missmunchie Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Welcome to the personal journal for my January 2017 Whole30! I am looking forward to keeping a consistent journal of my reset experience, since I’ve blogged off and on before but never had a dedicated reset journal. I think this will really help identify triggers and potential “not-worth-its” for me. This will be my fourth Whole30. My history has been a huge yo-yo Whole30’er for ages. I treated it a like a quick-fix diet and didn’t bother putting in the long term work in between rounds. After reading Food Freedom Forever, I finally got a grip on how this is supposed to be another tool in the “what lifestyle is right for me” toolbox and did a solid fast track reintroduce after September. What I found is that just one meal of the problematic foods really doesn’t hurt me. I don’t seem to have any noticeable acute sensitivities. So a splash of cream in my coffee once in a while turned into tons of cream every cup every day, or a mini chocolate bar after dinner turned into sneaks of chocolate all day throughout the day, and an treat of a double-smoked bacon, egg, and cheddar breakfast sandwich at Starbucks (my fave) on a busy morning quickly transformed into my routine morning breakfast. It was when my breakfast shortly before New Years was a cupcake, two cookies, and three cups of cream-laden coffee that I figured maybe, just maybe, I have strayed off of my Good Food path. Plus my tendonitis was back with a vengeance, my gym performance is starting to suffer, and I just feel sort of depressed and lousy all the time. Sneaky, sneaky. Originally my whole family was going to be on board. But the close we got to January 1, the less they really seemed enthused when I suggested we start cleaning out the fridge and start planning the menu for week 1. Weird, huh? By New Year’s Eve, it became clear that I was embarking on this journey solo. I have their support and they are really great cheerleaders, but Diet Coke and bread is still on the grocery list. I’m okay with that, but I admit I am a little disappointed that we’re not all doing this together. Also, since some of them have some big travel booked this month, and I know how hard it is to stay on top of things on the road (especially on the first around) so it’s okay. They’ve promised that they’ll join me in February! My goal for this Whole30 is to take meal planning seriously. I want to learn the habits and skills I need going forward to plan ahead on how to make sure good food is available for those busy on-the-go weekdays and lazy weekends when I don’t really want to do anything. I hate big weekly cookups, but I think I need to figure out how to make them a part of just what I do. And not buy a whole bunch of expensive ingredients that just waste away in my fridge because I never get around to cooking them before they spoil. Actually eat what I buy. What a novelty. I want to make planning to eat healthy food just something that I do, rather than something I only do when on a Whole30. Now, for the plan around the sticky parts I can foresee happening to stall my progress: IF I get too over-scheduled and completely burn out (this happens a lot to me, I tend to overextend myself because I get so excited to do all the things), THEN I give myself permission to “slum it” in the food prep department while still keeping compliant: think, canned tuna, a bag of baby carrots, chicken apple sausage and frozen veggies, all of the grab-and-go foods I know I can do. I will also tell the family that I can’t cater to their food needs and they’re on their own for meals for a day or two. Even if I’m making food for me, making dinner for one is so totally different than making dinner for five! I know they’ll be on board with this. I also have a girls’ weekend planned for the end of the month. WHEN I go on my trip with the girls, THEN I’ll plan out where we’re going to eat ahead of time so I know we’re going to places I will be comfortable getting food, and I’ll bring compliant food with me so if plans change and we get detoured I’ll have a full meal on me. IF I forget an event or don’t bring enough food with me for the day, THEN I will either rely on my emergency food stashed in the car (epic bars and nuts) or I will make plans to run to a grocery store and pick up what I need, if possible. I also know they sell RX bars at my gym, so if I get to a workout with no food I can pick one up there. IF I’m having a major can’t-even type of day and the cravings are out of control, THEN I’ll use the “just this meal” trick, telling myself I’ll just eat the next meal compliant, and after that I can go off the rails as far as I want to. Then at the next meal, I’ll tell myself the same thing - just eat this meal compliant, then go nuts afterword. THEN I’ll plan some major self-care to get me out of my funk - a hike with my dog, or a bath with a good book, or a movie-and-cuddle time with my kids. Stuff I know that works. Finally, there is a good chance I want to extend this one beyond 30 days. Since I’m trying to root out some major habits around planning and preparing, I don’t think I can do this in just one month. I’m going to consider keeping it up through February (especially if my family jumps on board then) and possibly March. I’ll check in weekly with myself after the first 30 days to do an honest evaluation on where I’m at. OMG you guys I am so excited. Let’s roast some veggies and get this party started! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilb Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 @missmunchie Good for you! I actually feel like I could have written the first 4 paragraphs of your log myself. Yes, yes, yes and YES. I am a fellow northern Californian who embarked on a second round of Whole30 on 1/2/17, with the goal of *actually* following through with the reintroduction this time around, probably the "slow-roll" version, and eventually finding my bliss (AKA Food Freedom Forever). As I awoke to Day 6 today, feeling AMAZING after such a great night of sleep AGAIN, I am left pondering the question of why I even think that off program foods are so worth it, when they eventually lead to misery. And I totally agree with your sentiment about the "slippery slope" phenomenon as well. That's pretty much what happened to me. Following my first round of Whole30 (which ended August 23, 2016), I dabbled in some of those foods. The dabbling eventually became more. I don't think I went hog wild at any point, really, but definitely by Christmas 2016 I wound up with a headache I just couldn't shake! And was sleeping like CRAP every night. So. Not. Worth it. So, here we are and let's get after it! PS I followed your blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 @aprilb Thank you for the comment! Hope your Whole30 is still going well, it's so nice to find that solid sleep again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 So Day 15 and I haven't kept up my log as much as I had intended. Whatever, I've been spending all of that time meal prepping and keeping on track instead! I'm finally starting to notice the positive changes from the reset. Over the weekend I had a lot of things planned, and my husband was going to leave for a business trip. Despite all of the appointments, chores, and early wake-up calls, I found that my energy levels are solid. Like, I only got about six hours of sleep one night, and I thought I would need a nap that day. I didn't, and I cruised through the afternoon and finally settled in on a bedtime a bit earlier than normal. I've noticed I'm not hitting that 3pm omg-I-need-a-nap-or-someone-likely-me-is-going-to-die slump and I'm able to, like, do things and get stuff done. I'm totally caught up at work, when I get home I can do chores and organize the troops, and still squeeze in a little self-restorative me-time before bed. I don't think I've ever felt this well-rested before, in all of my Whole30s! My gym performance has been leaving a little to be desired lately. I think it's just my body switching over from sugar-burn to fat-burn mode. I just don't have the intensity and have been scaling down as appropriate to compensate. I'm not terribly concerned, just noticing. I will watch my gym metrics to see if by the end of the reset if things will change or not. The important thing is for me to be consistent and healthy. My main goal of planning ahead is working nicely. I've been using the evenings after dinner to meal plan/prep for the next day, and that is working out very well. I pack up leftovers from dinner for my lunch, whip together a scramble for breakfast, and pack my son's lunch for school. It's an extra 30 minutes that saves me from a ton of stress in the morning rush, since everything is already bagged and waiting in the fridge to grab on the way out the door, including breakfast which I reheat and eat at work. Also when I roast veggies I always roast a huge batch so I have leftovers for later, and if I'm chopping veggies I'll chop extra and save them for later scrambles. And steam-in-the-bag frozen veggies are a lifesaver! As far as planning ahead, I have a few throw-together things for gym days (a can of tuna with a pop top and a can of pureed sweet potatoes for pre- and post-workout snacks) and if I know I'll be out and about I'll make twice as much breakfast and take half of it with me in case I get hungry. A spare egg scramble has saved me on more than one occasion! These were the habits I was looking forward to cultivate going forward, and they seem to be working well! My pants aren't any looser, but I have so many other non-scale victories going for me right now I'm not disturbed. I have clothes I can still wear, so I'm good. Meanwhile, my energy is awesome, sleep is deep and restorative, and I just realized that I've gone 11 days without needing to take antacids for my heartburn! My brain also seems more focused, I've had an easier time remembering details like where I put my keys or what time that meeting is tomorrow. If nothing else changes, I am totally happy with these results alone. Halfway there, it's just a sleigh ride to Day 30 at this point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 Oof. Day 17, and I am hanging in there by my fingernails. This week I have been particularly off - I'm home alone, and the temptation to dive off the rails into the non-compliant food is fierce. I'm doing my best to go to my list of self-care activities to distract myself from the pantry, and take it one meal at a time. I went to the gym this morning so before I left it was a scrambled egg and coffee with nutpods (I don't like to eat too much before a morning workout, but I need a little something), and then after I got home I had another scrambled egg with some leftover hamburger and a can of sweet potatoes. Lunch was a salmon fillet, leftover roasted brussel sprouts, and a simple salad of baby spinach and Tessemae's balsamic dressing. Lots of LaCroix. But I'm in a funk. I was feeling great and in high spirits on Sunday and Monday, but now I'm just sort of lethargic and demotivated. Instead of giving into my binge eating tendencies, I'm forcing myself to sit with the discomfort and really identify what is going on. Which is not as immediately gratifying as snarfing down the leftover cookies and chocolate I know is hiding in the pantry. Although I moved the non-compliant stuff to a different cabinet for the rest of the family, it's still there and I have to access it to feed the kiddos on occasion. It's out of sight, but depending on how I'm feeling it's not entirely out of mind. When I think I'm going to cave and cross the pantry barrier, I ask myself, "how will I feel after I eat that <insert non-compliant food here> and know that I am not going to complete the full 30 days?" I will usually grumble and admit to myself, "I probably will be really disappointed that I didn't try harder, and I know it will be that much more difficult to start over again." Then I go through the steamed-fish-and-broccoli test to see if I really do need to eat something. If I find that I do need to eat, I make a full meal of protein, veggies, and fat. If not, I go find something to do to get my mind off it - tackle a work email, put away some clutter, do some stretching and foam rolling, etc. After sitting with my pouty feelings a bit, I'm finding that I am 1) sort of lonely that I'm the only grown-up in the house all week, 2) I'm a bit cabin-fevery from sitting at home all day, and 3) I'm going through a bit of caffeine withdrawal. I broke a piece off of my coffee maker a couple days ago, and while waiting for the replacement part to arrive I've been satisfying my caffeine habit with single pour-overs. Since single pour-overs take a bit more work than just pushing a button (we have one of those fancy machines that you push a button and the machine does everything) I am not drinking as much coffee. Plus, I ran out of nutpods and my new delivery just came this afternoon so with the multi-step coffee process and lack of creamer I am only having 2-3 cups a day (as opposed to 4-5). Yeah, maybe I should examine that habit a bit. I did plan a few playdates and activities to keep me busy and social this week, but it still is not getting me out of the house as much as I'm used to. I think I just need to be a bit more creative in getting out and interacting with other humans so I don't feel like such a shut-in, and I don't keep getting overwhelmed by all of the other chores and projects that keep staring me down at home. Just like my meals, I just need to take my tasks one step at a time! This is a lot more work than hoovering a box of Oreos and feeling terrible about myself later. Which means it's probably worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anji Branch Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 I so needed to read this today! I was on the brink of throwing in the towel and binging! Held on by a thread. The overwhelming sensation has finally subsided, but it was touch and go for me today. Hang tough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Day 19 and it's not going well. I am so not mentally in it. Food is such a chore. I don't want to eat anything. Not only food boredom, but I am tired of cooking. I've been home all week, making every meal in my kitchen, and I'm just tired. I want to comfort myself with food so badly. I keep thinking, "Should I do it? Should this be the food I finally cave on?" Then I tell myself, "That food is not special. That food is not worth it." So I just had half a jar of olives and some roasted chicken thighs, eating with my fingers standing in the kitchen. I deserve a real meal. But I don't want to make it myself. I'm racking my brain trying to think of a dining out option that I can get to-go because I do not want to deal with dragging my two kids to a restaurant. And I am so, so tired of my "can't-even" standbys of eggs, canned tuna, or chicken apple sausages. Food boredom I can handle. Being "over it" with cooking I can handle. But both at the same time is unbearable. And I can't justify in quitting. I only have 11 days left! And I so want to have healthy habits going forward. But those habits I wanted to cultivate maybe are not working for me? I haven't food-prepped all week because I was working from home. Maybe I should just go and make a frittata for tomorrow morning to cut down on the ugh-I-have-to-cook-and-clean drama for just one meal. Maybe I should just pack the kids up, take us all grocery shopping, and view it like an outing - buy myself a "treat" item (like my favorite olives or some kombucha) and have the kids help me choose what we should have for dinner. A steak would be quick, easy, and delicious. And I am not cleaning the kitchen. It's okay for it to be messy for one more day. Okay, that was a good rant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtFossil Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 7 minutes ago, missmunchie said: Day 19 and it's not going well. I am so not mentally in it. Food is such a chore. I don't want to eat anything. Not only food boredom, but I am tired of cooking. I've been home all week, making every meal in my kitchen, and I'm just tired. I want to comfort myself with food so badly. I keep thinking, "Should I do it? Should this be the food I finally cave on?" Then I tell myself, "That food is not special. That food is not worth it." So I just had half a jar of olives and some roasted chicken thighs, eating with my fingers standing in the kitchen. I deserve a real meal. But I don't want to make it myself. I'm racking my brain trying to think of a dining out option that I can get to-go because I do not want to deal with dragging my two kids to a restaurant. And I am so, so tired of my "can't-even" standbys of eggs, canned tuna, or chicken apple sausages. Food boredom I can handle. Being "over it" with cooking I can handle. But both at the same time is unbearable. And I can't justify in quitting. I only have 11 days left! And I so want to have healthy habits going forward. But those habits I wanted to cultivate maybe are not working for me? I haven't food-prepped all week because I was working from home. Maybe I should just go and make a frittata for tomorrow morning to cut down on the ugh-I-have-to-cook-and-clean drama for just one meal. Maybe I should just pack the kids up, take us all grocery shopping, and view it like an outing - buy myself a "treat" item (like my favorite olives or some kombucha) and have the kids help me choose what we should have for dinner. A steak would be quick, easy, and delicious. And I am not cleaning the kitchen. It's okay for it to be messy for one more day. Okay, that was a good rant! Well done! You can do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Day 21 and I really hope I am over the slump I was in last week! I pre-made my breakfast last night, and for whatever reason it was the best thing I have ever eaten ever, even though it was the same usual "kitchen sink scramble" with random leftovers (this time is was a leftover hamburger, potatoes, and onion). I haven't felt tempted to reach for my lunch yet (another mishmash of leftovers) but I'm still feeling pretty good. I sort of grumbled to my husband last night about being on the Whole30 struggle-bus. Through my "grumblins", I recalled my intent and purpose for this round - to develop the healthy food choice habits I can use going forward. If I'm avoiding cooking because I'm sick of it, where does that leave me on Day 31? I'm going to be diving back to all of the unhealthy convenience foods again, and that was the exact scenario I was attempting to change. I need to figure out a way to make cooking good food just another thing I do in my day, and not an unwelcome chore. I am really liking taking that 30 minutes after dinner in the evening to prep my food for tomorrow. I stopped doing that last week because I figured I was working from home all week, so surely I'll have time during the day to make food! Then when it came down to it, I was too busy and distracted in the morning to make breakfast despite not having my commute. So now I know that evening prep work is a major success point in my journey. Plus, it's becoming a peaceful ritual for me. I brew a cup of herbal tea, the kids are in bed, the rest of the family is taking care of their stuff, and I just putter away in the kitchen packing my son's school lunch, making my scramble, and putting aside the leftovers that will become tomorrow's lunch. This weekend I'm going away on a girls' trip with my sister and a friend. I had not put a lot of thought into how I'm going to eat Whole30 while I'm there, so I know I should probably do a little research. It'll be a lot more fun if I pick out some places I know I can find food enough for a meal rather than constantly having to order a plain lettuce and tomato salad with mustard as a dressing (that's a thing; I have done it) and being starving until we can get back to the hotel and I can lay waste to my Epic bar stash. The less of a deal I make dining out while on Whole30, the less weird everyone else will feel about it. Plus, I think the others will be relieved if I take the "cruise director" role and just plan out the weekend for us. I've also started putting a little thought into what I'll do on Day 31. I've considered maybe extending this beyond 30 days, to 60 or 90 days. Mostly because I don't know if my new habits will stick with only 30 days to be accountable to them. Also, I still have been struggling with Sugar Dragon/binge eating tendencies. I think that a little more time with the program will help out these areas better than trying to jump back on the bike only to crash and burn again in a couple months. A big indicator is how I feel like I'm hanging by my fingernails, just begging for and waiting for Day 31. For what? To go on a carb-a-palooza? So not a good idea. I feel like until I see re-entry into reintroduction as just another phase and not OMGICANEATDONUTSAGAINANDBEERWOOHOO then maybe I have a bit more to learn on this program. The gravitation pull to foods that I know are not good for me is so strong; I really want to feel like I have better control of if and when I choose to indulge. One day, or meal, at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Day 24. Found a new interesting food: canned beets. I have found, like with my beloved sweet potato puree, I like to eat them "hobo-style" - just crack the can and dig in. This last time I threw in a pinch of salt, and a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It's reminiscent of my favorite beet-and-goat-cheese salad, minus the goat cheese. I love finding quick and cheap foods that I find delicious and break up the monotony every once in a while. Our fridge was sadly light on the leftover veggies this morning. I had to scrounge for my kitchen sink scramble, coming up only with some leftover sauteed onions from last night, and some wilted cilantro that I decided to throw in for garnish. So the can of beets helped round out my meal nicely! I found some compliant mayo at Trader Joe's last night, and I am thanking the heavens because I have been craving protein salad and deviled eggs something fierce lately! This will certainly pluck me out of food boredom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aprilb Posted January 28, 2017 Share Posted January 28, 2017 @missmunchie Have you made your own mayo yet? I made it with vinegar instead of lemon the other night and WOW was it good!!!!! Easy, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted February 2, 2017 Author Share Posted February 2, 2017 @aprilb I've tried many times to make my own mayo. Sometimes it works and it's magical and I eat it with a spoon in like two days. Other times it ends up as a really gross salad dressing. I'm tired of spending the extra $$ on the oils to make it and would rather just buy it from the store rather than hoping and praying it works out for me this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 2 hours ago, missmunchie said: I resemble that remark. Sometimes, it's far superior and other times not so much bulletproof mayo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted February 11, 2017 Author Share Posted February 11, 2017 I had started posting an update, and then I forgot to finish it and now it's dissolved into the cyber-sphere. So ... I finished my Whole30! I actually hung on a few extra days because I just wasn't really tempted to start reintroducing yet. Then a cookie happened. So began my "cookie reintro". And it was a lovely experience. One afternoon I passed by the cookies on the counter, and I thought about having one. So I did. Thought about it, that is. I walked away, did something else for a while, then decided that I really did want a cookie. So I made myself a cup of tea in my favorite mug, grabbed a cookie, seated myself on my couch by my big picture window, and made it a nice little break. I took a bite, sipped my tea while i evaluated if it was really, truly worth it, decided that it was, then slowly ate the rest of the cookie. And when I was done, I could honestly say that I was satisfied and one cookie was enough for me. I have never in my life considered one cookie "enough!" Such a huge win for me. But over the last few days, the sugary treats have been slowly sneaking their way back in. I'm eating mostly Whole30, but there was the few bites of my son's donut at breakfast, the impulsively-purchased Justin's peanut butter cups at the coffee shop, and going on a bestie date with my friend to a local diner and indulging in some pie. I'm starting to drift with the Sugar Dragon fodder. The last straw was today when I was tired and stressed and grabbed a bag of cinnamon sugar pita chips from the break room and mindlessly ate them at my desk while working on a report. Really?!? So far I've noticed that sugar REALLY influences my sleep cycle. The one cookie didn't seem to have much of an effect, but a couple days later I had 3 squares of swiss chocolate, and afterwords my stomach was sort of upset, and that night I just woke up at 3:30 am wide awake. So sugar = not sleeping for me! But I'm okay. I'm noticing, and I am now responding in kind. I'm leaning back to old habits that make me feel good in the moment, because I'm tired of the denial and fighting with my cravings and impulses. And that's okay, this is hard stuff to learn. I'm also doing other hard stuff right now in other areas of my life. Stress is stress is stress. I started rereading (okay, re-listening, thank you Audible and my 3+ hour daily commute!) to "Food Freedom Forever" and have recognized that I've started to slip already. I'm not putting the priority on meal prep and planning, and I'm struggling to stay compliant because I just don't plan ahead. The past two days I've blasted out of the house for work and haven't put any thought into where my meals would come from, which is always dangerous territory. So game plan time. The problem is my schedule is unpredictable, and there are many days where I am out of the house for all three meals, meaning I either have to plan ahead and bring all of my food for the day, or line up compliant restaurants/grocery runs in my already-busy schedule. So I'm going to buy some extra food storage containers and on Sunday try to prep 3 days' worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I think if I try to do a weeks' worth it'll be overwhelming, plus Monday-Wednesday are my busiest days where I leave at 7 and don't return home until 9 or 10. It'll be trial-and-error to figure out the right foods and amounts that work for me, but if I just see it as a fun project to figure out and not "you must get it perfectly on the first try or else!!!" then it'll be great! I am determined to improve my food habits. Progress, not perfection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 MissMuchchie, I wish you well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmunchie Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 This weekly food prep thing is amazing! It has never really worked for me before, mostly because I make too much food and by the end of the week I'm sick of it. But this time, I just planned out three days' worth of meals. And it has seemed to work. In fact, because I always overestimate how much food I require, I have more like 4-5 days' worth of pre-made food in the fridge, perfect for grabbing and go-ing. Sunday I wrote up my plan, made a grocery list, bought my food, and did a cookup. The whole process took a little over two hours, but I'm so grateful for all of the weekday time it saved! I made: breakfast scramble with eggs, sausage, bell peppers, onion and potato roasted chicken breasts and mushrooms roasted a tray of brussel sprouts and red onion together ground turkey and mushrooms in a compliant pre-made spaghetti sauce spaghetti squash chimichurri sauce from the Whole30 book So good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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