New log for 9/12 start

[bbuoy10]

@margaretlogan7I'm so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I lost my mom last August, and my eating went off the charts for several months. I just didn't care. So I understand. And thanks for the encouragement!

Day 10

I actually ate three meals today and drank 10 glasses of water. Shocker!

Breakfast--Breakfast casserole and an avocado

Lunch--Approx two cups of butternut squash soup and five grass-fed beef meatballs with salsa. I think I'm going to make some ketchup. I saw a recipe with curry powder that sounds good. 

Dinner--Last serving of rosemary chicken and potatoes, and a snack pack of olives. 

[bbuoy10]

Day 11

Oh, the cravings! I'm not looking forward to tomorrow, which is Friday. That's when I have to really fight the urge to indulge in wine and junk fast food. I have an event to attend tomorrow morning, too, so I'm sure there will be breakfast pastries I'll have to ignore. I'll try to focus on the many non-scale reasons that I'm doing this. I read that people are more likely to quit on days 10 and 11, so I'm almost over that hump. Talking to my daughter today (she's eating semi-paleo) and reading Grain Brain (I have epilepsy) both helped me keep things in perspective. 

I got a very late start this morning, so I basically slept through breakfast. 

Lunch--Two-ish cups of butternut squash soup with five meatballs and salsa. I had a snack pack of olives about an hour later. 

Dinner--A slice of breakfast casserole. 

My water intake was around seven glasses today. 

I have a head of red cabbage and canned salmon that I'm going to cook tomorrow. I'm making salmon patties and tartar sauce. I'm starting with a Tessemae's mayo base for the sauce, so I'm not making it completely from scratch. I hope it turns out well. Plus, my copy of Well Fed arrived yesterday. I'll check that out for more recipes. 

[bbuoy10]

Day 12

I was barely hungry today, so I ended up only having one meal again. I went to Chipotle and had the salad, carnitas, mild salsa, and guacamole. I used my own Tessemae's balsamic dressing, and it was delicious. I didn't feel like cooking today, so it's nice to know there's at least one  Whole30 approved restaurant meal I can grab on the go. It was a bit of a struggle getting around Chipotle on crutches, but still easier than cooking. Water intake was around five glasses. So not the best day of eating, but I managed to avoid the temptation of wine and McDonald's or Five Guys. 

Onward.  

[bbuoy10]

Day 13

I didn't get up until after noon, so no breakfast this Saturday morning. 

Lunch--Last of my butternut squash soup, and six meatballs with salsa

Dinner--Last of my breakfast casserole with an avocado

Water intake was around eight glasses.

I made red cabbage with onions and green apple, and mashed sweet potatoes (with coconut oil, salt, and cinnamon) tonight. I also made homemade tartar sauce, so we'll see how that tastes tomorrow when I cook salmon cakes. 

The cravings are better, but I barely have an appetite. From what I've read, that's common and should blow over soon. 

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 14--Two weeks down!

Another two meal day. I didn't wake up until almost 1:30. My sleep schedule is clearly nonexistent. Plus, I still don't have a huge appetite. Lunch and dinner were around eight hours apart. I wasn't hungry at the five hour mark at all, so I just waited. 

Lunch--Three eggs cooked in coconut oil with salsa and an avocado. About 1/2 cup of mashed sweet potatoes. 

Dinner--Sauteed red cabbage and one salmon patty with homemade tartar sauce. So good. 

Water intake today was nine glasses. 

Onward!

[ShannonM816]

The thing about a lack of appetite is that if you keep not eating enough, you'll continue to not want to eat much. You might benefit from setting timers, plating up meals, and trying to eat on a regular schedule. Eat your first meal within an hour of waking up, set a timer for 4-5 hours later, plate up a full meal and eat as much as you can, and then do the same for your third meal. It's counterproductive to undereat -- you need the nutrition from three full meals a day if you want to really be as healthy as you can possibly be.

[bbuoy10]

Day 15--Halfway there

Thanks @ShannonM816. I ate three meals today, and I didn't have any real problems   with appetite. I feel like I ate HUGE portions during the first week or so, then had diminished appetite during the second week and barely ate. Today felt pretty spot on, but I think I needed either more fat or an extra salmon cake at lunch. 

Breakfast--Three eggs scrambled with a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of mashed sweet potatoes.

Lunch--Sautéed red cabbage, one salmon cake and tartar sauce

Dinner--Chocolate chili with mashed cauliflower

Water intake was around 6 glasses. 

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 16

I don't know what to do with myself on days I don't have to cook. I'm so used to looking up new recipes and spending time shopping for ingredients and cooking, it feels strange when my fridge is full. I'm trying to enjoy it instead of counting how many more meals I can get out of a dish before I have to do another cookup. 

Breakfast--Three scrambled eggs with mashed sweet potatoes. I bought my first carton of pastured eggs yesterday. I'm slowly making the change to more quality proteins. 

Lunch--Chocolate chili with mashed cauliflower

Dinner--Sautéed red cabbage, two salmon cakes and tartar sauce

Water intake was approximately 7 glasses.

Onward. 

[bbuoy10]

Day 17

Setting an alarm has definitely helped me get my three meals in for the last few days. Plus, my appetite is leveling out. 

M1--Three scrambled eggs with mashed sweet potatoes and about three swigs of black coffee. 

M2--Sauteed red cabbage and one salmon cake with tartar sauce. I was going to do an olive chaser, but I was full. This held me until my next meal. 

M3--Chocolate chili and mashed cauliflower. 

I'm planning to cook again this weekend. What I have now should last me until Saturday. 

Water intake today was around 9 glasses.

Onward. 

 

[bbuoy10]

Day 18

I only slept for about five hours last night, and I'm exhausted. I don't feel like hobbling downstairs for my last meal, so I'm going to log what I ate today amd get some rest. 

M1--Three eggs with lots of salsa and an avocado. I always cook my eggs in plenty of coconut oil. 

M2--Sauteed red cabbage and one salmon cake with tartar sauce and kalamata olives. 

Water intake was around 8 glasses today.

Onward (to sleep!)

[bbuoy10]

Day 19

I had more sugar cravings today, which surprised me because I'm not a sweet treat lover. I'm not even particularly fond of fruit! But when you realize that sugar is in everything in the SAD diet, my withdrawals make sense. 

I read something about berries and coconut milk and was seriously contemplating that when I realized that by eating it, I would just be giving in to a sugar-craving and having 'dessert'. A compliant dessert, but a dessert nonetheless. So I had three scrambled eggs with mashed sweet potato. That was enough sugar. 

My other meal today was Chipotle (carnitas, guac, lettuce, mild salsa) and Tessemae's balsamic dressing. This was actually my first meal of the day, which I ate way too late. I was starving by the time I stopped to eat. The fat from the oil and avocado kept me full for quite a while. 

But to GET to the Chipotle, I had to drive past blocks of bars, restaurants of every food type (but Mexican is especially popular), several liquor stores (and it's TGIF, folks!), and all of the fast food giants. The struggle is real.

Water intake was around 8 glasses. 

Onward. 

[bbuoy10]

Day 20

I placed my first order with a CSA today. I'm getting a sample box of veggies. Their season runs March -November, and I'm thinking about joining in the spring. It's a family farm that also sells a huge variety of pastured animals. CSA members get 10% off meat, and a box of veggies every week. We can even tour the farm. It's fantastic.

M1--Chocolate chili with mashed cauliflower and an avocado

M2--Thai chicken curry with cauliflower rice. The last time I cooked this, I had stomach issues. I used one can of coconut cream and one can of coconut milk then. That was my first time using coconut cream, so I only used the milk this time. I'll see if that makes a difference. 

Water intake was around 8 glasses. 

Yes, I'm still struggling with the three meals, mainly because I'm sleeping in so late now. It will be good to get back to the office and get on my regular schedule. 

Onward. 

[bbuoy10]

Day 21--Three weeks down

Today was a cooking day. I made asparagus, roasted sweet potatoes with onion and garlic, and my rosemary chicken and yukon potatoes dish. Plus, my Blue Apron order arrived today, so I have a salmon dish for later this week. I cancelled my subscription because there are no W30 or Paleo options, but this dish will be completely compliant when I substitute coconut oil for the butter they shipped. I will probably reintro butter since so many restaurants I like use it. I also want to reintro white rice, only because of sushi, which I'm happy to eat with coconut aminos. My mom and daughter were HUGE white rice fans, but I never craved it.

I probably need to freeze some of my food. I still have tons of chili. I think I'll move that to the freezer for later. That will be perfect if I need something quick. I can't believe how much I'm cooking these days. It's definitely fun to try new recipes. 

M1--Four scrambled eggs with roasted sweet potato and garlic side

M2--Chicken curry with cauliflower rice. My stomach bothered me a tiny bit last night, but nothing serious enough to make me take it out of my diet. Just some gurgling. Now I wonder if it's the curry paste. Or a combo. 

Water intake was easy 10 glasses today. 

Onward. 

[bbuoy10]

Day 22

I woke up early, but went back to sleep instead of getting up. Mistake. I felt lethargic for most of the day. 

I went to the doctor today and found out I have three more weeks on crutches, which was the last thing I wanted to hear. I'm thinking about getting an iWalk so I'm not imprisoned in my home for the next few weeks. 

Anyway, my blood pressure is definitely going down. It was 107/74 today. I've been taking meds for high blood pressure for quite a while, and it's usually in the 130s over 90-something. I'm going to keep monitoring my pressure to see if I fall back into the normal range. Otherwise, I'm in danger of my pressure dropping too low and getting lightheaded from the meds. 

M1--Asparagus, chicken, and potatoes

M2--Chicken curry and cauliflower rice

Water intake was about nine glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 23—One week to go!

I passed another major test today. I was out picking up a prescription and decided it would be nice to stop and get some iced coffee (no cream, sugar, or flavoring, of course), so I stopped at McDonald’s. This would have been significantly more difficult if I was hungry. But I’d had a delicious and very filling meal a few hours earlier, so I wasn’t hungry at all. I wouldn’t recommend trying it otherwise, at least not until all the cravings are gone. Meanwhile, this is the largest 'large' iced coffee I’ve ever had. They put it in one of their soda cups, which are massive!

M1—rosemary chicken and potatoes, and asparagus

M2—chicken curry with cauliflower rice

Snack—ginormous black iced coffee

Water intake was around 9 glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 24

I passed yet another test today. Just to get out of the house, I went to McDonald’s again for another ginormous iced black coffee—and I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. I make a point of using all the knowledge I have about how bad the SAD diet is when I go to restaurants like McDonald’s.

I’ve been thinking a lot about post-Whole30 life. I think I’ll head over to that forum to see what other people have done.

M1—Three scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (Changing Seas from Whole Foods) and roasted sweet potatoes. This was DELICIOUS but too much food for me. I think I’ll drop it down to two eggs and reduce the amount of sweet potatoes.

M2— Rosemary chicken and potatoes, and asparagus

Snack—another ginormous black iced coffee and a bottle of Mg Mivela sparkling water with magnesium. I purchased the Mivela weeks ago as an emergency go-to if I was craving wine.  It’s very refreshing.

Water intake was around 9 glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 25

After reading through a few posts in the Off Track/Staying on Track forum, I decided to buy Food Freedom Forever last night. I have a small list of specific foods I want to reintroduce in a few categories, but I’m not sure if I’m going to tackle all of them until I’ve lost more weight and, more importantly, my cravings are better controlled. I was planning to continue eating according to Whole30 guidelines with the exception of 8-10 ‘off-plan’ days I’ve identified over the next two months (the first of which is Day 31, but I indulged and bought lovely lamb chops to help me get back on track on Day 32). So I was moving more towards a lifestyle change anyway—the bbuoy10 Diet. Food Freedom Forever came along at the perfect time for me. I don’t see a reason to go back to eating SAD food (why?). It will make me feel horrible, depressed, and out of control, and I know from experience that I’ll gain weight. I already have high blood pressure and epilepsy, and I was concerned that diabetes was around the corner. The connection between gluten/grain and neurodegenerative diseases means that those foods are going to be greatly reduced in my day-to-day diet…which is a perfect segue to discuss the battle I have with wine.

Like many people who finish the Whole30, one of the first things I planned to ‘reintroduce’ (even though I know how it’s going to make me feel) was wine. However, wine is a drink without brakes for me, so I was having second thoughts about having even one celebratory glass on Day 31. It’s too easy for one glass to turn into four. It ruins my sleep, gives me a hangover, etc. Lo and behold, I found an old thread where someone suggested that a forum member substitute high-quality whiskey/bourbon/scotch for beer and wine. This is a drink you would sip slowly and savor (no mixers), and it’s expensive enough that you won’t go crazy. I thought this was a great idea except that bourbon, which I like, is made out of grains. Then someone mentioned potato vodka in the thread. So today I bought a lovely bottle of Boyd and Blair potato vodka. It’s sitting on my kitchen counter waiting for me to celebrate the end of my 30 days. I actually don’t know how my body is going to react to this particular vodka, so we’ll see. But I’m certain that I’m not going to finish a fifth of vodka in one night. Like I told my daughter, if I do, I’ve got much bigger problems.

M1—Two fried eggs with smoked salmon and roasted sweet potatoes. Cup of black coffee. This was the perfect amount of food, but I think I’ll scramble the eggs and salmon tomorrow. I like it better that way.

M2— Rosemary chicken and potatoes

Snacks—Yet another ginormous black iced coffee, and lots of Kalamata olives tonight while I was chatting with my daughter

Water intake was around 7 glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 26

I realized today that I need to take a hiatus from the white potatoes. They are definitely food without brakes for me, but I also think they might be affecting my weight. I have two bags of green leafy veggies in my kitchen that I’m going to sautee this weekend. I also have a bunch of heartier veggies that I want to roast for meals next week. I need to push the white potatoes off my plate for a bit.

M1— Rosemary chicken and (white) potatoes. Had dinner for breakfast today. Yum.

M2—Salmon cake and sautéed red cabbage with Primal Kitchen avocado mayo.

M3—Chicken salad. Oh. My. Goodness. I’ve been looking forward to this for a few days, and although I don’t like to cook on Friday night, I really wanted to try this dish. It turned out even better than I thought it would. I used a naked chicken from Whole Foods, walnuts, dried dill, Primal Kitchen avocado mayo, red grapes, fuji apples, red onion, and kosher salt. I’m not a big fruit or nut eater, but the sweet and savory come together so well in this simple dish. Pretty quick to make. No stove needed. Easy clean up.  

Water intake was about 8 glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 27

I’ve definitely decided to pull out the potatoes for a while. Since I can’t put any weight on my left foot and I’m working from home, I just don’t get enough exercise to justify eating lots of potatoes every day. I’m roasting some carby veggies tomorrow (beets, carrots, and onions), so I’m not ditching carbohydrates. But I’m a potato junky. In fact, one of the things I’m looking forward to eating on Day 31 is french fries from Five Guys with sugary ketchup. Not a healthy relationship. Plus, I need to mix it up with the veggies.

M1— Chicken salad. Every bit as delicious as yesterday. This is definitely one of my W30 favorites. The only thing that worries me is the fruit and nuts. I’m sure part of the reason this is so delicious is the sugar from the fruit.

M2—The last of the chicken salad. I didn’t mean to finish it tonight but I got hungry before I finished roasting my softer/lower-carb veggies tonight (mushrooms, tomatoes, okra, bell pepper, squash, and zucchini) and cooking salmon cakes. (Actually, I decided to make the cakes tomorrow.)

Snack—cup of black coffee

Water intake was pathetic, around 6 glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 28

Today was a cooking day, and I'm exhausted. I made chicken stock for the first time, so no more running around looking for compliant brands. My daughter started Whole30 today and found out quickly that there's no grocery store mayo that she can use. She, like many of us, thought the olive oil mayo was safe. I wish I could have saved her from that heartache, but it's probably best that she learned that lesson herself. 

I was thinking again today about Day 31 and what I'm going to eat on this scheduled 'off-plan' day. There's no shortage of food to indulge in, but I'm not sure it's worth the risk. I was looking at the menu for a local restaurant (award winning burgers), and I just don't know if my body can handle a dairy, grain, seed oil, sugar bomb meal from there. I think I would be absolutely miserable. Maybe I'll just have the one thing I'm semi-craving and that's Five Guys fries with regular ole Heinz ketchup. I don't want to go crazy and eat a bunch of crap just because IT'S DAY 31 AND I MADE IT! I'm afraid that would undo my progress and turn into a binge. Thirty days isn't that long in the big scheme of things, and I want this to be a lifestyle change. 

M1—Two scrambled eggs with two pieces of smoked salmon with roasted sweet potatoes.

M2—Salmon patty and mixed roasted veggies with a generous helping of mayo on both. YUMMMMMM. I love mayo. On anything. And I have ever since my great uncle introduced me to collard greens and mayo as a child. Everyone else thinks it's disgusting. Oh, well. 

Snack--large black iced coffee from McDonald's. I want to break this habit. I don't even like coffee that much, but it does give me a reason to get out of the house (drive through, no crutches required!). It was packed at Mickey D's today! Line around the building. Wow. 

Water intake was 9 glasses. 

I'm still only having two meals on most days, but I think this will right itself once I start going into the office every day again (two weeks). I can't gauge my energy levels accurately yet either because I'm not sleeping on a schedule, which is my fault. My inner night owl has taken over since all I have to do is roll over and log on in the morning. But the brain fog is almost non-existent. Whatever issues I'm having now is almost surely due to my wacky sleep schedule. 

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 29

Almost there! I really can’t believe I’m almost done. I remember the first time I attempted a Whole30. I don’t know if I lasted more than a day. When I realized that sugar was in everything (even Amy’s? How can this be?!), I felt like I would starve if I tried to complete this reset. I hadn’t read the book, so I didn’t have any of that motivation to keep me going. Of course, as every Whole30-er knows, you have to cook. A lot. From scratch. And grocery shop. A lot. There are no shortcuts, unless you’re wealthy enough to afford 30 days of meal service, and that totally defeats the purpose. That definitely won’t lead to a long-term lifestyle change.

M1—Chocolate chili with a swirl of coconut milk.

M2—Three fried eggs with salsa and a side of mixed roasted veggies with mayo

M3—Salmon patty with mixed roasted veggies with mayo

Snack—large iced black coffee

I’ve noticed some bloating and gas since I started eating my roasted veggies. Nothing serious or really painful. Not sure which one(s) is the culprit.

Water intake was about 6 glasses.

Onward.

[bbuoy10]

Day 30!

I just cannot believe I made it 30 days, especially when I think about where my diet was before I started. It definitely makes me feel like I can do anything. I actually had another experience in the last couple of months that reinforced that realization, too (finishing a half-marathon with a broken foot, long story).

I haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to post in the success stories tomorrow, but I probably will. I’m going to start a post-W30 log since I’m going to continue eating this way for a while, one to support my daughter, who’s doing her first W30, and two because I still have a few things I need to work on (getting enough sleep, eating three meals a day, drinking enough water, exercising, weight loss, etc.). I will, however, enjoy at least one of the two things that I think are worth it tomorrow—french fries from Five Guys with sugary Heinz ketchup (and probably a bacon burger, no bun). That means sugar and peanut oil are the first two things coming back into my diet. I may have my potato vodka, too. Undecided since I really don’t want to feel like crap the next day. 

I am still amazed at how many items have added sugar. Grilled mushrooms at FG have sugar AND high fructose corn syrup. I don’t even know what that means.

M1—Two scrambled eggs with one slice of smoked salmon and roasted sweet potatoes (I really don’t like to eat the eggs and salmon alone) and a cup of black coffee.

M2—Chicken coconut curry over cauliflower. The time between M1 and M2 was way too long (8.5-9 hours). I could have shortened it (and should have), but I didn’t want the chili in the fridge as much as I wanted the curry. But I had absolutely no energy by the time I got around to making dinner. Of course, I was starving, so I inhaled my food.

Snack—Pack of Kalamata olives

Instead of grabbing a huge iced coffee today, I bought a pack of sparkling water (unflavored, I’m not a soda or flavored water person). I don’t even particularly like coffee, and it’s clearly messing with my sleep patterns. It’s just a habit. It’s as if I need something to keep my hands busy? I don’t know, but I’m like this with other not-so-good-for-me items, like alcohol. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on here.

Water intake was around 6 glasses.

Onward.