Started February 8

[JuliaL]

I'm a little late with my into. I decided to start the Whole30 after going through about three months of being sick and years of yo-yo dieting, binging and being completely dependent on food. I need to repair my relationship with food and get to a place where I am not thinking about eating ALL. THE. TIME. I've also been stuck at my current weight for over a year and no matter how much I exercise or cut calories, I'm not seeing any results. This is behavior I've been repeating for what seems like forever. I'm really excited to take this journey and am praying I experience the wonderful. life changing results that so many others have experienced.

 

I made it to day 7 without killing anyone. Here's my assessment so far: 

1) I struggled a lot this week! It's amazing how much power food has on your mind. Just the sight of a certain food or being in a place where I normally purchase snacks made my mind go crazy. 

2) I'm starting to get creative in the kitchen (which is making my husband happy) and have decided to pick (at least) one new recipe a week to try. 

3) I'm sleeping like a log! I haven't slept this well in I don't know how long.

4) My skin looks amazing. 

5) I may have cried a little when I finally found sugar free bacon (So. Happy.) 

6) Discovering Thrive Market has opened up a whole new world for me. Love it!

7) I NEVER would have made it through this week without the support of my bestie, so thankful we decided to take this journey together. Looking forward to the next 7 days

[Heidi Bergy]

Hi Julia!
Just piggy-backing off of your post.  I too started Whole30 for the first time on February 8th...and have yet to introduce myself to the forum.  I have done the rest of my goal-setting and prep-work, but I've been a bit lax about joining the forum until now.

Congratulations on making it through week 1- YAY US!
And I'm glad you have the support of your friend that is Whole30-ing with you.. that's awesome!

 

And where in the world did you find sugar-free bacon?!?!  I've resorted to prosciutto instead as I can't find lunch meats or bacon anywhere locally to meat the plan guidelines. 

[JuliaL]

Hi Heidi! 

 

Yay us is right! Week one was more of a psychological test than anything else for me. I'm trying to undo so many years of conditioning, it's crazy. The last couple days I've felt really good. So, I'm hoping that I'm over the hump. Having my friend available to talk me through my rough patches has been a life saver. I'm not sure if you can direct message anyone on this forum but if not I'm on FB if you need/want someone to connect with on this journey (Julia Egan Loehn).

 

I found sugar free bacon at Whole Foods, not sure where you're located but they should have it at most locations (I'm assuming). It's good when you cook it in a pan, not so much when you microwave it.

 

Keep at it! We are awesome

[Melinaka]

Hi Julia & Heidi,

I just joined today but I started the 8th like both of you! I hope you don't mind me piggy-backing this thread either. I'm having my highs and lows and still learning what this is all about. Thank God for this forum. Now I see I'm not the only one who's exhausted and crying off and on :/ I do have some "Tiger Blood"moments...and I totally resisted pizza my son had yesterday (yup,I threw those leftovers out right away!) I'm in this to get back on track, feel better, and figure out what I'm allergic to.

[kimw213]

Hello Julia, Heidi & Melinaka. first of all CONGRATS on your 1st week of success on the W30 program. So my official start date is tomorrow, but I did a pre run today with my dinner and it was amazing. I know I'm gonna need all the support I can get. Keep up the good work ladies!!!

[Melinaka]

You too!  You're going to like how you feel.  I am already enjoying wholesome food over the junk I was over-eating this winter  And my last few workouts felt amazing.  I had great stores of energy.  

I like reading everyone's experiences on here... they remind me of the rewards if I just stick with this.

[JuliaL]

Hi Ladies!!!!

 

I am so thankful for this forum! I'm glad we have such great support, it helps me so much. So, we're at day 10 now and according to the timeline, it should be the hardest day. I don't want to jinx it but I am actually having a really good day - hunger is in check, no cravings and I'm in good spirits. Let's hope it stays this way.

 

Melinaka (I love that name) - I totally agree with you; I'm really enjoying the wholesome food and my workouts have kicked @$$ this week. Amazing what our bodies can do when we're not loading them up with junk!

 

Thank you for all the replies ladies - it helps so much.

[bebeaccia]

Hi all... bebeacia here:

My boyfriend and I also started on February 8th which makes this Day 10 . I started the Whole 30 when a friend of mine told me how she dropped 10 pounds without going on a crazy diet. btw, she was already at a healthy weight, so she didn't have much to lose. She had just wanted to be at her pre-pregnancy weight. Anyway, she told me all about it and the trigger moment for me was when she told me that artificial sweetener's are horrendous for the body and that our bodies cannot distinguish between artificial sweeteners and regular sugar and since artificial sweeteners are 200-800 times more concentrated that sugar, I was horrified. I've been using some kind or artificial sweetener in many items for YEARS.. I'm talking like at least 30 years. I had thought I was doing good for my body, but I was very wrong. The first few days on the Whole 30, I had some headaches, fatigue, and just yucky feelings. I no longer feel those and am getting used to black coffee, though I do cut it with some compliant light coconut milk from WFs. it's still bitter, but helps a bit.

I signed up to receive the Daily emails from Whole30 and that has also helped. I've been reading a lot in the "it Starts with food" and the second book with the majority of recipes and that has also been enlightening.

So... here I am on Day 10 and have been MILITANT with the program. I'm a bit discouraged feeling like I'm not "seeing" any results. I do feel better, but I would love for my clothes to start feeling better. Everything I've read indicates the "magic" doesn't really kick in for a few more days or close to week 3, so I'm wondering if others are feeling similar now that we are all on Day 10. btw... congratulations to all of us sitting here at Day 10.

[JuliaL]

Hi bebeaccia!

 

Thanks for sharing. I am pretty much in the exact situation as you. I'm experiencing some really great benefits but am not "seeing" any results weight wise. My clothes feel exactly the same and I don't notice any difference when I look at myself in the mirror. I"m trying not to get discouraged b/c weight loss honestly isn't my mail goal for this program but I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect to see a change. It's still early so I'm holding out hope and continuing to go strong. 

[bebeaccia]

Hi Julia:

Thanks for your response. I'm with you. I'm definitely feeling determined so not given up by any means, just expect instant results...lol. Which I realize is completely unfair since I didn't get like this to begin with. If at the end of the 30 days I'm healthier and happier, that is what really matters, but I still would love to lose at least 10 pounds:). I will say that I've been feeling like a gourmet chef these past 10 days. I've tried some awesome recipes and have really enjoyed that. Making homemade mayonnaise, salad dressings, baby back ribs, walnut crusted pork tenderloin and my absolute new favorite the cauliflower mash. WOW.. that stuff is good.... maybe too good...lol.

I'm heading out on a business trip this Sunday so will be interesting to see how well it goes. I'm staying at a hotel that has a mini kitchenette, so that will def help. Plus there is a WF's right down the street. I know I'll make it through the week, but will def be checking in with the forums to see how everyone is doing.

 

I'm so glad I found folks that started on the same days as us... yippee !!!!!

[bebeaccia]

Day 11... here we go. So how many active people do we have currently on Day 11?

I'm feeling pretty good this morning. had a great breakfast and increased my eggs to 3 rather than 2 based on feedback from a moderator. Lots of work today, but planning to do a slow flow yoga class in about an hour.

[Melinaka]

Have a great trip Bebeccacia

It's great having all of you for same day support. Yesterday was tough. Started fine but I got super busy and ploughed thru my day without eating. Big mistake :/ I was ravenous last night. I wound up eating fruit after dinner... then reading Whole 30 rules and realizing how limited fruit consumption is supposed to be. Ugh.

Besides that, I'd felt my diet was in check with no cravings. Yeah...wrong. Yesterday I started having, "Gosh, I wish I could have _____ (fill in the blank with any number of non-Whole 30 items).

I'm upset with myself, but today I plan to go forward eating way more veggies than fruit EVERY day.

I'm with you all on wishing I could SEE results. I'm not sure I feel them either. I know my clothes aren't getting any tighter, but they aren't loose either.

I had been having some trouble with an allergy. (Fingers crossed) I do believe I've noticed a change there! For that I'm super happy.

I think one of the most difficult things on this diet is - having little food items that are quick and convenient to grab when you're "hangry". You really have to be prepared and that's almost a ft job in itself.

Have a great Day 11 everyone!

[Melinaka]

Bebeaccia

I'm sorry - mobil app and I couldn't look back to check your name spelling. Got it now

[bebeaccia]

@Melinaka - thanks for your post. No worries on the name spelling. I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out.

I know EXACTLY what you mean by having a plan. It's really key right now. When my BF and I go out for the day, I'm packing a small cooler with various things. Last weekend it was grilled chicken breast, cucumbers, blueberries and some mixed nuts. It wasn't the kind of lunch I would have had at home, but it was decent considering we were gone most of the day and I didn't want to think about where and what to eat. I have found having things like whole black olives, small bag of mixed nuts, some fruit etc., def helps. Also, hard boiled eggs are ALWAYS around these days. I know that could be problematic to eat in open environments, but maybe if they are pre-peeled and in a zip lock back they might be better? I had posted yesterday on the troubleshooting forum about what I'm eating as I felt like I was maybe eating too many potatoes, but the only things folks came back with was that I was not eating enough protein and fat. Super interesting. I'm adding more of both today with my meals to see what happens as I have found I'm a bit hungry between lunch and dinner and sometimes a little after dinner too.

I totally know what you mean... Day 11 and my clothes are not tighter but they are not looser either and that is def a goal for me. My stomach may feel a bit flatter, but really hard to say at this point. Great news on your allergies. That is awesome and I can only imagine how great that must feel. A non-scale victory for sure.

I'm nervous about traveling on Sunday. I'll be in meetings all next week and out of my comfort zone, so need to plan plan plan. Oh well.. I'll have a few days under my belt before Sunday so I'm not going to stress too much about it right now.

I'm committed to doing the full 30. I'm praying that I see results in all areas of my life. Maybe that's a lot to ask of a food plan.. lol

[Heidi Bergy]

HI Ladies!  I finally logged back in and caught up on all of your entries.  I SO echo much of what you all are experiencing and sharing-- the good, the bad and the frustrating!    Bebeaccia, you'll do great on your business trip.  I think the fact that you're thinking about it and prepping for it already is like 3/4 the battle.  You're laying the ground work for success there.  Great job!

Like several of you, I too am trying not to focus on the scale.  I'd like to see that 10lbs weightloss too and have yet to notice a change in my clothing or mirror. I keep reminding myself of those non-scale victories and even going back to my Whole 30 book to read the 3 pages of them listed there!  It's about SO much more than weight loss.  Like you, Melinaka, I've started the Whole 30 in part to try to figure out some potential allergy issues (had a MAJOR eczema flare up like I've never experienced and no one can figure out where in the world it came from).  I decided to go Whole 30 to see if I could tackle the foods end of it while the Drs. run through other allergy testing.  I've also needed to jumpstart some weightloss and have the motivation to get back in shape and take care of me.  So-- BONUS!  This program does it all and here on Day 11, I'm feeling GREAT!

I must admit, the food end of things really hasn't been quite as difficult as I've expected.  My biggest hurdle is just making the time to do the extra prepwork and cooking.  Playing chef is fun to me!  I love being in the kitchen.  Playing dishwasher-- not so much!  I mean, seriously, are you girls doing like 3x the amount of dishes now?  Ha!

On to Day 12 we go!  Wishing you much continued to success.  Stay strong-- avoid that pizza, avert your eyes from the donuts and don't cave to the candy!

[bebeaccia]

Good morning all: Day 12.... woot woo. I LOL'd at your post Heidi. OMG.. the amount of shopping and dishes I'm doing is beyond anything I've done in the past. The good part is that I'm absolutely LOVING all the new recipes I've been trying. They are so much fun and they are delicious... but yes... doing dishes ALL.THE.TIME. I had thought about getting a manicure but figured it would be wrecked within two days with the amount of time my hands are in water. maybe before I leave on Sunday:).

It's wonderful that you gals are both feeling the effects of the food plan positively affecting your allergies. I don't have any that I'm aware of, but I have had some strange joint pains in my legs and hips over the past year and that seems like it may be getting a bit better. I'm watching it closely.

Yesterday I was totally frustrated about my clothes feeling pretty much the same. I know I need to be patient, but I'm impatient and always want instant results, which is def a problem. It's been nearly two weeks now and I just thought I'd feel a bit different. The good news is that I def don't feel any worse and truth be told, I just feel a little happier these days.

What are you guys having for breakfast. I seem to be stuck on eggs, eggs and eggs. I usually have it with potato and guac so it's good, i'm just wondering if you've done anything other than eggs. i'm not sure I can eat actual meat or lunch type item at breakfast. Just doesn't appeal to me.

Off to Yoga shortly, then for a nice walk later. Thinking if I can up my exercise that may help get things moving.

Everything I've read indicates we should start to feel marked differences in the next few days, but I don't want to set myself up for failure if my pants don't suddenly fall off...lol. I'm def committed to this 30 days, as is my boyfriend.

Happy Day 12 !!!!

[Heidi Bergy]

Morning, Girls!

Wondering (just based on times that people respond) where everyone is from?  I'm from midwest-- Wisconsin cheesehead born & raised. 

Bebeaccia, my breakfast today was a poached egg over a roasted sweet potato.  I had baked the sweet potato the other night when I had other things in the oven & just tossed it in the fridge.  Microwaved it this AM and tossed the egg on top.  Actually, really good!  Plus, it was my first ever attempt at poaching an egg, so this is a good morning thus far.  Feeling very accomplished!  Ha!

I'm eating eggs for every breakfast too.  In a rut, I guess.  But I don't seem to mind!    I'm usually just a "cup of coffee" girl in the mornings, so being diligent about healthy, protein-packed breakfasts was one of my goals at the start of Whole30.  My favorite breakfast thing from week one was to line a bunch of cups in my cupcake pan with plan-friendly prosciutto (I can't find plan-friendly bacon in my neck of the woods and this is yummy to me!  leaner too!)... then I scrambled about 10 eggs.  Pour eggs into the muffin tins on top of the prosciutto, add fresh parsley, salt & pepper (or whatever veggies you like) and bake.  I ate a couple for breakfast and tossed the rest in the fridge.  They were easy to grab and heat up for quick breakfasts with maybe a side of fruit or avocado.... or even a post-workout snack, if needed.  I also did the breakfast frittata in the Whole30 book with some extra veggies and eggs.  Made it stretch farther so that, again, I could just reheat for another couple of days!  As you may be able to tell, I am NOT a morning person.  Like AT ALL.  It's a goal of mine to at least be tolerable and not totally grouchy in the AMs..... I'm very, very slowly baby stepping in that direction.  But anything that can make my morning more manageable is great by me!  So I'm happy to reheat leftovers every couple of days to save a few minutes of prep or cooking time before work.

Have a great Day 12!
Go kill those workouts, girls... however big or small, short or involved they may be.  They are progress.

[bebeaccia]

Great post Heidi. Thanks for sharing. Love that idea of prosc and egg in a muffin tin. I'm def going to try that when I get back from my bus trip. That sounds SO good. I'm in the South Florida area, but I travel about once a month out to Seattle, which is where I'm headed on Sunday for a week. I AM a morning person...lol so perhaps we can balance each other a bit. I had posted on the troubleshooting thread about my food plan and they said I wasn't eating enough protein in the morning. They told me to up my egg intake to 3 or 4, which was a shocker to me. I'm up to 3, but can't imagine having 4. Not sure what i'm having for lunch yet, but prob a salad with grilled chicken. I have a bunch of left overs. Tonight I'm making grass fed beef chili. love that stuff.

 

p.s.  I SO want to step on that scale, but I know I can't. I think I can predict what will happen. I'll jump on it and see that I've maybe lost less than 5 pounds and I'll be upset and want to throw the towel in because clearly this isn't working. So... that is a HUGE reason I won't step on it. But between us... I really want to measure my progress. This once again reinforces my unhealthy relationship with food and that scale.

 

have a great day

[Melinaka]

Yay Us!Here we go... embracing day 12. So nice to read all your posts! You reinforce my motivation.

Time zone: I'm in FL

Heidi - I'm SO not a morning person either. Your prosciutto egg cups sound fantastic! How long are you baking them? Temp 350?

I heard from someone that it's super convenient to throw a bunch of sweet potatoes in the crock pot and let them bake for several hours. They come out perfect. Then you can just warm them throughout the week. I might try that. Right now I'm stuck on my new favorite! Butternut squash tossed with a little olive oil, key lime juice, and rosemary. It's so sweet when roasted and leftovers are even better.

LOL! Bebeaccia - YES!omg... my hands are in water all day too! Washing veggies... and dishes. But it's yummy.

I have to admit, I want to use the scale to measure progress too. But I agree. I won't for that very reason of the dashed expectations. I'll be patient!

Much better day yesterday thanks to reading the forum on fruit. I ate all veggies and meat and just had a grapefruit for dessert. Perfect!

I'm so glad to have your support! Have a great Day 12 Ladies

[bebeaccia]

Good afternoon all.

Melinika: I love love love butternut squash as well and your add-ons sounds great.

Heidi - yeah... like she said..   if you could give us more details on those yummy egg prosc muffins that would be awesome. they sound perfect

 

Just started trying on clothes as I need to figure out what to pack for my week long trip. I was pleasantly surprised to feel my clothes not as tight. Not to say they are lose, but they are def NOT as tight, nor do I feel the "muffin top" like I did a few weeks ago. I'm guessing it's not a ton of weight, but I'll take any NSV I can get.

[Heidi Bergy]

Here you go girls!!

Prosciutto Egg Cups--

Preheat oven to 400

Spray muffin tins with olive or coconut oil

Line with 1 piece Prosciutto each

Scramble eggs (I did mine in a large mixing cup for easy pouring)

Pour eggs into cups to about 3/4 full

Top as desired. (I used little to no salt as prosciutto is pretty salty on its own)

Bake for 12-14 minutes at 400 degrees. Some people may prefer to just crack an egg in each tin and do sunny side up style instead of scrambled.

Also, I started a Whole 30 board on my Pinterest page for easy reference. Anyone else do similar? Might be an easy way to share recipes or sneak ideas?

[bebeaccia]

Thanks Heidi. I'm definitely going to try that when I get back from my trip. I kind of like the idea of doing a little of both... maybe 6 sunny side and 6 scrambled. sounds so good. I just made a bunch of homemade condiments to have in the fridge... ie., Asian vinaigrette, pesto, mayo, and spicy salsa. It def helps me when I need to add some flavor to a meal.

[bebeaccia]

Good morning friends:

Welcome to Day 13!!!! Lucky 13... two more days until we are 1/2 way through this 30 days. How are you guys feeling? Well... I have some interesting news. I don't think I've mentioned that I've had a horrible cough for about two weeks now and late yesterday decided I better go get it checked out before I board a 7 hour flight to the West Coast. Well, turns out I have Bronchitis and Doc recommends that I don't travel. they loaded me up with an inhaler, antibiotics, and mucinix. They wanted to give me cough syrup but I told them no way.. I won't take it. Explained I was on a food elimination plan, etc. I didn't pick up the Mucinix because I think that is non-compliant, so grabbed the Inhaler and Antibiotics from the pharmacy and came home to call my manager. Then I read how antibiotics don't help with Bronchitis so no idea why they prescribed that... so essentially I'm ONLY taking the inhaler as needed. The weird part is that I actually feel pretty good.. it's just when I cough I sound like someone who smoked 20 packs of cigarettes - nasty. anyway, I won't be traveling tomorrow. When I talked to my manager last night she totally supported me and told me to stay home next week, rest, etc. Sorry for the long story, just wanted you guys to know that I won't be traveling and that my body is fighting this infection, so may prohibit me from feeling all the greatness this program has to offer. That being said, I do feel pretty good this morning, other than coughing and I can deal with that.

 

Had 3 eggs this morning with one piece of crispy prosciutto, steamed broccoli, and guacamole. I was gagging a bit this morning, which I've never done, so may need to switch up my breakfast a bit for a few days. I'm going to check out the vegetarian forum to see if they have any good breakfast ideas.

 

Enough about me.

 

Heidi - I was reading your post from earlier and was wondering how your eczema has been since you've been on program?

Melinaka - I can't wait to try your egg recipe. Any other new things you've tried?

 

Do either of you try anything other than eggs for breakfast?

What are you both doing for exercises?

 

It's kind of different not being able to post a weight update, but it's okay... I know this is for the best.

 

Day 13 !!!! Congratulations to US. Headed to Whole Foods later today to stock up for a few days. Always a fun, albeit expensive trip.

[Melinaka]

Hi Everyone!

I was thinking the same thing this morning... we're almost to the halfway point!I'm excited too. I keep wondering what it will be like for our bodies day 30.

Heidi - great idea to share recipes on Pinterest! Did you mention your name there? I'll look back and find it.

Bebeaccia - ugh! I'm so sorry you're sick. Bronchitis. Absolutely awful! Get well soon. (Have you got any Bragg's apple cider vinegar? It's torture taking a spoon straight, but it really helps thin mucus and it's whole 30 approved

LOL, I'm with you on the market. I'll be hitting up Whole Foods or Fresh Mkt today too. I think I'll get some prosciutto

Yes! 2 great recipes: sauteed asparagus,zucchini,grape tomatoes, shallots,roasted garlic, lemon slices rind too, dill, olive oil, salt/pepper to taste. Yum! Lemon flavor gets stronger if refrigerated overnight.

And roast a chicken rubbed in paprika and salt. Simple but very tasty.

Exercise? I'm running. What is everyone else doing?

I've been avoiding going out to dinner. Afraid of not having control and don't trust the kitchen. Anyone else dealing with this? When/if I do, it will be something like Outback or Bonefish so I can hopefully get plain meat and veggies, maybe lemon juice on my salad... sparkling water to drink.

[Heidi Bergy]

Happy Day 13, Ladies!

Melinaka, sorry!  Name on Pinterest is Heidi Bergy (same as here) or @habergy.  Not sure which way its easier to find.  I have a very small (for the moment Whole30) board.  My boards are in alphabetical order, because I'm nerdy like that!    I have found that many recipes that say they are Whole 30 approved actually have ingredients that require substitutions, but it's still good inspiration.

Thanks for asking, Bebeaccia!  My eczema is SO much better.  Now for the sake of full disclosure, I was put on two steroid creams and had a round of prednisone.  I quit using the creams after a few days.  Don't like what they do to my skin!  They were good for some quick immediate relief though.  So, I'm not sure if the improved skin is largely due to the prednisone or my Whole 30.  I'd assume a combo of the two?  I've been done with the prescription for a few days now.  It might have had some things in it that aren't technically plan-approved, but I didn't even look!  I needed it.  And I HATE taking medications.  So that kind of tells you how desperate I was to get some help & relief by the time I had my THIRD dr. appointment with no answers.  Anyway... the short answer is that my skin is much better!  Ha!  I am having some additional allergy testing done in a few days hoping for any other insight.  But in addition to the eczema issues getting better, I have to say that my complex looks great!  That HAS to be the change in diet.  So that's a great non-scale victory that I'm enjoying right now.

Ugh.  Exercise!  This was my week to get moving.  I did very well, but I know that I have so much further to go.  I'm actually doing a Couch 2 5K running/walking program to help get me going.  I am NOT a runner.  I envy you, Melinaka!  I just want to be able to run a 5K at some point and not feel like I'll die 5 minutes into the jogging.  My family has also joined the YMCA (we have an awesome local one), so we've hit the weights and track together.  That's been fantastic!  I look forward to delve into some classes to just continue to give myself some well-rounded fitness options.
 

I, too, have avoided anything social or going out to dinner!  I'm so afraid that they'll add something to my food that's off-plan and I won't know about it.  Eeek!  But I have to say, I don't really feel badly about it.  This is my first Whole 30.  I hope to get great insight into my body and things that I'm sensitive to... and then I feel like maybe I'll be more bold about social settings, etc. next time around.  Is that terrible?  For health reasons, I just really want to maximize my insight to food sensitivities at the end of the 30 days and during the reintroduction period.

My biggest struggle the last couple days has been wine.  I miss my red wine.  It hasn't been a big deal for me AT ALL, until the last two days.  I think it's because I've had a couple of quiet evenings home alone and that's usually when I'd pour a glass and just relax at the end of the day.  So, definitely more of an emotional relationship to wine.  But I miss it.    I've been a good girl and stayed on plan 100%.... subbing lime seltzer water with a wedge of lime in a pretty glass or brewing some hot herbal tea instead.  **sigh**