A fresh start with Whole30 - 1/5/15

[ATL_Jen]

Not sure if anyone's going to read this, but a brief intro: I'm 37, F, and about 5 years ago I lost 80+ pounds after a lifetime of being overweight/obese. I've kept the vast majority of that weight off, but I know that the last 2 years I've been flirting with disaster, courtesy of my sugar demon. I'm only 5'1", but I do exercise most days per week, alternating between strength and running. I'm not great at either, but love both. I'm weak and slow but it's OK!

 

Through experimentation, I know that low-ish carb, primal-style eating feels really good for me when I'm consistent with it. I've never done a Whole 30, and I know the sugar cravings will stink initially, but I can through those. I'm more concerned with some other things:

- Not automatically counting and logging calories will be ROUGH. I'm committed, but every time I see a dollop of coconut oil I freak out a bit.

- Cutting back on fruit (my non-dessert dessert of choice) but I'm going to stick with the suggested 1-2 servings per day because reaching for something sweet at the end of a meal has become an ingrained habit I want to break.

- Saying goodbye to my Greek yogurt. We have an awesome local dairy, using milk from grassfed cows, and that small daily cup is delicious and very satiating. Alas.

 

Yesterday was shopping/prep day. I didn't go overboard because I'm happy to shop again later in the week. I did made the homamde mayo from Well Fed (just a FEW may splatters as I struggled with the drizzling! ), as well as prep a pound of ground beef, multiple chicken breasts, and some HB eggs. I cook only for myself the majority of the time, with weekends including my BF who lives across town.

 

 

So, all that being said, here's my Day 1 so far:

B - 3 eggs (wowza!), half an avocado, shredded cabbage; cilantro, lime juice and compliant hot sauce for seasoning

L - chicken breast; green beans; 1 Tbs of coconut oil; salt, red pepper flakes, and Penzey's seasoning mix; raw carrots

D (planned) - Mixed veggie salad; shrimp; 2 Tbs of Tessamae's dressing. This might be too small? Maybe not.

 

Notes so far:

- 3 eggs seems like SO much after years of eating 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white!

- Coconut oil might take some getting used to for me! I like coconut, but it's weird.

- No hunger issues before lunch.

- I miss my Coke Zero. Sad panda.

- My palm seems VERY small. I measured out a palm's worth of shrimp and it was only 2 ounces? So I added to make it 4 ounces. Perhaps I'm doing this wrong.

 

So far, so good! I'm in the honeymoon phase, for sure, but looking forward to feeling "right" again, saying goodbye to the sugar jones, and being able to run without feeling like a slug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tom Denham]

I bet you will love not counting calories... after a few weeks of painful adjusting. 

 

Everything you have done looks good, but I have a few notes to consider. 1) Whole eggs includes enough fat that the only reason to add more is to achieve a taste that you want. I sometimes mash avocado with lime juice to eat with eggs, but you don't have to for a meal with "enough" fat. And three eggs is a good number even for a small person. 

 

You had very little fat at lunch. A tablespoon of coconut oil to cook green beans and chicken breast is nothing and the meal itself was very lean. You would benefit from adding a fat source to lunch. Maybe instead of raw carrots, a handful of olives. 

 

I don't know what ounces of shrimp look like because I never counted calories, but I am more concerned about you eating too little than too much. Be sure to cram those shrimp in tight when calculating a palm-size portion. And good for you going to two palm-size portions with your doubts. Shrimp is lean, so you need some fat to keep you satisfied through the night. 

 

Not snacking habitually and not adding "something sweet" regularly means that it is important to eat substantial meals. Doing this can take some adjustment time, but you have made a good start. 

[Hutlifr]

If coconut is not too much of your thing, try ghee.... It's the best tasting fat EVER!

[ATL_Jen]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions! I do have ghee and will be trying it out soon. The coconut wasn't off-putting, just different enough that my mouth/brain had some disconnect.

 

Tom, I really appreciate you looking things over and making some comments. And hello from the Westside (I live in Atlanta and work in Kennesaw). It's good to know the eggs/avocado mix can be taken back a notch and still be fine for fats and protein. And I've taken your advice and added olives to lunch - you're right, I was pretty hungry yesterday afternoon before dinner. Previously, I would have had an apple/nuts as a snack around 4, but eliminating that meant I was VERY ready for dinner at 6.

 

Around 9 last night my stomach was growling. I did the "steamed fish and broccoli" test mentioned in ISWF, and decided I was definitely hungry, so I had an orange. I feel OK with that choice, especially since I did still wake up hungry.

 

I also went for a 3.5 mile run yesterday afternoon. I need to play with post-WO options. Honestly, my run/WO nutrition isn't very standard, so I'm trying to figure out what to do there.

 

Last night I had food dreams! Even though I'd read about them, I really didn't expect it to happen to me. I dreamt about have salsa and trying really hard to convince Melissa Hartwig that my tortilla chips were compliant and not SWYPO. Ack!

 

Today's M1 and M2 are planned and ready, and I have supplies for M3. Feeling strong and good and ready for the day . . . if a bit tired!

[ATL_Jen]

It's 1:09 at the office and I just finished a somewhat stressful office meeting. Lunch was filling and compliant and I only ate an hour ago. Right now, in no particular order, I want:

- A Coke Zero.

- A piece of the triple chocolate cheesecake in the break room.

- A nap.

 

I will settle for going outside and stretching my legs and waking up a little. As I walk, I'm going to remind myself that sunshine (even chilly sunshine) is better for me than Frankenfood!

[ATL_Jen]

Today is mostly in the books so here's a wrap-up.

That walk I took was a 10 minute stroll around my building, but it did a lot of good to clear my mind and cut the Coke Zero cravings. The sub helps SO much and I hate it when's it's gone.

After work I got a 3.5 mile run in. It was a bit sluggish but that could very well be the cumulative effects of so little running and so much food in December.

I've finished dinner and had some tea for warmth, and think bed it in my very near future. I'd love to be asleep between 8:30-9, since tomorrow is going to be so long and tiring.

Here's today's food:

M1 - 2 eggs, 1/2 small avocado, salsa, shredded cabbage

(Eaten around 7:15 and started to get hungry around 11:45, so that was good)

M2 - Chicken breast, green beans, seasonings, 1 Tbs coconut oil, small handful of olives (too small - I misread the meal tmeplate portion suggestion)

(This was good and the coconut oil tasted better. I missed the crunch of my usual carrots.)

M3 - Zucchini noodles! A successful experiment. With tomatoes, cilantro, seasonings, and a sauce made with 1 1/2 Tbs homemade mayo. I should have bulked this up with a few more veggies.

After dinner and kitchen cleanup, I had a serving of mixed berries.

Right now I'm tired, but that's mostly because of work, and have a vague headache, which I'm guessing is more sugar detox. Tomorrow is long and I still need to prep some food to take on the road.

j