Wanda's Second Whole 30

[Wanda Maximoff]

Ugh. I wish I didn't have so much trouble with my weight and eating habits. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who, when left unchecked, will happily eat pizza and mac and cheese until my pants no longer fit.

 

I tried Whole 30 for the first time last year and I LOVED it. It wasn't as hard as I had built it up to be in my head, and I really enjoyed the way I felt and how my body was changing due to a healthy diet. I made it the whole 30 days, but right at the end of my program, I went through a horrendous breakup which required me to move into an entirely new time zone and I can safely say that I was eating my feelings about that. I forget my username and password from last time, so here we are with a new one. Also, my real name isn't Wanda, but seeing as how I'm too self-conscious to have my real name linked to a log discussing my fat ass and eating struggles, let's go with Wanda Maximoff. I could use a little badass in my back pocket.

 

Okay, so yesterday was my first day. I cleaned out my fridge and did my shopping and cooked on Saturday so that all I had to do on Sunday (yesterday) was wake up and eat! I remember from last time that I started off eating 3 full meals a day (like you're supposed to), but eventually slipped back into my more normal habits of not really having a full breakfast and eating a regular lunch & dinner during the work week. I think I'll probably start with that since it feels most comfortable for me. I will probably still eat 3 meals on the weekends.

 

Okay, so Day 1:

Meal 1: Tuna salad (with homemade mayo, celery, and red onion) topped with raw almond slivers over a bed of romaine lettuce and cucumber slices with Whole 30 Balsamic Vinaigrette. I also had a Nectarine.

Meal 2: Spaghetti squash with Whole 30 homemade tomato sauce and ground beef. I also had some black olives on the side.

Meal 3: Grass-fed beef burger with pickles in a romaine lettuce wrap, and an apple.

 

My hours were bizarre yesterday, so I did end up wanting my full three meals. I also realized that I need to pick up some almond butter and ghee, so I'll try to do that after work today.

 

Speaking of today, Day 2!

Meal 1: I'm not having a full meal, but I have cucumber slices and an apple to start my metabolism.

Meal 2: I brought more spaghetti squash, tomato sauce, and ground beef, along with a side of black olives.

Meal 3: I will have more tuna salad with romaine lettuce, cucumbers, almond slivers, and balsamic dressing.

 

After hitting the grocery store tonight, I'm also planning on cooking some chicken drumsticks with cauliflower rice and curry sauce. I remember from last time that I need to give myself options when picking meals or I'll be more tempted to do the lazy thing and break from the plan.

 

There are some events coming up that I really need to stay strong for. One of my old friends from New York is coming to town next week and it will be VERY tempting to go out to drinks with him or eat off plan. I'm going to have to make sure I have really yummy options prepared so that I'm not tempted. Also during that week we're planning a chili dog potluck lunch at work. I'll be sure to bring some Whole 30 approved chili so that I have something warm and filling to eat.

 

Finally, I titled this post my second Whole 30, but I really want to push it out to more of a Whole 55. I'm tempted to try to push for a full Whole 60, but I intend to do a proper (slow) food reintroduction this time instead of jumping right back into eating too much comfort food like last time and I need to give myself enough time to do that. The entire reason for starting this program again now is getting back to a healthier (and hopefully trimmer) place before I go to my first Comic Con event in September. I'm going to the Wizard World Wizard Con in Austin to see one of my favorite actors (SEBASTIAN STAN!!!) and I want to have enough energy and stamina to really get the full experience. Also, not looking like a whale in my photo with him would be nice too. I know I'll be staying in a hotel (aka no cooking options) for the weekend and will want to enjoy the amazing food of Austin, so my last Whole 30 day will be September 16th, and I can re-introduce food for a full week before I arrive in Austin.

 

Okay then, that's my plan! I've written it down and I'm committing to it so no take backs! Let's do this!

 

 

 

[Wanda Maximoff]

Update to Day 1, Meal 3: I had two small grass fed burgers in lettuce wraps with pickles, and celery with almond butter instead of the tuna and salad. 

[Wanda Maximoff]

Okay so my work hours are strange and that's going to be interesting with how this goes the second time around. When I did my 1st Whole 30, I was working at a different job and my hours were roughly 8:00am-5:00pm, but I often worked until 6:30/7:00pm. That meant that I had breakfast at like 8:30, lunch at like 12:30, and dinner at around 7:30. The upside was that I was too busy to think about food most of the time and that by the time I ate dinner, there were only about 3-4 hours left before bed.

 

Now, I work 6:30am-3:00pm in a job where breaks and lunches and OT are much more regulated. This means I don't work overtime nearly as often, and it also really throws off my Whole 30 game. I eat my small breakfast at around 7:30am, I eat lunch at 11:00am every day, and then I'm usually hungry when I get home, but try to hold off until around 5:30 for dinner. That gives me 4-5 hours before bed to think about snacking. Last night I found myself getting up and looking in the fridge for things I could snack on like 4 times. I finally settled on a nectarine and that made me feel better, but I think I'm going to have to come up with another solution for my SNACK DRAGON until I get used to the program again. Maybe I'll keep a tall glass of water near me at all times so that I can "satisfy" my subconscious need to consume something that way instead of actually snacking.

 

Anyway, so last night I went to the grocery store to pick up some almond butter, ghee, and kalamata olives. I had to go to the expensive fancy grocery store since my regular Safeway doesn't stock things like ghee. I'm very grateful that I have a place right around the corner to supply the harder to come by items, but what ends up happening is I spend like $70 on like 10 items. Everything looks soooo good and it's like Target. I go in needing two things and come out with 10. I ended up buying two kinds of olives, almond butter, some amazing apples and cherries, some polish chicken sausage with no additives, ghee, some quality salad dressing with all approved ingredients, and some almond coconut milk that had no sugar added or any other non-approved ingredients. I spent like 10 minutes reading the labels of all the almond milks and they actually had several kinds that were Whole 30 compliant. I was impressed. Anywhoo, I got some good stuff.

 

I realized when I got home last night that I'd forgotten to take the chicken out of the freezer, so I held off cooking last night and put the chicken in the fridge for me to cook tonight. I forgot how much I like the routine of packing a lunch. It makes me feel accomplished, which surely is an over-inflated sense of accomplishment, but hey - I'll take it.

 

I slept pretty well last night, but I woke up a couple of times. It was hard to get to sleep because Adele was having her concert at the venue right across the street from my apartment. I could have closed my windows, but of course this is Seattle, there's no A/C in my building, and I rely on the cooler night air to try to cool down the apartment before it starts heating up in the sun again the following day. I ended up using earplugs which worked great, but I did end up waking up twice in the middle of the night anyway. Once because I really had to pee (that usually never happens- so I guess I was a little too well hydrated), and again because it was too hot. I hate waking up hot and sticky. BLEGH.

 

Day 3:

"meal" 1: bowl of fresh cherries

Meal 2: large romaine salad with cucumbers, tuna salad (with homemade mayo, celery, & red onions) with raw almond slivers, and Whole 30 balsamic vinaigrette.

Meal 3: TBD, but I'll either have leftover spaghetti squash with Whole 30 tomato sauce and ground beef OR I'll eat what I'm cooking tonight: pan seared & baked chicken with Whole 30 curry and cauliflower rice. It'll depend on how hungry I am when I get home and if I can wait until I'm done cooking to eat.

 

I know I'm not doing the right thing for my 1st "meal" of the day, but I'm usually not hungry and I don't want to eat just for the sake of eating. Maybe I'll start doing it properly, maybe I'll keep doing mini-meals of mainly fruit/veggies. Honestly as long as I'm still being Whole 30 compliant, I'll count that as a win.

[Wanda Maximoff]

Update Day 3 Meal 3: I did end up waiting to eat what I cooked and I'm SO glad I did. It was delicious! I made baked chicken drumsticks seasoned with salt and pepper, coconut curry sauce (OMG SO GOOD), and cauliflower rice. I really loaded up on the sauce and it was fantastic! I can't wait to have some more tonight for dinner!

 

Still doing fine on the program. I slept like a rock last night, but was still tired when my alarm went off at 5:10am. I guess I need to get to bed earlier. Also, I remember last time I used to have dreams/nightmares where I would forget I was doing the Whole 30 and eat something off-plan. That's started again haha. My brain is so weird. I have nightmares about eating the wrong foods!

 

I really enjoyed cooking last night! I have gotten so used to thinking of it as a chore that I forgot that it can be quite peaceful. I also feel accomplished/grown up when I cook a full meal, put away my leftovers, and do all the dishes. That should tell you how lazy I can be sometimes...

 

I also went to see the movie Nerve last night after I finished dinner and finished cleaning up. It was actually pretty good. Kind of eye-rollingly lame in some parts, but exciting to watch. Also, Dave Franco is SO much better than James Franco.

 

I might need a (black) coffee today since I'm so yawn-y already and it's only 7:35am, but at least I have my meals prepped for today.

 

Day 4
Meal 1:Tuna salad over romaine with cucumbers, almond slivers, and Whole 30 balsamic vinaigrette.

I have what's left from my lunch salad yesterday, since I couldn't finish it.  I'm not hungry yet, but that's what I have if I get hungry before lunch.  

Meal 2: leftover spaghetti squash with ground beef & homemade tomato sauce. This is the last of the ground beef, but I still have one serving of spaghetti squash at home so I'll have to figure out what to do with that.

Meal 3: two chicken drumsticks over a bed of cauliflower rice topped with coconut curry sauce.

 

Just like my first whole 30, the trying part of starting up again isn't necessarily the time it takes to cook, or the food itself, or hunger (I'm usually not actually hungry on this program), it's the cravings. No matter how good the food I make is, I still think of all the things I'd so much rather be eating. I drive by a pizza parlor and start drooling. I drive by McDonalds and think of those delicious crispy fries. It's like I've accidentally conditioned by body to not be satisfied unless I'm indulging. Even after I finish a meal and I'm not actually hungry, I still want something else to eat. No wonder I've gained so much weight. Here's hoping I lose some of it during this program! Until tomorrow.

[Wanda Maximoff]

Still going strong. Luckily, I don't have much of a sugar dragon to contend with since I'm not a habitual soda drinker and I drink coffee maybe once a month at most. My snack dragon on the other hand...still exists, but is getting a bit smaller.

Last night after I ate my yummy dinner (seriously that curry sauce is SO GOOD), I wanted something to munch on so I got some olives. I know, I know, it's not good to be a tv-snacker, but I'm working on it! At least olives are better than Doritos or buttery popcorn.

 

Today is Day 5!

Meal 1: Tuna salad over romaine with cucumbers, almond slivers, and Whole 30 balsamic vinaigrette. I also have an apple with almond butter. I didn't end up eating the tuna yesterday because I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off right from the get-go. I don't really feel like eating it right now, and it feels wrong to force myself to eat (what a strange problem for the old me to have!), so I probably won't eat it, but I'll put it down just in case.

Meal 2: the last chicken drumstick with cauliflower rice and curry sauce, and a handful of cherries

Meal 3: grilled steak salad. Ingredients of salad TBD.

 

I'm going to Sam's club tonight to stock up, so I'll have plenty of options for cooking this week/weekend! Off to a morning meeting! See ya'll tomorrow.

[Jager07]

Welcome back and kudos to unlocking some of your inner badassishness (a real word)!

 

You completely rock for having bad it successfully through your first W30.  Keep thinking about that every day of this round and you'll set yourself up for another victory.

 

A couple of other fun things I loved/noticed about your posts: 

 

You have a goal for Comic Con in September....you listed weight as the last objective.  First were health, energy and stamina.  How awesome is that? 

Austin is fabulous and has some awesome places to get compliant food (Whole Food HQ and Central Market).  You will love it here.

 

You already know preparation is key and I love how you know the events coming up that will challenge you and you're preparing now to stay on course.  Those victories are so sweet. 

 

Thank you for you posts and for encouraging the rest of us.  I look forward to seeing your successes.

 

You've got this! 

[vancy31]

Just like my first whole 30, the trying part of starting up again isn't necessarily the time it takes to cook, or the food itself, or hunger (I'm usually not actually hungry on this program), it's the cravings. No matter how good the food I make is, I still think of all the things I'd so much rather be eating. I drive by a pizza parlor and start drooling. I drive by McDonalds and think of those delicious crispy fries. It's like I've accidentally conditioned by body to not be satisfied unless I'm indulging.

 

I am the same exact way! You are not alone...

 

A couple months ago I was watching a nutrition documentary and a guy talking about weight loss said that visualization is strangely really helpful for dealing with cravings. We can so easily visualize what we want and how delicious it will taste, and how happy it may make us feel. But if we turn that visualization around and actually envision that food you're craving as something that appalls you, it will help quash it. An easy example is if you're craving a bowl of pasta is to visualize a bowl of wiggling worms instead. After a few moments of visualizing worms, which I don't think anyone would find appealing, you'll stop wanting that pasta. So I've tried this a few times and I can say that if you really focus on something gross in place of the food it does help. It at least gets me through until I become distracted with something else

 

Happy day 5 for you! And if you're talking about the curry sauce from the book, I completely agree - that stuff is delish!

[Wanda Maximoff]

Thanks Jager07! I used to live in Dallas and I SERIOUSLY miss Central Market. Their butchers are the best!!! I didn't know they were in Austin too, so I'll make sure to stop in while I'm there!

 

vancy31: haha I lol-ed when I got to the part about imagining worms instead of pasta. I can definitely see how that would work! I'm going to try it if (or more accurately when) I get really tempted. Thanks! Oh and YES that's the curry sauce I'm talking about! I've never really tried my hand at making something like that before and I'm so glad I tried it. 

 

 

 

Also, while I'm on here I have an update for today. Today was absolutely insane at work (even more so than yesterday) and it was go go go all day. Pro: lots of steps on my fitbit Con: didn't slow down enough to eat breakfast or lunch. 

 

I did end up eating the cherries I brought in the middle of some of my work, but the rest of my food went untouched. I'm one of those people who forget to eat or go to the bathroom the whole day when I get crazy busy like that, so I barely noticed until I was packing up my stuff at the end of the day. I know Whole 30 is NOT about starving yourself and that's definitely not what I'm trying to do. The day just got away from me. Anywhoo, I left my lunch in the fridge so I've got that for tomorrow. One of my co-workers' last day is tomorrow before he switches departments, so we're doing an impromptu Mexican themed potluck for him (goddamnit don't put melty cheese in front of me!), and I'm glad I've already got food waiting for me. 

 

Instead of grilling steaks tonight, like I intended to, I'm going to finish off the last of my tuna salad over lettuce, so Updated Day 5 Meal 3 (aka only meal): tuna and lettuce with balsamic dressing.

 

Also, since I got off work so late, I'll be pushing my Sam's club trip to tomorrow night. Killer Friday night, huh? Maybe I'll spice it up and go watch my homeboy Matt Damon tear it up in the new Bourne movie. How the hell is he still looking that good at 45!? Boston knows how to make em right! (or maybe I'm just biased because that's where I'm originally from  ).  Until tomorrow! 

[Wanda Maximoff]

Okay today is what? Day 6 I'm not really paying attention to how many days it's been this time around because I have so many ahead of me it just doesn't seem worth it to count. Last time I was very focused on how many days it had been and how many days were left. I think I did that because I was focusing really hard on the different stages and was gauging my mood to see if I was in the "kill all things" stage or the "tiger blood" stage. This time, I'm pretty level. I feel good every day, but I know I'll have more energy and be less winded doing physical activity (like hiking up the steep, San Francisco-worthy hills of Capitol Hill, Fremont etc.) when I drop some weight, so I'm looking forward to that. A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the Fremont Troll and I was breathing embarrassingly hard when I reached the top of that steep hill to get to the underpass. I'd like that to change so I don't have to be self-conscious about how winded I seem when doing stuff with friends.

 

I'm very glad it's Friday since this week has been kind of hellish at work, but I'm also a little nervous. Weekends were always much harder for me the first time around and I was much more likely to get frustrated with the restrictions and want to eat off-plan things. I just had too much time on my hands and for me, boredom leads to bad eating.

 

Day 6:

Meal 1: I have an apple and some almond butter.

Meal 2: my cauliflower rice & chicken with curry sauce from yesterday

Meal 3: I'm planning on grilling some steaks and having one over a romaine salad with various other veggies. I might grill up some veggies too.

 

 

My dog Loki (can you tell I'm a Marvel fan yet?) is at puppy play group today, so I won't feel guilty going to do a big grocery shop on my way home from work tonight. Also, he's always so tuckered out after 8+ hours of playing with other dogs that he is always content to just eat and pass out for the night when I take him home, so I won't have to worry about him when I go to the movies. On days that he stays home when I work, I try not to go out again at night so that he doesn't feel abandoned. I'm so lucky he doesn't have separation anxiety, but I still feel guilty sometimes. Here's to a good day!

[Wanda Maximoff]

haha I don't know why I keep trying to lay out my plans on here. They ALWAYS end up changing. Yesterday after work, the traffic to get to Sam's club and back would have taken 1 hr + so I put it off until today. I did go see the Bourne movie though, and I liked it! It's hard for me to judge it accurately since it's been so long since the original three and it did feel a little detached from the core of the originals since so much time has passed, but I liked it very much. TONS of destruction.

 

Today is Day 7, and I'm looking forward to a big shop and doing meal planning for the week. This Thursday is one of the days I have to watch out for since it's or Chili Dog Potluck at work, so I'll be making some yummy chili to contribute! I also have a vet appointment for my little pup today so we'll both be busy. 

 

For meals today:

Meal 1: Scrambled eggs with some whole 30 compliant salsa.

Meal 2: Tuna Salad lettuce boats

Meal 3: Grilled steak with cauliflower rice

[Wanda Maximoff]

As promised, of course my plan for yesterday changed. I did go to Sam's club and stocked up on meat and veggies, but I didn't count on the fact that the Seafair Torchlight Festival/parade thing was happening in Seattle yesterday, so I got stuck in a buttload of traffic and was STARVING by the time I got back home. Rather than wait to cook something, I just went to Chipotle and got a salad with chicken and salsa on it and came home to eat it with my homemade dressing. It saved me. After that, because I ate "lunch" so late, I wasn't hungry for a full dinner, so I just had some breakfast sausages and some fruit for my third meal.

 

Day 7 Updated Meals:

Meal 2: Salad with grilled chicken & homemade dressing

Meal 3: breakfast sausages with some fruit

 

 

Okay, for Day 8, I grilled my steaks (finally!) and some yellow squash and zucchini, so I have some food prepped for the week. For the steaks, I just slathered in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. For the zucchini and squash, I sliced thin and seasoned with olive oil, and garlic salt and drizzled some balsamic on them before they went on the grill. I also picked up some pre-cooked pork loin at Sam's club that you just have to heat up, so I'm excited for some easy dinners this week. I also woke up REALLY late today, so my portions have been a bit smaller so that I'm not just stuffing my face all day. 

 

Day 8:

Meal 1: Scrambled eggs with breakfast sausage and a side of blueberries and banana 

Meal 2: Blueberry "muffin"

Meal 3: Steak grilled with cauliflower rice and zucchini & yellow squash

 

As you can see above, today I also whipped up a batch of Whole 30 "muffins" to eat for breakfast. I know you're not supposed to make whole 30 versions of things like bread or pancakes and for some people it brings up the whole SWYPO thing, but honestly I never eat baked goods even when I'm off plan, so this isn't really filling a craving for me. I just have been skipping breakfast entirely so I thought it'd be better to get something good for me in my stomach before lunch. I'm also not interested in them as a snack or a treat, so while this might be breaking the rules in spirit for some people who really enjoy baked goods, it really doesn't "excite" me as a food, so I'm going to go ahead with them so that I eat something for breakfast. 

 

They were really simple to make. The ingredients are: Almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, baking powder, banana, eggs, coconut oil, and blueberries. When I had one, it was tasty, but by no means addicting. I didn't immediately want to eat another (like snacking), but it filled me up and tided me over until dinner. I'm very happy with this solution to my no-breakfast norm. Maybe I'll try a couple of other things in "muffin" form, including egg/meat cups or other banana/egg based creations. 

 

If any mods truly see a problem with this, let me know, but to me, this doesn't seem to cross any lines for me, like how eating approved potatoes in fry form makes them non-approved. If I really craved muffins or was just substituting a regular muffin with this to satisfy a craving, I'd pull it from my menu, but it doesn't do either for me. I hope this is okay! 

[Wanda Maximoff]

Okay, new month! Let's go August! My Whole 55 spreads from July to September, but August is the only FULL month, so it will probably feel longer to me. I'm eager to get going. Today is Day 9!

 

I'm sure I'll have a hectic day at work, so I'm very glad that I've already eaten breakfast today!

Day 9

Meal 1: blueberry "muffin" and a banana

Meal 2: grilled steak over a bed of romaine lettuce & cucumbers with vinaigrette

Meal 3: grilled pork loin with zucchini and yellow squash 

 

This week is going to be busy. My friend from NYC is coming and will be in town from Wednesday to next Tuesday for a wedding. I'm not sure when I'll be seeing him, but I need to stay strong and not eat off plan or get a drink.

 

This Thursday is my work potluck, so I'll be bringing in some chili to stay on track, and that night Suicide Squad is coming out!!!! I'm so excited! I LOVE going to the movies, but my favorite movie snacks (popcorn, candy, soda, or mozzarella sticks - AMC actually makes pretty delish mozz sticks!) are obviously not allowed. Walking through the lobby is annoying, but once I'm in the theater, I don't care either way. I do get thirsty though, so I'll sneak in a water or something.

 

I can't believe it's already Day 9! This seems to be going by much faster than last time, but I also have much farther to go. I hope is stays this easy!

[Wanda Maximoff]

Okay so last night for Meal 3 I ended up eating some eggs and sausage for dinner along with the rest of my salad that I didn't finish at lunch, and some cherries.

 

Today is Day 10!

Meal 1: Whole 30 Blueberry "muffin" and an apple

Meal 2: pork loin with zucchini and yellow squash

Meal 3: Tuna over a simple salad with cucumbers and pine nuts

 

 

Tonight I need to cook my chili for the Thursday potluck we're having at work. Normally I would just cook it the night before, but the recipe says that it tastes even better if you make it a day ahead, so that's what I'm going to do! Also, since I know that at least one other person in the office is bringing chili, I'm probably going to steal a few helpings to keep in my fridge for later before I bring it in.

 

In other news, I started a bullet journal last night, and so far I'm really liking it. One of my sections is a "meal plan" and I'm writing what I eat in it. Right now it's a bit redundant considering I'm also logging that here, but I figure it's a good habit to get into for when I'm not "on" program anymore (but still trying to eat healthy and mostly compliant). After I re-introduce foods, if I find that legumes or soy aren't an issue for me, I'll continue eating them, incorporating them into my "program." So as an example, I'll still be avoiding sugar, alcohol, dairy, and grains, but Soy and Legumes will be allowed. When I get to that point, I'll probably stop posting here as much since I won't be doing "Whole 30," so I'll be posting in my bullet journal instead in order to maintain accountability.

 

I also really like having pages for "Movies I want to see" and my "Bucket List." It's great that I can flip around and add things here and there without losing the feel of organization! If anyone has ideas for bucket list items, shout them out! I'd love to add to my list!  
 

[Wanda Maximoff]

Yesterday one of my favorite coworkers had his last day. His last day was supposed to be tomorrow, but he moved it up to yesterday. We were going to have a Chili Dog Potluck for his last day and he was supposed to bring a crockpot with the hot dogs in it. Oh well. I was originally going to bring Whole 30 approved chili so that I could have something to eat, but now I'm going to have to switch and bring the crockpot and hotdogs in his stead. I made my chili last night, so I'll still have some to bring in for me, but now I'll just keep all of that chili for myself and freeze some and bring the hotdogs (that I can't eat). I'm actually kind of pleased because now I can keep all my yummy chili and still contribute. It'll actually be cheaper since a couple of packs of hot dogs are much cheaper than the entire pot of my good-ingredient chili. So, I'm still on track, I still have a plan for me to eat Whole 30 stuff in the face of temptation, but now I'll actually be bringing that temptation to the party myself... haha.

 

Yesterday went well. I ate my lunch really late in the day, but I actually got to eat all my meals! Work is slowing down a bit, so that's good. I slept amazingly well last night since it was cool last night and I could actually snuggle into my comforter instead of tossing and turning in the heat all night. I seem to close my eyes and open them 5 minutes later, but it's actually morning and I've slept through the night without waking (or moving even lol). I'm still tired every morning and wish I could hit snooze again, but I think some of that is the fact that I wake up at 5:10-5:20am. I try to start my nightly routine (shower, walking my dog, brushing my teeth) by 9pm at the latest, so I actually get to bed at around 10pm, which would give me 7 hours of sleep but I don't always fall asleep right away, and regardless it doesn't feel like enough most of the time. I don't yawn excessively during the day or anything, and I've never been a coffee drinker, so I don't need caffeine to get through the day, but I'm still tired enough that I worry about accidentally falling back asleep without another backup alarm set.

 

In terms of general mood, I feel good. Really level. No ups or downs, no "kill all things" and while I feel great, I wouldn't necessarily classify this as "tiger blood" either. I'm starting not to crave other foods as much, but I have a HUGE case of FOMO right now. If you don't know that's Fear Of  Missing Out. It seems that everyone I know is making all these fun plans for the weekends and for after work happy hours and the entire event is focused around drinking. Usually, that's my favorite thing: drinking with friends. I wish they'd been keen to make these plans before I started this program, but no such luck. I know I could go and hang out sober, but I'm one of those people who usually finds drunk people extremely annoying when I'm sober. It just wouldn't be much fun for me. I sort of go into "mom" mode and feel like I have to worry about everyone's wellbeing and can't relax. I'd much rather be at home watching a good movie or reading a good book, so it looks like I'm going to be hermit-ing for a while longer. Yes, I've decided that "to hermit" is now a verb.

 

 

Update to Day 10 Meal 3: 2 scrambled eggs with 2 sausage links, banana

Day 11

Meal 1: Whole 30 blueberry "muffin", banana

Meal 2: Romaine lettuce salad with cucumbers topped with tuna salad and pine nuts and Whole 30 balsamic vinaigrette. 

Meal 3: Chili!

 

I used a new recipe for the chili and I didn't really try any last night, but I think it's spicier than I usually make it. I hope I still like it without any cheddar/sour cream etc. to cool it down. Until tomorrow!

[Jager07]

When you're back in Texas, you may want to pick up a spice blend called Chicken Sh*t.   (yeah...google that!  SO Texas! lol!) It's super versatile on meat, veggies, eggs and I use it when I make balsamic/EVOO dressing.

[Wanda Maximoff]

ooh I'll have to check that out Jager07! Thanks!

 

 

I just finished cleaning up the potluck lunch and it went both well and poorly. It went well for me because I had my Whole 30 chili and was very satisfied with my lunch and didn't feel like I was missing out too badly by not eating hot dogs, cheese etc. It went poorly because the participation was HORRIBLE. I'm the office administrator for a team of around 50 people and normally when we do potlucks, at least 20 people sign up to bring stuff. We always have a huge turnout and an amazing variety of foods. We're known in our building for having the best ones. This time.... was freaking terrible. I brought the hotdogs, someone brought buns, one person brought chili, and maybe 4 other people brought items, most of which were just bags of chips. It was pathetic. If I hadn't brought 50 hot dogs personally, we wouldn't have even had a lunch and I can't even eat the hotdogs! Usually I pass around a physical sign up sheet to get people to participate in these events, but this month we were in the middle of moving locations in our building so everyone was sort of scattered and I chose to upload the list onto a shared drive for people to access. I don't know if that was just too much for the lazy people to deal with, but I'm definitely going back to a physical sign up sheet for next time.

 

I've always really enjoyed the people I work with, but things have started changing around here and I'm getting increasingly frustrated with some of the people. Three of my favorite coworkers/friends are leaving/have left already and I'm noticing how much some of the other people suck. A lot of them are whiny and passive aggressive or are outright aggressive and obnoxious. There's also a pretty noticeable divide between the younger group and the older group of employees. For example, we usually all sit together at lunch since everyone eats at the same time and we work on a "campus" of sorts and everyone who works here eats here. Anyone is always welcome to join, as this is not an exclusive event AT ALL, and we always sit at a large table with room for plenty of people, but the older employees walk by and "joke" about how they're not "young enough" or "cool enough" to sit with us (WHILE we're actively inviting them to join us) and then complain about how it's so exclusive here. Um HELLO you're creating your own problem. There was another woman, we'll call her Jean (in her mid-late forties) who flat out yelled at one of the younger employees (we'll call her Cara) this week because of her "bad attitude." The girl getting yelled at? one of the most kind and soft-spoken members of the entire office. When Cara tried to stand up for herself, Jean told her that she saw Cara complaining about her via our inter-office chat the other day. When Cara denied it and offered to pull up her entire conversation history as proof, Jean just kept raising her voice and insisting that she was right. The manager had to come over and break it up because it's generally not okay to go about accusing people of things and calling them a liar....

The potluck thing just pushed me over the edge again because guess who is really helpful and always volunteers to bring things? The younger group. Who always comes first and eats plenty and never brings anything? Who always has tons of "helpful suggestions" about what we can be doing better but never steps up to do anything? most of the older group. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but I'm sick of people complaining about stuff that they have the power to change themselves and being passive aggressive when things don't magically change. GAH

 

Rant over. I'd say that I'm in the "kill all things" phase to account for that rant but I'm really not. I'm feeling great. Really no cravings to speak of, no hunger, no issues at all!

 

Today is Day 12!

Meal 1: Whole 30 "muffin" & apple (which is still sitting on my desk. maybe I'll have it later)

Meal 2: bowl of compliant chili!

Meal 3: I plan to have some pork loin and leftover grilled yellow squash and zucchini.

 

 

Tonight I'm going to see Suicide Squad! I'm excited! I hope it's good!

[Wanda Maximoff]

Welp.... Suicide Squad was kind of embarrassing to watch. I mean the action wasn't very exciting because it was all dark and shot in quick cuts, so it was hard to see what everyone was actually doing. Some of the best parts of super hero type movies are seeing the extraordinary things they can do (often quick moves and impressive fighting techniques). That was lost here, and unfortunately Enchantress & Diablo just looked kind of lame when they were "showing off" their skills. Deadshot was the only one who really seemed like a badass, and even his story was forced and poorly written. Oh MY GOD don't even get me started on the writing. Those poor poor actors, having to deliver those forced awkward lines. It's like they created scenes out of nowhere just to give them more horrendous dialogue. None of the backstories were organic (with the exception of pieces of Harley & Joker's), and they seemed jammed in there, in a pathetic effort to make us care that fell far short of the mark. Also, the person in charge was the biggest "villain" of all! She personally created the situation that the squad had to "fix," and their "mission" for the majority of the movie was secretly to save Waller, the one who created the problem in the first place. Blah. Very disappointed. Batman vs. Superman had issues with the corniness too, but at least the writing was better and Affleck and Cavill didn't have to deliver clichés for 120 minutes straight. I mean DC is supposed to be the gritty, dark one and all they gave us were a bunch of posers who inexplicably become BFFs over the course of one day without any meaningful dialogue or shared experience, apart from being "bad." Also, while the actors portraying the various members of the Suicide Squad can usually hold their own with no problem (except Cara Delevingne... she needs to "develop her craft" quite a bit haha), The Justice League cameos felt like a last-ditch effort to lend credibility to this B list of characters. No wonder DC constantly gets trumped in the box office by Marvel. Come on guys.

 

I realized that most of my cravings have gone away but the one that refuses to quit is my mozzarella stick craving. Call me crazy, but the mozz sticks at AMC are freaking delicious and I miss them soo much. Even thinking about them now is problematic.

 

Otherwise, Day 12 went fine. I was really tired when I got home from the movie and slept like a rock yet again, but kept wanting to press snooze this morning.

Today is Day 13!

Meal 1: Apple and a lot of cucumber slices

Meal 2: tuna salad over salad with homemade dressing

Meal 3: Chili

 

I don't really know what to do with myself tonight. Maybe I'll go see another movie (and battle my mozz sticks cravings), maybe I'll read Harry Potter & the Cursed Child (but I hear it reads like fanfic and is disappointing), and maybe I'll just chill and watch some Netflix and try to get to bed early. My dog Loki has a vet appointment on Saturday morning, so I'll probably opt for option #2/3. I just need to drag myself through the rest of this day. I've had such a crazy week (and most of last week was nuts too) that I'm pretty burned out. I'm sitting in my desk, but I feel like I'm just calling it in today  . Until tomorrow!

[Wanda Maximoff]

So I didn't post over the weekend, but here are my meal logs for the days I didn't log on.

Day 14:

Meal 1: Whole 30 banana cinnamon "muffin", 2 scrambled eggs, and 2 sausage links

Meal 2: Chili, handful of almonds

Meal 3: Grilled steak with roasted butternut squash and roasted red potatoes

 

Day 15:

Meal 1: Whole 30 "muffin", apple

Meal 2: Steak, roasted butternut squash and roasted red potatoes

Meal 3: chili

 

Today is Day 16! haha only 39 days to go.... . I don't really like counting anymore now that it's such a long haul. For 30 days, it felt nice to tick off the days, now it just feels kind of daunting. Oh well. This weekend was good. I had a boring night in on Friday and took my dog to the vet on Saturday for some of his yearly vaccinations. He's only 9 lbs so they split them up into two visits so he doesn't get overloaded. When we got home I did some cooking. I roasted a butternut squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano and then roasted some red potatoes in the same fashion. I want to pick up some dried rosemary to use for roasting veggies/potatoes for next time. I also grilled a big steak and baked 4 chicken drumsticks to start off the week. I also pulled the rest of the chili I made last week out of the freezer. I though maybe I'd get bored of it so I froze some to eat later, but I'm not bored of it yet, so I took it back out. Saturday night I went to an event in Seattle Center where they do "Movies at the Mural." They bring out a big projector and huge screen and show movies on the lawn right below the Space Needle! They showed Mad Max: Fury Road this time and it was a great night! I brought my dog and we snuggled up in a blanket to watch. It definitely got chilly so I'm glad I brought him for body warmth. He's like a little space heater and I was much more comfortable than I would have been with just the blanket.

Sunday, I cleaned up the apartment for a bit, emptied my fridge of some of the leftovers that I didn't eat (a bit of spaghetti squash and a small portion of cauliflower rice), and went out to "drinks" with my friend who was in town. It was really nice to see him.

This morning I woke up fine and felt good, but I lay in bed for an extra five minutes fantasizing about calling in sick, snoozing all morning, and staying in my PJs all day to watch Netflix on the couch with some tea. It was a seriously tempting prospect.

Day 16:

Meal 1: Whole 30 "muffin", apple

Meal 2: Chili

Meal 3: I'll have 1-2 chicken drumsticks with a side salad and some roasted butternut squash.

[Wanda Maximoff]

Ugh, I had a bad night of after-dinner eating last night. I didn't break any compliance rules, but I felt really guilty when I was going to bed. I did have my 2 (smallish) chicken drumsticks with roasted butternut squash and roasted potatoes, but after I ate, I sat down to watch some TV and after about 20-30 minutes, I was hungry again. I know you're not supposed to snack/eat again unless you are actually hungry enough to eat a full meal (like a chicken breast and broccoli) and I was still hungry. I ended up cooking up two polish chicken sausages/hotdogs (all compliant ingredients) and eating them in lettuce boats with homemade dill relish. I don't know what happened or why I was so hungry, but I felt oddly guilty about eating so much, despite the fact that I was still hungry. I suppose it's not that bad since I don't really eat a full breakfast (I feel sort of queasy in the morning if I eat too much too early), so I actually just ate three full meals yesterday, but I did eat the final two rather close together. This kind of thing is why I struggle with eating/my weight normally. Even if I didn't eat anything "bad," I feel guilty for eating so much, so if I weren't on Whole 30 with all it's rules, I would feel very dejected and defeated and would be tempted to just say "F*ck it" and quit. I'm not very good at forgiving myself for eating "mistakes" and I end up self-sabotaging. I'm not even sure this qualifies as a mistake, since I followed the rules about when it's okay to actually eat more after a meal, but it just seems like a lot of food so I feel bad about it.

I woke up this morning very tired (but that was my own damn fault). I stayed up until like 12:30 because I got hooked in a youtube loop watching funny videos. I NEED to just leave my phone alone when I get into bed, but last night I was an idiot. It's so dumb to stay up late when your alarm goes off at 5:10am every morning, but here we are. I'm also going to pay special attention to how much I eat today. I'll try to make sure my dinner is the proper size the first time so that I don't need to go back for more.

 

Well, today is Day 17. That seems like a lot, but I'm also really grateful that I have so much time left because I still feel like I'm struggling with some of my habits (like after-dinner eating). During the day, I'm fantastic at living my life normally and not making everything about food, but once I'm off work, it's like I have nothing better to do but think about what's in my fridge. I guess I'm just feeling kind of disappointed in myself today and I can't really tell if I deserve to or not.

Day 17:

Meal 1: Whole 30 "muffin", apple

Meal 2: Chili, side salad with cucumbers

Meal 3: 2 polish chicken sausages in lettuce boats with dill relish

I'm determined to stick to this meal plan for today, so I'm vowing that tomorrow I'll have no updates to the above.

[Wanda Maximoff]

Well every time I start making noise about sticking to my meal plan, something happens to flout that. Yesterday, it was the fact that my job keeps kicking me in the teeth and I didn't have time for lunch. So Day 17 meal plan was the same, except take out Meal 2. I left it in the fridge at work, so I still have that for lunch today.

Yesterday was good. I did a little sketching while watching TV last night instead of additional eating, which was good. I got into bed at a good time last night, but then I got my lease renewal info slipped under my door, and my mind woke up again thinking about the pros and cons of renewing vs. trying to find a cheaper place, etc. I really like my current apartment (small, as it is) because I've been able to situate my stuff perfectly, it's in a fantastic location, the commute to work is really easy, and there's a lot of green space around me for my dog. However, it's pretty expensive. I could definitely find cheaper places farther out from Seattle central, but I'd need to factor in the changes to my commute, the proximity to a park and grocery stores, and the quality of the building etc. My current building is very nice, with modern, clean appliances etc. It wouldn't really feel "worth it" to spend less per month for a crappier place, in a crappier location, with a crappier commute, unless it was significantly cheaper I guess. I get overwhelmed thinking of all the pros and cons and I'm afraid of stretching my budget too thin or alternatively ending up paying "too much" for something way worse, even if it cost less than my current place. Luckily they gave me the renewal info early and I have until the end of Sept./early Oct. to figure it out.

Okay so Day 18:

Meal 1: banana cinnamon "muffin" and an apple

Meal 2: salad with cucumbers and a bowl of chili

Meal 3: chicken drumsticks with roasted potatoes and butternut squash

 

I'll also need to cook tonight. Unfortunately I didn't think about this last night, so I didn't pull any meat out of the freezer. I'd like to make lamb, since I have a nice little rack of lamb in my freezer, but I'm not sure how well that will defrost quickly, so I might just make some burgers instead and start defrosting the lamb for the weekend.

I'm feeling kind of stressed overall lately and I'm both grateful for and resentful of the Whole 30 right now. Grateful because at least something in my life is organized and following a set schedule. Grateful because I know that usually when I'm stressed I eat like crap, and that's not happening. Resentful because sometimes it feels like another chore.

I'm also a little jealous of the people I see mentioning the fact that they're on like day 10 and are already seeing big differences in their bodies and how their clothes fit. I'm seeing SOME change, but not a whole lot. I did notice yesterday that one of my dresses that usually sits pretty snug around my chest/under my armpits was fitting more loosely, and that's good, but I'm hoping I lost some pudginess under my arms or around my ribcage instead of just loosing my boobs haha. I don't really feel in danger of that though since I certainly have enough to spare in that department... Here's hoping I can get into some of my dresses that have been in temporary retirement due to tightness/creating unflattering silhouettes soon!

[Wanda Maximoff]

Update to Day 18, Meal 3: almond flour-coated tilapia with green beans and a side of raspberries and strawberries

I needed to go to the store last night to pick up a fruit tray for a co-worker's going away party on Friday so I picked up some fish and green beans to make dinner with so that I could save the last of my chicken and roasted squash & potatoes for lunch today. Fish isn't as good reheated and I'm not going to be "that guy" by microwaving fish in my office... It was delicious! I sort of forget about fish because I prefer not to eat previously frozen fish (I live in Seattle... I have no excuse). I forget how much I LOVE IT. My new plan for tonight is to head over to Pike Place Market, get some fresh fish and flowers to spruce up my apartment so I can have another yummy dinner tonight! I also have a rack of lamb chops defrosting slowly in the fridge that I'll probably cook on Friday night. I have a big obstacle on Saturday that I need to prepare for. My friend is having a Gender Reveal Picnic in Portland, and I'll be driving down and back to make the party. I'll bring a little lunchbox with icepacks with some food I can eat because I have no idea what will be provided. Since I've got the lamb, I might do some kind of Greek salad with lamb.

Today is Day 19, and I'm sort of disappointed. Maybe I'm romanticizing my last Whole 30 and misremembering, but I think last time I was feeling a lot more change in my clothes by this point and my face had slimmed out a bit. Also, I remember my skin being a little clearer than usual, and that hasn't happened this time either. I also didn't work out last time, so I'm planning on adding that to my schedule for the last 30+ days of my Whole 55. I have a packed weekend, so I'm planning to start adding at least 30 minutes of cardio 4 days a week on Monday. I'm pretty out of shape, so I'm starting small so I don't get discouraged.

 

Day 19:

Meal 1: apple (I know, I know... but whatever)

Meal 2: 2 chicken drumsticks with roasted potatoes and butternut squash

Meal 3: TBD, but fish with veggies!

[Wanda Maximoff]

Well I had to work later than expected last night, so I didn't have time to get down to Pike Place . I just grabbed some more tilapia and green beans from the Safeway around the corner and had the same dinner as I did on Day 18.

 

Today is day 20! I'm feeling kind of lazy today. Not tired or sluggish, just lazy haha. All I want to do is nap and watch Netflix but alas... work.

Day 20:

Meal 1: bowl of mixed fruit (we are having a breakfast potluck for my friend's last day at work and it's all I can eat)

Meal 2: either a plain burger with lettuce and pickles or a grilled chicken breast with lettuce and pickles (Cafeteria today since I didn't bring lunch today)

Meal 3: almond flour pan fried tilapia with green beans. I'm really loving this meal and I'm not sick of it yet!

[Wanda Maximoff]

This weekend, I made a simple roasted rack of lamb chops, some more fish, salads, and green beans. I also had some more chicken drumsticks with a "potato salad" of sorts, with homemade mayo.

Today is day 23!

Meal 1: Apple or banana - I feel kind of queasy this morning, but I think it's from being tired/up really early. I got up at like 3:45 today since I'm working odd hours today.

Meal 2: plain burger with lettuce & pickles

Meal 3: tilapia with green beans again or some more lamb