tropicalee Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 My husband, my daughter and I have been on the program for 4 days and between the 3 of us we have easily spent $500 in groceries- way out of our budget! And we are not even buying pastured meats. I am constantly cooking food and am exhausted and really starting to rethink this program. I can't imagine if I had to go to work how we would all have the appropriate food to eat. I am also having problems with constipation. I already ate a healthy diet before starting and I think my problem is that I am replacing a lot of my fiber intake with meat. Our reasons are all different for being on the program. I want to stick with it to see if it helps my joint pain. Also, my hot flashes! Which have not subsided a bit yet. My husband needs to lose weight and my daughter has been diagnosed with onset of lupus, so we have a lot at stake. I'm considering switching to a micronutrient diet (which is really how I believe in eating, anyway) or the Virgin diet maybe. After reading the Whole30 I'm not completely convinced about not eating beans, quinoa or potatoes. Or chia. Really, with my inflammation I should be giving up nightshades more than the other foods, I think. Anyway, not sure if I want to be convinced to stick with it or just wanted to vent. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted October 2, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 2, 2015 I'm sorry you're having a tough time. There's definitely no one way of eating that's perfect for everyone, but I would encourage you to try to stick it out for the full 30 days. If you do that and do reintroductions, you'll know for sure how things like wheat or beans or cheese affect you, which can help you decide how often to eat them going forward. One thing, potatoes and chia are both allowed on Whole30. Potatoes used to not be, but that was changed back in 2014. Chia is a seed, and like other seeds and nuts, it's a fat source on Whole30. You might want to read through the Rules and the Can I Have list and be sure you're getting the most up to date information, straight from the source. For the budget, certainly it can be expensive to eat this way. There are people who find that their grocery store budget goes up, but their restaurant budget (and alcohol budget, if you drink) goes way down, so it evens out, but if you were already cooking at home most of the time, that may not apply. This article talks a little bit about making your money go as far as possible, and this topic here on the forum was put together by another moderator as she did a Whole30 on a budget. There have been other discussions about this as well -- google Whole30 on a budget for some more information. In general, remember that you don't have to make a bunch of recipes, or use things like coconut aminos or almond flour. Stick to simple things -- grill a bunch of chicken, have some for dinner, and have leftovers for lunch the next day. Brown a bunch of ground beef, seasoned simply. Serve it over baked potatoes or sweet potatoes with some sunshine sauce or some marinara sauce or guacamole or even just some mayo, with a nice big salad on the side. For the constipation, be sure you're eating lots of vegetables -- aim for three cups of cooked vegetables at each meal -- add fat at your meals, and drink plenty of water. You might also look into probiotics, whether in the form of pillls, or from fermented foods and drinks like sauerkraut, kimchi, or kombucha. People who are not used to eating much meat sometimes also benefit from using digestive enzymes. You're only four days in, it's not really unusual to have some digestive upset during the first week or so as your body gets used to eating this way. As far as feeling like you're spending all your time cooking, there are ways to help with that too -- although it will probably just take a little time to get in the swing of things if you're not used to making everything from scratch. You might read up on a weekly cookup (or to see a more concrete version with recipes, shopping lists, and instructions try this weekly meal plan). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY2LA2MONTREAL Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 My husband, my daughter and I have been on the program for 4 days and between the 3 of us we have easily spent $500 in groceries- way out of our budget! And we are not even buying pastured meats. I am constantly cooking food and am exhausted and really starting to rethink this program. I can't imagine if I had to go to work how we would all have the appropriate food to eat. I am also having problems with constipation. I already ate a healthy diet before starting and I think my problem is that I am replacing a lot of my fiber intake with meat. Our reasons are all different for being on the program. I want to stick with it to see if it helps my joint pain. Also, my hot flashes! Which have not subsided a bit yet. My husband needs to lose weight and my daughter has been diagnosed with onset of lupus, so we have a lot at stake. I'm considering switching to a micronutrient diet (which is really how I believe in eating, anyway) or the Virgin diet maybe. After reading the Whole30 I'm not completely convinced about not eating beans, quinoa or potatoes. Or chia. Really, with my inflammation I should be giving up nightshades more than the other foods, I think. Anyway, not sure if I want to be convinced to stick with it or just wanted to vent. :/ Hi Tropicalee, First of all welcome to WHOLE 30. I hear you and know EXACTLY what you are going thru. When my husband and I started - I thought (because I was doing the cooking) if I was working - I don't know how I would do this. Thank goodness we are retired. It took me a good week to get my sealegs with all the cooking and preparation - but it gets easier. It really does. Now having said all this...here is the great part. Within 4 days in: (1) , my knees stopped hurting me (and boy did they hurt before). I couldn't believe it. I had two knee surgeries and they weren't hurting; and (2) my husband who is a Type 2 diabetic, was taken off 2 meds because his sugar readings were dropping. FYI - we ran the program past his Endocronologist and he was thrilled. We were "snackers" and I was a sugarholic of the 1st degree. Now I do not crave sugar and have become a cook. I love finding recipes to change things up and keep certain standbys at all times. AND we are not eating in-between meals because we are NOT hungry. This is tremendous because my husband was always hungry (or said he was) And today is ----- DAY 50 for us. We are loving the way we feel and look. My husband is losing his pants and I went down 2 pant sizes. It is expensive -- but not really when you think of all the garbage you are NOT buying. The program really works! And one more thing.....the people in this Forum are here for you. You want to VENT -- feel free. Look how Shannon replied. There is tremendous support here. Shannon was a great help to me when I started along with the other Moderators. They know their stuff. A great tool a lot of us use here is posting a daily food log - it keeps us honest and we can see what we are doing right and what needs improvement. Hang in there and GOOD LUCK!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Think I Can! Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I finished my Whole30 on Wednesday and very happy with my results. I too had problems with constipation. My remedy was to add celery to salads. It takes more than a few days to figure everything out, but everyday there is something new to learn. I stared at an unopened jar of coconut oil for almost 2 weeks, not being sure what to do with it. So glad I opened that jar. Keep the faith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 Well, thank you all for the reinforcement, it has really helped! Yesterday morning I was ready to make oats for breakfast today, but we didn't, we're plugging through (no pun intended!). I truly believe in food as medicine, which is why I'm giving this a shot. Mostly for my husband who is a good 100 lbs overweight. I've been trying to get him to lose weight in the 5 years we've been together and this is my last resort. I think I need to just have some celery and almond butter or something for breakfasts, I truly feel like all this meat is making me sick and I can barely choke down eggs anymore. I'm sure happy to hear that potatoes and chia are okay. I am the type of person who will make a big batch of black bean and quinoa salad and eat it for days, or coconut brown rice for breakfast. My husband, on the other hand is a meat and potatoes guy and we are just newly living together full time so trying to adapt. Thanks for all the support! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I think I need to just have some celery and almond butter or something for breakfasts, I truly feel like all this meat is making me sick and I can barely choke down eggs anymore. I'm sure happy to hear that potatoes and chia are okay. I am the type of person who will make a big batch of black bean and quinoa salad and eat it for days, or coconut brown rice for breakfast. My husband, on the other hand is a meat and potatoes guy and we are just newly living together full time so trying to adapt. Thanks for all the support! I encourage you to stick with the recommended meal template of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and a compliant fat at every meal, for best results. Celery and almond butter would be a snack: not a meal, and it would be a sub-par way to set yourself up for the day. Nuts and nut butters are fats on a Whole30, and are recommended to be limited, along with the chia seeds. Do you like fish or seafood? Try swapping that in for your breakfast protein instead. If you're having taste or texture issues with consuming meat, you might find this article helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 I love meat, just not 3 times a day. Thanks, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Hi Tropicalee, Are you able to list out what you are eating meal wise? The reason why I ask, is because you are mentioning that you are eating "so much meat". We would like to see what this looks like. It's a bit of a long shot, but we might be able to help you with some specific recommendations to help you out. Many people come from this perspective. I was a milk and cereal girl for breakfast most of my life prior to whole 30. I was also hungry, irritable, and very sick (I didn't know how sick I was - truly). When I happened upon the whole 30 I was already playing around with my breakfast so I wouldn't be hungry by 10am. I got into protein shakes, and eating chia "pudding". This was a slight upgrade from sugary cereals I think. Considering I was starting to play around and get to know healthy fats. When I look back on it - I was actually kind of afraid of eating meat. Vegetables were no problem. So I get where you are coming from. If it helps you at all to know that most of the time my plates are full of vegetables. I aim to fill my plate with more than half full of vegetables. Some days are better than others - but that is always my goal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loobylifts Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I feel you on the budget front - I'm 3 days into my first round of whole30 and i'm a broke uni student, haha. I always pop into my local shops in the later hours to grab any reduced stock - it saves a bunch of money and is fine to freeze if the use by date is approaching. Its also much cheaper for fruit and veg to shop at local greengrocers rather than the big supermarkets. As Shannon suggested, it saves money too by sticking to simple recipes! I really enjoy the cooking aspect, but if you feel you are in the kitchen ALL the time, its all too easy to throw some ingredients into a crock pot/slow cooker and let that do all the work. Plus, if you cook more than you need you can always freeze extra portions for quick meals when you don't want to cook. Right now I have a chicken going in my cooker to have for breakfast tomorrow and then various meals over the weekend as i'm working full time and know I won't feel like cooking when I get in. Best of luck, I hope you decide to continue on your whole30 journey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 Thank you all, I feel like I got the the push I needed. Knowing I can eat potatoes helped a lot! Tahini too. I think the reason I'm spending so much on groceries is because I didn't buy processed food anyway. I already cooked whole foods, I even go so far as to use all my scraps to make broth. The only money I'm saving in my budget is on beer because I'd go through at least a 12 pack of Heinies a week. Beer and unsalted pistachios were my evening snack. The only junk food I bought was Kettle chips once in a while. Buying and consuming all this meat is expanding my grocery list- and possibly my waistline! My husband doesn't want to eat veggies for breakfast so I'm making him fresh veg juice, another expenditure. But I'm still sticking with it! Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 What about sweet potato "hashed browns" for brekkie? They helped me a lot with the veggies for breakfast thing. Later on I added spinach to the mix. Some people won't eat full veggies in the morning but they will eat a blended soup. Juicing/making smoothies is not ideal, as most of the fibrous material is stripped from the veggie. We would much rather you eat your veggies rather than drinking them. Drinking your fruits and veggies will not satiate in the same way as eating them would. Also these types of juices do have a tendency of being a sugar bomb, setting somebody up to be hungry quickly and earlier on in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuilterInVA Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I love meat, just not 3 times a day. Thanks, though. This plan requires protein 3 times a day. Start with a little and work up. You can't get the benefits if you don't follow the rules. Eating protein preserves muscle while losing weight or you can not eat it and end up a fat skinny person with lots of internal fat that doesn't show on the outside. I can't see why this is cosing you so much. I live on social security of $1,491 a month and I only have $200 for food for the month. I had money left over last month. I shop the sales, use frozen if something is not locally in season. Could you post a few days of what you are eating and maybe we could help you more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GFChris Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 This plan requires protein 3 times a day. Start with a little and work up. You can't get the benefits if you don't follow the rules. Just to clarify, Whole30 does not *require* protein three times a day as part of the rules. Protein at three meals, along with the meal template, are *recommendations* for best results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetnFitr Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Maybe Tropicalee just misses her oatmeal? Maybe she's like a lot of us who are just starting and finding it hard to adjust to all the new ways of thinking about cooking and eating? To me, it feels like I'm learning an entirely new skill and to master it in one day is setting myself up for failure. I did nothing more than cut up some vegetables, throw them in a pyrex dish, and roast them for 30 minutes. But I have to tell you, it sure felt clunky doing it. Why? Because it's been about a million years since I've done something like that. So from what I can see, Tropicalee, you miss your beans and quinoa, and your coconut rice, and your Heineken and pistachios, but you might also miss the familiarity of cooking those dishes. It sound like you've got a lot of new things happening in your life, and some stressful things as well, if your daughter has health issues, so maybe this all feels super hard. Try not to think too much about the food costs (within reason, of course) or all the meat you feel like you're eating, and just find a few things that sound really really good, and make those. Try it for just one day, and then see how it feels. I bet if you string enough of those simple eating days together, you guys will be well on your way to feeling better, and it won't feel like it's not worth the effort. Remember, Halloween at midnight you'll be done and you can celebrate with all the other ghouls who'll be out doing god-knows-what that night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 What about sweet potato "hashed browns" for brekkie? They helped me a lot with the veggies for breakfast thing. Later on I added spinach to the mix. Some people won't eat full veggies in the morning but they will eat a blended soup. Juicing/making smoothies is not ideal, as most of the fibrous material is stripped from the veggie. We would much rather you eat your veggies rather than drinking them. Drinking your fruits and veggies will not satiate in the same way as eating them would. Also these types of juices do have a tendency of being a sugar bomb, setting somebody up to be hungry quickly and earlier on in the day. Carla, my husband is super picky and not as enthusiastic about this program as I am. He's half doing it against his will, but he knows he needs to lose weight. I believe he's better off having fresh carrot, apple and beet juice (mostly veg) with his hard boiled eggs for breakfast than bacon and eggs, which would be his way. And he's already complaining about me trying to shove sweet potatoes down his throat all the time. Me, I'm fine with vegggies for breakfast. Before this program I quite often skipped breakfast and went right for lunch instead. I used to often make kale and eggs for myself. But that's not Tim. He has definite ideas about food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Maybe Tropicalee just misses her oatmeal? Maybe she's like a lot of us who are just starting and finding it hard to adjust to all the new ways of thinking about cooking and eating? To me, it feels like I'm learning an entirely new skill and to master it in one day is setting myself up for failure. I did nothing more than cut up some vegetables, throw them in a pyrex dish, and roast them for 30 minutes. But I have to tell you, it sure felt clunky doing it. Why? Because it's been about a million years since I've done something like that. So from what I can see, Tropicalee, you miss your beans and quinoa, and your coconut rice, and your Heineken and pistachios, but you might also miss the familiarity of cooking those dishes. It sound like you've got a lot of new things happening in your life, and some stressful things as well, if your daughter has health issues, so maybe this all feels super hard. Try not to think too much about the food costs (within reason, of course) or all the meat you feel like you're eating, and just find a few things that sound really really good, and make those. Try it for just one day, and then see how it feels. I bet if you string enough of those simple eating days together, you guys will be well on your way to feeling better, and it won't feel like it's not worth the effort. Remember, Halloween at midnight you'll be done and you can celebrate with all the other ghouls who'll be out doing god-knows-what that night! Ha ha, thanks I enjoyed your post! I do miss all those things, but I miss the variety in my diet most. My stomach misses the fiber. You all may not think celery and almond butter is a good idea for breakfast, but I think that if it helps me stay on the program that it is a grand idea. The main focus is keeping the bad stuff out and not idiosyncrasizing (yeah, I made that up) about the good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 And btw, I may be new to this program, but not to healthy eating, which has been my passion for a while. Hence my blogspot http://realfoodispretty.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetnFitr Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 You go girl! If celery and almond butter is what it takes, I'm with you. Like the book says, the food police aren't gonna come knocking on your door, so if it helps you stick with it and stay on the program then what's the harm? Especially if it keeps you from idiosyncrasizing for godssakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 You go girl! If celery and almond butter is what it takes, I'm with you. Like the book says, the food police aren't gonna come knocking on your door, so if it helps you stick with it and stay on the program then what's the harm? Especially if it keeps you from idiosyncrasizing for godssakes. lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felicat Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Carla, my husband is super picky and not as enthusiastic about this program as I am. He's half doing it against his will, but he knows he needs to lose weight. I believe he's better off having fresh carrot, apple and beet juice (mostly veg) with his hard boiled eggs for breakfast than bacon and eggs, which would be his way. And he's already complaining about me trying to shove sweet potatoes down his throat all the time. Me, I'm fine with vegggies for breakfast. Before this program I quite often skipped breakfast and went right for lunch instead. I used to often make kale and eggs for myself. But that's not Tim. He has definite ideas about food. Tropicalee, I just finished a whole60 and dragged my husband with me. I've had some sort of inflammatory something going on for a few years and he so does he. He also had over 100 lbs to lose. In the begining the list of food he didn't want/refused to eat were pretty long and they included every form of squash, cauliflower, greens that didnt belong to the iceberg lettuce family and anything that he thought might be "icky" like cooked cabbage. He's on the road about 4-5 hundred miles a day and was just eating crap. I really had to convince him that I needed his support for me to be able to get through the program and then I worked really hard to include him with the food choices. I have him pick out one or two dinner "entrees" for the week and he's become a master at making mayo because eggs are off my list and I can't be trusted with mayo, lol. He's taken the bull by the horns and is making his breakfast and lunch to take with him. His breakfasts usually consist of hard boiled eggs with some bacon cut up veggies and fruit. He's doing all sorts of crazy salads and lettuce wraps for lunches. I dont necessarily think he's getting enough veg but he's doing it willingly. The other thing I work really hard at doing is looking at things I've always cooked and seeing what generally already fits in the whole30 template or can do so without too much tweaking. That way he's still getting to eat familiar things some of the time and and if we are trying something new, he's usually the one who picks it out. That said, his veg consumption has skyrocketed, he'd dropped 30+ lbs, his inflammation in his knees and legs are almost non-exsistent and he asked last night if I thought adding parsnip to the cauliflower mash would make the texture a little stiffer and he came home with the largest spaghetti squash I've ever seen on Friday night. It's still a learning process and I may be going AIP Whole30 in the near future but its totally doable and there are tons of people on here to support your journey so hang strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ELemon30 Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 I'd say the two shopping trips of my W30 were the worst. I had to replace almost all of my condiments. I chose to get the coconut aminos, the avocado oil, new dijon without the white wine. It can be really hard on your wallet. I did find it easier the last two weeks of mine. I do stick to simple recipes most of the time. Pan roasted chicken thighs over sweet potatoes, carrots, onions. A taco-seasoned chicken breast with grilled peppers and onions topped with guac and fresh pico. I got grossed out by eggs early on. I found out that what I didn't like was over easy or fried eggs. Now I eat soft scrambled eggs every day. Don't know if it was a texture or taste thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuilterInVA Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 ELemon30, I want to commend you for trying eggs different ways instead of just giving up on them when you found you didn't like the way you first made them. Most people just won't try another way. Your meals sound really good. I eat anything for my meal 1. Today it was chocolate chili with carrots and jicama (raw) on the side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicalee Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Thanks Felicat, you give me hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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