Good food, whole food, Whole30

[Rebecca Whitlock]

First, I'd like to say, I will likely ramble on a bit, and go through some of my background and history, so beware, this will be long!

Before starting Whole30 (yesterday) I was an avid junk food eater throughout my 30+ years of life, generally eating at fast food joints 3-4 times per DAY. Before I got pregnant with my daughter last July I weighed right around 300 pounds. When I found out for sure that I was pregnant I was able to quit smoking, quit drinking alcohol (didn't drink that often to begin with, but cut it out altogether), and quit caffeinated sodas all on the same day. I did get irritable, but it wasn't hard. I had a very good reason to keep those cravings at bay. One thing I didn't even try to cut out, or cut back on, was my eating. I still ate crap and have awful heartburn and acid indigestion as a result. I have managed to continue my smoke-free and alcohol-free ways, though I did go back to drinking Diet Dr. Pepper on a daily basis. Two weeks ago I quit the sodas again, for the simple fact that I was spending way too much money on soda.

Having weighed myself last night I've come to a disappointing realization: I've hit my all-time highest weight of 325 pounds -- I didn't even weigh this much when I was pregnant. I'm sluggish, tired (mentally, emotionally and physically), and have no desire to do much other than plop my gigantic butt on the couch and watch TV while my daughter plays on the floor or in her activity chair. What makes my situation even worse is that I work from home, so the only exercise I ever get is walking around my house...at least my office is the farthest place in the house from the bathroom, so I do have to walk an eensy weensy teeny tiny bit during the day. My joints are constantly aching, and I have to walk almost bow-legged when I'm barefoot just to make walking less painful (it's a lot to ask my poor feet to support all this weight). But I continue to eat my junk food and especially scarf down 2-3 pints of chocolate peanut butter ice cream several nights a week. SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE!

A couple weeks ago I was sent a link to the Paleo for Beginners: Essentials to Get Started ebook. It was about a week later that I finally decided to read it, but only because there was nothing interesting on TV. For years I had been thinking to myself it would make sense to eat what our ancestors ate, but I had no clue what that was food-wise, nor did I ever try to do it. Reading this book reminded me of those thoughts and something just clicked. Yes! Finally an answer! Finally something that doesn't involve powdered shakes or counting anything (points, calories, carbs, fat, etc). Finally something that won't allow me to eat the sweets, 'cause there is no such thing as "in moderation" when it comes to me and junk food. Finally something that is restrictive in the bad places (junk food) and not restrictive in the good places (calories or healthy carbs like veggies...aka Atkins). This is something I can do! So I dove headfirst into finding out more information about Paleo and finding fantastic resources like Nom Nom Paleo, Well Fed and, of course, Whole9. Though I really did want to start immediately, I unfortunately had to wait until I got paid since I was totally broke. So Monday night I went to The Fresh Market and bought over $250 worth of fresh, organic (if they had it) fruits, vegetables, pork and chicken (unfortunately their beef prices were just too high for me) to last for at least two weeks. I also bought some other necessities like spices and such that I didn't have on hand.

So far, so good! Yesterday I started the day off with two slices of bacon, a hard-fried egg and a generous salad of romaine lettuce and those small yellow tomatoes topped with some balsamic vinegar. Lunch consisted of the same salad with a can of tuna mixed in. I ate a handful of mixed nuts and a variety of berries for a snack. Then for dinner I had ground pork stuffed zucchini. For breakfast this morning I took the leftover dinner and added a scrambled egg, plus half an avocado (separate). I'm thinking about lunch now, and not really sure what I'm going to make...

I've decided not to incorporate exercising into my lifestyle yet until I get under 300 pounds. That's the last time I can remember not having all the joint pains and aches that I have now. Fear of injury is holding me back, and it's perhaps a scapegoat and an excuse, but it's my body and I'm doing what I think is best. I'm definitely adding exercise in when the time is right...and for me I feel I need to drop 10% of my current weight first.

I'm excited and anxious to see where this goes - if anyone has a great starting point menu planner, I'm all ears! (I bought my groceries loosely based on the menu planner on this site: http://cavemanstrong.com/food/meal-plans/)

[Nancy H.]

Rebecca...................I am so very proud of you for doing this. You have been eating junk long enough that you know the hazards of eating like that. Do you have Melissa's book "It Starts With Food"? That is an excellent resource for finding out just how the body reacts to different foods.

I think you are wise to hold off exercising until you lose a little weight. You certainly do not want to hurt yourself. But if possible you could get up more often and walk around the house.

Don't forget to get in the oils: Coconut oil, avocado, light olive oil. It is the oil that will keep you feeling full.

Congratulations on the new baby. And congratulation on making the decision to start taking care of yourself and eating the correct foods. As Melissa said somewhere in her book: "The food we eat can either make us healthy or unhealthy,"

Please come back here often and you will get lots of support and suggestions. Ask questions and learn from others.

I would say "Good Luck", but it is not luck that will help you succeed. It is your determination and desire to be as healthy as possible.

[Rebecca Whitlock]

Nancy, thank you for the kind words and suggestions! I forgot to mention I did eat an avocado yesterday. I also ate one today with breakfast and lunch, which was meager at best since I wasn't prepared (pork sausage and some tomatoes). Tonight I am going through my list of ingredients and scouring all my bookmarked Paleo recipe sites to find some recipes I can pre-make and freeze so I don't run into today's lunch debacle again.

I'll definitely need to grab that book. I was kinda hoping to not spend any money other than food since it is expensive to start for someone who didn't have any staples on hand like spices and such...but I think having all the proper information upfront is going to be worth the extra dough (the only kind of dough allowed in my house LOL).

[Carlaccini]

Hi Rebecca,

Welcome! You have come to a very good place. A very safe one too! And let me tell you - you are not alone. (I know when you start this journey you feel so alone - well at least I did for a bit) The support here on the forums are a good place to come to for support and answers.

Well it looks like you have found two very good websites already for meals. I highly recomend Well Fed's Chocolate Chilli and Pad Thai. Both of my favs.

I have a few suggestions for you that I found helped during my whole 30.

1. Plan ahead what you are going to eat. Because if you leave yourself open without a plan - things get tempting along the way. I did a weekly plan. I would cook up at least two meals on Sunday, and if there was anything that needed to be chopped up for the next meal I would try to do it the night before. I know you have a little one and things do get busy but try to plan as much in advance as you can. It does help. And yes it will feel like you will be doing a lot of cooking in the begining but it will get easier and second nature.

2. If budget is an issue (I know it was for me) focus on buying what you can from Whole Foods or The Fresh Market - focus on buying good meat and eggs, and then buy the stuff that you can't buy anywhere else because they have non-compliant ingredients. AKA - Olives, bacon, coconut butter, dried cranberries etc. (The supporting cast so to speak). But your fruit and veggies from a regular grocery store, wash them really well and pay attention on where they are coming from.

3. If you haven't yet, Read Melissa and Dallas' book - It Starts With Food. Definitely worth it.

4. Oh yes. If your sugar demon comes out at night in the form of an ice cream craving may I suggest a teaspoon or two of coconut butter. It is creamy and indugent it feels like you are cheating. It's helped me lots.

I think it is an excellent idea that you just focus on the whole 30 for now. I did that too. I think I made it into the gym only twice during the 30 days. However if you feel you should go for a walk - do it. Even if it's only to the end of your driveway and back.

Good for you! You just made it through the hardest step of all!

[1Maryann]

Welcome, Rebecca! You've made a great decision, and we'll help you all we can. I'm on my second Whole30. First was a few months ago, and I felt terrific, but a little too restricted by the end. I did very well eating paleo for a few months after, but little by little the junk crept back in. So, before it got out of control, I got back on the program to reset my palate and my metabolism.

I read where you mentioned consuming large amounts of ice cream, and also about joint pain. It may not all be weight related. Dairy is extremely inflammatory for some people. It is for me, but I never knew it until my first Whole30. I'm 56, and for the last few years I've had awful joint pain/arthritis? especially in my knees. Some nights I would get home from work and not be able to get out of my car because my knee joints were too stiff and sore and I couldn't get my legs under me. After a few minutes, I'd be able to stand, but I'd be hobbling badly until I forced them to move again. I had always figured it was age-related.

During my first Whole30, I woke up around Day 12 aware that 'something' was different. I wasn't quite sure what, but over the next few days I started to realize I was pain-free for the first time in several years. I remained pain free until around Sept. when the cheese started creeping back into my diet. Started another Whole30 on Oct 1, and voila! no more joint pain.

I haven't exercised either. I keep looking at the CrossFit website, but I own and operate my own business and work from roughly 6am-8pm every day, so can't make any of the workouts. If they were only open one hour longer...

[Rebecca Whitlock]

@Carlaccini: I am totally psyched to try Mel's Chocolate Chili!! As far as your #4, honestly, I think that would send me backwards. I know me, and I know I'd overeat it, or it would make me crave ice cream even more. Nixing the sweets altogether, with the exception of a bowl of fruit, is the only thing I feel I can do at this time. Perhaps someday in the future once I kick my bad habits to the curb (and the cravings too) then I can venture into the land of Paleo sweets. Until then, savory is the only way to go.

@1Maryann: I never would have thought dairy and joint pain would be related, but it makes sense. I've definitely eaten WAYYYY more ice cream over the past few months than I had in the past few years, so that could totally end up being the source of my pain as well. Crossing my fingers that's the case, but either way I'm sure dropping this whole other person (weight-wise) that I'm carrying around will be the one and only true cure-all.

[Carlaccini]

Hi Rebecca,

Just to clarify a little, coconut butter is fat. Fat keeps your sweet cravings at bay. And besides coconut butter is not really sweet (really it's not). It's just got rich flavour. However that being said I can understand your position. I didn't introduce it until at least halfway through my whole 30 when my sweet cravings were mostly at bay. It did substiantially help me out during the worst cupcake craving of my life around day 21 (I don't even really *like* cupcakes). It basically helped to end the craving then and there.

[Rebecca Whitlock]

Hi Carlaccini,

Ok, that makes more sense. I'll certainly give it a shot if I'm at the "get outta my way I want ice cream" stage! LOL

[Rebecca Whitlock]

So last night I made my first ever whole chicken. I cut up carrots, celery and onion and tossed those into a glass baking dish then put the bird on top. I mushed a few dollops (2 Tbsp total) of coconut oil on top of the veggies and on the bird, and peppered both as well. Popped it in the oven, but ended up cooking it a bit too long to be on the safe side (I really need to buy a good meat thermometer...both of mine broke in the last few months). Once I pulled the chicken out, I threw the veggies in a pan, threw some fresh spinach on top, and let that heat until the spinach started to wilt. It was a very yummy dish! Plus plenty of chicken for leftovers and bones to make a bone broth with (waiting for my stepdad to send me his recipe).

Speaking of chicken leftovers, I had torn chicken with romaine lettuce, red and yellow tomatoes (grape-size), a whole avocado, two hard-boiled eggs and a couple sprinkles of balsamic vinegar for breakfast. Yum!! And I just finished the left over pork-stuffed zucchini from Tuesday night with an avocado for lunch.

If it hasn't been apparent yet - I LOVE avocados!!

[Carlaccini]

Good Stuff! Sounds like you're on a very good track!

I had guessed on the Avocado! That's really good. Should keep the sugar demon at bay.

[Derval]

You're off to a great start! Have an awesome W30!