6/1/2015 - Riding Our Own Bikes, Together!

[vozelle]

Hi gals, I'm back! I've missed checking in here with y'all... enjoyed reading up on your posts and hearing about the various recipe experiments, reintroduction results, and mishaps/learnings you've had along the way. 

 

I had quite an adventure to the mountains, managed to eat Whole30 compliant while away, except for a dairy reintroduction day, and one "treat" experiment (homemade apple pie). It was hard to separate my reintroduction symptoms out from other issues I was experiencing physically and emotionally due to the environment I was in (hot, dusty, irregular sleep schedule, intense people/situations, etc.), so I decided to wait until I got home again to do more re-intros. Planning on legumes and/or gluten next week. BTW, I was reading in "The Paleo Cure" that it's best to introduce ONE ITEM at a time, rather than multiple items in one food group on the same day... so that is gonna take, oh... FOREVER!!

 

SO... I found out that dairy is not super problematic for me GI wise, but that is has some mild unfavorable side effects that make it "not worth it" unless it's a special occasion. It also took away my Tiger Blood. That was good learning. I started keeping a reintroduction journal for charting symptoms/reactions, which has been very helpful!

 

@Efab - Appreciated your "reset" story and your words of wisdom about this journey... : )

 

@WholeSue - Sorry to hear about your disappointing lab results, I wish you good luck and courage in continuing to problem-solve and find your way through this maze. I am inspired by your interest in Naturopath training programs!

 

@Crimsann - If you find a good multivitamin supplement, let me know... the liquid one I was taking prior to Whole30 doesn't sit well with me now, and I'd like to find a new one. I DO like my "Source Naturals" liquid Vitamin D-3 supplement though. Thanks for sharing recipes and blog links.  : )

 

@DonnaB - Appreciating all your re-intro stories. I feel you RE> a treat being "not as good as I remembered"... that happened to me with the apple pie. Have you reintroduced legumes yet? How did it go?

 

@Ruby - Welcome back to the better food zone, yay. You inspired me to buy scallops at the market today... I have never cooked them before in my life.

 

Here's to all of us, keepin' on... finding our way... doing the best we can! 

[RubytheSugarDragonSlayer]

@Vozelle - I hadn't either until I used the recipe in the book (Hub always cooked them). Just follow the instructions, it worked really well for me, got very nice sear on them which made them quite delightful!

[DonnaB]

@ Vozelle - nope - haven't reintroduced legumes, yet. Thinking of doing so yet this week, as I have some garbanzo beans in the freezer for making hummus. I'll let you know after I try it. 

 

Mentally, I seem to do better the more compliant I eat, but that hasn't stopped me from having a few pieces of cheese or a few crackers, but I just don't seem to crave them like I once did, so a few is enough. I'm beginning to understand how Melissa Hartwig can eat just one bite of something and stop. The first bite or two are the only ones that taste good. After that, meh! Right now I'm working on finding out just how much I need to eat to be full. This is motivated by the fact that I only lost one pound during my W30, but I really didn't try to moderate my eating much. Now I'm just trying to tune in and take note when I'm full and stop at that point. One thing that is nice - getting into the 3-meals-a-day routine and avoiding snacking. As long as I make sure there is healthy fat included in my lunch, I no longer have a problem getting through until dinner to eat again. I also appears that sugar is really the bad boy when it comes to my hot flashes, so am paying close attention to where it shows up in my diet, and being very conscious of whether or not it is "worth it." Small victories - but I will take them where I can get them. :-)

[Crimsann]

I was so excited to share this find, until I realized exactly how "local" it is...so I apologize in advance to those not living in Ohio....like probably all of you.  According to their site, there is an online source, but from looking at it, I'm not sure how easy it is to order though they do mention shipping via UPS.  I found this at a hometown grocer known for higher quality fresh ingredients and I was too curious not to try it.  Noticing a theme with me yet?!  LOL! 

 

I like sauerkraut, but have never really eaten it cold in the past.  When I saw these adventurous blends with the probiotic benefits, I figured this might make a great relish to add some flavor to a bland dinner plate.  It ended up being even better than I expected and I'm thrilled to see how many ways I can work this in.  I don't know if all of the varieties are compliant, I picked up the Original Dill to start out with.

 

http://fermentedkrazykraut.com/

 

Also a small update on the Nah-an bread, I made another batch to share with some people I had told about it and this time I wandered a bit too far off for a bit too long and they really dried out in the center.  This left me with large, flat, tasty crackers!  I liked the flavor and texture pretty well this way, but it does mean that while they have a long cook time it's not infinite and the color didn't change dramatically...NO, I DIDN'T BURN THEM...so it could be hard to tell when they pass into that stage. 

 

8 days to go until I hit a Hole60.  That's what I'm calling it since for me I can't claim it was a pristine Whole60 due to my non-compliant intention items.  More like a Whole60 with, um, holes.  But you probably already got that because by now you are used to my weird sense of humor. 

 

Not sure what I'm going to do from here, these last two weeks have been really tumultuous and I've skipped a few meals and I feel like I've only eaten one vegetable.  (Not true, but I've been so focused on trying to make sure I eat a variety of meat which would be easy to skip, that I feel like I've neglected the variety I wanted to maintain with vegetables.)  I feel like this puts me in a weaker position to start reintroductions.  If I can get some quiet time this weekend to make up some lists and some plans, I may start reintroductions on schedule next weekend.  That was always part of my idea, not trying a potentially unsettling food item on a workday...so my reintro schedule will be adding something new each weekend for awhile.  August first hitting on a Saturday was such fortuitous timing!  

 

On the other hand this week is the nightmare pancake breakfast which means running errands during all available free time, buying stuff to make caramel sauce (OMG sugar, cream, bourbon it's a laundry list of can't haves), staying up half the night with preparations (is there anything slower than waiting for caramel to caramelize?  I think not), and super early morning shifts to run the kitchen....not ideal conditions for whipping myself back into shape.  I do however have one more work week to tackle that so hope is not lost.  I really want to do a perfect week to end on a high note, so I would love some of your favorite packed lunch suggestions.  I'm determined to do a flawless meal plan and be prepped for next week like it was my first week all over again.

 

Without the whole forgetting my lunch fiasco of my real Day 1!!!! 

[DonnaB]

@ Crimsann - the Nah-an sounds interesting. I might have to try that. I'm thinking of doing chicken salad wraps to take with us on our trip so we don't have to buy airport food. Do you think they would hold up for that? We went out to eat last night to Outback (we had a gift card to use). Ordered the prime rib and lobster, and both were pretty good. The baked potato was slathered in butter, sour cream, and grated cheese, so plenty of dairy, so woke up somewhat congested this morning. Speaking of morning - it really sucks when the day starts at 3:30 am. Woke up to a nightmare, and couldn't fall back to sleep. I think the alcohol might be a contributing factor. Hate to say it, and wish it wasn't true, but it does seem to disturb my sleep. Definite motivation to limit it on the cruise. Nine days and counting!

[Crimsann]

@DonnaB...I think the naan bread is possible for wraps, it's going to depend on how long you let it dry out though whether it's going to stay flexible.  The first batch I made certainly would have worked, though I did find the second day I liked them better warmed up slightly.  That was a texture thing though, I think the coconut milk once cooled gave them a bit of a gritty texture that smoothed out when warm.  Think the difference between regular and buckwheat pancakes to visualize what I mean.  They would have still been bendable.  You could also make them larger and thinner and cook them less time for more of a wrap "thickness" and that would also help.  I know the recipe mentions using them as crepes so they are certainly intended to be used rolled up.

 

I do think they wouldn't go to complete mush with a filling, especially if the chicken salad is more on the dry side dressing wise, but I haven't tested them with toppings yet.  I just kept kind of eating them. 

[vozelle]

I'm beginning to understand how Melissa Hartwig can eat just one bite of something and stop. The first bite or two are the only ones that taste good. After that, meh!

 

I agree!... that was my experience with the apple pie I tried during my "treat" experiment last week. The first few bites were fun (great texture), but I could actually only tolerate about 4 bites due to the overwhelming sweetness of it. My taste buds are definitely waaaaaay more sensitive to sugar now... friends who were also eating the pie swore it tasted normal. I am grateful for the taste-bud "reset", as it helps me stay motivated to avoid sweets (which tend to set off my snack craving dragon big time).

 

PS Yay for small victories!

[vozelle]

@ Crimsann - the Nah-an sounds interesting. I might have to try that. I'm thinking of doing chicken salad wraps to take with us on our trip so we don't have to buy airport food.

 

That Nah-an does sound good... Nori is also great for portable wraps (nori can get a lil' soggy if the filling is too moist, but it still holds together and tastes great, IF you like seaweed). I also found "Paleo Wraps" at my local health food store made from coconut... you can order them here: http://www.julianbakery.com/paleo-product/paleo-wraps/

[RubytheSugarDragonSlayer]

Lunch today is so good I have to share it with you! I got my CSA delivery yesterday and used as much as I could in today's lunch. The CSA delivers to my community 1x per week straight from a group of about a dozen organic farms nearby.

 

My very colorful salad has:

• Rainbow chard
• blueberries
• cucumbers
• beets (non CSA)
• roasted chicken (non CSA)
• olive oil and balsamic vinegar

It is crunchy and has so many layers of flavors!!

 

@Crimsann and vozelle - you are inspiring me to try wraps!

 

Any fun food adventures planned for this weekend?? Graduation party tonight - I better bring something, I know its not gonna be pretty food-wise!

 

Here is a surprising recipe I served at a party last winter, everyone loved it and I'm going to do it again real soon.

 

Party Dates:

• Dates
• Almond slivers
• Bacon
• toothpicks

Stuff a couple of the almond slivers into each date. wrap the date in bacon (about 1/3 of a piece), secure with toothpick. Pop into a hot oven (400 maybe - doing this from memory), take out when bacon is done to your liking.  I think it might have been an Emeril recipe, again with the memory thing.

 

Great thing about this is that now, I always have all the ingredients on hand.

[Crimsann]

Here is what I'm thinking about adding to my meal plan for next week...Paleo Sweet Potato Gratin! 

 

http://meatified.com/easyrecipe-print/686-0/

 

It's only a "maybe" because I'm learning that a) yes there is a difference between coconut butter and coconut oil, Coconut butter can be a DIY but not for everyone, c) It can be really hard to find.

 

That last one didn't surprise me because I haven't seen it before and I was sure I had seen all the crazy things you can make out of coconut.  I mean the list is getting a little silly don't you think?  Oil, butter, flour, sugar, cream, milk.....is anyone else starting to think that for their next birthday they are just going to stick a candle in a coconut and say "that's a cake."

 

Stumbled on this one while looking for some ideas on pumpkin, which it's early for really, but it's one of the things I haven't had since starting this journey that was on my list of things I don't eat often enough except in October.

 

Survived the pancake event without being flattened to the general size and shape of one of them, heroically resisted even tasting the caramel sauce, and will probably not have any issues falling into bed on time tonight!

 

Have a great weekend all!

[vozelle]

Hey friends,

Hope you all had a good weekend. I am feeling confused about an adverse reaction I seem to have had to plain old brown rice (AND/OR paleo mayo)... it appeared that my reintroduction of the beloved and innocuous grain was followed by two days of bloating, stomach aches, cramping, constipation and a little bit of kidney pain... BUT THEN, when I reviewed my trusty little journal, I realized that I had also started eating homemade mayo again on that day (if you recall, I had experienced several days of discomfort and similar symptoms a few weeks ago, and I suspected that a "bad" batch of mayo was the culprit).

 

I'm not sure any of you will have answers, maybe I just needed to vent about this!  1) Is my system so "clean" now, that something as simple as brown rice could cause such discomfort? Was I just completely unaware of how grains were impacting my digestion before? I thought my body used to love brown rice!  2) Is the homemade mayo recipe that easy to mess up? I was doing fine with it during the Whole30! What gives?... I don't want to cut it out of my diet, it's a great source of healthy fat!  3) This reintroduction stuff is WAY harder and more complicated than just staying on the Whole30! I am thinking of doing another Whole30 in August... but I'd rather not go into it as a retreat/escape from the Land of Confusion, haha.

 

I have to say, the reintroduction journal/notes have been SO helpful, even if I am still a little confused/annoyed at the process... : )

 

Anyway, hope you are all doing ok... please check in here, would love to hear how it's going!

[ShannonM816]

Hey friends,

Hope you all had a good weekend. I am feeling confused about an adverse reaction I seem to have had to plain old brown rice (AND/OR paleo mayo)... it appeared that my reintroduction of the beloved and innocuous grain was followed by two days of bloating, stomach aches, cramping, constipation and a little bit of kidney pain... BUT THEN, when I reviewed my trusty little journal, I realized that I had also started eating homemade mayo again on that day (if you recall, I had experienced several days of discomfort and similar symptoms a few weeks ago, and I suspected that a "bad" batch of mayo was the culprit).

 

I'm not sure any of you will have answers, maybe I just needed to vent about this!  1) Is my system so "clean" now, that something as simple as brown rice could cause such discomfort? Was I just completely unaware of how grains were impacting my digestion before? I thought my body used to love brown rice!  2) Is the homemade mayo recipe that easy to mess up? I was doing fine with it during the Whole30! What gives?... I don't want to cut it out of my diet, it's a great source of healthy fat!  3) This reintroduction stuff is WAY harder and more complicated than just staying on the Whole30! I am thinking of doing another Whole30 in August... but I'd rather not go into it as a retreat/escape from the Land of Confusion, haha.

 

I have to say, the reintroduction journal/notes have been SO helpful, even if I am still a little confused/annoyed at the process... : )

 

Anyway, hope you are all doing ok... please check in here, would love to hear how it's going!

 

It's possible, but probably not that likely, that you've managed to get a second bad batch of mayo. Do you have any problems with eggs or any of the other ingredients in mayo normally, or does consumption of any other fat cause this kind of reaction? Do you have any reason to think the egg you used might have been bad? Did you let the mayo sit out at room temperature for hours after you made it (there are some recipes that do this, and call it fermented -- fats don't really ferment, so you're nor really accomplishing much doing this)? If not, I would think it's probably not the mayo.

 

I personally would suspect the brown rice. We all think brown rice is better than white, but white rice is actually easier to digest because of the way it's been processed. You can read a little bit about the differences here. I'd go back to Whole30 eating, wait until you're feeling better, and then continue reintroductions.

 

If you really want rice in your post-W30 life, you might try a day when you reintroduce white rice, or you might try a day where you reintroduce soaked brown rice and see if the preparation makes a difference.

[Crimsann]

Here to report in that the sweet potato gratin was really delicious and warms up soooo creamy.  I made it just as written, did find the coconut butter, although I added a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon on top before baking.  I think for a holiday dish, I might also add a sprinkle of chopped nuts or even a highly unadvisable coconut butter/almond flour/cinnamon/nut struesel topping.  But that's pretty over the top for everyday and it's great just like it is. 

 

@Vozelle, I would be bummed about rice too.  It's not even on my reintro list yet, but finding out I couldn't have it would probably make me start to dream about it.  If you try the white vs. brown or soaked I'm sure you will report back...my eyes will be peeled.  The rice I used to like as a convenience was a sprouted brown rice quickie microwave thing so I would be sad to go to white which seems to taste more bland to me but what Shannon pointed out makes a lot of sense too about it's digestability so now I will need to think about when/what/how.  I kind of hated journaling during my June 30, so I admit I dropped that for July...sounds like I maybe better reconsider for August if I'm going to start adding in some things.  What are you using?  I know there are some logs here which I didn't see in time to do for June...and I haven't read my Day 31 email yet so maybe it details this more.

 

I just want to vote Shannon in as our team mascot moderator....just the best...sorry to make her blush but seriously always such thoughtful advice and great resources rather than a tough luck message.  I've been thinking that for a while and it's just time to say it! 

[vozelle]

It's possible, but probably not that likely, that you've managed to get a second bad batch of mayo. Do you have any problems with eggs or any of the other ingredients in mayo normally, or does consumption of any other fat cause this kind of reaction? Do you have any reason to think the egg you used might have been bad? Did you let the mayo sit out at room temperature for hours after you made it (there are some recipes that do this, and call it fermented -- fats don't really ferment, so you're nor really accomplishing much doing this)? If not, I would think it's probably not the mayo.

 

I personally would suspect the brown rice. We all think brown rice is better than white, but white rice is actually easier to digest because of the way it's been processed. You can read a little bit about the differences here. I'd go back to Whole30 eating, wait until you're feeling better, and then continue reintroductions.

 

If you really want rice in your post-W30 life, you might try a day when you reintroduce white rice, or you might try a day where you reintroduce soaked brown rice and see if the preparation makes a difference.

 

Hi Shannon! Ditto what Crimsann said about you being an awesome team mascot moderator. SO appreciate your advice, and it's really nice to know you're out there in cyberspace watching over us.  : )

 

Answers to your questions: I've never had trouble with eggs or any of the other mayo ingredients, and I generally do great with all kinds of fats. The egg was fresh, and I refrigerated the mayo batch immediately after making it. The only thing I can think of is that I didn't stir the vinegar and egg together before I let it sit for 30 min to get to room temperature, and the vinegar was a little old (does it lose acidity?)... since the acid "cooks" the egg, maybe that was it? The directions don't say to stir the egg and acid together, so I usually just plop the egg into the vinegar (or lemon juice) and let it sit for 30 min.

 

Loved your advice about the rice... after a few Whole30 reset days, I will definitely try the soaked brown rice and report back here. Might try the white rice too at some point, but am not too keen on the paler variety (having been raised by tofu-and-brown-rice hippies!). Thank you for the great tips and ideas...

[vozelle]

Here to report in that the sweet potato gratin was really delicious and warms up soooo creamy.  I made it just as written, did find the coconut butter, although I added a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon on top before baking.  I think for a holiday dish, I might also add a sprinkle of chopped nuts or even a highly unadvisable coconut butter/almond flour/cinnamon/nut struesel topping.  But that's pretty over the top for everyday and it's great just like it is. 

 

@Vozelle, I would be bummed about rice too.  It's not even on my reintro list yet, but finding out I couldn't have it would probably make me start to dream about it.  If you try the white vs. brown or soaked I'm sure you will report back...my eyes will be peeled.  The rice I used to like as a convenience was a sprouted brown rice quickie microwave thing so I would be sad to go to white which seems to taste more bland to me but what Shannon pointed out makes a lot of sense too about it's digestability so now I will need to think about when/what/how.  I kind of hated journaling during my June 30, so I admit I dropped that for July...sounds like I maybe better reconsider for August if I'm going to start adding in some things.  What are you using?  I know there are some logs here which I didn't see in time to do for June...and I haven't read my Day 31 email yet so maybe it details this more.

 

I just want to vote Shannon in as our team mascot moderator....just the best...sorry to make her blush but seriously always such thoughtful advice and great resources rather than a tough luck message.  I've been thinking that for a while and it's just time to say it! 

 

That Sweet Potato Gratin recipe sounds great... but my husband is allergic to pumpkin! What would you try as a substitute? Thanks for sharing recipes, and I appreciate the reports from your Kitchen Laboratory.

 

Will report back about the rice, just need to try a few nice easy Whole30 days before heading back into the trenches, ha ha... : ) 

[Crimsann]

I hear you on the trenches.  I'm gearing up to start edging out on to the battlefield myself.  I've got a meager little reintro list started, with plans to do one item each weekend for August...if the weekend goes well on it I will add it into meal plan for the week.  It's not a long list but it does dive into some highly probable problem food groups like legumes pretty much straight away.  It wasn't entirely intentional, but I have found that my list stars mostly items that I would use as ingredients in a larger meal rather than things I would eat straight up and so I'm unlikely to overindulge in any of these.  Also haven't decided on the order yet since it will partially depend on my meal plans.  My list so far is:  black beans, goat cheese, fresh corn (roasted on the cob usually and then cut off as a salad topping or sprinkle on more than eating it as a main veggie but I've so missed it this summer), butter (this one is interesting only because I don't know how I will use it precisely, I just know I never got a taste for ghee whatsoever and if the milk part of butter doesn't bother me the ghee is the first thing to go), and probably peas.

 

I feel like if those are all successful they will add some interest and expand options for me without really changing the complexion of my meals that much.  Adding black beans to scrambled eggs with onion/pepper/guacamole just rounds them out a bit.  A smear of goat cheese on a burger with grilled red onion or sprinkled on a basic salad...maybe some compound butters as a steak topping or baked potato topping.  I will also be starting to add back small amounts of sugars, with a focus on using the more natural ones like honey or molasses in sauces/ketchup and the like but trying to stay as wide-eyed conscious of them as I am now.  Sort of a balancing act, if I'm adding a bit of sugar in a sauce with dinner then making sure that it's minimal everywhere else that day.  I'm hoping to keep at least 2 of my meals entirely compliant for the foreseeable future, and more as often as I can manage and still be happy with my experiments. 

 

Speaking of...so the pumpkin, according to the recipe, is all about thickening the "cream" that goes over the sweet potatoes more than it is about the actual taste.  It's just that pumpkin blends so seamlessly with the sweet potato.  This leads me to believe the easiest sub might be to cook one of your sweet potatoes before hand and mash it really well and use it in place of the pumpkin though that is a lengthy extra step.  You could also try some other thickening agents, arrowroot gets mentioned often but I've not tried it in anything yet.  Could be anything with a similar texture could also work which brings up applesauce as a contender in my mind!  You are stirring this in at the end to just keep the cream from being the consistency of milk so anything with a sort of pulpy thickness ought to do the trick.  Just saying this all "out loud", I have to say I would lean towards trying the applesauce, even a cinnamon one might be fun...though can't vouch for the results with more water/sugar than pumpkin and the sweet potato mash is probably the closest sub. 

[vozelle]

I've got a meager little reintro list started, with plans to do one item each weekend for August...

 

...the pumpkin, according to the recipe, is all about thickening the "cream" that goes over the sweet potatoes more than it is about the actual taste... the sweet potato mash is probably the closest sub. 

 

Hey Crimsann, good luck with your reintro experiments. I know you'll share details and wisdom from the "battlefield", lol. You are brave to try legumes... I'll get there eventually. RE> the Paleo Gratin... good call, I'll sub for sweet potato mash, seems the closest fit. Thx!  : )

[vozelle]

Any fun food adventures planned for this weekend?? Graduation party tonight - I better bring something, I know its not gonna be pretty food-wise!

 

Ruby, how did that party go? How are you doing?

 

@ everyone else... where did y'all go? We need your stories! Learning anything out there? Need support?

 

Anybody thinking of trying another Whole30? My reintro schedule is going so slow, I'm just gonna stick with that through August... maybe do another Whole30 in Sept... we'll see.

[abiswarbrick]

I have totally fallen off the bike over the past couple of weeks! The good thing is that I have experienced headaches and sinus issues and thought - 'oh I didn't have any of these in June...' The bad thing is because I messed up my reintroduction I'm not sure what caused them. Oh dear! Back to the beginning for me! I'm off to France for two weeks next week so think I'll not worry too much while I'm out there. I'll start a whole 30 again on 1st Sept and be much more careful with reintroducing in October, I think it may be easier then as it has been a hectic time with work and parties/BBQ etc. I fell victim to the philosophy- what can one little piece of cake do? Oops.

[Crimsann]

So Day 61, and I opted to deliberately eat something totally off plan before I talked myself out of reintro this weekend.  Of course, in typical Crimsann fashion, my totally off plan item ended up being a Rhubarb Lime frozen pop with just some cane juice added and as a cheat was pretty wimpy.  It does mean that I can no longer claim to be compliant ingredient wise though if not spirit wise.  So there.  I'm on a bike at least!

 

I found a recipe to try this weekend that I will report back on...this one is actually compliant ingredient wise and I thought it was a really interesting combination, a tortilla with pumpkin (sorry Mr. Vozelle looks like you can use sweet potato also though) and flaxseed for some added flavor and texture.  The accompanying pictures showed them off as being very wrappable, and with black beans making a potential come-back this weekend the idea of Tex-Mex dishes of sorts inspired me to try it out now.  I admit I'm a little skeptical, but most of the other tortilla recipes I've seen have been uninspiring visually to say the least and these stood out.

 

http://www.primallyinspired.com/paleo-tortillas/

 

@abiswarbrick, enjoy your trip!  It sounds so exotic from this side of the pond to be "off to France for two weeks".  I think September sounds like a good Whole30 month, not too much going on that time of year and yet still far enough ahead of the holiday season to be in a good place for that.  I picked June for it's lack of significant holidays just to eliminate that level of temptation when making my first attempt, but the summer season definitely has it's pro's and con's.  All that seasonal produce is an upside, but all those summer gatherings come loaded with sneaky temptations.  At least a decorated Christmas cookie is an obvious trap, some of those summer fruit salads with mysterious extra sweetness (I have an aunt who adds vanilla pudding mix which somehow thickens and keeps the fruit from oxidizing so I know to stay wary!) or saucey grilled meats are so almost nearly okay that they can trip you up even if the cake doesn't get you first.  LOL!     

[Crimsann]

I should probably lead with the real "end of 60 news", but I'm starting with the tortilla report which for some reason is foremost in my mind this morning.  Gotta say, didn't really work too well for me.  Might have been because I was trying to make them in an electric skillet so couldn't really remove it from the heat between batches...but I found that while they are very wrappable...they were also pretty tough to try and cut or chew through and they didn't dry out well which means they had that sort of damp half cooked texture even when I left bake longer.  Leaving them overnight just meant they stayed soggy or dried too crisp (I tried some in plastic and some layered in paper towel not being sure what would work best.) 

 

I think, flavor wise, they might not be so bad in something baked...like an enchilada casserole of sorts where the texture issue wouldn't be an issue...but it's a lot of work to make those one at a time for something like that. 

 

Probably will not make those again, which is a bummer because I was excited about the flavor potential.  Ah well. 

 

In happier news, I did manage to work in a handful of black beans yesterday with no evident impact so far.  I will try again off and on through the week.  They were neither better nor worse than I remembered, but then I never really craved them on their own and my eggs still kind of missed the cheese.  Since I'm not going there yet, it's likely I will just look for some other ways to use them sporadically.  Chili season is coming up, and some black bean dip might also be a good Meal 3 for me since it's easy to pack.  Nothing earth shattering either way. 

 

And totally burying the lead here, but I've somewhat mixed emotions about it...the weigh in. 

 

So.  Pretty much everything about this program says the number doesn't matter and I think that was huge for me as far as changing the mindset and success at sticking with it.  No question any diet I've been on in the past, the moment of failure was thinking I had done well and then seeing a ho-hum number and just chucking it in for the week.  Someone once compared this to accidentally running a red light in the morning and then pretending that gives you a license to run them all day...bizarre but predictable logic.  I didn't really struggle too much with not weighing because I didn't want the same old disappointment so I wasn't really keen on breaking that fast either...but I also didn't want scale fear to be in control of me any more than cravings.  It was a test of myself to see if I could "know" and no matter what the result...just keep on with my plan.

 

I decided to try something a little different by concentrating on the reality of weight fluctuation and deliberately weighing myself once in the morning and once at night all weekend long.  Sure enough the fluctuation even from night to day and across the three days was in a good 3 pound range.  I decided before I embarked on this that I would report the average rather than the lowest, lol....still ends up being just shy of 20 pounds.   Given that I've still not managed any kind of steady workout plan and continue to struggle with sleep...I've nothing to complain about so far.  I'm reasonably certain it's slown down some though towards the later half of my 60 days and to continue at anything close to that pace I need to up the activity game some.  Based on my age/gender/height most reccomendations say my ideal weight would be about 20-25 pounds lighter still, so this is great progress for me and leaves me work still to do.  Acknowledging the slow down effect that hits the closer you get to goal I expect it to take me at least another four months to get to goal.  At least I hope that is reasonable.  The smartest thing for me would probably be to try monthly weigh in's rather than weekly at this point, but I'm curious how some of you are doing this post-Whole 30 particularly any of you who are working on continued weight loss.  I want to stay in touch with my progress without letting that be the primary focus. 

[vozelle]

So Day 61, and I opted to deliberately eat something totally off plan before I talked myself out of reintro this weekend. 

 

I'm proud of you... I know that wasn't easy! Your brain was probably trying to convince you that 90 days is better than 60... am I right?! "Staying compliant" is such a safety zone for me. I know I need to loosen the reins a bit if I am ever going to truly ride my own bicycle... but I need to stay on a logical reintroduction schedule for a few more weeks, *sigh*, otherwise all this work will be wasted.

 

I succeeded with the re-RE-introduction of brown rice (used the soaked brown rice recipe). Had no serious ill effects, though my digestion may have been a little sluggish after? The recipe was lovely, the rice texture was fluffy and delicious... but I actually didn't enjoy eating it enough to make it a regular part of my diet. I may include it in recipes, soups, etc. in the future. This result leads me to believe that my previous GI issues were definitely from a batch of "bad mayo". Haven't tried white rice yet.

 

...the weigh in. 

 

The smartest thing for me would probably be to try monthly weigh in's rather than weekly at this point, but I'm curious how some of you are doing this post-Whole 30 particularly any of you who are working on continued weight loss.  I want to stay in touch with my progress without letting that be the primary focus. 

 

Again, proud of you (and happy for you RE> the results)... I know THAT wasn't easy! Monthly weigh-in sounds like a good plan... a nice balance between "in touch" and "consumed by", ha ha! I've weighed myself twice since our Day 30.

[vozelle]

@abiswarbrick & Crimsann - I may just join you in Sept for that second Whole30... : )

So... I reintroduced oatmeal successfully. I had been feeling like my body was wanting it, but I hadn't actually been missing oatmeal or craving it. I used the Breakfast Porridge recipe from Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook (where you soak the oats overnight with a little whey or lemon juice). When I ate it the first day, everything felt right about it, my digestive function improved and I was oh-so-satisfied (I added apple and dried fruit to the recipe, and had an egg on the side for protein). Then I tried it again a few days later, but PMS and cramps were taking over my body, so I was not a happy camper and could not separate one symptom from another. Anyway, I still consider this a success, and now feel confident that I can reach for oatmeal when my body seems to be wanting it... And it will add some variety to my morning meals, yay!

Hope everyone is well, I guess this thread is thinning out. If any of you are planning another Whole30 in Sept, let us know! Maybe we can join in on another forum thread...

[Crimsann]

Sorry for a somewhat more extended leave of absence than I meant to take...a certain rather adorable little niece decided to make an early appearance!

 

 

Not too early though, she tested at full-term despite being a couple weeks ahead of our schedule.  Eep!  Her name is Madelyn Rose and she and her mom are doing fine.  Auntie has been scrambling to get some things done before they send her home though.  Meal plan for next week currently looks like this:

 

Food?

 

LOL!  Ah well, got some time this afternoon while they are waiting on all the doctor's to release all the parties so I'm going to try and slip in some grocery shopping and hope that the little elves do the food prep for me.

 

That should work!

 

I ended up doing one other slight reintroduction this week in the form of some black bean chips that also included rice, no noticeable changes with that either though I'm going to need to keep an eye on portions with those probably.  Too yummy with guacamole, one of the few ways I really like eating guacamole as it happens.  I haven't yet tried rice straight up and no way to tell really how much rice the chips contained, so can't really just say rice is likely fine yet.

 

With all the chaos, I likely will not do too much in the way of reintroduction for this next week after all, if anything I will add fresh corn which is an easy side dish.  I spotted a recipe on a thread I guess some of you found and I managed to miss during our June sojourn...a What's for Dinner thread and was reading about a pork roast slow cooker dish with cranberries and mustard and thought it sounded really interesting.  Going to try and google to see if I can find something more specific on proportions, but I plan to try and throw something like that in tomorrow morning for next weeks lunches.  Maybe with some mashed potato since I have some potatoes to use up.  Dinners will likely be basic burgers and steamed veggies, simple as possible.  Planning to bring back a "cereal" I had accidentally made for Meal 3 last month when I took toasted cinnamon walnuts and a banana and for multi-tasking just sliced the banana and dumped in the nuts to eat it together.  Turned out rather tasty and reminded me of cereal, my Meal 3 being a glorified snack most days due to the where/when of it that worked pretty well and is as simple as possible.  I would like to do something to shake up breakfast but unless inspiration strikes me in the next thirty seconds it's probably going to be more of the same. 

 

Maybe I need to look at doing a reintroduction with oatmeal or something soon though just to have an alternative easy option.  I used to really like overnight oatmeal to take along to work in the winter when I had to spend most of my morning hours digging my way out of snow.  ::shudder, I hate winter::  Not sure I could face it in the summer though, too many bad memories of slush in my shoes. 

 

I had printed out some recipes for paleo blueberry muffins, not sure that's going to work out for this weekend but I did want to find some occasional adds for breakfast before I do hit the wall entirely with eggs.  I do a lot of different things with eggs so I've not really gotten tired of them, but I want to enjoy some fruit while it's in season and muffins while nearly a dessert are at least easily portion controlled.  Much better than baking a cobbler to eat with a heavier meal, or that's my justification so far. 

 

May be a bit more scattered over the next few weeks as things settle in with a new baby and running errands and likely cooking for my sister some as well...it's about to get a whole new level of complicated!  Making September sound more and more like a good W30 month to me. 

 

@Vozelle will totally keep in touch one way or the other, if we need to join a newbie thread for Sept 1 it could be really interesting to see the process from the other side so to speak.  It will probably be totally different not going through it for the first time.  Do share if you find any good threads though, I need to spend more time looking around I think...that What's for Dinner thread should be an every month thing in my opinion...great way to get ideas.

[vozelle]

Congrats on the new babe in the fam, Crimsann... how sweet! : )