Luda Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 Day 12 ( day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach), 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: raw cashews and figs (huge amount of both), apple Dinner: beef stew, butternut squash, potato chips (compliant but still so horrible) Thoughts: - Yep, no words just pure disappointment. - At lunch time while eating cashews and figs I thought that I am not following Whole30 perfectly then what the point of doing it at all. - Then I thought: yes, that is true, but at the same time I didn't eat anything with added sugar or bread or any grains for the past 12 days, so maybe I am not failing this completely?! - And the PMS will end soon and I will be normal, happy person again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted October 21, 2014 Moderators Share Posted October 21, 2014 It is important to follow the meal template to get the best results possible -- but you haven't ruined your Whole30 if you have a meal or two that doesn't meet the template. As this article explains, as long as you've followed the rules, you're good. The meal template is a recommendation -- following it will give you the best possible results, but not following it isn't a deal breaker. I've done three Whole30s. None of them have been perfect -- I've had meals that didn't meet the template in each of them, and during the first one, I had some food boredom and ate a Larabar instead of the perfectly Whole30 compliant meal I had just prepared. I'm pretty sure "this food doesn't sound good" is not the kind of emergency they had in mind when they said Larabars are okay in emergencies . And I'm not even sure I should count the last one as a true Whole30 because I went out to a restaurant and ate and didn't even ask about what might have been in the marinades or sauces, I just ate the food and enjoyed it. (I'm not recommending that you do that, I know I should have been more diligent about asking, but it is what it is. For me, the fact that I turned down birthday cake at the end of the meal and stuck to meat and veggies outweighed the questionable ingredients.) But all of that said, it does (mostly) get easier. For me, figuring out that it's okay to eat at least the minimum amount on the template, and more than that if I'm hungry, has made the biggest difference. If I make sure I eat enough throughout the day, I'm less likely to snack in the evening, and when I do feel like I want a snack, it's easier to recognize that I'm not usually actually hungry, there's probably something bothering me, something I'm sad or angry about that I need to address instead of trying to ignore. Coming from a background of years of low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie everything, it's been very weird to be able to eat as much as Whole30 recommends, and it is a little difficult to wrap my head around sometimes even now. Sometimes I feel like I'm eating so much food, and sometimes I feel like I'm supposed to be nibbling daintily on some lettuce, not chowing down on roasted chicken with the skin on and a big plate full of veggies, but despite eating so much, I am losing weight (I'd lose a lot faster if I'd exercise more, but even with very little exercise, I'm losing). There are foods I just cannot keep in the house, though, because if they're here, I will eat them. For me, Larabars and cashews are big ones, and if I get any other kind of nut, I have to get raw ones, not roasted or salted. The roasted, salted varieties are too much temptation, and I'll eat way too many of them. I didn't intend for this post to be this long, sorry. I think you're doing really well. None of us is perfect, just keep doing the best that you can. Like any long-term change we try to make in our habits, it takes time, and it doesn't always progress steadily, you may do really well for a while, and then have an off day -- that's normal. It's how you react to those off days that will help you make permanent changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Shannon, Whoa, three Whole30's. This is incredible. You are very strong person. Thank you very much for encouragements and help. It is so easy to feel like a failure, when something is not going as well as you thought it would. I would like to make this way of eating closer to habit (at least this is a long term goal). Breakfast is more or less nailed, I don't have to think about it and feel extremely happy after eating it. But lunch and dinner are still a struggle for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Day 13 (back on track): Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk & oil (couldn't eat anything else after my previous horrible day) Lunch: salad (mix greens, roasted chicken, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: wild caught salmon (out of can), butternut squash, 1/2 avocado, fresh vegetables (radish, cucumbers), apple Thoughts: - At breakfast time, I couldn't even look at the food, but had to have something since I was going to classes for most of the day. So I loaded on coffee and coconut oil to keep me going and also give my stomach a break after nuts, figs and chips bananza. - If I could rate my PMS experience this would be at the top of the most difficult ones. It seems it never ends. - I was complaining to my husband that men are so lucky not having to deal with PMS. His response was that men have to deal with women who have PMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 Day 14 (spaghetti squash all day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach), 1/2 avocado, 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Meal 2: ground beef with spaghetti squash, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Meal 3: ground beef with spaghetti squash, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Meal 4: ground beef with spaghetti squash, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Meal 5: ground beef with spaghetti squash, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Thoughts: - Yesterday I had deadlines for several projects, so had this quick and easy mix through out the day. - Drank huge amounts of coffee, tried to keep myself awake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Day 15 (half way through): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach), 1/2 avocado, 1 cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: salad (mix greens, roasted chicken, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: roasted chicken with spaghetti squash, 1/2 avocado, apple Thoughts: - I had exam today. But I feel I did very poorly on it. I had headache and felt tired and sleepy. If only professors could schedule exams on the days when I feel good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Day 16 (last day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach), 1/2 avocado, 1 cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: salad (mix greens, roasted chicken, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: grapes, almonds Thoughts: - That was last day of my PMS, what a day. I experienced whole range of emotions. Life never seemed so miserable. Hormones are so powerful. - Used all my will-power not to go for non-compliant food. - Why is it so easy for me to keep perfect Whole30 until lunch but then I want to eat sweet and non-compliant food at dinner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 Day 17 (back in business - rest day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach, tomato), 1/2 avocado, 1 cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: salad (mix greens, wild caught salmon, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, 2 apples Dinner: cashews, peach Thoughts: - Finally, PMS is over! Life couldn't be better. - Got first 9 hours sleep in a week, it feels so good. - Weather was perfect, so I decided to make it my rest day from all the projects, homeworks and went cycling. - Because of all the deadlines and exam I didn't do any exercises for the whole week. So it felt very good to be outside, riding bike in the sun. I couldn't stop smiling. - Second half of the day was grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning. My apartment was such a mess after week of ignoring it and refrigerator was completely empty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Day 18 ( day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach, tomato), 1/2 avocado, 1 cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Snack: 2 peaches Lunch: salad (mix greens, beef liver, 1 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: ground beef (portobello mushrooms, onions and ground beef itself) with roasted butter nut squash, apple Thoughts: - Just pure relaxation and joy to be off the roller-coaster of crazy emotions and stress. - Off to the first workout in a week (it will hurt tomorrow). - Need to fix my schedule, going to bed at 3:30 am doesn't work very well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Day 19 (Great day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, baby kale, tomato), 1/2 avocado, 1 cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, peach Lunch: salad (mix greens, beef liver, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: ground beef (portobello mushrooms, onions and ground beef itself) with roasted butter nut squash, raw vegetables (radish, pepper, broccoli) Thoughts: - That was perfect Whole30 day. - Feeling full and satisfied. - Off to the another workout. Everything hurts after yesterday's workout. - Mood is so much better after working out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Day 20 (whoa, time flies): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, baby kale, tomato), 1/2 avocado, 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: salad (mix greens,2 roasted chicken legs, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: ground beef (portobello mushrooms, onions and ground beef itself) with roasted butter nut squash, raw vegetables (radish, pepper, broccoli) Thoughts: - I cannot believe I could feel so good. - Definitely butter nut squash is my favorite, probably because it has word "nut" in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Life after Whole30: I started to think about what to do after I finish this Whole30. I am not completely satisfied with how I did on my first 2 weeks on this program (too much fruits and nuts). And I thought in order to receive the full benefit of this program I could be stricter with my addiction to nuts and fruits. Do you think it is a good idea to continue straight to another Whole30? Cravings: I don't really have any strong cravings. I had cravings for nuts and fruits which unfortunately I satisfied too much. Sometimes I want cheese but only because I see my husband eating it. I don't think I would have the same desire for cheese if it was out of my sight. We have chocolate in the house and I don't have any craving for it. I guess I am not a sweet-tooth as I thought I was. Coffee Addiction: I thought on my second Whole30 to kick my caffeine addiction. But truthfully it is probably easier for me to give up nuts altogether than to give up coffee. And the problem is that coffee for me is not about being awake it is more about how it makes me feel. It relaxes me and gives me comfort. In the book (It starts with food) this is the definition of bad food, when you develop emotional bond to some food. I see that it is an addiction but not sure if I'm strong enough to handle it. I don't envy people who try to quit smoking, this is very hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Day 21 (too much peaches): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, baby kale, tomato), 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, peach Lunch: salad (mix greens, 2 roasted chicken legs, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, peach Dinner: ground beef (portobello mushrooms, onions and ground beef itself) with roasted butter nut squash, peach, apple and nuts Thoughts: - I was a bit hungry though out the day, probably because I've been working out for the past three days and my appetite always increases with increasing physical activity. - I cannot have nuts in the house, this is just impossible for me to stop from overeating them. - Eating so much fruit made me feel guilty again, I wanted to limit to one fruit a day. - If I decide to continue straight to the next Whole30, I seriously should think about expanding my menu. I don't mind eating the same meal everyday but probably it will get boring at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted October 30, 2014 Moderators Share Posted October 30, 2014 When you work out, you know you get two bonus meals, right? A pre-workout meal of protein and maybe a little fat, and a post-workout of protein and carby veggie. Check out the template for details. Your appetite increases with working out because your body needs more energy to be active, and then to recover from being active. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Shannon, Yes, my workout schedule is not ideal. I go to the gym very late at night. Usually, in one hour or so after coming back from the gym, I go to bed. Therefore, I don't have any post-workout meal and my dinner is sort of pre-workout meal for me. But this maybe why I wake up extremely hungry next morning. Maybe I will start having at least one egg after workout. I cannot believe that this month went by so quickly. It certainly doesn't feel like I was depriving myself in anyway for the past 20 or so days. It is big change from what I usually feel when I go on a diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 Day 22 (): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, arugula, spinach, tomato), 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Snack: black coffee at school Lunch: salad (mix greens, beef stew, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, peach, nuts Thoughts: - I had very long day at school and lunch sort of became dinner - Even though I didn't eat a lot, I wasn't hungry and had energy for the gym. - But today I woke up earlier than usual (long before alarm went off) and extremely hungry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 Day 23 (sleepy/tired): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, roasted chicken, arugula, sweet pepper, portobello mushrooms), 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Lunch: butter nut squash with beef stew, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Dinner: butter nut squash with roasted chicken, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, apple Post-workout Meal: cashews, butter nut squash with beef stew Thoughts: - I was very sleepy and tired and was craving something sweet therefore I overloaded on roasted butter nut squash and apples. - After workout I didn't have an opportunity to get home and eat proper meal, hence had to buy cashews and as usual I couldn't stop myself from overeating it. - Enough sleep is so important, when I want to sleep all my good intentions about food goes out the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 I have exactly 7 days left and I want to avoid all nuts this week. So starting today I put nuts into non-compliant group for myself. I realized it is easier for me to prohibit some food than give myself a choice. I don't have to second guess or negotiate with myself ("just few more cashews, you workout out, you deserve it"). My good conciseness always fail this kind of negotiations. Hopefully, I can do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Day 24 (broke my promise on the same day): Pre-workout Meal: 2 hard boiled eggs, 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk & oil. Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, roasted chicken, baby kale, sweet pepper, mushrooms), cucumbers, 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: butter nut squash with beef stew, apple Dinner: figs with mixed nuts, apple Thoughts: - Yes, I didn't keep my promise to myself and ate nuts and dried figs last night. - I was extremely sleepy, had an early workout with my friends. Felt great while working out but once I got home I was completely exhausted. - I went to the gym for 7 consecutive days which is not extremely smart. - Today is my rest day: cooking lots of food for next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Notes on pre/post-workout meals: I talked to coach yesterday about my eating and training schedule and he confirmed that I'm doing it wrong. I also browsed forum posts about pre/post workout meals and recovery. There is so much information available. My dinner is sort of pre-workout meal so I will have to modify it to avoid eating too much carbs before workout. Before I would load on butter nut squash. Maybe I will move squash to lunch time. Now I plan to take 2-3 egg whites or chicken breast with me to the gym to eat immediately after workout. I go to bed usually in 2 hours after I return from the gym. Hopefully, my meal won't keep me awake. I don't know why it takes so long for me to figure out all of it. But now I am completely certain that I need another Whole30 to try this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Day 25 (rest day): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, roasted chicken, baby kale, sweet pepper, mushrooms), cucumbers, 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: salad (mix greens, beef stew, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, olive oil and AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, nuts Dinner: sweet potatoes, ground beef, more nuts Thoughts: - I keep on failing my promise about nuts. - When I have nuts at home it is just impossible to stop eating them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Day 26 (cheese): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, roasted chicken, baby kale, sweet pepper, mushrooms), cucumbers, 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, prunes, apple Lunch: cheese with bread, coffee Dinner: cheese with bread Thoughts: - I failed Whole30 on Day 26, so close to the goal. - I thought if I eat non-compliant food it will be something like: sweets, chocolate, ice-cream. But I wanted cheese. - From the morning I couldn't stop thinking about cheese, I reached for it in my refrigerator but then stopped myself. - When lunch time came, I didn't stop myself. I don't know where this desire for cheese came from but I wanted it so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Day 1 (back to the start) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Day 1 (second time around should be easier, right?): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, baby kale), cucumbers, 1/2 avocado, 2 cups of coffee with coconut milk & oil Lunch: salad (arugula, cauliflower rice, wild caught salmon, avocado, cucumbers, olive oil), cup of coffee with coconut milk & oil, nuts Pre-Workout Meal: roasted chicken, hard boiled egg Post-Workout Meal: egg whites Thoughts: - It feels a bit frustrating to be at the beginning again, but I wanted to continue with Whole30 anyway, so I'm not that upset. - November is going to be harder since semester at university comes to an end and all the work and projects and finals along with it. - I didn't loose weight in my 25 days of Whole30, if anything I gained 5 lbs. This is very frustrating. I will have to be even more strict with myself. - I don't understand what happened on day 26 with my cheese obsession. Was it because of lack of calcium or something else? I don't understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luda Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Day 2 (no nuts, whoa): Breakfast: big omelet (3 eggs, ground beef, spinach), cucumbers, 1/2 avocado, cup of coffee with coconut milk Lunch: salad (arugula, cabbage mix, wild caught salmon, 1/4 avocado, cucumbers, olive oil, AC vinegar), cup of coffee with coconut milk, raspberries Snack: blackberries Dinner: cauliflower rice, ground beef, 1/4 avocado Thoughts: - Best day so far in terms of food choices - Feel a bit tired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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