Jenna's What I did right today

[jenna125]

First ever post so have a bit to say. Decided to keep a daily log of what I was feeling and uncovering.

 

Today I felt good in my own skin. I ate a beautiful on plan lunch. I smiled. I loved being alive. I have been doing this for 17 days now, learning from my mistakes. I was weighing daily and then had to have the talk with myself about how much better I was feeling, what did it matter that I was disappointed it wasn't showing on the scale. So the scale is still in its place, I'm just not using it.

 The biggest NSV is just how at peace I feel. I was anxious and depressed. Everything hurt, especially my hands.

Most of all - I made a new recipe and SO and I sat down together and ate it. It was so good I forgot the avocado in the kitchen and the mayonnaise in the fridge . https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/7739-one-pan-roast-chicken-and-potatoes

Cooking is hard - I have no sense of smell so I can't taste much except salt, sweet, savory, bitter and acidic. Texture is all important, as is temperature. I found this meal very tasty. Cooked up green beans and broccoli and made myself eat them. Broccoli is pretty awful to me - slightly bitter and nothing else - but I know it is good for me.

 

Plan for tomorrow: 30 minutes of intentional exercise.

 

 

Continuing - keep kitchen clean. I read a study recently that found a connection between overeating and a cluttered kitchen. http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/discoveries/clean-kitchens-cut-calories. It really seems to help me.

 

Continue to try and get a goods night sleep. This is a struggle. I wake up every hour or so and then finally fall asleep well around 4 am. Of course, have to wake up in 2 hours to get ready for work.

 

 The most powerful aspect of the Whole 30 I've found is the need to do it spot on for 30 days. Taking the long view has saved me every single day from doing something I'll regret later. I don't want to destroy this good feeling .

 

I've been reading the success stories every day and enjoying everyone's wisdom and candor.

 

Victories so far:

Softer skin

Happy

Organized

Able to discard unwanted items

Developed financial plan

Amazingly enough - spending less on food!

More productive at work

 

Discoveries:

I think eggs give me headaches. Didn't have my morning omelette yesterday and woke up without a sinus headache for the first time since this began.

I've been feeding my dog Whole 30 all this time and she is in tremendous shape for an 11 year old dog. The vet always thinks she is 5 until she checks her birth date. Why do we always take better care of our animals than we do ourselves?

 

Take care of yourself.

Jen

I bought the book on kindle but I am going to invest in the hardcover so I can leaf through it.

 

[ShannonM816]

Hi, Jenna, looks like you're off to a great start!

 

I just wanted to say  that there are plenty of vegetables out there, so as long as you find other ones you do like, it's fine to skip the broccoli. I personally can't stand bell peppers, and I do just fine without them -- I just eat other vegetables instead.  I would say, sometimes the way you cook a vegetable can make a difference, so if you do choose to have broccoli again, consider cooking it in a different way. I don't know how much difference it will make for you, given your sense of taste problems, but I know for many people, roasting vegetables helps bring out any natural sweetness they have. If you've never tried roasted broccoli, it might be worth doing -- I tend to break or cut it into florets, toss it with coconut or olive oil, salt, pepper, and usually garlic powder, and put it in a 400 degree oven until the edges get brown and crispy. But again, if you truly cannot stand it, just use other veggies instead.

[jenna125]

Great idea! I've been enjoying asparagus roasted with some coconut oil and salt brushed on top, as well as zucchini. They taste very sweet! SO likes broccoli, so as a nod to him I steamed it. Not my favorite. I'll try roasting it next time. I've never ever liked it, so I might be pleasantly surprised. It is just so bland compared to tomatoes or peppers. Green beans are much better. I do love red peppers - so so sweet - but I think I have a problem with nightshades so am laying off the cherry tomatoes (yum) and peppers for a while to see if I can feel a difference.

[jenna125]

Ok, skipped a day of posting but as this is my log, I will allow myself this! Perks of making the rules. As long as they aren't Calvin Ball rules (Calvin and Hobbes anyone?) Still kept to the plan

 

Yesterday I packed a lunch and a pre-commute afternoon meal. I find I sleep better if I don't have a full dinner when I get home, so lunch and almost-dinner were the same. Leftover roasted chicken, avocado and mayo (need to make some more as my dog helped me finish it off last night). That is a ringing endorsement, by the way. She doesn't like just any condiment... fresh veggies etc.

 

The one benefit to not being able to smell as since stuff mostly tastes the same, I can eat the same thing all the time, if I wanted to, and never really get tired of it. Just eat it until it runs out. Sweet I can taste, which is where I have to practice just no bites or I'm doomed.

 

Oh, off track here! Went for a 5 km walk at lunch. Ate well. Went to bed earlyish, slept fitfully but then slept and then slept all the way to my alarm. No headache again! two days in a row, so a victory. Productive day at work.

 

now that eggs are off the menu, had a hamburg patty for breakfast and roasted asparagus and zucchini and took the extra to work to have with sardines. I'm careful to eat those away from my colleagues and bag the tin as they don't like smelling it in the garbage. Again - they aren't strongly flavored to me, just kind of there as fatty protein, so does the job.

 

I never realized that meats had different flavors until my mom kept asking me which kind I preferred her to cook for a visit - never thought to ask all these years why she kept asking me that! Same for lettuce going bad, never knew it could smell moldy before it looked bad. Don't want to eat mold...

 

all is good! Feeling good. So glad I did this, just for the increased happiness and productivity at work it is worth it. I'll figure out the weight thing after the 30 days are up. 40 lbs would get me into the normal weight range for my height, and is a weight I've felt good at a few years ago.

 

Good night! Off to bed at 9 pm. I'm finding I can't count on sleeping later, instead need to give extra sleep time in the evening in the hopes of getting enough.

[jenna125]

ok, another day! Walked the dog in the woods before the heat got too much for her. Black dogs don't do so well in the sun .

 

I made zucchini noodles! For Christmas my husband gave me one of those peelers that makes noodles and I used it for the first time today. Sautéed them in some coconut oil and had them with some avocado pesto I found on instagram and a hamburg patty. So two  new things - noodles and pesto. feeling better through the abdomen and not as bloated. The pesto is a nice alternative to mayonnaise as a condiment. It made my nose run, though, so am not sure if that is from the pine nuts or the basil.

 

I have today off and rode my bike to the library and grocery store. I got stung by a wasp and it still really hurts. The librarians were super nice and made me an ice bag to put on it.

 

Today I'm just feeling really tired, Some days are like that normally, and I just set myself a task to do and do it, and when that is done I do another one until evening comes.

 

I'll make an early dinner since I'm home! I'll try the chicken and potatoes I did earlier but with a lamb shoulder. I need to buy more chicken. Then when that is done I'll turn the bones from the lamb and the chicken bones I saved into a bone broth. I've been drinking that each day. I also for the past few years have been making 'num nums' for the dog out of bone broth, gelatin and collagen and put them in the fridge in ice cube trays. Cut one up on top of her food each day and she really likes them and they are good for her. Her fur and nails grow wonderfully.

 

Just tired. I've really appreciated the schedule of what we might be feeling. About a week in I got a 'kill all things' moment and got terribly annoyed and people and their dogs digging up my yard and stealing my dogs toys. I'm still annoyed, as the first time or two a toy comes back destroyed it is a bit funny, but it has been about 10 toys and the offer to replace it, which I accepted, was never carried through. Just keep the dog on a leash if they are going to pee on people's stuff and rip stuff up. Ok, rant over. So if any of you had that day where all things must die, you can imagine

 

Tomorrow is day 21! It is definitely going to be a whole life thing as I can't imagine stopping this. I knew going into this that I had issues with dairy and wheat, in fact, lived wheat and sugar free for several years and felt fabulous. I cut out main dairy two years ago but still ate some cheddar cheese, goat cheese, and butter. I'm surprised about the eggs. I think I'll just keep my foods really simple so I can tell if something is bothering me. I discovered if I put some salt on the coconut oil when I cook with it, it is the same as butter. Guess I wasn't getting a butter flavor, just a salt flavor.

[jenna125]

Well, I managed to get into bed by 9 pm! this has been a goal of mine. Slept fitfully but woke up around 5:30 and felt rested.

 

Took my dog for a long walk down by the water - another goal of mine. I need to go early or late, otherwise the heat and the sun are not good for her. I met a friend along the way and met another neighbor.

 

Brought a minivan full of electronic waste to the eco centre - the house is slowly getting lighter! I found when I felt awful (hello bread, my old nemesis) it was just too much effort to pick up everyone's mess. I live with a large clutterbug and my daughter is home for the summer and is quite the little clutterer herself. Having energy and feeling rested is so wonderful! I try not to feel resentful. That anger is sure to derail me.

 

Making my shopping list and am about to go out and work on my bicycle. I think the bottom bracket needs to be worked on (it is a 'vintage' bike from 1991).

 

Found out that I have no portion control over roasted potatoes... so that will be an occasional thing when I want to surprise my body and up the carbs. And not make as much so if I do eat them all, it isn't so bad

 

Absolutely gorgeous day and I don't want it to be over and feel that I didn't take advantage of it. Oh, and after washing my hair this morning it feels so clean and silky. I can't stop running my fingers through it! Such a lovely feeling and I haven't had hair like this in a few years.

[jenna125]

A few more days down! Recommended the program to my sister who went through rounds of tests this spring to see if she had chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. This has taken my fatigue and sore joints away! Did some gardening, long walks, slept until I woke up (pretty darn early, too) and this morning had my act together and gave the dog a long walk before heading off to work. That is a success!

 

One thing I've noticed, eating this way takes a lot more time of actually eating. I have to set aside enough time to finish my breakfast. A few days I've packed up the leftovers and brought them along to work to have at lunch. I went from having a coconut and chia seed smoothie to a full sit down breakfast. By day 30 I'll have it figured out .

[jenna125]

Ok, all is going well. I think it is "over" on Sunday as that is the official 30 days, but I'll keep going and tweak it a bit. Planned intro of grains in two weeks for my birthday cake and red wine as I'll be visiting my parents, but other than that have already prepped family members that I'm back to eating this way.

 

Feeling so very tired. It is also unbelievable how many dishes I'm making. I'm not home 12 hours of the day and yet every single day my kitchen is overrun with dishes! The dishwasher is getting quite a workout.

 

I like how my hair feels, I don't like how the tiger blood went away and I'm back to being bone tired. I got a lot done when it lasted.

 

I'm tired of having dinner prep taking so long in the evening that I have little time left before going to bed. I want to use the time to exercise etc. So I will start making a dinner to eat on the train ride home each evening. Then I can get home and have those precious 2 hours free from those chores. My most involved meal now is breakfast as I get it going (and the coffee ) before I hop in the shower. Of course make extras for lunch, so I'll just double the extras and have easy stuff for dinner.

 

But when I get home I will clean the kitchen as I rebelled this morning and spent the time getting to work and eating instead of cleaning up.

 

So tired.

[jenna125]

Take out the food and I'm finding holes in my life that I need to fill.

[jenna125]

Keeping going. I think the 30 days are over today or tomorrow. Had a bit of dairy yesterday and am suffering the first sinus headache in a couple of weeks... I know better! Tasty for a couple of minutes does not outweigh sleep and morning of pain. Not terribly bad and has cleared up with some Otrivin, but still, I know it. So that brief reintroduction is over. Not much to reintroduce, actually. I know eggs give me sinus issues. I don't eat soy as a rule, wheat is a no no. Sugar makes me fat and tired. So I'm left with meat and fish and vegetables and some fruit. Grapefruit and grapes can give me wicked headaches. Cherries are too high on the FODMAP scale to eat without feeling like someone is stabbing my intestines...

 

Not sure on any weight loss so far. I know my waist at about 38 inches was big enough to signal insulin resistance, so this process will just take longer to get my body hormonally back in balance. Physically I don't feel much different but my face looks brighter. The weight loss will come later as I keep going at making my body and mind healthier.

 

One change I will do it start tracking my carbs vs fiber intake. If I am insulin resistant, my body's reaction to carbs, even at what could be considered a reasonable amount, could be out of proportion.