mMm Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Hello! Day one I started with a lot of optimism but not a lot of preparedness. I'd just gotten back into town and hadn't shopped with the necessary intention for the whole 30, despite my intention to begin the whole30 today. I've made it through today with what's been in my fridge, and i'll plan to pick up some more tomorrow. I've got a long way to go with this whole 30-- I'm in the habit of skipping breakfast, drinking coffee with creamer all morning, a big lunch, snacking through til 10pm, and often skipping dinner. Unfortunately, that's left me eating a lot of carbohydrates and fat, little protein, more coffee and wine than water, and in a state of skinny-fat-- I'm hoping to re-set my system and relish in vegetables and meats and fish, and avoid chocolates and wine. Today, I wasnt hungry at breakfast, but poached an egg anyway, and from about 8:30-10:30, sipped a big cup of coffee with a dash of compliant coconut milk (the canned light kind, from trader joe's), and snacked on three clementines. At lunch, I had a curried chicken thigh and another clementine. All afternoon, I've been vaguely hungry, and I got REALLY hungry about 5pm. I know this is due to a serious lack of calories in my day, even after eating 10 or so almonds at about 3. I sauteed red onion and brussels sprouts in clarified butter and balsalmic vinegar, and ate that with one trader joe's spicy italian chicken sausage. I've been sipping water and sparkling water all evening. I've made chai tea with a little clarified butter in it (I'm out of coconut milk and oil, and will have to grab both tomorrow), and considering sauteeing up some mushrooms this evening. I've also got chicken thighs in the crockpot, and will put in chicken breasts when those have finished, so I'm more prepared for tomorrow. More than anything, I'm disappointed in myself for starting this journey with only one bag of brussels sprouts and two red onions for vegetables in my fridge-- but I'm proud of myself for sticking with it and getting started, instead of procrastinating any further. I think the key, here, is going to be getting enough calories and hydratiion to ward off the 4pm and 9pm snack cravings. Cheers, to a day 2 with more vegetables! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted January 2, 2015 Moderators Share Posted January 2, 2015 Oh yes, you need to eat more... http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf. Glad you see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted January 2, 2015 Moderators Share Posted January 2, 2015 Today, I wasnt hungry at breakfast, but poached an egg anyway, and from about 8:30-10:30, sipped a big cup of coffee with a dash of compliant coconut milk (the canned light kind, from trader joe's), and snacked on three clementines. At lunch, I had a curried chicken thigh and another clementine. All afternoon, I've been vaguely hungry, and I got REALLY hungry about 5pm. I know this is due to a serious lack of calories in my day, even after eating 10 or so almonds at about 3. I sauteed red onion and brussels sprouts in clarified butter and balsalmic vinegar, and ate that with one trader joe's spicy italian chicken sausage. I've been sipping water and sparkling water all evening. If I had one egg and some clementines for breakfast, I would be ravenously hungry all day, no matter what else I ate throughout the day. I know that if you're not used to eating breakfast, it can be hard to eat very much, but it's really, really important to get that meal in. Ideally, within an hour of waking up. If it's just not possible to eat a whole meal within an hour of waking up, try to eat something during that time. And then, instead of the clementines, have some kind of protein, fat, and veggies throughout the morning. Maybe some hardboiled eggs or some tuna with carrot sticks and guacamole? (Also, and I really, really hate to bring this up, because people can be a bit, um, overprotective of their coffee habit , but caffeine can be an appetite suppressant, so it's really recommended that you not have coffee until you've actually eaten your meal.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 If I had one egg and some clementines for breakfast, I would be ravenously hungry all day, no matter what else I ate throughout the day. I know that if you're not used to eating breakfast, it can be hard to eat very much, but it's really, really important to get that meal in. Ideally, within an hour of waking up. If it's just not possible to eat a whole meal within an hour of waking up, try to eat something during that time. And then, instead of the clementines, have some kind of protein, fat, and veggies throughout the morning. Maybe some hardboiled eggs or some tuna with carrot sticks and guacamole? (Also, and I really, really hate to bring this up, because people can be a bit, um, overprotective of their coffee habit , but caffeine can be an appetite suppressant, so it's really recommended that you not have coffee until you've actually eaten your meal.) Thanks! I didnt know that about coffee- but that totally makes sense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Hi Team! I'm partway through day 4 and will post about it at the end of the day- here's my weekend. Day 2 started as a disaster- I was exhausted and slept til 7:50, and needed to be about half hour away by 8:30. I ran out the door, halfway dressed, with a ziplock of raw almonds and clementines. Unfortunately, I was stuck in a waiting room for the following three and a half hours, but I resisted the vending machine and hot steamy krispy kremes, and drank a cup of black coffee, a litre of water, and ate about 15-20 almonds and two clementines. In better news, I'd spent some time googling what might be compliant near me to grab a quick lunch, and found an allergy-free vietnamese pho restaurant nearby, where I got soy-free broth and beef pho, without noodles. The sprouts, cilantro, lime, and onion were SO good- I know I could make something like this myself at home! I knew eating out isn't in the real spirit of the whole30 (the healthiest lunch is the one you make yourself, etc etc), but I'm proud of myself for finding a good way to fuel myself and keep going for a long day. On the way home, I stopped at trader joes to stock up on a few produce items, and it looks like everyone else in Northern Virginia is doing whole30 too, as they were running low on produce and meats, but the shelves of sweetener and pasta were full! They were out of the light coconut milk, so I picked up a can of the coconut cream-- which I happily ate two spoonfuls of as a fatty snack, before realizing the sodium carboxymethyl cellulose isn't whole30 compliant. Damn!! My plan is to ignore the slip, toss the can, and move forward as planned. For dinner, my boyfriend (also doing whole30) came over and we made baked tilapia over lemony sauteed kale with a tomato/onion/mango salsa. Dinner was delicious, but I felt like I had bad breath for the following three hours when we went to see a movie. Arriving home about 11, we were both starving and had a clementine each and a cup of tension tamer tea. Sunday (Day 3): I wasn't really feeling the "hangover" as expected- and I dont think I can blame two tablespoons of the coconut cream from holding me back, as everything else has been a total departure from my usual diet of pasta, ice cream, and wine. I'd been a little bit blah late the night before, but could have attributed that to the sad movie. In the morning, we sautee'd up bowls of the tj's cruciferous crunch with a little garlic, and sliced a sausage and a half of the tj's pre-cooked italian sausage on top. I'll be doing this again, as it was filling and delicious. I had two cups of black coffee with cinnamon, and later in the morning, another clementine. For lunch, before a yoga class, I had three slices of compliant deli turkey meat, 15 baby carrots, 15 grape tomatoes, and 15 almonds. This definitely wasn't enough calories for me, but I'd been apprehensive about eating too soon before a warm yoga class. After the class, while running errands, I snacked on a few more almonds and baby carrots, and when I got home, another clementine. I had a cup of homemade bone broth before playing volleyball 7-9, and then stopped at whole foods for a few more items on my way home. I spent a few hours prepping for this week- I made a frittata for breakfasts, roasted an eggplant for sides, and clarified some butter for cooking. I ate about 1/4 cup of roasted eggplant with lemon and olive oil (cubed into 1 inch pieces) and a slice of the mushroom, kale, and onion frittata. Overall, I know a few things so far: -I need to be sitting down, eating full, complete meals, instead of grazing while running about. Spending the time to mindfully eat is necessary to prioritize my food/fuel, instead of adding meals in between/on top of other things I'm already doing. -I need more calories, more green stuff, and more fat. I've cut out the grains/dairy/wine, but need to add those calories back in, so as to fuel myself in an efficient and healthy way. -I need to eat three bigger meals and limit snacks between. I'd developed into a grazer, eating 200 calories at a time, all day, without really thinking about any of it. I need to train my body to accept a heartier meal all at once, so that I'm full until the next meal. -It's tougher to stay hydrated on the weekends-- but staying hydrated will help me differentiate between hunger and thirst. -The clementines are feeding the sugar habit--'ve got about 1/3 of the crate left (boyfriend ate a few too), and will ration them better over the next few days. They're a healthier option than chocolate or pretzels, so already a better option than what I was eating in december, but I could get better with carrots or pepper slices and deli meat. -So far, I haven't been cranky but rather just felt a little flat. I need to determine which feelings are hunger, which are detox symptoms, and which are related to other factors like stress, sleep levels, and exercise. -Doing this with a partner (in my case, my boyfriend), is AWESOME. We don't live together, but can collaborate on some meals and talk about how we're feeling. I'm committed to making it to Feb 1, but happy to have someone close to me on the same journey. He's done one whole30 before, and can be a great resource. Our copies of It Starts With Food should be arriving today- hooray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokiki Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 You're off to a great start! It Starts with Food is an awesome resource, and it's REALLY helpful that your boyfriend is on board, too. It sounds like you're having fun with this, which you should! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Hello and good morning! Yesterday was day 4, and the first day that I really felt like I could do this for thirty days-- and that's entirely because I ate regular, satiating meals, drank a lot of water, and felt in control of my routine. Hooray! In the morning, I had a quarter of an onion/mushroom/kale frittata, and two cups of coffee, one with coconut milk and one without. I had a clementine about 11, and then for lunch a giant plate of shredded brussels sprouts/onion hash (about 1 1/2 cups), a cup of roasted eggplant cubes, and a half cup of shredded chicken. Although I eat at my desk most days, I closed my computer, put music on my headphones, and spent the half hour thinking about what I was eating. It felt like a lot of food- but then I was full for the whole afternoon! I ate another clementine about 4, and 10 grape tomatoes about 5:30, before heading to a yoga class. When I got home, it was time for our bachelor fantasy draft (time when previously, I'd have sat on the couch and drank 2-3 glasses of wine). Instead, I had ground beef, an avocado with lemon and salt, and some of the trader joe's hatch valley green salsa over both. I sipped on sparkling water with lime, and didn't have the urge to pour wine once! This morning, I was front row on the struggle bus. I'm a pretty big believer in "the night before, the night before" affecting your sleep, and it was hard for me to wake up today, possibly because of staying up til 1 on sunday night. It's snowing pretty hard here for the first time this winter, and the 1.4 mile walk to work was a blustery one! I sipped water when I got up and on my way into work, and once I was here, microwaved half the onion/mushroom/kale frittata for breakfast. I think that might have been too late of a breakfast- I'll have to try to eat at home before walking in the morning! I've been sipping on coffee with coconut milk and water- I think I'm going to try to have my first coffee of the day with coconut milk, and all following black. I'm not big into sweetened syrupy coffee, but I've always enjoyed a healthy pour of half and half, and I'd like to be able to appreciate good coffee without anything in it. On Saturday morning, I'd purchased a case of the italian sparkling water at whole foods, for about 11 dollars-- best 11 dollars spent! The bubbles make it taste a little fancier than regular water, but I think it's really the green class bottles that make me feel like it's a step above the mundane routine. I'm drinking about 1 per day right now, as I'm trying to drink mostly regular water, but I am thankful for this small indulgence. For now, I'll just keep trying to get better every day. My goal for next week is to have fruit with meals, instead of as a snack alone. Grape tomatoes were delicious yesterday- if anyone reads this, I'd love to hear if you consider them a fruit or veg for whole30 purposes? (I know they're officially fruits by definition, I'm just curious in this context!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Yesterday for lunch: 2/3 cup roasted eggplant 2/3 cup ground beef 1 1/2 cup kale dinner: 2 italian sausages 1/2 avocado w/tj's hatch valley salsa 1 cup tj's cruciferous crunch after-dinner snack: 1/2 cup coconut milk with cinnamon (not worth it- tasted gross) and a clementine breakfast: 1 poached egg 1/2 avocado snack: clementine, 15 baby carrots lunch: 2 cups kale, 2 italian sausages, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup mushrooms, generous pour of tessamae's lemon garlic dressing (all microwaved and shook together) snack: pear (not worth it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I got hangry toward 7pm tonight, and dinner tonight was a big old sugar dragon mess- but I do feel full for the first time in a while, likely because of the sweet potato. 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (with cinnamon and coconut oil) 2 aidell's chicken/apple sausage dessert: sliced mango Today's been tough- I've been doubting the whole30 and how it's making me think/feel about food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokiki Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Sorry to hear yesterday was a rough day. We all have them! In what ways have you been doubting the Whole30? How are you thinking about food differently? For me, it made me realize the unhealthy relationship that I've always had with food -- It's amazing how much eating I did for a million reasons other than simply to fuel my body, and the insane hold that it had on my life. I'm really struggling right now with reminding myself to stop eating when I'm full! I know I'm not hungry, and it's just this habit of eating just because there's more food (or because I'm bored), but it's almost painful to ignore that urge to just eat something else. I'm constantly reaching for a piece of fruit or searching for a salty snack after meals... Tea helps, but I'm still falling to the temptation from time to time (yesterday included)! I'm just telling myself to push through -- it takes time to break a life-long habit. The first week is always the hardest. This is a very restrictive eating plan, so it never goes well when you start to tell your brain that it can't have something. The great news is that it does get easier! It all quickly begins to feel second nature and you don't have to think about your meals as much. On top of that, you'll also slowly start to see the benefits as you move into Week 2. After that first night of AMAZING sleep, that first afternoon without any kind of slump, the first time you look in the mirror and start to notice your skin is clearer and brighter -- you'll be much less tempted to go off plan for a craving! I promise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Last night, after dinner, went over for boyfriend's and ate 2 short ribs (cooked in the nom nom paleo recipe). Resisted all urges in a late night trip to trader joe's tried a dried apple slice from the pkg that he bought when we got home, and didn't love it. Slept like a rock (who else sings the chevy commercial when they say this?) and woke up groggy. This morning: Foggily chewed through a plate of sauteed cruciferous crunch and ground beef, and drank dark coffee with coconut milk. Once at work, had two more cups of coffee with coconut milk. Went to whole foods for lunch from the salad bar- picked up a little bit of 'southwestern steak salad' which was sliced flanksteak, sliced peppers and red onions tossed in olive oil with cilantro. I filled the rest of my container with spinach, grabbed two date/coconut rolls, and walked out. Back at work, I ate the steak, drizzled tessamae's lemon garlic over the spinach and red onions/peppers. I ate one date roll immediately, and another about 4pm- they were so, so good. I know I can't get them frequently, but that rich, sweet taste was exactly what I craved today. everything else had been tasting watery and thin recently. Tonight I had some grape tomatoes before a yoga class, then had a few slices of flanksteak and a half cup of mashed sweet potatoes when I got home. The days I've had yoga, so far, I've felt more in control and centered about my eating. Something about all the breathing and blood flowing makes me happy to do good things for my health, and I'm not quite so wine/cheese/chocolate crave-ey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Friday: Woke up & walked to work, ate mashed sweet potatoes and an italian sausage around 9am. Had the same for lunch around 1. Dinner was an omelet of 3 eggs, kale, steak, mushrooms, and garlic, and a whole zucchini, sliced into strips, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, and baked. Today: Woke up and ate the same omelet for breakfast (delicious!). For lunch, sliced salami and proscuitto and red pepper. A little after lunch, a venti starbucks coffee with a generous pour of full fat coconut milk. I've been snacking on olives this evening from the italian store- very garlicky. The italian store has sandiwches, pizza, cannoli, and deli meats, and a whole pantry side of groceries and wine imported from italy. That was the most tempted I've been so far- but at the time, I couldn't pick out any one thing that I wanted in particular, that might have been worth quitting the whole 30! Now that I'm thinking about it again, I could totally go for a caprese salad with good fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, and a glass of malbec. For dinner, my boyfriend is making hawaiian short ribs with red onion and pineapple -- yum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 For dinner, my boyfriend is making hawaiian short ribs with red onion and pineapple -- yum! Uh oh- just found out there was bragg's amino acids in the short ribs! I'm going to keep going from here and not start over- I feel like this is a more innocuous slip, in the grand scheme of things- it's not like i slipped with tequila or ice cream! I know for many of you, a few tbsbs of aminos in your steak sauce may be an issue, but I'm not sure I'm quite that hard-core at the moment. Whoops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mMm Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I didnt forget about writing, just been busy! Sunday breakfast: two fried eggs, purple potato hash with red onion, black coffee sunday lunch/dinner: lots of grazying snacking and not an intentional meal- not my best day, but all compliant. Full of grape tomatoes and salami and sardines and pomegranate seends, a coconut date roll, and I made mayonnaise! Monday: breakfast: coconut milk poured over pomegranate seeds like "cereal" -- I love this! and an aidell's chicken sausage lunch: spaghetti squash, kale, and salami, coconut date roll dinner: beef with pearl onions Today's breakfast: almond butter, pomegranate seeds, and an aidells chicken sausage lunch: southwestern beef salad and hearts of palm salad from whole foods, two date/coconut rolls (arghhhh sugar dragon) lavender kombucha- gt's brand. I have a sugar dragon for SURE and replacing the clementines with a cocnut date roll is seriously terrible. I need to go back to clementines and wean myself off them towards none at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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