Sue F - Whole30 Log

[Whole30Sue]

Day 1 -

Started yesterday. So happy I got through the first day! Big hurdle. By the afternoon I was extremely sleepy. Took a short nap, but still resulted in a snack to try to snap out of it. But at least it was a compliant snack. At bedtime my knees where aching terribly, not a usual pain for me.

M1: 3 eggs scrambled in ghee, salsa, half avocado, half banana, coffee with coconut milk, water

M2: 2 salmon patties, shrimp & avocado salad, water, orange

Snack: an orange and handful of cashews

M3: Chicken thigh, roasted potatoes, carrots, and cabbage

OMG will roast cabbage like that again, husband and I loved it.

Moody and sleepy all evening.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 2 -

Woke up feeling nauseated, but it went away after about 20 minutes. Didn't get near as sleepy today, just a little bit. Feeling fairly good.

M1: Two boiled eggs, grapes and strawberries, half cup coffee with coconut milk (need to add more protein and some veggies)

Snack: Monkey salad

M2: Left over chicken thigh, potatoes, carrots, onions, shrimp & avocado salad

M3: Pot roast, roasted veggie mix of cabbage, onions, peppers, zucchinni. Remaining little bit of shrimp & avocado salad left overs

Have plans for all three meals for tomorrow. Planning is going to be a BIG thing for me. Need to really focus on this, so I am going to journal it too:

Plan M1: breakfast casserole (need to make tonight, have an early meeting tomorrow), M2: Left over roast and salad (haven't yet made a homemade salad dressing, still new to this) M3: steaks and roasted sweet potatoes (have everything I need for this)

In a better mood this evening. Leg muscles kind of achy.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 3 -

 

Did not sleep well. Woke with mild headache that went away. Had lots of energy before bed, stayed up until 11pm starting bone broth. Then woke up at 3am, uncomfortable. Slept on couch until 6am.  Didn't leave enough time to make breakfast casserole and get ready for meeting. Thought meeting would be 15 minutes, but was 2 hours instead so didn't have breakfast until after 10am.

 

M1: Three fried eggs, sauteed spinach with prosciutto. tried bone broth while still warm. didn't like the fattiness, will need to refrigerate and skim off fat.

M2: Chicken thigh, potatoes and carrots, half avocado, spinach salad with strawberries (salad dressing was balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper)

Snack: cashews

M3: Steak, roasted sweet potato slices with coconut oil, salt and cinnamon, roasted broccoli, salad (dressing made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper)

 

Really liked the salad dressing today, but bottle of balsamic vinegar says it contains sulfites. Wasn't in ingredient list, so assuming they are natural. Headache most of evening. Energy alternated between slumps and highs all day.

 

Tomorrow plan. M1: that breakfast casserole I keep plan on making. M2: spaghetti sauce with zucchini noodles M3: meatloaf and roasted veggies.  Must go to the store tomorrow.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 4 -

Finally made the paleo breakfast casserole this morning. It was good and I can eat on it for several days. (ground beef, onion, garlic, shredded sweet potatoes, eggs, almond meal, salt, pepper.) However, I think I want to change it up some. Needs another spice but not sure what. Might sub shredded zucchini instead and add some ground pork.

Get a few twinges of wanting something off plan, but not bad at all.

Woke with mild headache still, but not bad enough to take pain med.

M1: breakfast casserole, spinach sauteed in olive oil, prosciutto, coffee with coconut milk.

M2: Groundbeef with zucchini, tomato sauce, italian seasoning. Left over sweet potato wedges with coconut oil, salt and cinammon.

snack: monkey salad

M3: hamburger patty, lettuce, tomato, mayo, roasted cabbage, roasted asparagus, clementine, pistachios

Plan for tomorrow saturday: M1: left over breakfast casserole with fried egg and tomatoe on top. M2: may have to eat out, plan will be Jason's deli, will be in another town 30 miles away. M3: meatloaf and roasted veggies

another snack at 10pm. Up late with kid's stuff. Tuna with avocado oil mayo and some grapes. not sure why needing snack. checked myself, feeling real hunger so I ate. Most of the meals I had today I didn't finish, so maybe that is why. My meal 3 was disappointing so that might have influenced the snacking...hamburger patty was very dry, roasted veggies were underdone but I was running around so much taking kids places that was my window to eat so I took it.

boiling chicken to take with me tomorrow in case. Again, planning will be my biggest challange, so trying to journal it too.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 5 -

Snacking was an issue for me yesterday. Also woke up feeling tired. I think nuts and fruit are becoming a bit of an issue for me. Going to try to keep any fruit to a meal and try one day without any nuts. Will be eating out today for first time. Jason's deli. Plan to have salad bar. This journal is helpful, holding me accountable.

Surprised how much I still enjoy my coffee with only a little coconut milk. One cup each morning is nice.

I have been taking a picture on my phone of every meal I eat, for accountability, but realized I didn't take any pictures of my snacks. I think there is something psychological going on there. There is a bit of a mindlessness with a few of the snacks. Going to work on this.

M1: left over breakfast casserole sliced and sautéed in coconut oil, three scrambled eggs, spinach, coffee with coconut milk

M2: Jason's deli salad bar (raw veggies, 2 boiled eggs, oil and vinegar). Was still hungry when got home so ate some homemade chicken salad

M3: Meatloaf, roasted butternut squash, salad with strawberries, oil & vinegar

Legs are very achy and feel weak. Assuming this is a detox thing.

Using the Primal Kitchen mayo that I ordered, I like it. Still planning on trying to make it myself soon.

Tomorrow's plan...M1: left over breakfast casserole, fried eggs, spinach. M2: we are eating out for Easter. The place has a small salad bar. Going to bring my own dressing and then have my protein when I get home. Have several leftovers choices. We are then going fishing. Usually means getting home tired and dirty. Have leftover meat loaf and roasted veggies to serve.

Family is eating what I make, but usually add something else, for example, tonight I added canned corn for them.

Going to end on a whine tonight...dishwasher is dead...new one won't be here until april13th, all this cooking from scratch has me standing in kitchen for hours on these legs that are hurting. Ok. Whine over. It's all temporary. Will pass.

All shall be well,

And all shall be well,

And all manner of thing shall be well.

~ Julian of Norwich

Small orange and handful pistachios. Snacking is definitely triggered by feeling of exhaustion. Primitive brain takes over and it becomes almost mindless...but not quite...it was a compliant snack. Hoping as my body heals through this 30 days, and I get better with the meal template, that this issue will be resolved. Trying not to feel guilty, don't think it will help at this point.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 6 -

Happy Easter. Cannot believe I have made it to day six!! Fifth way done. Awesome. Busy day ahead. Little stressed over how Sunday school will go today. Teach special needs adults and we will be meeting with all the other classes, kids through adults, for a big fellowship breakfast. Not sure how my students will do with big crowd. Trying not to let the stress affect my eating. Have plan. Going to eat before I go. Have extra helpers lined up to be there in case issues with students.

Update: fellowship breakfast went well. Could not have gone so well with out the helpers. Can relax now. Going out for Easter lunch. Then we are going fishing. Restaurant has salad, bringing my own dressing.

M1: left over breakfast casserole, fried egg, half avocado, sautéed spinach

M2: out to eat at Bayside: salad with raw veggies, small slice avocado, one boiled egg, boiled shrimp, brought my own salad dressing

Snack: went fishing with family...banana, mandarin, pistachios

M3: left over meatloaf, roasted cabbage, asparagus, carrots

Definitely hit Kill All The Things today. Definitely. Kept my mouth shut, but oh the feisty words that came to my thoughts. :-) Bad day for family gathering and big crowded events. Being outdoors all afternoon helped. There were Texas wild flowers in abundance. Kids were happy and laughing. Found a bunch of baby alligators and got to watch them for a long time. About 20 of them swimming around in a beautiful setting. Husband is in a wildlife photo contest. (Long story as to why we did not have to worry about the mama gator.) I need to remember how much going outdoors helps.

It's 9pm and the leg pain has started again. Hasn't been stopping me going to sleep.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 7 - Monday April 6

Woke feeling tired, but that is usual. Busy day ahead but all my food is planned. Made myself eat breakfast, wasn't feeling it. Staying strong when seeing usual trigger foods. Very happy I have made it to day 7, getting hints of how much better I might get to feel. Hard to describe...a brief light, loose, agile feeling.

Happily made my healthy lunch, sat down to eat it and ugh, did not want to eat, even though the chicken salad was extremely good. Will make it like that again. The mango pico really was perfect in it. I ate as much as I could and put rest in fridge for later. Don't remember this not wanting to eat being talked about in the book or website, sure it was, wondering what is going on with this.

M1: left over breakfast casserole, two scrambled eggs, mango pico, spinach with prosciutto, banana, coffee

M2: chicken salad (boiled thighs, mayo, avocado, grapes, salt, pepper, garlic salt, almond slivers, heb mango pico de gallo), salad with strawberries, oil & vinegar, orange

M3: finished my lunch (new that evening event was going to mean late dinner)

M4: left over spaghetti with zucchini, sweet potato, chicken salad

Been forgetting to log my next day's plan. M1: fried eggs, avocado, spinach, hotdog? M2: leftover spaghetti with zucchini, mixed greens salad M3: taco meat with guacamole, tomato, onion over lettuce, maybe sweet potato wedges or broccoli

[Whole30Sue]

Day 8 -

Lack of appetite issue from yesterday has improved. Was hungry at mealtimes today. Funny thing. I have had an issue with a stiff and painful neck for so many years that I don't even think about it. Today it feels so much better that all day I keep finding myself looking far to the right, then far too the left, just fascinated at the ease of movement. :-)

I don't have a plan for tomorrow, need to get on that.

M1: scrambled egg with pico de gallo, applegate compliant hotdog sliced and fried, strawberries, spinach, third of avocado, coffee with coconut milk

M2: left over meat sauce with zucchini, mixed greens salad, banana, few grapes

M3: taco meat, lettuce, tomato, quacamole, roasted sweet potato wedges, few grapes

Really liked the taco seasoning, recipe from mark's daily apple. Seasoned sweet potatoes with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Very good.

Tomorrow's plan. M1: fried eggs, pico, fried hotdog, spinach. M2: left over taco salad and sweet potatoes. M3: one pot chicken and potatoes, roasted broccoli.

Stiffness in neck returned, but it was interesting to have it gone for a little while. Energy level still a challenge. One of the side effects of my cancer recurrence prevention treatment is fatigue, so it may continue to be a challenge.

Happy to be finishing day 8.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 9 -

Still woke feeling exhausted. Don't really like to complain as much as I am doing on this log, but I want to record how I am feeling for reference in looking back. Might be helpful.

Things went differently than planned for lunch. Husband wanted me to join him at restaurant to celebrate a business achievement. I think I stayed compliant. My eating was so bad before whole30 that I am expecting to need to go more than 30 days, so I'm willing to extend if needed.

M1: two fried eggs, hot dog, spinach, two slices of apple, coffee with coconut milk

Snack: monkey salad (wasn't sure if I would find anything at restaurant, so snacked before going)

M2: shredded chicken, lettuce, tomatoe, quacamole. Kind of picked around the chicken, it tasted overly flavorful, like something fake. Didn't end up eating much.

Snack: macadamia nuts

M3: one pot chicken and potatoes, carrots, onions, roasted broccoli

10pm: mandarin orange

Just about to finish listening to the audiobook version of ISWF. Really enjoyed the listen. Very well done.

Anxiously awaiting my amazon delivery of coconut aminos. Want to try some recipes that sound really interesting.

Oh man. Dry Toasted Macadamias = Food Without Brakes!! Will not be buying those again. Too good.

Plan for tomorrow: M1: eggs, hotdog, spinach. M2: left over taco salad and sweet potatoes. M3: Steaks,

green beans.

Weird day. After snacking on the macadamia nuts, really craved them rest of day. Found myself feeling hungry at 10pm. Could have had non-compliant ingredient in the chicken at lunch.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 10 -

Woke exhausted again. Usual.

Things I'm doing well:

- avoiding the things I'm supposed to avoid: sugar, legumes, grains, dairy

- attitude is good, not fighting the changes, accepting them

- planning, going to the store every other day, staying prepared one day ahead

- journaling my food

- not forcing it on my family

- being patient for results

- better at keeping fruit at meal (except last night)

Room for improvement:

- not always getting enough veggies at each meal

- still "needing" fruit

- want to add exercise when my body quits screaming at me

- still having snacks

- still in the obsessed stage, reading whole30 recipes during all free time

Day 10 is supposed to be approximately when I am going to want to quit. Not feeling that yet maybe I won't. But for a reminder of why I am doing this:

- want to get off my high blood pressure medicine, ugh, embarrassing to admit, it takes four drugs to keep it under control

- sleep apnea is an issue for me, struggle with CPAP compliance, no matter which mask we try, I unknowingly remove it during the night, wake up exhausted every morning

- my cancer prevention treatment is forcing me into menopause, side effects may be reduced with exercise, so fatigued I haven't been exercising (FYI...was 40 lbs lighter and ran two miles a day before breast cancer diagnosis)

- my body looks like it has been butchered, I have scars galore. Mastectomy. Reconstruction failures. Scar from hip to hip. From center of chest all the way around to center of my back. Body composition may always be an issue, but better eating will help my mental health and help me deal with it. Usually deal well, but some days I feel self pity. Hate my prosthetic.

- Have Lymphedema in left arm. Keep very much under control with compression 24x7. Weight loss is highly likely to help with it. Discomfort is constant.

I have high hopes for this way of eating. One of my favorite public people is Brene Brown. She talks about shame and vulnerability. She uses the term "vulnerability hangover" when we realized we have opened up and shared more than we might have intended. Have a suspicion I might have that vulnerability hangover after selecting Post. :-)

M1: scrambled eggs, hotdog, spinach, avocado, few grapes

M2: left over taco meat, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sweet potato wedges, water

Snack: pistachios, banana

M3: steak, green beans, salad

Spoonful of coconut manna

[Emma]

I like your "things your doing well" and "things for improvement".  It's a hard process to change how we eat and interact with food in a body that doesn't seem like it's always on board with the process.  Your posts are really good - you sound like you rocking this process and working through it gracefully.  You're doing well and reading posts such as yours helps me stay focused on my own vision for my health.  Thank you.

[Whole30Sue]

Thanks for encouragement Emma. I'm finding this journal to be very helpful. I am doing this alone. No one I know has heard of Whole30, but I don't feel alone with this forum. Knowing that there are advanced members and moderators standing by to help is a significant benefit. Thanks again.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 11 -

Made some choices this morning that were not the best. Got up at 5:30 am, drank coffee and did everything but make my breakfast. Got everyone else fed, family and cats and chickens. Packed lunches. Took kids to school. Went to grocery store. By the time I was eating my breakfast it was almost 9:30. Almost four hours. Not smart. I was starving and feeling very uncomfortable by then. Mistake. Still ate a good breakfast. Lesson learned. Drinking coffee before breakfast might not work for me.

Really like my scrambled eggs with this mango salsa on top. And I guess I have been over cooking my greens in the past. I just barely wilted them in coconut oil with a little salt and they were excellent.

M1: three scrambled eggs, mango pico, mixed greens, left over roasted broccoli, hotdog

(handful of cashews while cooking)

M2: chicken salad with grapes, apples, mayo. Left over carrots and potatoes

M3: chocolate chili, avocado, roasted sweet potatoes with smoked paprika

Tomorrow's plan. M1: eggs, hotdog, greens. M2: Jason's deli salad M3: either zoodles with meat sauce or sauteed shrimp with roasted cabbage. Shop with daughter and friends for prom dresses. My energy has been so low and my legs have ached so much that I'm a little worried I won't keep up with their energy. Worth it.

[Emma]

It's such a struggle for me to eat in the morning!  Good for you for getting home and making something.  Mango salsa sounds really good with eggs.  I find that on days I don't eat a solid breakfast, I struggle more in the afternoon and evening which is always so interesting because by then I've had a good lunch.  Hope the rest of your day goes well.  Day nine is awesome!

[Whole30Sue]

I don't tend to have trouble eating breakfast once I cook it and sit down. Sometimes it seems like way too much. But I'm sure the mechanisms in my body that are supposed to signal hunger are all messed up. Hope you had a good day. I've got chili cooking right now and it smells so good.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 12 -

Cannot believe I have made 12 days. Not slowing down one bit.

Day shopping for prom dresses in another town with three teenage girls. Not pretty, ate cold chili, but it worked.

M1: scrambled eggs, salsa, hotdog, mixed greens, coffee

M2: salad at chili's (raw veggies, brought my own vinegar and oil), avocado, cashews

M3: left over chili and sweet potatoes

M4: sautéed shrimp, cabbage, mushrooms, apple and nut butter

Spoon of coconut butter

[Whole30Sue]

Day 13 -

Still dealing with very weak and aching legs. Overall fatigue. I am not anywhere near to considering quitting, but the weakness and fatigue are really starting to try my patience. Grumble. Tried adding bananas today to see if it is a potassium issue.

M1: three scrambled eggs in coconut oil, mango pico, mixed greens (not enough), banana

M2: left over sautéed shrimp mixed with mango pico (awesome), left over chili and sweet potatoes, banana

Snack: coconut butter, cashews

M3: zoodles with meat sauce, carrots

Plans for tomorrow: M1 usual eggs and greens, M2 leftovers, have several to pick from, probably chili and sweet potatoes, M3 more left overs, will be busy night

[Whole30Sue]

Day 14 -

M1: three scrambled eggs in ghee, pico de gallo, spinach with prosciutto, few grapes while packing kids lunches

Coffee with coconut milk

M2: left over chili, sweet potato hash (very good), half avocado

Coffee again early afternoon

Snack: Pistachios, banana (travel unplanned)

M3: meat sauce and zucchini

Plan for tomorrow. M1 eggs and sweet potato hash. M2 left over meat sauce and zucchini. M3 damn fine chicken and roasted veggies (need to make extra chicken for all day trip on Thursday)

[Whole30Sue]

Day 15 -

My health is so messed up, a lot to do with systemic inflammation I think, and my eating has been terrible most all my life, so I am sure that I am one of those folks who will need a whole45 or even whole60, to see a turn around. So I am trying to settle in for the long haul. Still eating more fruit and compliant snacking, but it is imperfect progress for me. I can feel that I am losing weight for sure, have plenty to lose. My lymphedema in my left arm is definitely changing. I keep touching my left knuckles because they feel so different. In fact, from the back of my hand, my left hand now looks exactly the same size as my right. Wow.

M1: two fried eggs and sweet potato hash. Could not get a third egg into my body. Ugh.

Coffee and coconut milk.

M2: left over meat sauce and zucchini, sweet potato hash

Snack: pistachios and orange

M3: hamburger patty, mayo, roasted veggie mix

Plan for tomorrow: m1 eggs, pico, mixed greens. M2 not sure, was going to be leftover burger, but dropped container on floor, maybe shrimp and mango pico, need to cook it anyway for trip on Thursday. M3 damn fine chicken and green beans

[Emma]

Wow on the lymphedema!  How exciting and validating!

 

Breakfast is so unappealing! I totally groan that I have to make it each morning and if it weren't for the coffee that I get afterwards, I don't think I would eat it!!!  I remember this changing though after past Whole30's and I started to like breakfast, though I know I'd still put it off the full hour after I woke up.

 

Congratulations on Day 15!!

[Whole30Sue]

It is very validating. And encouraging me to keep at it.

I said the other day that I haven't really had trouble eating breakfast, but I realized that I am having it later than I should. So, eating within an hour, yeah, that one is giving me a challenge. And I was actually looking forward to breakfast this morning. Made some amazing sweet potato hash. Still had trouble. But I'm trying to trust the hormonal balance basis for this part of the program and do it anyway.

Awesome that you have several whole30's under your belt!

[Emma]

Yeah, I'm really thankful I came across Whole30 and, even though I fall back into old ways, overall our entire family is eating better and I'm eating better and, when we're not, we are very aware of how it impacts us.  Yet, even knowing all those things, it's ridiculously hard to get back on track.  It's so easy to keep putting it off another day. However, it has made some big impacts healthwise and so I really trust that this is a good thing to be doing for my body.

 

My daughter has been requesting Sweet Potato Hash so maybe we'll make some up tomorrow.  It really is delicious. Hope your day goes great.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 16 -

Still feeling aches in my legs, comes and goes.

Coffee with coconut milk

M1: three scrambled eggs with mango pico, greens with prosciutto, half avocado, remaining little bit of leftover sweet potato hash (ate almost everything on plate)

M2: grilled shrimp, pico, avocado, broccoli, orange

M3: damn fine chicken, leg and thigh, sweet potato hash

Tomorrow's plan. Going to Kemah boardwalk (small theme park kind of place) for field trip. Regular breakfast. Packed shrimp and pico, and chicken and sweet potato to have with me.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 17 -

Long day. Seven hours driving. Field trip with my daughter to a theme park type place. But I was compliant with my food choices! My daughter is paraplegic so I am used to helping push her wheelchair around a place like this when her arms get tired of wheeling. But the tired, achy, weakness of my legs made today challenging. Tons of walking. We did everything she wanted to do, some of it twice, but I am really ready for my legs to feel better. At the beginning it felt like achy bones, now it feels like very very tired muscles. Complain much? On the bright side, my lymphedema arm is still looking great! I can tell I'm losing weight.

First time to talk to waitress about special food needs. She was very approachable and helpful. Found a way to word it that I was comfortable with.

M1: scrambled eggs and sweet potato. Was in a early hurry, so I put it in a plastic cup and ate while driving.

Banana

M3: salad of raw veggies at restaurant, brought my own dressing, tasted great

M4: Shrimp with pico (went back to car, had this in cooler from home)

M5: dry cooked steak with salt and pepper, steamed broccoli at restaurant

Cashews on drive back when I got super sleepy

I am definitely someone who eats when I feel sleepy.

Plan for tomorrow: m1 usual, m2 leftovers, m3 not sure. Have left over chicken. Maybe try nom nom's gravy to go over it. Need to get more vegetables at store.

Have a head of red cabbage in fridge that I need to do something with. Maybe add to salads. Going to need to pack food for Saturday. Will be all day out of town at basketball tournament where there will only be junk concession stand food.

[Whole30Sue]

Day 18 -

Still no tiger blood. Still keeping at it with full faith that there will be a turn around in how I feel.

M1: two fried eggs, sweet potato hash, left over shrimp with pico, half avocado

Coffee with coconut milk

M2: grilled shrimp, pico, veggie soup, banana

M3: leftover chicken, nom nom umami gravy, sauteed mixed greens, potato hash, orange

Spoonful of coconut manna

Tomorrow out of town all day. Have ready to pack in a cooler...chicken, shrimp, salad, potatoes, fruit, nuts

If my legs are still feeling like this on Monday I am considering calling my doctor. Can't tolerate this much more. I am on blood pressure meds and wonder if it could be potassium issue. One of the drugs says not to take potassium supplements. Wonder if my diet change is affecting how the meds are affecting me. Blood pressure readings are ok. Got to figure this out. The muscle weakness is interfering with my activity level. Maybe magnesium level issue? Or simply wheat/gluten withdrawals.