The Whole100

[petitemortuaire]

Day 50!

 

I'm at the halfway point and feeling really proud of myself. Besides traveling, getting to this point wasn't all that difficult. I think it means that this is finally becoming a lifestyle/habit for me, rather than a short-lived fad diet. And that's exactly what I was hoping for by doing a Whole100. I know that the program is intended to be a lifestyle change in 30 days, but for those of us coming from a lifetime of poor eating habits, one month is way, way too short. Of course Melissa and Dallas know this, and say so in ISWF, but I think more should be said about the potential harms of doing a Whole30 and not being prepared for what could happen if you don't finish the program, or finishing without doing a proper reintroduction (i.e., bingeing, yo-yo weight loss/gain).

 

Anyway, it seems that my body is celebrating Day 50. For me, "Whole30-worthy" eliminations have been somewhat elusive, happening and then disappearing for a while. But I had stellar eliminations both this and yesterday morning. Two days in a row is the current record to beat. Here's hoping that tomorrow also brings amazing poops.

[Ytu]

Congratulations on reaching halfway point. Really impressed that you've been able to combine on-plan eating with travelling.

 

Shakshuka is delicious! I need to make some this weekend now...

 

And three cheers for stellar eliminations! I've also been very happy in this department for the last couple of days, after weeks of constipation, so know how you feel! 

[petitemortuaire]

This post is a work-in-progress, and I intend to update it regularly. I figured it would be a good time to start thinking about which foods I'd want to reintroduce (and under what circumstances), and which foods I don't care to bring back into my life.

Things to avoid for good:

• Beer. I don't like how it tastes and it makes me break out like crazy.
• Quinoia and other pseudo-grains. Never cared for them, so there's no point.
• Tofu. Another food I just don't like.
• Milk (to drink). Same thing.
• Granola. Hurts my mouth, never as good as I anticipate.
• Lays potato chips with French onion dip. This is a total FWNB for me, and not worth eating.
• Ditto Cheez-its, pretzels, tortilla chips & French fries. This kind of snack food is no good for me.
• All yogurt, besides Liberte Coconut yogurt (the yogurt supreme). Just don't like it enough. And if I want it, I can make my own coconut yogurt.
• Cottage cheese. It's not great.
• Oatmeal. Even when I buy it, I never eat it.
• Cereal. I've totally gotten by without eating it since living alone 3 years ago. No need to buy it now.
• Milk kefir. It's nice, but I really don't miss it and can live without it.
• Peas. Unless they're bringing some kind of magic to a dish, no need to make them a go-to veggie.

Things that are totally worth it:

• A bagel. Only when in NY/LI. They're garbage everywhere else.
• A cold cheese slice from Little Vincent's.
• A slice of Sicilian from L&B Spumoni Gardens.
• My grandmother's pasta salad.
• My mother's tres leches cake.
• My mother's company cake.
• Homemade pasta.
• The Penne Dolce Vita at Mannino's.
• A turkey sub on white from Wegmans.
• My Tia Didi's cuban rice and beans.
• Some really good cheese (like anything by Cypress Grove). No crackers necessary. Just gimme the cheese.
• Cured meats.
• Milk chocolate.
• A lobster roll.
• The shrimp burrito at Green Cactus.
• Homemade cookies (pignoli, oatmeal raisin, rainbow).
• Chocolate ice cream with honey.
• A chocolate malted milkshake.
• The White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle custard from The Meadows.
• Sushi, with white rice and soy sauce.
• Thai noodle dishes with roasted duck.
• Ramen from a good noodle house.
• Soup dumplings.
• Macarons.
• Ale81 soda.
• Homemade fruit pie.
• Liberte's coconut yogurt.
• Amy's sour cherry jam.
• The rice ball special from Joe's of Avenue U.
• Chicken milanese from Joe's of Avenue U.
• A milk bun from a Chinese bakery in BK.
• The meaty mac from Union Pig & Chicken.
• Homemade latkes.
• Greek salad from Greek Village.
• A really, really fantastic grilled cheese sandwich. I'm talking fresh baked bread and quality cheese.
• An original pretzel from Auntie Anne's.
• A Belgian waffle.

A notable thing about this list is that most of the foods I'd really break lifestyle to eat can only be found in my home state, where I no longer live, or are made only on special occasions. This could make visiting home challenging, but my parents are very supportive of clean eating and cook that way most of the time. I just have to avoid the urge to eat out all the time!

[petitemortuaire]

Day 51. 

 

Another morning elimination. 3-day streak (no pun intended)!

 

Here's today's food:

 

M1: 3 eggs cooked in coconut oil; mixed veg cooked in olive oil and garlic; 1/2 avocado; mild salsa

 

M2: 1 can tuna in olive oil; mixed veg cooked in olive oil and garlic; baby carrots; cashews

 

M3: green coconut milk curry with shrimp and mixed veg; sweet potato; 6 dates

[Hutlifr]

I so get your point on elimination..... like you said the body needs more time to heal. It took me 60 days... looking back I am so glad it was my no. 1 goal for whole30...

[petitemortuaire]

Day 53.

 

On a 5-day streak! I'm FINALLY hitting my stride. I think this may be becoming an elimination journal.

 

Anyway, yesterday I went grocery shopping, and bought some more indulgent items: 4 Larabars (for emergencies), Dagoba cacao powder, and 4 plantains. I absolutely intend to make fried plantains and guacamole tonight. 

 

I prepped both zucchini and sweet potato noodles for the week. I'm excited to see what the sweet potato noodles are like. I'm thinking of making sweet potato/egg nests for breakfast. 

[petitemortuaire]

Day 54.

Having a problem that I didn't expect: my favorite jeans are too big. Even the old work pants that I was excited to fit into a few weeks ago are starting to get a little loose.

In less positive news, I made fried plantains last night and discovered that they're a FWNB for me. I usually cook them when I'm having a special meal with someone--friends, a date/partner, whoever. I fried 2 whole plantains and ate one with dinner, and couldn't say no to having the second as a snack later in the evening. Snacking isn't a thing that I do unless I'm starving, and I wasn't at all hungry... just craving fried plantain deliciousness. Sadly, I have two more plantains sitting in my kitchen. I'm reluctant to make them unless I'm going to share them with other people.

Also, no BM today. The streak has ended!

[petitemortuaire]

Day 60.

Turns out I've been one day behind on my count since day 22! Today marks two full Whole30 rounds. 40 more days to go!

[petitemortuaire]

Day 62.

 

Woke up this morning and had my first loose/diarrhea-like elimination EVER while on a Whole30 (for those who know, its a Type 5/6 on the Bristol Scale). I only went the one time, though.  I wonder what happened? Here's what I hate yesterday:

 

M1: Lox and cabbage (roasted in ghee and olive oil)

M2: Tuna in olive oil with cabbage (roasted in ghee and olive oil) and a grapefruit

M3: Shrimp, spinach, and sweet potato in green coconut milk curry

 

My only guess is that it might have been a day particularly high in fat. I didn't eat anything that could have been "off" or past it's prime.

[petitemortuaire]

Decided it would also be a good idea to start planning my reintroduction, so I know what I'll need to buy. I think the most frustrating thing about a reintroduction is having to waste money on noncompliant foods that you may not want to eat again. I'll be searching hard for single-serving versions of these items.

Day 1: Legumes

• Black beans
• Hummus

Day 4: Non-gluten grains

• Corn on the cob
• White rice

Day 7: Dairy

• Yogurt (low sugar Siggi's)
• Hard cheese
• Kerrygold butter

Day 10: Alcohol

• Wine (would also like to try whiskey and gin in the future)

Day 13: Gluten-containing grains

• Pasta
• Bagel (Would also like to try rye and sourdough breads in the future)

Day 16: Compound foods: Dairy + Sugar

• Liberte Coconut Yogurt
• White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle custard
• Milk chocolate

Compound foods I'd like to reintroduce later on

• Soy sauce (legume + gluten containing grains OR non-gluten containing grains)
• Peanut butter (legume + sugar)
• Miso soup (legume + non-gluten containing grains)
• Pizza (dairy + gluten containing grains)

Sugars I'm willing to use in cooking//baking

• Maple syrup
• Honey
• Coconut sugar

[lgt2013]

Miso soup is tough. I couldn't find one without a bunch of other garbage in it, so I just went without, even though it's something I'd like to have every now and then. Also, regular soy sauce has gluten so make sure you get tamari instead!

[Hutlifr]

You dont need to reintroduce food you will most likely never eat again. Also, if you feel discomfort or you react to any one reintroduced item, you don't need to repeat it three times that day. I had a different reaction to corn and rice. Corn went thru me undigested, and rice will constipated me. So you may wanna think of that ...

[petitemortuaire]

Day 63.

 

Diarrhea again this morning, but this time, for REAL. And again once I got home from work. I'm starting to think that maybe the sweet potato was old/bad.

 

I'm also experiencing an urge to snack at the end of the day--not because I'm hungry. Just because I want a treat. It's like a little voice telling me, "C'mon, you've been doing this so long, you deserve it. You can stray a bit from the rules and it'll be okay." But I know that's not true. And I haven't given into that voice yet!

 

I'm having another kind of Whole30 "problem," too: all of my pants are too big! 

[Calypso]

Loved reading this thread! Congrats on your success so far. I was thinking about making my Whole 30 a Whole 90, but Whole 100 sounds even better.  

[petitemortuaire]

Loved reading this thread! Congrats on your success so far. I was thinking about making my Whole 30 a Whole 90, but Whole 100 sounds even better.

 

Thank you! It's not for everyone, but I'm really glad to be doing a Whole100. A Whole30 was just never enough time for me to really change bad habits. I sometimes wonder if a Whole100 is even enough, but I've still got over a month to figure that out. I wish you luck and success in whatever you choose to do!

[petitemortuaire]

Day 65.

 

For those of you deeply invested in my poop journal, I had a BM yesterday that verged on normal, so that's good. Nothing yet today, though. So realistically, it's looking like things are back to normal.

 

I made some really poor decisions while grocery shopping over the weekend. Note: I'm a broke grad student on food stamps. I stocked up on shrimp and canned tuna (I've really been craving it lately), and purchased 5 bags of baby carrots because they were $0.69 each at Aldi this week (the price can go up to $1.29/bag). I also bought frozen broccoli, zucchini, canned beets, coconut milk, curry paste, organic eggs, avocado, spinach, kale, sweet potato, and Kerrygold butter to make ghee. After shopping, I realized that I only have $22 to spend on groceries until the 15th. So, this week I've eaten nothing but seafood and eggs for protein, and I'm going to have to eat chicken thighs and non-organic eggs until my food stamps get replenished.

 

Send me your favorite egg and chicken recipes! I'm gonna need it.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 66.

 

I'm really proud of myself! Last night I had a strong craving around 8 PM for a Larabar. Instead of giving in, I texted my friend M (who is also doing a Whole100) for support, made a cup of tea, and distracted myself with a magazine. The distraction worked so well that the tea was almost cool when I remembered to drink it!

 

I've also been intending to start doing yoga regularly, which many friends and women I respect make a part of their lives. First thing I did this morning was Rodney Yee's A.M. Yoga. After doing some research, I've decided to start the 30 Days of Yoga program tomorrow (http://yogawithadriene.com/30days/). Gonna spend today practicing some poses.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 67.

 

Feeling good already today. I slept in (until 8:15, haha) had Meal 1 (tuna, guac, carrots, beets, sweet potato), and completed Day 1 of the 30 Days of Yoga. Now I'm feeling loose and relaxed. In a little while, I'll do some grocery shopping.

 

I've also been thinking about the fact that my Whole100 is going to end (what feels like) pretty soon. I'm more than 2/3 done. In 4 days, all I'll have left to get through is a traditional Whole30.

 

Here's what I've learned so far:

• Fried plantains can be a FWNB for me. If I'm going to eat them by myself, I have to buy only one serving at a time (i.e., one plantain). UPDATE: the "buy one at a time" guideline actually works!
• White potatoes are also a FWNB. Better just to leave them off my plate for good.
• Larabars make my mind want to slip into old habits. If I eat one, I think about making poor choices (e.g., thinking, "I can treat myself and have more than one serving of fruit today," or "I can have a snack before bed."), and try to rationalize them (e.g., "I've already had one with lunch, but I should have that other Larabar I have in my pantry today. That way, they'll be out of the house and I don't have to worry about when I'll eat it."). 
• I'm an abstainer. Moderation does not work for me. I never learned how to do it, and trying to just gives me more anxiety.
• If I'm going to eat fruit, I have to eat it with Meal 2. That much sugar in the beginning of the day sets me up for cravings, and it feels too much like dessert when eaten with Meal 3.
• I'm obsessed with my BMs.

Here are things I still need to improve on:

• I still find myself eating mindlessly sometimes.
• I haven't given in and checked, but I still care a lot about what the scale is going to read/what my measurements are when I'm done with my Whole100.
• On three occasions, I have eaten some leftover soup very quickly (and surreptitiously) in front of the fridge, in a way that reminds me of a binge. 
• I need to drink more water.

I'll add more things as I think of them.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 69.

 

Yep. My fridge definitely isn't keeping cold enough. I had to throw away a container full of sweet potato that I cooked on Saturday because they started to smell acrid. Related, I don't really feel like posting my daily meals because typing "chicken/eggs with spinach/green beans/broccoli" for every meal would be incredibly depressing.

 

In other news, I am really loving my daily yoga practice. It's surprisingly addicting! I feel simultaneously invigorated and relaxed after a session.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 71.

And so begins the last stretch of my Whole100. All I've got left from here on out is a regular Whole30! Of course, over 70 days you can get a little lazy, or not always exactly follow the meal template. Like yesterday, I had my 3 meals by 5 PM, and when I got home at 8, I had a little meal to support my evening yoga practice (macadamia nuts, carrots, applesauce). While that's okay, I wish I had been able to add some protein to make it more balanced. I could have, but I was too lazy to cook some shrimp.

So, I'm going to take these last 30 days to really refocus and recommit. When I can afford it (in about a week), I'm going to focus on further expanding my cooking skills and make meals I never have before. I'm going to search for new vegetables that are coming in season. And I'm going to further limit my fruit intake, to continue fighting my sugar dragon. She's tame, but not gone.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 76.

 

So my weekend started with a surprise: a free hotel in downtown PGH! My parents will be visiting me next weekend and accidentally booked a hotel for this weekend. They couldn't get a refund, so I got to enjoy the luxury of the Omni.

 

Staying at the hotel was somewhat of a challenge food-wise. I brought cooked chicken, cashews, a turkey Epic bar, and baby carrots with me to the hotel.They had complimentary apples at the front desk, which I ate pretty mindlessly (one as a snack by itself one day, two the next day), even though I know that I should only eat fruit with Meal 2. When I had to eat out (twice), I ate at Chipotle and got barbacoa salads (they didn't have carnitas) with fajita vegetables, guacamole, and salsa. Though they don't use soybean oil for their meat anymore, I just learned that the barbacoa and veggies are cooked with rice bran oil, so I screwed up there. On Sunday, I went to a potluck and stuck to my cashews and the pork someone crusted and BBQ'd. I anticipated that there might be sugar in the rub, so I avoided the edges. Later, I had a carrot and a roasted beet.

 

Things I learned:

1. I still have a hard time saying no to food. When its something I'm not choosing to eat, its no problem, but if there's something free and compliant (i.e., the apples & pork) I'll eat more than I need. It's essentially a "I need to stock up" mentality, which is an aspect of my relationship with food that has yet to change.
2. Eating fruit (a.k.a. sugar) makes me want more sugar, badly. Free + sugary is just a bad combination for me. I think if I am faced with that combination of factors in the future, I should just abstain.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 82. 

 

Holy white potatoes. I stayed in Pittsburgh again this weekend (this time, with my parents) and ate so many white potatoes, I'm done with them for a long while. I know I said they were a FWNB before, but I must have forgotten. I remember now, and they are.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 84.

Finally got my fridge fixed! Now I just have to re-purchase all of my condiments...

Today I made a delicious one pan meal: zucchini, sweet peppers, and ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, jalapeño powder, shawarma seasoning, and Penzeys Chili 9000 seasoning (https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/chili-9000/c-24/p-103/pd-s).

Yoga has also been going well. My core is stronger, and I see little biceps forming!

 

What has not been going well is my relationship with fruit. I said that I only wanted to eat fruit with lunch, but I keep forgetting to pack it! I usually never eat lunch or dinner at home, so I'll have my fruit at the end of the day. This looks a lot like dessert.  Considering that there's 16 days left, and I don't feel like reintroducing anything except white chocolate raspberry truffle custard, it looks like I need to do more work on my sugar dragon.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 85.

 

15 days left! Today I had a stellar BM, and some really delicious food.

 

Meal 1 was zucchini, sweet peppers, and ground beef seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, jalapeño powder, shawarma seasoning, and Penzeys Chili 9000 seasoning, plus a fried egg.

 

Meal 2 was a can of tuna over mixed greens, carrots, peppers, and tomato, plus roasted sweet potato and fresh fruit (watermelon, blueberries, pineapple, strawberries). I got a second serving of fruit at lunch, but I went to a special lunch with faculty today and said no to eating lobster rolls, pasta salad, mini deli sandwiches, and cake pops, so I feel pretty okay about it.

 

Meal 3 was hardboiled eggs over mixed greens, carrots, peppers and tomato, and pistachios.

[petitemortuaire]

Day 86.

 

Meal 1: chicken sautéed in coconut oil and Penzeys Trinidad seasoning (https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/trinidad-style-lemon-garlic-marinade/c-24/p-481/pd-s); spinach sautéed in olive oil; sweet potato roasted in coconut oil.

 

Meal 2: same chicken; crudités of baby carrots, sweet peppers, and cherry tomato; macadamia nuts; one clementine.

 

Meal 3: same chicken; mixed greens with onions and peppers; macadamia nuts.

 

Pre-wo: hard boiled egg.

Post-wo: hard boiled egg.

 

Also had another good BM