March Bride-to-Be Whole30

[kjacobs53178]

Well, I have decided to start my own Whole30 commitment starting this Sunday. 

 

This is going to be difficult. For so many reasons. 

 

1. It's holiday time. That explains itself. However, I started my last lifestyle change around this time and it was successful. So I can do this. 

 

2. My fiance will come home in the first or second week of this (we haven't figured out when yet. He works in the oil fields). He is supportive... but not exactly 100% tuned in to the "no exceptions" part of this. He doesn't eat the best, and thinks I am perfect how I am. He may be supportive but I can guarantee this will be very difficult for him to follow. All I can hope for is that I do not frustrate him too much.

 

3. I have two kids. They are picky eaters. I will either be making my own separate meals or also fighting to get them to eat with me. Anyone else face the picky eating children? It's challenging. 

 

4. That Fiance? I will also have to cook for him... which means this will definitely be a two-meal household. 

 

I am taking deep breaths and reminding myself that I am doing this for the benefits and to help get myself back on a health track in life. Challenges be darned. 

 

I start today with reading the book. Tomorrow I plan my meals and put together my shopping list. Friday I shop. Saturday I meal prep for the week. Sunday... I start. 

 

Here goes! 

[jcress]

I started yesterday! Good Luck!! be very kind to yourself! 

[Hutlifr]

The holiday season is a good a time to start your whole30 since you seem to realize that there are some challenges ahead. I wish it will be as life changing for you as it was for me. I had lots of digestive issues and joint pains when I started, and my daughter begged me to look into this way of eating since it had helped her discover so many food intolerances.

My significant other did not buy into this way of eating either, though he is the one with the serious health issues. I do the cooking now in the house, despite of the fact that he is a retired chef. So the compromise was, since I cook, I will make all of our meals whole30 compliant, and our pantry would be "clean", and if he felt the need to eat something on the forbidden list, he would just have to cook it himself. I have not cooked special meals for anybody since June 18.

As with your kids, well you as the parent are in charge, right? I would NOT make separate meals. Wouldn't that send the message that eating what you eat is not good for them?

I personally think that if you had read the book already, you would be more positive and be feeling stronger already. Your fiancé telling you "you are perfect as you are" clearly indicates that he thinks you do this for weight loss, and not for health benefits. And I get this feeling as well somehow from reading your intro. So hurry reading the book, you will find so much motivational facts and help to have a successful whole30.

We are here to support you thru this, and don't mind some tough love at times.

Good luck on your journey of health.

[Tina R]

Welcome! There are a few forms that discuss doing this with kids. http://forum.whole9life.com/forum/16-whole30-for-kids/. You might want to check out Nom Nom Paleo. She has kids and has a lot of kid friendly recipes on her blog. There are a lot of thing you can do when you are the only one doing a whole30. Make a compliant spaghetti sauce and then they can eat spaghetti and you can have spaghetti squash. Make hamburgers or hotdogs and they can have the bun. Good Luck!

[kjacobs53178]

Thank you everyone! 

 

I told my fiance today (prior to reading this, so I am very proud of myself yet feel supported so thank you!) that since I do the cooking he will eat what I make. I also reminded him that anything considered "junk" in my eyes will not make it to our shelves. So, he might be screwed because I also control the finances. (Kinda makes sense since I am the only one home right? He's only home two weeks at a time). 

 

My roommate already follows a similar "diet" for lack of a better word. So even the food she stores won't tempt me. 

 

As for my kids, I don't plan to completely remove their favorite meals, such as spaghetti, so the idea of making the sauce compliant and then separating as so is perfect for now. I started looking at Nom Nom Paleo last night before bed but I think I will take another look tonight. Eventually I will move them into this as well. I am doing this mostly for the health benefits, any physical changes will be a plus (especially if my double chin disappears!). My kids are healthy and could benefit. That's for sure. Luckily, they already eat "healthier" than most kids around here. They just put up a McDonald's in the tiny little town I live in, we're about 15 miles from Tucson. I was really upset that they did this. Why? Because that's a horrible option out here! We now have a pizza place, that McDonald's, a Nico's Taco Shop, and convenience stores. YUCK! 

 

Now, for an update for my journey. I did most of my shopping today for the next week, including getting some of the items that are staple items for the pantry which I noticed were on the list as well as included in most of the recipes I have already pinned on Pinterest. While shopping, I kissed my coffee goodbye. I got a smaller coffee than normal, and left out the whipped cream (yes, I am talking Starbucks here) and went on my way. Better to kiss coffee goodbye now then to wait and try to kick it at the same exact time as many other things I am accustomed to. I cannot do coffee without at least a little creamer. So, it's gotta go! I have also stopped eating cheese already. This is my biggest issue. I can eat cheese like you wouldn't believe. Better to start that early as well, maybe it'll be easier later on. 

 

I eat better than most, but have slipped the last couple of months due to stress. No longer acceptable. 

 

I made a potato salad to last me the weekend and ease me into the official start day. It's a Whole30 recipe I found. It's freaking delicious. Made with the best eggs you can get... straight out of the chicken pen. (Reminds me... I need to go visit my friend and clean out the coop). 

 

I have finished about 1/4 of the book. It's such an easy read. Believe it or not, I am actually a nutrition major and some of the science-y things were a reminder of what I had already learned and apparently just let slip the last year or so. I plan to read a little more of the book tonight, along with looking up Nom Nom Paleo. Depending on cost, that might be my next investment. I downloaded the It Starts with Food Cookbook. Yes, I know this is not directly related to the creators of the book or Whole30. But it's a free read for me and the recipes are pretty simple and so far follow what I've read of the book. I consider myself a decent cook so I hope that the ingredients not allowed will be easy to substitute. 

 

Last night I made a planner for next week's meals, right down to acceptable snacks. Prep day is Saturday, while I am home with my neighbor's dog. 

 

And Sunday... DAY 1!

 

Time to get reading. Thank you all, again, for the support. 

[kjacobs53178]

I came to the realization last night that I have not been updating my log here. 

 

For starters, I ended up starting my Whole30 on Monday the 8th instead of my original plan of Sunday. I crashed on Sunday, hard. I had been sick the week prior, I have chronic bronchitis and apparently was still getting over the flu/cold/ear infection that had struck me a week prior. Needless to say, I stayed in bed and ate whatever I could even manage. My meal prep was done well, but I didn't have the energy to get up and make the meals. Horrible, I know. But I woke up Monday and made it happen. Not only that, but I also returned to the gym for the first time in two weeks. 

 

As mentioned, I have chronic bronchitis. Every year when the weather changes significantly and the rains come I start having problems breathing and start fighting this horrible cough that keeps me up at night. This is one of the reasons I initially wanted to try the Whole30. I am hoping that the health benefits will decrease my chances of having such horrible reactions to weather change. And just to clarify, I live in Tucson, AZ. The weather only changes about twice a year. And then there's the monsoons. 

 

Here are my other reasons for wanting to start the Whole30...

1. I need to be healthy for my kids. 

2. I am getting married in March. I would like to feel healthy and comfortable in my wedding dress. 

3. Paleo worked for me before, taking this step is destined to work. And for longer. 

 

Well, I guess I should record some updates.

 

Day 1 - Monday 12/8

 

This was a rocky start, I slipped up out of courtesy. While helping my friend clean her house her husband bought me a Mt. Dew, my weakness in drinks, and I felt bad telling him (post purchase) that I could not have it. I drank a bit of it. Aside from that? I stuck well to the Whole30 rules and even got in some exercise. 

 

I have a migraine that doesn't go away. On Monday, at the gym, the migraine was coming out of hiding and hitting me hard as I was finishing up my light cardio, but I pushed through and did some arm work before leaving. This could be due to two different instances. 1) I didn't eat before the workout or 2) It was just my regular migraine surfacing because I hadn't worked out in two weeks and decided to jump back in while also changing my diet. 

 

I finished the day well and while I could have slept like a baby, my babies didn't have the same thought. I was up ever 20 minutes with my daughter kicking around and my son coughing up a lung. 

 

Day 2 - Tuesday 12/9

 

This day was much easier, food wise. However I kept my son home from school and did not make it to the gym. My energy level seemingly restored by lunchtime and I somehow avoided the feeling that I need to nap around 2 p.m. 

 

Day 3 - Wednesday 12/10

 

By far my favorite day so far. 

 

My eating was spot on. I realized that if I added shredded chicken to my Paleo-Chili it helped with my issue with texture. While the chili has a terrific taste, the texture was very hard for me to choke down the night prior. With a little shredded chicken in there... it was terrific and I felt more full after dinner. 

 

My workout was decent, I did my little bit of cardio and worked my core. 

 

I was ready for bed by 9:30. And even went to sleep by then. 

 

This morning when the alarm went off it wasn't as difficult to wake up. I hit the snooze button, but just laid there awake, enjoying the warmth of my bed. 

 

Other updates - I am 50% through the book. I should be further, but my daughter has refused to let me read during the day so the only reading I get in is at the gym while doing cardio. I love the book. Love the way it reads. And just reading it has changed my life. Just the thought process in when I am eating or thinking about what I need to buy at the store. 

 

Today I feel better than I have in a while. I don't ache as much. My energy has increased. My thoughts seem to be less foggy. Physically, I feel the weight around my hips and waist slimming out. And when I am laying down I can feel my hip bones again. I don't feel as bloated. It's amazing. 

 

I can't wait to see how the end of this day holds, there is a lot yet to still be done before the day is over. 

[kjacobs53178]

The last few days have been interesting to say the least. Yesterday (Day 5) I fell off the wagon. But I am back on today. 

 

I measured myself today (no scale, just body) and I am down 5 inches overall. You know, .5 an inch here, 1 inch there. That's a pretty awesome NSV, not gonna lie. 

 

I realized today that I did not do my meal planning as well as I needed to. Today, I am out of pre-planned food to eat. Good thing I've got some tuna and homemade Paleo Mayo to get me by. Just need one ingredient to finish food prep for next week.

[kjacobs53178]

I've made it to Day 7!! Woohoo!!! 

 

Today is meal prep day. I've got chili and chicken being prepped to get put in the crockpot, a grocery store run to finish up some last minute shopping for the other necessities I need, and a positive outlook!

 

The 5 inches lost has been a major insight as to what this can do for me physically, and the fact that I didn't crash after having 12 kids running through my house yesterday is proof of much improved energy. 

 

I am failing at breakfast though. I found a recipe for a breakfast meatloaf, which I hope to make today as well. Eggs are tiresome, especially since I am picky about how I eat them. I hate scrambled eggs, they become something I have to choke down. But my pans stick so bad, even with coconut oil, that making anything other than scrambled has become hard. I have made the breakfast muffins in the past, but without some extensive amount of sugary ketchup they never tasted right. I need to get on the ball with this! Especially since my workouts are in the mornings, my body definitely needs that protein and energy to burn. 

 

Here's to a day of prep and eating WHOLE.

[ShannonM816]

You don't have to eat eggs. Google Whole30 no egg breakfast for lots of discussions about it. You could have leftovers or soup or anything you would have for any other meal. When I'm tired of eggs, I'll make up a creamy soup (it's loosely based on this cauliflower soup from The Clothes Make The Girl, but I usually use butternut or acorn squash in place of the carrots), and then top that with sausage if I have some, or seasoned ground beef, or whatever meat I have on hand. I've had leftover bratwurst before, leftover steak. Once you get past the idea that breakfast has its own special set of foods that you need to eat, it gets a lot easier to find options.

 

There are also some discussions here in the forum about cooking eggs, like this one, that might have more tips, if you want to try to get non-scrambled eggs to work.

[Hutlifr]

It's funny, we go all thru this thing with the eggs... I made a huge portion of bolognaise that I could eat in the mornings when the eggs grossed me out.... Almost half way thru! Way to go

[kjacobs53178]

AHHHH! Thank you ladies for the support, and links, and suggestions! 

 

I made a "breakfast meatloaf" to try out. It would go great on that soup you suggested Shannon! And thank you Hutlifr for the reminder. My struggle with eggs had me going back to the part of the book to remind myself that we shouldn't look at the meals as "breakfast, lunch and dinner" therefore categorizing them with the foods that go with the title. I think I am going to re-title my meals in my food journal. (I have been handwriting that since it's easier to access than always pulling it up on my phone and computer. I am home with my daughter all day, I avoid electronics as much as possible. She likes to "write in her journal" when I write in mine. Lol. She's 3 1/2.)

 

I am also excited to see replies on here... lol. 

 

Well, today is day 9. I started my day out with the breakfast meatloaf I made and a banana. The meatloaf is great but missing something. I am definitely going to try the suggested cauliflower soup. I feel pretty good, aside from tossing and turning last night. I was asleep by 9:15, got up at about 1:30 to go to the bathroom and from that moment forward I tossed and turned. Amazingly, I am not exhausted today. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the gym, but I will do some sit-ups and weights from home later on. (I did this Sunday and still feel my abs pulling at me). 

 

I really miss the taste of coffee. I don't feel like I need it anymore, a huge change from before I started this journey. But I miss the taste. I picked up some coconut milk the other day (canned, I promise) and think I may try some of that in coffee this week. I have a recipe for beef stroganoff that I want to try and will be substituting coconut milk in place of the yogurt the recipe calls for. That will give me the opportunity to try the coffee as well in order to not waste the whole can just for trying on one cup of coffee. 

 

Back to today... As I walked into my bathroom today to grab a tissue to wipe my daughter's nose (TMI?) I noticed something in the mirror... My sides and tummy have slimmed significantly. Almost over night it seems. I fought my desire to pull out the scale and measuring tape, but I can see it. I can feel it. I mentioned earlier in the journey about feeling my hip bones again while laying down. Well, this morning it was even more. It feels amazing. 

 

I feel amazing. Both physically and mentally. 

 

My fiance told me yesterday that in order for him to get on a steady schedule with the right driller (he's a roughneck, works the oil fields, and just recently moved rigs) he will have to be home until the driller gets back to hitch (28 days in the field). That means he will be home for almost a month. I got really upset, and felt like I was about to have an anxiety attack. 

 

But... it didn't happen. I cried a little, jumped into action to figure out how we will pull it off. And I feel okay with it today. Not to say this will not be difficult for the next four weeks of him being home as he likes to go-go-go when he's home and his truck is a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500. (Anyone who doesn't get where I am getting at... it eats gas, especially with his heavy booted foot). So it will be a struggle to remind him that when we go somewhere we need to take my much more fuel efficient Mazda 3. And that he can't help all his friends out who need what I call truck help. But, my point is, I feel confident that mentally I will be more able to take on the challenge of keeping our budget under wraps, without losing it. 

 

All thanks to this journey. 

[kjacobs53178]

I realized I forgot to mention other things that have happened since starting this journey....

 

My teeth are whiter. And they are easier to clean. By a long shot. I have battled yellow teeth most of my life and never believed in whitening strips or anything like that. The last two years I drank a lot of coffee... do you know what that does to your teeth?! But now... cleaner and shinier and better feeling teeth.

 

My dishes aren't getting stained by the food I am making. My white Crockpot practically just wiped clean after making my compliant chili. Normally, it would've stained. My plates rinse better before being loaded into the dishwasher. 

 

These victories may seem silly, but so amazing in my OCD life.