Hi all! Starting Feb 22nd!

[jen c]

Last week I pretty much stuck to basic meats and veggies.  I'm fairly Plain Jane and not big on sauces and condiments, so didn't make the mayonnaise or any other recipes.  This week I'm going to try a few recipes from the book and one I found on Pinterest.  When I kept things plain, my family was more than happy to eat everything, but branching out into new recipes . . . we'll see how it goes.  None of us are very adventurous eaters but we'll be trying a few new veggies anyway. 

 

I do hope all of the sluggishness, tiredness, bloating, etc. will clear up for all of you quickly.  I'm completely convinced that either dairy or grains were making me very sick.  A week prior to starting, the doctor was checking me for ovarian cancer because with the exception of weight loss, I'd been experiencing all of the symptoms daily:  feeling full quickly, bloating, cramping, pain, heartburn, constipation, feeling/looking 5 months pregnant, etc.  My tests came back normal and since starting this Whole 30, ALL of my symptoms are totally gone.  100%!!!  I'm in awe at how much better I feel and am finding it to be very motivating to continue.  On the other hand, I'm not looking forward to reentry time.  If it's dairy, that's just fine.  I already have a dairy-allergic child and we're used to working with that.  But if it's gluten or grains . . . ugh . . . I really don't want to add yet another food to our avoidance list.  Of course I will if that's what it comes down to.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy how I feel now.  It's been so many months since I've felt this good.  

[ksea]

Week 1 down! Great job everyone!! Here's to another week we're going to rock. 

I also have been a bit bloated since last night, and woke up somewhat tired. Feeling good now.  I'm happy it's a nice day here, I can pack up baby and go for a long walk.  He seems amused enough watching me jump around for exercise, and I usually tote him around in a pack during the day.. but some fresh air will be wonderful! It's been a weird winter, no snow.  We have a ski hill in town that hasn't really opened the past three winters! 

On Saturday, I made a huge pot of meat sauce with Italian moose sausage.. just took some burger and added salt and seasonings, let the flavors marry all day before cooking it.  So much tastier than just adding plain burger to the sauce!  And I have extra sausage for this week.  Ate the sauce over spaghetti squash, zoodles and Sunday morning I poached some eggs in it. Yummy!

Last night I made this Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup from Mel Joulwan.  I added extra fresh ginger, just because I can't get enough of that flavor.  Came together really fast and was so delicious.. my husband ate most of it!  Although he's also eating some non-compliant items, he likes the food I have been making.  He even asked for no sugar in the latte I made him this morning!

I also took some raw salmon and blitzed it in the food processor with some asian flavors for some patties.  Yum!  Had some for breakfast, with leftover soup and cucumber salad.  I have this Smoky Hot and Spicy BBQ sauce in the slow cooker with a moose pot roast. Didn't have all the ingredients, but it smells amazing!!

 

I may put it in the french press with the coffee grounds or mix it into the coconut milk and then could use that for either coffee or tea.  I'll have to try both ways and see what works best.  I did add some cocoa powder and cinnamon to my coconut milk for a cup of coffee today and it was good.  I'm not a fancy coffee drinker - typically took it with either just cream or with cream and a little sugar - so I'm not trying to replicate anything here but am just experimenting with different tastes.  I'm not missing the sweetness of my tea nearly as much as I thought I would either. 

I was inspired to add some chai spices to the coffee grounds in my french press this morning.. drank it with some coconut milk, so good!!  I also love Mexican hot chocolate coffee (cocoa, cinnamon, and something spicy like chipotle or cayenne).  I've always drank my tea and coffee unsweetened, rarely with cream.. but I'm really liking the flavor of the coconut milk!  One trick I've discovered is adding a nice pinch of salt to coffee before brewing really brings out the flavors.  Not enough to taste salty, but a little bit really does make a difference for me.

 

I know what everyone means about the amount of prep/cooking.  I've always loved cooking, even find doing dishes kind of relaxing  .. One thing I always do is listen to a good audiobook, podcast or some upbeat music while I'm in the kitchen.. Amazing what a some Little Richard or Stevie Wonder will do to get you moving!! Yay for Pandora! 

[ksea]

I do hope all of the sluggishness, tiredness, bloating, etc. will clear up for all of you quickly.  I'm completely convinced that either dairy or grains were making me very sick.  A week prior to starting, the doctor was checking me for ovarian cancer because with the exception of weight loss, I'd been experiencing all of the symptoms daily:  feeling full quickly, bloating, cramping, pain, heartburn, constipation, feeling/looking 5 months pregnant, etc.  My tests came back normal and since starting this Whole 30, ALL of my symptoms are totally gone.  100%!!!  I'm in awe at how much better I feel and am finding it to be very motivating to continue.  On the other hand, I'm not looking forward to reentry time.  If it's dairy, that's just fine.  I already have a dairy-allergic child and we're used to working with that.  But if it's gluten or grains . . . ugh . . . I really don't want to add yet another food to our avoidance list.  Of course I will if that's what it comes down to.  In the meantime, I'll enjoy how I feel now.  It's been so many months since I've felt this good.  

That's amazing your symptoms have cleared up!  They sound awful.  Thank goodness it wasn't cancer!

How did you find out your child was allergic to dairy?  I was thinking something I was eating was causing him to break out on his face and have mucous-y BMs.  His face has cleared up considerably just a week in, and his dirty diapers look normal again. Tiny bit of mucous every so often, but he's been drooling like crazy and excess saliva will do that.  I read that it can take up to 5 weeks for allergy causing things to be gone from my system, so I've been thinking about extending my Whole30 a little bit before reintroduction.

[CGinDC]

I think I'm having a delayed "Kill All the Things" phase - I don't know why but everyone and everything is on my last nerve today!

[jen c]

That's amazing your symptoms have cleared up!  They sound awful.  Thank goodness it wasn't cancer!

How did you find out your child was allergic to dairy?  I was thinking something I was eating was causing him to break out on his face and have mucous-y BMs.  His face has cleared up considerably just a week in, and his dirty diapers look normal again. Tiny bit of mucous every so often, but he's been drooling like crazy and excess saliva will do that.  I read that it can take up to 5 weeks for allergy causing things to be gone from my system, so I've been thinking about extending my Whole30 a little bit before reintroduction.

When my son was 2 months old, he developed eczema head to toe.  I'd seen that in other milk-allergic babies that I'd known, so I removed all of the dairy from my diet and within 3 days his skin was clear.  He's almost 10 years old now and his skin will break out in hives if touched by any dairy, egg, peanut, raw sesame, or tree nuts.  Ingestion of any would be life-threatening.  He still struggles with eczema and I've wondered if he's sensitive to other foods too.  It's something we'll be exploring more this spring.  I hope your baby doesn't have any allergies especially living remotely.  But if you continue to see improvement in him while you're doing the Whole 30, it could be worth having him tested.

[TerraZ]

Day 8 started off pretty crappy but as soon as I drank coffee I felt so much better. I think at night and the morning I'm getting caffeine headaches. I think my sugar intake in the past made it so i didn't get those headaches.

But on a better note it's turned out really good!! I have had energy and I had my best workout at Crossfit that I have had since I have been back (4weeks) from a 4 month hiatus. I'm feeling great tonight...one of those nights that make me think it's not so hard I should just always do this. I know it won't last but I'm loving it right now.

[jen c]

We tried this recipe tonight:

http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/10/baked-carnival-squash-with-smoked-bacon.html

I used turkey bacon because it was the only compliant kind that I could find and, of course, omitted the sugar from the recipe.  It was really good!  Along with the squash and bacon, we had green beans, and mixed berries with coconut milk.  All was delicious and I'll be enjoying the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.

[Ramonax]

When my son was 2 months old, he developed eczema head to toe.  I'd seen that in other milk-allergic babies that I'd known, so I removed all of the dairy from my diet and within 3 days his skin was clear.  He's almost 10 years old now and his skin will break out in hives if touched by any dairy, egg, peanut, raw sesame, or tree nuts.  Ingestion of any would be life-threatening.  He still struggles with eczema and I've wondered if he's sensitive to other foods too.  It's something we'll be exploring more this spring.  I hope your baby doesn't have any allergies especially living remotely.  But if you continue to see improvement in him while you're doing the Whole 30, it could be worth having him tested.

Our older son(my step son) had that same thing - and at age 16 grew out of his dairy allergies. But as a child it would be anaphylactic reaction. scary. When my toddler was a wee baby, he had eczema rash on his face and mucus poo and I stopped dairy worried it was the same thing. But then it just went away. I started dairy again and it didn't make him react. It's so hard to tell. Sometimes an allergy and sometimes just the weirdo things that babies do.

[Ramonax]

Tonight I made chill, which was a little sad without black beans. But still pretty nice to come home to a slow cooker of food. Lunch was fritatta and carrots dipped in homemade mayo (I am obsessed!) I am still so. tired. and bloated. My baby was up 400 times last night, so I'm not sure if that is the reason? I don't remember this from the last time I did it. Glad everyone is still here.

[ShannonM816]

Tonight I made chill, which was a little sad without black beans. But still pretty nice to come home to a slow cooker of food. Lunch was fritatta and carrots dipped in homemade mayo (I am obsessed!) I am still so. tired. and bloated. My baby was up 400 times last night, so I'm not sure if that is the reason? I don't remember this from the last time I did it. Glad everyone is still here.

 

It looks like you're just seven days in, right? That's still early enough that tiredness could be normal for anyone. Add to that a little one that isn't sleeping through the night, and tiredness seems pretty reasonable to me. If you're exercising, be sure you're sticking to workouts that aren't too stressful, and that you're taking days off to recover. If you're not exercising, maybe try to go for a walk in the sunshine or do some yoga or stretching, especially if you're getting tired in the middle of the day and can use a bit of light exercise to energize yourself a bit.

 

Bloating tends to happen around days 8-10 for a lot of people, so that also might be normal. Be sure you're drinking plenty of water, don't have too many nuts or seeds, and if you're having lots of raw vegetables, maybe try switching them for cooked for a while.

 

If you continue to feel this way, you might want to post a couple of days' of food (including approximate portion sizes), water intake, sleep, and exercise over in the Troubleshooting section of the forum and see if anyone has any suggestions. 

[katieblue]

Ksea - Mexican hot chocolate in coffee form!? That is GENIUS. Especially on the really cold days, hot chocolate has been something I've been missing terribly (I was a bit of a junkie).

 

TerraZ - So glad to hear one of us has some energy!! And I hope the headaches clear up for you -- I know the caffeine detox can be really ugly; I did it myself over the summer and now only have coffee on the days I go to the gym, to keep myself from getting too attached to it... Never want those gnarly headaches again!

 

Shannon, thanks for the input. I've been too tired to get to the gym myself, but I made sure to go for a walk yesterday, and I'm headed out to the park again now to at least get some sun and movement in!

 

Also, Day 9, everybody!! We're moving right along!

[Laura789]

Hi Everybody!

 

Thanks for posting those bora bora fireballs recipe.  I think I'm going to try it with some ground chicken breasts just because I have plenty of them in the freezer.  I'm right there with everyone on the bloating.  I'm pretty sure it is from not drinking enough water for me.  Other than that I am feeling great.  I have been doing a Total Conditioning Extreme Class at my local health club and I don't feel like I am going to flop over dead during the workouts anymore. 

 

I tried the Red pepper sauce and chicken meatballs from the whole30 book last night and they were delicious for dinner.  I threw together a greek salad with some boiled shrimp for lunch.  Breakfast was eggs, avocado and an orange.  Hope everyone has a great day and those of us who are feeling pretty tired sleep really well tonight.

 

Laura

[galaxigrl]

I'm FINALLY feeling less tired today...and not bloated!  Hallelujah!  I did get a serious headache in the afternoon yesterday that lasted until I went to bed.  I took two ibuprofen before bed and woke up feeling fine.  Thank God!  That was my first headache since starting and hopefully my last!

 

ksea - Thanks for posting the zucchini soup recipe.  I'm going to try that one.

 

Muez - Any chance you could get the recipe for the beet bake?  I love beets but don't really know what to do with them other than roasting, in a salad, or by themselves.

 

Laura789 - I'm glad you're making the fireballs.  I think they'd be great with chicken, too!  Let me know what you think when you make them.

 

 

Let's kick Day 9's arse, everyone!

[bwilliams180]

Ya'll are amazing. I have been so busy at work so I haven't been able to check in. but I was reading through your posts this morning and you all are doing fantastic!

 

Day 9 today, here's what I've got:

 

My biggest struggle is when I don't cook - sometimes my mother-in-law (who lives with us, and is halfway-invested in the program... which is as frustrating as it sounds. ) makes dinners for us, and even when she follows recipes from the book that I give her, she will grab non-compliant ingredients that we may still have laying around. We had this issue with lime juice, for example, last week - the store-bought kind has sulfites in it, and she used that rather than the fresh limes I had bought. I guess my question is, if something like that happens do we start over? We have kind of just rolled with it - don't do it again, move forward. My husband also had some dried cranberries on day 3 or so. There was no label because we had bought them awhile ago in bulk, so we can only assume that they had been sweetened with sugar. My response to him was, don't grab for those again, move forward. So those little slips are frustrating because it feels like failure.. and I'm not really sure how to respond to them.

 

I definitely feel more energized most of the time, and I'm sleeping better and more on-schedule with that than my body usually is. I have had some issues with my eczema - on Sunday and yesterday it flared up and went crazy and I'm not sure why it would get worse for any point of time during this. One of the Facebook groups mentioned that it could be because my skin is trying to get rid of the built-up toxins or something... which makes sense, but I hope it gets better quickly because I'm so itchy.

 

Definitely spending a lot more time in the kitchen - but it's kind of fun to get more creative than usual. My kids are so not into this. My 10 year old son's response to my lunch suggestions on Sunday was "I can't eat anything. We don't own any bread." He's so used to our lazy Sunday lunches of sandwiches and fruit.

 

Hopeful to be able to check in more often as my work life calms down a little bit. So proud of all of you!!

[galaxigrl]

bwilliams180: I know this goes against "the rules", but here's my two cents on starting over.  For me, it would depend on what I ate and what my goal is for the Whole30.  For me, it is to get myself in a healthier eating mode after doing whatever I wanted while pregnant and breastfeeding.  I'm not trying to figure out what I'm allergic to or what types of foods don't agree with me (although I like that this will do that for me, too).  Even if I was doing it for that reason, I wouldn't start over for eating sugar or sulfites.  I don't think added sugar is good, but we're already having sugar, so it's not like you introduced something into your system that the Whole30 is trying to completely eliminate, like bread or dairy.  As for the sulfites, from what I've read, they're similar.  If a product, like balsamic vinegar, has naturally occurring sulfites, it's ok.  Only added sulfites are not.   

[Ramonax]

bwilliams180 - I agree with galaxigirl. I know they say you have to START OVER. but I would think of it, just like you have, of continuing on.

It feels so daunting on day 3 or 5 to think you have to begin again, as though all the work you have done wasn’t worth anything. But if you just power through, I believe by day 30 it is so much easier to  make the choice whether or not to add 3 more days or 5 more days or whatever.  The struggle though is mental. It can be easy to rationalize a cranberry here or a sulfate there. I think that is part of why the hard and fast rule of starting over exists. It ensures your mental commitment. So it depends on your reasons for doing it and what kind of set up you need to remain compliant.

[Ramonax]

bwilliams180- I agree with galaxigrl. It feels so daunting on day 3 or 5 to think you have to begin again, as though all the work you have done wasn’t worth anything. But if you just power through, I believe by day 30 it is so much easier to  make the choice whether or not to add 3 more days or 5 more days or whatever.  The struggle though is mental. It can be easy to rationalize a cranberry here or a sulfate there. I think that is part of why the hard and fast rule of starting over exists. It ensures your mental commitment. But it would depend on your reasons for doing it, and what you need to know after you are done. (i.e. if you need to know "I did it exactly as they said" or do you need to know "I ate better for 30 days")

[Marjanill]

I think I'm having a delayed "Kill All the Things" phase - I don't know why but everyone and everything is on my last nerve today!

Ha, ha, My husband said he thought I was also on Day7. I just got mad when he came in to ask what was for lunch at noon on the dot. We just had breakfast at 9:00 and I was in NO WAY hungry.

 

Well, I've also completed week one. One thing I've noticed is how clear my head is now. From congestion and brain fog. That congestion was really bad right before I started (I think I just might have had a lighter version of that H1N1 that is going around since I also had it in 2010.)  Then it came back a little on days 3 and 4--the detox days. Now my head feels quite good! I made up a big plate of deviled eggs to just grab for protein for some meals. That's definitely handy. (Whole30 mayo of course )

[katieblue]

Marjanill, that is so encouraging!! I'm so glad you're feeling so awesome!!

 

I definitely am in Kill all the Things mode still myself, but I think it's made worse because of how freaking tired I am!!

[jen c]

 

I was inspired to add some chai spices to the coffee grounds in my french press this morning.. drank it with some coconut milk, so good!! 

Thank you for this suggestion!  I made my coffee like this this morning and I agree . . . so good!! 

[Muez]

The baked beets were my friend Lisa's usual magic - she just sliced lots of them up thinly, and tossed with olive oil and a little salt. Then baked in the oven at 350. I think the magic came from their thin-ness but also that she added sliced up fennel (the vegetable, not the herb) Somehow this combination is alchemy!

 

I hear everyone about the tiredness, it is hard to wake up in the morning! I am not a coffee drinker but have definitely reached for the black tea. I am also incorporating ginger and fennel tea into my days to help out my digestion, and also to get me going in the morning, and definitely eating a lot of saurcraut which I think really helps me with processing the larger amount of meat and fat than I am used to.

 

This  morning I ate breakfast out with my sis - I expected to be able to just maybe have some tea and eat when I got home, but I made up a plate there of poached eggs, plain kale and saurcraut with tea (no almond milk as theres was prob not compliant.) So excited to figure out something that I could eat as nothing was fried in non-compliant oil, and also to discover that I can drink tea this way and it is ok!

 

On a final note, I have had dark circles under my eyes my whole life according to my Mum, and my sister noticed this morning that they are changing color and getting lighter- woah.

 

 

 

[TerraZ]

How is everyone's day 9 going?  I am feeling great, the headaches have gone away and I have a lot more energy.  I feel like my clothes are fitting better and when looking in the mirror yesterday i was able to see my C-Section scar which is a huge non scale victory for me!!  Hope everyone is doing well!   Love checking in daily to see where everyone is.

[jen c]

The baked beets were my friend Lisa's usual magic - she just sliced lots of them up thinly, and tossed with olive oil and a little salt. Then baked in the oven at 350. I think the magic came from their thin-ness but also that she added sliced up fennel (the vegetable, not the herb) Somehow this combination is alchemy!

 

I hear everyone about the tiredness, it is hard to wake up in the morning! I am not a coffee drinker but have definitely reached for the black tea. I am also incorporating ginger and fennel tea into my days to help out my digestion, and also to get me going in the morning, and definitely eating a lot of saurcraut which I think really helps me with processing the larger amount of meat and fat than I am used to.

 

This  morning I ate breakfast out with my sis - I expected to be able to just maybe have some tea and eat when I got home, but I made up a plate there of poached eggs, plain kale and saurcraut with tea (no almond milk as theres was prob not compliant.) So excited to figure out something that I could eat as nothing was fried in non-compliant oil, and also to discover that I can drink tea this way and it is ok!

 

On a final note, I have had dark circles under my eyes my whole life according to my Mum, and my sister noticed this morning that they are changing color and getting lighter- woah.

The last time I ate beets was in probably 1980 and they were from a can and all I remember is that they were awful!  I've avoided them ever since.  But I bought some fresh beets on Sunday to roast and use in the recipe in The Whole 30 book that combines the beets with avocado and an orange.  I'll be making the recipe either tomorrow or Thursday and although I feel a bit hesitant, I'm ready to give beets a try. 

 

Congrats on finding good compliant food while eating out and on the lightening of the dark circles under your eyes!  I wonder if they were related to a food sensitivity or a vitamin or mineral deficiency that's now being met? 

[jen c]

How is everyone's day 9 going?  I am feeling great, the headaches have gone away and I have a lot more energy.  I feel like my clothes are fitting better and when looking in the mirror yesterday i was able to see my C-Section scar which is a huge non scale victory for me!!  Hope everyone is doing well!   Love checking in daily to see where everyone is.

Hooray for feeling great!  I feel like my jeans are fitting a little better and hope it's not just my imagination.  I'm glad we can check in daily too!

 

Today was my hardest day but it's because it was a busier schedule than normal and I was very rushed to heat up leftovers and eat dinner with only 10 minutes between obligations.  Because of eating so fast, it didn't settle well or very quickly and I may end up with heartburn yet this evening.  I only have this schedule crunch once a month, so shouldn't run into that problem again. 

 

A huge huge change I've noticed is that I'm ready to go to sleep between 10:00-10:30pm every night.  Since high school (nearly 30 years ago!), I've been a night person and my normal bedtime is 12:00-1:00am.  I've run on 5 1/2-6 hours a night for most of my life, but now my body and brain are both sleepy at a normal-person bedtime.  And although it's a big adjustment I'm welcoming the change.  I'm waking up by 5:30am instead of 6:30am, but am still getting more sleep in total.  It's just another reminder to trust what my body is telling me.

[katieblue]

Muez - it's so funny you mention the dark circles under your eyes. I've always had them, too (are you Italian also??) no matter how much sleep I get and I am a total cover-up junkie because of them. But I noticed that they are now a little more yellow, like a bruise that is healing. I wonder if they'll go away - if you're anything like me, this would be an AMAZING blessing! (Maybe it's vain, but I feel like if I got no other results from this whole program than the freedom to go out without makeup, that would make it all worth it). So happy you're having good results, and I hope the tired goes away soon!! Also, thanks for the tips on the baked beets - I LOVE beets (my boyfriend doesn't, but I'll make him some broccoli or something).

 

TerraZ - so exciting that you have found some energy and that you feel so much better!! It's definitely encouraging to hear, and I'm so happy for you!!

 

Jen - also exciting that your jeans are fitting better, and that you're able to sleep earlier! I've definitely found myself crashing earlier, too (I was generally a 10:00-11:00pm girl on most nights, but I've been asleep by 9 the last 3 nights). I wonder if this is transitional or if we're just going to adapt more naturally to what our bodies want and need. I know in the tiger blood stage the book says we should have a ton of energy, and other people have talked about not getting tired at all. Guess we'll see!

 

I'm still exhausted but one of the mods has pointed out to me that I may have an issue with high FODMAP foods, so I'm going grocery shopping today and will buy some low FODMAP veggies and see if that helps my energy. Honestly, I'm good with falling asleep earlier, because I wake up at 5am most days no matter what time I go to sleep, to make time to go to the gym. But I don't like having to peel myself out of bed in the mornings; I've always just bounced right up on the first alarm!

 

Not seeing any real physical changes. I don't feel bloated, but my clothes are all still super tight. But I know this is around when most people (according to the book) experience some bloating, so I'm still just keeping my fingers crossed that it passes.

 

Keep up the great work, everybody - we're in the double digits now on day 10!! After today, we're 1/3 of the way down!

 

This is honestly flying by! Thank you all for checking in and being so honest and encouraging. You're amazing.