Starting June 28, 2016!

[SugarcubeOD]

Hey there! Congrats on the gummies victory!

Chia pudding does not really have a place in a template meal. We want you to have 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and added fat and the chia pudding only grants you the added fat. Your list above is extremely fruit heavy and doesn't have protein or veggies.

We really want you to learn to get away from the 'sweet' breakfast foods and eat real hearty whole foods for breakfast. You will likely also find that a large quantity of fruit in the morning is going to give you problems with sugar cravings throughout the day.

[molliollioxenfree]

Hi, all! Day 1 went pretty well for me. Aside from a little indigestion (which I expected, since I recently went off some stomach medication I was on) and some unexplained fatigue, I felt pretty good all day. I even managed to brave a RESTAURANT!

 

Here's my log for June 28:

 

Woke up at 8:30, groggy and hungry but didn’t want to eat

 

Meal 1 (10:30am): 3 sunny side up eggs, sweet potato “hash browns” fried in ghee, a few pieces of smoked salmon, one Persian cucumber, three mini bell peppers, and a hefty dollop of Cholula mayo + 12 oz. club soda with lemon

 

Notes: Getting the third egg down was a bit of a struggle, especially since I started to feel full after one egg and some veggies, but I don’t feel too overstuffed after eating everything.

 

12-2 pm: 2x12 oz LaCroix grapefruit

 

Meal 2 (3:05 pm): Merguez meatballs, greens (sautéed with coconut milk, pecans, dried cranberries, and ras el hanout), orange salad over (raw) greens + 24 oz water

 

Snack: About 2 tsp almond butter and a G.T.’s kombucha

 

Notes: I was running out the door and wanted to get some fats because I suspected I might get peckish while I was out

 

Meal 3 (8:45 pm): Assorted sashimi (13 pieces), radish; mini bell peppers, Cholula mayo, raspberries and blueberries + 12 oz green tea

 

Notes: We went out to a sushi restaurant, so I got sashimi on a bed of spiralized daikon (nothing to dip in, since my coconut aminos haven’t arrived in the mail yet) and supplemented the meal when I got home with some bell pepper and more Cholula mayo and a few berries(it’s so good!!!!)

[racheleats]

Day 1 was great! Each week, I typically eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch M-F - this week I have:

 

Breakfast - Egg, spinach and sausage frittata (whisk a dozen eggs, and add wilted spinach and seasoned pork. pour into a pyrex baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes on 400*. cut into individual servings, and take to work to re-heat). I also have a banana and black coffee

 

Lunch - Salad with diced chicken and Tessemae's Caesar dressing (so so good!!!) - I work at a school, and the cafeteria has an excellent salad bar. So, I utilize that for the greens/veggies and bring my own chicken for protein.

 

Dinner last night was spaghetti squash with ground turkey and compliant marinara sauce. I also had an RxBar because I went to the gym (high intensity, boot camp style class).

 

I'm focusing on drinking a TON of water - I find that helps keep the headaches away in the first few days!

 

How is everyone else doing on day 2?!

[molliollioxenfree]

Oy vey. Is anyone else having the Hangover phase hit them like a ton of bricks? I ate pretty well up until I started, so at least the headache isn't bad, but I'm totally exhausted, and I think I've got a hint of Kill All The Things creeping in there, too. This morning as I cooked breakfast (which felt at the time like it was taking TEN ETERNITIES to cook, even though it's almost exactly the same thing I threw together yesterday morning), I felt an unusual desire to punch everyone I had ever met. I also had to choke down breakfast even though I felt hungry. I just do not like eating that much right when I wake up! Have the people who have done W30s before had any similar problems?

[racheleats]

Oy vey. Is anyone else having the Hangover phase hit them like a ton of bricks? I ate pretty well up until I started, so at least the headache isn't bad, but I'm totally exhausted, and I think I've got a hint of Kill All The Things creeping in there, too. This morning as I cooked breakfast (which felt at the time like it was taking TEN ETERNITIES to cook, even though it's almost exactly the same thing I threw together yesterday morning), I felt an unusual desire to punch everyone I had ever met. I also had to choke down breakfast even though I felt hungry. I just do not like eating that much right when I wake up! Have the people who have done W30s before had any similar problems?

I've been feeling okay so far halfway through day 2, but the past two whole30's I've done the "hangover" phase lasted for like 5 days for me! I usually follow the timeline to a T, but a few times it has been really off! I think it depends on a lot of things, you know? I'm usually in Kill All The Things normally when I am just hungry so I definitely experience that a lot during the beginning of my Whole30!!

[SugarcubeOD]

Oy vey. Is anyone else having the Hangover phase hit them like a ton of bricks? I ate pretty well up until I started, so at least the headache isn't bad, but I'm totally exhausted, and I think I've got a hint of Kill All The Things creeping in there, too. This morning as I cooked breakfast (which felt at the time like it was taking TEN ETERNITIES to cook, even though it's almost exactly the same thing I threw together yesterday morning), I felt an unusual desire to punch everyone I had ever met. I also had to choke down breakfast even though I felt hungry. I just do not like eating that much right when I wake up! Have the people who have done W30s before had any similar problems?

That's totally normal unfortunately... I've never actually thought I wanted to punch people but I do live alone so that might mitigate it and I know how to turn on my 'work' self... otherwise I would punch people at work all the time!

 

Make sure you're eating to the template including the added fat (dont' count your cooking fat, that's usually about negligible) and defintely keep eating the first meal of the day, even if it feels hard!

[HollieG]

Oy vey. Is anyone else having the Hangover phase hit them like a ton of bricks? I ate pretty well up until I started, so at least the headache isn't bad, but I'm totally exhausted, and I think I've got a hint of Kill All The Things creeping in there, too. This morning as I cooked breakfast (which felt at the time like it was taking TEN ETERNITIES to cook, even though it's almost exactly the same thing I threw together yesterday morning), I felt an unusual desire to punch everyone I had ever met. I also had to choke down breakfast even though I felt hungry. I just do not like eating that much right when I wake up! Have the people who have done W30s before had any similar problems?

 

I'm on day 3 now and the headaches started creeping in.  I can't eat my breakfast right away either.  I've been prepping it in the morning while I have my coffee & water and then eat it when I get to work.  By that time I start feeling hungry and saving my breakfast for later helps me stay full until lunch.  Although today wasn't really the case.  I felt hungry more frequently.  I'm thinking my breakfast just wasn't satisfying enough.

[stravajunkie]

Hi! I'm joining a few days late, July 1 is my "official" start date, just because I like nice round numbers....but I'm fresh off a partial W30 and am basically eating compliantly....so I kind of with you guys already

 

I haven't noticed anyone mention the Whole 30 timeline, you can find it easily with a google search, it has tons of good and humorous thoughts about what to expect...

 

My big goal this first week is to work on mindfulness. Enjoying the food I'm eating, eating a template meal, and then stopping and enjoying a cup of tea. This is a habit I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME WITH because I'm a muncher, especially related to stress, which is my whole life. And this week I discovered I have a lineup of uber (as in off the charts) stressful work meetings to contend with, so I'm needing to hold on tightly to my new "dealing with life instead of escaping through food" skills.

 

My commitment to myself today is to let my husband help the kids with dinner and GO FOR A RIDE. This will detox me from the meetings this afternoon, in a healthy way. I have a wicked awesome, steep, leg and lung burning ride that only takes about 45 minute right out my back door so I have no excuses. Some time in the trees, alone, gasping my lungs out for some reason is soothing  to my rumpled emotions and makes me actually want good food instead of crave junk food. So I'll check in tomorrow and report whether I was successful!

 

Best luck to everybody!

[SugarcubeOD]

I'm on day 3 now and the headaches started creeping in.  I can't eat my breakfast right away either.  I've been prepping it in the morning while I have my coffee & water and then eat it when I get to work.  By that time I start feeling hungry and saving my breakfast for later helps me stay full until lunch.  Although today wasn't really the case.  I felt hungry more frequently.  I'm thinking my breakfast just wasn't satisfying enough.

A sign of well balanced hormones is waking up hungry... in order to facilitate this, we need to eat our first meal within an hour of waking.  I get that it's hard and you might not feel like it but that changes quite quickly once you start doing it.  Waiting until you've been up for a few hours isn't great and can actually affect things down stream like your ability to fall asleep at night, the getting of a second wind etc... 

Believe me, we've all struggled at one time or another with not wanting to eat breakfast right away but THE MOST successful Whole30'ers take that on as a challenge and will report extremely satisfying results from just that one little change.  If you're worried about getting to lunch, then you're breakfast isn't big enough.  Make sure you review the template linked in my signature below and don't skimp on fat...

[ChristyJ]

Day 2:  Today has been interesting:  I get up at 5:15am to get ready then do my 45 min+ drive to work by 7-7:15am.  I read what SugarCube (what's your real name :-) ) wrote about eating within an hour of getting up, but unless I wake up at 5am, it isn't happening (and the thought of getting up any earlier makes me want to cry).  I sleep horribly.  My husband and I work opposite schedules:  I do the typically M-F day thing and he works Tues-Fri 2-10, Sat/Sun 10:30-8:30pm.  So with him getting home late, he doesn't go to bed until crazy hours like 2-3 am.  I head up between 10-11pm.  I often wake when he comes up, and it depends on the night (morning-ugh) if I fall back to sleep quickly, if it takes about an hour or so, or if I just never really go back to sleep.

 

So I got side tracked-lol... 8:30am breakfast was 2 egg cups with fresh salsa, 12:00 lunch ground chicken with diced tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, olives along with strawberries, raspberries & mango.  I had an apple and some almonds at 2:30-I had to leave the office at 3 for a 4:00 acupuncture appointment with plans to run to a natural foods store nearby after the appointment.  I had the snack because I was afraid I'd be STARVING.  And I was right.  By the time I got to the grocery store it was 5:30pm.  I found bacon that fits the plan-hurray!  Grabbed some ghee, sweet potatoes, freshly made almond butter, olive snack bags (figured these would be great for traveling), and I could have grabbed more and more.  I was so hungry-they had all kinds of delicious goodies around that I resisted.  But I bought a small beet, ginger & lemon juice just to hold me over.  

 

Another side note, a little personal, but I was on tamoxifen for about 1 1/2 years as a preventative measure for breast cancer.  It put me into a chemically-induced menopause.  I went off it in December-about a year ago I had an ovary removed-so I wasn't sure what would happen hormonally.  I've since found out I've been experiencing the joys of menopause...so today I felt bloated and slightly crampy, but figured it was related to Day2.  Nope, not totally anyway.  I started my period (I've only had it twice in a year).

 

So dinner... I cooked up the bacon, roasted potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts with onion and some of the bacon.  My husband made me chicken patties that I heated up and added to my dinner.

 

Acupuncture made me super relaxed (I fell asleep during it-woke myself up 3-4 times with a snore-lol), took away any cramps, and hopefully will help me sleep well tonight.  

 

I love reading everyone's posts!  I'm glad we're all doing pretty well and sticking with it despite headaches, feeling groggy, etc.

[HollieG]

A sign of well balanced hormones is waking up hungry... in order to facilitate this, we need to eat our first meal within an hour of waking.  I get that it's hard and you might not feel like it but that changes quite quickly once you start doing it.  Waiting until you've been up for a few hours isn't great and can actually affect things down stream like your ability to fall asleep at night, the getting of a second wind etc... 

Believe me, we've all struggled at one time or another with not wanting to eat breakfast right away but THE MOST successful Whole30'ers take that on as a challenge and will report extremely satisfying results from just that one little change.  If you're worried about getting to lunch, then you're breakfast isn't big enough.  Make sure you review the template linked in my signature below and don't skimp on fat...

 

Thank you for the tip!  I'll try this tomorrow morning and see how my day goes

[ChristyJ]

"A sign of well balanced hormones is waking up hungry... in order to facilitate this, we need to eat our first meal within an hour of waking.  I get that it's hard and you might not feel like it but that changes quite quickly once you start doing it.  Waiting until you've been up for a few hours isn't great and can actually affect things down stream like your ability to fall asleep at night, the getting of a second wind etc... 

Believe me, we've all struggled at one time or another with not wanting to eat breakfast right away but THE MOST successful Whole30'ers take that on as a challenge and will report extremely satisfying results from just that one little change.  If you're worried about getting to lunch, then you're breakfast isn't big enough.  Make sure you review the template linked in my signature below and don't skimp on fat...  :)"

 

 

 

Thank you for the tip!  I'll try this tomorrow morning and see how my day goes

I could do something like eat a hard boiled egg while I'm getting ready, and then have my breakfast at work, after my commute?  Do you think that would help?  I want to make the change-just am trying to figure out how best to within my quick morning routine.

[stravajunkie]

As a try, and try again whole30er (new noun), I would heartily second 2 things sugercube said:

 

1. FAT- fat is so important. It took me about a year to really wrap my head around fat being ok and stop freaking out about calories (I'm a cyclist and it's a power/weight sport so lots of pressure to keep the groceries in check) Once I got over the hurdle and starting eating fat (as in, a whole avocado at a meal, PLUS some olive oil in the salad....and a couple eggs...) my energy leveled out and it MASSIVELY reduced cravings for sweets, which is my weakness

 

2. I haven't been a breakfast eater for about 17 years. I was never hungry in the morning. But again, by just eating a (very small to start with) template meal (I have zero prep time in the AM so "template" is simple: a few fried eggs on top of a couple of diced tomatoes with salsa) does start to trigger your body to want to eat in the morning. Which also helps with the 10:00 " I gotta get a latte NOW" phenomenon...

 

I did not make it out for an actual ride last night, as per my goal, but DID get outside and was able to spend a few minutes clearing my head from the day. Another day of meetings and chaos today....One thing I've learned is to always have dinner planned and ideally preppred in the morning, because I'm a morning person, so I don't get home in the evening and have to figure it out when I'm exhausted and stressed. We raise our own meat, so I am going to toss a bunch of sausage in a crock pot this morning and then finish it on the BBQ tonight. Add a green salad and call it a win...

[SugarcubeOD]

"A sign of well balanced hormones is waking up hungry... in order to facilitate this, we need to eat our first meal within an hour of waking.  I get that it's hard and you might not feel like it but that changes quite quickly once you start doing it.  Waiting until you've been up for a few hours isn't great and can actually affect things down stream like your ability to fall asleep at night, the getting of a second wind etc... 

Believe me, we've all struggled at one time or another with not wanting to eat breakfast right away but THE MOST successful Whole30'ers take that on as a challenge and will report extremely satisfying results from just that one little change.  If you're worried about getting to lunch, then you're breakfast isn't big enough.  Make sure you review the template linked in my signature below and don't skimp on fat...  :)"

 

 

 

I could do something like eat a hard boiled egg while I'm getting ready, and then have my breakfast at work, after my commute?  Do you think that would help?  I want to make the change-just am trying to figure out how best to within my quick morning routine.

Your best bet really would be to prep your meal the night before if you don't have much morning time and then get up 15 min earlier and eat breakfast at home... eating a piece of breakfast and then the rest an hour or so later (or however long) isn't the same as eating a template meal... Really, this is one of the keys to the magic and if you can figure out a way, it's definitely going to pay off.

[ChristyJ]

Your best bet really would be to prep your meal the night before if you don't have much morning time and then get up 15 min earlier and eat breakfast at home... eating a piece of breakfast and then the rest an hour or so later (or however long) isn't the same as eating a template meal... Really, this is one of the keys to the magic and if you can figure out a way, it's definitely going to pay off.

 My breakfast is always prepped and ready to go.  I'm definitely willing to give your suggestion a try!  Thinking about my morning, I do sit for a couple of minutes to drink my coffee; I'll just add my breakfast then.

 

That being said, my breakfast will now be in the 5:45-6:00 am range.  I can do an earlier lunch around 11, but dinner (with my family) usually isn't until 6:00-6:30pm.  I'm worried about the in between times since they're 5 to 6 hours between meals.  I do typically workout after work, so adding a preworkout meal around 4pm will help.  Any ideas for this part?  I appreciate your experience and advice. 

[molliollioxenfree]

Day 2 was a disaster of epic proportions, but I learned some lessons that I think will help me for the rest of the W30!

 

Here's the log: June 29

 

Woke up at 9:30 (since I stayed up late last night) feeling the Hangover bigtime. The headache wasn’t too terrible, but I felt exhausted and weak, and the thought of getting out of bed seemed unbearable. As I prepped breakfast (which felt like it took FOREVER), I felt a nagging desire to punch everyone I have ever met. Hmm…

 

Meal 1 (10:30am): 3 sunny side up eggs, sweet potato “hash browns” with onions and spinach fried in ghee, a few pieces of smoked salmon, one Persian cucumber, Cholula mayo + 20 oz water + 12 oz chai with coconut milk

           

Notes: Really had to choke down this breakfast. I just don’t want to eat that much in the morning, but I’m hoping that’ll improve with time. I can’t have coffee right now because I recently stopped my stomach meds and need to give my stomach lining a little time to get back to normal, so I went for tea instead. Chai with coconut milk was delicious! I missed my sweetener a bit at first, but then the natural sweetness of the coconut milk (and the fact that coconut goes wonderfully with chai spices) quickly made up for the lack of sugar.

 

Crawled back into bed with my laptop after breakfast. Did not emerge until lunch. Accomplished zero research/writing all day.

 

+ 24 oz water

 

Meal 2 (4pm): Zoodles with meat balls, compliant tomato sauce, and an extra tsp of EVOO drizzled over the top

 

Note: I simply could not  eat anything again until 4pm. I think I may try to decrease my meal size a little bit (plus eat breakfast slightly earlier) to see if I can tweak my meal schedule to be a bit more normal.

 

+ 34 oz sparkling water

 

Meal 3: L

 

Note: I wasn’t hungry around dinner time, so I decided to wait a bit longer and see if I could work up an appetite on a walk with my friend (we started around 8:45). Things were going well until we walked back up a very, very big hill. I’ve never had trouble conquering that hill before, but this time I got really dizzy and my ears started to hurt. It was terrible! Made my way home eventually and ate a banana because that’s what my boyfriend handed to me. Decided I’d get up the next morning and try for an earlier breakfast.

 

+16 oz water

[SugarcubeOD]

Excellent, glad you're going to give it a try.

 

As far as the distance between lunch and dinner, you can definitely afford to stick a mini meal (or full template depending on your hunger) in there.  The three meals a day/no snacking is the recommendation for people up for about 12-15 hours and with regular meal times 4-5 hours between.

 

4-5 hours from lunch is around 3 or 4 so you could definitely use your mini meal for your preworkout  (don't go the other way and use a slim pre-workout for a mini meal).

[Karen73]

Hey there! Congrats on the gummies victory!

Chia pudding does not really have a place in a template meal. We want you to have 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and added fat and the chia pudding only grants you the added fat. Your list above is extremely fruit heavy and doesn't have protein or veggies.

We really want you to learn to get away from the 'sweet' breakfast foods and eat real hearty whole foods for breakfast. You will likely also find that a large quantity of fruit in the morning is going to give you problems with sugar cravings throughout the day.

I did add chopped macadamia nuts, and did end up eating a scrambled egg afterwards. I didn't have any sugar cravings after that.... I haven't been feeling hungry throughout the day (in that my meals are sustaining me) and that's normally when I go for sugar. 

 

With that said, today I think the sugar hang-over is hitting. I have a TERRIBLE headache and just want to sleep Fortunately, I'm off work right now (for two GLORIOUS months!!! lol) so if I want to nap, I can.

[Karen73]

Wanted to share an easy delish recipe I made last night:

 

 

http://prettytastythings.com/2011/05/recipe-for-garlic-rosemary-pork-chops/

 

My soon-to-be 16 year old son started a garden this Spring, and has some wonderful rosemary growing, so I wanted to find a recipe that included it. I used pork steaks that I got at Costco. These were a HUGE hit - super flavourful, easy to make (I only marinaded them for about 45 minutes - hour), and totally whole 30! 

 

I added some steamed cauliflower that I seasoned with homemade italian vinagrette, and a green salad with ranch. My son made himself some potatoes and onions with cheddar cheese. It was really neat: he and I were both in the kitchen working together to prepare the meal. I love that I'm teaching my teenaged sons healthy habits.

[ChristyJ]

Karen, the sugar hangover thing got me today too.  Around 2pm a headache rolled it followed by extreme fatigue.  I'm trying to decide whether to let myself take a quick nap or push through and change into my workout clothes... I'm thinking the nap may win out (with a workout to follow).

[SugarcubeOD]

I did add chopped macadamia nuts, and did end up eating a scrambled egg afterwards. I didn't have any sugar cravings after that.... I haven't been feeling hungry throughout the day (in that my meals are sustaining me) and that's normally when I go for sugar. 

 

With that said, today I think the sugar hang-over is hitting. I have a TERRIBLE headache and just want to sleep Fortunately, I'm off work right now (for two GLORIOUS months!!! lol) so if I want to nap, I can.

I'm glad you didn't have any sugar cravings after your pudding.  It's still not ideal and one egg is not sufficient protein for any meal, especially not breakfast.  Take a look at the template again and try and make those meals match.  Also, be advised that while nuts ARE compliant, they're recommended to be limited (one closed handful every other day sort of limited) so try not to rely on them for your fat.

 

I'm so glad that you get to nap... that is really going to help your headache and blah feelings... 

Make sure you're eating enough additional fat... that will really help the sugar hangover

[Karen73]

I'm glad you didn't have any sugar cravings after your pudding.  It's still not ideal and one egg is not sufficient protein for any meal, especially not breakfast.  Take a look at the template again and try and make those meals match.  Also, be advised that while nuts ARE compliant, they're recommended to be limited (one closed handful every other day sort of limited) so try not to rely on them for your fat.

 

I'm so glad that you get to nap... that is really going to help your headache and blah feelings... 

Make sure you're eating enough additional fat... that will really help the sugar hangover

Thanks for the tips. I'll remember to keep the nuts to a minimum and eat enough fat.  

[Rachael21777]

Hi again everyone. Day 4 for me. Definitely had to take a nap midday and still feel a bit out of it this evening.

Most notably I've noticed a sad feeling about not being able to turn to my favorite ritual food and drink indulgences during specific periods of the day or specific events. I eat an incredibly clean diet, almost entirely whole 30 all the time when it comes to included/excluded foods, but I have poor macronutrient balance, too many calories, poor structure to my mealtimes and a few indulgences that have squeaked in during the last few months.

So mostly I'm just noticing that the extra thought in planning my meals is a big change, and giving up my latest 1/2 caff coconut milk Starbucks latte addiction is the main impetus for my sad longing feeling. Home with a toddler and an 8 year old and busy with other life events, that little latte had come to be a great feeling of "ahhhhh" in my day lately. Just trying to remember that it wasn't really serving me, and stay focused on the end goal!!

I've appreciated having this forum to check in on and reading everyone's posts. Very helpful. ❤️

[ChristyJ]

Today was good so far as I stayed with the program, but rough due to the headache and fatigue.

 

I had my same breakfast and lunch I've had the past two days.  Dinner was the same as last night-mini chicken burgers, roasted potatoes & roasted Brussel sprouts.  I realized from going over the meal planning template that I'm probably having too much fruit.  

 

I'm looking forward to having time this weekend to try some new recipes!   

[IsabellaJ]

Hi All

I started R2 on 27 Jun so I'm on D5 now (in Australia). I just finished R1 last Fri, so I just had a little downtime between rounds and I'm finding this round a lot easier than the first round. R1 by D4 I had terrible headaches that lasted a few days. Once the headaches disappeared though I felt great, so hang in there anyone having headaches.

 

Hi, all! Day 1 went pretty well for me. Aside from a little indigestion (which I expected, since I recently went off some stomach medication I was on) and some unexplained fatigue, I felt pretty good all day. I even managed to brave a RESTAURANT!

 

I also had issues with indigestion in first round. I discovered one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar chased down with water really helps with acid reflux (take 20 mins before eating or as neeed).

 

As I was eating more meat than usual, my usually great digestion became sluggish .. so I discovered that taking a digestive enzyme 20 mins before my main meal of the day helped (I also tend to eat red meat once or twice a week at most, and eat fish/chicken/eggs the remainder of the time).

 

Nice to find such an active page to help me through this round