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Jane's First Whole30 - July 25 - Aug 23


janer1114

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This is the first writing that I am doing about my first whole30 challenge.  I still have 10 days until I have planned to start, but I am planning planning planning.  

 

Recently I have gained about 10 lbs, but about 20 lbs in the past year . . . and I was already “overweight” then.  So, my WHY has a lot to do with that, but perhaps even more with knowing that what I have been eating just doesn’t make me feel good.  It’s way too easy for me to not be careful about what I am eating.  I have been a WWer for a long time and when I’ve tried to get back to it, it’s just too easy to not be careful about what I am eating as part of that system either. 

 

I love all the foods I have been looking at while planning my whole30.  I am not really mourning giving up anything (except alcohol maybe).  I believe that during the whole30 I will be eating more decadently than I do normally.  And I am SO looking forward to just feeling good and well-nourished.

 

WHY: for the challenge, to feel accomplished, to learn about myself, to feel good physically, to lose weight

 

WHEN: I am going to start on July 25th (this is mainly because I am going to a concert on July 22 and the plan was to drink…)  This gives me 2 days post-concert to clean up the eating a little and then jump in!  I am chomping at the bit though - I may actually do a practice food-prep day this weekend and start eating paleo next week with official start date of July 25.

 

WHAT: I’m going to follow the whole30 strictly.  I’ve been researching recipes and methods of food prep.  I’ve purchased some glass food storage containers.  Over the next ten days I’ll come up with loose menus and shopping lists.

 

I am going to make sure I’m eating away from distractions and really focusing on chewing and eating slowly.  My boyfriend is the SLOWEST eater and I sometimes try to match his speed, but even my strong efforts at slowing down are faster than his normal speed. 

 

My only exercise goal during the whole30 is to make sure I’m getting 10,000 steps/day during 6 days of the week (my regular day average is 7000).  More exercise is a-ok, but not specifically planned.  I did just get the key to the gym in my complex…..

 

The final thing I am going to do to carve out this time to focus on my health is to give up facebook.  Instagram is plenty of social media for me.  Facebook is really boring, it doesn’t make me feel good, and I’m super addicted to it.  It’s out for the whole30 days and will be part of my reintroduction.  

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I did a practice cook-up this weekend.  I forgot to buy the eggs, so I didn't make the egg muffins I was planning, but I do have:

 

Merguez Lamb Meatballs from Well-Fed 2 (with a little jar of merguez seasoning prepared for later cooking)

Barbacoa Beef from gimmesomeoven.com

Silky Zucchini Soup from Well-Fed 2

Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

Roasted Cabbage 

Paleo Sriracha from Nom Nom Paleo - so delicious and pretty darn easy - wear gloves!

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It's HERE! Day 1 of my Whole30.  I was so nervous yesterday I could hardly sleep.  

 

I weighed myself and then put the scale away.  My boyfriend changed my Facebook password so I'll have to change it if I want to sign in.  I'm going to take some before photographs when he gets home - of my body and my tiny patch of psoriasis that I have had for about 10 years.  

 

I'm about to make my shopping list for the meal plan I pieced together through the week.  I think I may have cooked a little too much food in my practice cook-up last week, so I've accounted for that.  

 

I've figured out that with my work day and commute I will need a snack.  I'll eat M1 around 8am, M2 around 12:30pm, snack around 4:30pm, M3 around 8:30.

 

Breakfast today was two fried eggs, sweet potato hash, spinach, and half an avocado.  Pictures on instagram.  I'm getting a little hungry now - it's about 3.5 since I ate.  I'm going to stretch it out at least until 4.5 hours - probably could have had 3 eggs...

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I'm on Day 2! I'm anxious that I don't have enough food for the week and I also spent a lot of money. I also planned some labor intensive meal prepping....except, maybe it felt intense because half-way through I got really tired and woozy.  I'm guessing that's the Day 2 symptoms. It feels like when you only sleep a couple hours....woozy.  Anyway, next week I will probably veer towards less intensive and expensive meals.  But, excited for this week's eating! 

 

Today I cooked Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas, Thai Curry Butternut Squash soup, Hardboiled Eggs, Nom Nom Paleo's Prosciutto Wrapped Egg Frittatas, and I roasted a bunch of butternut squash and White Sweet Potato plus baked two Chicken Breasts. 

 

Food Log

 

Day 1

M1: 2 eggs, sweet potato hash, spinach, half an avocado

M2: 5 Lamb Merguez meatballs, roasted cabbage, sweet potato hash

Snack: Roasted Cabbage and Sweet Potato Hash with half of an avocado

M3: Coconut Crusted Chicken Nuggets, Sweet potato spears, with Sunshine Sauce and Salad

 

Day 2

M1: Egg Scramble with Spinach, Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes with Guacamole and Cherries

M2: 3 Coconut Crusted Chicken Nuggets, Fried Egg, Butternut Squash Soup

M3: Beef Carnitas and Tostones and Broccoli

 

The first day I was a little hungry between meals, today I haven't felt hungry at all....I also have been very busy!

 

I was

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I'm really looking forward to the part of this process where I sleep better.  I'm not a full out insomniac like lots of my family, but I do toss and turn all night - it's like the sleep olympics - jumping and kicking that I'm only semi-aware of.  If I can sleep in stillness through the night, I will know there is something to all this ;-)

 

Breakfast was strange.  I needed to warm up my frittata's in the morning, but our microwave makes really loud beeps and I didn't want to wake-up my boyfriend (who says he can hear the beeps).  So, I packed them to eat at work.  I had a few butternut squash and potato pieces, but left about an hour after waking up to get a banana and iced coffee at Starbucks.  So, I ate breakfast over the course of an hour between home, Starbucks, and work...it's two hours later now and I'm a little hungry.  I think I didn't eat enough, and I think I'm just gonna have to make morning beeps - our oven beeps too! Stove top wouldn't beep, but how do you warm up fritatta on the stove top?

 

Still feeling woozy.

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You might have to play with it some, but it should be possible to reheat a frittata in a skillet on the stove. Keep the heat fairly low so you don't burn the outside and still have cold insides. You could even put it in a steamer basket in a pot, just like you'd steam vegetables, but I'm not 100% sure whether that or the skillet would be better, texture wise. You can also eat frittatas cold. They're really not bad cold. Or you can ask your boyfriend to invest in earplugs, if he's that sensitive to sounds. 

 

It worries me that you're feeling woozy -- that might be a sign you're not eating enough. It's hard to tell portion sizes on some of your meals,  but be sure you're eating 1-2 palm-sized portions of protein -- that's the length, width, and depth of your palm -- or if eggs are your only protein source, have as many whole eggs as you can hold in your hand. Have at least 1-2 thumb-sized portions of fat (or a heaping handful or two of olives or coconuts, or a half to a whole avocado, or a small handful of nuts) -- don't count the fat you cook in, as much of that stays in the pan. Then have 1-3 cups of vegetables. 

 

Also make sure you're having enough water -- aim for half your body weight in ounces each day, so if you weigh 120 lbs, have at least 60 oz of water. And salt your food to taste -- when you aren't eating processed foods, you're not getting much salt at all, and you do actually need some salt. 

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Thanks Shannon - of course I can eat them cold! That's how I usually eat them in cafes, not sure why I didn't think of that. 

 

My water intake wasn't great today and I'm still getting a handle on timing of my meals.  I'm gonna post pictures so you guys can see portions.  I feel like I'm eating enough, I could probably eat more, but not sure how.  

 

Food Log

 

Day 3

M1 (10:00am): a few roasted potatoes and squash, banana, two proscuitto wrapped frittatas, black iced coffee

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M2 (2:30pm): Beef Carnitas, Roasted sweet potatoes and squash with coconut flakes, cucumber, cherries

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Snack(6:30pm): two hardboiled eggs, some pineapple and honeydew at event

 

M3 (10:30pm): small piece of chicken, butternut squash soup, cherries and cucumbers leftover from lunch

post-74412-0-82221500-1438054549_thumb.j

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Don't have photos for my eating today, but I did keep track

 

Day 4

M1: 2 prosciutto wrapped frittatas, half a piece of baked chicken, half an avocado, spinach

M2: Beef Carnitas, roasted veggies, a raw green pepper, guacamole, and an orange

Snack: hard boiled egg and blueberries

M3: two bison burgers (about half a pound), oven fries, a few cherry tomatoes, sunflower seed butter

 

Took a nice long nap when I got home from work, then walked two miles.

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Today is my Day 6 - so, I'm 1/6th of the way complete! I've been tired, oh yes, but I really am hoping that this process does change my habits.  I would love to eat like this forever - with the occasional beer/wine/rice/froyo/tacos...but then getting right back to sugar free! 

 

Day 5 (yesterday)

M1 (8:30am): 2 proscuitto wrapped egg frittatas, broccoli, olives

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M2 (1:00pm): Beef Carnitas, Roasted veggies with coconut flakes, green pepper, blueberries

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Snack (6:30pm): Hard Boiled Egg

M3 (9:30pm): Green Chili Chicken Wings, Broccoli, Maduros, Cherries

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I don't like Chicken Wings....I never really have, unless, sometimes, fried at a sports bar....but I really didn't like these.  Maybe on the grill? Maybe a little fresher (they had been in my freezer a long time, probably because I don't like them).  But at least I know now...

 

Pushing a lot of water.  I believe I'm sleeping better, but I think there's an even better that should be upon me soon.

 

It's hard eating so much so early and I'm still worried I may not be getting enough food at each meal, but I'm getting hungry around meal times, not needing to snack or feeling desperately hungry after only two hours....

 

I'm leaving most of my meal planning for Friday afternoon when I leave work early.  I've got to keep it simple, easy, and inexpensive. 

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Yesterday I was not very hungry at all. I didn't need a snack between lunch and dinner - lunch was at 2pm and dinner was at 9:45pm!  hmmm....

 

Day 6 (yesterday)

M1: sorta forget....don't have a photo.  it was two frittatas and a few roasted veggies I think...probably not enough...

M2: half a chicken breast -  I overcooked it and was not enjoying it at all.  about 1.5-2 cups of soup.  raw broccoli and cherries.

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M3: Greek Stuffed Eggplant with ground beef, crudites on the side with olives, brussels sprouts

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My breakfast this morning was 3 scrambled eggs with coconut milk and a little bit of spinach.  

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Ate that around 9am and am only now getting hungry at 1:20pm.  I guess that's good, but I don' t think breakfast was enough...

 

 

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I've been doing this weird thing where I've just been smelling food/drinks I want.  My co-worker invited people to stop by his office for a cookie...I went for a smell.  I smell my boyfriend's beer all the time.  Has anyone else done this?

 

Day 7 (yesterday)

M1: Scrambled Eggs with coconut milk and spinach

Snack: a little bit of left over stuffing for the greek eggplant last night (ground beef and veggies) with a half a cucumber

M2: DO DELICIOUS!!! Green Curry - Ground Beef, Green Beans, Coconut Milk, Green Curry Paste

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M3: SO DELICIOUS!!! 3 Turkey & Cranberry Meatballs with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce and Half a Spaghetti Squash - watermelon

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I really wanted Watermelon, so I got it....feeling like I shouldn't have done that.

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I have some catching up to do. 

 

Home was a little stressful over the weekend as a result I just ate the same thing over and over, my food prep didn't go as well as planned.

 

I'm not sleeping well - perhaps it's from the stress.  I did get some Natural Calm yesterday (to help with sleep, but also) because I also spent some time researching and thinking about birth control and vitamin deficiencies (sparked by a balanced bites podcast).  I think I'm headed towards stopping, but maybe the extra magnesium will help as I make that transition.  

 

As for eating, if I can remember...

 

Day 8

M1: Scrambled eggs with coconut milk (that counts as healthy fat, right?) and broccoli (I made 5 eggs and my boyfriend had 1-2).

M2: Three turkey and cranberry meatballs, pumpkin alfredo sauce, and spaghetti squash

M3: Three turkey and cranberry meatballs, pumpkin alfredo sauce, and spaghetti squash

 

Day 9

M1: 3 Hardboiled Eggs, Lettuce, Sweet potato hash

M2: .... I don't remember ..... 

M3: Roasted Chicken and parsnips, carrots, baby red potatoes

 

Day 10

M1: 2 Spicy Tuna Cakes (nom nom paleo), 1 hardboiled egg, lettuce, mayonnaise that I made! 

M2: Roasted Chicken, parsnips, carrots, potatoes, mayonnaise and a banana

M3: Ground Turkey Curry with coconut milk and green beans

 

Day 11

M1: Broccoli and Ground Turkey, two Spicy Tuna Cakes

M2: Roasted Chicken, lettuce and cucumbers, and oil and vinegar

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I slept better last night.  Upped the Natural Calm Magnesium to two teaspoons (after starting at one as recommended).  Life stress died down a little too.

 

Last night for dinner we went to our local sports bar.  I ordered a garden salad, no croutons or Parmesan, with a side of guacamole and pico de gallo and a piece of mahi mahi.  I asked that the mahi mahi be grilled with olive oil.  The waitress said that was ok, but I didn't get any confirmation that it could be cooked with olive oil from the kitchen - or any confirmation that it wasn't cooked with olive oil....I ate it.  

 

I'm pushing forward...unless anyone reads this and thinks I need to start over.  I'm on Day 12....we really needed a night out.

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Day 12

M1: 2 Tuna Cakes, broccoli, ground turkey

M2: Chicken Salad with mayo and cranberries with lettuce and cucumbers

M3: We went to my boyfriend's mother's house, she made mexican casserole, I ate Ground Turkey with brussels sprouts in olive oil

 

Day 13

M1: 4 tuna cakes

M2: Butternut Squash Soup with extra coconut milk, Lettuce, and two hard boiled eggs

M3; Shredded chicken mixed with mojo sauce, maduros, broccoli

 

Just had a party at work.  There was lots of wine and the only food that was compliant for me was grapes, strawberries, and the kitchen gave me some raw kale and pomegranate seeds.  I ate that to join in and drank water.  The cake looked really good.  But, I was so happy when I got my plate of kale and pomegranate.

 

I'm excited for this to be a permanent change and I'm starting to think about how I can eat during our program weeks (that are super catered) and when things get busier in my life.  

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I've been struggling with timing my meals out and a little bit of trouble with snacking...also not pooing every day...

 

I'm also starting to think about my reintroduction.  Feel like I will ask a few questions in some other forums to figure out how to make this diet sustainable - forever! 

 

Day 14

M1: 3 Scrambled eggs with coconut milk, broccoli, and a banana

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At the work event I had some grapes, strawberries, raw kale and pomegranate seeds (around 12:30pm)

Then a few hours later while I was making the chicken salad for dinner, I ate the other piece of chicken...no real M2

M3: Much much later, I was very hungry, around 9:30pm I ate the chicken salad and some carrots with guacamole.

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Day 15

M1: 3 fried eggs, pepper, onion, and brussels sprouts mix, guacamole

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M2: 1 can Tunafish salad with mayo, wrapped in romaine lettuce pieces

M3: Tomato soup, followed by salmon, sweet potato mash with ghee and coconut milk, and string beans

post-74412-0-34354900-1439218624_thumb.j post-74412-0-78703300-1439218640_thumb.j

 

Day 16

M1: 2 eggs scrambled with 2 applegate natural hot dogs, a little spinach, and a banana

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M2: 1 can Tuna fish with mayo and some baby carrots

M3: Roasted Chicken with parsnips, carrots, and red potatoes

 

 

 

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P.S. What I wanted to say about Day 16 is that M1 was around 10:00am, then we went to the beach.  I packed cashews, dried figs, and some guacamole and carrots.  I ate less than a handful of cashews, and a little bit of guac and carrots.  But M2 wasn't until like 4:30pm and then M3 wasn't until 10:30pm.  I guess that seems fine...I wasn't starving.  

 

I think I also had an apple at some point in the morning and another after dinner....I think I shouldn't buy apples.  If I do eat them I need to incorporate them into my meal.  Figs are part of my meal tonight, but I won't eat any other fruit.  Tomorrow I will skip fruit too.  After that I have apple planned with my dinner meal and there is a honeydew melon I have to eat at some point (will that keep until the weekend if I feel like I shouldn't go there yet?)

 

I just want to be conscious of fruit being a possible grabby, snacky thing that it shouldn't be.

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P.S. What I wanted to say about Day 16 is that M1 was around 10:00am, then we went to the beach.  I packed cashews, dried figs, and some guacamole and carrots.  I ate less than a handful of cashews, and a little bit of guac and carrots.  But M2 wasn't until like 4:30pm and then M3 wasn't until 10:30pm.  I guess that seems fine...I wasn't starving.  

 

I think I also had an apple at some point in the morning and another after dinner....I think I shouldn't buy apples.  If I do eat them I need to incorporate them into my meal.  Figs are part of my meal tonight, but I won't eat any other fruit.  Tomorrow I will skip fruit too.  After that I have apple planned with my dinner meal and there is a honeydew melon I have to eat at some point (will that keep until the weekend if I feel like I shouldn't go there yet?)

 

I just want to be conscious of fruit being a possible grabby, snacky thing that it shouldn't be.

I have discovered that the sweetness of apples (which I love) might possibly be causing me to crave sweets. But I wanted to do something with the apples in my fridge. I ended up making a curry chicken salad which uses mayo, curry powder, chicken, apple, celery and raisins. It's delicious, and using the apples that way really cuts the sweetness!

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Just made a post in the Meal Planning forum: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/30239-meat-fatigue-two-questions/

 

Day 17

M1: 2 scrambled eggs with 2 hot dogs and cabbage

M2: leftover roasted chicken and parsnips with cabbage

M3: 5 lamb meatballs, fig and balsamic compote, cauliflower rice

 

Day 18

M1: 2 scrambled eggs with 2 hot dogs and green beans

M2: 5 lamb meatballs, cabbage, tomato soup

M3: tomato sauce with ground turkey over spaghetti squash, a few dried figs and cashews

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Thank you so much! That's so nice to hear, haven't been having much feedback, so I'm feeling a bit out of touch.  I feel good, think I'm making lasting changes, food is delicious :-)

 

I'm excited, after a nice long re-introduction phase, to have a small ice cream cone made from good ingredients....but that's about all I'm thinking about that's off plan.

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