chillenb-Round 2 log 9/21/16

[Chillenb]

I did a Whole 30 in March and I was overall pretty happy with it, but I didn't get what I was expecting out of it. I think the biggest challenge was that I did not know what I wanted to get out of it.

There were a few hurdles, and other challenges, but I did it, and that was the biggest thing for me. So as of yesterday I am in it for round 2. I have done it once and I can do it again.

So here we are. My one goal that comes to mind this time around is no coffee after 12pm. No more than 2 cups (I usually have two travel mugs, and it is harder to limit myself on weekends). Drink more water. I am going to try to work in some more exercise. I already walk my dog regularly, but I hope to play tennis and volleyball as well. I would like to get back in the habit of weekend hikes. It has been so hot this summer that it has been hard. I also took before pictures this time around because I don't think weight tell everything. Another advantage is that I have a CSA coming once a week, so that bolsters the veggies that I have, and we still have quite the growing season left in NY.

I did a fair amount of prep on Tuesday night, and I will be going grocery shopping this weekend.

Day 1(Recap)

Breakfast: 3 (extra-large) deviled eggs and roasted potato and cauliflower. A pretty white meal, so not idea, but I got my fat, protein and veggies.

Lunch: Salad with balsamic dressing, cucumber, lettuce, leftover ribs, and a tiny bit of cauliflower (didn't plan enough room to put all I anticipated in).

Dinner: Leftover ribs, spaghetti squash, roasted tomatoes and fennel, and balsamic dressing for fat.

Snacks: A small handful of cashews spread throughout the day.

Exercise

Tennis, dog walk(s), Richard Simmons work out video with my neighbor

Observation

- I forgot about the fennel seeds to freshen breath. I will have to add them to my purse (I think I have them from last time)

- I need to make some dressing/sauces/clarified butter for fats.

I am happy to have feedback if folks feel like it would be helpful.

[Chillenb]

Day 2 Recap

As I write this on day 3, even though I reminded myself in the morning, I forgot my fennel seeds, so that is a bit of a letdown. I was a touch more cranky/sensitive than I usually am yesterday. Nothing too bad.

Food

2 cups of black coffee before 12pm. (I had two cups yesterday as well)

Breakfast – 3 hard boiled eggs and a large smoothie (not recommended but compliant). Added some coconut oil for fat, and some chia seeds that I needed to use up. Mostly green with a handful or so of mango. The smoothie kept me full and satiated until my regular lunchtime. I knew I was going to be eating a little late so I had a small handful of cashews.  I probably could of help off.

(right now nuts are the only snack food I have until I go shopping this weekend, so I am mindful to only have a little bit at a time).

Lunch- Leftover ribs, spaghetti squash mixed with roasted tomatoes and fennel. I forgot to add a healthy fat (it was going to be a balsamic dressing).

Snack- 2 deviled eggs

Dinner- 2 chicken legs (I was completely stuffed and couldn’t eat the third), roasted broccoli and Cauliflower. I also forgot to add the healthy fat to this meal, but I felt fine. Forgetting the fat is not a good habit to get into. It might have been because I had my snack when I got home from work and only an hour, hour and a half, or so before dinner.

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I did not work out. I did go for a few short(ish) walks with the pup. We probably walked about 2 miles all together between the morning and night. I did walk a bit at work, and did a meditation.

--

On some more reflection about NSV goals- My sleep has been off for a while. Waking up throughout the night, I sometimes have a bit of a challenge falling back to sleep. I imagine more exercise and a weeklong (not just week vs weekend) routine will help with that.  I would like to continue to strive to meditate more often/daily.

I woke up a bit through the night so that was less than fun. I couldn’t seem to fall back asleep at 3am. If it was a little later I might have just gotten up and done stuff. I have Well Fed rented from the library because I have heard so many good things.

We will see what today brings! I have had my breakfast and am working on my first cup of coffee, with a pork roast in the slow cooker (that might have been a little frozen when I put it in so fingers crossed).

[Chillenb]

Day 3

Breakfast -

Breakfast bake (leftover roasted potatoes, broccoli stems, onion, garlic, Swiss chard and about 9 eggs mixed with a splash or so of water). Mixed in Mayo once it was warm for a healthy fat. 

Lunch-

salad with two leftover chicken leg meat, cucumber, 1 HB egg, lettuce and balsamic dressing. Definitely did not add enough fat to this but was quite hungry about 3 hours later and it was a ton of food.

Snack-

Finished off my cashews in my desk drawer. Will brainstorm snack ideas. I got talking with my neighbor about it. Probably protein salad or something. With the goal to transition from snacks. 

Dinner-

Khalua pork, leftover roasted cauliflower, leftover roasted potatoes (with added coconut oil to both veggies), salad with red pepper, cucumbers, lettuce and ranch dressing. The ranch was quite zippy because I added a bunch of lemon but not terrible. Made blueberry water for something different. 

Exercise

one and a half walks with the pup. Thank goodness for animals.

 

Observations

i may be starting to get a headache but I might be tired. 

I am very interested in trying homemade kombucha but it will likely wait for another day. 

 

Not too grotchy and my patience seemed to come back. Onto day 4 tomorrow!

[Chillenb]

So I am a wee bit behind on the recaps. I am going to try really hard to remember what I had each meal, I know all were compliant….

Day 4

Two cups of black coffee.

Breakfast- Leftover breakfast bake with the leftover dressing. There wasn’t a lot of it. I don’t know if it was enough but I did okay until I got to lunch.

Lunch- Leftover pork, the rest of the cauliflower and potatoes with the balsamic dressing over all of it. I ran out of mayo, and it was a pretty white meal, but it was compliant. I am trying to be mindful of having colorful bowl!

Went to a farm stand and went to get new Tupperware containers so I had enough for what I’m cooking. I ended up getting pyrex but I regret it just a touch. Should have gotten something that seals better.  

Dinner- Leftover pork, and left over salad. I made mayo earlier in the day trying the immersion blender and it broke (never again), so I turned it into a dressing. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t remarkable either.

Snack- half of a kombucha after I went grocery shopping. My bill was not where I would like it to be, mostly because I had most of what I needed, but I figure for a month it won't break my bank. (or at least I hope not).

Exercise- Walked the pup.

 

Day 5

Two cups of black coffee. My pot makes I think 6 or 8 cups regularly and I don’t finish the whole thing, but I do only fill up my mug. I was very happy that I didn’t drink more over the weekend. I tend to on Saturday in particular because I visit my parents and they always have some, and I prefer it to water.

Breakfast- Breakfast bake with avocado, one of the perks of the grocery trip

Lunch-  Leftover pork, avocado, spinach and a carrot. I also heated up some orange juice to drizzle over the top to see if it would wilt the spinach- Spoiler- it didn’t make that much of a difference.

I did a big cook up throughout the day, but it took quite a while, but hopefully will leave me in good shape. I roasted potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts. Riced some butternut squash (because it sounds fun), and cauliflower (that was a learning process). Made a double batch of mayo (in the food processor which is by far my favorite way), I gave half of the batch to my neighbor who is also doing the W30 and doesn’t have a food processor. Cut up some red pepper and celery. I also roasted the rest of the pork roast overnight in the slow cooker, so I have a bunch of that (I will likely freeze a bit of it).  

 Dinner- Sautéed some shallot, garlic, beet greens (the beets are going to be saved), and summer squash and then I fried four eggs on top.

Snack- I munched on what I was cooking when I was cooking. I also drank the other half of the kombucha

Later in the day I also tried meatballs (which were annoying, so now I have lovely spiced ground beef), hard boiled a dozen eggs in the oven.

 

Exercise- I walked my pup a bunch. I am lazy J We did go down to look at a village festival and that was fun, so I will take that.

I was so tired mid day on Sunday, but my energy picked up a little later. Otherwise I have not noticed too many changes. Besides I'm cooking a lot more veggies

On to day 6!

[Chillenb]

Day 6- Recap

One cup of black coffee (I might make this a new goal)

Breakfast- Finishing up the breakfast bake, orange, and half an avocado.

-          Mid morning I had some tea to replace my regular coffee schedule.

Lunch - Rest of the beet green sautéed, roasted pork instead of eggs (I think I am going to freeze the second batch of pork) and the other half of the avocado.

Snack- Hard boiled eggs (2), and red peppers. I also had a cup of black tea in the afternoon. I was going to get caffeine free, but I didn’t check before I bought it, and I figure it has less caffeine than coffee.

Second Snack – (probably more habit than hunger), deviled egg and a little bit of ground beef. It was only an hour or so until dinner, but I was worried it would take longer than anticipated to make, and I can get cranky when I’m hungry, plus I spent all day tired and ready for a nap.

Dinner- Melissa Stir-fry (can’t remember the proper name but it’s from the book)- so delicious! With a salad and creamy balsamic dressing (so good, and so tangy).

Observations-

I did pretty good drinking water. I was so tired all day, and that was quite a challenge. I think that I am eating enough of all of the parts, but I am trying to remember is I ate more or less last time. Which is why I am here with the log- To keep track.

Also to keep in mind I am (unfortunately) right on track for the timeline. I don’t remember being this tired last time.

No exercise minus the regular dog walks. (2-3 miles a day is our average, sometimes more, sometimes less).  I was going to play tennis after work but forgot my shoes. It  was quite a Monday

I know the general rule for snacking is if you can eat a plain hard boiled egg or steamed fish. I find I kind of like those things, so I am also working into the rotation if I could eat a salad. I don't love lettuce salad (give me a massaged kale salad anytime though).

Okay! All done rambling for now.

[Chillenb]

Another observation! I snack a bunch when I cook. I noticed that when I was trying a cook-up on Sunday. All healthy things, but I like to test as I go....

[Chillenb]

Day 7 Recap

Breakfast- The last of the breakfast bake (thank goodness), with avocado (such a delicious healthy fat. I should probably budget for more) and an orange

One black Coffee and a tea. I am feeling fine about having one cup a day. The hardest part is the habit of having something besides water to drink (hello tea), and the habit of getting a second/third cup at specific times.

Lunch- Salad (Lettuce, Cucumber, red pepper, and ground beef) with creamy balsamic dressing and avocado

Herbal tea in the afternoon. I am bringing more into work.

Snack- A single hard boiled egg for no other reason than I didn’t think it would transport back well (justifying a snack. I did not need to eat it)

Dinner- Roasted butternut squash and Brussel sprouts with pulled pork (which is never ending, delicious, but never ending), and an orange. I ended up eating the orange after I finished the meal because I forgotabout it until I finished

Exercise- Dog walks (about 2 times up and down the street= 2 miles), and two hours of volleyball. (I had a huge stain on my shirt that I forgot about until I got there. )

Observations- The volleyball helped me stay awake and gave me a second wind coming home. I meditated yesterday morning and that was a nice change of pace. I think I slept all the way through the night on Monday night (into Tuesday morning, if that makes sense), which was huge. I got up this morning and I thought the clock said 3, but when I got back into bed my alarm went off right away, so I may have misread it, or I may have fallen right back to sleep. I love a good sleep habit

 

[Chillenb]

Day 8 Recap- (Let’s see if I remember)

Breakfast- shapeless meatballs (ground beef), roasted Brussel sprouts and potatoes with creamy balsamic dressing (so delicious)

One cup of black coffee and a bunch of water (throughout the day)

Lunch- Kahlua Pork (I finally put the second half of this in the freezer because it seemed never ending), roasted butternut squash, and cauliflower, with coconut oil.

Snack- Caffeine free tea, snow peas, red pepper and ranch dressing with a hard-boiled egg. It was a similar thing to the previous day that I knew I was playing tennis and figured it would be a good idea, but I wasn't hungry I did not however eat the second hard-boiled egg, and it made it home in one piece, so there goes that argument.

Dinner- My very kind neighbor made me rock fish with spices/seasoning, potatoes, and green beans and tomatoes. It was delicious, with some clarified butter for added fat.

I ended up snacking on a bit of pork when I was putting it in freezer bags. I wasn't hungry but it was there, an dI realized it at the time. The next step is to do something different next time. That worked well for the hard-boiled eggs.

Exercise- Tennis with my coworker after work, it was a good workout.

Observations- I had more cravings yesterday than I have had up to this point. I did fine with them, but still debating them more than usual. I found a couple of good threads on the forum that I read though which is always a good centering for me. My energy was much higher yesterday than Monday or Tuesday so that was a nice perk. Overall I have been having a very off week, and I can’t even blame the full moon.

[Chillenb]

Day 9 Recap

Breakfast- Ground Beef, butternut squash and potatoes and half an avocado.

Black coffee

Lunch- Last of the pulled pork, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts with half an avocado  

Snack- I didn’t have a snack yesterday until I got home. I had two deviled eggs and some snow peas while I was cooking. I was definietly hungry. I got home late and didn't eat my snack until 6ish.

Peppermint tea

Dinner- Mushroom, snow pea, and shrimp stir fry (not my best attempt at a stir fry, but it was edible). I was lacking a bit of healthy fat. I did put a touch of sesame oil, not enough. I think I need to make up some dressing. The healthy fat has been more challenging lately.

I also did really well drinking water throughout the day.

Exercise- Walks with the pup. A shorter walk  in the morning than usual because of the rain, so probably 2-2 ½ miles between 3 walks if I had to guess.  

Last night (Thursday), I was up all throughout the night, not fun. I just got a new phone (my old phone went kaput), and maybe I was just worried it might die before the alarm went off in the morning?  

[Chillenb]

Day 12 Recap

I don’t really remember what I had for Friday and Saturday (the downside of not checking in on weekends). I do know that I finished my stir Fry (made a mayo dressing with rice wine vinegar and coconut aminos and mayo for a fat and that was pretty good). Finished my riced cauliflower and butternut squash (not my favorite), finished the pulled pork, and the ground beef, along with the rest of the veggies I had in the fridge. I do know that I didn’t include a fat for some of my meals. It continues to be a struggle, but I am trying to remember that and try harder next time.  I did much better not snacking over the weekend for the most part. I did end up having a hard-boiled egg on Sat and Sunday as a snack and ended up not being hungry for dinner, so I ate quite late on Saturday.

For the food on Sunday (Day 12)-

One cup of black coffee, I am doing really well sticking to that. I am tempted to cut out coffee, but I few weeks ago I bought a 5lb bag thinking I would need it soon. Spoiler I still have the coffee I was using before. I also genuinely love the taste of coffee. So I might push that back some.

Breakfast- 4 eggs, roasted tomatoes, and kale salad (so delicious), I am pretty sure I added balsamic mayo to this all, but I am not 100% sure. I might have missed the fat. Surprisingly even when I am forgetting a fat I haven’t been getting that hungry, or I can push back snacking. I also think I had an orange with breakfast maybe?

Lunch- Beef roast, potatoes, carrots, and kale salad. I officially made gravy for the first time with arrowroot powder. I think I added a bit too much.

Dinner- Sunday was one of those days I wasn’t really hungry for dinner, but I was because I did have a snack. I had a plain hard-boiled egg and snacked a bit on what I was making when I was doing my cook up in the afternoon. I ended up having an egg with mayo right before bed because I didn’t eat dinner and figured I should at least eat something.

I also had a fair amount of water, and water with a splash of apple cider. I have to be mindful not to do that too often, or not to add too much juice.

For my cook up I made- a double batch of mayo, red roasted carrots, roasted beets, roasted butternut squash. I have some dark greens to make it through the week, plus the spinach meat muffins which are pretty much a complete meal minus the fat. I also have some leftover roasted chicken from Friday. It got a bit dry, so I don’t think it is my favorite recipe.

So far today (Day 13), I have had meat and spinach muffins (that crumbled, so it ended up being a combination), with some balsamic mayo on top. It was quite delicious. I also have some leftover pot roast with potatoes and carrots. The Forest Feast has these delicious red roasted carrots and I am addicted to them. I used the same spices on butternut squash and that was also delicious.   

[Chillenb]

So I have apparently lost steam updating my W30 log. Let’s see if I can get it back.

I have 4 days left (Friday is my day 30), and so far it has been going okay. Still don’t feel like I have Tiger blood, but didn’t last time I did this either.

Yesterday

Breakfast-  Chocolate Chili (made a double batch, but I prefer the flavor of a single batch), with sweet potato, and a cup of black coffee. I don’t think I remembered the fat. That has been the biggest struggle this time around and for the life of me I can’t seem to remember what I did last time. Maybe just lots of clarified butter? I am not getting hungry really between meals so I don’t know if I actually need to add that much more to my meals.

Lunch- Vampire Fighting, Paleo Style over leftover delicate squash (it’s a pork stew with apples). I am trying to up my veggie intake. And my trying I mean thinking about it, because I don’t seem to succeed as often as I would like. I add a bunch of cabbage to the stew at the same time as the apple and it all cooks down in the last half an hour.   While making this on Sunday I ate a little bit of the apple I was cutting up. So good. Forgot how much I like apples. It’s been forever since I have just eaten one. My fruit of choice tends to be oranges and bananas.

Dinner- Kale salad massaged with oil and salt, sweet potatoes, broccoli stems, and freezer stash Kahlua pork.  Added some W30 book ranch (so delicious- the dressings are one of my favorite parts-if only I thought them through more to add them to my other meals outside of salad). I had a small glass of kombucha.

Today

Breakfast- Chocolate Chili over leftover sweet potato and delicate squash. I blended some coconut cream with my coffee for flat. Fun realization- I prefer my coffee black. I never thought I would say that in my life.

Lunch (Planned)- left over kale salad from last night with ranch dressing. I have stopped backing a snack for work because I rarely need one before I get home. I will sometimes have deviled eggs once I am home and I need to pay closer attention to hunger versus habit.

Dinner- Something to be decided. Although it is typically better to decide sooner rather than later

Contemplations so far.

I have not really noticed an increase of energy. I am doing well on less coffee and am considering a sabbatical from it. I don’t feel the best that I have, but I can’t put my finger on it. I am walking a bit less, so it is tiring to walk up the stairs for work (which means that I need to keep doing it and not give into the elevator). I did join the gym but I need to go to it to get any benefit. My biggest reason for putting it off, even though it is a great deal, is that it’s not a great deal if I don’t use it.

I have not been sticking with an increase of exercise goal, but perhaps because I was not specific enough with my goal. Exercising more is very different than I will work out for an hour+ 3 times a week, or something like that.

I am contemplating another W30 for January, but am starting to wonder why I am planning to go off track to need it. I imagine it will be challenging over the holidays, but perhaps not as much as it once was. I do a pretty good job of turning down dessert, unless I start to eat it. Then it doesn’t go well.

I need to start planning my post-whole 30 plan. This is what caught me off guard last time. Started strong and then a week or two after I ended up eating a gigantic cookie a day for about a month. Plus wine/beer when I was cooking, ice cream, and just over indulging in general. I need to outline my rules, I do well with rules, but am not great at sticking with them when they are self-enforced. Which is counter-intuitive as I am the only one enforcing the W30 rules and I can stop at any point, but I don’t  give in because I want to see it through. As they say 30 days is not hard, what is hard is thinking about what I am going to do post-30 days. How am I going to make this worth the time I have put into it.

[shenoa423]

I can really relate to you.  Everything, your eating habbits, your self reasoning and self sabotage.  Thanks for posting.  Good read.

[Chillenb]

@shenoa423 Thanks for reading! Glad that you got something from it. Also that you are okay with my rambling and reasonings

[Chillenb]

Yesterday M3- Leftover sautéed Swiss chard, the last of the kale salad with raisins, sweet potato and broccoli stems. With the last of the pulled pork and some hard boiled eggs to up the protein, covered all of it with ranch dressing. I realized I think I left out raisins from yesterday’s salad, and I also had an apple with breakfast yesterday. The day before a banana with breakfast, and an apple and banana with lunch, so please add those in. Funny how I conveniently forgot to add the fruit to yesterday’s post. I haven’t eaten a lot this time around, but I had a bit of a sugar craving.

I played volley ball for a couple of hours last night.

This morning’s breakfast was chocolate chili on top of potatoes that I cooked in the slow cooker overnight. I added some clarified butter for fat, had a small glass of Kombucha, along with a cup of black coffee that I brought to work. I am lacking green and non-starchy veggies, but I didn’t have any options this morning besides cabbage, and I am going to use that for a slaw tonight. I am also planning on stopping by the farm market for some veggies to up my stash. I do like to have a range of colors in my meals, but I have been struggling with that. I am noticing a lot of orange veggies in my diet…..

I have the pork stew for lunch again (it’s the last of it, which is quite sad for me). I was thinking about having an apple with it (extra apple is delicious), however considering I forgot the fat (again), I should probably avoid the starches.

I am recognizing it is not as helpful for me to keep lamenting on the fact I forgot to add a fat, just use that effort to kick my behind into gear to remember it.

I am set to do some yoga during lunch today, and I am surprising motivated to exercise after work (we will see how strong that motivation is once my day is done). I didn’t pack a snack and am thinking today might have been a good day to do that.

 

 

I also noticed a ton of typos last time...woops.

[Chillenb]

Update- Maybe a log isn’t what I need to be doing, I can’t seem to keep up with it.

Wednesday I went to the gym after work for the first time in forever. It went well. I went grocery shopping, and didn’t eat until I cooked dinner, which was a good amount of time, but I really wanted to buy a friggin rotisserie chicken, but I didn’t, and I didn’t die. The chicken I ended up cooking was delicious. I had it with a salad mix, and roasted Brussel sprouts. I think I added the rest of my ranch. I went to bed late because of the debate. Advise for those who watch the debate(s)- It is so much more fun playing bingo while watching. And corralling dogs, that adds a distraction.

Thursday M1 (I need to translate to M1-3 versus breakfast lunch dinner).

M1- Chocolate Chili (I have 4 cups left in my fridge that I am going to move over to my freezer, it’s been a week-or just eat a lot of chili today/tomorrow), sweet potato (cooked in the slow cooker overnight), and Brussel Sprouts.

M2 - Chicken, sweet potato, and some Brussel Sprouts if I am remembering right, I can’t remember for the life of me what the fat was…I think maybe clarified butter? I also think I used up the last of that on Wednesday…

M3 – Chicken thighs, roasted broccoli, and squash. So delicious.  I had it with some mayo and just dipped the broccoli in it. Another thing I never thought I would say in my life. I used to hate mayo, and I still can’t get over how commercial mayo looks. I love my homemade mayo always though.

Friday- Ate breakfast at home within an hour of waking up. I seem to remember doing a better job with this last time. I have not been doing this this time. I usually wake up 6ish and don’t eat until 8ish. I also don’t typically drink coffee until after 8ish. The hard part can be timing for me, and that I always need to do dishes before I leave because my dog likes to find treats in the sink…… And I’m not home so I can’t correct her; however it lends itself to a very clean kitchen.

That aside, M1 - I had chicken drumsticks, lemon oil slaw (so good from W30 book), broccoli and some white potatoes with coconut oil. I didn’t enjoy the white potatoes so I didn’t finish them.

 I had a moment of thinking about satisfaction, and not eating something that doesn’t taste good to you (I am guilty of continuing to eat it until it was gone), and needing to fuel yourself.  At what point do you say “I’m stuffed so I’m not going to keep eating”, or “this is a meal that I need but it doesn’t taste good”? I ate most of my food minus a couple of potatoes so I had some good veggies. Just some food for my thoughts.

M2- I have planned slaw, chicken and broccoli with coconut oil.

I brought gym clothes for after work. Let’s see if I can keep up the momentum in the rain.

 

Today is day 30 and I have yet to figure out what I want to reintroduce...