My First!

[PainterB]

Today is it.  The BEGINNING.  Trepidation and hopes abound.  Diagnosed with Hashimoto's and pre-diabetes/insulin resistance eight months ago, I have not been exactly thrilled with the results of standard medical care (levothyroxine and, get this!, NO DIETARY COUNSELING at all).  So, with my usual response to problems, I started to research.  My god, there's a lot of information out there to sift through, so I started with the one thing that thyroiditis patients and doctors found to be very helpful: a gluten free diet.  Not the hardship I might have thought - I knew for years that wheat products caused me intestinal discomfort.  However, it was very easy to still eat rice crackers and edamame chips and dark chocolate and cheese (my Special Friend!), so no weight was coming off and all the other symptoms (fatigue, headaches, "lack-a-wanna", and just not feeling "right") were still in play. More research.  I had run across the Whole30 program last year, but thought, "No way! that's just way to hard-core for me."  But I am fed up (literally!) and I don't think the medical community is going to help me with the basics - those are my responsibility.  So here I am.  I definitely don't fit the picture of young, CrossFit training, mountain-climbing high achievers that I see in the photos and websites - I am 56, 20 lbs overweight, with a sedentary full-time job.  Though I enjoy being outdoors gardening (including tilling, digging, dragging things around, wheelbarrows-ful of mulch,etc), walking, gentle hiking and yoga, I still remember the joining a bootcamp class about 6 years ago and the subsequent misery: I HATED it.  I may go back to weight-lifting again, though, on my own.

Anyway.  Lots of words.  I am nervous about the experiencing the following: caffeine withdrawal headaches, craving sweet somethings, no cheese (aaaghh!) and that I might be personally incapable of withstanding temptations.  I am, however, hopeful that I will ultimately feel better, that my leptin/insulin resistance will no longer be an issue and that the Hashimoto's will be easier to modulate.  

Really, I want to feel healthy again.  I have not really felt like my real physical self for years.

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

Welcome! Come and post often it truly helps keep you on track. In on day 18 of my 2nd w30, the first one was ages ago. And please do not worry about fitting the image, healthy has no image and that is ultimately what we are all after here! Good luck this next 30 days!

[ladyshanny]

You are fully capable of withstanding any temptation because you have made a committment to yourself. Anything that doesn't fit in with your goals or your committment should not be a consideration.

[PainterB]

Log day 1 through 4

Posted Today, 10:48 AM

80 ounces of water daily at least (I carry a 20-oz glass around with me), 2 small cups of coffee in the morning.

NOTE... All mayo, sauces, spices and ingredients are compliant - I did a thorough clean-up ahead of time

DAY 1 BREAKFAST 3 scr. eggs over 3 c steamed spinach with 1/2 avo and lemon juice. LUNCH Tuna salad made w/ 1/2 diced apple, celery and mayo over 3 to 4 c lettuce mix. SNACK handful dry-roasted almonds. 4 oz hamburger over baby power greens sauteed with org sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mushrooms and onions. THEN (found out later this was a no-no as a Sugar Dragon talking) 1/2 c org blueberries with 3 T coconut cream

DAY 2 BREAKFAST, Same as DAY 1, only just with 2 eggs. LUNCH, 4 c lettuce, cherry tomatoes, 1 c Tex-Mex ground beef and spicy avo salad dressing (again, homemade and compliant). DINNER, Ditto Day 1, only I had some blueberries WITH the meal.

DAY 3 BREAKFAST, 2 eggs scrambled with leftover ground beef over 3 cups baby spinach, steamed. LUNCH, Leftover Day 1 dinner. DINNER, (didn't plan ahead well enough to account for errands after work) leftover tuna salad,a handful of almonds and about 6 or 7 org strawberries

DAY 4 BREAKFAST, 3 eggs over steamed baby spinach with 2 slices of bacon (found a local store carrying locally-made fresh applewood smoked bacon with NO ADDITVES at all - yay). 2 hardboiled eggs, 2 sardines, 2 cups sliced cucumber, 5 olives, with 2 T sriracha mayo and 1/2 an apple. DINNER, 1 grilled chicken breast ala Joulwan, 1 c steamed green beans with lemon and, while cooking dinner, La Croix soda blended with 6 strawberries crushed with ice.

[PainterB]

DAY 5 - 

BREAKFAST: 3 eggs scrambled with chorizo sausage over sauteed baby greens and 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries

LUNCH: Taco meat salad with olives, tomatoes, red bell peppers and 1/4 avocado with spicy avocado dressing (homemade)

DINNER: Mexican cauliflower rice, chicken pieces sauteed in palm oil with homemade tomatillo salsa and onions, sweet potato soup made with ginger, lime, and cilantro in a homemade chicken broth.

[PainterB]

DAY 6

BREAKFAST:3 eggs scrambled with onions and chorizo, over steamed baby greens, 1/2cup strawberries blended with 4 oz coconut milk

NOTE: I couldn't finish this meal, so took it to work and finished it a few hours later

LUNCH: Taco salad (see previous entries...I made a LOT of ground beef-bison mix) and a cup of sweet potato soup

DINNER: cabbage braised with shredded carrots, onions and grated apple, and a hamburger patty, grilled, with homemade ketchup

[PainterB]

Day 7

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs, 1 cup hamburger-bison crumbles over 3.5 cups baby spinach, steamed, and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries with a couple spoons of coconut milk

LUNCH: Salad with diced grilled chicken breast, 1/2 avocado, 6 sliced strawberries, yellow cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper and black olives, and a raspberry/olive oil vinaigrette

DINNER: Braised cabbage,grated apple, grated carrots cooked in ghee, with grilled hamburger patty and remoulade sauce ("Well Fed" recipe)

Grapefruit flavor La Croix water about an hour before bed

[PainterB]

Day 8...I wrote meals down on a little piece of paper and now I can't find it. I'll add this day in if I come across that note.

DAY 9...

BREAKFAST: 3 eggs cooked in the fat left from cooking 2 pieces of bacon, tomatoes and 3 cups of steamed spinach

LUNCH: Cauli rice with ground beef and sriracha sauce, tossed salad with beets, avo, romaine, olives and shredded carrots, evoo/vin dressing

DINNER: Gingered Sweet potato soup, the last of the cauli rice and beef, roasted asparagus and blueberries with coconut cream

[PainterB]

DAY 10:

BREAKFAST: 3eggs with 1 c zucchini strips and cherry tomatoes over 3 1/2 c steamed baby spinach...too much, could only finish about 2/3.

I put the rest in a container to take to work, but forgot it. When I got home one of my cats had knocked it off the counter...the kitchen floor was covered with broken-windshield-type shards of glass and eggs. Lovely.

LUNCH: it's weird lunch Friday...the last cup and a half of cauliflower rice and burger mix (Tex-Mex spices), 1 cup leftover asparagus, 1 cup sweet potato soup.

SNACK: Small handful of dry-roasted unsalted whole almonds

DINNER: First time to a restaurant since starting Whole30. Zoe's Kitchen, where they prepare food on-site and already have gluten-sensitive options. Manager was wonderful in answering all my questions...and even made sure that they only used unmarinated shrimp and zucchini for the kabobs. So:

Shrimp and zucchini kabobs (2), undressed spinach/lettuce mix salad with onions, olives, tomatoes and bell pepper.

[PainterB]

I stuck to the plan, but did not do well writing days 11 & 12 down.

DAY 13:

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs, chorizo sausage, broccoli over steamed baby spinach. 1/2 c strawberries with coconut milk and 1T O.J.

LUNCH: 2 c (maybe more) beef bone broth vegetable soup, 3.5 oz grilled chicken with remoulade dipping sauce. 1/2 avocado with lemon juice.

SNACK after work and before working in the yard: a handful of dry-roasted almonds

DINNER: 5 oz. grilled pork tenderloin (crusted with rosemary, garlic and drizzled with o.j. while on the grill), sauteed baby greens with shallots, garlic and oven-roasted tomatoes, and pureed roasted butternut squash sprinkled with a few walnuts

[PainterB]

DAY 14:

BREAKFAST: 3 eggs, chorizo sausage, over steamed baby spinach (3 cups, steamed down to about 3/4 cup)

LUNCH: Tuna salad (made with wild-caught canned tuna, homemade mayo, 1/4 diced apple, diced celery), 3 cups red leaf lettuce, 1 cup beef-broth vegetable soup

DINNER: 4 oz diced leftover pork tenderloin sauteed in bacon fat with onions, lacinato kale and chioggia beets (about 1 small 1 1/2" beet), 1/2 cup pureed roasted butternut squash

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

That pork tenderloin sounds amazing!

[PainterB]

It WAS good! all gone now   , but I grilled second one at the same time that had been marinated in coconut aminos, garlic, pepper sauce (homemade) that I will julienne and add to a Thai-type salad this weekend.

[PainterB]

DAY 15:

BREAKFAST: 3 eggs, scrambled with 1 cup of leftover ground bison and mushrooms sauteed in duck fat, over 3 cups baby spinach, steamed

LUNCH: Tuna salad (made with wild-caught canned tuna, homemade mayo, 1/4 diced apple, diced celery), 3 cups red leaf lettuce, 1 cup beef-broth vegetable soup

DINNER: 4 oz hamburger patty, grilled, with onions, mushrooms and lacinato kale sauteed in duck fat with bacon crumbles and sriracha sauce (homemade), ~ 1/2 cup beets marinated in orange vinaigrette

[Beets]

You are fully capable of withstanding any temptation because you have made a committment to yourself. Anything that doesn't fit in with your goals or your committment should not be a consideration.

That's great. Truth!

[PainterB]

DAY 24 well, I have really sucked at posting my food intake for the last week or so, but I have stayed compliant. Last Sunday, the day I prep and cook for the week, I was VERY pleased that it only took 3 1/2 hours instead of all day. In that time, I made mayo, remoulade sauce, egg salad, salmon salad, two big pans of roasted butternut squash, spaghetti squash noodles, citrus cauliflower rice from "Well Fed 2", shrimp-zucchini-pineapple kebabs, a big pot of braised cabbage and ground beef and shredded lettuce into the crisper for salads. So this is what I have used as the basics for meals, adding eggs or a hamburger patty, etc. when it's breakfast or I need something quick.

Oh, yeah, and a "Thai" "noodle" salad with leftover pork tenderloin, made with shredded Napa cabbage in place of noodles...Thanks again to Melissa Joulwan for her amazing Hoisin sauce. I had really been missing Asian flavors while on Whole30 and the sauce really satisfied that itch.

Overall, I am feeling better. Because I am still working with (sometimes more like 'struggling with') doctors on autoimmune thyroiditis, and have some weird lab values indicating some second possible autoimmune disorder, I have not experienced the incredible energy surges I read about here. HOWEVER! I have had good days where I have felt like my old self. I am SOOO grateful for these days....because of them, I got the vegetable garden planted and mulched most of the huge backyard flower bed I put in last year. It felt so good to be out in the sun, pitchfork in hand, dirty and sweating and loving it. Now, when I have one of the no-energy days when my bones feel like lead and everything takes effort, I have real hope that tomorrow will be a day in the garden.