad w/mixed greens, artichoke, sundried tomatoes, olives w/olive oil/balsamic vinegar topped with Well Fed's Magic Dust (roasted mixture of nuts, coconut, onions).

 

On to Day 10.  No matter what, I am in this for the long haul.  NSV of Day - little less muffin in my muffin top!

[sassyboo62]

Day 10 - Vivid Dreams, Sugar Blues and Blahs, and Putting on My Big Girl Panties

 

So as I was browsing through the Forums last night after posting, something made me click on a post titled "Did I Mess Up Too Bad" and it was about lemon juice.  Turns out it was a good think that I did click on it because turns out that I have been using the same freaking lemon juice to make my wonderful homemade mayonnaise.  So now I'm totally freaking out thinking I just jeopardized my 9 days.  In trying to read as much as I could on the subject of sulfites and starting over, I came to the conclusion that I'm going to keep going.  It's not like I ate the mayo for a full meal and I really only made it so I could make homemade creamy Italian dressing.  So I feel okay that I didn't do much harm to myself.  Of course, being OCD anal retentive, it's going to nag at my brain that I really didn't do a Whole 30 because of this, so I'll probably end up adding days at the end just so I can say I did.  Because I do know, right now, the way I feel, there is no way on God's green earth do I want to fall face-first into a bowl of sugar, creamer, cheese or pasta on Day 31.  Going through all this just to do that would be so counter- productive to my self-esteem and my health. I know I can't stay on Whole 30 forever, because I do like to enjoy some treats now and then, but I want to try to stay as clean as possible through the challenging holidays. 

 

So with visions of messing up running through my head, it created vivid dreams again in which I was eating a ton of non-compliant food.  Even in my dream I was doing Whole 30, but knew I had just messed it up and felt such a deep sense of loss and shame.  So much so that when I woke up, I had to remind myself it really was a dream and I didn't actually eat those foods because the feeling of loss and shame was so real.

 

I woke up feeling pretty crappy again and it was so disheartening because it was like I had this small glimpse into what I could really feel like last week, all bright eyed and busy tailed, and now I'm living with the most extreme case of smuckettes I've ever had.  But I decided that I wasn't going to sit around and feel sorry for myself and give in to the sugar blues and blahs, so I put my big girl panties on and went into overdrive of yard work.  I weedeated, I washed my deck, I cleaned house and I made some new apple cider vinegar mayo.  By about 3:00 a wonderful thing happened.  The fatigue lifted, my mood lifted and all the blues and blahs went away.  Dare I hope to be over the hump? 

 

Day 10 meals were totally compliant and one small victory was that I didn't eat any fruit at meal 1 since I read somewhere on the forum last night that it's really a bad way to start your day. 

 

Meal 1 -  Steak, mushrooms, onions fried in ghee w/coconut amino; fried egg

Meal 2 -  Taco salad made w/chocolate chili over a bed of lettuce w/onion, avocado, cilantro and lime w/creamy Italian drizzled over it; 1/2 apple

Meal 3 -  Italian meat sauce w/meatballs over sautéed zoodles; tossed Italian salad w/olives, artichoke, onions and green leafy lettuces.

 

One other small NSV is that I actually put on a pair of jeans today that a few weeks ago I couldn't even zip or button.   Today, zipped, buttoned and still a little tight, but not so much that I couldn't wear them.  Peace.

[Brewer5]

Of course, being OCD, it's going to nag at my brain that I really didn't do a Whole 30 because of this

I can guarantee you that there are people out there who happily announce to the world that they have done a Whole 30, and they probably had sulfites or some other thing that was not obvious to them being used the entire time.    I say, happily move along and keep your head held high.  You are doing great.  

 

Congrats on avoiding the fruit with breakfast -- that is a big step in the right direction, for sure.  Another thought:  I think you felt so much better this afternoon not only becasue you got outside, but you got moving.  Physical labor, whether it is working in the yard, going for a walk/hike, or lifting weights etc -- all forms of exercise are known to boost our feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters in a way that not much else can.  Next time the smuckettes hit -- make a conscious decision to MOVE like you did today -- and see how fast you can turn that mood around.  

[Tina Marie]

Love your descriptive posts !  I started on 9/4 so close behind you.  I thought I was prepared too - but ran out of veggies as well. Nice to know I'm not the only 1. Keep up the great work

[sassyboo62]

Day 11 - On Losing Fat and My Appetite

 

I am loving Natural Calm.  Usually if I wake up in the middle of the night, I'll lay there for a while before I fall back asleep.  Sometimes I'll sit on my phone and play Pet Rescue Saga or some such time sucker until I get sleepy again.  But the last few nights taking Natural Calm, I notice that even though I still get up (to let my dogs out or to pee [which seems to be a never ending thing with all the water I am drinking]), I fall back to sleep immediately.  So I am feeling much more rested in the morning.  Also, it doesn't hurt that it seems to be a "natural" laxative but even with that, all is "calm". 

 

So after a restful sleep, I got up this morning and the first thing I noticed when I went to put my shorts on was that my love handles, stomach and hips didn't look near as fat.  I had to rub my eyes again and put my glasses on to make sure I could see properly.  But yep, I swear some fat melted off of me in the middle of the night.  I'm not doing any workout per se, just about 20 minutes of PiYo a night so far for the last three nights, so I know it's not that.  All I could do was stare in amazement.  I didn't take pictures of this new me because I took some "before" pictures and I just want to be more surprised at the end result.  But seriously, every time I passed a mirror I had to lift up my shirt and look again LOL.

 

I'm not overly heavy or anything like that.  I weighed pre-Whole 30 at 142.4.  However, what I am is probably 35% or more body fat.  That stupid stuff covers everything, but especially my middle, my hips, my thighs and my butt. I am NOT in this for the weight loss.  I know that will come in time.  I am in this because I know this type of fat is destroying my health.  I now have proof that eating good fat can make bad fat disappear. 

 

As for my appetite, where did that go?  Maybe it left with some fat?  I just know that this morning I went to sit down to meal 1, it was like "nope" don't want it, can't make me eat it!  Where did that come from?  I forced myself to eat that chicken sausage and vegetables this morning.  I am not going to start skipping meals, but what I am going to do is reduce the portion size.  Obviously my body is in a good place right now with the food it is getting because I am not craving or looking for food in between meals.  Me!!!  Who used to graze all day long and long into the night!  I also went without fruit again for breakfast, but did have 1/2 apple at meal 2and 1/2 apple at meal 3.  Beginning Monday, I am going to try and cut it back to only meal 2. 

 

On a WTH note - I was putting my vitamins and supplements into my weekly container and I happened to look at the back of my bottles - sure enough - stupid Biotin had soy oil in it and my multi-vitamin and D-3 had maltodextrin (sp) in it.  Crap.  So out they went and now I have to look for a compliant multi.  I am not making this a deal breaker, but what I am going to do is complete this Whole 30 and go right into another one, taking all these little things I have been learning with me. 

 

Meals today were:

 

Meal 1 -  Chicken sausage w/kale, mushrooms & onions; sugar snap peas

Meal 2 - Zoodles w/meatballs & sauce; 1/2 apple

Meal 3 - Thai Coconut Soup w/broccoli, mushrooms, onions & shrimp; 1/2 apple

 

That's it.  Day 11 is a wrap and I made it.  Didn't quit, didn't want to!

[Tina Marie]

your meals sound so yummy !!  can I ask if you make it up as you go - or do you have a recipe book ?

[sassyboo62]

Tina Marie - A little of both.  This soup recipe I pulled off the internet, but most of my recipes come from the Well Fed 1 and Well Fed 2 books.  They are a MUST HAVE for me.  Every single recipe in both books, with the exception of 2 (I think it's 2 it might only be 1) are Whole 30 compliant.  And the ones that aren't compliant are clearly marked.  They are easy to make, have little hints on what to eat with the meal and for once, I am having a ball cooking (which I usually find a chore), and I've even gotten used to washing so many dishes.  I just look at it as a sign of a well cooked meal! 

[Brewer5]

Beginning Monday, I am going to try and cut it back to only meal 2.

 

Just curious -- what made you decide to keep fruit with meal 2 instead of 3?  Do you crave it and enjoy it more mid-day than in the evening?

[sassyboo62]

Brewer5 I try to stay away from fruits at meal 3 so it doesn't feed my night time sugar dragon. Apples don't seem to do that so if I'm just wanting fruit I'll eat an apple at meal 3.

[sassyboo62]

Day 12 - Dizzy Downward Dog or The Highs and Lows of Blood Pressure

 

As soon as I got out of bed I knew it was going to be a long, long day.  I was so dizzy that I was walking like a crab, kind of a sideways shuffle.  By the time I got all the fur-kids fed, it dawned on me that my sugar may be too low (I'm a diabetic) so I tested it and nope, pretty dang good at 107.  So I figured just like yesterday (yep, got up dizzy yesterday too), that maybe I was just hungry because it had been 14 hours since I ate.  But I wanted to workout before I ate, so I put in my PiYo and by the time the warmup was over, I knew I was in trouble, just not how much.  As I bent down into downward dog, all of a sudden my room started spinning, my peripheral vision went black and my head started pounding so hard that at first, I thought I was going to pass out.  All I could do was lay down on my mat and roll up into a fetal position until it passed which it did in about a minute.  I knew that workout wasn't going to happen, so I picked up my mat and headed back to the kitchen to make meal 1.  As I sat eating, I was pondering what the heck could be going on.  A few days ago I was feeling pretty dang good except for the sinus issues, but since I got back on my Claritan those cleared right up.  So it couldn't be that.  And I realized the only thing I changed in the last few days was taking the Natural Calm before I went to bed (1/2 tsp only).  Thinking that there might be something I didn't know about it, I plugged in side effects and sure enough, it interacts with my blood pressure medicine, thereby increasing dizziness and lightheadedness.  I ran to my bathroom and took my blood pressure but it was all over the place, high, low, and in between.  What I was afraid of was taking my blood pressure medicine and bottoming it out, so I called my pharmacist and talked to her.  She told me that it could definitely lower my blood pressure too much, so hold off on taking my meds and maybe just stop the Natural Calm to see if that cleared things up.  The interesting thing was she knew what Whole 30 was and told me that if I was following that good diet, I may be getting enough magnesium in just my food. 

 

I was talking this problem over with some others on our Facebook page and someone said it could be I wasn't getting enough potassium and that actually made sense because I've also been getting charley horses the last few nights too.  I'm thinking I might be dehydrated even though I'm drinking water like a fish (do fish drink water ?).  But between peeing so much, sweating so much (it is so dang humid here in Georgia and all this yardwork I've been doing) and even pooping so much (2-3 times a day), maybe I am dehydrated?  I'm salting my food plenty, but I'll start adding a little more.  Also, I kind of quit eating sweet potatoes and someone told me to make sure I add at least one starchy vegetable a day. 

 

I am just hoping I feel better in the morning.  I want the boundless energy and tiger blood, not the mehs and blahs. 

 

In just trying to get through the day, I managed to miss meal 2 in between cleaning and shopping and by the time I got home, and just ended up eating a "snack".  I just didn't want to eat a meal that close to meal 3. 

 

Meal 1 - Thai coconut/shrimp soup; Kahlua pork

Meal 2 - missed

Snack - Grapes/almonds & macademia nuts

Meal 3 - Tastiest chicken ever; roasted red potatoes w/olive oil; tossed green salad w/1/2 avocado, olives, tomatoes, cukes; creamy Italian dressing (homemade).

 

Not sure if all this makes sense as I'm still pretty loopy headed.  Feel better than this morning though.  Tomorrow will be a much better day. 

 

If anyone has any thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them.  Peace out!

[Brewer5]

But I wanted to workout before I ate

 

I may be getting enough magnesium in just my food. 

 

it could be I wasn't getting enough potassium and that actually made sense because I've also been getting charley horses the last few nights too.

 

and even pooping so much (2-3 times a day)

 

Also, I kind of quit eating sweet potatoes and someone told me to make sure I add at least one starchy vegetable a day. 

 

I managed to miss meal 2

 

and just ended up eating a "snack".  I just didn't want to eat a meal that close to meal 3.

 

If anyone has any thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them.

I sure wish I had time to respond to all of this now.  But alas, we must get out the door for football.  So I will just leave you with this thought for today:  EAT.

 

Do not skip meals.

 

Do not snack.

 

Eat protein+fat+vegetables.  If you have to do this FIVE times per day -- it's fine.

 

Nuts are a source of FAT.  NOT protein on a Whole 30 -- they are not a "complete" source of protein, meaning they do not contain all of the essential amino acids your body needs.  So your snack was actually just "fat+sugar".

 

I am typing things out this way because I am in a hurry, but also because I am worried about you.  

 

Do NOT work out on an empty stomach anymore.  Follow the guidelines in the book for pre-workout and post-workout nutrition.  Have a hard-boiled egg and a few nuts, or some homemade mayo on it.  Protein+fat is what you have before a workout -- not an empty stomach and fasted for 14 hours and you are diabetic!  Okay?  

 

I will be back later.  Have a good day!  EAT!

[missmary]

You aren't eating enough. period. 

 

Going into yoga with the thought of "I might be in trouble, dizzy, etc, but I don't want to eat" is NOT supporting your health and well being. Skipping meals is NOT supporting your health and wellbeing.

 

Why are you doing the whole30? If it is to support your health then you owe it to yourself to provide enough fuel. Eat something (even if just a hard boiled egg) within 30 minutes of waking ALWAYS. Eat at least three full template meals EVERY SINGLE DAY. I know, people--and especially women--often think eating less or refraining from eating at all is some kind of virtue, but I don't want to see you weak and disappearing. I want vibrant health for you and that takes nourishment.

[sassyboo62]

Hi Brewer5 - I thank you so much for your responding to me.  I would like to clarify/justify a few things (as I wrote my post late last night and still very lightheaded).  But please, any insight and information is so appreciated.  I have learned so much in the last 13 days.  Not only from these forums but also my body's responses to food. 

 

I woke up this morning feeling pretty amazing.  I really believe it was the Natural Calm that made me feel like I did Thursday and Friday.  I didn't take it last night and not only did I sleep a very restful sleep of 6 straight hours (my dog woke me up to go out), but no dizziness, grogginess or lightheadedness.  I was doing some more reading about it last night and seems others have had the same issues, even with the small amount I was taking.  I am going to chalk that one up to experience and move on. 

 

1)  I don't do a strenuous workout - more like a 20 - 30 minute yoga/pilates stretching; it's really hard to do that on a full stomach.  I haven't quite figured out the pre-and post-workout food thing because I don't feel I work out "hard" enough to warrant two more meals.  But I can do maybe a small protein before my workout just to have a little bit of fuel in my system if I workout first thing in the morning (which I normally don't, I usually do it late at night).

 

2) I am a diet controlled diabetic (no medication) and my blood sugars are running normal all through the day now.  The length of time I went without food was from meal 3 to meal 1.  In my normal world, I would generally be having a late night snack (and usually not a good one), so this is all new to me with that regards and my sugars.  But as long as my sugars are running normal and not rising and spiking, I feel I am okay with the length of time between those two meals.  I usually eat meal 3 around 8 p.m. and eat meal 1 at around 9:00 a.m.  Should I be doing something different?  Almost every single meal I eat is protein-veggies-fat (and heavier on the veggies). 

 

3) I normally do not skip meals, but I can't even begin to tell you how bad and befuddled I felt yesterday.  It was very disconcerting.  I ate meal 1 late and by the time meal 2 came around (5 hours later), I was already at the store and then reading stupid labels because the food industry just has to put preservatives, sugar or soy in everything took me even longer than a run in and out, so by the time I got through the store, I knew I had to eat something.  So I picked up a small bunch of grapes and some almonds to tide me over till I got home, because, in Wal-Mart there is no compliant quick source of protein (and I just can't do boiled eggs, the rubbery texture of the white makes me gag).  Of course, by the time I got home and got my groceries up, it was just too late to eat another meal.  Thus the skipping of the meal.  I know better.

 

Thank you again for your concern and have a great time today.  Oh I feel so much better that I have to find something to tackle before my Georgia Dawgs play this afternoon. 

 

Deborah

[sassyboo62]

MissMary-

 

Thank you for responding.  I was just leaving Brewer5 a follow-up.  I am so confused on the whole issue of pre and post workouts.  My workout is not a strenuous one (at least not in my P90X eyes) so I just didn't feel that with this light of a workout it would justify eating another meal or two.  I just can not do boiled eggs.  No matter how I've tried, I can't get the rubbery white down.  So I'll try eating just a small amount of protein prior to my next workout.  Usually I workout at night after all my meals have been eaten anyway, so if I do workout in the a.m., I'll know to eat protein prior to.

 

I am doing this Whole30 definitely for my health, but it's a work in progress and I know I'm not going to get it right the first time.  I didn't intentionally set out my day yesterday wanting to skip a meal and I have been very compliant with that thus far, and with the template (or at least I think I've been following the protein-veggie-fat template) and I've even reduced my fruit to once a day, but it's still a learning process for me.  So I appreciate the insight that others and mods can give me. And believe me, I am not one of those women who believe skipping a meal is virtuous - been there, done that and it's never a good or pretty thing.  In my normal, pre-Whole 30 days, I ate 5 mini meals a day, so this has been an adjustment to only go to three. 

 

As for how I felt - it wasn't food related so much as it was the lingering effects of the Natural Calm even though it was just a small amount.  Without taking it last night, I woke up refreshed, clear headed and no dizziness or lightheadedness.  All is now well again.

 

Thank you again.