CALLING ALL JANUARY 1ST WHOLE30ERS!

[praxisproject]

Hey everyone - I made it to day 7 but I need to gracefully exit this thread as I just found out that I am very newly pregnant. I guess that would explain the "weird aversion" to eggs I've been having!  I hope to return to do a W30 after the first trimester ends and nausea subsides, but for now I think I will be shifting over to a paleo diet (which may include some grass-fed yogurt and butter). Thank you all for your support this past week and best of luck to you on your individual journeys!

 

Congratulations Laura! There's also a pregnancy section with lots of other paleo moms

 

DAY 5.  NOT SLEEPING WELL.  Can't remember EVER going this long without CHEESE And, honestly, I haven't been without evening WINE in way too long.  I remain 100% committed and haven't cheated in the slightest.  I made up my mind, and I like (maybe too strong of a word at this point) that I am challenging my issues with self-control.  It hasn't been that hard really, except in regard to SLEEP.  It takes me forever to fall asleep, and I wake up often during the first few hours, sometimes able to fall back to sleep within a few minutes and sometimes not for hours.  I know people say alcohol messes with your sleep, and maybe it does for many people, but I don't sleep nearly as well without it.  I WANT to learn to sleep better without it.  One of my main goals in participating in the Whole30 is to learn to "take it or leave it" in regard to wine... maybe I am a true "wino"    Anyway, I am sticking with the program and I remain unwavering in my commitment.  I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has struggled with the sleep issue... is it fairly normal early in the program???  Does it get better???  FYI, I did break down and take melatonin one night (not that helpful) and Tylenol PM one night (somewhat helpful), but I don't want to have to rely on anything for sleep.  Deep breathing, imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation have been somewhat helpful at times... other suggestions????  Thanks for listening.  It helps just to share.

 

I totally hear ya, I was exactly the same my first Whole30, I think you've still got a bit of detox going on and you're probably feeling tired, but not getting enough sleep. It's quite common in the first week as your hormones are still settling. Cheese is actually full of hormones (I was kind of surprised about this, but it doesn't really shock me, I guess I had been thinking of dairy as human food, rather than food for baby cows  ) and things like wine and coffee override a lot of our natural signals, so it takes time to settle into a natural state, where you're not boosted or flattened.

 

Sleep gets better I promise. Not being able to sleep through the night is a sign your hormones are a bit out still.

 

Some people find magnesium like Natural Calm or something similar really helps, I take MagMin which is fairly similar and I take it just before bed.

Starchy carbs in your last meal of the day do help with sleep, but also, if you're not getting enough starch in general, this can impact sleep and energy levels.

There's other things like avoiding backlit screens for a few hours before bed (tvs, phones, tablets, computers, etc), these can trigger the "daylight" sensor in your body as they're far brighter than the moon and sometimes even brighter than the sun.

Coffee is a problem for some people no matter when they drink it, but for most before midday shouldn't impact sleep at all.

 

Eating breakfast within one hour of waking helps to reset the body clock.

[CinSaladBim]

DAY 5.  NOT SLEEPING WELL.  Can't remember EVER going this long without CHEESE And, honestly, I haven't been without evening WINE in way too long.  I remain 100% committed and haven't cheated in the slightest.  I made up my mind, and I like (maybe too strong of a word at this point) that I am challenging my issues with self-control.  It hasn't been that hard really, except in regard to SLEEP.  It takes me forever to fall asleep, and I wake up often during the first few hours, sometimes able to fall back to sleep within a few minutes and sometimes not for hours.  I know people say alcohol messes with your sleep, and maybe it does for many people, but I don't sleep nearly as well without it.  I WANT to learn to sleep better without it.  One of my main goals in participating in the Whole30 is to learn to "take it or leave it" in regard to wine... maybe I am a true "wino"    Anyway, I am sticking with the program and I remain unwavering in my commitment.  I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has struggled with the sleep issue... is it fairly normal early in the program???  Does it get better???  FYI, I did break down and take melatonin one night (not that helpful) and Tylenol PM one night (somewhat helpful), but I don't want to have to rely on anything for sleep.  Deep breathing, imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation have been somewhat helpful at times... other suggestions????  Thanks for listening.  It helps just to share.

 

Day 7 for me today - first day I wake up feeling well rested. Sleep has been an issue for me too so far - first 2-3 nights had a really difficult time to fall asleep (some 'quality time' with the husband solved this in a natural way - he was not complaining ;-)). Once I finally fell asleep I woke every other hour or so, so wasn't feeling too perky waking up...

 

From my experience (and hoping it stays like this) it does get better - feel very tired now in the evenings, 3-4 hours after dinner my biological clock seems to start indicating it's time for some rest. I am starting to feel more in tune with my body and feeling hopeful for the days to come, what a difference from yesterday!

 

As for today's meals:

M1: lemon water, an egg ommelette roll filled with broccoli and tomato + half a mango and a cup of coffee

M2: Broccoli (steamed a heap yesterday) salad with sesame seeds and sprinkle of lemon juice, baked asparagus and Lemon roasted chicken

M3: Fresh chicken broth vegetable soup (not sure yet what veggies I'll throw in, cleaning my fridge) with spring onion and something coconutty - thinking about doing a side of balsamic vinegar glazed carrots and have a veal roast to bake as prep for tomorrow so might want to take a slice from that

 

I'm a bit anxious for the weekend to come - have a large family gathering with a BBQ (hoping on some compliant unmarinated meat !) - sugar and frankenfoods will be abundantly consumed all around me, so hoping I can resist them easily.

[CinSaladBim]

I made some chicken meatballs tonight and baked a couple of sweet potatoes for tomorrows meals. I find it helpful to have meals planned out and to do some preparing ahead of time to keep me focused and on track. Healthy eating everyone!   

 

Just curious - how do you make chicken meatballs? I can not seem to find sugar / dextrose free chicken ground meat anywhere - do you grind it yourself?

[praxisproject]

I'm a bit anxious for the weekend to come - have a large family gathering with a BBQ (hoping on some compliant unmarinated meat !) - sugar and frankenfoods will be abundantly consumed all around me, so hoping I can resist them easily.

 

I take my own stuff and get it thrown on the BBQ and I bring a big salad or bowl of roasted veggies to share.

 

Take some supplies, so you have lots of choices and can enjoy your day Olives are a great nibble

[CinSaladBim]

I take my own stuff and get it thrown on the BBQ and I bring a big salad or bowl of roasted veggies to share.

 

Take some supplies, so you have lots of choices and can enjoy your day Olives are a great nibble

 

That's not a bad idea actually - was going to try out a new butcher tomorrow morning, straight from the farm and doing all the processing themselves - so I'm hoping on some sugar-free sausages! And deli meat - I would love to make ham roll wraps for lunch in the course of this week, but so far haven't found dextrose-free ham...Know for sure that plenty of veggies will be available, unseasoned and without sauce, so was going to bring own homemade mayo to go with that.

 

Hadn't considered olives so far - will add them to my shopping list for salade niçoise (or the whole30 version of it anyway)!

 

Broth is cooking now - my house smells delicious mmmm :-)

[Born Sandy]

Day 8 down, started with coffee with coconut milk and had a training session with my PT in the gym at 7am. Was a really productive session and I was pleased with my strength and stamina. Did lots of weights and also some sprints and just felt strong. Meals today:

 

M1: Liver, eggs, compliant bacon, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado with ghee

M2: pan fried salmon, with left over papaya/avo salsa from last night, spinach, coconut flakes and some fresh oysters [just because they were fresh and yummy and it is Friday!]

M3: Had a bit of a play with some coconut oil, lime juice, garlic, coconut amines and chilli and made a roast chicken on the barby with some roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, broccolini and kale, was pretty damn yum. 

 

Travelling tomorrow morning for work coming back Sunday so have portioned up the roast chicken and some left over roast lamb and roast vegetables to take, will grab a salad bag from the supermarket and take some olive oil with me and probably pack it all in a little esky (thankfully am driving not flying this time). I have olives, nuts, coconut flakes and tins of salmon, sardines for other meal options.  I also have my bone broth setting in the fridge, have been cooking it for the last 24 hours, looks great so will take some of that as well. For someone that normally just has an overnight bag and my laptop on work trips I don't think I've ever been so organised lol! 

[blmorris]

Just curious - how do you make chicken meatballs? I can not seem to find sugar / dextrose free chicken ground meat anywhere - do you grind it yourself?

I bought my ground chicken from Safeway. It was W30 compliant as the ingredient was chicken. Hope this helps. 

[CinSaladBim]

I bought my ground chicken from Safeway. It was W30 compliant as the ingredient was chicken. Hope this helps. 

 

Yes and no :-) No Safeway's around here unfortunately (continental Europe) - will have to stick to the normal chicken I guess! ;-)

[4windsrider]

drbambi, I could have written your post !   I am a night owl and would happily sleep in til about 8:00 am every morning if I could. I have tinnitus also which sounds like a tea-kettle whistling in my right ear. Try falling asleep to that !  Wine has always been my saviour..a couple glasses before bed dulls the whistling, relaxes the body and makes sleep much better !   However, I KNOW that that much (and sometimes more) alcohol on a daily basis is just not healthy. So, this is a struggle.  I am very strong-willed and determined when I make a commitment…so there is no question of "falling off the wagon"on the Whole30 but I wish the sleep would get easier…Also, my work situation makes it really hard to do the 3 meals a day thing.  Food choices are no problem it's the timing. I get breaks at different intervals and it's not always at convenient eating times.  My biggest challenge is still eating too late at night and then not being hungry in the morning. Eating at 6 am when I get up for work would be next to impossible….   I guess the magnesium supplement is up next...

Anyway, Day 8 !   Fighting the" fog "  today but have the coming weekend to set my own schedule and keep working towards setting better 'rhythms" !

Happy Wholeness everyone !

[runcolorado37]

I don't mean to sound braggy to those having trouble sleeping... But yesterday, day 7, (I just want to nap...) I feel asleep at 8:45 and didn't wake up until 6! And yoga was a huge struggle for me.. I tried taking it easy, and still had a hard time even holding my arms up and keeping my eyes open. I woke up feeling good this morning so here's to hoping I'm over the tired slump and my workouts can feel good again!!

M1 today was grilled chicken and a salad with olive oil, lemon, balsamic and some walnuts. Not my favorite, I still have a hard time eating salad at 6am but we only had 3 eggs and I had to take one for the team for my husband since I'm amazed he's even still doing it with me!

[rosecord]

Hey everyone - I made it to day 7 but I need to gracefully exit this thread as I just found out that I am very newly pregnant. I guess that would explain the "weird aversion" to eggs I've been having!  I hope to return to do a W30 after the first trimester ends and nausea subsides, but for now I think I will be shifting over to a paleo diet (which may include some grass-fed yogurt and butter). Thank you all for your support this past week and best of luck to you on your individual journeys!

Congratulations!! Best of luck!

[Brookeamy9]

You called, we answered! My name is Brooke and I manage Appalachian State University's teaching and research farm in the mountains of Boone, NC. I began the whole30 Jan 2 and am on day 7, closing out the first week. I am making this whole30 move with 2 of my closest friends, so I'm quite lucky. I'm not generally drawn to grains for the most part, but dark chocolate has been a daily ritual (don't think I'll part with that habit after this month is over...) and the sugar dragon really gets to feast over the holidays during visits with family whose main goals are to bake and stuff everyone in sight with as many sweets as possible. Yikes. So far, it hasn't been terribly hard. Laying off wine after work has been, though. But sleeping like a baby is pretty nice.

[whatmeworry]

Although I'm a bit late in joining this forum, I've been following Whole30 since January 1st. Day 7, still on track but got this major headache that just doesn't want to go away. Yesterday, I was so bloated that I had trouble buttoning my pants at work. I've been reading the Whole30 timeline and my body responds a bit differently, although I assume that everybody's different. 

 

Anybody having a major headache today? 

 

Good job everyone!

Une autre québecoise! Nice to see you here - I work in Montreal, even though I live 140 km away. I am not having major headaches, but can sympathise. Hope it is feeling better.

 

drbambi, I could have written your post !   I am a night owl and would happily sleep in til about 8:00 am every morning if I could. I have tinnitus also which sounds like a tea-kettle whistling in my right ear. Try falling asleep to that !  Wine has always been my saviour..a couple glasses before bed dulls the whistling, relaxes the body and makes sleep much better !   However, I KNOW that that much (and sometimes more) alcohol on a daily basis is just not healthy. So, this is a struggle.  I am very strong-willed and determined when I make a commitment…so there is no question of "falling off the wagon"on the Whole30 but I wish the sleep would get easier…Also, my work situation makes it really hard to do the 3 meals a day thing.  Food choices are no problem it's the timing. I get breaks at different intervals and it's not always at convenient eating times.  My biggest challenge is still eating too late at night and then not being hungry in the morning. Eating at 6 am when I get up for work would be next to impossible….   I guess the magnesium supplement is up next...

Anyway, Day 8 !   Fighting the" fog "  today but have the coming weekend to set my own schedule and keep working towards setting better 'rhythms" !

Happy Wholeness everyone !

Aw man - the wine, the tinnitus, we hear the same horrible song and use the same antidote. I keep hoping that I can be the testimonial at the end of W30 feeling amazing with no more tinnitus. Wouldn't that be amazing? Doubt it will happen, but we can keep hoping.

 

I kind of like the fog, though. 

[whatmeworry]

Wow - day 8. I did not have a chance to post yesterday, but have been reading and catching up. I get to work from home today, so it is not quite so frantic.

 

Sleep has been getting somewhat better for me, thank goodness, but the, um, stopped up issue is horrible. I have never had this problem in my life! It is the worst! I am increasing salads and making sure I get my kale fix more often. I think I'll also stick with more fish and less other meats - I have not eaten meats and eggs more than a couple of times a month for over 20 years, so I think that is what may be causing the blockage. Does coconut milk help? Any ideas? I'm about to break out something drastic if it doesn't improve soon. Thanks!

[ladyshanny]

Wow - day 8. I did not have a chance to post yesterday, but have been reading and catching up. I get to work from home today, so it is not quite so frantic.

 

Sleep has been getting somewhat better for me, thank goodness, but the, um, stopped up issue is horrible. I have never had this problem in my life! It is the worst! I am increasing salads and making sure I get my kale fix more often. I think I'll also stick with more fish and less other meats - I have not eaten meats and eggs more than a couple of times a month for over 20 years, so I think that is what may be causing the blockage. Does coconut milk help? Any ideas? I'm about to break out something drastic if it doesn't improve soon. Thanks!

How's your water intake? Half an ounce per pound of bodyweight is the recommendation.  So if you are 160#, 80 ounces of water a day. More if you are constipated.

 

You can also take a magnesium supplement like Natural Calm to help with bowel movements (and it improves sleep!).  You could try cutting out the raw salad greens and try all cooked veggies for awhile.  Raw can be hard on the stomach.

[praxisproject]

Yes and no :-) No Safeway's around here unfortunately (continental Europe) - will have to stick to the normal chicken I guess! ;-)

 

If you can find a butcher who does chicken, they can probably make you some. From the thigh is best, breast can be a bit dry unless they add fat to it.

 

Also, my work situation makes it really hard to do the 3 meals a day thing.  Food choices are no problem it's the timing. I get breaks at different intervals and it's not always at convenient eating times.  My biggest challenge is still eating too late at night and then not being hungry in the morning. Eating at 6 am when I get up for work would be next to impossible….

 

It's worth playing around with your timing, especially the eating on waking. Not being hungry is a sign your hormones are off and it might take awhile, but you can get your body to eat in the morning and enjoy it, but it may take some time. I was a long time shift worker and breakfast skipper, I used to struggle eating any solids before 10am. Don't give up

 

Sleep has been getting somewhat better for me, thank goodness, but the, um, stopped up issue is horrible. I have never had this problem in my life! It is the worst! I am increasing salads and making sure I get my kale fix more often. I think I'll also stick with more fish and less other meats - I have not eaten meats and eggs more than a couple of times a month for over 20 years, so I think that is what may be causing the blockage. Does coconut milk help? Any ideas? I'm about to break out something drastic if it doesn't improve soon. Thanks!

 

You might find coconut oil helps more than coconut milk. Three things help everything move along: fibre (which you're getting plenty of from veggies), gas (probably not an issue for you, cramping can be a sign of too much) and fat.

 

Eat a bunch of extra fat, make a coconut oil coffee in the morning if you drink coffee and keep your liquids up.

[drbambi]

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDED TO MY "DAY 5, NOT SLEEPING WELL" POST!!!  I haven't figured out how to write back each individual that responded (I don't see a "reply" button), so I am trying this and hoping you will see it.  Your responses were so helpful to me, and I am now hopeful the sleep thing will get better.  You all explained the process in a way that helps me to understand more.  I tell ya, this forum support is amazing, especially for us "1st-timers."  I am a clinical psychologist and I am trying to tell myself what I often tell my patients "It's going to get worse before it gets better..."  Anything that comes easy probably isn't worth doing is it???  I am proud of all of us (including myself) for moving through the difficult times and not giving up.  I know it will be worth it.  It's weird, I know this is just a 30 day program, but in some way it's feeling kind of life-changing.  I won't belabor the point any longer, but anyway THANKS AGAIN!!!  I will be checking in regularly, and I always look forward to reading your posts to see how everybody is doing.  Have a great weekend my friends!!!

[drbambi]

Also, I will be trying a Magnesium supplement... I remember my doc saying years ago that I should take magnesium before bedtime.

[praxisproject]

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDED TO MY "DAY 5, NOT SLEEPING WELL" POST!!!  I haven't figured out how to write back each individual that responded (I don't see a "reply" button), so I am trying this and hoping you will see it.  Your responses were so helpful to me, and I am now hopeful the sleep thing will get better.  You all explained the process in a way that helps me to understand more.  I tell ya, this forum support is amazing, especially for us "1st-timers."  I am a clinical psychologist and I am trying to tell myself what I often tell my patients "It's going to get worse before it gets better..."  Anything that comes easy probably isn't worth doing is it???  I am proud of all of us (including myself) for moving through the difficult times and not giving up.  I know it will be worth it.  It's weird, I know this is just a 30 day program, but in some way it's feeling kind of life-changing.  I won't belabor the point any longer, but anyway THANKS AGAIN!!!  I will be checking in regularly, and I always look forward to reading your posts to see how everybody is doing.  Have a great weekend my friends!!!

 

You're welcome If you want to reply to one person, click the Quote button, if you want to reply to multiple people, click MultiQuote on those posts That's how I did this one.

 

Also, I will be trying a Magnesium supplement... I remember my doc saying years ago that I should take magnesium before bedtime.

 

A lot of people like Natural Calm, but check the ingredients, there's a few different kinds.

[praxisproject]

Day 6 for me and I'm feeling great this morning, woke up before my alarm and not feeling foggy or sleepy.

 

As my breakfast was cold leftovers I also got to start breakfast within a few minutes of waking up

 

My blood glucose numbers are also awesome today and it's naturopath and city shopping day (Saturday here).

[mdraeger]

Happy day 8 everybody! I feel like my body is starting to adapt, but there are still some energy fluctuations. I'm also starting that special time of the month for ladies, so that's likely also a culprit. I've currently got a pot of "Vampire Fighting Pork stew" from the Well Fed blog and it's making my house smell amazing. (There are caraway seeds in it, so it smells like a freshly baked loaf of rye bread. Yum!) I was intending to save it for future meals, but I might not be able to resist having it for dinner tonight...

 

The weekends are typically the hardest things about the W30 for me. No wine! Going out seems like a pain! Meh! So, we tend to become hermits for the 30 days. This time around I've decided to do something different. I've got a couple of nicer breakfast recipes planned and made plans to hang out with my brother/sister-in-law. I gave them a heads up about the Whole30 and they were totally cool about it, so that will be fun. Throw in some cooking and house chores and I suspect day 11 is going to be here before I know it...

 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

[greenhm]

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO RESPONDED TO MY "DAY 5, NOT SLEEPING WELL" POST!!!  I haven't figured out how to write back each individual that responded (I don't see a "reply" button), so I am trying this and hoping you will see it.  Your responses were so helpful to me, and I am now hopeful the sleep thing will get better.  You all explained the process in a way that helps me to understand more.  I tell ya, this forum support is amazing, especially for us "1st-timers."  I am a clinical psychologist and I am trying to tell myself what I often tell my patients "It's going to get worse before it gets better..."  Anything that comes easy probably isn't worth doing is it???  I am proud of all of us (including myself) for moving through the difficult times and not giving up.  I know it will be worth it.  It's weird, I know this is just a 30 day program, but in some way it's feeling kind of life-changing.  I won't belabor the point any longer, but anyway THANKS AGAIN!!!  I will be checking in regularly, and I always look forward to reading your posts to see how everybody is doing.  Have a great weekend my friends!!!

 

Hello, fellow Clinical Psychologist!!!  

[greenhm]

Day 8! Over the hump of week 1 being over. We made it through!

 

Today was fairly up and down. I had a tough day at work and at the end I was feeling emotional and drained. I felt the cravings come back that I haven't felt in a few days. Emotional eating has been a problem for me - looking for comfort through food/reward, or just that desperation to do something and feel good when I'm emotional or frustrated. I called my husband to let him know I was on my way home and that my day had been hard (the client wasn't difficult, but he/she was going through an incredibly hard and emotional time from a very recent and traumatic loss so his/her grief and emotion in the room was quite palpable) - and when I got home, Kev had dinner ready for us! It was just what I needed. The support was awesome and of course having food right away because I was really struggling with wanting to binge on something totally NOT whole30...it got me refocused. Tomorrow morning I have a breakfast meeting with a rescue organization I'm a foster with and I called the restaurant to make sure they can do some substituting for my omelette (i.e., no dairy or butter, and using olive oil) and the side (fresh fruit instead of toast and hash browns). I feel better asking ahead of time so that I'm not 'out of place' with the group that I haven't met yet. Meals today:

 

M1: scrambled eggs with a sweet potato and zucchini hash (lots of EVOO) and blueberries

M2: leftover steak on romaine lettuce salad with a little balsamic and some mammoth green olives

 

M3: lemon garlic salmon, brussels sprouts, and a green salad with tomatoes and cucumber. I made a dressing off pinterest using dijon (compliant), lemon juice (fresh), balsamic, olive oil, and a little salt. 

 

Hope everyone is hanging in there, too

[run_lift_golf]

Been a while since I checked in.  Everything has been going pretty well except for a slight headache the last couple days.  Going to make sure and up my water intake on D9 & D10.  Hopefully that is the culprit  

 

Had some Zuppa Toscana for dinner this evening along with a sweet potato, onion, broccoli hash.  The soup was a hit with my 7 and 9 year old so that made me feel pretty good. 

 

My motivation to get out and run is about zero right now.  Its going to snow tomorrow so I am going lace up and give it a whirl.

 

Cheers!

[Mistyfire]

Friday night cravings for...something. Anything. Except steamed fish. I'm thinking it's that habit of a glass of wine to end the week. Or maybe a snack reward. Something that serves as weekend marker. Too cold, dark, and windy to do a walk down my nice country roads. Best to snuggle into a nice warm bed with my book, knowing that I'll wake up happy after a nice long sleep. Cravings remind me that I still have more to learn about eating to live rather than living to eat. And that I need to plan better to not be caught off guard like this.