Crispy Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I am a bit slow on getting this log started...today is Day 2. I was really busy yesterday but I stayed on track! Background... I have been eating semi-Paleo for nearly 3 years...but i wasn't able to give up dairy. Or I didn't want to. One or the other. But I have been slipping on and off the wagon for the last year. Every since I came back from a holiday in Canada and Italy My start in this way of eating started with giving up added sugar (fructose) since reading "sweet point" and I had some success and then just thought if I could give up sugar maybe I could try cleaning up my eat habits even more. Since starting "no sugar" is lost 25 kgs in about 18 months....I was thrilled!! Then the trip happened....I gained about 5 kg back and then a little bit of seesawing up and down. And yes I know I shouldn't be focused on losing weight...but it is on my mind. My health is usually pretty good. I do have asthma but it is easily controlled by medication. I rarely get sick, just the usual colds. Until last Nov, i got an ear infection that became both ears infected. And as that started to heal, I noticed my face looked funny...half of it went slack. And no I was not having a stroke...trust me I thought of that! After several hours in an ER, I was diagnosed with Bell's Palsey. This has mostly returned to normal. Shortly afterwards i noticed a rash/spots developing on my neck, then my lower arms. In the past I have had some allergic skin reactions on my face and neck but it comes on quickly and passes in a few days. This just seemed to spread. Dr thought it was psoriasis and sent me to a dermatologist. He thinks I may have a version of lupus that affects just the skin when exposed to sun. But tests have been inconclusive. Yay....it has mostly faded though, but some spots have become re-inflammed. I have always (well for numerous years) felt some level of fatigue and had trouble sleeping. It has never stopped me doing anything, just been an ongoing annoyance (and concern) Anyway, this is my second day and things have been going well. I spent Sunday shopping and cooking up some meals for me to use during the week. I made a sausage and sweet potato breakfast casserole, chicken curry and beef chilli. I need to be organised as I start work early (7am) and have limited time to cook before leaving the house. I also have to take all food with me to work as there are no shops or cafes nearby. I am having a little difficulty with whether I should snack. I have set times when I have breaks at work. I eat breakfast at 5:45am, lunch at 10:30am, dinner at around 6-7pm. There is a huge gap there. I also have a short break at 2 pm and finish at 3pm. The last 2 days I have been having a snack at 2pm (I eat a boiled eggs, some avocado and a carrot). It seems to be going well. Maybe I will try it one day without the snack and see how I feel. Wow, I didn't mean to turn this into a saga....I think I will stop now. Bed time...I hate having to go to bed so early as I have to wake up at 5:30am...I need a new job!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted January 12, 2016 Moderators Share Posted January 12, 2016 When you have such a long day, it may be best to plan 4 full meals. A mini-meal is okay, but when you are active for long periods, your body requires more nutrition, so you should probably plan a real meal within that long gap between lunch and dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted January 13, 2016 Author Share Posted January 13, 2016 Thanks for the advice Tom, but I am a bit reluctant to make another full meal. I wasn't terribly hungry when I have been having the afternoon snack/mini-meal. But I keep it in mind and see how I feel. Today went well. Except when I have been sitting on the couch after work watching TV. I am not hungry, but I have to keep fighting the urge to go looking for something to snack on. But nearly time for dinner so I can wait. It has been such a hot day today that I feel like I have drunk nearly 3 L of water! It reached 42 degrees Celsius here (which I think is 107.6 degree for those using Fahrenheit). Thank god it is dropping off rapidly. It is supposed to be only 19 degrees tomorrow. Typical Melbourne....as the saying goes "Don't like the weather in Melbourne? Just wait a minute....." In relation (possibly) to the weather....has anyone else found that water retention in your ankles (cankles!) increases since starting the whole30? Or maybe it is that I just returned to work after a couple weeks off and need to get used to being on my feet all day. Last night I made some mayonnaise. It turned out ok. I got a little carried away with the stick mixer. I accidentally used the turbo button and the mayo got really thick really fast, so I didn't end up adding all of the oil. Tried to add some Tabasco sauce. Don't know how much because the nozzle is sooo small I ended up just giving up measuring it and giving it several shakes. Spicy but pretty vinegary. Need to try something else. Maybe just use chili powder.....I really want something that is spicy but not too hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Day 4 down. Yippee!!! Feeling pretty good. Well, still really tired but that's pretty normal. I don't feel much like listing exactly what I eat....or is that what I am supposed to do? But I keep breakfast, lunch and snack pretty similar during the week as I prepare it the weekend before. But I like to keep dinner flexible. Keeps things interesting. One thing I am having difficulties with is adding the fat quota to some meals. One of my favourite meals which I adapted for the Whole30 is a Cajun chicken mince stir-fry. My problem is finding some kind of fat to add beyond the cooking fat. I had it tonight with some Tabasco mayonnaise. Not bad. But other things like beef chili. The only kind of fat I could find was avocado. But I don't want to eat too much avocado...they are like $3 each here!! Any ideas? I am feeling a little apprehensive about this weekend though. It will not have the structure and work that keeps me from thinking about eating at random times. Should be a real test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 Gee I am slack about this log! But I am up to Day 9 and going strong. Apart from an overwhelming desire for a flat white last Friday. I have tried espresso/short blacks. I want milk and sugar!!! And i have tried almond milk (carton and homemade) and the texture is all wrong for me. Too runny and wishywashy. And I have tried coconut milk, and while I love coconut milk, in coffee it is just gross!!! But apart from my occasional overwhelming desire for coffee, I'm pretty good. Kinda getting sick of all the food prep. When I changed my diet towards Paleo-inspired, I found myself having to cook more. I have gotten used to it and sometimes enjoy it. But this just takes it to a whole new level! I am feeling pretty good. I feel more alert but still tired sometimes. Care of early starts (5:30am alarm) and a job where I am on the go most of the day (housekeeping). I am hoping to try eating out for the first time this weekend. I think I will aim for a paleo cafe. And ask questions....Wish me luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9er Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Gee I am slack about this log! But I am up to Day 9 and going strong. Apart from an overwhelming desire for a flat white last Friday. I have tried espresso/short blacks. I want milk and sugar!!! And i have tried almond milk (carton and homemade) and the texture is all wrong for me. Too runny and wishywashy. And I have tried coconut milk, and while I love coconut milk, in coffee it is just gross!!! But apart from my occasional overwhelming desire for coffee, I'm pretty good. Kinda getting sick of all the food prep. When I changed my diet towards Paleo-inspired, I found myself having to cook more. I have gotten used to it and sometimes enjoy it. But this just takes it to a whole new level! I am feeling pretty good. I feel more alert but still tired sometimes. Care of early starts (5:30am alarm) and a job where I am on the go most of the day (housekeeping). I am hoping to try eating out for the first time this weekend. I think I will aim for a paleo cafe. And ask questions....Wish me luck!! Congrats on doing well so far! Just a suggestion for your coffee, if you use a milk frother, or a hand mixer to blend the coconut milk into the coffee, it is much better. I put mine in a little blender I have, just be careful you don't blow the top off because of the hot coffee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Thanks J9er for the suggestion. I think it is the mix of the two tastes....coffee and coconut. Just do not like it. Like orange and chocolate. Some people like it, I just can't stand it. So, Day 11. Still going well. I had a big day at work yesterday. Started work at 7am and didn't leave til 6.15pm. I admit I had two breaks totally 1.5 hours....but it was still a long day! I did decide to have a snack in between lunch and dinner because they were about 8-9 hours apart. The odd thing was that I was really full when I was eating dinner. Like I didn't really need to eat. I still ate of course. But I had cut out the snack in the previous few days to see how I felt. But normally I have only 7 hours between lunch and dinner. Oh well, I'm still figuring out the details. Its kinda odd how my mind works sometimes. I don't really have any urge to go off "plan". Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have been offered numerous coffees (what I really want!!) and chocolates and it has been pretty easy to turn down. So far. I shall hope it continues, but I just find it weird. I remember when I gave up sugar. It was weird. Like a switch had been flicked and I refused to eat sugar. I mean I was tempted but I just said no. Its like that now. Oh well, i still have 19 more days to go. One at a time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9er Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Ahhhh, I get it now. I love the coffee and coconut thing, but orange and chocolate makes me want to throw up! Try it blended with some ghee? Still missing sweetness but maybe better? Lol, I would be devastated without my coffee so I feel your pain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Today is Day 14. Day 12 ended with some serious thoughts about why was I doing this....I know I can't expect much yet, but I was hoping for some obvious differences/improvements. Apart from being slightly more alert (but that could just be my imagination/wishful thinking) I don't really feel any better. I also don't feel any worse. Day 13 I went out for lunch with a friend to a shopping centre in Melbourne CBD. In the food court they have a Thr1ve cafe. It sold as a paleo-inspired fast food place. I thought that I could find something compliant while my friend could find something she wanted elsewhere and we could eat together. I found the menu and ingredients/nutritional information online and I figured out what I wanted. When I went to the counter they hadn't heard of the Whole30 but they were happy to change out the dressing for the one that didn't have honey. So I sat down to my spinach with balsamic, seasonal mash, grilled capsicum, grilled chicken and tahini dressing. And then stopped. I had just spend time in the supermarket looking at grilled capsicum...sugar! Push aside. Then I reread the ingredients....seasonal mash has butter in it..WTF! Oh bugger...so started eating the chicken and spinach but the dressing was sweet tasting...so then I started freaking out. I admit....I started crying. Lol....now I wasn't sure about the dressing. I got my friend to taste it and she thought it was the tahini, but now I was pretty uncertain and pretty upset. I was just so frustrated, angry, sad and just sick of it all. I have been totally compliant for 12 days and I did not want to waste all of that. My friend encouraged me to just forget about the meal and go buy something else. So eventually I went to the Spud Bar and got a baked sweet potato with chicken, avocado and some veggies. It was good, but I just felt so demoralized. I hate wasting food and money!! My friend tried to be supportive and tell me to just let it go. But instead I found myself getting secretly pissed off at her for not taking my feelings seriously. I know...stupid isn't it? I could hear myself thinking this, while simultaneously going ''are you out of your freaking mind????" Ah emotions....not always my friend. I get all swept up and before I know it I'm having a freak out over nothing (in the long run). Anyway, then I had a friend's party and thankfully I was still pretty full so I just drank mineral water and tried to avoid the food. Chips, Arnotts pizza shapes, homemade chocolate cake. Alcohol.....Sigh. When I go to her parties I usually bring along a paleo raw dessert as she is a vegan and it is something we can share. And i admit, she and her friends are always vocal about how much they enjoy them. But I couldn't bring myself to make something that I couldn't eat. But I will make something next time...I have a new favourite "cheesecake" recipe....Macadamia, Lemon and Strawberry! I made it for Christmas and it was awesome!!!! So today is so far ok. A bit so-so. I have heaps for food I need to cook for this coming work week. But I can't be stuffed...but I gotta. Sigh....got to get off the couch and get going!!! End of rant...Lol..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Day 20. Still just chugging along. No issues since my above mentioned melt down last Saturday. One great thing I have found is how to make mayonnaise. Turns out that if you have a stick mixer/blender (otherwise known as immersion blender I think) you can just chuck in all the ingredients in together (I use the large cup that came with it) and wait a minute. Then start with the blender at the bottom and slowly start blending. As it gradually mixes together, life the blender upwards and move around until it thickens. Soooo easy!!!!! Beats pouring the oil in so slowly!!! As I have only 10 more days, I am finding myself thinking about reintroduction. I think I will do a medium-speed reintroduction. I want to know the difference in my responses to milk versus cheese, and white rice versus corn. Well, that is my thinking right now. I might change my mind when I get closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Day 24.....soooo over this! The closer I get to the end the Whole30 the harder it seems. Lol....less than a week to go! And I find myself questioning....do I really need to do an introduction??? But don't worry...I am unlikely to give into the urge to chuck it in. I am not wasting the last 4 weeks!!! I am just feeling tired and whiny. And I am a little concerned....I am going home to my parent's place for the weekend. It is normally a carb fest.....mostly bread. My mum works in a bakery. But I have spoken to Mum and she is ok with working around me. What I am more concerned about is my Dad. I was talking to them about it and I could hear him in the background saying "that its only one weekend, you can take a break!" I am planning what I will say.....Sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crispy Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Day 31....I finished it and I am soooo proud of myself. No slip ups...well i found out in the 3rd week that the lemon juice i was using had added sulfates. Bugger but I am choosing to look at it as a small mistake. I only used a little. Lemons have been soooo expensive lately. The thing I found the hardest was the no dairy. That is the first thing I added in my reintroduction. So today for breakfast, I cooked it in butter. Eggs taste soooo much better in butter. For lunch I added mozzarella cheese. And I just had a flat white coffee....it was sooooo good! Even without the sugar!!! And tonight for dinner I am going to have some sour cream with my dinner. Chili beef....yum! So far I feel fine. No really obvious issues. Now I will be honest. I don't really feel any better after 30 days. I did not have any real symptoms or conditions that I wanted to alleviate. But I was hoping for more energy and sleeping better. But unfortunately, I do not feel any real improvement. Sigh. Sadly, I think other lifestyle factors must be affecting those things. I am in a job that requires me getting up at 5:30am and I suck at going to bed early and STAYING ASLEEP all night. And I am trying to work up the courage to get a new job. So I am worrying and stressing...I suffer from anxiety and am sure that it is affecting my sleep. I know I could probably keep going with the Whole30 to see if things improve but I am made myself a promise that I would give it 30 days and see what happens. I do not think I have the motivation to keep going. I want to do the reintroduction and move on. I want to keep some things from the Whole30 though. I love my garlic mayonnaise! I am also going to keep the 3 meals a day but i will be adding a small snack in the mid afternoon as it is often 7 hours between lunch and dinner. And I am going to continue to keep sugar to a minimum. I have done it before and I always feel better in I keep to it. But I slid off that wagon last year. Time to make any sugary treats fewer and more important. Handmade and special! Ok, so I will continue with the reintroduction. I am particularly interested in the dairy and gluten reintroduction. Will see how I go with the others....see if I can stick out the plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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