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This WILL be different.


NicoleLouise76

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So today is day one. And I'm really hoping this works out to be different from my past efforts. Every January is the start of my healthy eating, weight loss journey. And every year I seem to pack on and extra 5-10lbs. I'm long past believing that a quick fix will work. Calorie counting leads to hunger and self-sabotage. Programs like Isagenix require you to spend scads of $$ on their products, and leave you with a less flexible lifestyle (not to mention that you're always hungry). 

 

I started eating primarily paleo early in the summer and quickly dropped 5lbs, stopped getting chronic UTI's and stopped waking up every morning with achy ankles. All major wins! I attended a conference in September, and came back to a very very busy 3 months at work where I simply ate whatever I wanted. Most of what I prepped at home was still paleo, but I brought lunch to work less frequently and pretty much allowed all food eaten out of the house to be whatever I want. I think the healthy fats have kept my joints feeling good and the UTI's away, but the 5lbs are back along with another 5 friends, due too the increased dietary fats combined with carbs and sugar.

 

Every time I've weighed myself for the last 3 years, for the most part, I have been at my heaviest ever - often a new number I've never seen before. I'm desperate to make a big broad lifestyle change that will help me drop this weight, and improve my health. I turn 40 in late 2016 and this is not what I want it to look like. 

 

I'm one of those people with an iron stomach. I seem to tolerate dairy, glutens, beans, etc, all pretty easily, and rarely have digestive problems, so it makes it easy to slip. I throughly believe in the science behind the Whole30 though, and I love cooking and meal planning, so I am hoping I can easily set myself up for success. 

 

If you're here reading - good luck to you! I'm going to try to journal here daily, log my strategies, and what's been working for me. 

 

 

Day 0

Spent the whole day prepping food:

- Blanched a big bag of baby carrots (I have oral allergy syndrome and can't eat a lot of raw fruits, veggies, and nuts - quick application of heat fixes is), cut up broccoli and cucumbers. I have a 1 hour commute and eat breakfast in my car. Raw veggies allow me to easily munch on the road. 

- Made beet salad

- Nom nom paleo's Kalua Pig

- Boiled 10 eggs for morning breakfasts

- made paleo mayonnaise 

- made paleo ranch dressing (nom nom paleo recipe)

- made Paleo Buffalo Chicken Casserole (so good!)

- made homemade beef jerky

- made chicken bone broth

 

Day 1

Breakfast:

- 2 hard boiled eggs with 1/4 avocado and ~1/4 cup kalua chicken on top

- ~1.5 cups of baby carrots and cucumbers with ranch dressing

- 1 cup coffee blended with coconut oil, cinnamon, and 1 tsp grass-fed butter

 

Lunch:

- serving of paleo buffalo chicken casserole

- salad with ranch

 

snack:

- 4 pieces jerky

- Lemongrass green tea

 

dinner:

- Nom nom paleo's "Pig in a skillet"

- ~2 cups steamed broccoli with olive oil and lemon juice

 

 

 

 

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Day 2 - "So far, no hangover"!  :P 

 

I'm feeling really good so far, despite having started my Whole30 while trying to beat a cold. What is on my mind today is travel planning for next week. Next Tuesday I am on a plane all day, Wed - Fri working out of my office on the other side of the country, and then visiting my home province for the weekend while I'm out that way. There will be travel to navigate AND lots of eating out. Yikes! I am determined to find a way to make it all work though!

 

Tomorrow night is drinks out with colleagues. Soda water for me. Friday is a team lunch to welcome a new team member. Fancy lunch at a great restaurant. I plan to call ahead to see if they can accommodate me (and give them ample time to do so).

 

Today I ate the EXACT same things as yesterday, with the addition of some beet salad to my dinner. I also realized this morning that the butter i usually blend into my coffee is clearly NOT compliant. So I had it in their yesterday but not today. Whew! Since dairy doesn't wreak havoc on my system and it was an unintentional and very very early slip, I am just going to keep going. 

 

Mental notes for next weeks food prep: Triple the ranch dressing batch. I'm eating lots of this (maybe 2-3 tbsp a day, but still, enough that a batch doesn't last long enough). Buy more baby carrots. Cut more veggies for dipping. Plan for contingencies, like work lunches or late nights at the office. Time to build an emergency stash at work!

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Day 3 - "where's the hangover"????

K I'm feeling just as good today as I have been all other days. Maybe I'm getting off easy? Cold is worse though, laryngitis today. :-(.

M1: same as yesterday

M2: Kahlua pig, salad, 1/2 an avocado

M3: nom nom paleo Asian fried rice. Yum!!, apple with some almond butter

Snack - I knew dinner would take a while to cook tonight, so I had a handful of cashews on my commute. Had a cup of green tea mid-afternoon.

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Sounds like you are doing great! Just remember the timeline is different for everyone. I didn't have headaches. Instead I was just more tired than normal and slept a lot days 2 and 3. So keep on trucking and maybe you'll be lucky and never have the headaches and stuff!

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Okay - Day 4!!

I went to the clinic today and due to less time skipped the extra veggies at breakfast. I ate later than normal, but I felt like I got hungry earlier than normal as it came up on dinnertime. I just finished dinner and I'm still hungry. I think I'll just have another portion of the frittatta that I made.

M1- 2 hb eggs, avocado on top (1/4), and Kahlua pig. Mug bone broth, cup coffee with coconut oil and Ghee.

M2 - leftover nom nom paleo Asian fried rice witg some extra Kahlua pig.

M3- 1/4 frittatta made witg egg, Swiss chard, leek, tomato, and a bit of prosciutto. Veggies for dipping in ranch. Still hungry - going to eat more frittatta.

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Day 5! I've made it to Friday!

 

Aside from this cold, I feel like I've gotten off easy. Definitely a bit munchy tonight...I should have had tea. Instead i had some compliant snacks. 

 

M1: The usual eggs, avocado, kalua pork, coffee with coconut oil, ghee, and cinnamon Ran out of veggies and dip, so tried to choke back dry raw broccoli en route to work. Not successful.

 

M2: A little late. Leftover buffalo chicken casserole, 1/2 avocado, beet salad. Felt full

 

Snack - Around 5Pm was hungry but knew dinner was a ways away. Had an Epic Bar. I bought a box when I was in the USA over the holidays, but this was the first one I've eaten. The taste was ok, but the texture is....pre-chewed. Yuck. 

 

M3: recipe from Inspiralized - Zucchini noodles with prawns, lemon, capers. 

 

Snacks - bag cashews, 1 apple, 1 pack almond butter.

 

Tomorrow is mega food prep day. I need to do freezer meals for the week after I'm back, and next week, I'm travelling all week...

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Day 6!

Cold still has me on my butt. I slept till 11 am today, so M1 was significantly later than usual. I needed the sleep though!

M1- leftover frittata, 1/4 avocado, coffee with coconut oil, ghee, cinnamon

M2- leftover zucchini noodles with prawns, lemons, capers. Mixed in some homemade ( no cheese) pesto that my tenant made and gave me. Yum.

M3- Patacones with guacamole, pickled onions, shredded chicken. Some kombucha.

Finding it harder to fall asleep the last few nights. Hopefully it's a passing phase.

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Day 7! Feeling SO MUCH better!

 

I think I've mostly kicked this cold.  My freezer has more food in it than I could imagine needing, which means prep when I get back from this weeks business trip should be easy-peasy. All good!

 

M1 - The usual - minus the dippy veggies.

M2 - 2 nom nom paleo procuitto egg cups and a yellow pepper with paleo ranch

M3 - buffalo chicken casserole, big salad with avocado. 

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Day 8 & Day 9 - A little behind!

 

Day 8

M1 - 2 HB eggs, kalua pig, avocado, coffee blended with coconut milk

M2 - buffalo chicken casserole, salad, 1/2 avocado

M3 - Pistachio crusted salmon, green beans, 1/2 hasselback potato

 

Day 9 - flew to Halifax, so spend most of the day on a plane

M1 - 2 HB eggs, carrot sticks and ranch. No time for the usual. Missed the fats and was hungry before lunch. 

Snack - Vanilla chia Pod

M2 - leftover pistachio crusted salmon, grapes

M3 - Leftover pistachio crusted salmon, green salad with olive oil and balsamic, and left over potato

snack @ hotel - bag of cashews.

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Day 10, 11, and 12 in Halifax. Late night meals with colleagues and some odd hours.

 

I feel good - I've been asking questions and making special requests at restaurants and so far have not eaten anything i shouldn't, to my knowledge. That said, meals have definitely been off template and could be better. Here is, to my knowledge, what I remember eating!

 

Day 10

M1: 2Hb eggs, 1 banana, 1 pkg almond butter, 1 coffee blended with coconut butter

M2: 1/2 salad from Pete's to Go Go with homemade ranch, 1 can salmon, 1/4 sweet potato with coconut butter

M3: Steamed lobster with clarified butter, steamed veggies, roasted potatoes. No Alcohol while colleagues drank lovely wine

 

Day11

M1: 2HB eggs, 1 pckg cashews, 1 black coffee

M2: (in a 6 hour meeting where lunch was brought in): Fruit, tabbouleh salad, butter chicken (just realized there might have been some cream)

M3: Lamb chops, steamed veggies, roasted potatoes. Bowl of berries for dessert and peppermint tea while everyone had sundaes and yummy cocktails

 

Day12

M1: 2HB eggs, 1 pckg salmon butter with a granny smith apple, 1 cup black coffee

M2: 7oz steak, <1half a baked potato with olive oil, mushrooms and onions, steamed veggies

M3: M2 was super late. had an epic bar

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Day 13 - visiting family in Newfoundland!

 

I cannot believe I am doing a Whole30 in Newfoundland. No fish and chips. No aunts yummy desserts. No wine with family.  'm doing ok - ish. I've stuck to it as much as possible. My tummy doesn't feel great so I wonder of something snuck in that shouldn't have.

 

M1: 2 eggs, roasted potatoes, fruit, coffee

M2: didn't really happen...I had a snack...almond butter...tried with apple but the apple made me itch

M3: Baked salmon (atlantic farmed! ick!), asparagus, salad with oil and vinegar. Soda water. Tea. 

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Wow...falling behind here! It's good to be back home and able to have 3 properly templates meals per day. Today is day 17! I remember yesterday and today pretty well.

Day 16:

M1: 3 mini prosciutto wrapped frittatas, coffee blended with coconut oil

M2: can salmon, 1/2 avocado, spinach, beets

M3: ground beef, bok choy, green onions with the stir fry sauce from well fed

Not enough veggies in dinner - was hungry at bed time.

Day 17:

M1: same but added 1/4 avocado to eggs

M2: same but Kailua pig instead of salmon

M3: same but added broccoli and spinach. Needed more veggies!

Snack - a little prcitto. I was feeling munchy...

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Maybe posting is losing its buzz?  Here is what I can remember, and I'm working backwards!

 

Day 21:

M1: Nom nom paleo pig in a skillet, roasted cauliflower with cumin, sumac, garlic, lemon, and avocado oil.  Amazing

M2: Green smoothie...I know Im not supposed to drink my calories, but I did a 3 hour belly dancing class and then went to a cafe with my GF. Was starved, and this was the one thing I could have.  

M3: Hash (peppers, onion, bacon, yams, potatoes, eggs)

 

Day 20:

M1: Pig in a skillet, coffee blended with coconut oil

M2: Leftover zucchini noodles aglio e olio with prawns

M3: Chicken breast, salad, sauted kale

 

Day 19:

M1: Eggy things with avocado on top, coffee blended with coconut oil

M2: Leftover lamb chops, mashed butternut squash (but didn't eat it all - not my favourite), and brocolli

Snack: beef jerky bar. Went to costco after work and didn't get home for dinner until 8PM!

M3: zucchini noodles aglio e olio with prawns

 

Day 18:

M1: Eggy things with avocado on top, coffee blended with coconut oil

M2: Kalua pork, 1/2 avocado, spinach

snack: Apple with almond butter

M3:  lamb chops, mashed butternut squash, and brocolli

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Day 22!

 

In bed early tonight - feeling tired. Here is what I ate today!

 

M1: 2 boiled eggs with avocado and kalua pork, coffee blended with coconut oil, roasted cauliflower

M2: Leftover Chicken breast, salad, sauted kale

M3: Hotplate: ground beef, broccoli, bok choy with Whole30 stir fry sauce

​Snack: 1 small strip homemade beef jerky

 

​I NEVER would have thought that I could be someone who has eaten a half-head of cauliflower before 10am!

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Day 29 - a bought of food-poisoning and a busy weekend left me a bit off track. Not off Whole30, just off my templates meals and the regularity of them. 

 

I've been so excited to hit day 30 - and really proud that I've made it this far - but if I am really honest with myself and listen to my gut, the truth is that I am not ready to stop. I'm not finding it hard....I'm finding how I feel emotionally in situations with lots of non-compliant foods is amazing - but I still haven't nailed down the habits that I really want to have. I'm still not eating veggies as habit - I have to think about them and I'm still not loving them. I feel like my weight is just starting to shift. I figure, I've been dieting my whole life, so its going to take more than 30 days to heal my metabolism, along with all the other stuff. 

 

So, on Day 31, I will allow myself to weigh myself. I may do a small reintroductory test with Dairy just so see what happens, but on Day 32, I'm right bay to Day 1 of my Whole30. If I skip the Dairy test, I'll just call it a Whole60 and tuck the scale away. I may reevaluate at 45 days, may wait until 60. Its really going be up to my intuition. 

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