justme's journey

[justme]

Jan 5, 2015- Started first Whole30 today. DH and I are both committing to losing weight this year. Retirement is getting closer and we HAVE to get control over this before retirement and move to Florida. Ugh; I hate the idea of living somewhere that requires shorts and short sleeves almost year round. My injury/recovery over the past 6 months has made things worse. Thankfully, I've "only" gained 7 or 8 pounds during that time! Doc says another 3 or 4 before I can do what I want. DH says he's probably "addicted to sugar" but won't eat any vegetables except peas and corn, and he LOVES his bread! Told me last night that we were going to weigh ourselves this morning and tell each other the #; NOT! He weighed himself and announced it; I had already weighed myself and have yet to disclose. Can't ima- gine when/if I will. It's daunting to think that I want to lose 50#; I've never lost ANY. Not true; lost 10-11 each w/ WW and JC. Heck, didn't lose even a single pound with the 10 wk kickboxing bootcamp. I really DO think this is "it" for me. Day 1 - totally successful. Yea! Work was nuts, and I still did it! Eggs/kale for #1, salad and roasted veggies for #2, then pork chop and roasted butternut squash for #3. New stuff: Magic Mushroom Powder from NomNomPaleo, and ghee w/ MMP on my chop, and coconut milk in my coffee this morning.Nice! LOVE my roasted Brussels sprouts at lunch. Started to step on scale this evening - old, bad habits! Headed to bed; I'm hungry, but I DID IT!! 'Night.

[Hutlifr]

Whole30 is so much more than losing weight...When you read through people's logs, you will see that some people barely lost any weight, but are absolutely thrilled about how the program made them feel. It takes time and lots of patience to lose 50#, but it takes only 30 days to learn new habits that over time! will help you not only to feel fantastic, but to also shed the weight. Good luck on your journey.

[justme]

Day 2- Woke up feeling great; slept WELL. Had H/A this am; took Excedrin; all is well. 6" snow last night and below 0, so DH cleared the drive and brought me to work. Yea! #1: eggs,ham.kale, + coffee w/ coconut milk. Oh yeah, and an apple. At work now, feel a little hungry.Dang! Will go get coffee then dive in!  #2: Made it 5 hrs; am kinda hungry now. Salad w/ chx, plus roasted sprouts and b'nut squash.Afternoon H/A, but Ibuprofen took care of it. Planning "pasta" night; mine will be zoodles and DH's will be pasta. No, I don't have compliant marinara (yet), but I'm OK with that. Others won't be; that's ok, too.

I swear, I feel "lighter" already. My pants feel looser, too. Heck, maybe I can even wear my brown ones by Friday!

[justme]

Thanks, Hutlifr. I had previously read your logs and they were inspiring! I was surprised to see an "outside" post on this; thought I'd be posting just for me. It was a nice surprise, especially from you. Thanks so very much!

[Hutlifr]

I hope you have a belt to keep up those pants!...

[justme]

Day 3 - Did batch food prep, so #1 and #2 were the same: #1: eggs, kale, ham + an apple. #2: salad w/ HB egg, plus roasted veggies. Snacked on some coconut shreds (lovely!). Dinner was taco salad. Didn't feel satisfied, so added 1/2 a small Yukon Gold potato w/ ghee and Magic Mushroom Powder. Yep. Sated. Headaches were better today. Giving myself credit for getting in the groove for a week or so before taking the plunge on Monday - think it helped. Glad a friend of mine at work is doing this with me. Heck, I've never had someone partner with me in a get-healthier attempt. Hope we can help each other through this.  DH is making chili tomorrow; I'll just pick around the beans. Everything else in his recipe is compliant. AND, my knees are definitely feeling better. Amazing that anything changes this quickly!! So glad to have the W30 forums, to read others' stories. Hey, Martha, this is a Good Thing!!

[Hutlifr]

DH is making chili tomorrow; I'll just pick around the beans. Everything else in his recipe is compliant. AND, my knees are definitely feeling better. Amazing that anything changes this quickly!! So glad to have the W30 forums, to read others' stories. Hey, Martha, this is a Good Thing!!

I made chili two days ago, and added the beans AFTER taking my serving out. I did not want any cross contamination!!! (Haha I hate beans). Wait until you get to the end of this journey... You will feel AMAZING!

[justme]

Day 4- eggs, kale, apple for #1 (need to add more fat next time), then just roasted veggies and small amount of chx at lunch. Was crazy busy and ate on the fly. Have snacked on some olives and coconut. Need to bring larger portions, especially of protein, to work. Chili at dinner tonight. Great idea, Hutlifr, about adding the beans after taking out your portion. Maybe next time;  he said it's already done and has been simmering on the stove for awhile. Oh well.

Struggled some with hunger and "munchies" in the craziness that was today. Mid afternoon, I did manage to get in a 10 min chair massage - definitely not long enough! Not enough down time today - just chaos and uproar. Everything I did had to be re-sone a few times - due to demands from others. #@!!@@#  Hate those days. The triumph is that, in the past, I would have bought some "snacks" and had a Pepsi (because I needed the caffeine), and started that whole "I can't stop myself" cycle. I didn't today!  I'll be home in less than 45 minutes and can choose to dive right in to the chili, or take a few moments with a mug of tea with coconut milk first. I can hardly wait.

Hutlifr, I so appreciate your support and encouragement. You are an inspiration for me and I appreciate your responses.Thank you so much!

[Hutlifr]

You see? Little triumphs add up.. Change is possible without you even making an effort. You just eat the right combination of food, and you deal with stress differently. Great job!

[justme]

Day 5 - made it thru the work week! Went grocery shopping with DH right after work - he wasn't as supportive as I would have liked. But, I know he's trying to lose weight (his way) and is mostly starving, frustrated, and tired. I know he was ready to do some "splurging" this weekend, but I'm not. I reminded him that I really want to "dial things in" for a good 30 days, then reassess at that time. ....Ultimately, we each ate our own kind of dinner and had a nice evening.

What amazed me was that I didn't sit down to my dinner til after 7:30 - we usually eat about 2 hrs earlier and I wasn't famished! I even considered not eating at all, but thought better of it. NSV! Clearly, something is shifting. Yea!!!

[Ann]

Yeah!  You're doing great!  Stay strong this weekend - it can be hard when the routine loosens up.  For me though, actually, the weekends can be a little easier.  I don't have to pre-plan quite so carefully, because I can almost always piece something compliant together from whatever I've got on hand.  At work, if I didn't plan ahead and bring something for lunch, it could get tricky.   Congrats on making it through five days, keep it up! 

[justme]

End of Day 6 and going strong! I see how DH is struggling with doing things "his way" (not sure what that really is; just trying to "cut back"), and I feel SO fortunate. Yes, I've had cravings and have come close to giving in at times, but - I HAVEN'T. Ready to start exercising some, too. I have limitations (per MD, in recovery after orthopedic surgery), but can do a few things. Haven't been hungry and don't think I was aware of  Kill. All. Things phase (but work was horrific on days 3 and 4 especially- maybe it all blended together for me).  Looks like Week 2 may have its challenges - I like being forewarned.

I love reading the success stories and appreciate the support and encouragement. Whole30 rocks!!! Thank you ALL!!

[justme]

Woo hoo! I've finished one week! Today I had a few cravings, but they didn't last long, thankfully. Made me realize how many more days I still have left and I know this won't be the last time I feel this way. Guess the Whole30 honeymoon is ending. It's been a weekend at home; not busy and had plenty of time to read inspirational posts on the forums. My knees have felt good today, even going up and down the stairs. Nice! I feel lighter - and more flexible somehow. I'm SO ready to get back to the gym and working out the way I WANT to.  I'm hoping for release to do whatever I want by June. I love imagining how much healthier I can be by then. I've always heard that weightloss (and health!) happens in the kitchen, and that you can't out-train a bad diet. I'm excited about getting this foundation, then heading back to the gym. Almost makes me look forward to summer; I've NEVER felt that way before! I prefer winter, when I can cover up my body. Want to focus on loving my body - even as it is now. I certainly appreciate my body, and am amazed by it, but can't yet say I love it. Baby steps....

[Hutlifr]

It Sounds like you already went thru some kind of brain reset! Amazing to see how this program has such a positive effect on you in such short time, and your way of thinking and seeing yourself. Way to go... Keep on going, you will feel better every day, and discover new things about you, the power of your mind, and your body

[justme]

I feel SO good! #1 was eggs, kale, and an apple. #2 was a salad w/ leftover roast pork from last night, plus roasted veggies. #3 (while my DH was eating the pancakes I made him!) lettuce w/ chicken salad (chx breast, homemade mayo [yum!], celery), plus blueberries in some coconut milk. Such GOOD food! Have been sleeping well (except for 4-5 am last night, so ended up sleeping in a little this morning). Even with a NUTSO day at work, I just kept my head down and worked hard. I still wasn't hungry by the time I got lunch at 1:30 (instead of noon). Knees felt pretty good, even on stairs. Yea! Can this be Tiger Blood already????

[justme]

OK, so not Tiger Blood; I'm not bounding out of bed each morning. I AM feeling great, tho. Nice warm treat tonight - heated up about half a cup of coconut milk with about a teaspoon of cocoa powder (I think that's compliant; oops, didn't look that up. Regular cocoa powder, no sugar or other ingredients). Anyway, warm and yummy. Oh, DH! He's "counting calories", but probably not accurately. He's declaring that if he eats blah, blah, blah, then he'll lose 2 lb per week, then he'll weigh blah, blah by July 1. Ugh!  Feels like he's baiting me to do the same, and I won't. I'm the woman who did a 10 wk kickboxing bootcamp 6 days a week , and lost......HALF A POUND. #!@@#$$%%!!  I'm not promising, or planning, anything - other than to follow this plan. Period. I read in another post today about a website, www.beautyredefined.net ; hoping there may be information there to help me learn to love my body. As it is. Today. As well as it's amazing potential to morph into something that serves me even better. Anyway, just frustrating to hear DH go on and on - he wants/plans to lose 50 lb. Though I think that is possible, I have a hard time thinking that a) that will actually happen and it will happen the way he's attempting to do it, and c) that it will happen in the timeframe he thinks it will. I feel SO happy and confident in this W30 path; it's the only attempt I've ever truly believed can, and will, happen. I just don't want to over-promise (even to myself) and then deal with that old familiar frustration and defeat. He would never understand the approach of "work the plan and let go and be OPEN to its outcome, not ATTACHED to the outcome. " Just remembered old "words to live by": 1. Show up, 2. Speak the truth, without blame or judgement, 3) Pay attention to what has heart and meaning, and 4) Be open to outcome, not attached to outcome.  Hmmm. Lesson for me today: 1. Follow the plan. 2) No judging DH 3) Hear his words of support and encouragement - his way, and 4) stop worrying about how many pounds, inches, or sizes I may lose. ..... Ahhh. That's better.

[justme]

Today is Day 10!! I did NOT eat the way I planned today, but it all still worked out ok. Yea me! Crazy morning meant having only an apple for breakfast (didn't have time to nuke eggs that were already made even!), then hectic morning at work! Grabbed "lunch" for 6 minutes; lunch was a few macadamia nuts, some chicken salad (just chx, celery, and homemade mayo), and a few coconut flakes. Then home to homemade chili, dodging the beans. Two things totally AMAZE me: I wasn't horribly hungry by the time I got "lunch", and, in the past, I would have bought crappy food, and a diet Pepsi to "help me get through" that kind of a day. I didn't even WANT to do that! Not tempted at all! NSV's !!!!!  Guess I'm starting to change my relationship w/ food, huh?

[justme]

Just "another day in Paradise" at work today!! Augh! It seems to keep getting worse. That's a huge challenge. Ate my normal Meal 1 (eggs, kale, apple) and was doing fine - til the huge batch of cookies showed up, followed by an endless supply of pizza. Management bought pizza for everyone as a way of acknowledging just how horrible yesterday was. It smelled wonderful and I had to get outa there. I went to my office and had some macadamias (probably "too many", but I wanted to make sure I was sated enough that I safely return to the Land of Pizza and Cookies. And I succeeded!! Not a single bite of either! Later, ate my planned lunch, then nice salad w/ ground beef ("taco" salad, but without that seasoning). I'm still feeling satisfied and have no need for a snack.

Lesson I'm finally "getting": When stressed at work, and processed carbs arrive, I will NOT "eat just one." I CAN'T do that. So, I need to walk away and find ANY place else to work, other than where I can see, and smell, the food. Strategy worked today! I'm proud of that and even DH seemed impressed with the fact that I didn't eat a single bite. Yea me!

[justme]

Day 12 - Still working this! No new revelations or issues today. Just a good day. The afternoon got hectic, but I didn't go back to old ways of coping. In fact, it doesn't feel like nutso days make me as crazy as they used to, so I don't have to "cope," I just have to hustle. Yea! Three day weekend = happy me!

[Kmlynne]

You are almost 1/2 way there!!!!  Congrats!

[justme]

Day 14- Going strong. GH remains frustrated with his own weight struggles. Has been starving himself because the scale isn't moving. I don't know how much  I may have lost, but my body is definitely changing. My jeans fit differently, my jackets fasten more easily (losing abdominal bloat/fat?), I clearly have less cellulitis on my thighs, my "saddlebags" have diminished,and I think I'm seeing more collarbone. I feel great and am sleeping well; I wish I would wake up more easily. Of course, I DO wake easily on the weekends, but not during the week. I know part of that is that I don't want to go to WORK. Oh well. Have a lovely steak waiting to put on the grill (!) tonight (yea! it's warm enough!), with a great salad and some butternut squash. I've had a few cravings, but nothing worth caving in for, that's for sure! Here's to the second half - and beyond!

[justme]

Day 15- Half way through! (I just realized that in my previous post, I mentioned "cellulitis" decreasing on my thighs. Oops! I was tired - cellulite. Anyway, all continues to go well. It's interesting to me that DH is realizing my success and didn't eat any bread today. He's an absolute carb/bread LOVER. Many days, he would eat 5 slices of regular sandwich bread, plus crackers. All processed carbs. Well, about a year ago, he heard comedian Tom Arnold say that one of his strategies in losing a lot of weight was giving up bread. I was already dabbling in Paleo, but this was the first time DH had heard anyone say something like this. I'm sure if I had said it, he would have blown it off. But a "celebrity" said it and it had credence. (Really?!?!?) Anyway, he knows I'm not eating bread and knows I'm having success....I think he's thinking about it. Interesting!

[justme]

Day 20 - all has been going well and now, today (a Saturday), all I want is a diet Pepsi and a baked treat of some sort. Crap! Have a headache; that doesn't help. I think I'll try taking something for the headache, getting dressed and ready to go out to run some errands. Need to get past these cravings!

[justme]

Day 21; today is the end of three full weeks and I feel great. My knees are definitely better and I just feel "lighter." It's Sunday. Just finished a few hours in the kitchen. Made lunch for DH, then just kept going. Ended up making NomNom Paleo's Asian Meatballs, then Golden Cauliflower soup, fermented carrots with ginger, homemade mayo, and braised red cabbage w/ apple and bacon. Still need to make eggs for this week's breakfast. Guess I'll do that when I make dinner. Made it through yesterday staying compliant. I wouldn't eat what DH ate for dinner, so I made egg salad w/ my first batch of homemade mayo. Good stuff! Even went out to dinner the other night and did well. This IS sustainable and I have great plans for the healthier-me this year!

 

[Hutlifr]

I lost track of you while travelling, and just reread all your posts. It's amazing how much more positive you come across, and how you shake off many temptations coming your way. You are almost there... Cracked up when reading your post about DH now ditching the bread. About tiger blood, I never felt it, or if I did it was not like others described it. I had so many aches and pains before starting my journey, and quite frankly, not feeling any joint, stomach and gut pain for so many months is worth way more then some tiger blood. I am interested about your cauliflower soup. Recipe please?