Starting September 1 - Who's with me?

[michellemahi]

Quote.... yesterday was what I planned and went well. Last night's dinner was AMAZING - we did Taco Tuesday using crock pot salsa chicken that had been cooking all day. Why in the world haven't I done that before!?!!? So good, and crazy easy. Just dump chicken and compliant salsa in the crockpot on low for 8ish hours. Wow.

Hello ATL Jen, I just wanted to mention that we do a similar delicious meal in the crockpot with salsa verde and pork tenderloin in the slow cooker for about 8 hours. I usually put mine on lettuce with tomatoes, Guac, and cilantro. So tasty! And cheap and easy!

[ATL_Jen]

Hello ATL Jen, I just wanted to mention that we do a similar delicious meal in the crockpot with salsa verde and pork tenderloin in the slow cooker for about 8 hours. I usually put mine on lettuce with tomatoes, Guac, and cilantro. So tasty! And cheap and easy!

 

Thanks for this! Maybe that will be next week's version of Taco Tuesday?

 

One of the challenging things in meal planning this time has been my husband. We've been married a month and are still gettting used to meal planning and eating ALL of our dinners together, as opposed to much more sporadically when we were dating. We have very different eating styles: I can eat the same meal over and over, and leftovers for days, while he's not a fan of leftovers in general, in addition to just eating way more than I realized. Last night's 2 lbs of chicken for the 2 of us will probably turn out to be just 2 meals, instead of the 3-4 I'd thought. Yikes!

[NancyW]

I know I saw something on the forum about OTC meds, but I can't find it now, and I'm at work (so should be working). Is Ibuprofen ok to treat the headache? Or am I better off just toughing it out? It'll be tough, as we're doing month end, and I reconcile all the cash accounts.    Thanks in advance!

[GFChris]

I know I saw something on the forum about OTC meds, but I can't find it now, and I'm at work (so should be working). Is Ibuprofen ok to treat the headache? Or am I better off just toughing it out? It'll be tough, as we're doing month end, and I reconcile all the cash accounts.    Thanks in advance!

OTC meds for pain are fine: we don't expect you to tough out a headache. 

Also be sure you're drinking enough water: we recommend 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily.

[hopelohman]

Today is day 2 for me (first W30).  Food-wise going well though sometimes my mind goes blank when thinking of how to get more veggies on the plate.   It's a learning experience.  I'm getting very familiar with the local Sprouts stores: Saturday evening, I must have been there for almost an hour reading labels, bagging veggies, reading more labels, etc.  The thought crossed my mind that it would save time just to grab a spear and go hunt (sugar-free) meat myself, but that might not go over so well in suburbia. 

 

And my mileage certainly varies from the W30 timeline.  Day 1 breakfast was "kill all things" - specifically, cooking utensils to anyone's skull who got in my way while cooking (don't worry - I controlled myself).  And last night, the food dreams started.  In the dreams, my 8 yo son/consience would doubtfully ask (after I ate something), "Mom, are you allowed to eat that?".  My mind is certainly keeping me amused.

[milonac]

I'm really loving this group!! I love reading everyone's meals and experiences.  Thanks for sharing!

 

Yesterday went pretty well, but I am fighting a pretty good headache. I added some potatoes to breakfast this morning and I think that may be helping.

 

Yesterday's meals:

M1-  omelet with ground sirloin, spinach, and tomatoes. Also had 1/4 avocado and a small serving of blueberries and strawberries.  This held me really well until lunch.

M2 - Chicken, romaine lettuce, spinach, 1/2 tomato, sliced almonds, blueberries, olive oil and red wine vinegar, squeeze of lime and some dried herbs. (I only used a small handful of blueberries in there, which I've never done before.  They were delicious!)

M3- I was really hungry so I just has a small piece of chicken. I probably either need to prep some "snacks" to have on hand or maybe add more to lunch?

M4- Spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce and ground beef.  I used fresh oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaves and it was phenomenal. I usually use dried herbs but the difference in the fresh was amazing.  I wanted to add fresh spinach to the sauce, but I forgot and didn't realize until I was eating it. Opps. Next time.  This dish was really good, but I feel like I might be missing something?  I used olive oil when baking the squash and cooking the ground beef. 

 

Am I getting enough fat?  I feel like I might not be? I'm using olive oil in most things and I do have some avocados but they weren't ripe enough yesterday so I didn't have them in my salad as I planned.

 

Also, I tried my hand at making the homemade mayo (from W30 book) and it did not come out right at all. If anyone can give me suggestions I'd appreciate it.

The mayo seemed to be going well until I added the lemon juice at the end.  Then it curdled.  :-( 

[NancyW]

OTC meds for pain are fine: we don't expect you to tough out a headache. 

Also be sure you're drinking enough water: we recommend 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily.

Thanks, GFChris!! I do drink tons of water, so that's one thing I don't have to work hard at.

[DelJan]

Milonac - I'm almost certain you add the Lemmon juice and egg (both at room temp) ground mustard (opt) and 1/4 cup oil to start the process - blend very well, then drizzle rest of olive oil as you blend, very slowly. Don't add lemon juice at the end. Anyone else, am I correct? I made it last year, haven't made any this year, may go without it...

[marthab]

Day one was good. Meal one was light on protein but

Meal 2 was tuna lettuce wraps with carrots and celery mixed with home made mayo. I love homemade mayo.

Meal 3 was steak, cauliflower fried rice with brocolli and onions and  a side of pineapple. delicious. 

 

So day two! The plan is eggs and left over steak for meal 1. We have some tomatoes from the garden I can toss in for vegetable matter. 

Meal two will be tuna and avocado mayo. I have some artichoke hearts that I like to add as a side. 

Meal three is pork chops with sweet potato. I ususally just micro wave them and drizzle some ghee on them.

I got this morning's day one newsletter and yesterdays day zero newsletter ( I signed up a day late) and made some goals and took some pictures as recommended. I have lost signifigant weight since July when I started my first whole30, and I am sure I will see some results in the blood work i had drawn last week. that is the real benefit. I find out tomorrow how the whole30 life style has impacted my health indicators. 

My goal is better blood work-lower sugar specifically -and going to the gym three times a week. starting today:) Of course if I lose more weight I will not complain. 

[marthab]

Home made mayo. I use an immersion blender-also called a stick blender. I just put everything into the jar, all at once, and blend. I haven't had any problems. I never had success with any other mixing methods. for me, it was worth the cost of the blender. 

BTW the mustard is an emulsifier and keeps things blended. The lemon is for flavor. 

[SuzeEG]

Just thought of a tip to share - Best thing I did on my 1st W30 was to buy an InstantPot.  The pressure cooker function saved me on nights when I forgot to thaw meat ahead of time or got home late and it saved lots of time on weekends when I was cooking ahead.  It's also a slow cooker, steamer and has a sautee function.  Great space saver instead of having 1 appliance for each function.  And if you reintroduce dairy you can make yogurt with it.  Ha - I sound like an infomercial

[Crimsann]

@milonac, totally agree with the comments above on the worth of an immersion blender.  I too tried homemade mayo the first week of my first Whole30 and it was a disaster!  I looked over all the suggestions I got and ended up finding a recipe online that worked so much better for me, and the key probably was that immersion blender.  I was already thinking on the drive in to work this morning that I wanted to talk about the tools I bought during my first Whole30 and which were worth it in the long run and which were a waste of money for me.  The blender is easily the one I appreciate having the most! 

 

Here is the recipe I settled on using which has always worked out really well for me.  http://www.everydaymaven.com/2014/how-to-make-mayonnaise/

 

I love avocado oil, but did NOT love it for mayo so I take the suggestions to look for a light olive oil and that helped as well with a milder more neutral taste.  I also found I really need to measure the lemon juice, a lot of recipes call for the juice of a lemon but that can vary so much and I think can really impact the taste if you get too much.

[Linda75]

Also, I tried my hand at making the homemade mayo (from W30 book) and it did not come out right at all. If anyone can give me suggestions I'd appreciate it.

The mayo seemed to be going well until I added the lemon juice at the end.  Then it curdled.  :-( 

 

I love making mayo with an immersion blender. I think it's the fastest, easiest way to do it. Put all the ingredients in, put in the immersion blender, turn it on, and in less than 10 seconds, it's mayo! I'm not crazy about eating raw eggs these days, so I make it with organic pasteurized egg whites (3 T = 1 egg). My immersion blender booklet had the recipe and I've been using it for years. Here's the recipe and some notes about it:

 

Mayonnaise

1 cup oil

1 egg (or 3 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites)

1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Put all ingredients into the container in the above order. Position the blender at the base of the container.

Blend on high, keeping the blender in this position until the oil emulsifies.

Then, without switching the blender off, slowly move it up and down until the mayonnaise is thoroughly combined.

 

NOTES

• Make it in the container that you’re going to store it in – I usually use a 12-oz jar with a wide neck or a 16-oz plastic container. Then, the only cleanup is the blender wand.
• I usually put the ingredients in the "wrong" order – egg, lemon/vinegar, salt & pepper, oil – and it's still been fine.
• After it emulsifies, depending on your preferred thickness, you may want to lower the blender speed– or stop blending before all the oil is mixed in and stir in the rest.
• You can add mustard or seasonings at the start – or mix them (or other things, like grated ginger) in later.
• Pasteurized egg whites last a long time in the fridge, even after they’re opened. And the mayonnaise lasts longer too because it doesn’t have a raw egg in it.
• I use Whole Foods 365 organic egg whites (much cheaper than the name brands).
• With the pasteurized egg whites, since you can measure in the amount (as opposed to whole eggs), you can make a smaller amount of mayo if you don’t want a full cup.

[mmlbaylor]

Just finished my second yesterday and adding two more weeks!!  Starting a TRUE Whole 30 (my 3rd) on 9/21!

 

Like many have said PREPARE< PREPARE< PREPARE

 

I found if I made 2 or 3 things to have on hand already cooked for the week it made things easy! My FAVE is carne asada with tomatillo avocado salsa and Buffalo Ranch chicken.  Having meat cooked and ready meant easier lunches or when I "didn't feel like cooking" less temptation to eat bad food.

 

Make a menu for the week...you might deviate from it some but you will feel less intimidated if you have a game plan!

 

One day at a time....it is SOOO wortth it in the end!

[milonac]

Thanks for all the mayo tips!

It looks like I'll be picking up an immersion blender.

I used a blender and it looked perfect before I added the lemon.  I'm wondering if maybe I just used too much lemon juice? I was making a double batch and squeezed half a large lemon and it immediately got funky.  Or maybe I added the lemon too fast? I squeezed the lemon out first to avoid getting any seeds in the mayo and just dumped it in.

 

I've noticed some recipes calling for lemon juice, some vinegar, and some ACV.  Is there much of a difference? Or just preference? I know it's unlikely to get something as close to the Hellmann's I'm used to...but here's to trying. LOL.

[tonicuttino]

Day 2, feeling ok. M1 veggie filled omelette, ground turkey. M2 shrimp,yam, brussel sprouts. I promised my kids Six Flags on Saturday. I will pack my food. Any advice on something's to pack

[BeautifulMonster]

I'm coming along too!  This will be my second Whole30, but the previous one was 2 years ago.  I feel good in that I have a very clear picture of what works, what doesn't and where the problems are (for example: the 2:30 BLAHS at work).  I made a ton of food over the weekend and froze most of it, just to be ready.  A double batch of NomNom Paleo's Curried Cream of Broccoli Soup, a double batch of Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce (I serve on top of mashed cauliflower instead of rice), a double batch of Leaf Parade's Balsamic Beef Bolognese and a double batch of Melissa Joulwan's Citrus Carnitas (I put these IN the broccoli soup. OMNOMNOM.  I used the pressure cooker method, makes my Sunday cook-up SO.MUCH.FASTER.)  With all that in the fridge and freezer, I feel confident that I can survive the week, even if I *don't* cook the rest of the week.  Oh! and a spicy kabocha soup, prepared with The Kitcn's method.   I am READY.  

But it was still a tough first day, when you ask "WHY am I doing this again?"  But I know, I've been here before.  I just have to power through and not let rumination get in the way.  

[MelissaT]

Thanks for all the mayo tips!

It looks like I'll be picking up an immersion blender.

I used a blender and it looked perfect before I added the lemon.  I'm wondering if maybe I just used too much lemon juice? I was making a double batch and squeezed half a large lemon and it immediately got funky.  Or maybe I added the lemon too fast? I squeezed the lemon out first to avoid getting any seeds in the mayo and just dumped it in.

 

I've noticed some recipes calling for lemon juice, some vinegar, and some ACV.  Is there much of a difference? Or just preference? I know it's unlikely to get something as close to the Hellmann's I'm used to...but here's to trying. LOL.

This is the recipe I use for my mayo and it's never failed me! http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/I love my immersion blender - it so useful for mayo and dressings and pureeing soups.

[Acha]

Hi Everyone

To add to the mayo discussion-I like to make roasted red pepper aioli: just use the immersion blender to make the mayo, then use the blender or food processor to puree some canned red peppers which have been drained and dried off. Use some cheesecloth to drain the puree briefly, then stir thoroughly but gently into the prepared mayo. Note: when I made the aioli the more traditional way-putting everything together to begin with, it was a bit too thin.

So, today I feel better than yesterday (this is day 4) but definitely had carb flu yesterday! Ugh. Just goes to show how fast the body becomes sugar dependent as I finished my last W30 on July 24. I am definitely going to think of this as a 40 day commitment; my reintroduction was sloppy last time.

[shwillia]

Day 2 - enjoying each day as a success story.  I want to thank everyone for posting recipe websites and ideas, it makes it sooooo much easier than trying to find things on your own. There is a lot of great advice and encourangement on this website and although I have never participated in a blog before this one just seems so "real" and motivating.  Plus it is great to hear fro those that have tried before and both succeeded and were challenged. Please keep posting those websites with recipe ideas and all of your helpful hints...for a newbie like me it is greatly apprecaited!!! 

[art-school-girl]

Today is day two for most of us. Yay! Difficult evening last night, but I made it through with about 3/4 c of compliant cashews. I'm sososo trying to break this bad habit of mine: snacking after dinner. I'm a chip-aholic. Any kind. Never met a chip I didn't like (I've met some chaps I didn't care for, but I digress!)

Carrying on with compliant meals. m1 today was 1egg+1 egg white; 1.5 c spinach; 3/4 sautéed crimini mushrooms all heated up in 2 tsp. clarified butter; 1/4 cantaloupe and 16 oz. black coffee. About an hour later I was hungry! And still am. I guess I'm not eating enough at breakfast?

So two problems I'm having: hungry after breakfast (yesterday after similar meal I was full and satiated) and crushing the snack dragon especially after dinner and into evening hours. Any advice welcomed.

Here's a quote that came from a friend this morning on a totally different subject matter, but I think totally applies to us: "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." Vincent Van Gogh Right? Rock on, Day 2, small thing!

Have a great day, everyone.

[AshleyM2484]

Good morning from Arizona!!

 

Day One was a success although I had to skip CrossFit because I was sooo exhausted on my ride home from work.  I did get a small burst of energy when I was cooking dinner.  I must say that I enjoy cooking so dinner is the one meal that I don't "prep" entirely for.  Breakfast on the other hand?  I have to prep!

 

Big success for me today (Day Two):  I carpooled with my co worker this morning.  We got near the office about 20 minutes early and she asked if I could take her to McDonald's for a coffee.  She apologized since I couldn't have anything (I pretty much told anyone who would listen that I was doing W30 lol).  Funny thing is, as many iced coffees as I've had, I wasn't interested in one today.  Now, I'm sure that craving will come full force at some point this month but I'm ready.  It felt good to say NO!  

 

DAY TWO

M1:  (Same as yesterday) Veggie and egg quiche with broccoli, onion, garlic and zucchini

M2:  Salad with grilled chicken, cucumbers, avocado, carrots and a lime for seasoning (similar to yesterday)

M3:  Spaghetti squash with grilled chicken, broccoli, onion and my homemade jalapeno-mango salsa.  (Have some of the sauce leftover from last night's "nachos" and it was a HIT!!)

[GFChris]

Carrying on with compliant meals. m1 today was 1egg+1 egg white; 1.5 c spinach; 3/4 sautéed crimini mushrooms all heated up in 2 tsp. clarified butter; 1/4 cantaloupe and 16 oz. black coffee. About an hour later I was hungry! And still am. I guess I'm not eating enough at breakfast?

So two problems I'm having: hungry after breakfast (yesterday after similar meal I was full and satiated) and crushing the snack dragon especially after dinner and into evening hours. Any advice welcomed.

Right, your breakfast looks a tad light.

- Why egg whites? Eat the whole egg.    In fact, when eggs are you sole protein, the recommended serving size is the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping them. For most folks, that's 3-4 eggs.

- Why only 3/4 c mushrooms? The recommended veggie portion is 1-3 cups.

- Feel free to add some more fat: it's 1-2 thumb-sized amounts of clarified butter per meal. Also note that much of the cooking fat stays behind in the pan, so you may need to compensate by adding more fat.

- Fruit at breakfast can sometimes result in cravings in the afternoon. You might try removing the melon and making the recommendations above and see if that helps.  

 

In short, build your 3 meals to have 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and the appropriate amount of compliant fat, to satiate you for 4-5 hours. Until you get there, if you find yourself hungry between meals (litmus test: you could eat something bland like steamed fish and broccoli), have a mini meal of protein, carb and fat. Note that nuts are a fat on a Whole30 and the serving size is a closed handful.

 

Also to further help curb snacking, be sure you're staying well-hydrated. Our recommendation is 1/2 oz water per pound of body weight, daily.

[GFChris]

Thanks for all the mayo tips!

...

 

I've noticed some recipes calling for lemon juice, some vinegar, and some ACV.  Is there much of a difference? Or just preference? I know it's unlikely to get something as close to the Hellmann's I'm used to...but here's to trying. LOL.

It boils down to preference. I happen to love lemon, so I personally go with fresh lemon juice.   I would say choose one of the acids: not all three.

And when you master mayo, trust me, you will NEVER want Hellmann's again: homemade mayo is in a completely different league! 

[bjaneg]

Now, THAT sounds delicious! You will have to post that recipe! 

Here yo go - some modifications. We used 1/2 ghee and 1/2 oil for the butter, skipped the corn, used almond meal for the flour and obviously didn't serve it over rice. We all liked it. I will say without rice, this serves 4 hungry adults and 1 non-so-hungry toddler...

 

Chicken and Andouille Gumbo