cknits Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 My pants feel the same as they always did, though my face look a little slimmer. Odd, huh? Yesterday I went to get my hair cut and afterwards thought I'd just walk over to the mall and walk inside there while waiting for my husband to get off work. I so badly wanted something cold to drink like plain brewed iced tea. No such luck. The only drink I could find other than water was black coffee at Caribou Coffee, which didn't sound good on a hot day while walking. I ended up with water. I told my husband I am going to send a few cans of La Croix water and bottled tea (if I can find a compliant one) to keep in his office fridge for future visits. I do miss the ease no planning ease. Hopefully that will wear off. I found a paleo crockpot lasagna recipe with no cheese and sliced butternut squash replacing the noodles. The only adaptation I have to make for it to be Whole 30 okay is to replace the Italian sausage with sausage I make from the book. I cannot find any uncooked sausage that does not have sugar in it. I will probably make it tomorrow and if it is good, then I will post the recipe. The rest of the family does not like squash and so they want a frozen Stouffer's lasagna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 @cknits - Brew some tea of your choice and put it in bottles (reuse some from the recycling bin) to store in the fridge. I like my black tea with milk, so I've been making herbal teas, some of which I chill before drinking. It's a good change. I think the lasagna recipe sounds good; I might also try it with eggplant in place of the pasta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCans Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Ck- I notice almost no difference in how my clothes are fitting so I get how you may feel. Two whole weeks tomorrow. Usually this is the point I slip off and gain back what I've lost. I'm also pushing the big 5 0 soon so I notice much more of a challenge to lose. Sorry, I guess I'm still being a Debbie Downer in here. Just frustrated again today. I do appreciate being able to come in here and vent. Hubs is a great guy but can drop 15 pounds at will and I'm mad at him for that now just thinking about it!!! oh my... I'm going to.try the wings and would really like the paleo modified lasagna. Sounds good and like a meal for a few days. Please let us know ck. boadecia- I also chill teas with natural flavor and drink with some.lemon. this is a delish treat! Keep chugging on. 14 days down 16 days to go to 30. kmg- I'm in this with you till day 37!! I know by then none of us will want to stop....right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I'll be going longer, too, because of my indiscretion with the Emergen-C. Please don't hate me, but I think my clothes are a bit looser. But I'm probably just delusional! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCans Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Don't be silly! Good for you that your clothes feel looser!! You give me hope!! **hands clapping** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmg4805 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I had a dream last night that I ate an enormous brownie with whipped cream and reese's peanut butter cups. I remember feeling so guilty in the dream and it was so vivid that when I woke up this morning I had to think really hard to make sure it didn't actually happen. This was the first dream like that that I've had and I really hope they don't continue because that feeling of guilt was really upsetting! @cknits - that's great that your face is looking slimmer! Based on what I've read it seems normal that your pants may still feel the same as the stomach seems to be the last to go. I too miss the luxury of not having to plan everything out but I keep telling myself that all of the planning is doing really good things for my body. Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't . @TCans - my fiance drops weight effortlessly and while he has refused to join in the whole30 fun, he has still dropped 12 lbs just from "cutting down on snacking". He had a bowl of cereal and leftover pizza for dinner last night!!! Also, thanks for sticking with me until Day 37! @boadicea - this is a supportive environment! Your success is our success! Your clothes feeling looser is awesome! Happy Day 15 everyone! Overall I'm feeling pretty good about things but I think my summary for today thus far is, "are we there yet?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 That sounds like a luscious dream, kmg4805! I'm finding that I feel much less hungry than I did earlier in the program. Anyone else experiencing that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmg4805 Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 @boadicea - The most annoying part was that it didn't taste luscious in the dream and I ate it all because I kept expecting it to taste good. Our brains do such weird things to us. I do have to say that my hunger has dropped significantly since the beginning of the program. For some meals (typically M3) it has been a struggle to eat everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Our brains do very weird things sometimes! Hope you chaps had a good day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknits Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 TCans- I hear you on losing weight being harder and slower with age, as I hit 50 a few years ago. My husband and sons are all slim and don't even have to work at it. Grrr. boadicea- Thanks for the tea suggestion. I love eggplant, so your idea to sub it into the lasagna appeals to me. I'll probably try it next time. I do have the butternut squash lasagna in the crockpot right now and will eat it shortly. I ended up making the sausage myself from the Whole 30 book (good, but I added a lot more sage to it) as I could not find any without added sugar. kmg4805- I love peanut butter cups. That was quite a dream you had. I recall reading somewhere on here that our dreams may become more vivid. I do plan to stay with this way of eating beyond the 30 days as I feel my body needs some extra time before the reintroductions begin. I hope all of you have a lovely weekend! I'll check back in here tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 @cknits - I used this eggplant & lentil stew recipe, subbing sweet potatoes for the lentils and omitting the pomegranate molasses, recently. The eggplant was fabulous with the tomato sauce, so I can imagine how it would be in a lasagna. Time for bed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCans Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Morning all. Welcome to day 16. We are halfway through our "official" Whole 30. Personally, I'm determined to turn over a new leaf this morning. Even though it's raining and will be all day, I'm going to embrace the day. My plan for today is to see if I can find some kitchen gadgets: chopper, spiral for veggies, a good zester and use them to make delish meals this weekend. It's the chopping that is so time consuming after a tired day at work. I'm going to check out some new recipes and create them. Good things about last week (I've already confessed to the not so good which will remain unmentioned) I rode my bike 42 total miles throughout the week. So I know I got enough exercise and I'm glad I had my energy restored so I could do this. Funny note: right before I woke up I dreamed I was eating a piece of thin crust pizza - and it was wonderful!!! I woke up laughing. Now tonight I'd like to order up the peanut butter cup sundae/brownie thing, that would be nice ck - how was the butternut squash lasagna? Have a great day!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknits Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 The butternut squash lasagna turned out good. I think I may have left it cooking in the crockpot a bit longer than I should have as the dishing it up the layers didn't hold all that well. The taste was just right, though. I wonder if regular green zucchini (as the layers) sliced the long way would hold up better to the cooking process. I picked up an immersion blender the other day and it came with a chopping attachment. That has really made the prepping of vegetables quicker for me. I wanted it for making mayo, but I can see that I will end up using it for chopping more than blending. With two weeks behind us, I admit that I am finding it easier to stick to this way of eating than diets I have tried. I think it is because of the black and white guidelines. If there is a grey area I have tended to push the limits in the past. There really is not fudging it factor allowed, which is good for me. Speaking of fudging, fudge does sound tempting right about now, I better stay away from Scheel's (a sporting goods department store that has a fudge department with all kinds of flavors). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I LOVE my immersion blender and its attachments. I really need to get a vegetable spiral maker, which I think is a brilliant idea, but I've never even looked at them to know what the comparison points among brands would be. Also, i meant to include a link to that eggplant recipe, but it looks as though it got left out. The lentils and the pomegranate molasses have to be left out or replaced with something else, but it was delicious. Here's the link - http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/eggplant-and-lentil-stew-with-pomegranate-molasses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknits Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 boadicea- That recipe sounds really good. I love anything with pomegranates. Even though you can't use the pomegranate molasses, I wonder if cooking down some pomegranate juice from the seeds until it was reduced and thickish would be a good substitute in this recipe. I never even knew there was such a thing as pomegranate molasses. Have you used it in recipes before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmg4805 Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Hey Team! I had a dream last night that my "cheat" was cereal. Not fun, sugary cereal but plain old cornflakes. So weird! @TCans - how did the kitchen adventures go? I think I am going to follow your lead and pull out my spiralizer. I've been sticking to the same recipes because they're easy and I think I'm starting to catch a case of food boredom. Turkey meatballs and zoodles sound good to me! Awesome job with the exercise! @boadicea - I got my spiralizer off of Amazon and it has been pretty great! I'll have to look up the brand for you as I'm blanking right now but you can get a good one for a very reasonable price. @cknits - zucchini lasagna is one of my favorite alternatives to the real deal. Zucchini holds up very well in the process. I hope the weekend continues to be good to everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 @cknits - The pomegranate molasses is really just a sweetened pomegranate reduction, which has a delightfully concentrated pomegranate taste. It was very subtle in this recipe with the other strong flavours, so it's not really missed if it's left out. But it might be possible to juice the pomegranate and make an unsweetened reduction to use. When I made a W30 compliant version of this recipe, I used sweet potatoes in place of the lentils and just eliminated the pomegranate. @kmg4805 - I would love a recommendation for a good spiraliser brand! @Tcans - I applaud your move to experiment with introducing variety into the compliant recipes! It's not terribly difficult to make something compliant, but it is a great idea to experiment a bit so that a variety of compliant and delicious recipes can become more a natural part of your kitchen repertoire. Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCans Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 Happy 17th day!! Can I say again how much the support in here keeps me going on this part of my journey?? Since it's a very gloomy Sunday here in Ohio, I decided there was no excuse for NOT spending a couple of hours in the kitchen. I also knew that if I didn't change things up with food this week, I would struggle to get through the end of this. I need variety of food with tons of flavor. So yesterday, I bought a chopper (which works ok on onions and garlic - not so good on the peppers) and a spiraler, which is awesome!! I really enjoy the sense of eating pasta I get with spaghetti squash and with the spiraler I can have that very quickly with zucchini. My cooking adventures today started with guacamole (page 308) for the pulled pork carnitas (254) that are now in the oven. That's dinner for tonight. The guacamole tasted excellent and I can't wait to have it tonight. Hubs will probs have the pork on some tostada shells but I'll have mine plain. The next thing I made was the cold thai salad (p 274) for lunch this week. I made it with the Sunshine Sauce (p. 320). No sunflower paste at the store this morning so I decided to make my own - and it worked! I do my own clarified butter too. Last but not least, I made a pot of the classic chili (p. 342) That's cooking now and will be for dinner two nights this week. Will add some veggies to the menu each night and I'm going to try and have a little less fruit this week. No fresh fruit salad. I did buy lots of strawberries and blueberries tho, as these are my favorites and I get so much joy from eating them I don't see any probs with a big bowl of strawberries for dessert! I have thought about making the balsamic reduction and using that on fruit and veggies too. Thoughts on that? I feel like I've turned the corner and feel some positivity coming back into my being. I would like to have a conversation this week on how everyone is going to deal with the inevitable Fourth of July cookouts/parties next weekend. I know I need to go in strong and know that if you guys can do then so can I!! Have a wonderful day friends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknits Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 Have any of used your spiralizer for any other vegetable than zucchini? Mine is the hourglass shaped kind and so far I have only made zoodles. I'd like to try other kinds of "noodles" with it, too. Here is that lasagna recipe I used: Butternut Squash Lasagna 2 Tblsp olive oil 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup finely chopped zucchini 2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 diced bell pepper 1 pound ground beef 1 pound Italian sausage (I made my own sausage from the "perfect sausage" recipe in the Whole30 book, but added extra sage) 28 ounces crushed tomatoes 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes (I used the no salt kind) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tblsp dried oregano (or 4 Tblsp fresh) 1 Tblsp dried basil (or 2 Tblsp fresh) 1 butternut squash Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, zucchini, mushrooms and bell peppers And sauté until the vegetables are tender. While vegetables are cooking, brown the beef and sausage in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain. Add the cook meat to the vegetables, then add remaining ingredients except for the butternut squash. Mix well and simmer for 30 minutes. While sauce is simmering, peel, halve and scoops seeds out of the butternut squash. Then cut the squash into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick strips resembling thick lasagna noodles. You can also cut the squash into semicircles if you prefer. In the slow cooker, ladle in a layer of meat sauce, then evenly spread a layer of squash slices. Continue to alternate meat sauce and squash slices until you have reached at least four layers.Fewer layers run the risk of burning. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCans Posted June 28, 2015 Author Share Posted June 28, 2015 Thanks ck. I'm going to male this next Sunday!! It looks wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 28, 2015 Share Posted June 28, 2015 @Tcans - Great job in the kitchen; it all sounds delicious! We don't typically go to holiday cookouts, so I don't have many thoughts on how to deal with that. I have had to eat out several times, and I was always able to find something that I could eat (steak, a veggie stir fry), and the food that my friends/colleagues were having didn't really tempt me in the way I thought it might. If you're concerned about the potential for the cookouts to derail your efforts, you might consider eating well beforehand to reduce temptation and taking some tasty compliant foods (veggies, guacamole, chicken salad, apples and almond butter) so that you will have some satisfying nosh on hand. @cknits - The butternut squash lasagna sounds wonderful; I am definitely making that this week! It's a dreary, rainy Sunday here in Vermont as well, and I was up much too late last night, so I am struggling through the afternoon. Nice and cool, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCans Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Good advice B- thanks. I think Ill make an acceptable thing to take but I think what you said about eating before I go will really do the trick. I do find I'm much less hungry in the last couple of days and once I eat I'm good for a pretty good stretch. And fyi on the pulled pork carnitas...it was delish, however, next time I will use much less salt than the recipe calls for. I thought that was alot and against my judgement I used the said amt. No worries though it'll all get eaten. Oh and the sky cleared soe and hubs went for a 12 mile bike ride!! A wonderful day all around. have a good rest of the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknits Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 kmg- I love turkey meatballs, but I need to make them differently to be compliant. I usually put shredded parm cheese in them instead of bread crumbs like my mom does. What do you add to your ground turkey? boadicea- If you want to send some of your rain to Minnesota, I'll take it for my garden and flowers. TCans- You really had some productive time in the kitchen. I have looked for the sunflower paste with no luck either. This week I am going to our natural foods co-op to see if they have it. If not, then I'll make it myself. I figured finding the coconut aminos would be tough, but that was easy to find. Go figure! Tonight's dinner was grilled chicken with a baked sweet potato and salad. I like the idea of sharing ideas to get thru the upcoming holiday, barbecue with friends, etc. season. More from me on that tomorrow. Have a great evening everyone. I appreciate your support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmg4805 Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Hey Team! We're on Day 18! We are owning this! @TCans - I have two avocados ripening on my kitchen counter that I'm going to use to make the guacamole! Yum! I made some Italian beef this weekend that I shredded and I'm going to have it tonight with sweet potatoes, a vegetable (probably brussels sprouts) and hopefully guacamole. I'm in the process of planning for the 4th too. We have two things this weekend. The first will be tough because it's a "cookout" on the 3rd at the country club my fiance's parents' belong to. The food is luscious but it's not really a cookout as everything is laid out inside and probably coated in a lot of non-compliant things. My plan for that is to eat my protein and fats before we go and stick to veggies while I'm there. They typically have grilled veggies but they marinate them in a sauce that I'm sure has sugar in it. For the 4th, we're going to a friend's house for a bbq and he happens to be an amazing chef. However, I will probably eat a full meal beforehand. Have you ever had kombucha? I've found that it's a pretty good "cocktail" to have while everyone else is drinking wine and other libations. I put it in a fancy wine glass and it really seems to do the trick. My favorite is GT's Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha Gingerade. You can get it at any natural foods store or Whole Foods if you have access to one. I just pick it up from Wegmans. @cknits - I've used almond flour in my meatballs and I typically add an egg. I mix the meat up ahead of time, form it into balls and chill it in the fridge for a few hours. They typically hold their shape pretty well. Also, I've done butternut squash "noodles" with the spiralizer as well as zucchini and it works really well! I'm in western NY and I'd love to send you some of our rain for your flowers! @boadicea - The spiralizer I have is this: http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1435579932&sr=1-1&keywords=spiralizer&pebp=1435579941269&perid=1V2Z6YRYKF5VQGGTT8ZK. I got this one because I liked all of the different blades (you can make very pretty salads, sweet potato chips, etc.) and although it's plastic, it's pretty durable. You can also throw it in the top shelf of the dishwasher which is always a plus with me. Has anyone made the bbq sauce yet? Enjoy the day, everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boadicea Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 I like kombucha on occasion, and find that, for me, it's one of those foods that is really satisfying when I do want it. I also like sparkling water in the summertime, and I've been using that, with lemon or lime, as a social drink. And thanks, kmg4805, for the spiraliser recommendation! I'll order one today! I'll try to send some rain your way, cknits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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