Kathleenkp Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 I needed to come up with something that could be eaten on the run, in desperation, almost anywhere at any time. So I was at McDonald's and ordered a grilled chicken breast with added lettuce, tomato, slivered onions, and a cup each of pico de gallo and guacamole. It cost me about $3.50 (chicken breast costs vary by the location, but at the one I was at, that part was $2) That seemed to do the trick for me. I suspect it's not Whole30 compliant in regards to sugars (I'd bet there is some sugar in a brine of some type for the chicken? And in the guacamole and possibly the pico...) and what about when the chicken is grilled? Is it exposed to some unapproved oils? Short of finding my way to the back and looking at the packaging labels and watching them while they prepare the chicken, I don't know if I will know. And it's probably no worse than getting food at any other restaurant in regards to those same preparation issues. Since Subway is also almost everywhere, I'm thinking I can probably do something similar there. They also have "grilled chicken breasts". And all the vegetable toppings could be great, I think. I don't want to make a habit of this type of thing (it's a slippery slope), but there occasionally will be times when I'm on the road (as in, on the freeway) longer than anticipated and have already eaten an RX bar and other emergency food I brought. For the 30 days, I could get by, but since we are planning on doing this for 3 months, I need(ed) a few reliable options. All the pre-made salads I've looked at at Trader Joes, or the regular grocery store, seem like after I removed the unapproved items, there would be only lettuce and tomatoes left. Not to mention, those stores are usually not accessible when issues come up. Has anyone else thought through this type of situation and come up with some options? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gina724 Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 4 minutes ago, Kathleenkp said: I needed to come up with something that could be eaten on the run, in desperation, almost anywhere at any time. So I was at McDonald's and ordered a grilled chicken breast with added lettuce, tomato, slivered onions, and a cup each of pico de gallo and guacamole. It cost me about $3.50 (chicken breast costs vary by the location, but at the one I was at, that part was $2) That seemed to do the trick for me. I suspect it's not Whole30 compliant in regards to sugars (I'd bet there is some sugar in a brine of some type for the chicken? And in the guacamole and possibly the pico...) and what about when the chicken is grilled? Is it exposed to some unapproved oils? Short of finding my way to the back and looking at the packaging labels and watching them while they prepare the chicken, I don't know if I will know. And it's probably no worse than getting food at any other restaurant in regards to those same preparation issues. from MCD website: GRILLED CHICKEN FILET Ingredients: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast with Rib Meat, Water, Salt, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Honey, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Dried Vinegar, Rice Starch. Grilled with Clarified Butter (Pasteurized Milk [Butterfat]).Contains: MILK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleenkp Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 It falls under the "sugar in sausage or spaghetti sauce" category then - for after completing the Whole30 but easing up a little on the sugars - for those eating "Whole30-ish". (That is what I suspected for the chicken). The clarified butter (that contains milk) - I'm going to assume that must be like the ghee that we make (with instructions from the Whole30 book, and skim the milk solids off the top), but they still put the milk notice on there for allergy/legal purposes. I saw a sidebar in the new Whole30 cookbook that the reason to take the milk solids out was so that it makes it more stable when cooking at higher temperatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleenkp Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Can you post the link to the nutrition info page? I can't seem to get to a page that actually has what I'm looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gina724 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 3 hours ago, Kathleenkp said: Can you post the link to the nutrition info page? I can't seem to get to a page that actually has what I'm looking for. No problem :-) https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted January 7, 2017 Moderators Share Posted January 7, 2017 Note that the rice starch is also very definitely not compliant in that chicken. I know that a lot of people just want to change how they eat and think it's not important if there's a little soy or a little rice or a little milk in something. However, a big part of Whole30 is actually the elimination diet aspect of it -- eliminate all these things completely for a month, see how you feel without them, reintroduce each item carefully, one at a time, and see how you feel when you do have them, and then use that information to determine what items you want to add back into your diet and how often. Having these things in small amounts during the month could affect how that works for you. However, everyone here is an adult and decides for themselves -- here is the article about deciding whether or not to start over when you've had something off plan. The difference with this situation and a restaurant where you've asked about ingredients and requested everything be done to make your meal Whole30 compliant is that in that restaurant, you've asked the questions, you've made the requests, you've done your part to make sure that you get what you need. It might still be wrong -- you can't go stand in the kitchen and watch them, nor would we ask you to -- but you did what you reasonably could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCLaymon Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 @mhemm thanks for sharing your story. Holy cow, you've had a lot of ups and downs. Good for you for keepin' on keepin' on. I'm sorry for your struggles. I hope that after a few more days of Whole30 you'll start feeling better @Jessica NG I'm sorry about your mom. I hope she's feeling better soon. I never noticed before that you were from VA. Where do you live in VA? I live part time in Roanoke. I assume that you're closer to DC? I made that lemon chicken last night and it was amazing! https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaboyajian/this-lemon-chicken-and-spaghetti-squash-is-soooo-good @Kathleenkp I'm going to be traveling tomorrow and I'm packing almonds, olives, and grapes. I decided to skip the larabars because, well, sugar. I do hope to get my flight of our Philly tomorrow. We're expecting some snow so it's iffy. Tomorrow night Rick and I are going to a piano bar and already I'm thinking about the adult beverages. I'm going to try and not decide about that until I'm there. I'm going to see if i enjoy is as much without the cosmos So here's my challenge of the next few days: We're putting on a retreat for our company. I did as much of the menu planning as I could, and while it's not Whole30, there are plenty of compliant options. Rick did all the planning for the dinners. He insists there will be options for me, but with his loose interpretation, I'm not really sure. I'm going to try and not get too stressed out about it. I'm going to check in as often as I can but I may be a little quiet for a couple of days. Keep it going Whole30 sisters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhemm Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 @Jessica NG - I'm so sorry to hear about your parents! Be strong, my friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 @mhemm Your story is amazing, thanks for sharing it and allowing yourself to be that vulnerable! The last couple days have been ok. With the stress of everything at work I've started craving sugar, they aren't bad or unmanageable but still there. I am switching shifts at work to resolve the issue between my co-worker. Talked through the situation with another trusted co-worker this morning who agreed with me that my boss and co-worker were definitely out of hand and I had every right to address the situation in the manner I did. I really needed the validation I wasn't crazy for being upset over what he did or confused about how my boss handled it. I'll switch to swing early next week and my co-worker and boss will not have to work with me. I'll also be looking for a new job. I'll share some of my health story since others as well. I'm 33, live near Seattle WA, and as of today I've been married three months to a wonderful woman I met a little over two years ago. I'm originally from Southern California, but I've spent half my life in Western Washington, still So Cal will always be home for me and I look forward to moving back in a year or two. I was a high school athlete - competing nationally in the sport of jump rope. I competed at Disney's Wide World of Sports, and placed in five AAU Junior Olympic Games. After high school I skipped college and started volunteering full time for my mega-church doing event/volunteer coordination, website design and video production. I had always been on the curvier side and gained a lot of weight sitting on my butt editing video's all day long. By the time I was 26 I was over 200lbs - a weight I promised myself I would never reach, but I wasn't ready to do anything about it until I was watching "The Biggest Loser" with some friends and one of the contestants commented they had no clue how large they really were until they stepped on the scale at the biggest loser ranch for the first time. I commented "How does someone not know they are over 400lbs, how do their friends not say anything?" my friend laughed then said "Don't worry, I'd say something to you if you got that big." But it got me thinking, here I was the heaviest I'd ever been and no one had said a thing. I realized in that moment that is was no one's responsibility but my own to do something about my weight. Slowly I started making better food choices and a few months later I found myself living back in So Cal as my grandmothers live-in caregiver after a stroke left her unable to live alone. While in So Cal I started walking daily, and eating better, I dropped to 201 and plateaued there for months. Frustrated with a lack of progress, I signed up for Jillian Michael's online program and after about a month eating even cleaner and working out five days a week, I broke out of my plateau and dropped below 200 for the first time in over a decade. By that fall I was at 179, my lowest adult weight ever but I wasn't happy with my progress so I added some weight loss caffeine pills to my regimen, within weeks I was experiencing a racing heart so I stopped the pills right before coming home for the holidays, during my trip home I stopped eating as clean and started experiencing weird indigestion pains and stomach issues whenever I ate. I chalked it up to going off plan and committed to eating better in the new year, but months into the new year and the pain was getting worse, not better. Finally the pain moved to my back, and got so bad I couldn't sleep at night. I went to the ER and after several tests and an ultrasound, found out I needed to have my gallbladder removed immediately. Surgery went well and I was home within a day. My weight crept back up after surgery and I relaxed on working out. That fall I moved back to Western Washington which gave me more excuses to let me health slide. Two years later I was back close to 200, and had a friend doing Advocare, so I did the 24 day challenge and dropped a bunch of weight again. But the diet for Advocare was not easy for me to follow, and I did not want to continue spending over $100 bucks a month on supplements, so I stopped. Two months later I was back in the ER to have my appendix removed. That surgery also went well, and after two surgeries in two years from crash dieting I decided "never again". I made some smarter choices here and there, worked out off and on here and there but for the most part my weight has remained even, I've stopped weighing myself and truly do love my body for the first time ever. But last fall my fiancee pointed out some intestinal issues which seemed weird to her, after doing some research I realized I most likely have IBS do to the removal of my gallbladder. More reading confirmed what I suspected, I could go to the Dr. and get an official diagnosis but either way, a change in diet would most likely be the only thing I could do to confirm and treat it. About this time a friend of mine did Whole30 (she's Celiac) and experienced amazing results and reversal in several health issues. Watching her story unfold gave me reason to research Whole30 further and after months of research and deliberating, I decided to try it out and help narrow down my food allergies and attempt to calm my stomach. My only real goal in Whole30 is to figure out what foods help me, and heal me, vs hurt me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCLaymon Posted January 8, 2017 Author Share Posted January 8, 2017 Good morning ladies! I sent you a post from my travels yesterday, but I guess it didn't post. I faced many travel delays, re-routing, luggage loss, etc. yesterday. What a crazy day to travel. I was reunited with my luggage this morning, so I'll put that in the plus column. I was planning to grab a salad between flights, but that didn't happen because of all the hurry up and wait. I was glad I had packed almonds, olives and grapes to tide me over. We had a great dinner when I got to Charleston, and I amped up with protein and veg I had been missing all day. Interestingly, with all the delays, I typically would have been an anxious mess. Instead, I was able to think clearly, jump on another flight (which guaranteed my luggage loss) and get here knowing that my luggage would make it or it wouldn't and that's that. I made that decision because I'm leading the sessions at our retreat for the next 3 days, and I really didn't have a back up plan We did go to the piano bar last night, and I just drank seltzer and lime. I had made the decision before I went, and truly I had just as much fun as I usually do. This morning I am clear headed and feeling great, so it was worth it. It feels so adult to say, "This doesn't make me feel good, so I'm going to say no." For a very long time I've felt like a slave to my cravings and bad habits, so at 48, I feel like I'm finally learning some new skills. @Jessica NG how is your mom doing? @MizRik remind me what's happening on the 10th? I think that's your next Whole 30 break? @Kathleenkp thanks for posting about your McDonald's experience. It helped me to prepare for my trip. After reading it I decided if I continue to travel with nuts and olives they would be a good addition to a salad with chicken breast. If I'm driving I also take hard boiled eggs. How are @AliceV, @IronGirlTrixie @Laurie @higs @mhemm @ladyshanny @gina724 and all the rest today? @browneyedbeauty thank you for sharing your story with us. There are so many things I can relate to. Except the jump roping. THAT is AMAZING!! I can't imagine the training that goes into that type of repetitive jumping. I'm glad you got some affirmation from work friend about the co-worker. And that you got your shift moved. AND that you are looking for a new job. Sounds very healthy to me. Next week when I have a little more time I'll share more of my story here, too. I really appreciate everyone's vulnerability, and I think it makes stronger. Have a good day all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhemm Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 @browneyedbeauty - Thank you for sharing your story, it's very courageous! I was very nervous about sharing mine, but knew this was a very safe group. Also, good on you for standing up for yourself at work - that's not easy! It sounds like it will all shake out for the good of everyone involved. @Jessica NG - I hope all is going well with your family! @CCLaymon - I love piano bars - how fun! I made the very conscious (and grown-up, like @CCLaymon said) decision to go off plan this weekend. We had a basketball tournament all day yesterday and my planning and the available choices were not great, so I CHOSE to eat what I wanted and I loved my burger and soda but it makes me feel so good knowing that I chose to do that and I will choose not to today. Tomorrow the hubs and I will be on plan for his first w30 effort. He is counting on me to guide him and that makes me very nervous. I purposely left the book out on the table & he hasn't touched it. He said as long as I provide compliant food he will do his best. Ugh. It's good pressure, but I feel a lack of effort. I am looking at this as a lifestyle (as it should be), so I will be providing compliant food as often as possible while going off plan once in a while - food freedom. Today I am making the chikfila chicken - it is marinating in pickle juice as we speak - and baking up copious amounts of potatoes. I also will be trying my hand at ketchup, awesome sauce, and ranch. (and probably more mayo) I have not been doing my yoga for the last few days because I have been struggling with some neck & shoulder pain. I see my trainer on Tuesday and Thursday this week. At the basketball tournament yesterday I saw a lot of people that I was in high school with and it was kind of sad to see how they have aged I, of course, still look like I did when I was 18 LOL. Just terrifying how the SAD effects people that were once quite healthy and attractive. How's everyone doing? @MizRik - Birthday plans fast approaching, right? Happy Sunday everyone! GO Pack, GO!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 Another day down. Yesterday wasn't too bad at all. Although the past few days I've had a hard time getting three meals in, it's something I definitely need to be more mindful about. I got home from work, caught up with my wife and wanted to take a nap. Twelve hours later I woke up from said nap. Apparently I was tired. Winter makes me gloomy, and this winter has been way colder than normal for us, so I've been wanting to hibernate, felt good to get my wish for a night. I'm noticing a slimmer body already, and also noticing that without sugar I am feeling way less moody. I don't know if this is externally noticeable as much, but internally I feel way calmer and more in control of my emotions. @mhemm YAY for food freedom! Where did you get the cihickfila chicken recipe? @CCLaymon Jump rope was a lot of fun, but yes, a lot of practice too. When we were actively competing I was in practice a minimum of 6 hours a week, plus gymnastics, plus unofficial practices. It gave me a work ethic I carried into adulthood and every job I've had. Glad you made it to Charleston safe, boo to all the travel hassles though! Good luck with your conference and the sessions you're leading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhemm Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 @browneyedbeauty On 1/5/2017 at 5:03 PM, mhemm said: Leftovers are the name of the game tonight, but I am posting recipes for goodies I will be making this weekend - I may have to make 50 lbs of the chicken... http://meljoulwan.com/2014/07/28/taylor-nichols-paleo-chikfila-nuggets/ http://meljoulwan.com/2014/03/10/bacon-jalapeno-burger-balls/ (awesome sauce recipe) http://meljoulwan.com/2014/03/06/wf2-recipe-kickass-ketchup/ http://meljoulwan.com/2014/03/10/paleo-ranch-dressing/ YUM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 YUM! is right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 @browneyedbeauty and @mhemm - thank you both for sharing your stories. This is a great group of supportive and caring people. Goal for next week is to share my store. Had a few emotional breakdowns this week but that's normal for me. The emotional pain is just too deep and I have no idea how to heal. One thing I need to remember - any small thing I do is progress - taking a shower, leaving my apartment, getting in a little exercise or a walk - need to focus on what I can do vs. what I can't do. Just like with the food - focus on what we can eat, not on what we can't eat. Things that seem like no big deal are a big deal when you are fighting depression and grief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 37 minutes ago, Laurie said: Things that seem like no big deal are a big deal when you are fighting depression and grief. Absolutely! Be gentle with yourself @Laurie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoMoreCrunchyCravings Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 On 1/2/2017 at 6:58 PM, mhemm said: I honestly cannot believe how awful I feel right now. I'm exhausted, bloated, SO lethargic, and just blah. I just want to go to bed, but I know I will wake up at midnite and be wide awake if I do... Who knew what a difference the food you eat can make. Ugh... Food definitely can make a difference in how we feel - I hope you're feeling the renewed energy of eating better and food freedom. On 1/2/2017 at 11:46 PM, Jessica NG said: I wanted to post photos of my New Year's Eve table, but if I have to download my camera to my computer, I won't be posting tonight. And I want to post, so no photos, alas! Fully half the platters on the table were non-compliant food for my husband and kids who are not Whole30ing with me. But half the platters were compliant and full of scrumptious wonderful food for me to enjoy, and I DID! New Year's Eve was a complete success! I stayed compliant and did not feel deprived in any way. New Year's Day, on the other hand, was not so purely successful. As a social occasion, it was wonderful. I enjoyed my friends. My friends seemed to have a good time. We were all relaxed and happy in one another's company. But the dinner did not work for me. The prep for the day was honestly more grueling than the prep for Christmas, partly because I had less time to do it, and partly because I needed to accommodate two vegetarians. I realize that the mistake I made was in allowing the complexities of making my guests feel welcome to shove aside making sure that I was also well taken care of. (I did stay compliant.) Basically, I was eating soup and salad, while everyone else had between 4 and 10 dishes to choose from. Plus they all had dessert options, and I had none. Poor planning on my part. I definitely felt deprived, and I won't make that mistake again. I did enjoy the afternoon and evening in spite of it. But i would have enjoyed it more, if I'd planned my own food options better. Next time! I saw my osteopath for my foot and knee issues today, and that was a huge boost. He had a medical student with him, and he told her that the reason I was recovering and doing so well was that I was so religiously doing my exercises! It felt good to hear that. He also said, speaking more generally, that I was looking fantastic and that even my eyes seemed brighter. THAT was my Whole30 coming through, I'm sure. I feel really good about my progress and my accomplishments in my work to improve my health. I suspect that I will be going straight into a third Whole30 when January 20 rolls around, because I doubt my FODMAP issues will have resolved by then. I still have the burning stomach, generally at a low level, but present. Cutting out the FODMAP-containing foods did help, but I can't help wondering if there is something more going on. I think it is very strange that I feel better when I am lying down or prone, or lifting weights, and that the burning sensation is stronger when I am standing. I'm going to give it a little more time, but then I think I will seek out a specialist. I enjoyed reading about the amazing foods you prepared for NYE and NYD, and am SO HAPPY you realized that it's important to put yourself ahead of others, even if that did come after prepping so much stuff for others. Without self-care, we won't be effective at helping others in any way. It's a good lesson to remember, even if we have temporarily forgotten. I hope your burning subsides. I actually do really encourage you to seek the help of a specialist. Perhaps it's something that required pharmacotherapy? Waiting longer may have a negative effect, and we all certainly want you to be healthy and feeling well. On 1/3/2017 at 3:16 AM, Kathleenkp said: Emily - I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip - both how you get through the food challenges, and the things you get to see and do while you are done. Have a safe flight! Thank you! I'm home and will be posting shortly about my travels! How are your workouts and food freedom/compliance doing? On 1/3/2017 at 8:31 PM, AliceV said: I am unbelievably grouchy today....I can't even reel myself in.... Makes sense perhaps for day3. My car is in the shop today, and will need some repairs....Whooot whooot, whhhooooo doesn't love car repairs after Xmas? Shopped after work which I also dislike doing, got home and had some leftover fish and sweet potatoes, not at all exciting, in fact I barely choked it down. My pup was excited though to have a lil piece. My psoriasis is oozing and itchy, and I'm thinking to myself, "self, did you really sign on to do this again ?" This too shall pass, gotta hannggggg onnnnn. How is your psoriasis? I don't suffer from it, but my best friend does, and also scratches to the point of making it bleed and ooze. I hope you're having some relief of symptoms? On 1/4/2017 at 4:16 PM, MizRik said: WHOA!!!! Talk about falling off the wagon!! I didn’t just fall off, I blew the wagon up!! It's so easy to blow the wagon up - I've done it a million times, too. I also can't wait to start another strict w30. February 1 is my start date, with no plans for travel until the third week of March. I can't wait to feel the amazing feeling of being 100% compliant again. On 1/6/2017 at 1:44 PM, mhemm said: We are all a little broken, but last time I checked, broken crayons still color the same. ~~~(Trent Shelton) Thank you so much for sharing your story. I'll be sharing mine too, pretty soon. You're 100% right, too and your ending quote says it all - no matter how imperfect we all might be, we're all beautiful people. I keep reminding myself how my imperfections help to keep my humble and grounded, and help me to be relatable to others because I'm real. It's good to be reminded sometimes. 6 hours ago, Laurie said: One thing I need to remember - any small thing I do is progress - taking a shower, leaving my apartment, getting in a little exercise or a walk - need to focus on what I can do vs. what I can't do. Just like with the food - focus on what we can eat, not on what we can't eat. Things that seem like no big deal are a big deal when you are fighting depression and grief. Laurie - I don't know your story, but I can see the grief in your writing. I know it's not the same, but I do know through my own experiences that grief has the capacity to physically and emotionally handicap us. I'm really glad to hear that you are doing those small (not that small, I understand!) things like showering, walking, leaving the apartment. Good on you for working so hard to get to a place where you even can do that. Each day that you do, you're more likely to be able to keep the momentum up for the following day. Depression and grief are incredibly hard to dig ourselves out of, but each positive movement we can take to bring us even a fraction of a bit further from the bottom is a huge step in the healing process. This thread feels safe. I'm glad you're able to share with us here and hope that you continue to feel that safety and gain strength from it. @browneyedbeauty Thank you also for sharing your story. It's so brave for those of you who have opened up these intimate parts of yourselves. I'm in awe of what everyone has experienced in their lives bringing us all to this point. Bravo for putting it down in type on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoMoreCrunchyCravings Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 So, I'm back (for now). I got back from Iceland yesterday (Saturday 7 January) and leave for New Zealand and Australia in two days (on Wednesday 11 January). Such a whirlwind! What a world traveler I am! Iceland was an amazing trip with my husband. It's a good thing I'm a seasoned traveler because he certainly isn't. It's also a good thing I'm pretty upbeat, positive, happy, well organized, etc. because he was a crankpot a lot of the time and was satisfied just being told when things are going to be taking place and resting during all idle times. But that's nothing too far from the norm. Food-wise I went off plan despite all of my planning, but it was 100% my choice. I was compliant pretty much the first two days (as I'd hoped to be) but after that I ate lots of things that didn't jive with what I'd anticipated eating, namely dairy (cheese and butter), grains (bread, noodles, a tiny fried crispy thing that I'm assuming was a grain-based tortilla of sorts), soy, legumes (peanuts), and sugar (baked goods, chocolate, soda). Thankfully I also ate all of the fresh prepared foods I'd brought with me (eggs fried in coconut oil, almond crusted tilapia, three types of olives, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, clementines) and some of the dried foods (nuts, mango slices), so these noncompliant items were to some degree limited. I also was thankful to have had available to me a great breakfast buffet every morning at the hotel which included boiled eggs, sliced oranges/apples/melons, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and a type of egg bake that was whole scrambled eggs prepared with what tasted like bacon grease but made without dairy. And two nights we chose restaurants that focused on fish and protein. Though admittedly both of those nights, I also chose to eat noncompliant foods along with my fish and proteins. But boy were those delicious nights. I don't regret my food choices other than the hot dog from the famous Reykjavik hot dog stand (eaten with everything, as Icelanders do - fried and fresh onion pieces, ketchup, spicy mustard, and Icelandic "remoladi" which was kind of like mayo with relish bits in it - served on a standard hot dog bun). I could have done without the hot dog but the excitement of the moment overcame me as I wanted to feel as authentic as I could... when in Rome, I guess? Touring-wise, the trip was unbelievable. We walked our way through Reykjavik by ourselves for many hours, opting to skip formal tours of the city so as to plan naps in when we would otherwise have had to walk throughout the city exhausted. We joined formal tours twice taking us to a national park to night skywatch for Aurora Borealis - AMAZING! We went once with a formal tour to The Blue Lagoon to bathe in the silica and nutrient-rich waters, put on natural mud masks, play under a man-made waterfall, and rest in the hot waters while looking at beautiful natural scenery around us. We also took a tour for about 8 hours to hike to a waterfall, see a giant frozen volcanic crater lake, experience geyser eruptions, learn about geothermal energy production, meet some Icelandic horses, and learn about Icelandic government and economic trends since the times of Danish occupation and the Vikings. It was awesome! Here are some photos from the trip: IMG_4790 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr This is a map of part of Reykjavik - we stayed in a hotel located at "C" which was across the street from the harbor and from Harpa, the concert hall. It was just beautiful! IMG_4782 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr You can tell how excited I was to have arrived! DSC_0692 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr This was the view outside our hotel window from the 7th floor! DSC_0658 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Street view of Reykjavik. DSC_0656 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Street view of Reykjavik. DSC_0620 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Northern lights. DSC_0601 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Northern lights. DSC_0505 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Taken while waiting to see the northern lights. DSC_0454 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Amazing scenery! DSC_0443 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr During our hike to the waterfalls. DSC_0385 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Phew! DSC_0352 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Hiking to the geysers. DSC_0344 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Geysers! DSC_0325 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Frozen volcanic crater lake. DSC_0284 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Beautiful cathedral in Reykjavik! DSC_0236 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Photo of the Blue Lagoon. DSC_0111 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr Walking on a frozen river in Reykjavik (the birds, not us!). DSC_0046 by NoMore CrunchyCravings, on Flickr The view across the street from our hotel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higs Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Hi gang, I am still sporadically here... just not keeping up with posts terribly well at the moment. @NoMoreCrunchyCravings, thank you for sharing your Iceland pics! Wow... I really want to try to go there. I can't decide what season though; I want to see the aurora borealis but I also want to go hiking and drive around the countryside. I'm on Day 15 of my Whole30 and this week also kicks off my goal of 10 weeks of yoga. I'm feeling good and in a groove with the meal prep and all. I made Mel Joulwan's shepherd's pie this weekend and my partner -- definitely not doing the Whole30 -- admitted that he actually prefers the cauliflower topping to mashed potatoes. WIN! Every once in awhile he will hint that maybe there are benefits in this way of eating. I wish he'd try, but if I pressure him at all, it will never work. It has to be all his idea. I really feel for those of you who are personally dealing with major depression and anxiety. My partner does as well, plus he has ptsd and does a lot of self-medicating, so I know second hand but very close up about how debilitating it can be. I admire you all for the steps you are taking and the hard work you are doing to keep moving forward and to heal. Tough, tough work, sisters. My own bouts of minor depression are small in comparison and I think mostly stress/hormone related. I find that eating well, sleeping well and regular exercise makes all the difference in the world. Self care has to be a big focus for me. Snow is coming down this morning in giant chunks of clumpy flakes. I'm using that excuse to go into work a little late this morning. Happy Monday, all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleenkp Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Oh, wow! Those photos of Iceland make me want to go. That sounds really exciting and busy! It's great to see photos of you, too. You look so happy to be there! I posted a long-winded thing on the Dec 26th thread. It probably was more appropriate in this one since this is more "saga continues...", but that thread popped up on the feed first and I posted before reading here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhemm Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 Even after 40+ years in this body, it amazes me with what it is capable of and just how exactly it works (or doesn't)! Happy Monday, Everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gina724 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 @CCLaymon - hello!! still here, still stalking @mhemm - thanks for the suggestion back on page 2 or 3 about the chocolate chili recipe. made it this weekend - muy bueno! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronGirlTrixie Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I had to restart on Friday. So I'm back at it. Another dance thing is coming up this weekend but this time... I've got a kitchen! and I'm planning better with this in mind. Still could be some shenanigans but I think they'll be contained to a minimum especially since all the people are not staying in the same place. I'm thinking of making pad thai and Korean BBQ Meatballs this week with a stir fry of veggies. Any one have great recipe plans? I think I'm already at food boredom. O_O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhemm Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 @IronGirlTrixie - This is always my go-to for yummy recipes. I'm thinking her meatballs are going to become a staple at my house... http://meljoulwan.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gina724 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 @IronGirlTrixie - if you're in an asian cuisine mood, the beef zoodle soup recipe on the W30 blog was also amazing!! http://whole30.com/2016/12/whole30-cookbook-2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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