melferburque Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 I'm technically in day 1, but given my "early start" I'm feeling more like I'm two days in. I thought easing myself in with a practice day would help, and I wanted to have my 30 days coincide with a calendar month. I'm pretty sure my brain is eating itself looking for sugar. day 0, meal 1 - two regular eggs scrambled with onion, red pepper, olive oil; cantaloupe; sugar free energy drink day 0, meal 2 - carrots and hummus (didn't eat a proper lunch); LOTS of green tea day 0, meal 3 - shepherds pie made whole30 compliant except for the peas (I forgot they were legumes); salad w/ olive oil & balsamic vinegar day 1, meal 1 - four high quality eggs scrambled with onion, peppers, mushrooms & olive oil; cantaloupe; green tea day 1, meal 1 - leftover shepherds pie (picked out as many peas as I could); huge plate of salad - was going to have a banana but no room day 1, meal 3 - planning to make cauliflower "rice" to eat with chicken and mushrooms in a balsamic reduction & side salad yesterday I felt fine, and didn't even notice missing lunch. lots of walking this weekend, several trips to the store to buy groceries (healthy eating is 'spensive!) but I should have all the staples to get me through the month (high quality coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, meat, etc). there's a farmers market every thursday and a quality butcher shop three blocks away to replenish goods. I tried to prep as many veggies as my fridge had space for and I had containers to store in, to cut down on cooking times (particularly in the mornings). last night I made ghee for the first time with the best quality butter I could find (kroger organic), but plan to search for kerrygold or similar soon. this morning I woke up on my own at 6am, an hour before my alarm. this NEVER happens. I considered going back to sleep until the alarm went off but knew I'd just end up groggy. after lunch today I had to lay down for a nap. intended for 15-20 minutes and it ended up an hour. head is pounding. I've had hunger cravings about 2-3 hours after every meal, even tho I'm obviously stuffed. I've just ignored them so far. I did join weight watchers with my girlfriend last week too, and ended up on whole30 because a coworker recommended it. ww has me thinking more about how often and what I eat, in terms of eating out of boredom or hunger, etc. whole30 is just taking it to a whole new level. unfortunately, this means I'll be weighing myself every saturday morning for the meetings. can't be helped at this point. ww definitely doesn't like all the "fat" I'm using. my eggs this morning were half eggs and half oil as far as the points breakdown goes. I'm curious to see how this works out and how I do on my "points" - so far it's been easy, since fruits and veggies are zero points. when I mentioned considering whole30 at the meeting last weekend, I was given a stern look and told that elimination diets are hard and tend to backfire. but I haven't been impressed with the ww setup either. it just seems like a lot of bargaining to me. I am forty pounds overweight and do want to lose weight, but I'm more interested in getting healthy. I know my gut is terrible, IBS like symtoms for the past decade. I have allergies and a constant runny nose. I get headaches. I have aches and pains all over. I am chronically fatigued. I have a very low sex drive. if this can fix ANY of that, it will be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortystylee Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Welcome! One of the big issues with WW (and other diets that assign "points" or even just good ol' fashioned calorie counting) is that many people get in the mindset of stashing points away for treats and things that aren't actually good (as in, if I don't eat much for lunch, I'll have enough points for this brownie and still meet my points goal). For me, counting/measuring leads to some obsessive tendencies and a not-so-great relationship with food. Best way to figure out if whole30 works for you? Give it your best for the full month. I know many people here tried WW and came here after less than stellar outcomes. Also, remember that w30 is eliminating a number of foods that are gut disrupters, and you'll know by the end when you do your reintroduction if they bother you or not. Oh, and are you able to get weighed at your meetings but not see the number? I'm not exactly sure how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 I've noticed the things I already miss from my fridge and pantry aren't even necessarily the "bad" things. sure, cheese and beer are two of my fave things in life (my right arm is covered in a hop tattoo sleeve and I commonly refer to cheese as my drug of choice), but I'm going to miss things like tofu and hummus and pickled beets. things that I can hopefully add back in after the 30 days is up (I did find a recipe for cauliflower based hummus on here that I intend to try in the meantime). I suppose it would be possible to not see my weigh in results. they log them in a little passbook. I could just not look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sahara64 Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 "I'm pretty sure my brain is eating itself looking for sugar" This made me laugh out loud in my cubicle...with all heads turning to look at me. Today is my day 1 as well, and it's been rough as a sugar addict cutting sugar cold turkey. Thanks for the first good laugh I've had today, and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 day 2 is off to a rough start. I ended up late for work (cleared it with my boss early this morning) so I could sleep a few more hours. I've got even less energy than usual (and chronic fatigue is a regular thing for me), likely due to the lack of simple carbs to keep me going. and the headache is still there. the balsamic chicken turned out great last night, wish I had more mushrooms for it. I hit the local butcher and dropped $45 on meat for four meals: pork chops, sockeye salmon, ground beef and ground elk. that stuff ain't cheap! no idea what I'll do with the elk yet, but it sounded good. I couldn't finish my scramble this morning. I just wasn't hungry and it didn't taste good. I have leftovers for lunch, and no idea what I'll do for dinner yet. I have a ballroom dancing class that starts an hour after I get off work, so it might be leftovers again, or something quick and dirty like a can of tuna, an avocado and some carrot sticks. meal planning is going to take some getting used to. I'm happy to learn my cooking skills are better than I anticipated, but it's still time consuming and cleanup is awful, because I'm a messy cook. I need to look into some crockpot recipes. suggestions appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 lunch wasn't any more palatable than breakfast. I ate what I could because I know I need to eat, but it was just going through the motions, not an enjoyable experience. my headache is finally easing up, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 day three is okay so far. headache is gone. still a little lethargic but no more than normal. haven't felt like murdering anyone any more than normal, which is odd given that my only caffeine consumption has been a cup of tea each morning when I get to work. dinner last night was poached salmon (lemon juice, ghee, dill) and a baked sweet potato with chives and balsamic. breakfast this morning was limited to two hard boiled eggs, an avocado and a banana. still not feeling like eating much in the mornings. three hours later and I'm not yet hungry tho, so that's something. I cooked up some garlic mashed cauliflower "potatoes" last night for future meals. the texture was all wrong, so I put them in the blender until they were creamy. still a little runny, but should be okay. I plan to cook up a pork chop with apples to go with it. no idea what I'll do for lunch today. salad and maybe a can of tuna? lunches are difficult, I'm used to just grabbing a burger or making a sammich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnaB Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Hey, melferburque. I was just looking through posts for people who started W30 on June 1 and came across yours. I understand about planning lunches. I've discovered that I really need to pack my lunch the night before, not because I can't think about it in the morning, but I don't want to take the time before heading off to work - my morning routine is already long enough! For the first week I had DH grill some extra chicken breasts last weekend and sliced them up so I can easily add them to a salad of mixed greens and whatever veggies I'm in the mood for. I've been adding 1/2 avocado or some olives or using home made ranch dressing to get the fat in. I also stocked some cans of tuna, sardines, and salmon so I can do a protein salad easily. I'm going to try the cauli-rice tonight and see how that goes. Hope the headache resolves. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortystylee Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 no idea what I'll do for lunch today. salad and maybe a can of tuna? lunches are difficult, I'm used to just grabbing a burger or making a sammich. You could still have the hamburger if you wanted, just without the bun or cheese. I do this a lot and just put tons of toppings (sauteed onions/mushrooms, bacon, fried egg, avocado... well not all at once...) and then just eat with a fork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 lunch ended up a can of albacore tuna with some salt, olive oil and balsamic for flavour, a green salad with olive oil and balsamic, and a good portion of mashed cauliflower. I work close enough to home that I'm able to go home most days and prep something simple. I put another sweet potato in the oven so it'll be ready for me when I get home, and I'll fry up that pork chop and apples to go with it. tomorrow will be my first real challenge, I have a vendor lunch. normally these are awesome, because free food! but I'll need to be really careful where ever we end up to make sure I stay on plan. I'm thinking either grilled chicken or salmon should be easy enough, and hopefully they have a steamed veggie option to go with it. I'm sure I could pare down a salad enough by asking for no cheese and a vinaigrette if I need to. I'll be sure to ask the server if they have anything paleo on their menu. my girlfriend has work stuff late tonight and tomorrow, so that means I'll get to eat her pork chop tomorrow for dinner. she isn't doing whole30 with me, but I am cooking us dinners and she's participating in those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 today was (hopefully) my only lapse on the program. I picked the healthiest item I could find on the menu, a grilled salmon and veggies. I know the salmon had what the menu called "vermouth butter" and the mashed potatoes had butter as well, but I think that's it. the veggies were sauteed zucchini, carrots, onions and bell peppers, the side of mashed potatoes was on the small size, and it was a nice sized piece of fish. everyone else at lunch had at least twice as much food as I did. I finished well before everyone (both from being hungry, over five hours since breakfast, and smaller portion) but I didn't mind. hopefully the couple servings of butter won't derail me too badly. breakfast was a repeat of yesterday (hard boiled eggs, avocado, banana) and dinner will be another pork chop with apples, and the rest of the mashed cauliflower and whatever other raw veggies I can scrounge up at the farmer's market this afternoon. I do have a couple of concerns... my portions aren't nearly as big as the book proscribes. I'm just not feeling like eating as much as it says I should. I'm a big guy, six foot and 250 pounds, and I'm carrying a spare tire around the middle. but after the first couple days, the urge to snack have gone away and I've been fairly satiated by meals for several hours. is this going to be a problem? I also wonder if I'm overdoing it on fat. when I cook, I'm using a good amount of ghee, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. do I need to be concerned about getting too much? I haven't had any olestra type effects, but it does seem like I'm going through the ghee in particular pretty quickly. I made a pound of butter's worth and I've gone through over a third of it in three days. granted, I wasn't very efficient in making it and likely lost 15-20% in the preparation and straining, but I've still eaten quite a bit. should I cut back at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 whole30 hasn't been as taxing through the first five days as I expected. it hasn't taken much willpower to not grab a donut or not order a beer. the sugar hangover was terrible, a bad headache for three days straight was not pleasant. but otherwise, not much has changed. I sleep the same. I poop the same. I still get the mid afternoon crash and feel like I want a nap. but I'm eating far less than I used to. no snacking, and smaller meal portions. granted, I didn't used to eat breakfast, so that might be part of it. lunches have been small. I try for a big dinner but typically don't finish. the biggest challenge, so far at least, is boredom. lunches are the worst. if I don't have leftovers, I don't know what to do. I don't have enough time to cook something proper, and most of my quick go-tos are totally verboten. the past couple days, eating has been a chore. it's not pleasurable. it's just something I do to stay alive. it's like breathing hard to catch my breath after walking up five flights of stairs. it isn't fun, but it's something I need to do to not feel awful. I'll try to do more cooking this weekend, when I have time to plan and prep properly. I'll try to make a soup or stew this weekend. maybe a curry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 was disappointed to notice worchestershire sauce has molasses in it, and is non-compliant. I only noticed after I added it to my sherpherds pie (upgraded recipe to include mushrooms and parsnips, elk blended with beef, and roasted butternut squash instead of potatoes). I figure there wasn't enough sugar in the sauce to really make much of a difference. maybe a few grams over the entire casserole? I made enough to feed eight. I've got bone broth on the stove, letting it simmer all weekend. two big cow bones and a lamb bone in my dutch oven. I tried my first larabar. normally I wouldn't have been impressed, but six days in it seemed pretty damn decadent. I'll definitely need to keep consumption of those to just special treats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 had my first food dream over the weekend. I can't remember the details, but I remember thinking at the time it was very vivid, and I was aware in the dream that I was having a food dream. very inception-y. still not getting hit by any overwhelming cravings. I walked past a taco truck today that smelled delicious, but it wasn't hard to keep walking. getting used to protein EVERY meal is weird. especially without beans or tofu. pre-whole30, I could go days at a time without eating meat sometimes, because I had vegetarian means of getting protein in. I cooked up some boneless chicken thighs just to have in the fridge for easy protein, and try to keep a handful of hard boiled eggs on hand as well. I am getting into a rut, I need to mix up the cuisine a bit. I miss mexican food, and thai food. a taco salad with ground beef wouldn't be too bad, but seams weird without the chips, sour cream and cheese. I have no idea how to cook thai. my girlfriend asked if I wanted to go for sashimi last night, but realizing I couldn't have soy sauce made it less appealing. the coconut aminos just aren't the same. it's not like the japanese place near us has anything else I could eat anyway. I ended up with a migraine today, but that could be from walking to the bank in the mid day heat. I'm really heat intolerant, and it's unseasonably warm right now. still worrisome, since I've removed everything that's ever been a past trigger. tells me there's something else that might be causing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherhactenus Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 had my first food dream over the weekend. I can't remember the details, but I remember thinking at the time it was very vivid, and I was aware in the dream that I was having a food dream. very inception-y. I'm on the morning of Day 4 and just woke up from my first food dream too -- but mine was more like a food NIGHTMARE, and I WASN'T aware that it was a dream! Haha. (I convinced myself that what I was eating in the dream had really been eaten, and I had to start my W30 over again. Thankfully I figured it out once I woke up.) Your situation sounds more ideal! Maybe for your taco salad, for a healthy 'sub' for chips and sour cream, try frying or roasting thin-sliced zucchini medallions until crispy on the outside, and add a glob of chilled coconut cream (skimmed from a can of refrigerated coconut milk) on top? I have not tried this personally, but thinking through the compliant ingredients, this seems like it *might* work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 migraine lasted over eighteen hours. didn't go to work today, have slept 21 of the past 24 hours thanks to magnesium supplements and benadryl. still have a headache, just not a migraine. dreamt my family took me out to dinner in support of my whole30 challenge. to an italian restaurant that had cheese or pasta/bread in EVERYTHING. so I sat there and watched them eat. all I've eaten today is a small piece of chicken and some scrambled eggs with veggies. feel too terrible to eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 day eleven, supposedly the day I'm most likely to give up. not really feeling it. not feeling much of anything. I had a very dream last night that I quit, and was both disappointed in myself for not following through and for wasting the time I could have been eating poorly and drinking beer. it was a weird dream. I'm still not eating anywhere near as much as the book says I should. I'm making sure to get a minimal amount of protein and fat each meal, which often equates to a couple hard boiled eggs or a piece of chicken, and an avocado. I'm not getting as many vegetables as when I started, but I'm just not hungry enough to eat them. I figured rather than throwing wasted food out, I just haven't been preparing it. I'm still trying to have at least one big meal at night, but I do find I'm falling back on starches to fill a good portion of the vegetable void (sweet potatoes, squash, etc). I have no idea if I'm doing it right. I've talked to coworkers who have done this and they swear up and down that the tiger's blood will kick in next week and I'll feel amazing. I just don't know what to expect. I've never had bountiful energy, even as a kid. I've been going to bed fairly early each night, typically between 9 and 10pm. it's not even dark when I go to bed. yeah, part of me wants to just give up and go back to old habits. but it's not a strong urge or anything. it's more just an ambivalent feeling of "meh," like it's not actually doing anything other than punish myself. hopefully I start to see some positive changes soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted June 12, 2015 Moderators Share Posted June 12, 2015 First up, a little tough love here -- you need to eat vegetables. They're where you get tons of nutrients, not to mention fiber. Starchy vegetables are okay, but be sure you're having other vegetables as well. Next, some suggestions. It sounds like you've probably got some food boredom going on, which is not unusual and which can be made worse if you're not really comfortable cooking so you stick to the same things over and over. If you're only going to have one big meal (not saying that's ideal, but working with what you've got going on here) have your big meal in the morning within an hour of waking up. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, and having a big, healthy breakfast will set you up for proper hunger signals through the rest of the day. For each meal, but especially focus on this for breakfast for a few days, have 1-2 palm size pieces of protein, or if you have eggs as your only protein, have as many whole eggs as you can hold in your hand. If I've read this right, you sound like a big guy, so I'd think probably a minimum of four. In addition, have some healthy fat, like a half to a whole avocado, or a heaping handful of olives, or a dollop of mayo. Then fill up your plate with vegetables, so 2 to 3 cups at least. Finally, I'd really recommend trying some new recipes. They don't have to be complicated. You mentioned Mexican food, maybe try this plantain nacho recipe: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2014/01/31/plantain-nachos/-- if you don't want to deal with making the plantain chips or can't find plantains, make the meat and pile it on a salad for a taco salad, or stuff a baked potato or sweet potato with it. For vegetables, try this sweet and salty broccoli salad: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/12/13/suddenly-im-in-the-mood-for-broccoli/ Or this belly dance beet salad: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/05/27/belly-dance-beet-salad/ Or these recipes for greens: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/01/12/eat-your-vegetables-kale-chard-beet-tops-and-more/ Or this butternut squash recipe: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/11/17/velvety-butternut-squash/ (on that site, also check out her Paleo 101 section, she's got tips on doing a weekly cookup, some whole30 meal plans, and lots more, all well worth reading.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 I've never been a breakfast eater. it's really difficult for me to eat right when I wake up. yesterday my girlfriend was up before me and made me a big scramble with lots of veggies and a bit of aidells chicken and apple sausage (was happy to learn that one particular flavour is whole30 compliant), and I couldn't finish it. eating too much first thing in the morning, even nearly two weeks in of forcing myself to, still makes me nauseous. I'm limiting my intake of starchy veggies to 2-3 times a week and trying to get as many dark leafy greens in as I can. lots of salads with mixed veggies and kale. adding mushrooms to a lot of things (and I didn't even really like mushrooms before). I eat a whole avocado for breakfast or lunch 3-4 days a week, especially if I don't have another source of fat. I supplement with nuts a few times a week but try to keep it to a small handful at a time. this weekend I have a pot roast planned, will be able to add a ton of veggies to that and get a few meals worth out of it. also pork chops and I'll cook up some more chicken thighs, I've found those are a quick source of protein right out of the fridge. I put them under the broiler with lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary. they turn out phenomenal, and have a bit of fat on them unlike the chicken breasts. last night I went out for pho (didn't feel like cooking), subbed veggies for noodles (lots of bok choi and broccoli), extra meat and plenty of broth. it turned out pretty well, but I did add a bit of hoisin and sriracha which both have some sugar in them. didn't add much, maybe a teaspoon of each in a giant bowl., yesterday I noticed I had a scratchy throat, and by this morning it's turned into a full blown cold. that will NOT help. I'll check out those recipes. the beet salad and greens are particularly appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 yesterday I started coughing. today I haven't been able to stop. painful cough with a metallic taste. all of my cough medicine has various sweeteners in it. emergen-c has sweeteners in it. I want comfort food and orange juice. I just dont feel like I'm in the right state of mind or body to finish this. I'll try to come back to it next month when I'm feeling better. I'm not ready to deal with being sick and trying to adjust to paleo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted June 13, 2015 Moderators Share Posted June 13, 2015 I don't know about the cough, but the metallic taste can be a sign that your body is in ketosis, which is what happens when you go very low carb. Eating a serving of starchy vegetables every day can help with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 I don't know if it's ketosis, but it's definitely bronchitis. I'm coughing up a plethora of colours at this point, none of them appetizing. I am beginning to wonder if this is stemming from an allergic reaction to rooibos tea. the cough started a few hours after I drank some rooibos, but it could just be a coincidence. I'll have to wait until I'm over this to test that theory and drink another cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melferburque Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 I'm now into full blown pneumonia. who would have thunk trying to be healthy for the first time in decades could end up killing me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.