Starting March 1st!

[TheMuppet]

I am tired and grouchy and really want some chocolate and a frothy soy latte. I don't like black coffee so it's either soy latte or nothing (i.e. nothing!). 

What are people having for breakfast? I had a banana today and the last few days have had a carrot. It's not comforting enough!  Eggs or meat for breakfast doesn't really appeal to me. 

I'll be more fun tomorrow!

Love all the pep talks. 

[jmcbn]

I am tired and grouchy and really want some chocolate and a frothy soy latte. I don't like black coffee so it's either soy latte or nothing (i.e. nothing!). 

What are people having for breakfast? I had a banana today and the last few days have had a carrot. It's not comforting enough!  Eggs or meat for breakfast doesn't really appeal to me. 

I'll be more fun tomorrow!

Love all the pep talks. 

Most likely because you are under eating!!

A banana for breakfast would have me chewing on my elbow within the hour... A carrot wouldn't be much better.... Neither is even close to the template, and you're right - neither is very comforting because they both lack the protein & fat that will provide you with satiety.

For this to work I can't emphasis enough how much you really need to build each of your meals to match the recommended meal template of 1-2 palm sized pieces of protein, 1-3 cups of veg (with 3 being optimum), and a generous serving of fat). Fruit should not be eaten alone, nor should it push the veg off of your plate. 

Have you tried a blended vegetable soup, with maybe some chicken wings/drumsticks on the side? Or some meatballs with salsa & avocado? Coconut curries work really well for breakfast too.

You really need to stop thinking of breakfast in traditional terms & start thinking in terms of meals 1, 2 & 3.

Is that 'peppy' enough for you?   

[TheMuppet]

Most likely because you are under eating!!

A banana for breakfast would have me chewing on my elbow within the hour... A carrot wouldn't be much better.... Neither is even close to the template, and you're right - neither is very comforting because they both lack the protein & fat that will provide you with satiety.

For this to work I can't emphasis enough how much you really need to build each of your meals to match the recommended meal template of 1-2 palm sized pieces of protein, 1-3 cups of veg (with 3 being optimum), and a generous serving of fat). Fruit should not be eaten alone, nor should it push the veg off of your plate. 

Have you tried a blended vegetable soup, with maybe some chicken wings/drumsticks on the side? Or some meatballs with salsa & avocado? Coconut curries work really well for breakfast too.

You really need to stop thinking of breakfast in traditional terms & start thinking in terms of meals 1, 2 & 3.

Is that 'peppy' enough for you?   

Thank you! Perfect! 

I have just had some scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil,  with avocado and tomatoes and am feeling better. I'll make some chicken and vegetable soup, I think I'd find that easier than gnawing on a piece of meat first thing in the morning. I love soy latte and bread or pastry type breakfasts so this is the meal that is most difficult for me on whole 30. You're right, I need to reset my thinking about it. 

[alannah.farley]

Day 4,

I have been exhausted lately, I even skipped my morning work out and drove to work instead or riding my bike yesterday (which is extremely rare for me). I woke up this morning with my gut turning, hopefully it's my body pushing toxins out. My cravings haven't been too bad yet, I have been taking some people's advice to keep busy and you don't really notice you want the sweets and it's true! However, this method only works because my husband is out of town, if he were here I would spend more time sitting and enjoying his company rather than cleaning.

Woke up with a sore throat, hope I don't get sick but if I do what do you guys recommend? Obviously I can't have ginger ale and cough drops, so what are my options here?

[corduroy]

So nice reading all the posts... I am doing OK, no crazy cravings but as I suspected struggling with the no snacking and the fruit restrictions... Since those are under recommendations and not rules I have been a bit lenient there (but not crazy either). Have had 3 servings of fruit  rather than 2 and did eat a few grapes and a couple of strawberries as "snacks," not with a meal). Hopefully as the days go by I will be able to follow the recommendation more closely. Tonight is family pizza night after the gym... I will stick to salad and plain wings which I do sometimes anyways, so hoping it will go smoothly.

Not feeling any changes yet (I know it's early), and to be honest the whole "This will change your life" rhetoric is a bit exaggerated to me... (hope Melissa and Dallas do not read this). I am a firm believer in nutrition as the foundation for good health... but if I read  the "This will change your life" line one more time in the book, I will burn it! Good luck everybody. Stay strong!! "This will change your life"!! hahaha 

[Vtk]

I also started March 1st! Having some trouble keeping myself from snacking... other than that, feeling pretty good

[JGlbrtsn]

Day 4. The cravings haven't been crazy. I went to a local brewery with my boyfriend Wednesday night (with a big bottle of water) and met my friends for Happy Hour last night. (Helped that I got there late, so they had already had apps, and had a big glass of water waiting for me.) I am super fortunate in the fact that i have really great support, and I have told everyone around me I am doing this, and my type-A, oldest child personality doesn't want to let anyone down.

 

Here is where I am struggling today: Low Motivation. I am at work, I am an office manager/optician/vision therapist, and Fridays our Dr is out.  I am seeing 1 patient this afternoon. I have to do paperwork and event planning the rest of the day. And i NEED to go home and clean my house tonight, because it is a disaster, and I have a friend coming over tomorrow morning.

 

Now typically, when I have a ton of things to do, and low motivation, I tell myself: Ok, get it done and you can have ice cream. Or you can have a glass of wine while you clean the house. That is NOT going to happen tonight, but I can feel myself getting irritable and anxious about it.

 

So what do you do to "treat yo'self"?

 

I am also hoping to not SHOP to treat myself!

[LifeofaLush]

I started March 1st and originally told myself that i would commit to a minimum 15 days. But after my biometeric screening yesterday I need to do the 30 days. Something I didn't realize is that I have a serious sweets craving after lunch that I need to figure out what to do. I've been drinking coffee but I think I'll switch to tea.I thought I convinced my mom to do it with me but then I find out she has been drinking lemonade and she had honey mustard dressing on her salad. So I think she just agreed to make me feel better.

 

I'm not sure if my meal sizes are correct. I follow the recipes but it says 2-4 servings and I feel like there is a big difference between 2 and 4. Should I cook the meals and make it into 3 servings? And how much should I cook so that I don't have to cook for about 3 days? I don't have a slow cooker so any suggestions are welcomed.

 

I'm excited about our journey!

[pkoyster]

 

So what do you do to "treat yo'self"?

 

When I wanted a treat before Whole30 I would walk down to the gas station and get a 32oz fountain cherry coke. 

On Whole30 my treat has been coconut water (read the labels). I only need a sip or two and I feel treated. It is sweet too. 

Good luck. 

[stellamacaroni]

i am just starting day 5 (I started on Monday) I am a cheese monger and surrounded by cheese and fresh baked bread and preserves and all sorts of insane food for 10 hours a day. I sometimes think that this is actually helping me because it is so over the top. All i can do is laugh and sigh and ogle people while they relish their cheese.

That being said, i am absolutely lost over breakfast. I made chia seed and coconut pudding (aka the snotball) and eat it with blueberries. It satiates me but i am also not a savory breakfast eater. yesterday i tried chicken sausage with sweet potatoes and roasted cauliflower and kale and an egg. it was beautiful and the flavor was awesome but it was too heavy for me in the morning. I'm nervous i am not eating enough because i just have to push it aside after 4-5 bites.

has anyone found breakfast options that dont involve heavy rich foods?

[alannah.farley]

So what do you do to "treat yo'self"?

I am also hoping to not SHOP to treat myself!

Maybe if you have time after all your hard work you could pamper yourself by taking a nice hot bath, maybe a homemade face mask, or if you have one in the house already use that.

If you don't have that much time or that seems more exhausting then relaxing. You could just relax on the couch with your favorite TV show and tea. I mean you have worked hard, you deserve to just sit down and enjoy the fact that you are done.

I tend to always have an endless to do list so when I force myself to just relax and enjoy the evening I feel great!

[MizRik]

Wahoooo! Just got six hours of sleep after my night shift and my kids only woke me up twice!! Can't complain about that. Currently laying in bed however and trying to decide if I have the energy to exercise before I get ready for work...... I should be able to at least do something.

I'm kinda bummed that I don't really know where I should fall in the timeline. Would one mess up on day 15 really re-set my whole timeline? Since I'm not feeling a surge of "tigers blood" at this point I'm guessing one slip really does start you totally over.

Word of advice..... Be strong ladies!!! You CAN do this!! Don't slip!! It's so not worth it!!

[KrysR]

I too cannot turn "breakfast" into "meal 1", but thankfully I adore eggs so cannot see it being a problem for a while...i made a simple quiche with sweet potato crust and then added sausage, peppers, mushrooms and spices... (google will give you a variety of options for this)....WAS SOOOOO AMAZING!!!! the sweet potato on the bottom is incredible.

A friend also sent me a link to "monkey salad" (cashews, coconut flakes, and a banana)...a nice option for a quick "i have to race out the door" breakfast.

Day 4 for me so far: went to the gym. UGGGH. i got 1.5 miles into my (usually 3+ mile) run...was so winded that I gave up and tried the rowing machine...equally crappy...so i lazily biked for 15 minutes and then dizzily tried to get through my pushups and mountain climbers...sad, sad, sad!!! LOL looking forward to finding out what "tiger blood" feels like...right now I'm pretty sure my blood is more like snail blood...

[jmcbn]

A friend also sent me a link to "monkey salad" (cashews, coconut flakes, and a banana)...a nice option for a quick "i have to race out the door" breakfast.

Eh, no.... Monkey Salad is about as far from real food and as close to dessert or breakfast cereal as it gets and whilst compliant doesn't nearly meet the meal template - where are the veggies & the protein?

This is exactly the kind of 'meal' that will play havoc with your results.

Sorry.

[JGlbrtsn]

 

has anyone found breakfast options that dont involve heavy rich foods?

 

Thats tough... This week for breakfast, I have been hooked on mini breakfast muffins. Prosciutto wrapped, egg, mushroom, coconut milk, spinach, onion. made a dozen of them, and 3 fills me up until lunch. just the right amount of savory...they are so so good. Plus, they are in a bag in the fridge, ready to grab and zap in the microwave. I am not a morning person, so big breakfasts are hard for me too.

 

Otherwise, I also like poached eggs with salsa.

 

Remember, think of it as meal 1,2,3 and don't limit breakfast foods to meal 1. Would roast chicken leftovers in a lettuce leaf with a little avocado be light enough for you???

 

Good luck!

[KrysR]

Ouch!! Good thing I haven't tried that salad yet LOL

[TheMuppet]

I've had the most lovely late lunch: 2 rashers bacon, grilled mushrooms, an avocado and a poached egg.

Still finding breakfast difficult. I was rushing this morning and had a banana and some almonds which I know isn't ideal. 

 

Corduroy - I like your irreverence about the rhetoric!

[pkoyster]

I have never been a big fruit or berry eater. I always preferred veggies to fruits and berries. Tonight after my brisket and sweet potato/carrot dinner I had a few strawberries. Wow did they taste amazingly sweet! I am not sure if they were actually that good or if my taste buds were just that excited for something sweet. 

 

It is day 5 and I was still so tired today. I was too tired to crave bad food. I was too tired to even think about going off plan. I was too tired to come up with a different meal than the one I had decided on previously. I guess being too tired is helpful in some ways. 

[Mama Mack]

Hello, joining this group because I  also started on March 1st. So far so good except for sleep. I go up to bed at a reasonable hour because I'm tired ( and if I can't have a glass or two of wine then what else is there to do ?) I get into bed thinking how wonderful the bed feels, the pillows are fluffy, the down comforter is so cozy. I close my eyes and sleep doesn't come instantly the way it used to. I then start tossing and turning and eventually work myself up to feeling like I should get out of bed and run a marathon ( and I'm not even a runner!). I had some awful hot flashes the first couple of nights that would wake me up but I could fall back to sleep no problem. Hot flashes are gone but replaced with intense restlessness. What's up with dat?????? I'm worried how I'll be able to function at work this coming week.

[JGlbrtsn]

Tough day for me today, so I thought I would check in here and vent!

 

Last night, I spent the night being the designated driver for a group of incredibly supportive girlfriends. I had a great time, and I didn't have a hangover this morning! What a gift.

 

However, today is an emotional day for me. 9 years ago I had a life-altering accident, and it is a day where I am so thankful for how far I have come, and a day that I still struggle with some of the old ghosts that haunt me. I have found myself on the verge of tears all day, and feeling restless.  

 

I want a damn donut. and a vanilla latte. And gelato. I want them, I know I don't need them, and I don't necessarily want them, because the last thing I want to do is derail my progress. Part of me just want to hide in my house where there is no food I can't have or temptations.

 

However, I am heading over to my boyfriend's and i was looking forward to just laying low tonight. And then he just called an accepted an invitation for us to go over to his friend's house, who I have met a few times and don't know very well. Crap. So now I am going to have to explain this strange thing I am doing to people I don't know very well, while feeling emotionally vulnerable anyway. So I am going to pack food, just in case. Ugh. I had to do this last night too, and I hate it. I am looking forward to having a little more flexibility when it comes to eating away from home at the end of 30 days. (no health conditions, really doing this for a reset and to tame my sugar dragon.)

 

And now that I have written it all down for people who have been there, done that, I feel better. And yes, I will also explain all of this to my boyfriend. I don't want to leave him in the dark, and he is SO incredibly supportive.

 

Thanks peeps!

[corduroy]

Hello, joining this group because I  also started on March 1st. So far so good except for sleep. I go up to bed at a reasonable hour because I'm tired ( and if I can't have a glass or two of wine then what else is there to do ?) I get into bed thinking how wonderful the bed feels, the pillows are fluffy, the down comforter is so cozy. I close my eyes and sleep doesn't come instantly the way it used to. I then start tossing and turning and eventually work myself up to feeling like I should get out of bed and run a marathon ( and I'm not even a runner!). I had some awful hot flashes the first couple of nights that would wake me up but I could fall back to sleep no problem. Hot flashes are gone but replaced with intense restlessness. What's up with dat?????? I'm worried how I'll be able to function at work this coming week.

 

Stay strong! Vent all you need!! That's one of the purposes of these forums... Not sure if you have nature near you, but it always helps me to go for a walk/run in nature to lift my mood... As for dinner tonight, wait and see what's there to eat... you may be able to pick from a  few things and stay on the plan without having to give any explanations to anybody (keep your packed food hidden while you scan the options). 

 

I am doing this myself because I have a pain in my shoulder that has been there for months and it gets better but always comes back... After reading the story of how Dallas got rid of his shoulder problem,I decided to give it a try. Also could do with a bit more energy at times (have 2 toddlers, a full time job, a full time husband and, when possible, I try to sneak in some me time). I eat healthy in general so haven't been too hard really (I know we have a long ways to go yet), but today at the gym, I got so tempted to step on the scales... I don't necessarily need to lose weight but I would welcome a slightly lower number; I definitely don't want to put on any weight either and I am a bit concerned about that as I am eating more fat than I would normally eat. We'll see... Looking forward to everybody posting their final results.

[Bonnielv]

Hello ! 

Did you have a good week end ? I did. Temptation was everywhere although.

I had the kill all things and everyone moment on sunday.

My parents invited us to a massive dinner : pasta gratin, and crêpes (with home made chantilly, nutella, home made jams, etc...). But I cooked my own food before : fish and salad. Surprisingly I wasn't even tempted by their food. It looks like cravings are going away !

 

Have a nice monday !

[Amanda_B]

Today is day 7 for me, and I'm feeling much more stable. Last week I would yoyo between feeling ok, feeling very anxious, and feeling tired.

 

My biggest NSV to date is spending yesterday in the kitchen prepping foods for the week. I hope that'll help keep me on track because - oh  no - I still hate cooking.

 

I'm still worried about the birthday parties my kids (and therefore I am too) attending this weekend. One of them is serving my favorite kind of pie (it's on 3/14 - get it?) so that'll be a major temptation, but I can go buy a slice of pie anytime I want AFTER my Whole 30!

 

I'm feeling uncomfortable with the quantity of meat I'm eating - I was a vegetarian for years, and this still just feels like too much animal protein, but I'm sticking with it for now, and hoping re-introducing legumes will not have a negative effect on me, so I can move away from all this meat! (Sorry that's probably sacrilegious on the Whole30 site!)

[pkoyster]

Day 3 for me. 

 

I dreamt of food all night long. I was attending a conference, and there was a meet buffet (never seen that before in my life). 

I hope I will be less food obsessed in the future.

 

Have a nice day !

This was me last night. I thought of your post when I woke up. I was dreaming of tacos! So you aren't alone

[pkoyster]

Despite the fact that I was dreaming of food (although let's admit a taco isn't terrible after Whole30) I feel like the cravings have really subsided.

Last night I was reading on the sofa in the living room and I could hear my husband in the kitchen pour himself a tall glass of milk and grab a couple of cookies. I didn't even care. 

 

Question

I am eating a lot of sweet potatoes and butternut squash. I eat other veggies too. Green beans, peppers, Brussels sprouts, carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus mainly - but it seems like there are a lot of sweet potatoes and butternut squash in the mix.

Should I be concerned?

Will I hate them at the end of Whole30?