Susan is at it again

[SusanB.]

Edited - started my third proper* whole30 today (2/23). Logging here.

 

1st Whole30 - March 2014.

 

*Whole24 - July 2014...I got to day 24, then the sugar dragon got me

 

2nd Whole30 - January 2014

 

That last one went great! But I went on vacation on day 32 and blew the reintroduction phase.

 

But since I felt so good on the 30, here I am back again.

 

3rd Whole30 - started 2/23/15

[SusanB.]

Today was shop and prep, part one.

Made a metric ton of roasted sweet potatoes with garlic. Roasted in coconut oil. If find that these freeze and reheat in the toaster over pretty well, so if I make a batch, I like to make as much as will fit on two cookie sheets (as in, as much as comfortably fits in my oven).

Baked two more sweets to mash and freeze. I use these in the Nom Nom Paleo spicy tuna cakes - I could eat these things every single day.

Only orange things today! Also did the Nom Nom carrot-cardamom soup. Made two portions for the office, one for dinner early this week, and two for the freezer.

Tomorrow: a little more shopping, using the dry rub I like so much on some pork tenderloin, then freezing half uncooked and cooking the other half. Portioning out spinach for salads to bring to work. Hopefully making a veg dish that will get me through Wednesday. Maybe throwing something into the crock pot, if I can get it together enough to find something that sounds good.

[SusanB.]

Oh, and by the by, this is the rub that I make. It is seriously....good on any mammal. When I'm totally uninspired, I rub something (chicken, pork, beef) down with this, throw it in the crockpot on top of a ton of sliced sweet onions- so simple.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/the-steve-albini-approved-midyett-rub-will-change-how-you-cook-meat

[SusanB.]

In the crockpot: pot roast. In the fridge: seasoned pork loin to be cooked after work tomorrow. In the freezer: identical seasoned pork loin for when I don't have time to hit the grocery store.

Plan is to leave one-two portions out fresh and freeze the rest.

[SusanB.]

Okay, so packing up for tomorrow. Based on past experience, my success is in very large part about taking the time when I have it to cook, and making sure to plan a few days ahead. Posting meal plan ahead of time, and how reality went after, in red.

Tomorrow is day 1.

 

Planned:

 

take initial weight.

 

alarm at 5

 

Pre-WO (5:30am): a portion of organic mixed nuts. This is an experiment, since I've been working out on an empty stomach for months. I'm up at 5, out the door at 5:30, and in class at 6 - and sensitive stomach means can't eat much before exercise.

 

Meal 1 (8am): at the office, post WO and post shower. I'll move as quickly as I can to try and shorten the length of time between workout and breakfast. Tuna cakes from Nom Nom Paleo. I have a feeling that I need to add something to that, maybe roasted sweet potatoes?

 

Meal 2 (12:30 pm):
serving of the pot roast that's in the crockpot right now
Carrot-cardamom soup (nom nom paleo again)
Fresh spinach with olive oil & balsamic or lemon juice
1/2 banana

 

short lap swim late-afternoon (not very strenuous)

 

Meal 3 (5-6pm):
sweet potato hash with sausage and egg
Roasted cauliflower

 

Actual:

 

weight: 137. I am promising not to check again until this is done.

 

Alarm went off at 5. Out the door 5:20.

Pre-WO: handful of nuts, 5:20am.
 

 

Meal 1: 2 tuna cakes and added a serving of roasted sweet potatoes. I tried to shower quickly and get to work faster than normal, put the stuff in the toaster oven as soon as I got in...still 8:00

 

Meal 2:
pot roast (portion was probably bigger than it needed to be, I think I packed up too much the night before)
Carrot-cardamom soup
Fresh spinach with olive oil & balsamic

skipped the banana - wasn't hungry enough

 

30 minutes lap swimming, 3:30pm

Meal 3 (6pm):
sweet potato hash with sausage (about 1/2 and 1/2 - maybe more sweet potato than sausage) and 2 eggs
just didn't have the time to roast the cauliflower. Also, wasn't terribly hungry after the hash.

 

Natural Calm magnesium supplement (started this a while ago, I'm a chronic insomniac)

 

lights out 9:45pm

 

water total: my 24 oz bottle x 3 (minimum, also some herbal tea, no caffeine)

[SusanB.]

Still working out the details of how best to log. Being able to put my meal planning here helps me be accountable. But I also need to record accurately.

Hmm.

Tomorrow is day 2.

Alarm at 5 for 6am yoga.

Handful of nuts when I get up. The organic-unsalted-unroasted mix is nice (walnut, almond, cashew, brazil nut)
Cashew flour quiche at work, after yoga.
Carrot cardamom soup, spinach, roasted pork loin at lunch. 1/2 banana
Sautéed spinach, sausage/sweet potato hash at dinner time.

Actual:

woke up at 3am (typical), only barely dozed back between 4:30 and alarm at 5.

Pre-WO - 5:30am - slightly larger handful of mixed nuts

Pretty strenuous power/flow yoga class 6-7:15

Meal 1 - 8:15 (at office) - asparagus/egg quiche with cashew crust (was in my freezer from a previous 30).
carrot cardamom soup

Uncharacteristically hungry around 11:00 - I have to remember that the "quiche" that I made is too small for 1 piece to = a meal.

Meal 2 - 11:30 (at office). Earlier than I had planned, but I've been up 8.5 hours by now and meal 1 was small.
Roasted pork loin - reheated with a little olive oil
Fresh spinach with olive oil and balsamic
small banana

Again, brought too much protein. Couldn't finish it. Was going to have 1/2 the banana, but it was a tiny one so I had the whole thing. Was going to have the carrot cardamom soup (was intended for lunch), decided to save it for tomorrow.

Definitely craving sweets - I think an hour or so after lunch is one of my danger times. There is WAY too much chocolate in my office for this to be easy.

Got home at 3pm. I could murder some ice cream. I'm definitely not hungry at all though. I'm not sure if this is a craving triggered by something chemical, or if it's just a conditioned habit. Either way, it's displeasing. My temptation is to snack (nuts?), but since I'm not hungry, that seems pretty self-defeating

M3 - 6:00
Spinach sautéed in ghee with garlic
Nom nom paleo Asian meatballs (from the freezer)
Small portion roasted sweet potatoes
Handful shredded unsweetened coconut - to be honest, I think this might have been a sugar dragon thing. Need to watch it around the coconut, else maybe time to take it out of rotation

Water: 75+ oz

 

Lights out right before 9:00...couldn't keep my eyes open. Actually got back to sleep after getting up to pee (that's rare).
 

[SusanB.]

Day 3

Plan:

Nuts

High intensity interval class

Tuna cakes + carrot cardamom soup

Sausage/sweet potato hash, sautéed spinach, 1/2 avocado

Roast pork & cauliflower

Dance class

Actual:

Woke up 4:15 (alarm was at 5), got out of bed 5:10, sleep quality better than average.

Big handful of mixed nuts 5:30

Very active intervals class - cardio + heavy weights

M1, 7:45: carrot/cardamom soup

2 tuna cakes

M2, 12:30: sausage/sweet potato

sauteed spinach & garlic

1/2 avocado

Blew it when I got home (4:00). Not hungry, but mindlessly reached for the nuts- then the almond butter. Had way too much, gave myself a stomach ache. Didn't want real food after that. Then I fell asleep on the sofa- I was tired all day despite getting a more full night sleep than usual. Total fail.

Dance class 7:30, but it wasn't strenuous at all. Had some sweet potatoes when I got home just because they were there

I had better do better tomorrow.

Min 70 oz of water

[SusanB.]

Day 4

Plan:

Eggs & bacon, 5:00 (leaving at 6 for 6:30 class instead of at 5:30 for 6 class)
Barre class
Lamb wat (homemade, compliant, from freezer), Roasted acorn squash
Leftover roast pork, cauliflower

 

Actual:

 

Didn't get out of bed until 6:15 - decided that I was too sore to exercise today. Haven't taken a day off in a while, so no biggie.

 

M1: 6:30am - 2 eggs & bacon. Tried to work a veggie into there, but ran out of time - had a doctor's appt to go to.

M2: 12:45pm - Lamb stew with tomatoes and onions, roasted acorn squash, small banana

[SusanB.]

Wow - OK, back to logging. Had a time out for a bad head cold (now seems to be a chest cold, fun fun fun).

 

Was able to spend much of the weekend cooking, though. So that's something.

 

I didn't stray into noncompliant foods while I was sick, but I didn't eat well either. Ate a lot of nuts and dried currants....because that is what was in the house.

 

Today, though, day 8, trying to get back on the wagon in fine fashion.

 

Didn't sleep enough for AM exercise, but hope to swim later.

 

M1 (7:45am, at office): roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus quiche on cashew crust

 

M2 (11:30): carrot cardamom soup (just wasn't hungry enough)

spaghetti squash

paleo bolognese

 

swimming - 3:20pm. Had a Most Excellent Swim. Never had one so good, and I've been at this since August.

 

M3 (6:00pm): doro wat

brussels sprouts

avocado

Was just too damned tired to cook any more. Had some roasted sweets that were in the fridge. A handful of nuts. Big handful of oil-cured kalamata olives. Called it a day - still sort of off from the head cold.

 

Headed to bed soon. Yaaaawn.

[SusanB.]

Day 9 - Tuesday

PLAN:

Alarm 5:00am
Leave 5:30, handful of nuts in the car
6:00-7:15 - power yoga (a very active class)

M1 - 8:00 - Nom Nom paleo procuitto egg frittata, carrot soup (actual- 8:15)

M2 - 12:30 - bison chili (clothes make the girl), guacamole (homemade), curried cauliflower rice, banana

M3 - ? - beef roast
brussels sprouts or sautéed spinach or both
ACTUAL: 6:30-
Bora bora fireballs
Sautéed spinach
Cauliflower rice

Unexpected friend came over for dinner, so I cooked instead of going with what I had planned

[SusanB.]

Day 10- Wednesday

Plan:

Alarm 5:00

Leave 5:30 with a handful of nuts

HIIT class 6am

M1 at office 8:00- procuitto egg frittata & sweet potatoes

M2 - zucchini soup, doro wat, raw carrots & broccoli w/ guac

M3- pot roast, Brussels sprouts with bacon.

Well, that didn't work out so well! Up from 2-4am, completely overheated and nauseated. Decided to skip the gym. In my haste to get out the door, I forgot to pack my breakfast.

Actual:

Alarm 6:30, out the door 7:15 with a handful of mixed nuts

M1 8:30 (scavenged from office fridge leftovers): one spicy tuna cake, roasted acorn squash

M2- 12:15

Silky gingered soup

Pot roast

Didn't have time for my veg & guac- had to interview people- which took up the rest of the day

M3- 6:00

Leftover fireballs & sautéed spinach

Handful of mixed nuts

[SusanB.]

Hey, day 11!

Plan: yoga 6am
Procuitto egg fritatta, Sweet potatoes
Leftover chili, fireballs,veg & guac
Doro wat, cauliflower rice, roasted tomatoes?

 

Actual...don't know. didn't sleep at all due to pre-op anxiety. missed yoga, had a thing done on my toe, all went to (compliant food) hell for the next few days, including forgetting my breakfast and lunch on Friday.

[SusanB.]

Well, I stopped logging when everything went stupid because of a procedure I had done on my toe (nail removed, hurts like hell, still). Stayed with compliant foods, but really haven't been eating well. Planned work day, forgot breakfast and lunch, for example.

Today is day 14, I spent all yesterday cooking for the week, and I'm really making an effort.

I'm bored with the whole program - the food is good, I'm just..bored with having to expend this much time and energy on food. Not being able to exercise or do pretty much anything active has messed me up completely. Hopefully I can get back to exercise soon and this will all be a little better.

Today - slept later than I ever get to (no AM exercise class because of the foot). By the time I got out of bed and ate a real meal, it was 1pm (I was up at 9, but decided to roast some tomatoes then got distracted by other stuff).

So, because it's sunday:

M1 (not much of a meal): 4 slices procuitto, handful mixed nuts

M2 ("brunch") - handful of oil-cured olives, 3/4 cup roasted sweet potatoes, big mess of sautéed kale, 3 big Bora Bora fireballs that I made last night.

M3 (7:00pm): leftover Paleo "butter chicken" and turmeric cauliflower rice. Wasn't very hungry, but made sure to have a protein & a veg.

Packed up for Monday. Let's do this.

[SusanB.]

Tomorrow (Monday) starts week 3.

 

My pledge for week 3 is to include more more more veggies, up my water intake, and try very hard to follow meal template for all meals. Staying away from non-compliant foods just isn't enough.

 

Day 15

 

alarm 6:00

(actual: wide awake from 2am-5am, turned off alarm at 5 and finally passed out, woke up at 7:30)

 

M1 (at home for once - no gym and going to the office late) 6:30: 2 eggs & bacon with roasted tomatoes

(actual: 8:30, 2 nom nom paleo tuna cakes at office)

 

M2 12:30 - sautéed kale, Bora Bora fireballs, roasted butternut squash

(actual - 12:15, kale, fireballs, roasted brussels sprouts with bacon)

 

M3: 6:00 - roasted sweet potatoes, cilantro lime califlower rice, nom nom paleo smashed chicken

 

Bedtime 10:00

[SusanB.]

Tuesday - day 16

 

No time to record plan, so just "actual".

 

Awake at 2:30, barely dozed off by right before my alarm at 5.

 

Out the door 5:30, large-ish handful of nuts

 

power yoga 6:00-7:15 - first exercise in a week because of the toe. felt really shaky and weak, I'm thinking from lack of sleep.

 

M1 - 8:00, asparagus "quiche" on cashew flour crust, roasted butternut squash

M2 - 1:45 (horrible mess at work): paleo pot roast, brussels sprouts & bacon, apple & almond butter.

M3 - For the first time on this 30, I chose to opt out of a real meal. It was a long long day and I just didn't have the energy to deal with a meal. So an rx bar, some nuts, and a few slices of procuitto and I called it a night. I'm going to try not to do that again, because I know that it misses the point.

 

bedtime 10:00

[SusanB.]

Day 17:

 

alarm at 5 turned into getting out of bed at 7:00, because I woke up at 2 and barely had dozed back to sleep when the alarm went off. I'm not sure if I can swim yet on my pos-op toe, was going to try and figure that out this morning, but I didn't.

 

M1 (8:00, at office): 2 nom nom paleo tuna cakes, roasted butternut (roasted with coconut oil)

M2 (11:45, at office): leftovers! brussels sprouts roasted with bacon, sauteed kale with bora bora fireballs, nom nom smashed chicken with cauliflower rice

M3 (6:15, after a short lap swim): roasted sweet potatoes, pot roast with tomatoes. oil-cured olives.

 

hoping to get to bed early - like I always hope. we shall see.

[SusanB.]

Well that was a lousy night in the insomnia department. Went to bed around 10, but stomach aches that have plagued me for years but have been absent on the 30 woke me up at 1am. And I was up for the count. Finally dozed back a few hours later, but it wasn't great sleep.

 

alarm 5

leave 5:30

yoga 6-7:15

M1 (8:00, in office) - 2 nom nom tuna cakes, sweet potatoes roasted in coconut oil

M2 (1:00), leftover pot roast, roasted tomatoes, cauliflower rice, the rest of the sweet potatoes

[SusanB.]

Oh, hey! Slacking on my logging. Maybe because I spent the whole weekend cooking? Seriously. Cooking. And some food shopping. And more cooking.

But here we are. I don't want to jinx it, but maybe I'm sleeping a little better? After literally months of getting up at 5 for exercise, in an attempt to reset my sleep schedule and sleep better (not wake up in the middle of the night), perhaps I'm finally seeing a result?

Today is day...22. Monday.

Alarm at 5

small handful of nuts

6:00-7:00 - Body Pump class

M1 (7:45, at office): 2 Nom Nom Paleo tuna cakes, 3/4 cup silky zucchini soup (surprise leftover in work fridge), 1/2 cup squash & carrot soup

M2 (1:15, was swamped at work): leftover chicken (1/2 Palm, maybe) and kale with garlic. Leftover baked sweet potato & aidells chicken sausage. About half-dozen oil cured olives.

Swam laps, about 40 minutes, after work. Got home 7:00.

M3 (7:30): about a palm of leftover pot roast. 1/2 avocado, roasted parsnips.

It's 9:30, and I'm wiped. Goodnight, folks.

[SusanB.]

hey, slept pretty well - I'll take it.

 

day 23

 

alarm 5:00 - woke up uncharacteristically hungry. so strange - at dinner I couldn't eat another bite - and I ate way later than usual.

small handful of nuts to quiet the growling, and off to yoga - 6:00-7:15.

 

M1 (7:45, at work): prosciutto-broccoli fritata egg cup, roasted sweet potato, 2 slices prosciutto, 6 oil-cured olives.

 

M2 - (12:45) meh. I just didn't feel like eating. But 1/2 avocado, sauteed broccoli (couldn't finish it), mocha pot roast (ditto).

 

Okay, whoa - it's 4:00 and I think I'm hungry. I need to stop at the grocery store, but I'm being invaded by thoughts of snacking on nuts or jerky or something on the way home. (I'll resist, but still). I guess this is what "I don't feel like eating" does...

 

M3 was about 6:30. Leftover roasted parsnips, sauteed kale, and bison-bacon burger with guac. That was good!

 

lights out 10:00pm

[SusanB.]

Hello, day 24 -

 

I was awake a bit before my alarm at 5, and it was rough trying to haul myself out of bed.

 

Handful of nuts, 5:30am

High Intensity Interval Training class, 6:00 - 6:50

 

M1 was a challenge - I had to head straight from gym (after shower) to doctor's appointment. Ended up eating a leftover small bison-bacon burger in the car before going to the appointment, 8:00am. Had some squash soup when I got to work, 9:15am

 

M2, 12:30 - raw broccoli with guac, little bit of chicken breast (it was all dried out and just...not good). Roasted sweet potatoes. 2 slices procuitto.

 

Crash and burn! Got home completely exhausted. Had a handful of macadamias, then another. Turned into a few. Apparently those (they were even salted) are FWB. Then I took a nap (I never nap, it gets in the way of my protocol for fixing my insomnia).

 

Came home from my dance class, was in bed around 10:30.

[SusanB.]

Alarm went off at 5 for yoga, and I just couldn't. Still very sore from other classes I took M, Tu, W. Maybe I'll swim later this afternoon. Went back to sleep.

 

My ready-to-go-meals are waning. Low energy yesterday meant I didn't do any prep.

 

Out of bed 7:00

M1, at office, 8:30 - two Nom Nom Paleo tuna cakes, roasted sweet potatoes. I normally drink herbal tea, but this AM it was (caffeinated) chai.

 

M2 - 12:30 - raw broccoli with bolognese, squash soup, about two spoons of guac

 

M3 - 6:30 - baked chicken thighs, cauliflower soup

 

bedtime 10:30

[SusanB.]

Woke up 3:45am. headache. talked myself out of my 5am alarm and 6am gym class, although I didn't get back to sleep.

 

Out of bed 6:30 - was actually hungry. Like, stomach rumbling and a little achy hungry. Guess I didn't have enough dinner.

 

breakfast, at office, 8:30 broccoli with bolognese, roasted sweet potatoes

[SusanB.]

Well it was an odd, but not non-compliant weekend. Probably some vegetable oil in that carrot salad that I had, but it was the only identifiable option on the Russian menu.

 

Today is day 29. Closing in on it, folks.

 

Since I was away all weekend, I didn't do my normal weekend prep. So, creative meals from the fridge.

 

M1: 8:30 (at the office): 2 pieces compliant procuitto. Large mug carrot-cardamom soup. Prosciutto-wrapped egg/veg fritatta cup

[SusanB.]

Well, I made it through that 30 - didn't log the rest of the month, but it was good.

 

Results: abatement of depression, increased energy, resolving of my S.A.D. in a way I've never experienced before. Lost six pounds (on my 5'2" frame, that's a bit).

 

I messed up reintroduction, because on day 32 I went on vacation. So I took a few weeks breather (out of town again last weekend), and am ready to dive back in.

 

So, without further ado, here I go. I'd like to continue to mend a lifetime of bad habits, and I want to be feeling good and looking good heading into spring - so many things going on in my life that I would like to experience to the fullest.

[SusanB.]

Monday, 2/23 - day 1.

 

Alarm 5:00 (class at 6:30 closer to home, usually 6:00 and further away)

 

M1 - 5:45a (at home for a change): fritatta with spinach, mushroom, garlic, and compliant smoked salmon. Not a huge portion, since about to work out.

 

6:30-7:30 - Barre class

 

M1.5 - 8:45am (at office): carrot and ginger soup. I hadn't intended to work it this way, but the fritatta wasn't enough to keep me until M2 at midday, and I hadn't really had any vegetables. This was in the freezer at work (I bring things in for emergencies), so I went for it.

 

M2 - 12:20 - roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic, slow-cooker pot roast with onions and chiles over roasted spaghetti squash, a few kalamata olives.

 

3:15 - went for a 30 minute swim

 

M3 - 6:30 - eggplant stuffed with bison chili, roasted sweet potatoes. A spoon of the (sugar-free, of course) sun butter for fat.

 

bedtime 9:15.

 

water intake: 72oz+ (I only count the number of times I refill my water bottle, so any other liquids consumed are in addition to that).