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First Whole30 Done: NSVs, the weigh-in, and the plan going forward!


DrJane

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Hello!

 

I am so excited!!!  I finished my first Whole30!!!!!  I have NEVER in my life stuck to a diet/exercise plan (and there have been many) for this long, and I have never, EVER tried anything that left me so satiated between meals, feeling so great, and given me so much empowerment over my food choices.  

 

There really were no downsides this month.  There was an increase in my grocery bill, but there was a compensatory decrease in eating out and buying food from the cafeteria at work, so it probably winds up breaking even.  Additionally, with my meal planning, there was almost NEVER any wasted food getting thrown out because everything in the grocery bag had a dedicated purpose.  The only hiccup that I had was from about days 4-10 I had the WORST breath.  Like, no amount of brushing or flossing could get rid of it.  But it settled down eventually and hasn't come back.  

 

NSVs/Positive Changes

1. I have learned to love leftovers.

2. Likewise, I am now perfectly happy to drink black coffee.

3. My joint pain and plantar fasciitis in the mornings have basically resolved (now I only get it if I spend 8+ hours in a row on my feet at work)

4. I have kicked my addiction to Diet Coke and now drink water all the time (and am drinking more of it than previously, so I am better hydrated).  I feel like my "thirst" sensation and my "hunger" sensation are now very clear and separate, whereas before I think I would misinterpret thirst as hunger.

5. My skin is brighter and clearer.

6. I have gained so much empowerment from having control over my food choices and not giving in to temptation every single time.  Willpower = better self-esteem!

7.  I have stopped counting calories!  (I can't remember a time when I didn't log every single thing that went into my mouth)

8. I have beaten the 3 p.m. slump and can now work through the entire day without getting tired or "brain fog"

9. There was a very cute pair of gray boots that I tried on early in the Whole30 and they did not fit over my calves.  I went back yesterday and tried them on again, and they fit!!!! (And, they had since gone on sale!  Woo hoo!)

 

The Weigh-In

I had to do it.  A big part of my overall health goal is weight loss (diabetes and cardiovascular diseases run in my family, and no matter which way you slice it, being overweight is a modifiable risk factor that you modify by actually losing weight).  

 

I lost 23 lbs on the Whole30.  I can hardly believe it.  I am actually a bit concerned because that degree of weight loss is so dramatic...but I was never hungry!  I exercised, but not more than about 120 minutes per week!  I never felt deprived, I never felt weak or tired or undernourished!  I didn't avoid any food groups, I definitely ate lots of carbs and my portion sizes were totally reasonable...so I just can't believe that much weight came off with so little pain and suffering on my part!

 

I also lost 3.5 inches from my waist, 2 from my hips, and 2.5 from my bust, and I can definitely tell that my face is slimmer.

 

Future Directions in Whole30

I have had such a great time on this plan, that I really want to stick to it!  However, I am going to do the reintroduction period because I am really curious to find out which food groups are problematic for me.  I want to know what I can tolerate in small amounts, versus what I cannot tolerate AT ALL, because it will allow me to be flexible in my diet, especially surrounding social situations/meals where it may not be feasible to be totally compliant.  So I want to know what I must 100% avoid and refuse when I am offered, and what I can have a few bites of, or a meal here or there, and not suffer any ill effects.

 

Today, my first foray back into conventional eating was an unflavoured latte from Starbucks (i.e. dairy).  And that is probably all the dairy I will try for the day, unless my boyfriend has any unsweetened, plain Greek yogurt in the fridge.  

 

Other goals:

1. Incorporate more leafy greens and other green vegetables into my diet.

2. Change up my breakfast (e.g. find some compliant sausages, learn some recipes for breakfast casserole, etc)

3. Find some 30-minute dinner recipes.  Everything I have cooked on the plan has been absolutely delicious, and most recipes will DEFINITELY be put into the monthly rotation, but everything was so time-consuming to prepare!  I either need to get a crock pot, or find some easy weekday recipes that can be thrown together in 30 minutes or less.  

4. Start working more on fitness...I have my exercise bike, but I need to start adding in some strength training, flexibility, etc.

5. Recruit friends and family who have been struggling with health issues/being overweight, to the Whole30 way of life.

 

That is just about it!  I am so thrilled to have found this plan and so proud of myself for sticking to it for the whole month.  THANK YOU Melissa and Dallas, and everyone here on the forum, for coming up with this amazing program, for your kind words and encouragement, and for your helpful comments and advice.  I could never have imagined such terrific results before starting this program, and I am excited to see what other benefits Whole30 will bring into my life!  

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How wonderful! I loved all your non scale victories and am so proud of you for sticking to it and also for recognizing the value of the re-intro!

As a gift, I"m going to give you a frittata recipe that I just made for breakfast this week.

Line a greased 9x13 pan with procuitto

Brown about a pound of ground pork with seasonings of choice (I used costco no salt seasoning but TraderJoes 21 Seasoning Salute is good or you can use a mix of basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and salt).

Put the browned pork in the pan.

Take two packages of chopped frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed) and cover the pork with it.

Add a chopped pepper (red, green, orange)

Add one can of green olives, crushed with your fingers (I used Trader Joes)

Sprinkle on some oregano, basil, garlic powder and salt.

Whisk 10 eggs together with about a 1/3 cup of coconut milk

Pour over top and then use a spatula to press everything into the pan tightly

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 for about 20 or so minutes. Take the cover off when the whole thing is almost cooked and put it back in the oven for about 10 min.

Voila!

Different version of the same thing:

Use asian spices with the pork (ginger, sesame oil, chili flakes) and instead of the peppers, put some chopped up water chestnuts instead and use black sliced olives

Instead of the frozen spinach, you can get the big bags of super greens or baby kales at Costco and steam them yourself, squish some water out and use that.

Use a mixture of beef and pork

Use ground chicken with poultry seasonings (sage, thyme, oregano, garlic, onion powder)

Add 2-4 tbsp of tomato paste to the eggs when you whisk them for a richer taste (I didn't use this because too many tomato products are bad for me).

Basically, ground meat seasoned to your liking topped with some sort of steamed green veg and a bit of something for crunch and pour eggs over top! This makes 8 HUGE servings, so you should be set for breakfast for yourself for a week and I use the other pieces for backup dinner sometimes or I throw them in the freezer for emergency meals.

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