Post-whole30 for snoodess

[snoodess]

I finished my first whole30 October 30th. It was an amazing experience for me and I can say quite confidently it changed my life. A friend was starting October 1st and asked if anyone wanted to join her. We had a little FB group for support. The few who made it the whole 30 days were discouraged by their weight loss but encouraged by what they learned. Here was my summary post:

 

 

 

 

Don't feel bad, I lost less weight than both of you. Maybe 5 pounds? I'm down a pants size though. I was disappointed too when I stepped on the scale. All that hard work, except for a ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract in a whole dish, and I was totally compliant. I only ate one larabar the whole month, snacked only a couple times, limited nuts, very limited fruit (like 5 pieces the whole month), no smoothies or fried chips, and only had white potatoes a few times. That said, there were several days I didn't follow the template, I definitely did not get the recommended amount of sleep most nights, didn't drink my full amount of water, and a few days I only ate two meals. I also only exercised strenuously once a week.

I didn't reintroduce anything today. Maybe tomorrow, not sure yet. However, I was excited to see organic frozen collards, broccoli rabe, and baby brussels sprouts on sale at the market and stocked up. Whole30 style eating will be my new default going forward. My one definite off-plan treat over the weekend will be Hendricks/Necessity Farms bacon. That Peterson's bacon was nowhere near as good. I feel terrific. I definitely got the "tiger blood". My cravings are very minimal and easily dismissed. It was so worth it. It truly changed my life. 

 I read this article today (and the first part that's linked at the beginning) and it really helped put my disappointment into perspective. 

http://everydaypaleo.com/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/

So even though I didn't have the dramatic weight loss others experienced I'm happy with the overall results.

Yesterday was Halloween and it was a little hard but I made it through without eating any candy and ate all compliant meals. I was stressed out last night though and ate too many pistachios. It was pure emotional eating. I really need to work on that to keep it in check.

 

Keeping a log was very helpful for me to look at what I was eating so I'll continue that for a while. I had a tiny bit (½ tsp) of gluten-free organic/non-GMO tamari, and some delicious pastured/organic bacon (sugar in the rub) in my breakfast today and will try to add some other fermented soy to something else today.

 

So for yesterday, Day 31:

 

B - chicken apple sausage and Asian mix (napa/celery/carrots) sautéed in CO with two fried eggs, hot sauce, coffee with coconut milk

L - didn't have time to pack, I was late for an early meeting. Chipotle salad, no dressing (lettuce, double carnitas, pico, medium salsa, guac)

D - two crispy chicken thighs from NNP, butternut/delicata puree (with coconut milk), small portion of green beans, cup and a half of steamed broccoli with ghee

S - dry roasted pistachios (about a half cup)

 

Drank my full amount of water.

 

Will update the rest of the day after dinner. Looking forward to continuing my journey and learning to ride my own bike.

[Derek`]

Welcome to the neighborhood. Sounds like a great w30. Best wishes with reintros

[snoodess]

Thanks Derek!

 

Didn't get back to this last night so I'll fill in yesterday and today. Other than a half teaspoon of tamari and sugar in bacon and broth I've been compliant. May try a dairy reintro day this week. We'll see. Still feeling good although I was a bit crabby. I'm thinking that may have more to do with external factors than food. 

 

Day 32:

 

B - egg foo yong (3, 4" rounds) with bacon, broccoli slaw, leftover crackling chicken and diced broccoli crowns, scallion. I put a tsp of tamari in with the eggs and a teaspoon of coconut aminos. Sunshine sauce, South Philly jungle kraut (about a ¼ cup. Oh my gosh, so good!)

L - oops. No dice.

D - salisbury steak with gravy (beef broth was organic but had cane sugar. Now that it's cold out I need to make bone broth ASAP), balsamic mushrooms, caramelized onions, mashed potatoes (coconut milk, ghee), garlic broccolini

S - White pearmain apple with a packet of Justin's unsweetened almond butter. I guess my lack of lunch caught up with me.

 

Day 33:

 

B - souffle frittata with broccoli slaw, fancy artisan cappicola (compliant), green olives, scallion. Made with 5 egg whites and three yolks. Ate half a 10" pan. Jungle kraut.

L - oops, no protein. Delicata puree, leftover broccolini

D - mocha rub ribeye (ISWF recipe), half a sweet potato, half a white potato, 2 cups of steamed green beans mixed with T of mayo.

 

I'm super happy I made it through the weekend with no candy. I need to start doing some reintroductions just so I know where I stand. I have prepped breakfast for tomorrow (frittata), made some salmon salad for lunch, and I prepped a four layer beef and bacon bake tomorrow for dinner.

 

Taking my magnesium and going to bed. 

[snoodess]

Hectic day. My older daughter has a stomach bug so the planned dinner didn't happen. Still ate well. I had some cassava chips, only a handful, with lunch. Chips tend to be a food with no brakes for me but I was satisfied after a few. They were tasty and spicy, just single ingredient spices and fried in palm oil.

 

B - Rest of my soufflé frittata, half an avocado, jungle kraut

L - salmon salad, other half an avocado, butter lettuce salad with carrots/cukes/tomatoes/black olives with french vinaigrette. About 10 cassava chips

D - had to throw something together and remembered a recipe I saw on Tom's site: chicken sausage with artichoke hearts and cashews. It was so quick and easy. Since I only had to make dinner for myself it was a perfect single serving meal. I used a yellow onion and added half a small yellow pepper that I needed to use up. Surprisingly tasty. Trader Joe's has great canned artichoke hearts. 

 

I'm working from home so might do a dairy trial tomorrow.

[snoodess]

I had SWMPO this morning  maybe it was even SWOMPO because I don't do gluten treats normally. I made pumpkin waffles since we had super ripe bananas and a half can of pumpkin to use up. No sweetener. I had one and it was really good. Did not create any cravings that I noticed.

 

I also put milk in my coffee this morning. It didn't taste good to me at all. I used to be a milk and teaspoon of sugar girl but over the last month I've just been using coconut milk and enjoying it that way. I was hoping to go back to milk because it's just easier. I would be able get a cup of coffee when I'm out and not worry about having to drink it black (wrecks my stomach). I'm just going to stick to the coconut milk. No adverse effects but it was probably only a tablespoon or so. No other dairy today. It's funny how things we used to like taste so different after this.

 

B - Paleo pumpkin waffle (dry, no sweetener) coffee with milk

L - egg foo yong (4 rounds), mayo I doctored up, jungle kraut

D - Four layer beef and bacon casserole, big handful of raw sugar snap peas

[snoodess]

I tried a small portion (about a half cup) of rice tonight. Ugh. I feel bloated, uncomfortably full, slightly headache-y, and all I can think about is snacking despite not being hungry at all. That's a bummer. I love rice.   

 

I'm resisting the snacking urge by having a seltzer. Will be fully compliant tomorrow and Friday.

 

B - pumpkin waffle, sliced banana, handful of raspberries, coffee with coconut milk

L - leftover 4 layer casserole, cup of raw sugar snap peas, jungle kraut

D - slow cooker tikka masala, half cup white rice, big serving of garlic creamed spinach from Well Fed 2.

[pjena]

Welcome!  I stuck to coconut milk in my coffee after W30, but occasionally, when out, will use milk.  It works for me.  Bummer about the rice, but good for you noticing the effects and resisting!

[snoodess]

Thanks Pjena, that's what I plan to do too with coffee.

 

So I stayed compliant today after the rice and I'm feeling better but not quite 100%. I slept well, no cravings today, not feeling bloated but I guess I'm feeling a little, um, bound. To be expected with rice I guess. I'm a little sad about it because rice was such a big part of my diet pre-whole30. I'm going to stay off it for the next couple weeks and maybe try it again to be sure (I guess I'm a little in denial but I don't want to be stupidly blind about it). I can deal with no rice in my future but it'll take a bit of mourning (and a double-check to be sure) I suppose 

 

B - deviled eggs (homemade mayo, dijon, chopped bacon, green olives, s/p, smoked paprika. Yes, I'm a little weird) 7 halves. No veggies. Oops. Coffee with coconut milk

Late-morning - another coffee with CM, it was cold and drizzly today and I just wanted something hot. I had a lot of heads-down design work to do and It helped me focus.

L - last of four layer casserole, cup of raw sugar snap peas, jungle kraut

D - smoked pork shoulder, broccoli bagna cauda, half a carnival squash roasted and stuffed with chopped apple, pecans, ghee, Asian pear butter, cinnamon, and thyme.

 

The pork was pre-made but compliant. Needed sauce but I didn't make any. It was ok without it. The broccoli was bangin'! I'm stoked to have the leftovers tomorrow. This was the first time I've had carnival squash and I wasn't a huge fan. It tasted good (similar to acorn) but the texture wasn't great. Maybe I needed to cook it longer? It was drier than acorn and more firm. I got a bunch of veggies on sale at the market today. They had basketball-sized cauliflowers for $2.99 each regardless of weight! Broccoli crowns were cheap, yams were $.99/lb, and various winter squash were $.99/lb. I always chuckle a little at the cashiers who have no idea what half the stuff I buy is. We learn from each other 

 

My kids have been really good adapting to whole30 meals (girls 9 and 11). I'm not pushing the whole30 thing on them but they always eat my dinners and often take the leftovers for lunch. They are more specific with their breakfasts and I don't fight them on that. We limit added sugar in general so no junk but they have smoothies or plain yogurt with fruit or toast with nut/fruit butter. We have been eating out or getting take out way less though (pretty much none) and tonight my older daughter asked if we could get Asian food over the weekend. I've been missing my favorite Vietnamese restaurant so I think we'll go there. I can get grilled meat (will undoubtedly have sugar but no soy), steamed veggies, and Vietnamese hot and sour soup (no soy but surely sugar). I will try not to think about my beloved broken rice (sniff, sniff). It will be nice not to cook.