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Seeking food freedom


rhed

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While I love the Whole30, I'm tired of bouncing around between it and less healthy habits. I want my eating habits to be steady, and controlled, and healthy. I want my body to know what to expect, and I want to know exactly what to expect from my body when I do choose to eat a less healthy food or beverage. I want the food freedom Melissa Hartwig describes in Food Freedom Forever. I know it will be work, but I think it's worth working for.

Yesterday was Day 1. I've had to cut down on the number of eggs I eat, so I'm struggling with my protein portion in the morning. I also struggle with hunger -- actual hunger -- in the late afternoons, so I need to start planning for that so it's easier to make healthier choices. Tomorrow evening I'll stop at the store and get some more protein for breakfast, and also chicken to grill/bake to have for mini meals (likely with guac or mayo/sauce and carrots).

Meal 1: Ground beef (portion size was too low), sweet potatoes, topped with mayo. Coffee, 3 cups. Breakfast around 6:30, lasted me till 11.

Between: I had herbal tea instead of my customary coffee -- I'm trying to decrease the amount of coffee I drink.

Meal 2 (11:15): Tuna salad (w/ red onion and mayo), 2 hard boiled eggs, and a pile of carrots and celery. Could have used more veg.

Snack (3:30 pm): Epic bar. 

Meal 3 (5:30): chili verde. While good, it wasn't enough veggies. There were 10 or 11 tomatillos and some peppers blended up to make the sauce, but it was mostly pork. So I had enough protein and enough fat (I added a serving of guac, plus the pork was dredged in coconut flour). I should have used the guac as a dip for carrots and celery to make up for the lack of veg in the soup.

I was still hungry after Meal 3. I didn't have any easy protein, so I ended up having a handful of grapes around 8:30.

Water: 120 oz. (1/2 ounce per pound)

Challenges:

1. Snacking. I need to bump up my meals to be sure I have enough veg, protein and fat in each one, or make sure I'm eating mini meals instead of epic bars or fruit.

2. Coffee. I'll be working to get this down over the next month.

3. Workout meals: I didn't do pre or post workout meals yesterday, because I didn't have anything "easy". So I need to get that in line too. (Maybe I should go to the store tonight instead of tomorrow...)

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Holy hangover, Batman! I struggled not to fall asleep at my desk yesterday afternoon. I even went outside to sit in the sun and read for a bit to try to wake up. Didn't work. And I can feel the sleepiness in me now. Ugh.

Day 2

1 (6:30): ground beef, sweet potatoes, spinach, topped with mayo. Coffee, 3 cups.

2 (11): chili verde, handful of grapes

Between: 1 large c coffee. I normally don't drink coffee after lunch, but I was dying and desperate.

3 (7): pork meatballs, mashed red potatoes, sauteed green bell peppers and onion, 1/4 c applesauce, spicy coconut mayo.

Water: 132 ounces.

 

Day 3 (so far)

Failed to eat pre/post WO.

1 (6:30): gr beef (upped the portion today), sweet potatoes, greens, topped with mayo. Coffee, 3 cups.

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Hi @rhed,

I am a fairly new Whole30 fan, my first re-set being in August and finishing up my second now.  But like you, I am seeking Food Freedom.  Not just the weight loss, which is great, but I've done that before... many times.  I want this to be the last time I need to shed excess weight and I want health and strength into my retirement years.

Congratulations on your healthy choices!   I understand, from the book, that it takes re-set, re-introduction and repeat as necessary before we learn enough about the way we are nourishing our bodies and how each responds to certain foods, so that we can find that Food Freedom.  I agree.  It will be work, but worth it.  

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Day 3

1 (6:30): gr beef (upped the portion today), sweet potatoes, greens, topped with mayo. Coffee, 3 cups.

2 (11:15): pork meatballs, mashed red potatoes, sauteed green bell peppers and onion, 1/2 c applesauce, spicy coconut mayo.

3 (5:15): tortilla-less chicken soup.

Water: 149 ounces

I was distracted and inattentive all day yesterday, wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. 

I fully expected the "kill all the things" phase to hit me today, but so far I'm just a bit foggy. I think I'd rather be sharper with more energy and cranky than foggy...maybe.

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Day 4 (Thursday):

1: gr beef, sw potatoes, greens

2: tortilla-less chicken soup

3: burger, ranch, steamed carrots, side salad

 

Day 5 (Friday):

1: gr beef, sweet potatoes, greens, ranch dressing

2: burger, carrots, ranch

3: roasted chicken, plantains, yucca

 

Day 6 (Saturday):

1: gr beef, sw potatoes

2: tuna salad

3: green salad w/ beef tongue

 

Day 7 (Sunday):

1: beef & sw potatoes

2: don't remember

3: stew (beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots)

 

Day 8 (Monday):

1: gr pork, sw pot, kale

2: stew

3: bbq beef & baked sweet potato

 

Day 9:

1: roasted chicken, sw potato, kale, egg hash

2: bbq beef & sw pot

 

 

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Day 9 (continued):

3: salmon cakes and simple lemon spinach, remoulade

Day 10:

Pre WO: 2 bites chicken breast, dipped in remoulade

No Post WO

1: sauteed pork, sw potatoe, and kale

2: salmon cakes, simple lemon spinach, apple sauce, remoulade

 

Week 2 is going better than week three, for which I'm grateful. I'm actually surprised at how good I feel already. I'm not lacking energy, I'm not bored with the food (how can I be when I have a new cookbook -- Well Fed Weeknights!), I'm not having cravings (ok, maybe the occasional longing for a cider after dinner, but I don't find myself wanting to empty the candy basket at work, or go downstairs for sushi). I seem to have found a good balance for meals, and I'm not getting rumbly in my tumbly in the afternoon like I used to. It's actually pretty awesome. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next 20 days takes me.

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Heh. Noticed that I said week three instead of week 1 yesterday. Whatevs.

Day 10

Meal 3: BBQ meatballs and coleslaw

Day 11

Meal 1: leftover bbq beef, sweet potatoes, the last of the kale (yay -- tired of kale), topped with mayo

Meal 2: BBQ meatballs and coleslaw, pear

Meal 3: roasted chicken, plantains, yucca (probably)

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I should really get better at updating over the weekends.

 

Day 13

Meal 1: taco meat, spaghetti squash

Meal 2: Nigerian beef with steak fries (from WFW) (holy crap this was delicious)

Day 14:

Meal 1: taco meat, spaghetti squash

Meal 2: steak and eggs and sweet potatoes

Meal 3: pizza noodles from WFW with spaghetti squash instead of zucchini noodles

Day 15:

Meal 1: ground pork, sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli topped with mayo

Meal 2: pizza noodles, apple

Meal 3: chili

 

I'm really excited for this week -- all my meals are out of WFW (except tonight, with chili from the crockpot), and I've got them prepped already so half the work is done. I'm such a fan girl of Melissa Joulwan's. I was tempted to just open the book at random and cook whatever came up, but I had to take into consideration the season and what I'd be able to find at Kroger.

I'm fairly certain tiger blood is kicking in. I tried to nap yesterday (I was legitimately tired), but my body was all NOPE NOPE NOPE. That could also be my anxiety talking -- this election has been hell for that, and with tomorrow being election day, my anxiety is ramping up. I'm hoping results tomorrow help ease my anxiety so I can get back to normal. But, I am feeling really good. I feel clear headed. No cravings still -- other than the occasional brief longing (the mouthfeel of the perfect long john donut, a glass of amaretto), but those haven't been out of control either. It's nice to be able to think about how comforting a thing can be but not crave the thing.

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Day 22: 

2 slider burgers, 2 pieces bacon, sauteed spinach, roasted butternut squash

apple (I'd brought this to have with my lunch, but the bacon was not enough fat in meal 1 -- I'd meant to add guac or mayo but forgot)

buffalo chicken over baked potato from WFW

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Day 22 cont:

2 hot dogs & guac

fried pork meatballs, sauteed kale, and carrots

Water: 148 oz

I didn't make nearly enough kale for dinner. I picked up a 5 oz container instead of a bunch, thinking it would come to about the same, but it didn't. I took just a little for dinner, but my husband piled it up on his plate and left about 2 bites for leftovers for lunches. Great. I'm glad he got his fill of food last night. :\

 

Day 23:

2 slider burgers, 2.5 pieces bacon, sauteed spinach & potatoes, guac

fried pork meatballs, 2 small baked potatoes, double handful spinach, oil and vinegar dressing, banana

chili, guac

I feel cranky and out of sorts today. Luckily (?) I know the reason, and it doesn't have to do with food.

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