Whole120

[ellie4]

Day Zero:

So, back in February/March I was the overly ambitious person determined to do this Whole30 thing until I graduated college, which was 832 days away at the time. Honestly, I got a kick out of how ambitious that was and was going along fine, but then I decided to have food sensitivity testing done. That showed that I was sensitive to a ton of my staple foods and I was so overwhelmed by several sources of good but slightly different paleo variations plus the testing that I didn't know what to do and, you guessed it, went back to a SAD. 

And, most of why I was doing this in the first place was that I was hoping it would help to manage my headache disorder (like it seemed to a previous time that I ate paleo). But it really wasn't. So it also felt silly to keep restricting my diet when it wasn't doing what I hoped it would do anyway.

But then, fast forward to July when I go for my annual asthma checkup, and my lung function was WAY worse. My 2015 test I had done while eating paleo and NOT being on medicine, and that was at 79% (80% is considered well controlled). This year, while being ON medicine but eating a "standard American diet" my lung function was at 60%, which is the upper border of severe asthma. Not good, not good. *Especially* considering that I am a music student who plays a wind instrument. How well controlled my asthma is has a direct affect on my ability to progress musically, which could eventually affect my ability to make a career in music. I want to do whatever I can to get my asthma back under control. 

So my doctor upped my medication and had me come back in August for another test (which was at 68%). I mentioned this correlation between my lung function and eating paleo to my doctor to see what she thought. She said it was very intriguing and that it certainly could be related. So, the plan is that I continue taking my medication at the higher dosage, start eating paleo, and then a month before my next test drop to a lower dosage so we can see how much the paleo is/isn't helping. If it's helping, I stick with it - if it's not, I might or might not. Who knows. 

This test is on January 4, which is 119 days from tomorrow, but 120 feels like a nicer number of days. I should probably give myself a day to decide how to proceed after getting the results, anyway. 

I want to make things simpler this time around so that I can actually stick with it long term (and also because my schedule is too busy this semester to deal with complicated dietary whatnot). This time I am just going to follow the regular Whole30 protocol and not worry about any other sources of paleo guidelines or that food sensitivity testing for now. Well, I do avoid eggs because they give me a stomach ache. But other than that, normal Whole30 protocol.

My previous time doing this I, admittedly, chose to ignore the No Weighing rule. I definitely am going to avoid my scale this time, although I'm not sure I really want to avoid it for the entire 120 days. I have a doctor's appointment in October anyway, so I think I'll avoid the scale for the just first 30 days. I previously struggled with being underweight, so my weight is something I generally like to monitor (though I think a break will be good for me).

Last time around, I found that this food log really helped me to stick with my healthy eating goals. Those two months were definitely the most successful period of paleo-eating I have done. Looking forward to getting back on track!

[WholeDave]

Welcome to the world of Wholexx Sara  There are a few of us who choose to extend the program into an ongoing lifestyle change and the results are fantastic. I've had asthma since I was a kid (I'm in my early 50's now) and the results have been stunning. I now very rarely use my "spaceship" (seratide) for my asthma and really only as a preventative when I do intense exercise. Whereas before I would have a constant sinus condition, which brought on my asthma, I now find my nose is dry and normal. The revelation of breathing normally from both nostrils is amazing!

So good luck with the journey - it's a wonderful objective. I'm very confident you will find a direct correlation between your nutrition and asthma as the Whole30 program significantly reduces inflammation.

[ellie4]

Day One - September 8, 2016

Breakfast: cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, salmon, cooked in olive oil

Lunch: cashews, apple, larabar

Lunch part two: almonds, apple

Supper (?): larabar

So of course day one would be nothing but an crazy day...I called to make an eye appointment this morning (thinking I'd go in next week), and they wanted me to come in immediately because the symptoms I'm having are similar to those of retinal detachment. Good news is that my retinas are fully attached, not so good news is that my wonky vision is apparently related to my NDPH, so I might as well get used to seeing a layer of flashing light and greyish blurs over everything because this headache and its symptoms ain't going nowhere anytime soon. (Unless the chiropractic work I started a few weeks ago kicks in faster than I expect it to. Hopefully!) And, of course, since I had to rush to the appointment and then straight to class, I wasn't able to take food with me to campus and eat actual meals. But, I did think to stop at the co-op on my way to  campus and I grabbed some stuff to eat. Not exactly the best day of Whole30 eating, but also not exactly the best day in general so I did what I could and that's that.

[ellie4]

Oh so I realized that lunch part two is not a thing, so I should explain.  I don't have a break in my classes most days until 3:00, which is way too long to go without eating. So I generally eat lunch part one (nuts, a piece of fruit) as I walk between classes at noon, and then I eat lunch part two (salad w/protein, maybe another piece of fruit) at 3:00. I suppose most people would probably think of lunch part one as a snack. The original broken lunch consisted of items that could not possibly be considered lunch on their own, so this is how I starting thinking about it and it stuck. 

[MrsZimm13]

Sarah- great way of making lemonade with the lemons you were given on day one.  Good lunch with day 2- cheers to it being better than day 1!

[Jager07]

Welcome back!  We're all cheering for you. 

[ellie4]

Thanks you guys!

Day Two - September 9, 2016

Breakfast: turkey, spinach, tomatoes, red cabbage, carrots, olive oil, cashews

Lunch: turkey, arugula, tomatoes, red cabbage, carrots, olive oil, apple

Supper: turkey, spinach, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cooked in olive oil, sauerkraut

 

[ellie4]

Day Three - September 10, 2016

Lunch: spinach, turkey, orange pepper, green beans, cooked in olive oil, apple, sauerkraut

Supper: arugula, crab, olive oil, cucumber, tomatoes, red cabbage

Evening: orange, Tulsi brand sweet rose tea (amazing stuff, highly recommend)

Woke up late so I didn't really eat breakfast. Ended up needing food in the evening, though. Today was a bit of a rough day emotionally because it is a year after when my former bassoon teacher suggested I withdraw from school for a while, which ended in me taking a semester off from music school and playing bassoon. Things were not going well at all and felt strangely unfamiliar. In hindsight, I really wonder if my asthma had worsened during this time because I had just spent a couple weeks in Japan not eating paleo at all after eating about 97% paleo for eight months. It would make sense because my breathing was weird and it caused huge issues with my playing. But it's nice to look at how far I've come - that I returned to music school, then transferred schools, am working to rebuild my playing, have begun fairly promising chiropractic treatment for my untreatable headache disorder, and am attempting to control the asthma via food. Wow. Things are going way better than last September 10th.

A teacher once said about me (though paraphrased by another teacher), "She has what it takes to succeed, and she just might surprise us."

The asthma will not win. The headache will not win. Wait to be surprised.

 

 

 

[ellie4]

Oh I should probably explain my constant references to this headache. 

I have a rare headache disorder called New Daily Persistent Headache. Basically, I have had a constant, nonstop headache in literally every waking moment since November 7, 2014 at 10:30am. That would be 1 year, 10 months, 3 days, 16 hours, and 23 minutes at the time of writing. NDPH starts very suddenly (~85% of those with NDPH know the exact starting date) and generally occurs in people with no prior headache history. NDPH usually feels most similar to a tension headache, though many people have migraine symptoms as well.  (I have some visual symptoms.) The headache will fluctuate in intensity (though it tends to be fairly severe), but the headache NEVER goes away. It is constant, from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep, every single day. This is why NDPH sufferers always refer to it as headache in the singular and never plural - it is one headache that never stops. NDPH occurs in about 1 in every 2,000-3,000 people and it most frequently occurs in those in their teens or twenties. And now for the *best* part:

Nobody knows what causes NDPH.

Nobody knows how to cure NDPH.

Nobody really knows how to treat NDPH. 

No organization exists to promote awareness or do fundraising for NDPH.

So very little research is being done on NDPH.

 

I was diagnosed at Mayo Clinic and was essentially told that all I could do was to try lots of different medicines in the hopes that one might help a bit, but that I should expect to have a headache for the next several decades of my life. However, I decided that it was no worth the emotional toll of being a headache medicine guinea pig and instead opted to abandon the world of neurology and focus on alternative treatments. My pain level lowered drastically through Alexander Technique, and now I am beginning chiropractic treatment that seems promising. My headache now sits at a 1-2 most the time with semi-regular spikes to a 3-4, rarely up to a 5-6. I am able to function again, which is amazing. But for the first six months or so of headache, I really couldn't do much of anything.

I am definitely one of the lucky ones, and I thank God for that every day. Most people with NDPH have much more severe pain constantly, many end up dropping out of college or even high school, many are unable to continue working.  There are people who've had headaches for 10, 20, 30 years or more. It doesn't get researched because it's not life-threatening, but it is incredibly lifestyle-threatening. 

I am so lucky, so fortunate that I can continue pursuing my dream career. I want to make the most of this amazing second chance I've been given.

[ellie4]

Ha I dreamed that I updated this last night.

Day Four and Five went well. Don't have time to list the foods but lots of veggies etc. Tried eating a sweet potato and immediately had (mild) heartburn. Think I'm going to stay away from those, bummer.

[ellie4]

Day Six and seven were good. Main struggle at the moment is simply getting enough food when I don't have breaks for meals. Yesterday I had stuff from 10-7:30 with only one planned half hour break towards the end. So I took an epic bar and some nuts and carrots and an apple to eat during the day, and luckily I ended up having a short break about 11 that I could sit and eat. Also concerned that I am still fairly bloated and wondering if I may want to eliminate some of the foods sensitivities and such. I also realized that the really good asthma test I had done two years ago, I had been eating AIP for about six weeks at that time. Makes me wonder.... If I tweak anything it's going to one thing at a time though. I have to make this doable.

[ellie4]

Days 8-10 were fine. Currently on Day 11. I've decided to go ahead and follow the AIP restrictions as far my normal daily eating goes, though I may be more lenient about nightshades when eating out. Must go grocery shopping today! 

[ellie4]

Day 13 and going strong. Today I started the AIP restrictions. I have a feeling this will be better, and also that my previous amazing asthma test was when I was on AIP, so I figured that for the purposes of this experiment it might be better see how AIP affects it. Also, I don't eat eggs because they give me a stomachache and I rarely eat seeds. Nuts will be missed, but my wallet will be a bit happier without them.  Nightshades will also be missed, but soon enough I'll forget what a tomato even is. That actually happened last time I was on AIP. I was at the grocery store and I saw a tomato (not extraordinary) and I was standing there thinking "What is that? Is it a type of pepper?" Not just that I couldn't think of the word, I actually forgot what it was.

Still the school schedule whatnot that's makes this more difficult. If only there was a microwave I could use there!! 

[ellie4]

Starting day 17, woohoo! Today and yesterday have been some of the hardest days as far as wanting to eat non-Whole30 foods. I am concerned that I'm not really getting enough to eat most days - it is difficult when I can only eat one cooked meal most days. I think I'm going to try this week pre-planning my food on PaleoTrack so I can make sure that I'm getting as much as I need. Eating clean isn't really going to help if I'm not giving my body enough food.

[ellie4]

I think today would be day 23? Honestly, I am struggling very hard. I am so hungry most of the time. I know that the logical conclusion would be "eat more food" but it is very hard getting enough food in when I barely have time to eat anything. I just ate breakfast (broccoli, cauliflower, salmon, spinach, olive oil, apple) and I am still so hungry. I don't how I'm supposed to make it through the day. I am seriously considering stopping this except that I really want to do this because I think it will help my asthma a lot and that will help my playing a lot. I just don't know what to do. It's not good for me to be hungry all the time like this, I doubt it's much worse for my health than if I was just eating "normal". I don't know what to do. 

[ellie4]

I meant much better for my health. Plus, I have a hard time focusing and being productive, and I am tired a lot. 

[jmcbn]

You should not be hungry all the time, or tired, or struggling to focus...

How much exactly are you eating each day? Are you ensuring you get enough fluids? Salting your food? Including enough fat?

What did you do food wise before Whole30?

[ellie4]

My breakfast is usually veggies and meat/fish cooked in olive oil. Lunch and supper would be salads with meat/fish and olive oil. But, I never have time to eat lunch until 3:00 so that is about 8 hours after breakfast. And then lots of days I don't have more than about 20 min for supper and I am a very slow eater so it's a problem. PLus, I can't go back home to cook supper and I don't have a microwave at school. Someone suggested using a thermos, and I was going to try that for the first time today. But I am almost in tears because even after I eat I'm still hungry.

[ellie4]

Before this food was not going so well. I honestly don't know if I could say what a typical day was like because it was so varied, but I ate sandwiches a lot and I like sweets too much. 

[ellie4]

I think part of the issue too is that when I am not eating Paleo I have no appetite. I will feel slightly hungry once a week or so and that's it. I still eat because I know I need the food but hunger is a weird sensation to me. I hardly ever felt hungry from 2009 until I first tried gluten free in 2014. This was during 8th grade-high school. And ever since then it's been distinctly different when I am gluten free/paleo or on SAD. 

[jmcbn]

14 minutes ago, sarahelaine said:

usually veggies and meat/fish cooked in olive oil. Lunch and supper would be salads with meat/fish and olive oil.

How much protein in relation to the palm of your hand? How much veg (bearing in mind that 3 cups is optimum, but really we want you to FILL your plate? How much oil? Have you tried more satiating fats such as home made mayo or avocado?

The 8hr window is not a problem if the meals you;'e eating are well composed - that's what I'm trying to determine here.

Also, how much water are you drinking? Are you salting your food?

How much sleep are you getting? Are you eating within an hour of wakening? Are you stressed? Are you getting to spend time outdoors?

[ellie4]

I am just so confused what to do because I cannot adjust my school schedule in any way but I cannot go on like this, either. I'm also not sure I'm up to doing an extremely highly regulated version of this, either. I have had three years of college where my health has prevented me from being able to focus on school and I really just want to focus on school now. But the issue is that the asthma directly affects my playing so I am scared to just not do anything when I highly suspect this would help (and I have previous test results which suggest this correlation). But I feel like my relationship with food has gotten progressively worse over the last couple years since I first tried paleo.

I like to think I am the type of person who can handle a restricted diet like this but maybe I'm really not, or at least not given my current situation with school. I have 32 hours of class each week, 10-12 hours of work, and 35-40 hours of practice/reed making/studying/homework. I'm starting to seriously doubt that I can manage paleo on top of that. I know I have a tendency to push myself farther than I should, and I worried that eating paleo is yet another form of that.

But again, the asthma. I just can't make a decision.

[ellie4]

I eat avocado some, I haven't made mayo because I don't do well with eggs. I generally eat about a quarter pound of meat, today I ate a fourth of a can salmon that said it had four servings and about 2.5 cups of veggies. I haven't been measuring the olive oil but I cover about half of the bottom of the pan so it's a good amount. I drink plenty of water and I salt my food a few times a week, so maybe that's not enough, I don't know. I have been struggling with my sleep schedule - I shoot for 7 hours but this week was usually more like 6 hours. I only get to go outside when I'm walking places and none of my classrooms even have windows. I eat first thing in the morning.

[ellie4]

Yeah, I'm pretty stressed. From school but paleo has really been the #1 stressor as of late. I am constantly hungry and the only way I'm not going to be constantly hungry is if I highly regulate exactly how much and what I am eating, and that would take more energy focused on food than I want to focus on food.

I should probably also mention that when I first lost my appetite in 8th grade I began to lose weight (because I didn't eat because I wasn't hungry). I eventually became underweight, and I was accused by my doctor of having an eating disorder (which I did not). My doctor had me keep a food journal for about a year to prove that I didn't have an eating disorder, and that really messed up my relationship with food. Food has been stressful ever since. So I just want to eat in a fashion where food can run in the background without me having to think too terribly hard about it. 

That's why I'm seriously thinking that I might be better off not doing this anymore. Maybe I could eat gluten free and dairy free but not paleo. That would be like the bottom level of the Wahls Protocol. I think I could manage that better without worrying about it too much.

[jmcbn]

37 minutes ago, sarahelaine said:

Yeah, I'm pretty stressed

@sarahelaine, you sound really stressed. I'm reading your posts and I'm feeling your anxiety coming through. You have a hectic schedule by the sounds of it and I think you're putting a lot of additional pressure on yourself that isn't really needed. If Whole30 is making you uneasy about your food choices then perhaps it is an idea to take a step back & re-evaluate. Do what you feel is best for you, and if that means gluten & dairy free then so be it for now. You can ease into the rest of it once you are more comfortable with your schedule & your food choices. Take it one step at a time - maybe invest in that thermos... try bringing some blended soups along with you that are easier eaten on the hop... make healthier choices than your preW30 days, but ones that don't add pressure.... and just be the healthiest version of you that you can be for now.

Eating this way helps a lot of people deal better with stress, but if eating this way is causing you to be more stressed then maybe you need to take a step back & focus on the why.

Also, I know you said your Doctor interpreted your lack of eating as an eating disorder, but you said yourself that the subsequent food journalling messed up your relationship with food. If Whole30 is taking you back to that place then you might find >this article< useful.