silhouette Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Last week I picked up a copy of "It Starts with Food" and I am beginning my first kick at it today. I did a low carb lifestyle last year and dropped a lot of weight...only to regain it as I slowly slipped back into old habits. What I do remember is how much more energy I had, how I didn't obsess over whether I looked fat in this outfit or that one and how healthy I felt, except for one thing... I had been experiencing some digestive issues and stomach pains that I could not quite figure out. I also was consuming WAY too much caffeine. As life got pretty stressful with work and moving to a new home, my bad habits slowly returned. "I can have that cinnamon bun, I am doing so well...I deserve it." and "Well, it is just a piece of toast" were common conversations I had with myself. I now wonder, after having read "the book" whether the issues I was having were due to the enormous amount of dairy I started to consume in the form of cheese. Yummy yummy cheese. Funny, I had never been a cheese fiend before the low carb thing...but I became one, that is for sure! So today is day 1 for me on my W30 adventure. I am looking forward to feeling better. One of my main goals is to ease my anxiety/depression, feel better and do what I need to do for my health as I move into my 40s. My family has a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and just general "unwellness" which I believe is due to our over consumption and addiction to sugar in all its glorious forms. I am looking forward to ridding myself of the bloating and constant swelling I have been suffering of late...there are days when my feet get so swollen that my shoes hurt. Ridiculous. I am also curious to see if this lifestyle will have any affect on a nasty case of keratosis pilaris (you know, those ugly chicken skin arms) I seem to have developed in my late 20s/early 30s. I have tried everything under the sun to get rid of it to no avail. I have always thought it was probably related to diet but have struggled with pinpointing an exact cause/cure. I want to feel good. I want restored energy. I want to actually sleep through the night for once! I am hoping this program can help me with that. If weight loss is an additional bonus, even better!! To keep track of my starting point, I am documenting a few numbers to reflect on when I hit day 31. I am not too concerned with the numbers. If my clothes start to feel less tight and my energy is restored, that will be success enough! Starting Weight: 166 (yikes... way too high for a 5'6 woman) Waist: 34.5" Hips: 40" Chest: 39.5" Thighs: 23.5" Upper Arm: 12" Food for today: Breakfast: Water with Lemon, Ham and Scrambled Eggs, Raspberries, 2 cups black coffee Lunch: Chicken breast, spinach, roasted veggies (zucchini, broccoli and carrots roasted in olive oil) Snack: Handful of Hazelnuts, 1 cup black coffee Dinner: Chicken breast, spinach salad with dijon vinaigrette, stir fried peppers, carrots and broccoli, strawberries & raspberries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted April 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted April 13, 2015 You should make sure to eat starchy veggies during your Whole30. Low carb often makes depression/anxiety worse. Carrots and fruit offers some carbs, but not much. You need sweet potatoes, white potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, plantains, etc. Ham in the United States is almost always cured with sugar. I've never seen ham that was Whole30-compliant. Eating some ham at breakfast on your first day does not mean you need to start again, but you need to stay away from sugar-cured ham going forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Interesting! Thanks! I am pretty sure we don't sugar cure ham here in Canada - it is smoked, and I find it very salty however probably not a bad idea to cut it out anyway. I will definitely add in some starchy veg today, I appreciate the tips!I Finding I want to eat nuts non-stop but not because I am hungry... because I love them Here we go with day 2! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'd keep an eye on your nut consumption and try to limit it as much as possible. You said yourself you're wanting to eat them non-stop so they could be a food without brakes for you, plus they can be hard on the digestive system for some folk.Good luck with day 2 (& beyond...!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 Yes, I definitely have concerns about my LOVE of nuts Did much better today with that one. In fact today was great. No cravings whatsoever, no hunger either. In fact I did not think about food much at all today which is so unlike me. I even got delivered a huge basket of homemade chocolates as a gift from coworkers... and I was not even tempted. They are sitting on my counter and will be going with hubby to his work tomorrow. Go me! Here is how I did today: Meal 1: hot water with lemon, 3 eggs, 1 red pepper, handful of raspberries, 2 cups black coffee (very filling!) Meal 2: kale and cabbage salad with dijon vinnaigrette, roasted chicken breast, pear (wasn't too hungry at lunch so this was very filling too) Mid afternoon: 1 cup black coffee Meal 3: BBQ hamburger (all ground sirloin), roasted veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper and thyme (carrots, zucchini and parsnips over a bed of mixed greens Only thing I am really missing is my glass of red wine. I think that is more out of habit than anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 Welcome to day 3. I am feeling good, despite the nasty bug I have been fighting for a week now! My goal for this first week is to cut down my consumption of coffee. I am averaging 3-4 cups per day. That is significantly reduced already from a few months back when I would drink 6-8 easily in any given day! I would like to get down to 2/day tops. Ideally 1 or none... but I do like my coffee. Trying to start off each day with a glass of hot lemon water as a means of replacing the nice warm drink. Also trying to find herbal teas that I actually like... my preference is black tea, but of course that is no better than drinking coffee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 Food for Day 3: Meal 1: Ground Sirloin Burger and roasted parsnips, carrots and zucchini (leftover from last night, yum!), 2 cups black coffee Meal 2: Roast chicken, spinach/kale/beet greens/pecan and strawberry salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar Meal 3: Slow cooked beef round roast with potatoes, carrots and spinach/kale/beet greens (very yummy!!) Again - no hunger today, no cravings... and most happily, still not thinking about food incessantly! Go Me! I have been scanning the blogosphere and am really mystified with the advice out there. Particularly what everyone seems to feel is golden rule #1 - planning ahead. It could be because my professional life requires that I plan every detail of every project but I have to say...I refuse to live my personal life that way. Food has always been an emotional thing for me and I have found through past diet debacles that when I plan too far in advance (like two meals ahead, LOL!) by the time that meal rolls around, I no longer want/crave what I pre-planned. Yes, food is fuel. But I also feel food is hugely emotional. It should be savoured and enjoyed, not a punishment. When it comes to this lifestyle...I find it very freeing. I filled my fridge and pantry with approved foods, read the book and now have the freedom to put it all together the way I want it at meal time. I love that. No measuring, no complicated recipes required, no pre-planning...just delicious food that makes me feel good. Yes, it takes time to cook, but I would do that anyway. I am mindfully cooking now. Not just reaching for those foods that have become habit. As long as I have a protein decided and available each morning... the rest just comes together based on the specific veggies/fruit/fat I feel like having at each specific mealtime. It probably helps that I love veggies and have spent most of my life experimenting with them. I know it is only Day 3...but I am really enjoying it. I cannot believe I did not find out about the Whole30 much earlier. I am glad I have it now! I am beginning to think that I need to convert my hubby and daughter too...but I think that will come later. Breaking the habits of a 4 year old is going to take some serious perseverance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 16, 2015 Author Share Posted April 16, 2015 Day 4: Feeling a bit tired today and wanting something sweet, could be the banana I had this morning... will see if it passes in the next couple days Meal 1: Roast beef from last night, cucumber and banana, 2 cups black coffee Meal 2:Roast beef, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, apple, mint green tea Meal 3: Ground beef sauteed with zucchini and tomatoes over a bed of kale, spinach and chard, strawberries Bedtime snack: cucumber, hazelnuts and water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Day 5: I definitely feel the "kill all the things" vibe today!!! Super cranky. The silliest things just set me off! Woke up with a monster headache as well, which was taken care of after a few advil...but it was a good one! Meal 1: Ground beef sauteed with zucchini and tomatoes. 2 cups black coffee Meal 2: Same as breakfast, plus a few strawberries Meal 3: Roast chicken breast, spinach/kale/chard mixed greens with blackberries, raspberries and cucumber drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cashews and hazelnuts (far too many hazelnuts... that is the emotional eating coming out) Let's hope this kill all the things phase does not last. My husband and daughter may pack up and leave, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silhouette Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 Busy weekend so did not post meals. Am thinking that instead of posting every single meal I eat, I can talk generally Today is Day 9 and I am feeling good... a little bloated but that could just be a sign of needing more water. Generally liking this plan and )it quite easy to stick with. Still eating too many nuts...but will remedy that when the nuts run out by not buying more for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted April 20, 2015 Administrators Share Posted April 20, 2015 Funny, I had never been a cheese fiend before the low carb thing...but I became one, that is for sure! I wonder if it was a lack of fat that turned you on to needing the cheese? As far as KP, I had it on my face and it is mostly gone now. I get the occasional bump from time to time but nothing like it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted April 20, 2015 Administrators Share Posted April 20, 2015 Busy weekend so did not post meals. Am thinking that instead of posting every single meal I eat, I can talk generally Today is Day 9 and I am feeling good... a little bloated but that could just be a sign of needing more water. Generally liking this plan and )it quite easy to stick with. Still eating too many nuts...but will remedy that when the nuts run out by not buying more for a while Nuts = bloating for some folks. Just FYI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted April 20, 2015 Administrators Share Posted April 20, 2015 Interesting! Thanks! I am pretty sure we don't sugar cure ham here in Canada - it is smoked, and I find it very salty however probably not a bad idea to cut it out anyway. I will definitely add in some starchy veg today, I appreciate the tips!I Finding I want to eat nuts non-stop but not because I am hungry... because I love them Here we go with day 2! Me again. Ham almost always has sugar in it. It's what makes it.....hammy. Even here in Canada. Where are you from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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