The Tiger Tots of the CFC

[Carolee]

It's still raining and now we are having high winds. The water is pretty high and there is flooding all over. I am right on the coast, beautiful view but bothersome at times like this. I got up at 1 am last night (high tide) to make sure it wasn't flooding. High tide tonight is supposed to be 6 feet and that will be trouble.

 

Just finished cleaning up the kitchen after my weekly cook up. I made Chocolate Chili, meatloaf, turkey cranberry muffins, roasted a spaghetti squash, velvety butternut squash with pecans, cauliflower soup, sunshine sauce, compliant ketchup for my meatload, and red pepper sauce. I have a boston butt studded with garlic and rubbed with salt and pepper. It's going into my crockpot with 3 strips of bacon on the bottom and will cook for 16 hours on low so I'll start it about 8 pm. I have some chicken breasts brining and I'll grill them tomorrow. My meals will be easy this week, reheat, cook veggies, salad, eggs. About 3/4 of what I made will go in the freezer for future meals. I'm a widow and sometimes I just don't want to cook dinner but I do want a healthy meal.

WOW!  You've inspired me to book a weekly cookup in my schedule.  I'm not liking the amount of time healthy eating takes in the kitchen and also like to make meals ahead.  I'm impressed with your lineup of meals done in one day.  I've made some of the recipes. Are most of them from Well Fed?

[Crimsann]

So I feel like I'm probably not going to get to do a full wrap up of September the way things are going right now...like how I've typed just this line about three words at a time in between interruptions.  I shouldn't be surprised, October usually kicks off the most insanely busy time of each year between work and life, but I really want a "slow motion" button right about now.

 

Anyway, I did my sampling on the scales this weekend and for whatever reason it was a lot more stable than last time...in other words it was reporting a rather steady 5 pound loss without the fluctuations I saw last time so that was interesting.  It's about what I anticipated knowing that I'm over four months into the program at this point and the initial loss was likely to slow down.  I feel like five pounds is excellent for this stage of the game for me.  It also keeps things on edge though for the next three months knowing I don't have a lot of "wiggle room" to put that back on.  I've never done measurements, which I now sort of regret, but I have bought the exact same pair of jeans in four consecutively smaller sizes now since April so I have a pretty good idea on how the body composition is coming.  I've also found this somewhat annoying in a way I could probably ONLY share here, but having just had to buy a new wardrobe in April due to some dress code changes...being faced with the fact that almost NONE of it fits anymore is both delightful and aggravating.  Just when my grocery bill started to level off, here goes my fashion budget!

 

And then there was the alarming habit I started to develop of finding myself listening to the yoga video saying "hands to hips" but instead mine were exploring how much more toned my tush felt.  ::blush::

 

I also feel like September was a sort of odd turning point, not so much for me, but for some people around me.  Three of the ladies I'm closest too had health scares this month, ranging from the pretty serious tumor discovery to gallstones to unexplained bouts of vertigo, and all three are talking now about some serious diet/lifestyle changes and using me as an inspiration for being able to do them.  Rather than just accepting the medication/surgery options they are looking at ways to use food to get to a better place.  I started to feel like I've been doing Whole30 less for me, and more so I could be in a better place to help bring balance to the plans they are coming up with.  Only one of them has mentioned seriously doing a Whole30 with me in January, so we will see how that turns out.  I wasn't sure I was going to post about this at all, so I'm still working through my thoughts on being "an example", but it's been on my mind this morning.     

[Carolee]

What a weekend - I ended up at a festival - actually could make some good choices - pulled pork with no sauce and water and the chocolate dipped strawberries without the chocolate!  Then we had dinner out - had my first few sips of wine but then decided I just didn't want to drink. It was a birthday dinner party for a friend so for dessert I had a bite of sorbet. Otherwise all good.

 

I really had my first true cheat on Sunday at an auction party - ate all complient foods but had one bite of a salted caramel. And to be honest I was good with that - otherwise we are staying mostly Whole30 - the one thing I am going to reintroduce this week is oatmeal.  I really want something different for breakfast and with my slight allergy to eggs I have been avoiding them even though I love them but it is not worth the mild upset tummy every time I eat them.  I have lost 20 pounds and 20 inches since September 1st and could not be happier about how I fell.  I have done all this under my Natruopath's recommendation and could not be happier.  I have an appointment with her tomorrow and can't wait to share my successes.  Of course I still have quite a bit more to lose but with all of my NSV I know it will eventually come off and I okay with that - it is just so nice to not count calories or track food. And I have found that I really am enjoying making new recipes.

 

Anyway - glad we are all still together to share our adventures in eating.

 

Please share your new and favorite recipes - especially if you have some good soup ones as the days get cooler - always looking for a good one!!

 

Have a great Monday!

What a fun weekend of good choices for you!  Congrats. 

[Carolee]

I can't figure out how to attach a Word file so here's my favorite soup recipe.  If you don't like spicy, eliminate the jalapeno pepper.

 

Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup

 

2 Tbs avocado oil

1 c finely chopped onion

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (no more than one)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-7 c chicken stock

3 lb sweet potatoes, baked (ends trimmed after baking but skins on)

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

¾ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

 

Puree potatoes with enough stock to desired consistency.  Simmer all ingredients 30 minutes to blend flavors and adjust thickness.

 

1 huge potato is 1 – 1 ½ #

[Puppyholic]

I've also found this somewhat annoying in a way I could probably ONLY share here, but having just had to buy a new wardrobe in April due to some dress code changes...being faced with the fact that almost NONE of it fits anymore is both delightful and aggravating.  Just when my grocery bill started to level off, here goes my fashion budget!

 

And then there was the alarming habit I started to develop of finding myself listening to the yoga video saying "hands to hips" but instead mine were exploring how much more toned my tush felt.  ::blush::  

 

I totally relate to all of this. While I have zero dollars in my budget for new clothes after all the groceries, I just keep telling myself that it's a good problem to have. At least, for me, I can finally fit into the old clothes I thought I'd have to ditch after I gained weight last fall/winter . Oh, and I can't tell you how many times I've been looking in the mirror halfway through getting dressed in the morning and being like, "Don't you look fit today!"

 

I wished I'd joined the September Whole30 community when I started last month! One of my least favourite parts of this experience was feeling like I had to defend my choices and explain that this isn't a fad diet. Would've been awesome to chat with folks who are supportive!

 

After reading some of the reintro reactions on here, though, I'm a bit afraid to start that process and lose my progress. I mean, I know I won't lose my progress, but it's a bit of a psychological dilemma. I treated myself to some sweet potato fries (almost compliant, as they didn't have any cornstarch or anything on them—they were deep-fried in "100% non-GMO sunflower oil") on my second day off the Whole30. I only ate about half before shoving them over to my friend, and my belly wasn't entirely pleased with me, but they were the best sweet pot fries I've ever had so to me it was worth it. Yesterday I went to a Mongolian grill with my family and decided to reintro non-gluten grains in the form of rice noodles. Didn't react terribly, but my body definitely recognized it as something unfamiliar, and I don't think it was worth it. Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend, though, so I'm a bit nervous about how I'll proceed.

 

Happy Monday, all!

[NancyW]

Wow, if today is an example of how I can expect to feel all the time, count me in! It's a "buffer day" for me--that Monday you take off when you've been out of town and busy all weekend. Usually, it involves...nothing. Sitting, TV, napping, reading, etc. Today, it involves cooking, cleaning, laundry, more cooking, and it's only a bit after noon! I like having the energy to do that.

[misslindy]

So I feel like I'm probably not going to get to do a full wrap up of September the way things are going right now...like how I've typed just this line about three words at a time in between interruptions.  I shouldn't be surprised, October usually kicks off the most insanely busy time of each year between work and life, but I really want a "slow motion" button right about now.

 

Anyway, I did my sampling on the scales this weekend and for whatever reason it was a lot more stable than last time...in other words it was reporting a rather steady 5 pound loss without the fluctuations I saw last time so that was interesting.  It's about what I anticipated knowing that I'm over four months into the program at this point and the initial loss was likely to slow down.  I feel like five pounds is excellent for this stage of the game for me.  It also keeps things on edge though for the next three months knowing I don't have a lot of "wiggle room" to put that back on.  I've never done measurements, which I now sort of regret, but I have bought the exact same pair of jeans in four consecutively smaller sizes now since April so I have a pretty good idea on how the body composition is coming.  I've also found this somewhat annoying in a way I could probably ONLY share here, but having just had to buy a new wardrobe in April due to some dress code changes...being faced with the fact that almost NONE of it fits anymore is both delightful and aggravating.  Just when my grocery bill started to level off, here goes my fashion budget!

 

And then there was the alarming habit I started to develop of finding myself listening to the yoga video saying "hands to hips" but instead mine were exploring how much more toned my tush felt.  ::blush::

 

I also feel like September was a sort of odd turning point, not so much for me, but for some people around me.  Three of the ladies I'm closest too had health scares this month, ranging from the pretty serious tumor discovery to gallstones to unexplained bouts of vertigo, and all three are talking now about some serious diet/lifestyle changes and using me as an inspiration for being able to do them.  Rather than just accepting the medication/surgery options they are looking at ways to use food to get to a better place.  I started to feel like I've been doing Whole30 less for me, and more so I could be in a better place to help bring balance to the plans they are coming up with.  Only one of them has mentioned seriously doing a Whole30 with me in January, so we will see how that turns out.  I wasn't sure I was going to post about this at all, so I'm still working through my thoughts on being "an example", but it's been on my mind this morning.     

 

It might be a good thing you are an example, as you put it. By showing the way, others are improving their lives, which in turn improves the entire human condition, change is one person at a time. Butterfly effect, could be just the thing happening.

[misslindy]

I can't figure out how to attach a Word file so here's my favorite soup recipe.  If you don't like spicy, eliminate the jalapeno pepper.

 

Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup

 

2 Tbs avocado oil

1 c finely chopped onion

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (no more than one)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-7 c chicken stock

3 lb sweet potatoes, baked (ends trimmed after baking but skins on)

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

¾ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

 

Puree potatoes with enough stock to desired consistency.  Simmer all ingredients 30 minutes to blend flavors and adjust thickness.

 

1 huge potato is 1 – 1 ½ #

Thanks for this, I am going to attempt making it, sounds delicious.

[QuilterInVA]

WOW!  You've inspired me to book a weekly cookup in my schedule.  I'm not liking the amount of time healthy eating takes in the kitchen and also like to make meals ahead.  I'm impressed with your lineup of meals done in one day.  I've made some of the recipes. Are most of them from Well Fed?

Most are from Well Fed. I like her stuff a lot. That's also where I got the idea of batch cooking. It sure saves a ton of time during the week and also cuts down on the kitchen cleanup time.

 

I can't figure out how to attach a Word file so here's my favorite soup recipe.  If you don't like spicy, eliminate the jalapeno pepper.

 

Sweet Potato Jalapeño Soup

 

2 Tbs avocado oil

1 c finely chopped onion

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (no more than one)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-7 c chicken stock

3 lb sweet potatoes, baked (ends trimmed after baking but skins on)

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

¾ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

 

Puree potatoes with enough stock to desired consistency.  Simmer all ingredients 30 minutes to blend flavors and adjust thickness.

 

1 huge potato is 1 – 1 ½ #

That sounds so good. It's getting cooler now and I'm looking for soup recipes. I'll try this one on my next cookup.

[NancyW]

I miscalculated. When I went to record my measurements, I found that my starting weight was more than I thought. I actually lost 13.6 pounds in those 30 days, not 9.2 as originally posted. I'm speechless... (And THAT doesn't happen often!)

[djoyce]

After reading some of the reintro reactions on here, though, I'm a bit afraid to start that process and lose my progress. I mean, I know I won't lose my progress, but it's a bit of a psychological dilemma. I treated myself to some sweet potato fries (almost compliant, as they didn't have any cornstarch or anything on them—they were deep-fried in "100% non-GMO sunflower oil") on my second day off the Whole30. I only ate about half before shoving them over to my friend, and my belly wasn't entirely pleased with me, but they were the best sweet pot fries I've ever had so to me it was worth it. Yesterday I went to a Mongolian grill with my family and decided to reintro non-gluten grains in the form of rice noodles. Didn't react terribly, but my body definitely recognized it as something unfamiliar, and I don't think it was worth it. Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend, though, so I'm a bit nervous about how I'll proceed.

 

PuppyH... Well Thanksgiving is a bit of a challenge.  I am having a small family (100% control) meal with my wife, and two kids on Friday.  We then leave Saturday to go to my Sister-in-law's house for dinner (not turkey) on Saturday (0%) control of menu and then off to my Dad's (Grandpa's) house for a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner Sunday.

 

I was going to re-introduce this week but I decided to start re-introductions on Monday.  Having the rules on Thanksgiving weekend makes it easier for me to stick to plain turkey, potatoes and veggies.  I will bring some sweet potato and a meal for Saturday night to give me control over what I eat this weekend.  Tough part will be my Brother-in-law called to challenge my daughter (10) to a "best chocolate chip muffin" bake-off on Saturday and I will have to sit out of the judging.  Fortunately, my daughter is one of my biggest supporters but it would be nice to "objectively" vote for the best muffin.

 

I would do what works best for you.  Bring a backup, Pick what you can from the menu to eat and don't forget to enjoy the people.  I am lucky as I have not had a drink in over 7 years so there is no family pressure or social pressure to "party it up".  As such, having a clear head and no alcohol helps with making good decisions for my well-being.

 

Cheers

DJ

[art-school-girl]

It's still raining and now we are having high winds. The water is pretty high and there is flooding all over. I am right on the coast, beautiful view but bothersome at times like this. I got up at 1 am last night (high tide) to make sure it wasn't flooding. High tide tonight is supposed to be 6 feet and that will be trouble.

 

Just finished cleaning up the kitchen after my weekly cook up. I made Chocolate Chili, meatloaf, turkey cranberry muffins, roasted a spaghetti squash, velvety butternut squash with pecans, cauliflower soup, sunshine sauce, compliant ketchup for my meatload, and red pepper sauce. I have a boston butt studded with garlic and rubbed with salt and pepper. It's going into my crockpot with 3 strips of bacon on the bottom and will cook for 16 hours on low so I'll start it about 8 pm. I have some chicken breasts brining and I'll grill them tomorrow. My meals will be easy this week, reheat, cook veggies, salad, eggs. About 3/4 of what I made will go in the freezer for future meals. I'm a widow and sometimes I just don't want to cook dinner but I do want a healthy meal.

i

Hope you guys get the all clear soon! Wow! You are amazing. It's so good and wonderful that you are taking care of yourself. I had a very good friend (my father in law's lady friend in later years). She cooked for herself too and lived at home until she was 99 tears old. Hospice there at the very end. But anyway she always said to me that if she didn't take care of herself, who would. And she loved to eat good food. Now that I think of it, she was VERY Whole30. She'd always say, "I've been to the best restaurants and I know what food can taste like. I can make my own, sometimes better!" She was from NY. She was a hoot and she taught me a lot of life lessons! I'm proud of you, that you cook for yourself and good food! Love it!

[jscellist]

Ok, so living at chipotle this week! #nofoodprep #runningaroundcrazy

[jscellist]

But good news for low fodmapers-asked chipotle for plain avocado per my reintro and they did it! Charged me an extra $6, but hey. There ya go!

[art-school-girl]

Made a great hearty vegetable soup on Saturday from iheartnap.net. I loved it! I don't know what the full url is, but if you do a search of her site, you should be able to find it. On my iPad, I can't see the full address.

Mostly compliant this weekend except for the crustless pumpkin pie I made. Had a piece last night and a small square tonight. I cut the sugar in it and it was still super sweet to me. Gave the rest to my kids. Passed up a lot of snack opportunities the last few days. Very proud of met resolve. So is the hubby. He's noticed how much happier I am. He even asked about Whole 30 and wants to read "It Starts with Food" --

Here's to a good week ahead!

[DMVer]

Hey all!

Been a busy couple of days. I had gluten-free oatmeal, quinoa and corn chips on Sunday for reintro -- today my stomach felt a little off, but I'm not sure if that's a holdover from the legumes last week. I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

[vozelle]

Hey friends, I reintroduced corn yesterday with no ill effects. Ate a few corn tortillas and enjoyed a small bowl of home-made popcorn with ghee and sea-salt... happy. That was the first popcorn I've had since May, and it used to be a SWPO for me. I ate it in moderation, felt fully satisfied, and feel no cravings for more. Nice to know I can enjoy it when I want to, but it won't be pushing more nutrient-dense foods off my plate on the regular... : )

 

I feel like I'm alone in asking this but does anyone else feel like they had more control DURING their W30 than during the reintro phases?  I feel like I'm losing control and I'm afraid.

 

Totally empathize with you... YES, I have felt that! I purposefully committed to 30 more days without sugar, because I don't feel in control of that. I also get a bit confused by my body's responses and reactions to reintroduced foods sometimes... wondering if it actually was the legumes, or did I not sleep well last night, or am I tired from that bike ride, or is my period coming? I wish the reintroduction process was more black-and-white, but I only experienced that with gluten (had VERY obvious brain fog following consumption). 

 

 

And then there was the alarming habit I started to develop of finding myself listening to the yoga video saying "hands to hips" but instead mine were exploring how much more toned my tush felt.  ::blush::

 

Awesome.

 

...On my iPad, I can't see the full address...

 

If you click on the address bar, it should change to the whole URL (then you can copy/paste it)... this feature confused me on the iPad too!

[misslindy]

PuppyH... Well Thanksgiving is a bit of a challenge.  I am having a small family (100% control) meal with my wife, and two kids on Friday.  We then leave Saturday to go to my Sister-in-law's house for dinner (not turkey) on Saturday (0%) control of menu and then off to my Dad's (Grandpa's) house for a more traditional Thanksgiving dinner Sunday.

 

I was going to re-introduce this week but I decided to start re-introductions on Monday.  Having the rules on Thanksgiving weekend makes it easier for me to stick to plain turkey, potatoes and veggies.  I will bring some sweet potato and a meal for Saturday night to give me control over what I eat this weekend.  Tough part will be my Brother-in-law called to challenge my daughter (10) to a "best chocolate chip muffin" bake-off on Saturday and I will have to sit out of the judging.  Fortunately, my daughter is one of my biggest supporters but it would be nice to "objectively" vote for the best muffin.

 

I would do what works best for you.  Bring a backup, Pick what you can from the menu to eat and don't forget to enjoy the people.  I am lucky as I have not had a drink in over 7 years so there is no family pressure or social pressure to "party it up".  As such, having a clear head and no alcohol helps with making good decisions for my well-being.

 

Cheers

DJ

You can be a judge--be the judge of the best looking chocolate-chip muffin!

[NancyW]

You can be a judge--be the judge of the best looking chocolate-chip muffin!

 

What misslindy said!!!

[halfpint_aggie]

Today has been one of those days where I really kind of hate the Whole30.  Starting right before lunch time, DD started throwing one tantrum after another for the rest of the day.  Of course DH is offshore, so I had to deal with it all myself.  Which made it hard for me to cook nutritious meals for lunch or dinner.  I'm out of mayo and hard boiled eggs and any veggies that didn't need prepping.  She's in bed now and I have dinner for myself in the oven.  But I'm exhausted from that fight and would love to have just ordered us a pizza earlier.

 

This is a big struggle for me.  I am so glad that I'm not longer grossly-misinformed about nutrition.  It has been life-changing for us.  And we don't want to go back to the old way of living.  But on days like today I do sometimes miss the ignorance that could justify a GF pizza.

 

Maybe the real struggle is just that I wish I had a full-time chef living in my kitchen to help with the cooking.  Or Super-Nanny in the guest room to help when these tantrums steal my precious daughter away from me.  I could also use a housekeeper to scrub toilets & do the laundry.

 

So, in short, I love the Whole 30.  I hate not having a household staff.  This is what happens when you marry for love and not money  

[jodmaxfeldt]

Sounds like things are humming along for most of you.  Good days.  Bad days.  And sticking to your Whole30 and/or proper reintro through it all.  Me too.  I was really tired yesterday all day.  I had a severe case of the Mondays and took a nap right after work for 30 minutes and got to bed at 9:15, lights out at 9:45!  I'm feeling much better today.  

 

Without the "rules" of September holding me tight, I find myself questioning if maybe I am hungry and I do need a snack.  I'm not looking for a sugar snack...but I am trying to eat in the afternoon.  Yesterday I did eat.  I had an epic bar and an apple.  I think a few things are going on.  It's chillier now and  my body hasn't adjusted, so I'm not warm all day.  I don't know if I'm burning more energy throughout the day to keep warm or if my body is looking for warmth through food.  I'm thinking hot tea could test that out today.  I also think my mind is playing with the love of my old habit...drown your sorrows/boredom/stress in food...  I feel all of those things the most in the afternoon.

 

I have pulled pork in the crock pot for dinner tonight.  We all get home at different times today, so that will be a great way for everyone to get a healthy and yummy dinner.  The boys will eat it with brown rice.  I'll eat it over greens with salsa and an avocado.  YUM!

 

Wishing you all deliciously compliant meals today!

 

peace

[Crimsann]

@halfpint_aggie, I so wish my little sister were doing this with our group right now, I know how much she would relate to where you are.  Her girl is just shy of two and going through the potty-training deal and tantrums just now.  Her thing is being perfectly aware of what her baby potty is for and how to use it, she is in fact studiously potty-training her dolls right now...but it's beneath her own dignity to use it. 

 

[Gmadar]

I'm in for the "no sugar club"

 

I havn't reintroduced anything yet, well maybe one glass of wine. Everything is going good. I want this way of eating to be more of a habit for me so the longer I keep going the better off I'll be.

 

Sugar scares the heck out of me so I try and avoid it at all costs.

 

Sounds like a lot of us are making better choices of the food we are eating, good job! 

[Shea74]

I'm still here just busy at work. We have parent teacher conferences this week. I had a blowout weekend but I'm back on track. I'm 95% compliant and still paleo. I think my bacon has organic honey in it. I realize I have to eat this way or else I start grabbing some tortilla chips at night or a glass of wine. I realized I'm a snacker. I just made a batch of chocolate chili that will hopefully last for a few lunches. I kind of felt like I as getting some energy right at the end so I'm going to stick with things and hope that keeps on happening.

[Shea74]

Today has been one of those days where I really kind of hate the Whole30.  Starting right before lunch time, DD started throwing one tantrum after another for the rest of the day.  Of course DH is offshore, so I had to deal with it all myself.  Which made it hard for me to cook nutritious meals for lunch or dinner.  I'm out of mayo and hard boiled eggs and any veggies that didn't need prepping.  She's in bed now and I have dinner for myself in the oven.  But I'm exhausted from that fight and would love to have just ordered us a pizza earlier.

 

This is a big struggle for me.  I am so glad that I'm not longer grossly-misinformed about nutrition.  It has been life-changing for us.  And we don't want to go back to the old way of living.  But on days like today I do sometimes miss the ignorance that could justify a GF pizza.

 

Maybe the real struggle is just that I wish I had a full-time chef living in my kitchen to help with the cooking.  Or Super-Nanny in the guest room to help when these tantrums steal my precious daughter away from me.  I could also use a housekeeper to scrub toilets & do the laundry.

 

So, in short, I love the Whole 30.  I hate not having a household staff.  This is what happens when you marry for love and not money

I hear you! I was busy on Monday and I thought about getting a GF pizza but instead came home and made some egg drop soup which took about 10 minutes.