sunflower_gal Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Starting the Whole30 on February 1, 2015 Background: I am the mom of two, a full time working executive, and live in rural Kansas. I have PCOS and Hashimotos Thyroid disease and the symptoms from these two autoimmune diseases have been flaring horribly the past few months. I suspect that the overindulging holidays of sweets and less exercise is a big contributing factor. I use to love running but my exhaustion and mild depression have kept me from lacing up my shoes. This has caused increased anxiety without my stress reliever and weight gain. I'm currently 15 pounds over my goal weight and feeling unwell. By the end of the day, my stomach is so upset that I'm miserable. I deal with chronic constipation, bloating, and heartburn. I also have the joy of adult cystic acne as one of my PCOS symptoms. Reasons: So I'm looking at the Whole30 program to help get my constant carb and sugar cravings, from PCOS and thyroid issues and bad habits, under control. I currently feel like food is the dictator of my life. It has too much power over my emotions and whether I'm having a "good" day or a "horrible" day. I'll put food - whether it's getting it or avoiding it - above all else, which is a horrible thing to have to admit to when I have so many other positives in my life. I look forward to sharing my journey in these logs and hopefully becoming a part of this community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 What a feast for breakfast! Eggs Uncured Turkey Bacon 1/2 Avocado Stewed Rhubarb I'm so excited to be kicking off this journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Day 1, Meal 2 Chicken Apple Sausage Roasted Green Beans Baked Sweet Potato Strawberries Keeping pretty busy this morning with household chores, so I'm still doing well. I struggle with eating out of boredom at work or late at night, so I haven't had to face those hurdles, yet. Looking forward to putting the kids down for a nap in a little bit and getting one in myself, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutlifr Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I am going to enjoy following your log... Such beautiful food pics. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 I am going to enjoy following your log... Such beautiful food pics. Thank you Aw, you're too sweet! I love accountability of photographs...even if they are poor quality, phone pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 The afternoon munchies did hit. I was tired and wanting the quick sugar fix. My dear husband came home with a box of Little Debbie Nutty Bars. WHY!!?? I resisted but had the other half of my sweet potato from lunch with about a tsp of almond butter as my compliant way of dealing. I wasn't hungry enough to snack, so total emotional response. My husband's junk food habits and stubbornness to make any changes is going to be a challenge of will power to always have these temptations around. Dinner was really good! Day 1, Meal 3 Balsamic Roast Beef from the crockpot - YUM! Spiralized carrots with lemon & garlic dressing Black olives Strawberries I tried to make the spiralized carrot zoodles but couldn't figure out my machine so they ended up being little carrot shavings. I'll have to keep practicing. Some room for improvement but, for the most part, I feel good about today and prepared for tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutlifr Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 When the munchies hit, try a nice herbal tea with some cinnamon or ginger in it... That always hits the spot at my end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 Day two - I feel like I ate so much food today! Biggest Struggle: Late afternoon munchies. I wanted something sweet and to occupy my mouth. I wasn't hungry, just bored and watching the clock for the day to end. Biggest Triumph: Passing up dessert at an evening meeting tonight. Feeling: I'm feeling ok emotionally but my stomach really hurts! Like bad gas, maybe? Ouch! I often have an upset stomach at night, and it's a big reason that I'm doing the Whole30, so having an upset stomach is discouraging but I'm trying to remember this is only day two. Food: M1: Egg cups with spinach and chicken sausage, avocado, grapefruit M2: Lettuce cups with grilled chicken, black olives, and hot sauce, baked sweet potato, apple, almond butter M3: Balsamic roast beef, green beans, roasted parsnips, blueberries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutlifr Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I felt so stuffed in the beginning of the program, I had to force myself to eat three times a day according to template. My digestion was so slow to start with, and I felt extremely bloated. It will subside with time. I increased my water intake, and eventually it all went away. A look at the timeline may help you understand where your body us right now http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/ I really feel like sitting down at your table for my meals... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Sorry I didn't check in yesterday, had a full day of meetings and obligations. Day 3 & 4 Biggest Struggle: The 3pm-6pm time frame is so hard for me. I want sweet snacks and my diet pop. Biggest Triumph: There were hot, fresh breadsticks at my evening meeting and they smelled SO GOOD! But I didn't take one bite. Feeling: I'm feeling really good today (day 4). Definitely dragging at about 4pm, but I always am. It was hard to not go to my crutch of an afternoon snack and a caffeine filled diet pop. Food: Breakfasts today - Egg cups, black olives, and stewed unsweetened rhubarb Lunch: pork loin, sauerkraut, cauliflower "rice", strawberries, apple Dinner: Leftovers - balsamic beef roast, sweet potato, asparagus, blueberries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 Day 6 - Today was a traveling day for work and that's usually my biggest temptation day. I justify overeating to myself because I live in a very small, rural area without fast food or many restaurants, so I figure it's an occasional splurge. But, that's no reason to grab tons of candy, diet soda, etc. at gas stations and eating too much food. I'm so proud of sticking to compliant foods and my food plan. I also went on a run this evening and felt great! I was really tired this afternoon but the energy came after I warmed up and got going. M1: Egg cups, grapefruit, black olives M2: Salad bar - green salad with black olives, artichoke hearts, grilled chicken, cabbage, and slivered almonds, mixed berries, mango M3: Leftovers - balsamic beef roast, grilled asparagus, avocado, stewed rhubarb I needed a quick snack/energy before my 5 mile run this evening. I grabbed a medjool date and stuffed with sunflower butter. Yum!! I've loved the easy convenience of the egg cups during the work week but I'm really looking forward to something different for breakfast this weekend. Anyone have a good breakfast recipe to recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmlynne Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 I've loved the easy convenience of the egg cups during the work week but I'm really looking forward to something different for breakfast this weekend. Anyone have a good breakfast recipe to recommend? Honestly, I eat a lot of leftovers for breakfast. Basically when I have dinner, I put another serving in a small container in the fridge. Easy then to just grab and reheat. Another quick breakfast for me is some type of vegetable soup (ie cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, trad. veg) with some type of protein (boiled egg, sausage, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 Honestly, I eat a lot of leftovers for breakfast. Basically when I have dinner, I put another serving in a small container in the fridge. Easy then to just grab and reheat. Another quick breakfast for me is some type of vegetable soup (ie cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, trad. veg) with some type of protein (boiled egg, sausage, etc). Thanks for the feedback and ideas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Day 7 I feel AMAZING today! I think it probably has to do with the unseasonable 70 degree weather in KS, after being 20 degrees earlier this week. SUNSHINE! I didn't sleep great, but insomnia is a normal struggle for me. I've successfully avoided pizza temptations twice already this weekend. But really, I'm very surprised that I haven't really been struggling with cravings or feeling deprived. I am so used to thinking about food and cravings 24/7, I can't believe I'm not being more tormented than I am. I'm hoping that it continues after my initial motivation and excitement starts wearing off. My run today was faster than usual and I felt strong throughout most of it. Loved the warm weather running! M1: Turkey bacon, sauerkraut, almond butter, pumpkin and egg bake. (The pumpkin bake is probably considered too close to a treat by Whole30 standards. But since it wasn't sweet and didn't really have a baked grain texture, I didn't feel tempted by it. It reminded me more of some kind of pumpkin porridge.) M2: Big mixed green salad topped with grilled chicken, grapefruit and avocado. PreRun: Date and almond butter Exercise: 4 mile run M3: Chicken apple sausage, sweet potato, green salad, blueberries I'm not use to meal planning for the week and doing the big batch cooking. Last week, I was so excited to be doing this. I'm having trouble getting my mind engaged in doing it again but I need to get my butt in gear so I can hit the store and cook tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Day 8 Went on a 6 mile run today and my legs felt heavy. I think it probably had more to do with running the prior two days than a food thing. Pizza Casserole Recipe: http://paleomg.com/a...-spaghetti-pie/ - I made this tonight and it surprised me how good it was. I was afraid it would still taste "squashy" but it didn't at all. It takes a while to bake but it comes together really easily. I used ground turkey instead of italian sausage, just because I already had it in the freezer, and added garlic and lots of seasonings. (I added red pepper flakes and I think they really helped so I suggest those.) My husband is anti vegetables and very picky. He agreed to take a bite and even liked it. My kids loved it. I'd probably add melted cheese on top for the rest of the family. I'll definitely make it again and play with adding other ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 I'm really struggling today. I'm experiencing my first cravings and temptations. I'm not really craving anything in particular (maybe the Girl Scout Cookies upstairs) but more just want to snack...on anything. I had a banana and some tea so I'm hoping to ride it out and go to bed soon to sleep and avoid caving in. I have a history of binge eating, so I know I'm riding a slippery slope right now of saying to heck with it and going fully off the rails. I know how guilty I'll feel if I throw it in now and how proud I'll be if I make it through to the other side of this current hurdle. This isn't hard. Rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 I made it past my day 10 struggle with just having an extra banana at the end of the day. I'm so proud of myself for not slipping into a full binge, compliant or not. I did end up asking my husband to hide the Girl Scout cookies, which I have mixed feelings about needing to take such a drastic step. My work day started at 4 a.m. today. I usually don't eat breakfast until 8-9 a.m. bu today I ate at 6a.m. on the road. I can't believe that 1.) I wasn't tempted by the cinnamon rolls at the work breakfast and 2.) I was able to wait until 12:30pm for a good, compliant lunch without any struggle. M1: on the road - deli turkey slices, almond butter, apple M2: chicken apple sausage, strawberries, asparagus, cashews M3: balsamic roast beef, sweet potato, green beans, avocado slices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Day 14 - Valentine's Day! Oh the temptations! We have been brought homemade chocolate cake and cookies from family members for the kids. The chocolate cake has been tempting, but not as much as it usually is when I'm eating all the things. My husband treated me to a Whole30 compliant dinner. This AMAZED me! He is totally a Mt. Dew and junk food eater and has paid little attention to my dietary changes. He even brought the seasoning to me to check before seasoning the steaks to see if I could have it - I can't believe he thought of that detail! Now that's love in my eyes. He made steak, asparagus, green beans, sweet potatoes, and strawberries. Yum! I did miss wine a little bit. M1: Egg, chicken sausage, grapefruit M2: Pumpkin and egg bake, rhubarb, almond butter S: apple M3: Steak filet, baked sweet potato, grilled asparagus & green beans, strawberries Exercise: 3 mile walk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflower_gal Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Day 15 Started the day with a 5 mile run and 1 mile incline walk on the treadmill while catching up with my DVR. (messy toy/exercise room going on here) Felt pretty good today. I don't think I ate enough today so I'll probably have some leftover RUNger going on tomorrow to compensate. M1: Banana with almond butter Exercise: Run M2: Egg, spinach and chicken sausage cup, date M3: Pumpkin and egg bake with almond butter, rhubarb M4: Roasted parsnips, green beans, balsmic roast beef, olives, strawberries I've run out of the chicken sausage that has been a staple of my breakfasts the last two weeks and won't get to the city to buy more compliant sausage until next weekend. I need to add something to my egg cups in the morning to get me through, so we'll see what I can figure out in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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