Julia's Whole30

[jdharna]

Hi, my name is Juli, and I started The Whole30—officially—on Monday, January 12th (yesterday).

 

I devoured "It Starts With Food" last week. My husband and I were traveling from north Florida to Missouri. I purchased the iBooks version first and began reading it as we drove. Just before I took over the wheel in mid-Tenessee, I purchased the audible version so that I could continue the book as I drove. My husband was also impressed—remember, he's listening as I'm driving—but he's not a technophile, so he likes old-fashion paper books.  So, when we got home, I ordered the hardback version for him! That's 3 versions of the book! 

 

Today, I received my copy of "Well Fed" by Melissa Joulwan.  I'm figuring out how to do this adventure so that I have no cheats and no slips! 

 

I'm going to miss my soothing hot beverages: chai and coffee, which I've been having with soy milk/almond milk and Truvia (3 to 4 packets) for the last few years! Truvia is going to be my biggest challenge. Of course, I worry about the loss of starch (the non-Whole30 starches), too, but not quite as much as the creamy sweetness in my tea and coffee!  So, if anyone has been down this road before, please share how you survived! 

 

I finished my first day with success! 

 

But even last week as I was reading the literature, I was already gearing up to begin the program.  So, even last week I had given up grain and sugar.  I did use Truvia last Monday and Tuesday as I started preparing for this transition but by Wednesday I resolved to give it up, too, and did!  I stopped eating any legumes (daal), a significant staple in my household, which, okay, I can do, but moving my family away from daal is going to be more challenging.  

 

We has a great celebratory dinner on Saturday night at Kreis' Steak House, a high-end steak house that features sustainably sourced meats. I got a filet mignon and broccoli drizzled with lemon butter. But (cheers to me) I did not eat any of the fresh, yummy bread.  I had one glass of red wine. (I'm going to miss red wine with good food!) And then we shared a piece of hazelnut cheesecake, which was divine.  (Remember, on Saturday I'm only gearing-up for the official Whole30.)  Anyway, I enjoyed the meal immensely and I'm glad I enjoyed the wine and cheesecake, the last non-Whole30 foods I'm going to eat for the duration of my Whole30, which I officially started yesterday. 

 

I read the published Whole30 Timeline, but I'm not expecting the phases to stand out so clearly for myself.  But, I'm open to surprise. 

 

Cheers!

[jdharna]

Here's how my food is going today. I wonder if I'm going to be able to lose weight eating this much food.  Seems impossible. 
 
Breakfast
Egg, Large, 1 Each
Chicken, Thigh, Skinless, Cooked, 1 Each
Beans, Green, 1 Cup
Cabbage, Chopped, 1 1/2 Cups
Organic Coconut Oil, 1 Teaspoon
Cashews, Whole, Raw, 1/8 Cup
Blackberries, 1 Cup

Lunch
Avocado, California, 1 Each
Nuts, Cashews, Raw, Natural, Whl, 4 Tablespoons
Turkey Breast, Rstd, 2 Ounces
Carrots, Baby, Medium, 4 Each
Olives, Black, Large, Canned, 15 Each
Onion, Red, Chopped, 1/4 Cup
Tomatoes, Fresh, Med, 1/4 Each
Grapes, Red European, 1/2 Cup
Lettuce, Boston, Chopped, 1 Cup

[jdharna]

Checking in at the tail end of day three.  I made it through on plan!  Very tired, though, during the second half of the day.

[jdharna]

Here are my nutrient statistics since Monday for a 100% compliant Whole30. I don't remember Melissa and Dallas talking about ratios of fat to protein to carbohydrate in "It Starts With Food," other than saying how the plate should look with the appropriate portion sizes of foods.  I'm just wondering if I need to tweak the percentages. My Whole30 is definitely fat heavy, and I'm wondering if that's normal and okay. 

 

MONDAY

Fat  (47.6%) 66.7g

Saturated Fat 26.3g  

Cholesterol 458.8mg  

Sodium 902.1mg  

Carbohydrates (33.7%) 106.2g

Fiber 25.4g  

Sugars 57.3g  

Protein (18.6%) 58.7g 

 

TUESDAY

Fat (53.4%) 78.1g  

Saturated Fat 21.9g  

Cholesterol 339.1mg  

Sodium 1,293.6mg   

Carbohydrates (26.6%) 87.6g

Fiber 35.8g  

Sugars 37.2g  

Protein (20%) 65.8g 

 

WEDNESDAY

Fat  80.8g  (55.4%)  

Saturated Fat 29.8g  

Cholesterol 557.4mg  

Sodium 764mg  

Carbohydrates 84.6g (25.8%)  

Fiber 28.4g  

Sugars 37.1g  

Protein 61.6g (18.8%)

 

THURSDAY

Fat 63.6g (46.4%)

Saturated Fat 22.1g  

Cholesterol 432.5mg  

Sodium 786.8mg  

Carbohydrates 88.7g (28.8%) 

Fiber 15.8g  

Sugars 58.1g  

Protein 76.6g (24.9%)

 

FRIDAY

Fat 78.2g (47.9%)

Saturated Fat 34.2g  

Cholesterol 570mg  

Sodium 760.8mg  

Carbohydrates 114.7g (31.2%) 

Fiber 36.9g  

Sugars 38.7g  

Protein 76.7g (20.9%)

[jdharna]

The call came this morning at 6:30am to pick up my son from a friend's house, an unexpected trip out the door and no time to grab a Whole30 snack/meal before leaving.  I knew I needed to go to the grocery store this morning to get eggs (boy, are we going through eggs!), so I just dropped him home and continued straight to the grocery store.

 

By the way, it's not one grocery store but two because the conventional grocery store I shop at (Dierberg's) doesn't have a decent selection of well-sourced meats (about a 4-foot wide section of prepackaged meats covering the basic variety: beef, chicken, and lunch meat), so Whole Foods for meat (un-sugared, sustainably sourced bacon) and eggs and Dierberg's for the few other Saturday morning breakfast essentials, like jicama, onions, and tomatoes.  

 

Now, here's the situation: because I had to rush out the door without eating, I was worried I'd get famished and feel like fainting.  (That used to happen, by the way. I'd have to eat immediately after rising. I was driven to eat something, anything, but more often that not it was carbs.  Yes, I was (am) a carboholic.)

 

So here's what I did.  I went to the bulk items section and drew out a bag of organic, dry roasted cashews (about one pound) and before securing the bag took out one closed-fist portion to eat on the fly.  Fear and problem solved. 

 

But here's a side note of interest. It took about one hour between waking up and eating the cashews.  What's surprising is that I never did feel the wacky hunger leading up the that moment!  I'm hoping that pleasant surprise is the direct result of being 100% Whole30 compliant for the past five days (I'm currently on day 6 of my first Whole30). 

 

It was 10:00 AM when I finally sat down to my very satisfying Saturday morning breakfast of champions: jicama home fries (Well Fed), homemade chicken sausage patties, boiled eggs, and broccoli with mixed-color carrots.  What a satisfying breakfast! 

[jdharna]

I love cashews, so this information is helpful in helping me to not eat too many!

 

 

Nutrition Facts: Cashews

 

Amount Per 1 oz (28.4 g) 100 grams1 oz (28.4 g) Approximately 16 each

Calories 157

Total Fat 12 g 18%

Saturated fat 2.2 g 11%

Polyunsaturated fat 2.2 g  

Monounsaturated fat 7 g  

Cholesterol 0 mg 0%

Sodium 3 mg 0%

Potassium 187 mg 5%

Total Carbohydrate 9 g 3%

Dietary fiber 0.9 g 3%

Sugar 1.7 g  

Protein 5 g 10%

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 1%

Iron 10%

Vitamin D 0%

Vitamin B-6 5%

Vitamin B-12 0%

Magnesium 20%

[jdharna]

I am reading Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution" and have reached (and am reading) chapter nine, the chapter on our ancestral way of exercise called "Ancestral Fitness."  Boy, is this an indictment on my way of life.  Getting motivated fast to start training!  

 

At 46, I

1. start my 1st Whole30 (12 Jan 2015)
2. begin interval training tomorrow (19 Jan 2015)
3. begin real estate school on Tuesday (20 Jan 2015)

That is a BIG list of firsts that I'm picking up just before my 47th birthday (27 Jan 2015)! 

[jdharna]

So, this morning I did my first circuit training—beginner's level—from Robb Wolf's: “The Paleo Solution.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-paleo-solution/id423932101?mt=11. 

 

Here's what it looked like:

 

Day 1: Circuit Workout

 

1. Walk 200–400 meters. If you have no idea how far that is, walk one to two minutes out and then take the same amount of time walking back. Pick a landmark for this distance so you can track progress. Make it a brisk pace but within your means. 
2. When you get back to your starting point, rest one minute.
3. Then do five to ten perfect squats. (remember to use your chair or box for safety, if necessary).
4. Rest one minute.
5. Then do five to ten push-ups.
6. Rest one minute.
7. Do five to ten body rows.
8. Rest one minute.
9. Walk your same course again.
10. Not required by beginner's plan, I walked an additional 15 minutes for a total of 20 minutes at 3-3.5 mph.

You are done with day one.

1. How did you feel during the workout? I felt good, empowered, ready to push harder.  
2. Were you short of breath, dizzy, or very tired? NO
3. ​The next day how do you feel? A little sore? Beat to heck? This will tell us how good your recovery is. We are shooting for a “little” sore. You know you did something because you can feel the muscles in your legs, arms, back, and chest, but you are not regretting your birth.

I woke up this morning feeling dispirited because I don't feel/see the pounds falling off: I have 30 pound to lose!  I'm feeling good and not having cravings, but I want to see the pounds dropping off.  I'm sticking to the required foods 100%! 

 

This is day 8!

[jdharna]

I have a new goal for myself:

 

I want to start adult gymnastics!

 

I have no idea where to get started because I've never heard of adults doing "leisure" gymnastics.  Also, I don't want to drive a long distance to accomplish this goal.  Something near home and that I can do in the evening would be great, essential!  

 

If anyone knows how to get started on this, please help!  Thanks.