Calling all 10/27 starters!

[LIVIN4LISH]

It's the weekend, and day 20!  Woop! 

Have a great one everybody - we're getting healthier by the minute

[EatingSun]

Day 20! Close to single digits and and 1/3 of the way to go!

Another night of not sleeping well. Awake at 3 and restless sleep until 5:30. I was not even sure I did go back to sleep except 5:30 seemed to come at me quickly. I am also having weird dreams. Some food related but mostly weird.

Other than being tired, I too had a pretty good day, felt good, no headache.

We made it through our fancy dinner out last night by sharing a large filet with no added butter, they gave us each a baker with chives, asparagus with hollandaise (with clarified butter so we could eat it) We'd shared a salad and prawns in the bar earlier. We realized that even sharing everything it was still more food than we needed and the flavors so full on their own, the extra butter and everything else normally piled on, not necessary. While I really, really, really wanted a glass of wine with my meal, I din't have it. Another meal out today (brunch) and then I can finally get back to my own cooking! Have a good weekend all!

[Saara]

Glad to catch up with you all. I've stopped logging my food. I feel pretty certain that I've eaten 100% compliant - even when I've eaten out. I've invested a LOT of time, money and energy in the kitchen (as well as on all the recommended paleo websites), and although I'm generally a good cook, the results have often been disappointing for the past several days. Not sure if it's the recipes or the fact that nothing sounds good to me anymore. I've had to force myself to eat sometimes, which is confusing, because I've always enjoyed varied proteins and lots of vegetables. I'm still having a really hard time with no dairy or sweetness on my palate (produce here has been lackluster) and feel kind of flat. No weight loss that I can tell, no glowing skin, no tiger's blood. It's not that I have a lot of weight to lose - there's just this thin layer of fat that's evenly distributed over my body that I've been trying to lose for a couple of years now. I'm a bit confused and feeling unenthusiastic. I don't plan to quit, because I can eat sugar, dairy and grains anytime after this if I want to, and I want to see if I have a turnaround, but I am feeling a growing sense of disappointment that I haven't had better results. I'm also realizing how deep my self-soothing through food actually goes. I am such an emotional eater! 
 

Wish I had better news to post today, but at least it's honest. I wish you all good luck and a happy day 20.

[Saara]

@ JustJoyce - ha! Hilarious dream. Thanks for sharing

[LIVIN4LISH]

@Saara- I know what you mean about the cooking.  I, too, have been investing lots of time and $, and have had some disappointments.  I made some meatballs that sounded pretty good in my head, but don't taste the greatest.  I will not throw out two pounds of meat, however, and I'm going to eat them .  Tonight I made pulled pork with a paleo compliant barbecue sauce, and paleo coleslaw with all compliant dressing, and it was not too great.  I have a ton of coleslaw left since only my husband ate it (besides me), and he didn't really care for it either.  I will still eat it, I love cabbage...

Sorry you're not seeing any results.  I started out with about 25 pounds to lose, and am definitely seeing a difference.  I think when you're so close, it's much harder.  I am surprised that you don't see a difference in your complexion - I do see that at least, but I don't feel the tiger's blood.  I do think my energy has picked up some. It does sound like you were eating very heatlhy to start, so maybe your changes will be much more subtle.  I think hanging in there is a good idea - ya know, some people have to do a Whole 45 or 60 before they see results    

Back to cooking, with the barbecue sauce above, I thought it was a bit spicy, and not sweet enough.  I ended up adding some cinnamon and roasted butternut squash (it also needed a little thickening), and it turned out nice - a little sweet a lot a spice.  I also discovered pureed pineapple makes a great sweet addition to some recipes.  Just a thought...

[JustJoyce]

Woke up to a light dusting of snow this morning. Which means the sweet potato sausage hash I will be making for breakfast will be just the right Whole30 comfort food. Right now I'm just enjoying my coffee and watching the gently falling snow. Did not sleep great, but did not wake up with a headache as I have on many mornings, so bonus!

[EatingSun]

Another rough night of sleep but so far no headache.  Awoke at 2:30 and tossed and turned until I bagged trying at 5:30.  I am going to have to break down and get some melatonin to try and re-set my sleeping clock.  Earlier I was sleeping all night, just not long enough, now it's both.  It has been so long since I've slept more than 6 hours and/or through the night and I am starting to feel sick. Definitely affecting any tigers blood that might be lurking. I am plain exhausted.

 

Bored with the food and need a home-run headed to the finish line?  Make the cinnamon beef from WF also noted on this string (I think @mdragerpnw) posted.  It is the best thing I've eaten in 21 days.  Really great, rich flavors.  I served it with mashed kabocha squash. Very glad to have the leftovers and wishing I'd made 3lbs vs 2.  I am thrilled to have leftovers.

 

Sorry Saara to hear you are not seeing a ton of results.  I'd hoped for front-page like success story results.  With such a huge investment all around, it must be frustrating.

 

I am at this point just looking for 1 or 2 meaningful changes.  I don't expect a laundry list.  Even the sense of being nicer is gone, hard to be nice when sleep deprived.   I am either less puffy or have lost a couple of lbs.  Nothing earth-shattering.  Right how if this returns me to being consistently Paleo, breaks my afternoon snacking habit and I remain not puffy I'll be happy.

 

@ Saara, Livin4Lish, JustJoyce, sounds like we'll all be happy to wrap this thing up.  I know I will.  As of tomorrow, single digits.

[carolyn128]

Day 22 for me! It's crazy how fast the middle portion of the program has gone, here's hoping it continues at the same pace.

 

@mdragerpnw and @michele66, the cinnamon beef sounds delicious, just what this chilly New York weather called for.

 

The past two weekends have been unusually quiet for me. I normally go out with friends both nights but I haven't heard from anyone lately. I inquired with a few good friends and it seems that people don't feel comfortable drinking around me, which is bizarre because I don't mind at all. They are coming from a nice place (not wanting to tempt me or make me feel left out) but it has been pretty isolating. I guess this is the whole 30 island I read about 

[AprilLynne]

Wow! Slept 10 hours straight last night. Haven't done that in years. (Did dream about eating some amazing pretzels though). Wish I could hop on here more and share, but time just doesn't allow :0P so inspiring to read how you all are doing.

I think I am hitting the Extinction Burst. I am suddenly craving sweets and feeling very deprived that I can't have some. Like mdreagerPNW mentioned about her husbands cravings, thanks to the boundaries of Whole30 I've been able to hold strong.

Thinking splurging on an organic turkey for Thankgsgiving and make some whole30 dishes to compliment the others. Also going to make a whole30 version of pumpkin pie along with my grandma's traditional recipe.

Single digits!!!! We can do this.

[AprilLynne]

P.S. mdreagerPNW - where do you live? I'm in Vancouver, WA :0)

[JustJoyce]

@AprilLynne - I agree on the Extinction Burst. Sunday afternoon, snowing outside, tired because I did not sleep very well, do NOT want to face another round of food prep and all I want to do is drink and watch a movie (very deadly Sunday afternoon habit).

Ima gonna go brush my teeth and see if it helps.

[mdraeger]

@michele66: So happy you enjoyed the Cinnamon Beef!

@AprilLynne: I'm in Seattle, but I drive through your town quite often. (Both my parents and mother-in-law live in Oregon.)

@Carolyn128: we've been experiencing the same "quiet social life". We had some friends over for dinner last night (both of whom have done past Whole30's) and when I told them they were welcome to bring wine for them to drink, they said they'd feel weird about it. So funny! It does make the w30 harder though.

I'm sorry to hear folks are struggling. My sleep is still touch and go. Sometimes it's great and other times... not so much. Weird. I don't really have the "Tiger Blood" in the crazy energy, but I've noticed that I have much more consistent energy. We treated ourselves to an early "Whole30" present of some new knives and they've definitely made food prep a million times better.

Today, I did a three hour trail run and I must say it went really well. I bent the rules and had a green smoothie afterward (a bunch of baby greens, coconut water, pineapple and lime juice) and some turkey slices afterward. I had a half an hour of driving to get home, so I wanted some quick nutrients that I could consume while driving. Sorry, W30 rules!

Onward and upward. I can't believe we're down to single digits!

[Saara]

Thanks, Livin4Lish and Michele66 for commiserating; sometimes just feeling heard and knowing you're not alone in it can make a big difference   Bloating has gone away, and I'm feeling pretty good, although the cravings are still there. 

 

Thanks, mdraeger, for the cinnamon beef; that sounds yummy!

 

Tonight I marinated some chuck roast to slow bake in the oven tomorrow to make jerky (http://enjoyinghealthyfoods.blogspot.com/2011/01/beef-jerky.html) ...and some fruit leather. I'm working as a photographer's assistant for two days this week, and whatever I pack to nosh on will have to stand up to whatever temperature and be compact and lightweight...so I'm taking my own emergency stash in case I get hangry during the shoot.  

 

This is the fruit leather recipe I used, minus the honey and vanilla (http://paleoaholic.com/paleo/paleo-strawberry-pineapple-fruit-leather/) I baked the strawberries for a little while in a 400 degree oven with 2 Tbsp coconut oil and 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar...and a few star anise. Also, I used 2 1 lb bags of frozen strawberries and a fresh, ripe pineapple. No clue how either of these things will turn out, but they look promising!

 

For any of you that are missing the sweetness and bite of alcohol, have you ever tried a shrub? (http://mymansbelly.com/2012/06/15/strawberry-cocktail-recipes-the-strawberry-shrub/). The liquid that cooked off the fruit with the vinegar and coconut oil (from fruit leather) tasted a lot like one...and satisfied my craving for a sweet, alcohol-like drink. I won't be doing this often, but it was a nice surprise! Or maybe I'm weird. Or both. 

 

Cheers and good night, team!  

[LIVIN4LISH]

@JustJoycce - our weather sounds similar, and I'm not so happy about it.  It's too early to be waking up to 10 degree temperatures! I think I want to be in hibernation mode!

 

@Michelle66 - Sorry about the sleep, that makes life really hard.  I'm reading Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution, and he really emphasizes a completely dark room; no alarm clocks, no ambient lights from computers, etc...  Maybe that would help, or like you said, maybe a melatonin supplement.  

 

@AprilLynne and Carolyn128 - sounds like you two are enjoying your results (except being slightly isolated)!  Yay, and we're on the home stretch!

 

@MDraeger - your runs sound amazing!  I'm guessing you already had Tiger's Blood, and any extra, consistent energy is just Whole 30 compliant GRAVY!   Thanks for your inspirational posts!

[JustJoyce]

I covered up my alarm clock last night to see if it helped (funny that Livin4lish just mentioned it). I don't use an alarm anyways - I generally wake up around 6:00 on my own. It felt a bit odd because I am so used to checking the time if I wake up. I did sleep 8 hours and no headache this morning so the experiment continues tonight. I have my Whole 30 lunch packed so off to work I go (after I clear the snow off the car of course).

The irony is that we are building a garage and the roof is even on, but we can't park the cars inside because they will be in the way of the ongoing work.

[EatingSun]

What a weekend... I was so exhausted it felt like it was wasted as I just couldn't do anything, feeling so awful.  No tigers blood here. The weather was gorgeous - sunny and cold so we did get a nice walk in yesterday.

 

Last night I did take a melatonin.  Woke up at 2am but did finally fall back asleep until 5:15.  An improvement for sure. I think I will need the melatonin for a bit. 

 

It's funny as this was not even all that radical for me.  I've been celiac for 15 years, I've been Paleo for long stretches, I already know grains/sugar don't like me so avoid them, I don't really have a sweet tooth (salt/crunchy for me) so I expected to feel better and more energetic vs worse all around.  I wanted my hubby to join me to see if it helped him with some of his ailments (it hasn't) So while we love what we learned, we've pushed our kitchen skills a new direction and we've both lost a tiny bit of weight I suspect, no miracles here.  Last night we made a tangine from the NYTimes that was wonderful.  Bold flavors.  You'll find it if you look for Daniel Boulud's chicken tangine (NYTimes).  It was good and worth the effort.

 

@Saara - I hear ya.  Darn frustrating.  

 

@carolyn128 - I know what you mean.  We went out Fri night and the others at the table didn't order wine because we didn't and they are good friends.  We were totally fine with them doing so.

 

@aprillynne -  nice, 10 hours!!  good for you.

 

Have a good day everyone.  The serious homestretch!! 

[MadscienceM]

I SURVIVED THE WEEKEND! 

 

Sorry to yell, but I am so proud of myself! We left the house at 6 am on Saturday morning and I did not get back until 8:30 last night. And I managed to stay compliant the whole time! I admit every meal wasn't "Template" but I was compliant. We had a lot of numbers over the weekend dancing, so I had one or two meals where I didnt eat as much veggies as I should have, just because I didnt have time. But I did enjoy a big salad with some salsa and boiled eggs last night as we were waiting for the last awards... was so good.

 

I thought I was going to crumble, though. Combo of Extinction Burst and a LONG weekend... and Damnnit I just wanted a "Gobbler" from WAWA (turkey sandwich with gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce) but I was able to push past it and think of how far I have come and let the feeling go.... 

 

Woke up at 5:30 this morning and tossed and turned until my alarm went off at 6:30...

 

My energy is still really good and my clothes feel better... but I lost a little of my happy over the weekend... don't know if it was just the stress of being away and being "on" the whole time at dance comp, or hormones.. but by the end of last night, I just wanted to cry.... and then craved some chocolate to make me feel better... maybe just more extinction burst? I don't know but then I had really crazy dreams and woke up feeling EHH this morning... hopoing it gets better today!

 

Ready for day 21... Single Digit Countdown!!!!

 

Keep up the good work everyone... looks like everyone survived the weekend.

[carolyn128]

Good morning! I just wanted to pop in and say that I made the cinnamon beef last night and oh my was it fantastic. The entire apartment was imbued with an incredible scent, my kitten spent quite a while sniffing up at the stove! It definitely helped kick some of my food boredom, I'll try to keep the momentum going.

 

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy Monday 

[LIVIN4LISH]

I think it sounds like everyone is doing such a great job staying compliant! 

@madscience, sounds like a long, very stressful, but successful weekend!  Congrats on getting through.

 

I have been contemplating my health, and I keep saying I don't feel the Tiger's Blood.  BUT, I definitely feel more focused, and less dragged out than I had. This is definitely progress, and maybe my expectations of Tiger's Blood were way too high!  I know during the first two weeks, I peed out a lot of water, and I noticeably dropped weight, especially around the middle.  After my back incident, my exercise really slowed down, and I didn't notice much during week three.  Last night I was feeling horribly self-loathing, particularly about my weight.  As a former tri-athlete in close to peak condition seven years ago, I know how good being fit feels. I squandered my fitness when some life-stressors arose, and was never able to get it back.  

 

During the process of this Whole 30, I can tell you that I feel a sense of accomplishment.  I have never been able to "stick" with an eating program for more than, oh I don't know, three hours or so, so this is pretty grand!  That being said, I KNOW that I need to get back into weight training to get my body back into the shape I prefer.  I have begun the process, but it's going to be hard.  Forty-eight is a much tougher age to chisel a body than even 41 was.  

 

I think the biggest triumph so far is that I am not having wild cravings for junk food.  My family has been eating all kinds of crap in front of me, and I haven't felt the urge to knock them down and take their treats.  When stressed, my first thought is no longer, "Gimme Chocolate of DIE!"  I am also building confidene.  I do have control over my cravings, and I can resist.  I am looking forward to a nice glass of wine on Thanksgiving, but it's not consuming me.  

 

Anyway, I hope these more "level" feelings stick around.  Best of luck on our last ten days!

[EatingSun]

@livin4lish:  Thanks for this post.  I too, think my expectations were probably too high. Time to focus on what I am getting from this vs what I am not.

 

Good perspective shift for me as a result.  I am also 48 and also a former athlete (insert figure skater for triathlete) I didn't do anything but go skate most of my life and I was in great shape.  It didn't feel like work.  I don't think I ever fully appreciated how good of shape I was in even just 10 years ago.  Now both in that I don't skate and that I am ahem, 48, it's work.  And I admit, I've done nothing during this 30 days.  I too need to do some weight training. 

 

Indeed, great job staying compliant everyone despite it sometimes being challenging.  Indeed, this is a huge accomplishment. And for almost 30 days.

 

I too think my mood is overall lighter.  I think I do feel happier overall, I feel in control of what I am eating vs it controlling me. The brief date I had with tigers blood did feel fantastic.  If rested, I think I'd feel pretty good.

[Kahaliti]

2/3 of the way there guys and again, the weekends always kick my BUTT!! :-( Especially with birthday parties full of cake and yummy snacks and my toddler who is cutting molars and therefore, waking up in the middle of the night for 3-4 hours. (I think I would sleep like a beast otherwise but sorry some of you are experiencing insomnia! A warm bath right before bed should help!) I can't say I have been sticking to the 3 meals rule but I haven't eaten anything that isn't compliant and that is a success in and of itself! My cravings were bad but did groceries last night and weekdays are always easier!

None of my jeans fit anymore...which is great but also kind of sucks considering I just bought a couple of them a month ago!! Stupid on my part. My husband went from size 2XL to a L in The North Face sweat pants and they are still a bit baggy...we are shocked (anyone know if this brand runs big?)! He fit into an XL Armani hoodie comfortably and Armani runs small! The one thing that kept me from diving into all the junk food over the weekend was all the sweet compliments we got, not only about weight but also our skin and our demeanor. And I can see it all myself so it was nice for the validation and compliments always feel good! :-) Before starting this, I didn't care much about taking care of myself - I never had the motivation to dress nicely, style my hair, throw a touch of make up on - nothing! I just looked tired and run down. Now, I'm making it a point to take care of myself and I feel so much better and confident (not that make up does that) but I just needed 15 minutes a day to focus on myself and not leave the house with my hair a mess and unmatching clothes lol! So yet another victory!! I'm trying to think positively as the cravings the three days have been insane!!! :-(

Seems we are all on different pages in our successes, cravings, emotions, experiences but I love reading all of your stories!! May you all sleep better, feel better and have a great week ahead of you! Sorry, I haven't commented in so long responding to you each individually would be a lot!!

This weeks highlights will be seasoned tilapia, garlic, onion chicken burgers, and steak! I'm always the crazy woman grilling in freezing temps! (Chicago!) What's on your menu?!?

[mdraeger]

It's so funny, I was thinking about the whole Tiger Blood thing and how it leads to disappointment. My hubby has been having a harder time than normal on this W30 and doesn't feel like he's feeling the magic, so to speak. But yesterday morning, I came home from my run to him making breakfast for the week instead of watching TV. He's just generally been a lot more pro-active on tackling stuff around the house over the last couple of days.

 

I think "Tiger Blood" means different things to different people. When I hear the phrase, I expect this manic burst of energy and that's not something I've ever experienced. For me, it's more the absence of that afternoon slump and a more steady feeling. I know for my first W30, I was deeply disappointed that I didn't feel as amazing as I expected given all of the "tiger blood" talk. You guys are way more insightful than I was, it took me a bit longer to look at what I'd gained. On day 22, I was just not there! :-)

 

@Madscience: You are a rockstar. I used to do those dance competitions when I was in junior high/high school and I can't imagine how you navigated that craziness on the W30. You deserve some kind of medal or trophy or something. Huge props!

 

We made WF's Citrus Carnitas last night. Unfortunately, I didn't account for the fact that they might take longer than the recipe projected and they weren't done until 8:30! Oops. But they were delicious and we have yummy leftovers to look forward to for lunch tomorrow. 

[MadscienceM]

I think everyone is right... tiger blood is different for everyone. I am a pretty high energy person all the time (pre W30), but it has really helped me be more even than before.... and I no longer feel exhausted in the afternoon or like I am DRAGGING myself to things after work... Like most have said its a steady energy and when i normally would be tapped out, I got a little more in the tank now...and I do feel good, less foggy, better able to concentrate... so thats good!

 

Thanks @mdraeger.... I am so glad I pre-planned...temptation failure would have happened had I not brought a selection of compliant things. and when i did get something from WAWA, it was a compliant salad and I just dumped salsa on it, because I had no salad dressing with me... Our studio had a really great comp and our Hip Hop team won the Dance off for the 12 and under teams... so they are so thrilled!!!!

[EatingSun]

Oh goodness... it just occurred to me PMS is about to take hold.  There is not only kill.all.things brewing but eat.all.things is emerging.  Tends to be my M.O. for a few days.  I could not figure out why I have the urge to snack today.  Which has been pretty under control lately.  I think I'll be finishing this with a challenge and a bang as if I can make it though the next week compliant and following the template I can do anything.

[Mermaid]

Hello 10/27ers. Well, It's been a tough week and a half - my youngest (19) got sick at college with a lung infection and ended up in the hospital on IV antibiotics. As a college athlete her cold and dehydration got the best of her and turned into a pretty rough case of pneumonia. The good news is she was released, rested for a few days, and then went back to school today with a clean bill of health.

Ive had quite the challenge staying compliant during lots of back and forth trips to the hospital & juggling my work & home commitments. It's meant lots of planning and lots of self control avoiding the AU Bon Pain in the lobby of the hospital. I felt like I had made it too far to cave. The hospital staff made fun of my endless supply of Tupperware I brought in everyday. Many were interested in Whole30.

While I haven't written, I've checked the forum everyday and you don't know how motivating you all are! You've kept me going. I have had the same cravings, broken sleep and frustrations but the last few days I've been feeling great. I have what I call tiger cub blood - just consistent energy. Now I Feel like I'm counting down to say I did it but with little intention of changing too much in my diet. It's been so life changing in a positive way that I don't want to lose this good feeling. Well maybe I will add that glass of wine I wanted really badly this week. Thx everyone for keeping me going!