James' Whole30 Take 3

[jpketz]

It's been a while and honestly I can't say I'm as excited about this W30 beginning January 2, as I was previous two.

 

After a round of blood tests and routine checks that good grownups oughta do at my age, it turns out my cholesterol numbers are a little high, so I've engaged my doc in a little challenge—namely that if I can get those numbers down by February, I'll have proven that I don't need statins. He's a D.O. so this isn't as "out of the box" as it would be a straight arrow, allopathic M.D., but he threw down the gauntlet anyway, so I picked it up. Let the games begin. 

 

I anticipate feeling crap for a while, based on previous W30 experiences—one of them started this time of year with all the post holiday carb insanity. But, I figure W30 is like democracy—it may not be perfect but it's better than the alternative. So onward I go into the vortex once again. Dragons, demons, neurotransmitters all poised and ready to fight back, as usual. 

 

Adding to the self-imposed mayhem, I plan to not drink coffee this time. Which is more daunting than giving up sugar in many ways. I've suspected for a while that caffeine is exacerbating a few nagging issues and I've been reading a lot of scary stuff about sleep quality, that makes this experiment all the more important. It's also about facing my addictions, and caffeine, albeit harmless compared to some others I've faced over the years, is definitely one. I may find that it's not necessary—I mean I rarely drink more than two 8 oz cups/day—but I don't want anything off the table—especially if it's a compulsive behavior, so as 1/2/15, it's goodbye Peets, hello mint tea. Ack. 

 

And the there's the exercise part. I'm pretty good about walking and I've been an avid cyclist for 10-12 years, but when the weather turns a little chilly and the daylight shrinks, I'm more and more likely retire to my futon to watch soccer than don the scarf and venture out. So I've re-written my job description to include daily "something" that resembles exercise—walking, biking or kettle bell. Might add yoga to the mix. Maybe they have a class for the chronically unbendable. 

 

So back on January 2 with an update. Now to the recipes...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hutlifr]

You absolutely need to read the book "Eat the yolks" and make sure you read all possible side effects before ever getting on statins! My significant other's liver got damaged from it, and it fried his brain. I don't believe doctors know best, they only know what they are being told by the manufacturers of those drugs, and it the book they will show you how they manipulate the stats to get you to take the drugs...

[jpketz]

Thanks for that affirmation and the book recommendation. I'll definitely read it. Fortunately my doc always couches these "recommendations" with "this is what I'm supposed to tell you", which I appreciate. Using the calculators in ISWF (Triglycerides and HDL-C) I'm actually fine, and maybe it's an anti-authority, buck the system thing, but I'd still like to get the numbers down just to prove that diet works in lieu of drugs. Take that Big Pharma!

[Hutlifr]

Jp. Here is a quote from said book "Your blood cholesterol is managed by your body in response to what’s going on inside and out. Your cholesterol may rise based on what you probably already know is happening: Systemic stress. Crappy diet or lifestyle choices. Thyroid issues. Any health problem. Healing from surgery or a dental procedure. The process of rebalancing the body after weight loss. Recovery from competition. Injuries sustained from banging your head against the wall."

My son's cholesterol went thru the roof after his 2nd whole30, and we know now it had to do with the process of rebalancing his body after his big weight loss. The values came down and look perfectly normal now, about 1 month post whole30. Keep that in mind when you do your labs....

There is a thread on this forum about cholesterol. http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/23499-high-cholesterol/

[praxisproject]

I really liked Lemongrass & Ginger tea (Twinings) when I gave up coffee

 

I didn't give it up for good, but the W30 or more without it means I drink far less these days and more importantly, I know I can do without it.

[jpketz]

Day One went off pretty much without a hitch even though I didn't prepare as much as I wanted to. I'm reminded how much simpler and more organized the fridge and pantry look when you clean out the carbs. 

 

The plan was to include caffeine on the no-list this time around but my wife pretty much begged me not to go cold turkey. So because I love her, and for the safety of our cats and other small animals, I'll be tapering. One cup of coffee yesterday, one today, half-caf for two days, decaf for two days then ...gulp...herb tea. May god help us all. I loves me my coffee. 
 

Beyond that I actually had a moment last night where I was relieved not to be running into the kitchen to prowl for sugar after dinner. I'm not sure what kind of strange dynamic allows me to just turn off that switch (and then experience relief?), but oh well, not gonna fight it too much. 

 

Meal 1: sausage scramble with veggies

Meal 2: Spinach salad with walnuts, cranberries (not enough protein...doh!)

Meal 3: Burger bites with sautéed onions, mushrooms, steam-sauteed veggies. Apple and almond butter. 

 

Notable changes: Slept like death for a full 8 for the first time since forever. Was too hungry throughout the day, though. Re-stocking the larder and loading up the plate with more veg should help. 

 

Onward!

[jpketz]

Day 2 Quick Recap

 

Meal 1: Homemade Turkey-Apple sausage patties, sweet potato mash, smoothie with bananas, coconut milk, flax seed, almond butter and egg white protein

 

Meal 2: Apple, almond butter, raw cauli w/OO mayo, a few cashews, olives. 

 

Meal 3: Sausage and greens soup with misc. veggies and homemade chicken broth, half apple and a few cashews

 

Exercise: 3.8 mile walk

 

Hunger: Not as bad as Day 1

 

Weight: -2 lbs. 

 

Overall, I'm encouraged. Last W30 I was a bit depressed at this early stage. A lot of the carb craving cycle involves imagining and anticipating eating carbs—not just the act of eating. I'm sure I release dopamine at the very thought of Breyers Mint Chip Ice Cream. So when I imagine sitting in front of the TV without a post-dinner bowl of joy, a small sadness blooms in the pit of my stomach. I wish I could dissect that feeling and extract what's really at the source of it as I suspect it's something to do with some foundational, childhood disappointment or some sort of defense mechanism. Hard to turn the therapy lens inward on oneself but I'm pretty sure it's more than brain chemistry. 

 

Okay...enough introspection. Getting on my bike today with a few friends and braving the cold (by California standards that's any temp under 60).

 

Went to Costco yesterday to fill in with some basics. Impressive that they're increasing their stock of paleo/W30-friendly stuff like this awesome looking sauerkraut I bought but haven't tried yet. Wish they had a no sugar bacon because US Wellness can't keep it in stock, so this W30 may end up being bacon-free.  Or, I may try making my own. 

 

Plan to start a Kombucha brew today. The cold weather may mean it'll be a two-week fermentation but that's fine. Nice to have that to look forward to. 

 

Onward! 

[jpketz]

Day 3 Recap

 

Meal 1: Sausage and egg scramble with veggies

 

Meal 2: Leftover sausage and greens soup

 

Meal 3: Pad Thai from Well Fed

 

Exercise snack: Larabar while cycling

 

Exercise: 13 mile quickie bike ride. Hilly and cold, but felt good. 

 

Hunger: not at all. 

 

Sleep: Eh. 

 

Cravings: So far so good. No major cravings at the store or after meal 3. Not sure what to make of that except "don't overthink it." 

 

Weight: Don't know. Feel slightly less...weighty. 

[jpketz]

Not gonna do daily recaps anymore. More like check ins. It's Day 8 and it's going well. No major sugar cravings. For the most part staying clear of nuts and dried fruit. Successes include chocolate chili, pad thai, chicken curry, burger bites, pork/lettuce tacos, sweet potato/apple fritters.

 

Lost 3 lbs. but who's counting? Sleeping pretty well. Getting lots of exercise. Posted a question about probiotics but no replies yet. 

 

We soldier on. 

[jpketz]

Rode 19 miles yesterday and it almost did me in. It's hilly around here but I've done this ride 1,000 times and normally without much trouble. I guess I'm at that juncture in my W30 where my fuel system is transitioning from carb-based to fat-burning. I've heard not to do high heart-rate exercise for a while until you acclimate but I didn't think it would be an issue on such a short ride. Holy crap was I wrong. So I'll ease up for a while and do short and flat for a while. Brisk pace walking doesn't seem to be a problem so maybe stick with that for the next week or so. 

 

Other than that, on track and feeling pretty good. Sugar cravings at bay. It's Day 10. 

[jpketz]

Day 11 and my timeline seems to be off. Did a 2-mile walk yesterday and halfway through wanted to sit on a bench overlooking the water and take a nap. I can usually do 3-4 miles and have energy to spare, so I guess I'm in some sort of delayed "Day 2-3" hangover. Maybe more calories? I have been skimping on Meal 2 the last few days and have been a little late getting to Meal 1. And the weight is coming off perhaps a bit too fast as well. After cycling on Sunday the scale showed a total loss of 5 lbs. in 9 days? I've no doubt put back some water weight but still...too fast? 

[jpketz]

Day 19 and things are solid and steady. Feeling more stable, more energetic. Contemplating life after this W30 and decided with Sara to keep sugar out of the house indefinitely—it's just never going to be an admissible part of the menu. And pretty toxic for her in particular. Wheat will likely be on the permanent chopping block, too. Anything "bakey" we can do with almond/coconut flour. But honestly, after 19 days without a baked "good", I don't miss it. And having it around isn't helpful for Sara who's gluten intolerant. 

 

So that brings is to corn. Corn is tricky. Not sure where we'll land with that. The rest, so dairy, legumes, soy...not really an issue for Sara—she gave them up a long time ago—but not really a problem for me in limited amounts. I'll probably lead off the re-intro with dairy because it could the cause of bloating and digestive issues when it's in the form of anything unfermented. Might end up sticking with hard cheese and occasionally yogurt. 

 

Sustainability is key. Don't want to be an ascetic, also don't want to throw too much caution to the wind. Balance...ah balance..how elusive thou art. 

[jpketz]

Have to say a word about hunger. Perhaps the most noticeable difference between a carb-centric life and Whole 30 is the fact that I feel hunger while doing the latter, not so much in the former. It took a few weeks for 'hunger' to come back but it's definitely starting to re-emerge. The leptin hormone cycle, right? Anyway, it sounds strange that a bodily function so fundamental to our survival can retreat at all, but it does for me—oh yeah—for months at a time—when carbs, overeating and especially night-time, post-dinner snacking is out of control, in which case I rarely get hungry, and when I do I want carbs, a lot of them, and now, please. 

 

During those "off-times", combined with an especially busy period with work I can go until 2-3 o'clock in the afternoon before it even occurs to me to eat something. It can happen after a 1,000 calorie Chipotle burrito around 8 p.m. the night before followed by ice cream around 10 p.m., or the equivalent homemade meal + dessert. My hunger hormones don't stand a chance in that scenario and I typically won't feel hungry at all the following day, eating because i know I should, not as a response to feeling hungry. 

 

Over-consuming carbs for long enough also dulls what is truly a miraculous feedback system that tells me what to eat, not just when. That feedback loop gets hijacked by the dopamine-fueled, craving-reward cycle, subverting helpful and vital messages like "eat some protein" and replacing them with "you need sugar". And of course that means sugar in all it's incarnations i.e. corn, sourdough bread, dried fruit, baked things, or in some 4-alarm cases just some frickin' sucrose, like the tupperware full of jelly bellies I've stashed behind my soccer-watching couch. 

 

And of course, when I'm eating carb-centrically, I also suspend the feeling of having had "enough" and will normally eat well beyond. Sugar dulls that very crucial hormonal signal that should be telling me to stop eating right before I feel "full". The night before last I kinda over-ate for the first time in this W30. I'd made Pad Thai from the Well Fed cookbook and it was just so good...but I stopped this side of "stuffed", so it wasn't the same "gut-punch full" that hits you a half hour after the last bite of that burrito + chips and guac. I just could have stopped a few bites sooner. I actually said out loud to my wife, "I think I just overate a little. Hmmm. Strange." That was wonderful, real time, self-feedback. I knew I was overeating while I was overeating...exactly on cue. Then made a conscious decision to eat a little more into that feeling, then stop well before my dinner would haunt me at 2 a.m. Upon reflection, it makes me a little weepy.

 

Re-inhabiting my body for the first time in a long while is surprisingly emotional. Like coming home. Sounds cheesy but I suspect it's part of the primal-ness in paleo.