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Start 21/9/14 Abu Dhabi


lexybelle

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Hi everyone,

I'm starting my first ever whole 30 tomorrow.... I'm very excited and also very nervous.

I'm based in Abu Dhabi, so getting some things is difficult or incredibly expensive due to importation cost... But I have decided I will buy the best quality (organic if possible) food I can source and afford and won't stress about it. On the positive side there is an amazing selection of fruit and vegetables from all over the world and the local seafood is delicious and quite inexpensive.

I'm menu planning for 2-3 days in advance (especially work days) and only buying what's necessary for those days, I'm very conscious of food wastage.

In preparation for tomorrow (12 hr shift ) I have egg mushroom and spinach muffins baking, a beef and veg chili cooking and potatoes baking - white potatoes are allowed right!?! Salmon fillets are in the fridge to be cooked when I get home with stir fry veg. I'll pack some chopped salad and berries to have with breakfast and lunch if I need more to fill up.

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Hello Lexybelle,

 

I am also starting tomorrow (round2)!  Hope we can motivate each other to complete the whole30 together!  Your meal plans sounds delicious!

 

I am planning for:

Breakfast: boiled egg + avocado broccoli salad + Kefir water

Lunch: Grilled dorado fillet + romaine & beetroot salad with tahini + green tea

Dinner: Sesame Tuna + daikon/carrot salad + chamomile tea

 

Cheers,

Meili :-) 

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Hi Lexybelle and Meili,

 

I too am starting tomorrow for my first W30.  I have spent all day reading and meal planning and am hitting the store tomorrow as I have eggs, coconut oil, spinach and mushrooms in the fridge already for breakfast.

 

I live alone and work 10-11 hour days, so i tend to do best with crock pot recipes or stirfrys I can cook lots of and eat on all week long.  Good thing I don't mind eating the same supper 3 or 4 days in a row...LOL.  I tend to not eat breakfast and I am addicted to decaf with flavored creamer so mornings will definitely be my most challenging times.  I do like eggs, but will have to force myself to eat them (or ANYTHING) each morning. I am going to try coconut milk and cinnamon in my coffee (crossing my fingers). Planning on big salads with chicken or tuna and lots of veggies, avocados, hard boiled eggs for lunches...then my crock pot concoctions for dinners. Found a great chicken/lemon/kale soup recipe that i will put in the crock pot right after church tomorrow.

 

I know I can't do this alone so I hope a lot of us starting tomorrow can keep in touch and be a support to each other. 

 

Here's to us!  

-Laura

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Wow, you ladies sound so prepared!! Great meal plans!

 

Also beginning my first whole30 tomorrow and great to hear you are starting tomorrow too! Main goal is to eliminate brain fog, fatigue and lethargy so throwing in bed before 10:30 (lenient on weekends ;) ) and only decaf coffee into the mix to try to reset brain/body wiring. 

 

Lexybelle - I'm in the same boat living in Hong Kong with expense and somewhat limited options in the health food space. I have been living in mainland China and Hong Kong for over six years now - noodles and rice are the central components to many meals here, so this will be a challenge!

 

Stocked up on coconut aminos for seasoning, coconut oil, cashew butter (also good for iron) and lot of meat and veg. Having pre-approved groceries delivered mid-week (lots of nuts, dried meat, fruit and veg). Meals will be much more simplistic on this end since I tend to work a lot (and eat out a lot) and not as advanced as you all in the culinary area but hope we can help motivate each other and make this a great 30 days! 

 

Good luck and keep me posted!

 

Bron 

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Well I've had a really good day! Magic egg muffins, with half a banana for breakfast, chili and baked spud for lunch, salmon and stir fry veg for dinner.

The coffee room at work was a torture chamber of pizza and donuts but I wasn't tempted, easy to say on Day 1! But I've made this decision to improve my life and my health so it's not a sacrifice. It's not poisoning myself.

Did have an argument with a colleague re sugar vs fat being bad for health. I enjoyed my spud while she picked at a dry salad with dry grilled chicken.

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Congratulations to everyone for surviving day one :). I was actually thrilled with the taste of real food. Sad to say, I've been eating processed and fast food for a while. I feel horrible that I already had temptations on day 1. I am used to grabbing greek yogurt with a meal replacement cookie as a snack. And I was craving my snacks so bad. But I made it.

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I did struggle tonight, left work at 9pm instead of 7.30, so was just exhausted. The temptation to pick up some take out on way home was huge. I grabbed some turkey mince and made a huge turkey burger instead with a salad and mushrooms. Very late to be eating but in my job there's no chance to grab a dinner break.

More organisation required for work day dinners.

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Day 2 almost done, congrats everyone for surviving another day :)

 

And of course, people around me had to be eating pizza today and someone even put a "spicy" peanuts snack directly on my hand. Not falling for it though.

 

Thank you lexybelle for what you said about, "it's not a sacrifice. It's not poisoning myself". Awesome perspective and a good reminder of what that other junk we eat does to us.

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Hi everyone. I started Sunday as well. I like what lexybelle said too. I came across this post on Instagram today and thought about how I was complaining about how much I spent at Whole Foods....

"Your body will be around a lot longer than an expensive handbag. INVEST IN YOURSELF...." (Or an expensive pair of shoes for you men). I agree with it, we're all worth the time and money! Hope everyone is having a healthy W30 day.

-Chaffee

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Got to work this morning to discover I'm going to be out on transport til afternoon at least... No warning, upside I get to go home once I'm back at base.

They arranged a packed lunch but its no where near compliant, thankfully I have a few things with me that I can bring along, and I'll have to check the canteen for something else otherwise it's gonna be a bit of a hungry day. Fingers crossed I get back early

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""Your body will be around a lot longer than an expensive handbag. INVEST IN YOURSELF...." (Or an expensive pair of shoes for you men). I agree with it, we're all worth the time and money! Hope everyone is having a healthy W30 day."

 

Love that Chaffee!  I too have been struggling with the 'cost' of eating healthy.... but it just doesn't compare with the benefit of BEING healthy!

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Thank god it wasn't the disaster I thought it might be! Got back about around 2 hrs early about 2pm, so just had a late lunch, with the yummy food I'd made! Came home and had a lovely nap. Feeling good.

It'll be dinner time soon, pork chop, mashed cauliflower, roasted squash and sweet potato.

I'm doing a batch of squash and sweet potato as I'm going on night shift from Thursday so I'm making soup with it. I can't tolerate heavy meal on nights so I'll have dinner before going in, soup with stuffed lettuce wraps instead of the previous sandwich, and then a breakfast before sleeping. Surprisingly historically during nights is very easy for be to stay on track its in the evening after my last shift when I get junk food cravings. I'm thinking a nice steak, baked wedges, mushroom, broccoli smoothered with hollandaise ( I'm gonna attempt it with ghee instead of butter) will a delicious I dulgent post night shift indulgence- I wish it was Sunday night already lol!

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