Starting Aug 11th

[Zyriel]

Well, I know it's a sort of off-day and it's a long shot that anyone else is starting on a Tuesday.

 

This is my first Whole 30. Once upon a time I did Keto, and then transitioned from that to just eating Paleo. After we (Fiance and I) left our gym, over time our diet devovled back to mostly SAD. We still knew what we shouldn't eat, and judged ourselves and each other over it. We avoided unhealthy foods some of the time. I can't remember the last time I had a bean, except maybe in hummus form and even that's rare. But there are sugar and alcohol a-plenty. And I'm a sucker for a sandwich.

 

In the past 6 months I've put on something like 5-8 pounds. I know that doesn't sound like much but I was already about 15 heavier than I'd like to be, I was just stable for a long time, then suddenly I wasn't anymore. And 5 pounds is really obvious on me, to me at least. It sucks. I'm tired of my clothes not fitting. I'm tired of looking bloated. I'm tired of not cooking, and of eating out and having meals lacking in value. I'm tired of being cranky, and tired, and having no energy and feeling... sad.

 

So, back on the wagon we go. And the ladies in a local Paleo Facebook group I'm in all agreed... Whole 30. So here I am.

 

Tonight will consist of meal planning and shopping and such. Probably an on-target dinner. But I singed up for "starting" tomorrow.

 

Cheers!

[Libberation]

Zyriel I am with you! I just finished a half-way Whole30 that I quit half way through because of traveling and blah blah blah excuses. I've fallen off the wagon and just don't like the way I feel and I'm tired of being so unhappy with my appearance/food/mental clarity. So here I go, back on the Whole 30 train to get things in order.

[Betinabrasil]

I'm with you too!  Today is OUR Day #1!

Good luck!!!!

 

[Laura Lee]

Hi there - I started on August 10, so am just beginning this journey too. Hope you do well! Laura Lee *(*

[tinman57]

Started today myself. 

[Zyriel]

Woohoo! Thanx guys! It's nice knowing there are few of you out there.

 

I hope Day 1 went well for everyone. My food came out so-so across the board, which is a little disappointing. I love soup, I need to get better at making it. Following up with some water now.

[jmcbn]

Hi Zyriel - just be sure when you're eating soup that you're getting adequate protein along with it. I need a HUGE bowl of soup to keep me satiated for 4-5hrs - the equivalent of two bowls really, and I often have a little protein & some fat in the form of olives on the side.

If you haven't already maybe check out NomNomPaleo's website & TheClothesMakeTheGirl - both have some really tasty Whole30 compliant recipes that might inspire you...

Good luck!

[Zyriel]

Thanx jmcbn, I also made grilled chicken (one of the Well Fed ones) with the soup. And that always turns out fabulous, but our grill is getting hot spots so they were over-charred this time around.

 

Discovered today that if I cut off the char, chop the chicken and put it IN the soup... and add additional coconut cream to the soup, it came out much much better. So the leftovers are edible, which is nice.

[gnc37]

Hi there, I also started on Tuesday so am just finishing Day 3, hope I may join you!  First three days have been okay.  I kind of "practiced" at about 85% for 3-4 weeks before while I read the book, etc., so it wasn't as bad a transition as it might have been.

 

Have already learned that frequently I identified food with the sauce on it rather than the food itself.  Not sure what to DO with that info, but I found it interesting.

 

So folks, we are 10% of the way through tonight!!!

 

Tonight for dinner I put zucchini through one of those spiralizers, sauteed it, onions, tomatoes and hamburg together in a bit of olive oil, added salt and pepper.  It was VERY tasty.

 

And the other thing that is a little interesting is that this morning I woke up before my alarm...very unusual!

[Zyriel]

Hai gnc37!! It's great to know others are on the same specific days.

 

What do you mean by you "identify food with sauce on it rather than the food itself"?

 

I had the opposite experience this morning and had to drag myself out of bed. But I took the advice of the daily e-mail and took a nap over my lunch break. I definitely was cranky this morning, but it didn't last all day so if that was the worse of my "Kill all the things", I'll be in good shape for a bit.

 

How was everyone else's day?

[gnc37]

By "identify food with sauce," I mean that I've been in such a habit of adding things to food, like ketchup or sauces or cheese or what have you, that I wasn't necessarily tasting the food itself.  I can tell already that this will change how I think about food...

 

Yesterday I bought a pack of very thinly sliced steak.  Just cooked them all up and now have 7 pieces to use for protein for various meals.  And in my reading last night I realized I need less salad and more substantial vegetables.

 

I am diabetic and I woke up this morning with the lowest blood sugar reading that I have had in 2 years!!

[gnc37]

Looking forward to "meeting" the rest of the group!!

[Seafarer]

Hi there! I started Aug 13 so I'm just a couple days behind all of you. Still trying to puzzle out my goals. I did a Whole30 in 2013 but lost it in the intervening two years. August is a great month for this! Lots of fresh produce to work with.

[ladyshanny]

By "identify food with sauce," I mean that I've been in such a habit of adding things to food, like ketchup or sauces or cheese or what have you, that I wasn't necessarily tasting the food itself.  I can tell already that this will change how I think about food...

 

If you find yourself in a food boredom phase, rest assured that there are lots of sauces out there that are delicious and really make the meal!

 

Sunshine Sauce

Chimichurri

Homemade Mayo (and a zillion variations on that)

Lizard Sauce

Kickass Ketchup

The Best Ranch Dressing.  Ever.

[Zyriel]

Ditto what ladyshanny said. I was going to point you to WellFed and WellFed 2, she's all about delicious sauces to make your meals varied and interesting.

I actually have a home-made katsup in my fridge right now, not sure what I'll do with it since I'm not much for katsup, but it was stinking easy to make.

 

I'm gonna have to try that Ranch ladyshanny linked too, been thinking about ranch the last two days. Problem is, I'm still struggling to find an oil for this type of use. I made my second batch of Mayo last night with safflower oil this time instead of avocado oil. It's way more palatable, but it's not neutral like a store bought mayo, pretty nutty. Come to think of it that would probably be fine for salad dressing. I'm just worried it'll make my tuna salad weird.

[Zyriel]

Whew, avoided temptations yesterday.

 

Roommate bought some s'more stuffed cereal he wanted me to try. I managed to turn him down without having to make excuses or explanations. Stupid stuff smelled good, but I'm really glad I didn't eat one.

 

Had a friend over for dinner. He ate a Whole30 meal with me, which I'm really proud of him for. He doesn't really eat vegetables except when I server them to him, which is amusing. He said when I told him I was serving cooked carrots he was really worried cause he doesn't like cooked carrots, but that he loved them. We devoured a small bag of baby carrots just the two of us and both wanted more.

 

I served my friend some juice we still had in the fridge and it was pretty hard not to grab the glass for a sip but I didn't do it. I could smell it on him too.

 

Also, I'm having food dreams. Anyone else having food dreams?

The other night it was a guilt one, where I ate some cheese and woke up feeling guilty. But last night was a good one. I can't remember it clearly but it was about making good food and feeding friends. I guess I was still proud of my friend eating my Whole30 meal with me, lol.

[gnc37]

Good job resisting temptation!  We entertained our adult kids last night and served them whole30, though we did give them rolls for their compliant chicken sausage--three different flavors! and some (compliant) Applegate hot dogs, plus steamed green beans, roasted potatoes and tomato with basil and balsamic vinegar.  It was delicious!!  No food dreams but this afternoon I felt so nauseous. I was working outside and it's really hot, so maybe I was just a little dehyrdated and hungry.  I do feel hungry still but am not snacking, sticking with my meals and trying to eat more at meal time.

[gnc37]

I forgot to say thanks for the sauce recipes.  I already planned to make ghee tomorrow and maybe will try to make the ketchup, too.  Chimichurri sounds delicious, too.  This will be helpful!

[Zyriel]

Today makes a full week! How's everyone doing?

 

I'm finding that I really like doing a "Your Whole30 Log" right in the forum. I know that what I'm doing can be seen by others and it makes it a lot harder to fudge on things like not having veggies for breakfast, or skipping a meal. Not to say I haven't done it, but it makes me accountable to someone other than myself, even if no one's saying anything.

 

Is anyone else doing the e-mail thing? I'm getting those and I really appreciate them too. I'm getting to where I love opening it up to see what I can expect for my day. heh.

[santamarina]

My wife and I also started on the 11th.  One week in and going strong! But today “I just want a nap…”  This is the first day I’ve felt the negative affects described in the time-line (no hangover or “kill all the things”), but I conquered it with an extra cup of coffee and a little outdoor activity. 

[gnc37]

I struggled today.  Felt nauseous all day.  I have a problem because I absolutely abhor coconuts and olives (though I've cooked with olive oil for ages and have tried coconut oil for cooking, too.  (Kind of think it's a little weird when it smells like suntan lotion when it heats!)  So, I never ate avocados before and have been trying them but am just not liking them at all.  So, if anyone has any good ideas about how I can get some fat in my diet that would be great.

 

So, hanging in there even though earlier today I thought of giving it up...

[GFChris]

I struggled today.  Felt nauseous all day.  I have a problem because I absolutely abhor coconuts and olives (though I've cooked with olive oil for ages and have tried coconut oil for cooking, too.  (Kind of think it's a little weird when it smells like suntan lotion when it heats!)  So, I never ate avocados before and have been trying them but am just not liking them at all.  So, if anyone has any good ideas about how I can get some fat in my diet that would be great.

 

So, hanging in there even though earlier today I thought of giving it up...

Homemade mayo, ghee, clarfied butter, tallow, duck fat, compliant bacon fat, and on a limited basis, nuts and seeds.

[Zyriel]

@santamarina, perhaps an early to bed night too? Sleep has been a hard one for me. I made a goal to go to bed by a certain time and have yet to hit it once. :/

 

@gnc37, I'm sorry to hear that! Regarding GFChris' ideas, duck fat is amazing. I have some in my fridge waiting for the right occasion, which will probably be to roast potatoes. You can also target fattier cuts of meat, like chicken/turkey thigh and beef rib-eye.

 

If you get refined coconut oil (rather than the unrefined/virgin stuff) you might find it smells less of coconut. 

 

Do you dislike both black and green olives? Maybe one will work ok where the other doesn't?

 

Hang in there, you can do this. Maybe posting a food log and asking for feedback (I think there's a specific way to get mod attention in that sub-forum) will help, they may be able to give some specific suggestions that will even things out for you.

[bob lesie]

I'm starting on August 20th,year

[gnc37]

I found a new compliant, sugar-free, uncured, no sulfites BACON at whole foods. Even if it doesn't taste great it should be a good fat. Thanks for the encouragement. I skipped supper last night and just went to bed. Enjoyed breakfast and have high hopes for lunch, too. One meal at a time. And tonight I will clarify some butter. Glad to be on the forum.