October 19th Start Date!

[MButcher]

I heard about Whole30 from my aunt, who has a friend who got great results from it. My aunt and uncle are doing it with me (starting next week, I believe, so they have time to read up on it and stock up on compliant foods), but my dad and I are starting tomorrow (he's doing a modified version - claims he can't live without his Greek yogurt!).

 

So what's my why? The main attraction for me is just to get a healthier mindset about food. I try to "eat healthy," but then I see the cookies on the table and I just have to eat one (...or three). Gaining self-control, and making food about nutrition and not pleasure, is the biggest why for me.

 

Some other things I hope to gain from Whole30 (I will consider it a success if I see improvement in any of these areas)...

• Weight loss. I'm not really "overweight," but I know I'm over what the healthiest weight for me would be, and I carry more fat now in college than I did in high school (yes, I know that's probably "normal," but that doesn't mean it should be).
• Energy. I often feel my energy drop throughout the day, and I find myself eating when I have low energy even if I'm not really hungry.
• Skin Issues. I have mild acne. I also get very bad dry skin on my hands in the winter when the weather is drier.
• Seasonal Allergies. Not awful, but super annoying.
• Varicose Veins. My parents both have these (my dad actually just got a surgery for the ones on his legs), and I can already tell they will be something I'll struggle with. If I can keep them from ever getting bad to start with, that would great; Whole30 is supposed to be anti-inflammatory, so hopefully it will help here.
• Food allergies/sensitivies. As far as I know, I don't have any food allergies, but I do know that the foods I eat don't always make me feel great. This could just be a result of all the sugar I eat, or it could be something else as well. So the reintroduction phase will be very interesting for me, to see if there are any particular foods that don't settle well with me.

I'm very excited to start this journey and see what changes start happening in my life!

[Tom Denham]

I am afraid you will be doing your Whole30 without your dad. There is no such thing as a modified Whole30. Any change he makes to the rules makes it "dad's 30 day program and not the program that has helped so many people. 

[Sari]

Yeah, seems like you're on your own for now.

But that's fine! My family rolled their eyes when I went primal in January and was positively appalled at the idea of the Whole30. Guess what. I proved to them you CAN live without the foods you've trained yourself to view as sacred. They might still not share my mindset but that's their problem, and not mine. 

 

(By the way, I LOVED greek yoghurt pre-Whole30, finally reintroduced it after round two and eeeh, not worth it.) 

[MButcher]

Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, I realize he is not technically doing Whole30 but he is going 99% of the way and will definitely be a huge support to me.

[mkelley1010]

I'm starting today as well!!! Good luck :)

[MButcher]

Day 1

 

Well, I have a cold today - sore throat and just generally feeling blah. Not a great way to start, but I guess it was bound to happen sometime this season so I may as well just get it out of the way.

 

As for food, today was great! I probably won't do this every day, but for today I'll just put what I ate:

 

Breakfast: 3 eggs, ~1 tbsp coconut oil, dash of salt and pepper, handful of chopped peppers and onions mixed in

Lunch: 1 chicken breast smothered in salsa (Newman's Own Mild), lots of mixed greens with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper

Snack: a couple handfuls of mixed raw nuts

Dinner: bone-in pork chop w/ ~1 tbsp mustard, medium sweet potato w/ ~1 tbsp coconut oil and a dash of salt

 

George Foreman is my new best friend. It makes cooking meat for one so quick and easy! And it tastes much better than cooking a bunch in the oven at once and microwaving it for the next few days...

 

I ended the day with a trip to the grocery store, phone handy to check the Whole30 resources as I went, and enjoyed roaming down the aisles, loading my cart with new, healthy foods to try! And the cage-free, organic eggs were on sale, too!

[MButcher]

Day 2

 

Well, I messed up today. Already. A professor/friend of mine bought me lunch at Chik Fil A, and I had chicken nuggets. I think given the circumstances I made the right decision; we just ran into each other on campus, and he had been having a rough morning but having lunch with me really brightened his day (and mine too!). I know Whole30 says "no exceptions!"... but I could have done a lot worse than a little breading on some chicken nuggets. Maybe I'll add another day on to the end, but I don't want to say I'm "starting over" because I know the cycle I fall into - if I said I'm starting over tomorrow, that would have given me an excuse to eat all the junk I wanted at dinner tonight.

 

The rest of the day went great. Eggs and veggies for breakfast. Chicken breast and salad for dinner. And some roasted nuts for a snack again.

 

I had a hint of a headache this afternoon, and feeling a little shaky at times. Not sure how much to blame on the cold and how much to blame on Whole30.

[MButcher]

Day 3

 

Today was great! Three compliant meals with no snacks in between! The only thing I think I need to work on is getting a little more fat on my plate. Meat and veggies are easy for me, but fat is hard...

 

Also, I'd be interested to hear people's opinions: is boiled quince with coconut milk poured on top a little too much like "dessert"? I had that with my dinner and it definitely felt like dessert, but it's not like I was trying to replace something with it (maybe it's a little like apple pie and ice cream?). I was going to just have the quince, and then it occurred to me that I needed to add some fat and coconut milk might be good with it.

 

Super congested today, but the sore throat is going away. Still feeling rather weak.

[MButcher]

Day 4

 

Feeling the shakiest yet today, but it got a little better by tonight. Usually I would equate that feeling (rightly or wrongly) with not having eaten enough, but today I was hardly hungry at all. Usually I'm hungry for both a morning and an afternoon snack, but at the time I would usually have my morning snack, the thought of eating actually made me a little naseous. That's definitely not something I've experienced before, unless I had just totally stuffed myself. It wasn't that I was feeling bloated this time, though; I just honestly wasn't hungry. I also fixed myself too much lunch after that and had to put some of it back in the fridge to save for dinner, which was pretty small for me as well.

 

For dinner, by the way, I made a hamburger with saurkraut, sauteed mushrooms, and tomato slices for the "bun." And it was AMAZING! With my leftover quince and coconut milk on the side. I think I've decided there's nothing bad about that (in moderation). It's just enjoying real, healthy food.

 

My cold is improving - sore throat pretty much gone, but I've got a slight cough now.

[MButcher]

Day 5 (yesterday)

 

Meal 1: 3 egg scramble with coconut oil, salt, pepper, and sliced peppers and onions

Meal 2: hamburger patty with mustard and tomato slices, pear, spoon of almond butter

Meal 3: weird tuna salad with diced apple in it, thrown together with what I had on hand

 

Wasn't very hungry at all, but had good energy.

 

I taught dance classes for three hours, which was my first workout all week. (I'd been feeling so congested I was afraid I wouldn't be able to breathe if I attempted anything remotely cardio lol!) I started right after lunch, so didn't have a pre-wo snack, but probably should have had a post-wo... It was so close to dinner, though, that I didn't bother.

 

NSV #1: I live near the university Monday-Thursday, but on the weekends I stay at my parents' house 30 min. away because 1) I love to spend time with my family and 2) I teach dance classes there at my old studio on Fridays. Usually I eat pretty healthy during the week but just can't seem to stick to it on the weekend when I come home to cupcakes sitting on the table and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. This was my first day at home on the Whole30, and I stuck to it completely!

[MButcher]

Day 6

 

Quite a bit hungrier today than yesterday, but also had better, steadier energy than usual at work (in the Dillon's produce department - I get to cut and stock all those lovely fruits and vegetables, and am always discovering new ones), where I'm on my feet the whole time and usually get pretty drained by the end.

 

I also took the extra time this weekend to make some Whole30 meals to share with my family!

 

Meal 1: Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs (from Nom Nom Paleo)

 

Meal 2: Salmon Cakes (from Well Fed), and sauteed mushrooms and asparagus

Snack: Potato slices backed with olive oil and seasonings (I found these in the fridge from last Sunday and really needed a snack before work... I hope potatoes are good that long lol!)

 

Meal 3: leftover sauteed veggies and potato slices, two hamburger patties with mustard and tomato

 

And finally, I was talking with my grandma this morning, and she had been hearing more about Whole30 from my aunt and is very interested. She's thinking she may it more of a slow transition than a 30-day challenge, though. She is already probably the most consistently healthy eater I know, but she really likes the idea of reducing inflammation through diet and is planning to start eating less bread and dairy to start.

[MButcher]

Day 7

 

I made it through the weekend!!!

 

Meal 1: 3 egg scramble with ghee, salt, pepper, and sliced potatoes and bell peppers

 

Meal 2: Tandoori Chicken with Curry-Pineapple Cauliflower "Rice" (from Well Fed)

 

Snack: Apple with almond butter, some walnuts

 

Meal 3: 2 salmon cakes with mustard, leftover "rice" from meal 2

 

I was actually feeling pretty average today. I was a little irritable, but I think it was probably more due to stress than anything.

[MButcher]

Day 8

 

Week Two, here I come!!!

I was feeling some extreme inertia today. I felt like I was about to fall asleep in class several times. I hope this passes quickly!!! On the other hand, I actually had times when I found it easier than usual to concentrate as well. So that was kind of a weird combination...

 

Meal 1: eggs and veggies

Meal 2: spinach salad with tomato, almonds, raisins, vinegar and oil, salt and pepper, and olives. Tandoori chicken.

Meal 3: same as meal 2, plus some roasted nuts.

[nicoley22]

Hi! I'm wondering if sometimes you aren't eating enough. 1) because you felt shaky and 2) you're snacking. It seems the general consensus is if you're snacking then you need to be eating more at the previous meal.

[MButcher]

Thanks for the comment!

 

I think over the weekend I may not have been eating enough at meals because 1) my parents' house isn't stocked up with compliant foods, so it's harder to find something to eat, and 2) I feel like I'm eating more than everyone else at meals, but I guess if I'm not snacking in between that shouldn't be seen as gluttonous or anything. And I know I shouldn't be comparing myself to others to decide how much to eat; it just kind of happens, but I'll work on that!

 

Yesterday was much better, though, and I didn't feel the need to snack. I was tired, but not shaky.

[MButcher]

Day 9

 

Meal 1: 3 eggs, peppers, and onion w/ coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Pear.

Meal 2: Pork chop with mustard. Frozen "steamables" broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots w/ olive oil and seasonings.

Meal 3: 2 salmon cakes w/ mustard. Leftover steamed carrots. 1/2 grapefruit. A couple handfuls of roasted nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews).

 

Last night I had to write a rough draft of an essay that was due this morning. I had excellent focus and knocked out that 6 page draft in 2 1/2 hours! I don't know if this had anything to do with Whole30 or not, but it was great. That said, between the paper and other homework, I was up till after 1am last night, so I'm headed to bed now!!!

[MButcher]

Day 10

 

Meal 1: 3 eggs w/ 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1/2 sweet potato, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne. Apple

Meal 2: Purple Potato Soup (from Bowls of Love, I think, on a recent blog post here), 1/2 grilled chicken breast w/ creamy Italian dressing made from a failed batch of mayo

Meal 3: 1/2 chicken breast on top of a (giant!) salad of red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, raddichio, tomato, almonds, raisins w/ creamy Italian dressing

Post-WO: handful of nuts (I wasn't well-prepared with anything ready and easy to eat right after, and was feeling lazy, so I figured protein with fat was better than no protein at all...)

 

I did "Turbo Kick" at the gym today. My first high intensity workout in a couple of weeks... I've been busy, but need to make it more of a priority.

 

I don't have classes on Wednesday until 2pm, so I used this morning for food! I went to the store and stocked up on groceries, then came home and made Purple Potato Soup and clarified butter, and attempted to make mayo for the first time. I didn't read the recipe very well, apparently, because I both 1) put in a cold egg and 2) added the olive oil too quickly. Needless to say, it flopped. So I picked up some more light olive oil this evening and tried it again after dinner, and it worked! I can't wait to use it!

[MButcher]

Day 11

 

Meal 1: 3 eggs, 1/2 sweet potato w/ 2 tbsp ghee and lots of seasonings. Pear.

Meal 2: Small bowl of Purple Potato Soup. Handful of nuts. Bison burger pan-fried in olive oil w/ salt & pepper, w/ lettuce, tomato, mustard and saurkraut

Meal 3: Pork chop and salad w/ creamy Italian dressing.

[MButcher]

Day 12

 

Meal 1: 4 eggs, 1/3 sweet potato, 2 tbsp ghee and seasonings

Meal 2: bison burger, tomato, creamy Italian dressing, Purple Potato Soup
Meal 3: bison burger, salad w/ tomato and creamy Italian dressing, Purple Potato Soup

[MButcher]

Day 13

 

Made a careless mistake today - had my dad make me an omelet (which was delicious by the way) and he used two slices of ham cured in sugar and a splash of almond milk that had carageenan in it. Didn't look at the packages until I was half-way through with my omelet. I was disappointed, but figured that it was such a small amount that I just finished the omelet and resolved to be more careful next time!

 

Day 14

 

Had a cooking day with my aunt, who is starting tomorrow, using the Week 1 meal plan from Well Fed. It was a fun, but very busy day!!!

[Erica Gucc]

Day 13

 

Made a careless mistake today - had my dad make me an omelet (which was delicious by the way) and he used two slices of ham cured in sugar and a splash of almond milk that had carageenan in it. Didn't look at the packages until I was half-way through with my omelet. I was disappointed, but figured that it was such a small amount that I just finished the omelet and resolved to be more careful next time!

 

Day 14

 

Had a cooking day with my aunt, who is starting tomorrow, using the Week 1 meal plan from Well Fed. It was a fun, but very busy day!!!

 

 

how did you like that meal plan writeup? I didnt follow it 100% the first week, but I finally jst today finished off the chicken thighs in a chicken salad (its my day 15)

 

I'm doing a cookup as we speak, with a whole chicken. 

[MButcher]

how did you like that meal plan writeup? I didnt follow it 100% the first week, but I finally jst today finished off the chicken thighs in a chicken salad (its my day 15)

 

I'm doing a cookup as we speak, with a whole chicken. 

 

I liked it a lot!  We did everything but the pork roast (we started in the afternoon and apparently it needs to cook 16-18 hours! Do you know if that's actually right?), plus some ranch dressing. I guess I'll just have to wait and see whether it's a good amount to get through the week. I'm hoping I won't have to do much cooking through the week now, just warming things up.

[MButcher]

Day 14

(changed the date to hold myself accountable for my mess-up on Day 2)

 

Still feeling very shaky the last couple of days. A couple of things I'm planning to do for the rest of my Whole30:

 

1) Stay hydrated. I used to be very good about keeping track of how much water I drink each day, but I've been slack about this lately and I think this may be contributing to the shaky feeling. Drank 96 oz. today, so feeling pretty good about that!

 

2) Eliminate almonds and pistachios. I knew before starting Whole30 that they always make my throat feel scratchy when I eat them, so they're probably not a good idea, but they're just so easy!!! I was eating too many nuts in general, though, just because they're so easy to grab when I'm still hungry.

 

3) Reduce starchy vegetables (i.e. russet and sweet potatoes). I think I've been relying too heavily on these instead of protein and fat to fill me up, and I tend to feel shakier after eating them. I think I'll try to save them for post-wo.

 

4) Eliminate fruit. I've already done this the past few days, but I know fruit is feeding my sugar dragon, so it's out for the rest of Whole30. Besides, I'm never really hungry for it, but just "make room" for it after a meal to get something sweet.

 

If anyone has other tips to help get out of this lethargic stage and into Tiger Blood, that would be much appreciated!

[MButcher]

Day 15

 

Halfway through!!! Enjoying the food from my cook-up this weekend and all the recipes from Well Fed.

 

Meal 1: 4 eggs with coconut oil, salt and pepper + bowl of Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup

Meal 2: bowl of chocolate chili

30 min. treadmill workout + 15ish minutes stretching afterwards

Post-WO: ground beef with potato soup

Meal 3: pad thai

Water: 72 oz.

 

I tried to stick to the template today, having an early lunch so I could get in a pre-wo meal as well before I went to the gym around 1pm, but I think maybe my breakfast was too big as I just absolutely could not have stomached anything else. So the pre-wo did not happen.

 

I've also been crying a lot this week, having a hard time looking at the positives and things I should be grateful for. Getting really down on myself for little failings (not Whole30 related) and dissatisfied with where I am in life in general. I really think college is where I am supposed to be right now, just impatient to move on to bigger and better things...

 

But to focus on some good things: my skin is looking clearer than usual, and I think I may be letting go of some fat because my face seems thinner and the muscles in my arms and legs look more defined to me (and I haven't been working out more than usual). It's such a slight difference, it may just be in my head, but even if it is that really wouldn't be too bad. I know this way of eating is good for me, and even if it doesn't cause any noticeable physical changes, just changing my perception of myself would probably be a good thing, too...

 

Sigh, just working through some thoughts here and needed to get all that out!

[MButcher]

Day 16

 

Meal 1: eggs, coconut oil, pepper, saurkraut

Meat 2: ground beef with hot sauce and guacamole, zucchini/potato soup

Meal 3: chicken thigh, green beans, saurkraut, sweet potato, Moroccan Dipping Sauce

Water: 72 oz.

 

Yeah, today's food was kinda weird, just using up things I had... but it was definitely on template.