bear Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Day 1 of my first Whole30, am feeling excited yet cautious, as I pretty much live for cheese and chocolate. (Though not together, ick). My main incentives for doing this are to: a.) kick my food cravings, as I pretty much eat whenever I'm stressed, bored, or tired without a second thought. b.) kick my serious, serious sugar-free gum addiction. I've been chewing the stuff, which is pretty much nothing but polysyllabic sludge, long enough to become inured to its nasty side effects. Previously, the longest I've gone without the stuff has been two weeks. I'd like to get rid of it once and for all. Not only is it an unnecessary expense, in my experience gum prolongs and intensifies my cravings for something sweet. c.) aid in stabilizing my mood! d.) weight loss Okay. Set. Go. Breakfast: 2 eggs with kale and 1/2 vidallia onion, scrambled in olive oil. Water, green tea. Lunch: 5 or 6 macadamia nuts, 1/2 cup garlicky green beans, 6 oz baked salmon, 1 tbsp coconut oil (mmm). Water, roiboos tea. Snack: apple larabar Dinner: 1/3 cup guacamole (avocado, tomato, onion, garlic) 4 oz nitrate-free pastrami, 1 tbsp coconut oil. Water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancy H. Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Wow.....what a great start. I can relate to the addiction to the gum. Not gum for me, but Diet Coke. I was so addicted to that and would still like some but I have been drinking Sassy Water instead. I take a large bottle of soda water and put in 1 cucumber, sliced thin, one orange sliced thin, one lime, sliced thin and one lemon, sliced thin. Put all these into the water and let steep in the refrigerator overnight. Then strain the water into another jug and discard the fruit. It is very refreshing and does not have all the sugar from the fruit, only the taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted October 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted October 10, 2012 Hmm. Unless you weigh about 75 pounds, you need to up-size your meals by 100 percent and maybe more. The Whole30 is not a calorie restriction program and things just don't work very well when you eat less than your body needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'm confused because in the meal planning template it's written to have 1-2 palm-sized servings of animal protein, lots of veggies, and fat in the following amounts: 1-2 thumbs-worth of oils and butter, 1/2-1 avocado, 1 closed handful of nuts, etc. per meal. Looking back I think I got the protein and fat in okay amounts for my meals, but could do with adding more veggies. Should I be upping my protein and fats to the upper limits of the recommended ranges? Any recommendations would be much appreciated. And no, I do not weigh 75 lbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 And thanks for your Sassy Water recipe, Nancy--it sounds delicious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted October 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted October 10, 2012 Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'm confused because in the meal planning template it's written to have 1-2 palm-sized servings of animal protein, lots of veggies, and fat in the following amounts: 1-2 thumbs-worth of oils and butter, 1/2-1 avocado, 1 closed handful of nuts, etc. per meal. Looking back I think I got the protein and fat in okay amounts for my meals, but could do with adding more veggies. Should I be upping my protein and fats to the upper limits of the recommended ranges? Any recommendations would be much appreciated. And no, I do not weigh 75 lbs. I thought the 2 eggs at breakfast and 4 ounces of pastrami at supper was too light, but I don't really know what 4 ounces of pastrami looks like. What really made me speak up was the half cup of garlicky green beans. Upping your veggie intake may be enough. The reason to eat 2 palm-size portions of protein per meal would be if you felt hungry or were very active and needed it for energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 11, 2012 Author Share Posted October 11, 2012 Sounds good! Today was a little tougher, I found that I really crave something sweet at the end of a meal, and that I use that something sweet (dessert, gum) as an external cue to signal that I'm done eating. Tomorrow I'll go into meals expecting that, which might make dealing with it a little easier. I've found that eating a tbsp of coconut oil at the end of meal helps, but I don't want to be using that as a crutch! I'd much rather my body's insulin/ leptin levels re-calibrate so that my 'signal' for being done eating isn't external, but internal. Well, I guess that's why I'm doing a Whole30. :^) Anyhow, here's how the day went food-wise: Breakfast: Coconut milk curry with tons o' veggies and shrimp, water Snack: Cherry Larabar Lunch: Applewood Farms Bologna, Pastrami, 2 closed handfuls raw cashews, dried Trader Joe's mangoes, 1 tbsp coconut oil Dinner: Chicken with shallots, thyme, and sage, wet sauteed spinach with garlic, 2 tbsp coconut manna (is this any different from coconut oil?), water, ginger tea Oh and, last night's slumber: 8.5 hours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 Day 3, not as tough as I thought it'd be. You see, I work and live in a residential treatment setting, where most of the dinners are served family-style and limited in their options. Plus there's always tons of (non-paleo) foods around and dessert every Thursday. So, today was dessert day. And where in the past today might trip me up after a week of no gum, no gluten/ no sugar, I stuck to my guns and left a mile radius between me and the dessert table. Even though said dessert table contained pecan pie squares. Ahhhhhhh. Breakfast: 3 eggs with mushrooms and onions, water, 1 tbsp coconut oil Lunch: Leftover chicken roasted with shallots, sage and thyme, 2 closed handfuls cashew/ walnut mix, spinach, water, cinnamon tea Dinner: Canned tuna (as a much-welcome alternative to tonight's meatloaf dinner), green beans, salad, 1 tbsp coconut manna, 1 tbsp almond butter, water, 1/2 bottle ginger kombucha Last night's sleep: 9 hours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Shine Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I'm curious about the live-and-work-in-a-residential-treatment setting. Can you tell me more? Do you have your own kitchen, or is the food that they cook the only food available? Regarding tons of non-paleo foods & desserts around, check out my Whole30 log. I work at Twitter and there's *tons* of high quality catered foods for 14 meals a week, plus a ridiculous amount of snacks... all free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 Hey! I'm the daytime/ evening supervisor at what is pretty much the equivalent of a rehabilitation center or halfway house. There's a kitchen, and I get free reign over it during breakfast and lunch hours, but dinner is pretty much a set thing and menus get set by residents, who have the responsibility of cooking for everyone once a week. So no, I don't have my own kitchen but I do have access to one--most of the time. The center is stocked with food, which everyone has access to whenever. They do a really good job of stocking fruits and veggies, subscribing to a CSA, always having almond butter, but there's also tons of yogurt, granola bars, chocolate, cheese, bread, etc. That catering set-up at Twitter sounds amazing, though I could see how the lack of control over preparation methods, ingredients etc. could get frustrating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 Today wasn't easy--definitely had a several hour period of not wanting to speak to anyone on this planet ever again, but you know, got over it and had some coconut oil. Or maybe had some coconut oil and then got over it. Anyhow. Breakfast: Sauteed red cabbage, roasted chicken, 1tbsp coconut manna Lunch: Sauteed red cabbage, pastrami, bologna, 2 tbsp almond butter Snack: 1 tbsp coconut oil Dinner: butternut squash and leek soup, 2 tbsp almond butter, roasted chicken Last night's sleep: 4.5 hours(!) -- for some reason, I've been waking up at 5am the past couple of mornings. Usually I can coax myself back to sleep. Today I couldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 Day 5 down! Today was by far the easiest yet, though that might have to do with the fact that today was the first day that I didn't have gobs of free time on my hands. Note to self: get busier. Breakfast: 3 egg scramble in coconut oil, sauteed swiss chard Lunch: Melissa J's Best Chicken Ever (and it was. so good.), leftover butternut squash and leek soup, 1 tbsp coconut oil Dinner: More chicken, more soup, more coconut oil, plus frozen blueberries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie.s.a Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Yup. Getting busier is probably the best advice ever! No time to get sad or snack for no reason at all. And you really feel accomplished after a busy day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 Thanks Natalie! Easier said than done, however. It never ceases to amaze me how bored I can get at work--even if I consider my day to be 'crazy busy.' Tonight at work was a slow one, but as I chug along on this Whole30 I gain momentum, and that momentum really helps me to stay on track. Day six. Breakfast: Larabar and gingerade kombucha (I was stranded in the city and unprepared--I had to walk to the nearest health food store to buy this glamorous $5 breakfast). Lunch: Ground turkey, egg, kale, and onion sautee, one tbsp coconut oil, water, tea, almonds. Dinner: Loads o' roasted brussels sprouts doused in olive oil, baked chicken, tea, pecans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Day seven, smooth sailing 'til it hit 8 o'clock. At which point my brain started to itch, almost literally, for anything carb-related in sight, meaning: fresh-cooked pizza on the counter, granola bars in a glass bowl, chocolate chips in the cupboard, bagels in the bread box, etc. It was torture. I drank a cup of tea and tried to wait it out, then I grabbed a handful (or two) of pecans--after that didn't kill it, I had a Larabar some Applegate Farms bologna. Right now I'm better, but still a lil itchy. Fortunately I'm also exhausted, so I'll see if I can just sleep this one out. Breakfast: 3 hard boiled eggs, carrots sauteed in olive oil Lunch: Grount Turkey scrambled with eggs, kale, and onion in olive oil, leftover roasted brussels sprouts Dinner: Baked chicken, roasted asparagus, sauteed cabbage, 1 tbsp coconut oil Snack: Tea, 1.5 closed handfuls pecan/ almond mix, Larabar, Applegate Farms Bologna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie.s.a Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Great job with not getting tempted. I know how hard it is. Nuts and fruit are still better than a bagle or pizza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 17, 2012 Author Share Posted October 17, 2012 Zoinks! Went to bed before I had a chance to log yesterday's meals. Sleep > most things. Anyhow, day eight: Breakfast: Ground Turkey, Kale, Egg, and Onion Scramble, Green Tea, H20 Lunch: Brined 'n Baked Chicken, 2 tbsp coconut oil, sauteed cabbage Snack: Blueberry Larabar Dinner: So many nuts (walnuts, cashews, pecans), Baked Butternut Squash with Coconut Oil, Flank Steak Snack: Frozen Pineapple Tidbits (thank you, Trader Joe's!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 18, 2012 Author Share Posted October 18, 2012 Can't believe it's already day nine. I've been reacquainting myself with the feeling of being full--comfortably full--and the ritual of actually sitting down and enjoying a meal. It's kind of incredible. Breakfast: Coconut Curry Chicken Ginger Soup, leftover Baked Butternut Squash, 2 tbsp Coconut Oil, Water, Tea Lunch: Grilled Salmon with a Spinach Salad, Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, 1 Apple, Water, Tea Dinner: Ground Turkey, Kale, Pepper, Onion, and Egg scramble, Cabbage Slaw, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tbsp Coconut Oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 19, 2012 Author Share Posted October 19, 2012 Day ten (1/3 there!) Breakfast: Ground turkey, egg, kale, and onion scramble, 2 tbsp coconut oil, water, tea Lunch: Sauteed cabbage, pork chop, handful macadamia nuts, raisins, water, tea Dinner: Mustard baked chicken, roasted brussels sprouts (with lots of olive oil), water, frozen wild blueberries with coconut shreds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 20, 2012 Author Share Posted October 20, 2012 Day 11, donezo! Breakfast: cherry larabar, 1 tsp coconut oil, leftover brussels sprouts, frozen mango bits (not my proudest meal) Lunch: 2 handfuls pecans, leftover chicken, kale salad Dinner: Cabbage, chicken sausages (thank you, Costco!), raisins and nut mix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear Posted October 21, 2012 Author Share Posted October 21, 2012 Day Twelve: Breakfast: Chicken and apple sausage, a mug of frozen pineapple and blueberries, 1 tbsp coconut oil Lunch: Turkey, egg, onion, and kale scramble, cabbage salad, cacao nibs Dinner: Grilled chicken, roasted curried cauliflower, handful almond Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.