chezjulie Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 Thanks, jmcbn. I had read that, too. but it's hard to forget decades of conditioning! Here's a good article on the current medical thinking about fat and cholesterol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Julie, you are doing amazing!!! It's something to even hear a doctor say you are on the right track, at least in my opinion!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks, WholeMama. I think it's something that she said that, too, since the Whole30 does not follow the conventional dietary guidelines of eating whole grains and low saturated fat. I actually cut and pasted a week's worth of meals from my Whole30 Log into a document and showed her how I'd been eating to make sure she was okay with it. Her response was pretty much, "Yum! Beef tenderloin. That sounds really good. And you're eating a lot of food." Her previous advice to me had been to lower sugar and carbs to improve my numbers, so the Whole30 approach corresponded well with that, but I needed the program to teach me how to actually do it. I have always thought I got really lucky with my doctor (we started going to her when she was just building her practice), and now I really love her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 W2D12M1 3 eggs, Oven Fries, mushrooms, & baby spinach in coconut oil w/TJ's 21 Spice, ketchup, & avocado slices W2D12S1 Larabar W2D12M2 turkey slice w/mayo, Applegate hot dog w/mustard, chopped salad w/sunflower seeds, EVOO, & balsamic vinegar, 1/2 banana W2D12M3 tuna fish, sweet potato, olives, ghee & EVOO, Citrus Kombucha W2D12S2 overdid it on cashews & raisins Food: My Whole30-ish breakfast really took my breath away this morning, so here's a picture. Click to enlarge. Taken with crappy old iPhone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjena Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Beautiful breakfast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Yummmmmm sounds good! And I feel that way about my endocrinologist! She is wonderful. I finally found a doctor who listens to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 W2D13M1 Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage, 3 Aidells Carmelized Onion Meatballs, 4 cups HEB Chopped Salad (romaine lettuce, broccoli, red cabbage, kale, celery, green onion, & parsley), & mushrooms sauteed in water & coconut oil, TJ's 21 Spice W2D13M2 2 Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage w/mustard, sweet potato, baby spinach, mushrooms, & 1 cup HEB Chopped Salad sauteed in coconut oil, TJ's 21 Spice W2D13S1 Passionberry Kombucha, cashews W2D13M3 ground beef w/TJ's Puttanesca Sauce, tomato paste, & poultry seasoning, 1/2 sweet potato, chopped salad w/EVOO & balsamic vinegar W3D13S1 hearty serving of sunflower seeds & raisins Food: OMG, you guys, breakfast was so good and easy. I took my biggest frying pan, added water & coconut oil to the bottom, and started sauteeing a package of chicken apple sausage and the last of the chicken meatballs. Once everything was going, I threw in about 4 cups of chopped salad mix and a cup of sliced mushrooms. I'd had the crazy idea to saute my salad when I read the ingredients and realized that most of them were veg like broccoli, cabbage, and kale that one might saute, and I was partly influenced by Donna's description of baking her kale before using it. (Of course you need to throw away all the fixin's like cheese, salami, and salad dressing that come in the bag of chopped salad). It turned out great as the coconut oil and fat from the chicken infused the veggies. I was really looking to be more on point with my eating today - I've been feeling so crappy for the last few days that I've allowed myself too many Larabars and cashews - and this was an excellent start. Note: a little high on the snacks today but have to remind myself that it's not bad for being on steroids. Feelings: Work canceled today due to bad weather, and here is my little cat to keep me company on my shoulder as I read a novel and drink my tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Your food always sounds so delicious!!!!! YUM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 W2D14M1 ground beef w/TJ's Puttanesca Sauce, tomato paste, & poultry seasoning, steamed spinach & kale, 1/2 avocado, coffee w/coconut milk W2D14S1 Gingerberry Kombucha W2D14M2 Asian Chicken Salad w/Brianna's French Vinaigrette, hearty portion of pistachio nuts W2D14M3 Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage, 2 hardboiled eggs, sweet potato w/ghee & pumpkin spice, 3 green onions W2D14S2 sweet potato w/ghee & pumpkin spice W2D14S3 other half of the bag of pistachio nuts, 1 1/2 Larabars Food: Still not feeling well. Didn't have much appetite at regular lunch time so ended up eating half a bag of pistachio nuts before I could motivate myself to eat my salad. ETA: Last night was brutal. I'm on a fairly high dose of oral steroids for my sinus infection/asthma flare-up. They cause insomnia and carb cravings. (This is not just my opinion; increased appetite is a known side effect). I was up until 4:00 in the morning unable to sleep and stuffing my face with nuts and Larabars. At least this is not the norm for me; I just need to move on today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 W3D15M1 3 eggs, spinach, & mushrooms sauteed in TJ's coconut oil w/TJ's 21 Spice W3D15M2 2 Zoe's Kitchen salmon kebabs w/roasted vegetables & potato salad, hummus w/cucumber slices Reintroduction: Gluten Grains W3D15M3 1/2 Zoe's Kitchen chicken kebab w/roasted vegetables, hummus w/2 slices of pita bread, 1/2 Larabar Food: As I mentioned in my previous post, I was up until 4:00 in the morning last night dealing with both insomnia and carb cravings from prescribed steroids, and ate some pistachio nuts and a Larabar in the middle of the night. Not surprisingly I didn't have any appetite for breakfast this morning and didn't eat M1 until noon, and now I'm feeling a bit nauseous. I've also learned that there is a difference between refined coconut oil and regular coconut oil. To break it down simply, refined coconut oil is good and regular coconut oil is gross. But seriously, I started the Whole30 using Spectrum Refined Coconut Oil because it was affordable at Whole Foods, and I found it to be very neutral for cooking. When that jar ran out I picked up the TJ's variety, and I find it to be very strong smelling and unappealing. I will be replacing it with Spectrum and demoting the TJ's to a cosmetic product. I've been thinking about reintroducing gluten grains next, and we had some pita bread that looked good, so I thought I'd start the reintro tonight and follow through with breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 Reintroduction: Gluten Grains, ctd. W3D16M1 Zoe's Kitchen chicken kebab, roasted vegetables, multi-grain bagel, coffee w/coconut milk W3D16M2 beef tenderloin sandwich on focaccia w/horseradish cream, fruit cup W3D16S1 100 Calorie almond pack W3D16M2 2 Zoe's Kitchen salmon kebabs, large Greek salad w/dressing, potato salad, hummus w/cucumber W3D16S2 small purple potatoes w/ghee, raisins Food: The reintroduction of gluten grains was not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. For one thing, I've just gotten used to Whole30 eating, and the bagel didn't seem especially "better" than my regular breakfast foods. I had the same experience with reintroducing some of the other categories, too, like "Huh, no big deal." None of the reintroduction foods this round were that exciting either; I probably enjoyed the pita bread the most. Part of the reason for this is that I can only introduce gluten grain foods that don't include dairy, as that's a separate category, so the options are a bit narrow. I know that gluten is tough for a lot of people, but I had absolutely no problems, the same experience as when I tried eliminating gluten once before. Function: My gas problems seem to be completely gone or under control at this point. Not sure if it's because my tummy's adjusted, or my diet is a little more varied due to Reintroduction, or the stronger digestive enzyme is helping, but I'm very glad to be back to normal. Feelings: Feeling better today but still on the steroids so ravenous tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 W3D17M1 turkey sausage & grilled bell peppers w/EVOO & sliced almonds, watermelon chunks, coffee w/almond milk W3D17M2 grilled salmon & sauteed kale in EVOO, roasted beet, walnut, & arugula salad in sherry vinaigrette W3D17S1 sweet potato w/coconut oil & pumpkin pie spice, 2 Gingerberry Kombuchas W3D17M3 2 TJ's Spicy Chicken Sausage, okra w/EVOO & TJ's 21 Spice W3D17S2 pint (yes, pint) of So Delicious Chocolate Cashew Milk W3D17S3 large package of Marcona almonds Food: Had two meals on the go today. Pricey but healthy. Evening snacks explained below. Feelings: Not really related to the Whole30, but I'd been feeling partway better so today I went to the mall because my Mom offered to buy me a new dress for my conference. She usually buys me a new dress each spring even though I'm middle aged! Aww, thanks, Mom. See what I got below. Click to view the stylish, summery, work appropriateness. I also got a pair of new sandals because of my feet shrinking from the reduced inflammation. ETA: I ended up having a bad asthma flare-up all day. It started while I was out shopping, but I assumed that I would feel better quickly once I got home where I could rest. Instead it persisted all afternoon and into the night. I ended up calling the doctor on-call and talking to her. I became very concerned about whether I would have to cancel my trip (which is technically for work but also includes visiting my three oldest friends) due to asthma complications related to this sinus infection, and basically had a BIG OLE FREAK-OUT. The freak-out included buying and eating an entire pint of Cashew Milk "ice cream" in about 20 minutes, followed by a tray of Marcona almonds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Reintroduction (Sort of): Dairy W3D18M1 turkey sausage, grilled bell peppers, roasted potatoes, watermelon chunks w/drizzle of EVOO & sliced almonds, coffee w/almond milk W3D18S1 2 Larabars W3D18M2 TJ's Spicy Chicken Sausage w/mustard W3D18S2 large slab of Black Forest cake, decaf coffee w/cream W3D18M3 large slice of DH's cheese pizza W3D18M4 TJ's Spicy Chicken Sausage w/mustard, okra w/EVOO & TJ's 21 Spice Food: I have a planned indulgence this afternoon... an early slice of birthday cake with my Mom and DH. This was going to be my first sweet in 8 weeks, but got preempted by last night's bad choice. I plan to enjoy today's planned choice though. So DH and I went over to Mom's and had beautiful slices of Black Forest cake. I felt really good about it; I had been planning on it and looking forward to it for weeks; I enjoyed it but didn't feel any desire to take another slice home or freeze it for later, and it didn't make me want to take a bath in chocolate syrup. Today is however the worst I've eaten since starting the Whole30, and I'm not talking about the planned slice of cake but the two candylike Larabars and the piece of pizza. I'm just extremely stressed, feeling like crap, and ravenous from steroids, and there's not much in the house because I'm leaving town. I didn't even really take pleasure in the Larabars or the pizza, just shoveled them down my throat. Function: In the spirit of Whole30 exploration, I've learned that if you eat a pint of iced cashew milk and a box of Marcona almonds, you have tummy problems that next morning. Feelings: Only slept for 5 hours but woke up feeling better. I went to the urgent care clinic this morning and the doctor there thought I was breathing decently and would be okay to make my trip. I hope so; it is definitely going to be a challenge though traveling while still dealing with this infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 W3D19S1 Larabar W3D19M1 2 eggs, mixed mushrooms, & cherry tomatoes in EVOO w/S&P, coffee w/milk W3D19M2 Cashew crusted chicken breast, green salad w/balsamic vin., steamed asparagus W3D19M3 chicken salad w/walnuts, celery, apple, & mayo, fruit cup, sauteed vegetables (w/butter), pita bread W3D18S2 2 Tbs. peanut butter Food: Trying to get back to template eating today after one last middle of the night Larabar. I'd say I definitely did better with the meals. Dinner was delivery, and it didn't occur to me that the sauteed vegetables would be with butter. It tasted to my Whole30-changed palate like they were DRENCHED in butter. Really not pleasant. Next time I know to order them without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Do you think the grains could have had anything to do with Asthma? Just curious what you thought brought that on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 I don't think so, Britt. I think my symptoms came back because I started tapering down off of an oral steroid which was keeping things somewhat in check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dnnasttn Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 So sweet of your Mom to buy you that beautiful dress... we are still their babies, no matter how old we get. I'm sorry you suffered the asthma and freak out... I hope you're better now and can take your trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 W3D20M1 2 eggs, 2 slices Canadian bacon, ketchup, 1/4 tasteless English muffin W3D20S1 Gingerberry Kombucha W3D20M2 Chinese Chicken Salad (chicken breast, mixed greens, carrots, purple cabbage, red bell peppers, dressing), carrot horseradish salad, small banana W3D20M3 Double meat hamburger w/lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayo, & bun, asparagus spears in EVOO & garlic, piece of chocolate, dried plums Food: I thought I did pretty good with my breakfast for someone in a hurry at the airport. Just ordered 2 Egg McMuffins & tossed 7/8 of the muffin part. Now I'm changing planes and Austin is such a hippy town that they have Kombucha in the airport. :-) Tonight I ordered room service - a hamburger with no cheese, and sub asparagus for the fries. I almost wept when I got the tray and saw that the burger had two patties. That's one of the hardest things about eating out this way - the protein portions are often too small. I really thought this was a pretty successful day for 2 meals in airports and 1 in a hotel. I did eat the tiny chocolate mints that were on my tray. :-) Function: Very uncomfortable acid reflux-y feeling this morning. Likely culprit may be the three Diet Cokes I had yesterday. Feelings: Relieved that this illness may be on its way out, but bummed to know that I've gained back some weight due to steroid noshing & inactivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 W3D21M1 2 eggs, 1 slice of bacon, potatoes, bell peppers, onions, slices of fruit, coffee w/milk W3D21M2 3 slices bacon, Epic Bar (bison), small serving of potapes, peppers, & onions, fruit plate, almond butter package W3D21S1 1 1/2 very large oatmeal cookies at break W3D21M3 Tandoori chicken, curried vegetables, 2 large naan with potatoes W3D21S2 Larabar Food: I promised myself one extremely overpriced room service breakfast on my trip so I wouldn't have to worry about it on the first day, which I especially appreciate after a long travel day yesterday and being in recovery from that sinus infection. Fortunately it was almost enough food for lunch, too. Had a true slip today, eating one of those big cookies at the break. Being tired is a real trigger for poor choices for me. Urgh. I tried to make a good choice for dinner by ordering in Indian food so I could get fairly plain tandoori chicken, an order of vegetables, and some potatoes in my naan bread. The food was very greasy and extremely spicy, so I wasn't able to make a full meal out of the chicken and veg and ended up eating the whole order of naan. Sheesh! I was planning to save the rest in my mini-fridge for breakfast, but I think I'm just going to toss it out. I would like a do-over on today's food choices. Function: Woke up with lots of grassiness this morning, the worst since I completed my 30 days. I did have 3 Diet Cokes on Monday and 1 Diet Coke yesterday, so I'm thinking that's the likely culprit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I know what you mean about burgers usually being small!!! That's why I love Five Guys! Two burgers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 W4D22M1 2 eggs, 3 chicken sausage links, potatoes w/peppers & onions, small fruit plateW4D22M2 hot dog w/bun, ketchup, mustard, very small servings of fruit salad, Caesar salad, potato salad & sauerkrautW4D22S1 banana, 2 100 Calorie cashew packages, mixed nuts, dried fruit, Krave pork jerkyW4D22M3 green salad w/raisins, walnuts, & creamy dressing, chicken breast w/onions, squash, peppers, etc., 1 1/2 pieces of injeraW4D22S2 4 squares 85% dark chocolateFood: I had a major debate with myself last night about whether to be economical and try to pull together a breakfast from my leftovers and travel snacks, or be financially irresponsible but order a healthier and more appealing breakfast from room service. I'm SO GLAD I opted for room service. I feel a little more sick today and have to go do a presentation. At least I am fueled with healthy, tasty food.ETA: I ate too much today, especially with the nuts & dried fruit, but felt much more on track with my overall choices. I've got Ethiopian restaurant leftovers for tomorrow's breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 W4D23M1 Krave Pork Jerky, 100 Calorie cashew pkg., Justin's peanut butter package, 1 1/2 Larabars, watermelon chunks W4D23M2 hamburger w/ketchup, pickles, arugula salad w/vinaigrette, Gingerberry KombuchaFood: Well, the leftovers thing didn't work out at all because the fridge in my hotel room was so cold that it turned the chicken pieces into Popsicles. I'll pass. Made a munchy meal out of various snacks I'd packed. Super hungry from the steroids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tierramar Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Hang in there, Julie - you seem to be doing very well considering you're on travel and dealing with a bunch of stressors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thank you, Paige. I needed to hear that encouragement today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezjulie Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 KABOOM! On Friday things went all to hell, and I'm just starting to pull it all back together. I left the first conference and hotel and traveled to my second conference and hotel. As I've mentioned before, I'm currently taking Prednisone for the residual effects of this sinus infection and asthma flareup. It can cause some really unpleasant side effects, including insomnia and anxiety. The latter is something I have an underlying issue with already, and Prednisone usually affects my mood negatively towards the end of an 8-day course. I was hoping that I would be able to begin tapering down while on my trip, but I didn't feel like my symptoms were under control enough to do so. By Friday mid-morning I was feeling irritable and down, and once I checked into my tiny windowless hotel room I began feeling very anxious and isolated away from my colleagues in a strange city, and had a panic attack. I decided to change my flight and go home that night instead of staying on for the second conference. It was a very expensive decision but I think it was the right one. I spent all day yesterday napping and reading with my cats. I also ATE ALL THE THINGS. I don't think there is much point in "tracking" but I'll mention what I ate from Friday night through early Sunday morning: a chocolate bar, a curried chicken sandwich, a cole slaw salad, a Larabar, 4 large slices of spinach deep dish pizza, a brownie, a donut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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