Wildheart's Whole 30 Journey

[wildheart46]

@Silver Penguin thank you for the fat thoughts! I will see if I can't add avocado or olives as a side dish to my meals. 

 

Just ate ate the penultimate bit of chicken and squash for lunch. One more serving of it for dinner tonight. 

I feel good. I think I am less bloated. Drinking earl grey tea for energy. Don't feel like I need it now, but sometimes in the morning, I need something. 

Yesterday's adventure in defrosting meat was a nightmare. Suffice it to say I cooked three pounds of ground turkey breast in the crock pot with an onion and garlic, and spices. Ate a little with some avocado last night and didn't die, so. 

I yield on the nuts thing. Eating too many makes my stomach feel weird. 

Im experiencing this really bizarre feeling of freedom and control right now. Like, if I see a recipe that looks good, I can hunt down the ingredients and make it. And eat it. Eat as much of it as I want to and not feel hungry after. This is so bizarre. But I am happy. 

Dreamed I ate three M&Ms before I remembered and stopped. How odd! Im not craving sugar or anything off-plan right now. 

Looking forward to getting home and making guacamole!

[wildheart46]

After the last bit of chicken and squash tonight I thought I would supplement with a little of that ground turkey breast onions and garlic I had made yesterday in the crockpot.

 When I went to scoop some of it out to reheat, I noticed some of it was pink. For the scooping revealed more pinkness. I didn't want to take the chance so I'm throwing the entire 3 pounds of meat out. I am more angry than I can describe.

Consolation prize: guacamole and carrots. 

 

 I still have enough meat to make one more recipe for the week. But I'm pissed off. Lesson learned: defrost meat in the fridge overnight. Don't cook ground meat in the slow cooker. 

[wildheart46]

So today was odd. 

 

Ate maybe ten pistachios (the last of them) , an apple, two cups of Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea, some almonds and pumpkin seeds. 

 

I just got over sinusitis and laryngitis and last night I felt the post nasal drip returning. Today it's worse. 

[wildheart46]

So today was odd. 

 

Ate maybe ten pistachios (the last of them) , an apple, two cups of Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea, some almonds and pumpkin seeds. 

 

I just got over sinusitis and laryngitis and last night I felt the post nasal drip returning. Today it's worse. 

[wildheart46]

I typed the previous post in line at the grocery store. Bought Lara bars on sale; coconut chips, some spices and avocados for guacamole.

 I typed the previous post in line at the grocery store. Bought Lara bars on sale; coconut chips, some spices and avocados for guacamole.

I'm so angry about the meat. Did I tell you? I cooked it in a crockpot for eight hours and he came at pink on the bottom? The consensus seems to be cook it in a skillet before you eat it. So I'm going to try that tonight. If you don't hear from me again… 

[wildheart46]

 So I cooked some of the turkey breast in a skillet. Ate it with some guacamole and redleaf lettuce. Had another cup of tea and a Lara bar for dessert. I also had another Laura bar earlier. I also took some over-the-counter medicine for whatever my symptoms are right now. I understand all of this may not be compliant… But I'm really not concerned about it. The tea and the medicine are not some kind of crazy binging food that I'm going to go berserk  over in the future. 

[wildheart46]

Had a couple of sugar-free cough drops because I'm dying. Don't really care if they are compliant or not. I am having them sparingly. Normally I'd be eating them like candy. 

 

Skilletized rescue meat has been win so far!

[wildheart46]

So I had A hot toddy. Brandy plus T plus lemon juice plus cayenne pepper plus Ginger plus honey. Whatever. This is not some kind of crazy binge food I'm trying to wean myself off of  

Dinner was more of rescue meat plus guacamole and some olives and some romaine lettuce. I had some coconut also.

I'm really upset about getting this cold a second time  - apparently everybody is. 

[wildheart46]

P. S. NSVs:  

 Not buying a bag or two of potato chips every other night or so and eating them for dinner 

 Eating at the kitchen table instead of in front of the computer 

 Doing the dishes every day or every other day, as needed, instead of letting them pile up for a week 

[wildheart46]

Haven't been posting, as you can see. 

Here is what I  i'm noticing on day 11. 

 I don't think I'm losing any weight. This is really frustrating. 

 Still maintaining some unhealthy eating habits. For example: eating after nine, had another bag of pistachios, eating when I'm not hungry. 

 Good news is that now I feel like these behaviors stand out more to me than they did in the past. 

 I might need to watch portion control on the regular meals. I don't think I'm really overdoing it, but I don't really know. 

[Emma]

Portion control is rough.  For me, I don't worry about it, and in time, my body seems to naturally adjust and feels content with appropriate amounts.  For now, I don't worry about portion sizes or the weight loss (though I'm really looking forward to that) and instead just focus on eating enough so that I don't snack or have cravings.  They say to eat a mini-meal if you snack so throw in some protein and veggies with those pistachios if you eat them.  (I'm a big time eater when not-hungry and we have pistachios just calling my name, but so far, with some bell peppers and an egg, I don't overeat on the nuts)

And the losing weight thing - have you seen the Whole30 timeline?  I was just reading it so I could know which day I was going to be grumpy and moody.  You're right around the "My pants are tighter" stage!  Here's the link:  http://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/   Seems to me you're doing great.  

[wildheart46]

Emma, thanks so much for the support! This helped a lot. I appreciate it. 

Gotta really focus on my body's hunger signals. And listen to them, and obey them. 

I like the idea of mini meals instead of snacks. As long as they don't turn into mega meals!

[wildheart46]

Ate the last of the pre-cooked food today. Came home and cooked bacon, ate some guacamole and peppers for dinner. I know; not great. I think tomorrow it's going to be apples, almonds, and Lara bars all day.

[Emma]

You're sticking with things, but you're not really Whole30ing it unless you're following the meal template.  The idea of nurturing our bodies means really providing nourishing foods on a consistent basis.  I feel better when I eliminate foods from my diet - like loads better - but an elimination diet is different than Whole30.  It's tough though when we're sick or busy, but to make Whole30 really work for you, it means following it.  Sweet potatoes, big bags of kale, cans of tuna, and hard boiled eggs are all easy things to keep on hand and throw into a meal if you don't have the time to cook.

[wildheart46]

 Breakfast: Lara bar and almonds. I did microwave a sweet potato and pack some peppers and guacamole for lunch along with another Apple and more Lara bars. This is just what I have on hand right now; tomorrow is my cooking day so I will make a double batch of food to really get me through the week. Last week I was sick again so I got a little off schedule and my work schedule really doesn't allow me to actually cook the way I would like to every night.   I'm going to respond to those other comments.  Soon; they're very helpful and I'm very grateful for the advice. 

[kirkor]

Where is the protein and fat?

You have "sworn off" nuts a couple times now, and still are eating Larabars and nuts. This is not a recipe for Whole30 success.

[wildheart46]

11 hours ago, Emma said:

You're sticking with things, but you're not really Whole30ing it unless you're following the meal template.  The idea of nurturing our bodies means really providing nourishing foods on a consistent basis.  I feel better when I eliminate foods from my diet - like loads better - but an elimination diet is different than Whole30.  It's tough though when we're sick or busy, but to make Whole30 really work for you, it means following it.  Sweet potatoes, big bags of kale, cans of tuna, and hard boiled eggs are all easy things to keep on hand and throw into a meal if you don't have the time to cook.

@Emma thank you. This is a great observation and I appreciate it. I wasn't  aware that the meal plan template was such a big deal.  Trust me when I tell you that I am on this whole 30 program because I literally have no idea how to properly eat or feed myself. So I appreciate your call out very much.  I'm not a huge exam, and tuna has to have mail with it otherwise I won't touch it, but I will look into getting or making some mail. I did fix a sweet potato today for lunch based on your comments here so I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you for the guidance. 

[Emma]

I think I learned how to cook for the first time when I did my first Whole30.  I knew how to cook a chicken or make a grilled cheese sandwich or whip up some spaghetti, but I never really knew how to cook cook.  And it was a learning curve!  I remember spending so much stinking time prepping veggies and measuring spices, but it was a good process to go through.  Now, I'm caught myself in busy life and no prep time and so I'm falling back onto quick and easy things that I discovered I liked in earlier Whole30's, but part of what I loved overall was learning to make a good looking dinner - and even in my current space, I'm managing to make meals that look and taste a heck of a lot better than my open can of beets with a fork in it (pre whole30 style of eating).  Glad you're still on board and that you'll have extra time this weekend for prep.  Leftovers in the fridge saves my arse many times.  Good luck with your mayo making!  I need to make some myself.  My first few times were a disappointing disaster, but then I figured out how to make it with an immersion blender (a hand stick blender) and it was a piece of cake - when I get the proportions right.  (learning curve!)  Some of the things that work well for us are:

Spaghetti squash with pesto (and then some side of protein)

Chocolate Chili from Well Fed book over a bed of spinach or spaghetti squash

Cooking eggs in a cupcake tin in the oven to hard boil them (a thousand times easier for me than figuring out how to actually boil them)

Garbage stir fry from Nom Nom Paleo which uses Madras Curry Powder and is quick and easy (once you've done it a couple times)

Lots of chopped up vegetables and some meat of choice cooked in a coconut milk and curry broth (Thai Kitchen red curry)

Some of the people posting post really good looking photos of their meals which I find inspires me to try new things or to look up recipes, but overall it's tricky for a while, but so worth it!  Google the Meal Template for Whole30 and really try sticking with that.  I find that when I actually follow the template my need/desire for a Lara Bar or snack goes away.

[wildheart46]

@Emma all those recipes you mention sound amazing. I will be doing a lot of research, re reading , and cooking tomorrow. Thank you!

 

@kirkor I really appreciate your feedback too! Thanks much. I will not be bringing new nuts into the house after I go through what I have. Almonds are there for emergencies. No new pistachios have been eaten since last week. 

 

Today's snack. Larabar and almonds. Lunch is half a sweet potato (I'm excited!! I found the ones with purple skin and white innards; I prefer them to yams), baby peppers, and guacamole. Not perfect, but it's also not chicken and broccoli from the usual Chinese place. 

[wildheart46]

21 hours ago, wildheart46 said:

I'm not a huge EGG FAN, and tuna has to have MAYO with it otherwise I won't touch it, but I will look into getting or making some COMPLIANT MAYO.

Gotta love dication.

[wildheart46]

Last night dinner: Bacon, larabar, guacamole, baby sweet peppers. Some almonds. Horrible, but I was too beat to cook.

Breakfast today: the rest of yesterday's sweet potato and some guacamole.

Snack/lunch: more guacamole and sweet peppers.

By this time I was feeling horrible. I know I need protein. I know I need to follow the meal plan. I took a nap. When I woke up I pulled it together and cooked some ground turkey breast, kale, cranberries, and zoodles. I microwaved a sweet potato and mixed it in. That will be tomorrow's meals also. Then I will have to cook again on Tuesday.

I know I'm not doing this right. I'm not losing weight. I am pretty sure I'm gaining it, probably because I'm eating more fat (guacamole, almonds) and sugar (larabars, apples) than I am protein and vegetables. So, once those foods are gone, I will just keep stocking up on... ground turkey, chicken breast, kale, uh, zucchini and God knows what else. All these sweet potatoes and squashes can't be helping either.

Yay for NSVs like adulting and cooking and doing dishes. Boo for struggling with binge eating and not losing weight. I was hoping to lose some by the first weekend of Feb. (going to an event). I don't think that is going to happen. Oh well, the world will have to deal with fat me.

[wildheart46]

Larabar for breakfast. Not what I wanted, but I didn't have time and I need to take vitamins with food. 

After reading the meal plan, I saw that you're only supposed to eat three times a day; no snacks. Ok. So I will try that today. 

Bulletproof coffee. I don't even drink coffee, but I'm curious. But I don't want to have to buy Some Dude's Specially Extracted Reconstituted Yak Essence or whatever to get The Full Benefits. You know?

[ShannonM816]

24 minutes ago, wildheart46 said:

Larabar for breakfast. Not what I wanted, but I didn't have time and I need to take vitamins with food. 

After reading the meal plan, I saw that you're only supposed to eat three times a day; no snacks. Ok. So I will try that today. 

Bulletproof coffee. I don't even drink coffee, but I'm curious. But I don't want to have to buy Some Dude's Specially Extracted Reconstituted Yak Essence or whatever to get The Full Benefits. You know?

If you don't like coffee, you probably won't like bulletproof coffee either. It's not at all sweet, you'll still get some of the bitterness of coffee. If you really want to try something similar, just put some ghee and/or coconut oil into your coffee and blend it (you must blend it, with an immersion blender or a regular blender or at least one of those milk frother things -- if you just stir, you'll end up with an oil slick on top of your coffee, ick). 

In order for the three meals a day to work right and not feel like torture, you really need to make your meals follow the meal template. If you don't get a mix of protein, fat, and lots of vegetables, you'll be hungry faster. When you get your meals done right, you just won't be hungry for 4-5 hours at a time -- that's how the no snacking thing works, it's not torture where you go hungry part of the day, you just don't need snacks and don't need to think about food for several hours at a time. As someone who went from a diet where I had to eat every 2-3 hours or I was beyond hangry and would have beat people up for their steamed fish and broccoli, I found it really freeing when I hit the point where I could easily go much longer without food. But it does take a little time to get everything worked out right, so don't be worried if you are still hungry between meals at first -- keep playing with how much and what you're eating until you figure out what works for you.

[GoJo09]

Make use of your slow cooker! I make 1-2 meals in mine every week, and it doesn't even count as cooking. You could chuck it on before work and come home to a ready-to-eat meal, no excuses, plus leftovers for a few more meals (depending on if you're feeding others too). I know you had a slightly bad experience with it before, but don't be put off, it makes life so much easier!

This week I made a taco mince dish and Nom Nom Paleo's kalua pig - neither of which required any input from me beyond turning it on and off. I now have protein for most of the week that I can dress up however I like (I tend to eat it the same way every meal, but I'm not concerned with variety that much), and even when I really CBF I know it's there, judging me if I don't eat it...

[wildheart46]

I know for a fact I have gained weight. I want to get on the scale, but I won't. I want to end this now and go back to shakes so I can at least lose some weight before my event in Feb. But I won't.