MommaGem's First Whole30

[Present4Life]

Over the last 6 months it has become abundantly clear that my overall experience of health improves when I am feeding myself the right foods. 

 

Currently, I am chronically tired, sleep poorly, have heart burn, am impatient and have difficulty staying positive.  I have no energy for exercise, even the 10,000 steps I was doing regularly when I was eating better only a few months ago.  My desire to meditate or even work on my hobbies has dissolved.  I need to do something NOW.

 

I know I have trigger foods.  Carbs, sugar, salt, dairy, and lots of coffee with milk and Splenda, but I'm not sure exactly which ones affect my well-being the most.  When I was on the 21 Day Fix, it felt great limiting my carbs, but the dairy I consumed didn't seem to give me problems.  This time I will do this properly.  I will complete the Whole 30 programs and reintroduce foods in a structured manner to find out where I have the most issues.

 

I estimate I'll be able to start "for real" on Friday, April 22nd.  My book will arrive tomorrow, I'll be able to shop on Thursday, and have good food prepped to begin on Friday morning.  

 

Wish me luck!  My husband and kids will likely be eating their regular diet. 

[Emma]

Wishing you Luck!  But it sounds like you already know what you need to do and have a plan  The spiral of feeling lousy really is a drag.  I have these great memories of how I felt when I was eating well and exercising - ahhh - those were the days!!  I liked your words about it becoming abundantly clear how eating well impacts your health.  It's pretty abundantly clear for me - not sure why I keep needing to test those waters, but I do and I keep learning the same lesson.  Friday is a beautiful day to start!!

[Present4Life]

Thank you Emma!  I have been reading other logs and getting more and more inspired.  I am glad that there are others who have added meditation to their daily goals.  Your posts and responses about meditation have spurred me to get "back on the cushion."

[JeanetteO]

Best of luck! I think the key is planning, now that you've got a strategy it makes for smooth sailing. If you look at my log, you can see I planned to the max, but it really helped me get it together for this. 

 

http://forum.whole30.com/topic/35590-happy-steps-to-health-my-first-whole30/

 

I had much of the same complaints as you, and I've noticed them start to go away and that's such an awesome feeling. 

 

I'll follow you along as you start 

 

Cheers!

[Present4Life]

Thank you Jeanette!  I just read your Log and your enthusiasm is so infectious!  I love the use of the phrase Tiger Blood in the forum - I look forward to having that feeling back 

 

I have my shopping list ready, and if all goes well this afternoon, I can get to the grocery store and have this evening to prep food.  I do find myself indulging a little today, and "getting rid of the leftovers".... into my stomach    Which will probably come back to haunt me tomorrow. 

[JeanetteO]

Thank you Jeanette!  I just read your Log and your enthusiasm is so infectious!  I love the use of the phrase Tiger Blood in the forum - I look forward to having that feeling back 

 

I have my shopping list ready, and if all goes well this afternoon, I can get to the grocery store and have this evening to prep food.  I do find myself indulging a little today, and "getting rid of the leftovers".... into my stomach    Which will probably come back to haunt me tomorrow. 

 

Yeah I did that too hehe   In the days before I started I ate the things I know wouldn't be compliant. Since then there are a few non-compliant items for my boyfriend in the house, but I haven't caved yet. I guess it helps its peanut m&ms and I hate those 

[Present4Life]

Day 1 - It Begins!

 

Sleep:  I didn't go to bed as early as I had planned, and my daughter woke up crying at 2:30am, so it wasn't the best night of sleep. I took 3mg of melatonin before bed.  I guess this is the baseline to see how I improve over this 30 days.

 

Exercise:  I actually got back on the treadmill today!  I completed 40 minutes of walking before I started work this morning.  It was work, believe me, even just walking.  I felt so sluggish and just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  I actually hit 10,000 steps before 5pm!  This takes some work with my work schedule   

 

Meditation: I managed to squeak in a 10 minute session.  I really had to convince myself to get on the mat, but I did it. 

 

Mood: I was really, really not in the mood to eat something "non-carby" for breakfast.  I usually just have 2 Multigrain toaster waffles with PB or butter and a banana.  The thought of eggs, sausage, and unsweetened coffee just turned my stomach.  But I ate it and didn't actually vomit like I thought I would.  Just take a major change of mind-set and habit I guess.  I had a major energy wane around 2:30 in the afternoon, so I had afternoon coffee. I'm trying really hard to save eating for hunger rather than a drop in energy, but I did 'munch' while I prepped the roasted veggies.

 

M1:  2 scrambled eggs, 2 homemade breakfast sausages, 1/2 small avocado, 1 small diced tomato & compliant salsa + coffee with 1 Tbsp coconut milk

 

Pwo:  1/2 banana, small handful of cashews + coffee with 1 Tbsp coconut milk

 

M2:  Large veggie salad, Dump Ranch, 2 homemade breakfast sausages, 2 poached eggs

 

S: Roasted carrots and sweet potatoes (right after they came out of the oven - I nibbled on a few)

 

M3:  Chicken, Lime, and Avocado soup from the Whole30 Recipes FB page + the roasted carrots & sweet poatatoes

 

Other Thoughts: I spent the day prepping homemade condiments.  The homemade mayo turned out thin.  Maybe because I used my Kitchenaid mixer instead of a blender?  Anyway, I converted it to Dump Ranch and Yummy!  I made ghee and it turned out fairly well. I just had to strain it twice.

 

I made a slow cooker soup to make something easy while I prepped everything else.  I continued to read the Whole30 book, and mapped out our dinners for the next week. I realize right away that nuts are a "potato chip" type food for me, so I'm really going to have to restrict how many servings I eat each week.  Like seriously, I could eat an entire 1 lb. bag of cashews in a sitting. 

 

Also, and this is a biggie, unsweetened coffee is not a horrible as I thought.  I'm not going to be slurping it down with glee, but I can sip on it as I work and be satisfied. 

 

Overall, it wasn't too bad today, but it's the first day and I'm enthusiastic.  All day seemed to revolve around the diet, food, and food prep.  Hopefully it'll start to become 'second-nature' so I don't sit and ponder food all day.

[eusebius]

Way to go MommaGem!!  What a great first day!  What's Dump Ranch?  It sounds oddly yummy given the name    

[Present4Life]

I ran across it in the cooking forum.  My version ended up tasting like a Creamy Italian rather than a Ranch, but still very tasty

 

Dump Ranch Recipe

[eusebius]

Thank you!  I am definitely going to have to try that.

[JeanetteO]

I ran across it in the cooking forum.  My version ended up tasting like a Creamy Italian rather than a Ranch, but still very tasty

 

Dump Ranch Recipe

 

Nom, I'm going to make this. I've been craving spicy wings and ranch! I have to make a new batch of mayo, I'll try and make one more runny and give this a go. As a hint, I've found that replacing coconut milk in sauces with coconut cream is soooo much better. It gives a creamier, richer taste, and I just add a tbsp of water at a time if its not as thin as I want. I'd suggest jumping on the coconut cream and giving it a shot, you'll notice the different right away. 

 

Congrats on your first day  Don't stress too much about it being perfect. It works itself out!

 

I'm not a breakfast eater and that's been one of the hardest things to get used to. I still have days I don't eat it since it doesn't register in my head, its just not a routine I'm used to. Even waking up hungry, it doesn't make it click yet haha But I think its also because I always drink 20oz within the first hour of waking, usually within the first 30 min to be honest. I read somewhere that drinking water when you wake up is really good for your body since its gone without all night and it helps "wake up" your metabolism, etc. I don't know how scientifically true that is, but I will tell you, the days I don't drink water upon waking I feel more sluggish and dehydrated for the day. 

 

Cheers! 

[Present4Life]

Day 2 - Am I Really Serious About This?

 

Sleep: I took 3mg of Melatonin and had my usual restless night of sleep.  When the alarm went off this morning I did NOT want to get out of bed. AT. ALL.  Oh my goodness it took the biggest act of will to drag my booty out of bed to make the kids' breakfast. 

 

Exercise:  I got on the treadmill for 40 minutes of walking again, but I was lacking the energy or the desire to do it.  Another act of will to get on my walking shoes and get on the treadmill. 10,000 steps complete!

 

Meditation: I had a 15 minute session right after lunch.  I knew I couldn't be in a place when I would just daydream about food. My thoughts were all scattered, but at least I sat.

 

Mood:  Just really sluggish in the morning.  This afternoon though.... whoooo!  I know I have two "red flag" times of day.  2:30-3:30 I am used to having a snack of some time.  I'm trying to save the afternoon snack for actual hunger rather than habit.  Unfortunately, I went out for some errands in the afternoon without a snack, was starving, and really turned into B****zilla!  I promptly has a snack right when I got back.  5-5:30 is also a Witching Hour.  I get home with the kids and have to cook dinner, and if I'm hungry.... stay out of the way   I just know that I'm really going to have to keep watching my signals, feed myself when necessary, and try hard to be patient when I want to "Kill All The Things."

 

M1: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 homemade breakfast sausages, roasted sweet potato hash (all sauteed in ghee), with a small green salad and Dump Ranch for the fat + coffee/coconut milk

 

M2:  Ground beef with homemade taco seasoning on lettuce leaves, 1/2 avocado, salsa, and strawberries

 

S: Apple slices & Sunflower Butter + coffee/coconut milk

 

M3: Chicken Cacciatore (Whole30 book), Zoodles in ghee & Roasted Carrots in olive oil

 

Other Thoughts:  Is there such a thing as the Salt Dragon?  I really don't have much of a Sugar Dragon over desserts and sweets (bread is another story).  But put salt on something crunchy and I go crazy!  Chips, nuts, popcorn, crispy fries, those air dried vaggies - I just cannot stop.  So... I know that nuts are a trigger food, but they are such a good source of protein and fat. However, I realized today that I don't go crazy over nut butters.  It really is the crunch that triggers my craving.  Today I chose a nut butter that is tasty, but I don't go crazy over. I will never, ever crave sunflower butter, but it's still tasty.

 

In general, I spent allllll day thinking about food.  Many times the cravings were so strong I couldn't focus on anything else.  I sure can't wait until this part passes.

[Emma]

I love salt.  I also feel like I'm adding SO much when I'm cooking and perhaps I am, but it's still got to be less than when I was eating processed foods.  Today I opened up a can of anchovies and just delighted in the salty goodness of them.  They do, however, have so much oooomph that I can't seem to overeat them.  I once read an article about how the big food companies like Doritos work on creating complex formulas/recipes to bypass our satiation signals.  When I eat blue cheese, I generally hit a point when I've had enough, but when I eat Doritos, there's never an enough.  It's like they add just enough salt or something to tease you into eating more.  It was a really interesting article.

 

Super congrats on the meditating!  If it wasn't for you doing it, I probably wouldn't have, but I did!!!!!  You're a trend setter 

[Present4Life]

That totally reminds me of the Pringles advertisement, "Bet You Can't Eat Just One."  (Or was it Lays?) Either way, the chip companies were counting on the fact that we were Hoover them down without stopping.  Unfortunately, that happens to me.  But I can't totally believe processed food manufacturers are craftily creating ways to keep us from getting "full".

 

Yay! Congrats on meditating!  Today and tomorrow will be the true challenge.  The kids are home and it's hard to get a few minutes alone, but maybe when they're trying to nap?

[Chellesdoingr8]

Continued success to you, MommaGem, on your healthy lifestyle journey!!  You are on top of it!!

 

Gotta say that meditation is doing wonders for me too!!  I do it every work day at 5:00 am.  On weekends I sleep in a bit and then do it .  There is something life changing about that and eating whole foods. 

 

Keep up the good work, lady!!  Woot woot!!

 

Cheers!!

 

Michelle

[Emma]

Any chance you can meditate right by them?  I've given up on ever having a quiet still home.

 

So I went googling this morning for the article I read and I couldn't find it, but I found some others about how food manufactures do actually work to create foods that will keep us eating more.  I'll post the links on my site because I don't want to be filling up yours!!!  I think it helps me to know that it's not just me or my lack of character that creates some of my behaviors around food.

 

Have a great day.

[Present4Life]

Day 3 - Can I Really Make It Through the Weekend??

 

Sleep:  Ugh, really rough sleep last night, but not because of the diet.  My daughter is potty training and now she freaks out when she has to pee in the middle of the night.  We have a little potty right next to her bed, but she's not used to this new process and cries for us to help her.  Lots of waking last night.  And I have "morning duty" with the kids today, so I was up when they were. 

 

Exercise:  I rarely get a formal workout during the weekend.  We just try to get our steps throughout the day and take the kids outside to run around.  10,000 steps completed.

 

Meditation:  After we dealt with the kids' nap stalling drama, and I took a breather to get my head settled, I forced myself to sit on the mat for 15 minutes.  It really does help and it needs to be a mandatory part of my days, so it just needs to be something I do no matter what until it becomes it's own ingrained, natural habit.

 

Mood:  My energy level is 'okay' today especially after the interrupted sleep, but my patience level is pretty low.  When did my children get so loud??? oh yeah. They've always been loud.  And their nap stalling techniques pushed me over the edge today.  Daddy had to take over.  Deep breaths, deep breaths.

 

M1:  Leftover taco ground beef, 1 scrambled egg, roasted sweet potato, 1/2 avocado, salsa w/ a side of sauteed asparagus & mushrooms - everything cooked in ghee. Coffee w/ coconut milk.

 

M2:  Large bed of spinach and veggies, topped with taco ground beef, 1/2 avocado, salsa, Dump Ranch

 

S:  Kale Chips (they are okay, but probably not going to be a staple), followed by 1/2 banana & some cashews because I was starting to get dizzy

 

M3: Slow Cooker Italian Beef & Kale Ragu with broccoli and a potato 

 

Other Thoughts:  Evening comfort.  One of my most long-standing daily rituals is an evening snack.  Right after we put the kids to bed and finish a little cleanup, I settle on the couch with a cup of decaf coffee w/ cream and sugar and a piece or two of chocolate.  It marks the end of the day and the start of time to ourselves.  It has been so hard skipping that these past few days.  Instead, I have just taken a long, hot shower as a replacement for that ritual.  It's not the same, but it takes time to break habits.

 

Now for the TMI portion of this posting.... I've been rather gassy.  I can not wait for that to pass (no pun intended). My poor husband.

[Chellesdoingr8]

I agree that meditation really helps!!  I do it every morning  You are doing AWESOME!!!  Keep up the good work

 

Cheers!!

 

Michelle

[Present4Life]

Thank you Michelle!  This community,the support, and encouragement really help!

[HedyF]

Your meals sound so good!  I'm at the ho hum part (Day 14) and  looking at making sauces, etc. to make meals more interesting.  Keep up the good work!

[Present4Life]

Day 4 - It's Looking Positive

 

Sleep:  Last night I slept like a rock!  I got up a few times to pee, but in general, I slept really soundly.  I also got to sleep in this morning, because it's Daddy's "morning duty" day, so I feel especially well rested

 

Exercise:  When I sleep in and had fewer waking hours in the day, it's harder to get my 10,000 steps in.  I had to make an extra effort today. 10,000 steps complete.

 

Meditation: While he kids were in their rooms for nap time I sat for 15 minutes.  My son decided to have a squeal/shriek fest while I was sitting.  He was having fun and truly loves the sound of his voice, but it is quite a distraction while meditating

 

Mood:  Feeling really positive this morning! A solid night of sleep really makes a huge difference.

 

M1: 2 scrambled eggs, the last bit of taco ground beef, roasted sweet potato & carrots sauteed in ghee with some zucchini and tomatoes.  Coffee w/ coconut milk

 

M2:  Leftover Italian Beef Kale Ragu w/ roasted sweet potatoes and 1/2 avocado

 

M3: Roasted Apple Spiced Pork Lion, pineapple coleslaw w/ homemade mayo, green beans w/ ghee

 

Other Thoughts:  On days when I sleep in everything things a little brighter.  I have fewer hours to wait in between M1 & M2, I have extra rest to feed my patience levels, and I feel like I have the energy to get some things done. We'll see how tomorrow goes when I have to wake up early again :-O

 

One NSV is that Whole30 compliant meals can be really delicious. My Mom comes over every Saturday and Sunday to play with the grandkids and I cook meals each day for the whole family.  I made some really fabulous dinners that the adults ate completely compliant, and they were delicious.  We definitely don't have to settle for bland or repetitive food, and I didn't have to make any changes to the meal to make it more "enjoyable" for the non-W30ers.

[Present4Life]

Thanks HedyF! I hope when I'm at Day 14 that I still have the enthusiasm.  I would like to build a list of easy, yet pretty yummy recipes to make when the days are tough and I would normally just pick up fast food.

[DEMS2011]

Yay!  Glad to hear you got a better night's sleep!

Keep up the great work, I'm excited for you to start feeling the amazing results, but one.day.at.a.time!

 

I'm definitely enjoying the Whole30 meals, too.  The recipes are really incredible!  My husband mmmmms the entire way through the meals, too.... but then he falls off and gets fast food (he's not doing the program with me, just doing his best to be supportive).  At least the delicious meals makes it easier!

[JeanetteO]

So happy you're getting your groove and starting to pep up! It takes a bit, but once you get going it really is great. 

 

Its great to have "emergency protein" in the freezer/fridge for when you're starving but don't want to be bothered to cook. I live off of this recipe when I'm exhausted, I recommend having a batch at the ready  

 

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/91332244628/spicy-tuna-cakes

 

Cheers!

[Present4Life]

Day 5 - Starting to Feel the Side Effects

 

Sleep:  Again, I slept really solid last night.  I had tons of vivid, strange dreams, but I still had deep sleep.  It could be the fact that I'm drinking less caffeine.  Unsweet coffee with coconut milk only tastes decent first thing in the morning, after that I'm just getting through it.  So less coffee, no sugar, no irritants = good sleep.

 

Exercise:  I am starting to feel the side effects now.  I got on the treadmill before work, but I felt a little weak and light-headed.  Not overwhelming, but noticeable. My new practice is to set a timer once an hour, and I get up and walk around.  I work at a computer all day and it's easy for me to end of sitting on my butt all day long.  This practice keeps me from being so sedentary during the day.  10,000 steps complete.

 

Meditation: I got in 15 minutes after lunch, but it was a difficult session.  I have been very restless today and not able to sit still for long. Mind racing. At least I made myself stay on that mat for 15 minutes. Practice, practice, practice.

 

Mood: Oh was I surely grumpy this morning.  I would not tolerate the early morning squealing from my son, or other irritants from my spouse. However,, after I had my morning cup of coffee, I felt pretty good all day long.  Hurray!

 

M1: 2 scrambled eggs. 2 homemade breakfast sausage, sauteed with ghee and roasted sweet potato. Topped with 1/2 small avocado & 1 tomato. Coffee w/ coconut milk.

 

M2:  Leftover Apple Pork & Pineapple Coleslaw w/ roasted sweet potato

 

S:  None! I made it through the afternoon without the true need for a snack 

 

M3:  Pineapple Chicken Potato Curry (made w/ coconut milk) and Roasted Cauliflower

 

Other Thoughts: Breakfast is pretty repetitive, but I absolutely need something I can fix on "auto-pilot." I am sluggish in the morning and function like a robot, so I need to know already what's going in the pan after I get the kids' breakfast together.

 

I started making a bath of beef bone broth and one of chicken bone broth.  It will be nice to have some natural options when broth is required in recipes. Plus I've heard that bone broth helps with sleep, and is nice to sip on during the day.

 

I searched every store in the area that Tessemaes.com lists that carries their product, but no luck.  I think when Target "in general" carries their product, they just list every store on their website, but not every store may carry it.  I ended up ordering the Whole30 Box on the website with a 15% off coupon.

 

Evening snacking.  We eat so early in the evening (5:50pm), because the kids bath and bedtime is early, we all need to eat before. By the time I go to bed at a normal time (10:30pm), it has been 5 hours since dinner.  It has been hard to go to bed hungry, but I don't feel right having a pre-bedtime snack.  Anyone else have a long evening stretch without food? What do you do?