LinaA's First Whole30

[LinaA]

Hello! My name is Lina and this will be my first ever Whole30 and also my first venture into the Paleo lifestyle. I’m really excited to begin my journey and I hope to learn a great deal about my body in the process. The fun kicks off on January 1^st, 2015 for me!

 

Allow me to share a little background about me first. I am a 31 year old female, married for the last 12 years to my high school sweetheart. We’ve no children yet, but we are quickly approaching the “ready” point for them, which is one of my motivators to clean up my health and eliminate my horrible eating habits.

 

Through out my school years I enjoyed a wide variety of sport related activities and the carb-loading diet that often goes with it; big plates of pasta the night before a game, pizza after, and sugar-laden snacks around every corner. Once I finished high school, I found myself nearly sedentary but still strongly embracing my previous diet. Instead, it actually became worse as a personal source of income allowed me to support a very nasty Mountain Dew addiction. All through my 20s I struggled with my weight as it slowly crept up to 300lbs. I tried a variety of diets, but most left me feeling hungry a majority of the time. I tried Atkins several times with some success, but always grew bored with the food selection and fell off the program after a few months. Before I would acknowledge it, the Mountain Dew noose would be back around my neck and my weight would start to creep back up.

 

On my 30^th birthday I promised myself that I would bring my weight back under control so that I would be healthy and would be able to do all the things I wanted to do. My husband and I got a gym membership and I kicked my Mountain Dew habit. I started Atkins again, with a strong determination to see it through to the finish. However 5 months in, I started to notice weird whitening on my teeth right at my gum line. I checked with my dentist and it turned out that the calcium in my teeth was being leeched out! My dentist gave me a fluoride paste to apply in the evenings before bed, but it didn’t help that I could tell, and I developed a hole in one of my teeth. This scared the day lights out of me! I decided that I would rather be fat with all my teeth than lean and toothless.

 

Feeling down and depressed about the situation, I turned to the foods that I thought made me feel “better”, which were the very same foods that were actually hurting me; sweets, pasta, pizza, and soda. I felt the sugar-caffeine bomb latch around my neck once again. Within 3 months 10 of the 50 lbs I had lost returned.

 

I gave it a lot of thought and decided that what I really needed to do was to change my life style, rather than to try dieting again. I was certain Dr Atkins was right about fats being good for us while carbohydrates caused weight gain. After all, farmers feed grain to their animals to fatten them up, not fats and oils! I wanted to embrace a from-scratch type of cooking and eating to eliminate as much processed crap as possible. I thought such a change would help me break my soda addiction, improve my health, and help me shed the extra weight. I started cooking more at home and while I enjoyed the food and the process, my weight didn’t budge and I couldn’t break free of the soda addiction.

 

A recent visit to my family in Missouri introduced me to paleo. I was really excited about it, because I felt like this could be the answer I was looking for. My mother and sister were both trying the lifestyle, and my mother shared with me how it had eliminated her minor aches and pains, how she slept better, and that she was feeling amazing. At first I was skeptical. I could see how eliminating grains and beans could aid in weight loss, but I couldn’t really wrap my head around the idea of them being out-right poisonous. To be honest, I’m still struggling with that idea! However I’m ready to give it 30 days and see how I feel at the end! That will be all the proof I need.

 

What I am hoping to gain from this experience, in addition to knowledge about my body, are better sleep patterns, more restful sleep, more energy, and hopefully an end to my snoring and post nasal drip!

[ladyshanny]

Congratulations on arriving at the Whole30 and welcome! It sure sounds like you've given this some thought and you sound ready to go! One thing that I discovered at the end of my Whole30 is that I had no idea how crappy I was feeling (and how many "symptoms" I had) until I started to feel better. All those little aches and pains and constant stuffed and/or dripping nose just miraculously went away and it took awhile before I realized...especially the dripping nose thing! It's funny what we take as normal is actually not right at all.

Good luck to you!

[dlocs1021]

Lina,

Sounds like we have a lot in common, I have been doing paleo for about a year and a half now, being pregnant I definitely fell off the wagon with nausea in the mornings and was only made worse by the sight of eggs!!!!! My crazy little girl is now 8 months old and I am giving the whole 30 a try to try and get rid of the last few baby pounds and hopefully a little extra that has slowly reared its ugly head over the years. I am also starting on the first and spent a while in the grocery store today. Looking forward to seeing how things work out for the both of us!! Good luck and I hope it goes well!!

[LinaA]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! Best of luck to you on yours too!

 

I've been stocking up on recipes and a few of the more uncommon (read expensive!) paleo pantry items since first deciding to give Whole30 a try. I have my coconut aminos, coconut oil, almond flour, Sunbutter, Fish Oil caps and several squeeze bottles for homemade condiments. I was happy to discover that some of the stuff I already had was compliant (like my Thai Kitchen fish sauce!). While I have 10 or so recipes I really want to try on the weekends, I'm going to approach week-night meals in a more free-form manner by precooking my veg and protein and then adding a sauce to the mix for variety.

 

My budget is going to be relatively tight, and I will likely have to go with the strategy of removing the fat from the cuts prior to cooking. I will definitely be focusing on ensuring that any of the dirty dozen produce I purchase is organic. Whatever remains of my budget will be used to improve my protein quality.

 

The plan is to cook up a few things on the 1st to get me started, and then I'll make a big shopping trip this weekend (I get paid on the 2nd) and spend a day in the kitchen getting everything prepped and/or cooked.

 

I think my hardest challenge will be finding something other than water to drink during the day. Without any sort of sweeteners allowed, I expect it might be rough for me.

[Lynne Pawell Clemens]

Sounds like a GREAT plan Lina!  The program is fabulous and you seem to have exactly the right mindset to be successful. Good luck to you

[dlocs1021]

Remember crock pot for ease too if you have one! Saves time, dinner is ready when you get home, and plenty of left overs for lunch.

[LinaA]

I would LOVE to use my crockpot more, but the Hubby is worried about leaving electronic devices running when we're not home.  Sorta defeats the purpose of a crockpot! I'll focus on cooking on the weekends so that I don't have to worry about it during the week. I made crab-stuffed mushrooms last night to take to the New Years party tonight, and I realized I could make them paleo in the future by excluding the cheese and substituting the crackers with almond flour. The rest of it is just crab, veggies, an egg, and spices. Since I love those things, even when they're cold, I could make a bunch in advance and pack them along with a lunch.

 

I'm fairly sure I'm going to miss cheese. I don't eat a lot of it, but I like it on my eggs, and on burgers, and... well... maybe I do eat a lot of it. Here's hoping when I reintroduce it after 30 days it doesn't cause me any trouble. I'll have to weigh the cons against the flavor/texture and see if it's worth it or not. I definitely DON'T want to reintroduce soda! I want that and all other processed foods out of my life!

 

I'm really excited about starting tomorrow. I'll finish off my last Mountain Dew tonight, along with any other left-overs and snacks. The pantry and fridge have otherwise been cleared out. If I'm lucky, our paychecks went in early this week and I can do my weekend shopping a few days early. I've already compiled a shopping list for the recipes I want to try. Sweet potatoes are on sale at Meijer for 77c a pound, but the sales cycle starting Fridays, so if I want them that cheap I have to buy them tomorrow. I'm fortunate that I have a Meijer, a Kroger, a Walmart, and an ALDI all within 5 miles of my house. There are also a few higher end market-style groceries and health-food stores near that I can search out the exotic stuff at (that's how I found the coconut aminos locally!) Even the local Dollar Store has helpful things, like frozen fish fillets, tiny little frozen scallops, and little frozen shrimp, portioned perfectly in individual packs, for just $1! I love scallops sautéed in butter with garlic, and that would be a quick paleo dinner if I trade out the butter for coconut oil or ghee. I'm sure if I shop smart, I can source more organic food and squeeze the most out of my budget.

[LinaA]

Wow, so many new logs today! Good luck everyone!

 

I got out of bed at the crack of Noon today, and with great cerimony, dumped the last of the Mountain Dew down the sink. There is left over food from the week in the fridge that I had meant to eat last night and didn't. I feel bad leaving it for my husband to eat today; he wanted to start his diet today. But he said it was ok, so I am moving forward without looking back at it. Breakfast this morning is 3 slices of nitrate-free bacon, 3 omega-3 enriched eggs, and raw bell pepper. Since it's the afternoon already, it may end up being my lunch as well. I'm not sure what I'll have for dinner tonight, but it will definitely be something from my awesome little collection of recipes!

 

I thought it might be interesting to list all of my "symptoms" here as a record, so that after the 30 days are up I can see how much I have improved with a wholesome and correct diet.

 

Ache-y Joints: My knees, elbows, and hips often ache or hurt. I don't really notice until I'm laying in bed at night, trying to sleep.

Post Nasal Drip: My nose is constantly half-clogged. It leads to a lot of nose-blowing and throat clearing. I have to sleep with a nose-stip on to breath through my nose at night. In the morning I wake up with big, gross loogies in the back of my throat.

Difficulty Falling Asleep: Perhaps it's related to the amount of sugar and caffeine I was guzzling, or it's because of my sinuses and aches, but no matter how exausted I am, some nights it can take me over an hour to fall asleep.

I Chain-Saw Snore: You know how TV likes to show old grandpas snoring loud enough to wake the whole house? Yeah, that's me. Many nights I sleep in the guest room so my husband can get enough sleep.

Difficulty Staying Asleep: I wake up constantly through the night to change position, because my snoring woke me, to drink water for my dry mouth, or to urinate.

Numbness in my Leg: Three years ago I somehow hurt my sciatic nerve and had to go to the hospital because of the pain. Ever since then, whenever I lay on my back, my right leg (the side where the pain went down), goes numb. If I lay on it long enough, my whole leg will start to feel cold. This also happens when I sit on a hard surface, like the floor.

My hands are cold: I know it's winter right now, but anytime I'm forced to sit for long periods of time, like at work, my hands start to get really cold, even if the rest of me is comfortably warm. The only time they aren't cold is when the rest of me is HOT.

My Feet Hurt: After standing for even 30 minutes, my feet start to swell, ache, and hurt. I even have those awesome standing pads in the kitchen, but even after an hour cooking/washing dishes/whatever in there, my feet hurt enough that I start to walk like I'm crippled. It can take several hours of sitting before I can walk without pain.

Bad Flatulance: I fart. A lot. And it smells bad, like something died. I'd really like for this to stop.

I'm Always Tired: It doesn't matter how long I sleep, I never feel rested or "rejuvinated". I'm always ready to go right back to bed. If I don't drink caffeine, I spend most of the morning in a fog and the 3-o-clocks hit me like a brick. I'm always up for a "Nap" that usually lasts several hours.

Fast Pulse: I donate blood as often as I can, since I am an O+ and it makes me feel good. I get compliments from the evaluators on my BP and when I get my colestorol mailed to me, it's always good numbers. However, I struggle with my heart rate, even if I avoided caffeine the day before.I'm not sure if this is directly corrilated to my weight, or if diet can correct it.

I'm Fat: I'm nearly 100 lbs overweight. I know that the point of the Whole30 isn't weightloss, but if some happens to get lost along the way, I think it would further motivate me to stick with the lifestyle.

Bumpy Arms and Acne: Ever since I hit puperty, I've had these little red bumps on the outside of my upper arms. They almost look like a mild rash. It seems to get worse in the summer and lessens in the winter. I've never really concerned myself over it, because they don't hurt and my T-shirt sheeves cover them up. Sometimes I can pop them like little pimples. Speaking of pimples, I break out during my period every month. Not really bad, but enough to ruin my otherwise clear complexion.

Focus: Somedays I'm able to focus on the task at hand, while otherdays it's so easy for me to be distracted that I don't get anything I want done, or it takes me 3 times as long to do it. I'd really like every day to be a day I can accomplish something that I need to do in a timely manner.

 

That's my list. If I think of anything else today, I will add it to the list and we'll see how many I can check off come Jan 31st!

[LinaA]

Yesterday brought both good news and bad news.

 

The good news, fantastic even, is that Walmart had their 100% grass-fed ground beef marked down to $4.96/lb due to it's pending expiration date. Since I'm going to either cook with it this weekend or freeze it, I loaded up! I might even go back tonight with whatever is left over from my budget and buy up any remainder. And their "extra lean" ground pork was $2.48/lb, vs Meijer's price of $3.99! In fact, all of Walmart's meat prices were lower than Meijer, except for organic chicken and eggs; they don't offer the first, and the second are a $1 more a dozen. My local Kroger was a complete disappointment. Their grass-fed selection was limited and over priced. They didn't offer any organic or pastured chicken or butter, and their organic eggs were nearly a $1 more a dozen than Meijer. In addition to that, they only coconut milk they offered was full of additives (Walmart and Meijer sell Thai Kitchen). I was so disgusted with the store that I left before really scoping out the vegetables. I'll go back tomorrow to check their veggie prices, just to be thorough, but I am thinking that I might just eliminate them from my shopping all together and save myself a stop. Yes, even after 5 hours of shopping, I didn't get everything on my list!

 

Now for the bad news; I didn't eat Whole30 for dinner. I came home tired and hungry from my expedition, so I was weak when my husband pleaded with me to help him finish off the left overs. We had more than I had expected, and we both have this thing about throwing away perfectly good food. Except that it isn't really good food, is it? I'm frustrated and disappointed, but between last night and lunch today, it will all be gone. I'm not going to let this one stumble keep me from completing this challenge.

[mobrie19]

Lina,

 

Hi! Welcome to Whole30! I'm doing my first Whole30 too. It's nice to meet someone in the same boat!

 

Don't worry about last night's slip up -- it was a one time thing. You're human. You'll have weak moments. Focus, though, on how badly you felt afterward. What was more important: making sure that the old meal didn't go to waste, or keeping true to the promise you made yourself about committing to a healthier lifestyle?

 

In any case, today is a new day! Go forth and conquer You'll do great!

[LinaA]

So the one night turned into an entire weekend. I feel like crap and I slept like crap, but that's no surprise to anyone!

 

But today is a new day, and my fridge and freezer are full of Whole30 compliant meals. All I have to do is reheat and eat! I spent all weekend cooking recipes I found all over the internet. Chocolate Chili, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (with cauli-rice), Thai Green Curry, Spicy Tuna Cakes, Mini Frittatas, Asian Meatballs, Pad Thai, Smoked Salmon Egg Bake. I also have a whole bunch of fresh veggies ready to go to accompany my meals.

 

Once I get this first day under my belt, it will give me a stronger foundation to resist temptation and break old habits.

[LinaA]

I did it! I stuck to it on Monday, which made Tuesday so much easier, and now here we are on Wednesday, 2/30 down and 28 to go.

 

I'm enjoying the food, which is always important. But I'm sooo tired every day! Monday I got home from work, ate a bowl a chili and a few veggies before crashing for 5 hours, waking up for 2, then going back to bed for another 6! Then Yesterday I left work early for a dentist appointment, got home from that and laid down for a 4 hour nap before waking up, eating dinner and drowsily watched TV with my husband before going back to bed for 6 hours. I think maybe my body is trying to catch up on months of sleep deprevation, now that I don't have caffeine in my diet.

 

I woke up this morning and I'm still feeling tired. On top of that, my muscles ache like I've been working out, but I haven't! I would like to start going back to the gym though. I'll see if I can keep my eyes open when work is over today.

[dlocs1021]

Great job, keep it up. Very common with whole 30. I am on day 6 and still feeling tired!! The book talks about not setting any fitness milestones as your body is already adjusting to so much but just getting back into working out is important. I am looking to start over the weekend back at the gym. The first day back is always the worst!! I know it will get better from there. 

[LinaA]

So I only napped for an hour after dinner before waking up and then I stayed up til midnight. Then I went to bed. It was a mistake to stay up so late, as now I'm so tired I just want to put my head on my desk and sleep.  But hey, Day 4! I can sleep when I get through my workday. I really miss caffeine.