Jill's First Whole 30

[jlk1980]

Hi everyone!

 

I've flirted with Paleo eating in the past back when I did Crossfit, but this is my first Whole30 challenge. I've been reading about it for weeks, but kept coming up with excuses as to why now's not a good time. Then, on Tuesday, my dog managed to get into my fridge while I was at work. He cleaned out EVERYTHING- all the yogurt, butter, milk, and leftover pasta salad as well as cookies and some leftover strawberry shortcake. Since I'd now have to go grocery shopping anyway, I took this as a sign. I've done my grocery shopping, precooked and froze meals for at least a week, and am starting today (7/8/16). Plus, I figure summer has to be the perfect time to start- what's more summer than grilled meat, salad, and fruit?

 

My life went through a pretty big upheaval about 3 years ago. A long term relationship ended badly, I was stressed out from going back to school and working full time, and I had to move back into my parents house to help them out. All of these things led to bad self esteem and bad choices. I also moved from Philadelphia to Alabama- Home of All the Fast Food and Fried Chicken and Biscuits about a year ago- and all of the bad choices imploded in an avalanche of BBQ sauce, grits, and Krystal. Plus the extra weight I'm carrying makes me feel like I'm wearing a winter coat in this heat.

 

Through this challenge, I'm hoping to regain a sense of self-discipline. Before in dieting, the idea of weighing and counting is what made me feel like I was denying myself, not the idea of eliminating food groups. Plus, I have a crazy sugar addiction and as I'm creeping closer to 40 I need to nip that in the bud, pronto. I'm also hoping to have more energy for exercise. My job isn't the most sedentary, but I'm always so exhausted when I get home even walking my dog feels like a chore.
 

So, here I go: Day One

 

7:30- 2 egg muffins with chorizo, spinach, and peppers and cup of coffee with coconut milk and coconut oil. I made enough of those egg muffins to last me about 2 weeks. On mornings when I don't have to be up early, I plan I need to find a better option for coffee creamer, that I can either buy or make ahead. I don't like sweetener in my coffee anyway, so I don't understand why I Silk or So Delicious can't make unsweetened creamer.

 

12:30- I found this recipe for a sort of baked spaghetti squash, meat, compliant pizza sauce and eggs. It was pretty easy and gave me enough for lunches for a week. I also made some turkey meatloaf muffins in case I want to switch it up. And some strawberries because they're my favorite.

 

6:30- I plan to have carnitas with sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions. Pork shoulder was super cheap at the grocery store, so I slow cooked a roast with spices and some lime juice and then pan cooked them with some coconut oil for crispiness. Last night I tried them over a salad and I think I could easily eat this for dinner for a while.

 

The gap between breakfast and lunch wasn't bad. It's pretty normal for me to go that long between meals (if I even have breakfast at all), so I didn't feel like I was dying and the same is true about the lunch to dinner gap. I only really have hunger problems between meals if I don't have breakfast or I have to wait another hour longer to eat. I have some roasted unsalted hazelnuts on standby in case I need something to tide me over, but the nature of my job doesn't really allow leeway for snacking. Plus, there's only three of us at my work, so no one's bringing donuts all the time.

 

Between my dog clearing out my fridge and giving away all non-compliant dry goods, I think I'll be ok for after dinner cravings; but that would probably be the time I'm most likely to crumble. But I still have nuts and some fruit to help out, plus I'd have to actually get in my car and drive at least 10 minutes to get anything.

[jlk1980]

Day 2 and still going! I do feel a little flu-like and tired, but nothing too bad.

8:30- egg muffins and coffee with coconut milk. I don't know if it's the diet or what, but I developed some serious caffeine sensitivity this morning. I'll try cutting back to one cup and see how I feel from there. I was really hungry about 30 mins after eating but was fine again about 2 hours after that. Weird.

2:00- left over carnitas with sweet potato hash and the last of the strawberries with some homemade almond butter

6:00- more carnitas with sweet potato hash. I hope I still love this stuff in a week because it's super satisfying.

[Bethany Gingerich]

Welcome!  Glad you're going for it, it truly is worth it.  It's amazing how your tastes can change in just a month. Great job so far!  

[jlk1980]

Day Three!

 

8:30- Eggs in Purgatory for breakfast (minus the parmesan cheese and crusty garlic bread.) This has been a go to for me for ages because it's sooo cheap and cooks in under ten minutes. I didn't find anything lacking by not having the parmesan or garlic bread, though i was a bit hungry about an hour after eating. I think this means I need more fat, though I thought the oil in the sauce and the eggs would be enough. I'm trying not to rely on nuts because I've done that in the past and found it really stalls my progress... and my GI tract. I also made some cold brewed coffee concentrate on Saturday and tried that black this morning. It was pretty good and would be a lot easier to put together on weekday mornings before work, but I still miss my creamy deliciousness.

 

12:30- Some carrots and guacamole. I also just ate a bit of carnitas to get the protein.

 

6:00- Ohmygod I had the best dinner ever. Grilled bacon-wrapped scallops and grilled veggies that I spread some compound avocado ghee on. The compound ghee is a variation on this: http://altonbrown.com/avocado-compound-butter-recipe/I just swapped the butter for ghee and used a little less since it's richer and softer. It's sooo good. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to up their fat in a flavorful, non greasy way. I had some fruit salad for dessert. 

 

I was hanging out with friends at a cookout and I was a little nervous I'd crumble. Since it was a Sunday and I was on call for work, alcohol wasn't an issue; but there was peach pie. I looooove peach pie. And Elote, too. Fortunately, there were also peaches and raspberries and I really found it pretty easy turning those things down.  Having scallops instead of a loaded burger was a no brainer.

 

I still haven't had much in the way of a sugar hangover, which I was expecting to be pretty massive. I was pretty bad with sugar before; does this mean it'll happen later after my body uses everything it stored up? I was craving one of my emergency larabars mid-afternoon, but starved the sugar dragon. But between that and missing my coffee with cream, that's the extent of my cravings so far.

[Jager07]

Welcome aboard!  You've got some very solid reasons for doing this and those will help you succeed.  Thank you for sharing your journey and stay as connected here as possible...we're all in this together. 

[Bethany Gingerich]

Dying over your dinner!  I was planning wings for tonight but now I want that!  And compound avocado ghee????? This is what I'm saying, I discover such insane food on W30!   I never heard of such a wonderful thing in my LIFE! (Clearly, my moody grumpiness from yesterday is gone! ) You made my day, girl.  This meal is happening!

[jlk1980]

Day Four!

 

7:30- Egg muffins and coffee. I think by omitting the coconut milk, I took away some of the fat that gets me through the morning. I'll have to think of something else.

 

12:30- I had a bit of this: http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/and it was not nearly enough. I was starving all afternoon. I had to swing by the grocery store to pick something up for dinner and it was so hard because you have to walk through the bakery to get to the produce. Publix is so cruel.

 

6:00- Carnitas over a salad with this as a dressing: http://alldaymom.com/avocado-sauce/Super yummy and filling.

 

I need to find more/better fat options for Day 5. I survived without being cheaty, but it wasn't pretty. As for how I feel, I had a little bit of a headache midmorning that went away after lunch and a touch of post nasal drip. My brain is foggy, but my body is alert; which is a really weird feeling to have. I'm used to the opposite.

 

I didn't want to prioritize exercise too much during this Whole 30 because I tend to take on too much and give up when I feel overwhelmed. I do walk my dog for an hour twice a day as well as play some catch at the park. And my job can be quite active at times with heavy lifting (100-300 lbs) and running around. I do want to get back into lifting, but I think I might incorporate that after I have a solid handle on my diet.

[jlk1980]

Dying over your dinner!  I was planning wings for tonight but now I want that!  And compound avocado ghee????? This is what I'm saying, I discover such insane food on W30!   I never heard of such a wonderful thing in my LIFE! (Clearly, my moody grumpiness from yesterday is gone! ) You made my day, girl.  This meal is happening!

 

Thanks! The ghee is so great! I've been making the butter for a while- the only way I'll eat a chicken breast is with this stuff slathered on it.

[LeahF]

Sounds like you are rocking it! I'm only a couple days ahead of you - we got this!  

[jlk1980]

Day Five!

 

7:30- Egg muffins and half an avocado. The avocado worked wonders! I wasn't hungry until about half an hour before lunch. I was also a lot less fuzzy brained. I still had a slight headache that started around 11 and lasted until after lunch.

 

12:30- More pizza spaghetti squash bake and the other half of the avocado. Kept me satiated and energetic all afternoon.

 

6:30- Carnitas and sweet potato has with broccoli instead of pepper

 

I seem to be going through food a bit faster than I thought I would. I was hoping this batch of carnitas would last until Saturday when I can do a serious grocery shopping trip, but it looks like I have enough for one more meal at this point. I'm also out of all fresh veggies. I have stuff like chicken breasts and skirt steak as well as tons of veggies frozen, but I think the reason a lot of this has been so easy so far is because I don't have to go home and cook from scratch. I'm not on call tonight, so hopefully I can cook enough to get me through the weekend.

[jlk1980]

Day 6!

 

7:30- Egg muffins and half an avocado. Black cold pressed coffee. I dropped from 3 cups of coffee a day to 2 because I've been experiencing some caffeine sensitivity.

 

12:30- Leftover Carnitas, veggies and sweet potato and the other avocado half.

 

6:30- I made this sort of Mexican stir fry with steak, veggies, and seasoning. I topped the whole thing with some salsa verde (homemade) and avocado.

 

The headaches are decreasing, but the sugar dragon is here and he's a stubborn sucker. I've been doing well about starving him but he keeps coming back with a vengeance. I've had to block my cooking blogs on Facebook and RSS feed. I've also unfriended groups like "Tasty" that have those short recipe videos. Also, I really didn't want to eat veggies at dinner. Like I was gagging at the thought of it. I've had cravings for junk food before, but I've never felt nauseous at the thought of eating healthy.

 

I haven't reached a "Kill All the Things" sort of state of mind, but my anxiety is going through the roof, which I wasn't expecting. I knew that Whole 30 affects your mood, but I was hoping the lack of sugar would decrease my general anxiety.

[jlk1980]

Day 7! One week down! Woohoo!

 

7:30- Egg muffins, avocado, coffee. I'm going to have to switch this up since I'm more choking the eggs down rather than enjoying them at this point.

 

12:30- Turkey meatloaf muffins, broccoli, and other avocado half. This was functional and the meatloaves were good, but I'm already getting tired of veggies. I'll have to do some creative thinking before my next trip.

 

6:30- Leftover steak and veggies with salsa verde and avocado.

 

Energy today was pretty good! I was super busy with work during the day and sleepy at night, so the sugar dragon didn't come out to play. On Saturday, a friend is having a birthday party cookout/potluck. There are going to be a lot of good options for me, but there's also going to be cake. Wish me luck!

[jlk1980]

Day 8!

7:30- egg muffins, 1/2 avocado, coffee. This was the last of the muffins! Hooray!

1:30- my company car broke down and I was stuck waiting for the tow truck and then the shop while I waited to get back to the office. I had the emergency larabar in my purse to tide me over till I could get back to work.

3:00- turkey meatloafs, broccoli, 1/2 avocado.

7:30- Carnitas and sweet potato hash.

I don't know if it was because my schedule was thrown off or because I ate that larabar, but my sugar dragon was INTENSE between lunch and dinner. I was going to stop by the grocery store to pick some stuff up for dinner, but decided against it because I would probably crumble.

[jlk1980]

Day 9!!!

8:30- eggs in purgatory, coffee

2:30- turkey meatloafs with broccoli, tomatoes and avocado

7:30- party time! I was really nervous about getting through this without cheating. But I remained strong! I had a burger with guacamole and salsa, and some strawberries and mango on the side.

[jlk1980]

Day 10! 1/3 of the way through!

 

9:00- Fried eggs with tomatoes, salsa verde and avocado

 

2:00- I made some more egg muffins for the coming and tried those out for lunch. This time around, I made a smaller batch with different add-ons (Italian sausage, tomato, spinach). I also separated the eggs and folded the beaten egg whites into the mix to get more of a souflee texture. It worked. These are different enough that I won't feel like I'm choking them down every morning.

 

7:30- Carnitas with sweet potato hash

 

My mood and energy were pretty good all day considering I didn't get much sleep. I drank a lot of water at the party the night before and I had to keep getting up to pee. And my dog's internal clock had me up by 6am. If I can keep this sort of momentum the next 20 days should totally be doable.

[jlk1980]

Day 11! I seriously can't believe I made it this far!

 

7:30- Egg muffins, 1/2 avocado, coffee. I've never been a big breakfast eater before. I'd just grab some free pop tarts or granola bars from the break room at work. But having something I can actually eat while I get ready is pretty great.

 

12:30- Meatloaf muffins, other 1/2 avocado, and broccoli. I put a little compliant tomato sauce over the meat and veggies for a little more flavor and it was pretty tasty.

 

6:30- Left over carnitas and sweet potato hash. I'm still not tired of having this and it takes less than 10 minutes to throw together. This is officially a win!

 

The sugar dragon came back around dinner time last night. I starved it, but it was rough. I think I'm at the point where I crave weird things- I'm dying for a grilled cheese and I rarely ate them before. I'm also craving Popsicle, which isn't so weird. A Popsicle shop opened up in my area and my friends always go when hunting Pokemon. I just stand outside with my dog and my water. But I always tend to last the longest when walking around, so that's a huge plus!

 

My mood and energy have been pretty steady, though I don't think I've been sleeping enough. I'm dead tired at around 9, so I start my routine to get ready for bed. I usually read or watch some ASMR videos to calm down. But then I'm wide awake at around 3 AM and can't get back to sleep for about an hour. Then I'm dead tired when I wake up until after I shower.

[jlk1980]

Day 12!

 

7:30- The usual egg muffins and coffee, but my last avocado went bad I grabbed a handful of nuts on my way out the door.

 

12:30- Meatloafs and broccoli with some tomato sauce on top. I didn't have a chance to swing by the store for another fat solution, so I have another handful of nuts.

 

6:30- Carnitas with sweet potato hash.

 

I had to give my remaining larabars to a friend because the sugar dragon was so intense, I almost broke and had one just because. I know they're technically compliant, but I'm like an alcoholic with sugar - I can never have just one piece of cake or just one scoop of ice cream. So my biggest goal out of everything is slaying the sugar dragon. Basically everyone in my family has Type II diabetes and it's nothing short of a miracle that I don't yet and I plan to keep it that way.

 

I'll keep some emergency nuts or something in my purse from now on.

 

Thursday is my big grocery shopping day and I've been researching recipes to switch things up a bit. I'm still not tired of carnitas and sweet potato hash, but I do want to branch out and try more things I can make ahead and easily assemble.

[jlk1980]

Day 13!

7:30- egg muffins and coffee. I bought more avocados, but they're not ripe yet.

12:30- leftover carnitas and sweet potato hash.

6:30- More carnitas and sweet potato hash.

I was feeling the lack of fat this morning and was feeling the sugar dragon between lunch and dinner.

[jlk1980]

Day 14!

 

7:30- Fried eggs over some leftover sweet potato hash with avocado and coffee

 

12:30- Carnitas with compliant plaintain chips, salsa, and avocado

 

6:30- I made a sort of chicken fajita stirfry with chicken, peppers, onions, and some mexican spices. Topped with salsa verde and more avocado.

 

The sugar dragon didn't raise his head, but I was exhausted despite the amount of sleep I got the night before. By the time I got back from running errands in the morning, I just didn't have the energy to do a lot of my cooking. It was day one of my period, so it might be that.

[Kimmeh]

You're doing so great! Keep it up lady!

[jlk1980]

You're doing so great! Keep it up lady!

Thanks so much!

[jlk1980]

Day 15!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M HALFWAY THROUGH!

 

7:30- Egg muffins, 1/2 avocado, coffee

 

12:30- Left over chicken fajita stuff with other 1/2 avocado

 

6:30- Some weird experiment I tried with sauteed spinach, chicken and compliant tomato sauce. It was just alright.

 

I was exhausted again today, but at least the sugar dragon yawned instead of roared. I was so tired when I got home from work, I didn't even want to chop veggies for dinner. Hopefully, this will disappear soon.

[jlk1980]

Day 16!!

8:30- egg muffins, 1/2 avocado, coffee

2:30- leftover chicken, spinach, tomato stuff with some almond stuffed olives

7:30- spaghetti squash pizza bake. This time I added some spinach and mixed sausage and ground beef

Mood and energy were pretty good today. Sugar dragon is still coming out mid afternoon, but wasn't too bad.

[jlk1980]

Day 17!

 

9:00- Fried eggs with sweet potato hash and 1/2 avocado

 

2:30- Spaghetti Squash pizza bake

 

7:30- Carnitas, sweet potato hash and 1/2 avocado

 

Energy was super low throughout the day. I slept in later than I've slept in about 6 years, which is weird for me, and I had really low motivation to even wash the dishes. Sugar dragon came back with a vengeance, but it was good I was feeling too lazy to something about it.

[jlk1980]

Day 18!

 

7:30- Egg muffins, 1/2 avocado, coffee

 

12:30- Spaghetti squash pizza bake

 

6:30- Carnitas with sweet potato hash

 

The sugar dragon came out again while I was watching tv and someone was eating a giant piece of carrot cake. So I decided to read and someone in the book was making a bagel with cream cheese. I never even thought of things like carrot cake and bagels, but immediately wanted them when i saw/read someone else enjoying them.

 

I've been thinking a lot about reintroduction and whether I want to stay on plan a bit longer. There are some things I miss that I feel I could handle again, like some gluten free grains (like corn), legumes (I didn't really eat them much anyway unless I went out for Mexican food), and dairy (I miss cheese, but not really in a craving it kind of way.) But I really want to avoid sugars and sweeteners at all costs until I have this sugar dragon under control.