Cahliah's Mother/Daughter Whole30

[cahliah]

1 hour ago, Georgina2 said:

Where does munchkin do homework?  Can she do it at the kitchen table so you could cook/prep or do dishes or something while she works?  That's what we do.  My 12 yo is horrible about homework and we practically have to sit on her to get it done but I have ADD too so I can't just sit there or I go crazy.  If I'm working in the kitchen I can watch her and she can ask me questions while I keep moving.

Yep, we were out at the kitchen table, and I did go around and clean up while she worked. Including putting away her leftover mac & cheese without stealing a bite or licking my fingers. That was tough! 

It's pretty much the same here. I have ADD, we're pretty sure she does, too (waiting for her doctor to get back with us about testing.) We're also thinking there might be some anxiety issues - hooray for inherited mental problems! But we're making it work. She's smart - was placed in 2 advanced classes at the beginning of the year, and will likely be in a third next year. She just has trouble focusing and not getting overwhelmed.

[cahliah]

Woke up tired and with a sore arm again. Slept in my recliner last night, thinking that would help, as my suspicion is that it's from how I sleep (and how I've slept for the past 4-5 years)... But, nope, still just as sore this morning. Didn't help with hauling in the 35 lb package that was on the doorstep when I woke up, but oh well.

Breakfast/lunch was leftover shepherd's pie (still not liking the thyme) and the other half of the can of pears. And ibuprofen - again. Not that it helps much.

Going to try and do better today. We'll see how that goes.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, cahliah said:

hooray for inherited mental problems

Oh yeah.  We got a whole family line of mh issues.  My 12yo has ADHD, emphsis on the H, and OCD.  What a combination!  It's really hard for her to concentrate on anything and what she does choose to focus on she obsesses over.  She was doing okay up till this year, but puberty + middle school has made things really hard.  She's smart, just has no desire to do any work and also gets overwhelmed easy.  It's so hard to be a mom!

[cahliah]

Dinner was burgers and roasted potato and carrot "fries" - I tried some different seasonings on them this time. My mom wanted hers with just salt, because she's afraid of flavor, I guess, but I made her some plain. I didn't put nearly enough seasoning on the "fries" - should have just used my creole seasonings (Tony Chachere's original seems compliant, at least from what I've seen - other than the 'may contain' list that's a bit long, but looks more like it's an 'omg, don't sue us!' list.) I used half of what was left of last week's chili to spice up the fries & burger - I figure the rest, I'll use within the next day on the rest of the fries.

I managed to make it through the night without snacking, even though my daughter had another rough night, and my mom got fed up with it and holed up in her bedroom (except for the few times where she came out, all stompy-like, and either got food, or yelled at the poor kid.) It's hard to be in the middle like that, but I managed to stay calm and stay on track. (Though I might have broken down a little once everyone else was in bed... Shhh, don't tell anyone.)

Had an early 3rd meal because my daughter asked me to stay up and be there when she got up in the morning, so she doesn't have to deal with my mom on her own - I figure I'm going to need to eat again before then - it's 5 hours off, and I ate about 1 1/2 hours ago. 3rd meal was leftover shepherd's pie and 1/2 can of peaches.

Arm is still hurting but, like yesterday, it's better than it was this morning. My energy levels are about the same as usual, though I'm finding myself a bit short on what I can manage in a day lately. Hoping that will change.

[cahliah]

Last meal of the day wasn't small, but wasn't big, either.

Roasted potato & carrot "fries" with Costco pre-cooked grilled chicken strips, a few chunks of pineapple, and ranch dressing (which the chicken really needed.)

Finding it hard not to want to snack tonight, mostly because the things I usually do to cheer myself up after a long day (knitting, crocheting, playing my ukulele) are out of the question because my arm is sore and I want to rest it as much as possible.

Tomorrow I'm going to try for less fruit, but I think eating a meal first thing in the morning really helps with the not snacking. At least, that's my theory so far.

 

Today's condensed meal log:
1st meal: Shepherd's pie, 1/2 can pears
2nd meal: 2 hamburger patties, roasted carrot & potato "fries", chili
3rd meal: Shepherd's pie, 1/2 can peaches
4th meal: Grilled chicken strips, potatoes & carrots, pineapple, ranch dressing

[cahliah]

Feeling a bit better today. Arm doesn't hurt as much, though I didn't get nearly enough sleep - just didn't have time for it.

First meal of the day was leftover shepherd's pie again. Didn't taste so bad today.

And my spiralizer came! (After the first one disappeared somewhere between the post office and my home - ack.)

...but I have to somehow tell my mom, who has been grumpy for the past 2 days, that she can't have cough drops. Which she's already had. One of these days, I'm going to tell her she can't have something, and she's going to get upset with me, throw a fit, and give up on Whole30. Makes me really wish she'd read things instead of having me do all the reading and research.

[JenHZ]

Is she snacking on them or really using for cough?  do you have an alternative to offer her? tea?

[cahliah]

She has the cold that I had last week. Definitely not snacking on them - we use Ricola, and it's not really a taste you'd want if you're not actually sick. I'd suggest tea to her, but she won't touch it. For that matter, she's complained that the only thing she can drink now is water, because she won't drink her coffee black, she doesn't like my flavored waters, and she doesn't like tea. (And kombucha is too expensive for her to try, even if she was willing to.)

She's 64 and very set in her ways, and I think this whole thing is harder for her than she thought it would be. Part of me is tempted to just not tell her at all, and do my best to keep her on track otherwise. But, at the same time, I'm supposed to be keeping her accountable.

I wound up not telling her today - I'll hold off and see if she's in a better mood tomorrow, because she was very grumpy, and I really didn't want to deal with the backlash. So I have a little more time to decide, at least.

[JenHZ]

I  know in some cases  medicines are Ok so maybe ask in troubleshooting if she really has to stop them

[cahliah]

Dinner tonight was cheese-less chicken parmesan (or, essentially, chicken in marinara sauce) with spaghetti squash. Was my first time cooking and eating spaghetti squash, so I didn't know what to expect. Honestly, I didn't love it... But I didn't hate it, either. Managed to eat a whole plate of it, though my stomach was a bit upset afterward. Figured out that I hadn't had any fats with dinner, and just had a spoonful of almond butter, and that cleared up the queasy tummy bit. (I've never been one to eat peanut butter or anything straight from the jar - at least, not since I was a kid - so I was fairly confident that this wasn't going to trigger anything. Thankfully.)

My mom hated the meal - didn't even try the spaghetti squash (which isn't surprising) - and my daughter tried a couple bites of both the chicken and squash and decided she wasn't hungry (she really wasn't - didn't even eat the Belvita I tried to get her to munch on so she had something to eat.) That's ok with me, though - more leftovers for me!

[cahliah]

3rd meal was a reprise of dinner - chicken in marinara with spaghetti squash, plus some celery with almond butter because I learned my lesson from dinner, and knew I needed the fat - and the celery just sounded so good (even though I've had issues with it in the past - or it could have been the peanut butter I put on it... Hm....) I also tried to eat the other half can of peaches from last night... But it tasted fishy. Yuck.

I liked the spaghetti squash more this time around - I'm not sure if it just wasn't cooked enough at dinner time, or if I put more sauce on it, or what. But next time, I'll have more squash with my chicken. Went a little light on it tonight.

 

Today's condensed meal list:
Meal 1: Shepherd's pie
Meal 2: Chicken in marinara sauce, spaghetti squash, spoon of almond butter
Meal 3: Chicken in marinara sauce, spaghetti squash, celery, almond butter, peaches

[cahliah]

Breakfast today was the last of the leftover shepherd's pie, a stalk of celery with almond butter, and a few strawberries.

This morning, I was talking to my mom, and I coughed. She told me to have a cough drop, I told her we're not supposed to have them. She got upset, said "If I need a cough drop, I'm going to have a cough drop." And I told her that's fine, but I'm not going to. And I let it drop. She's an adult. She can make that choice. I did convince her to add more fat to her breakfasts, though. She said there wasn't any way she could, so I suggested celery & almond or cashew butter. Apparently, to her, the cashew butter tastes just like peanut butter, so she's fine with that, at least.

She's not doing as well as I am. She really is a picky eater, and isn't open to trying new things. She's really missing the pizza and cheeseburgers that made up a lot of our diet up until now. And hamburger patties without the cheese and buns aren't doing it, because she doesn't know what she can put on them to make them taste good. She's missing the soda and fruit juice - she won't drink tea or black coffee or kombucha or sparkling water, so she really doesn't have anything else to choose from. And she gets that she's not supposed to snack a ton, but she's having a hard time filling up during meal times. And, I think, the fact that I'm doing well, haven't been hungry between meals, etc is making her a bit jealous and upset - she's had it in her head for so long that she eats better than I do, and is healthier than I am in general. (She even had it in her head that I'm a lot larger than she is - and we've worn the same size for years. One year, she bought me PJs for xmas, and got me 2 sizes bigger than what she'd get for herself. I laughed so hard... Turned around, returned them, and got a size smaller than what she'd get for herself - and they fit perfectly.)

She's done pretty good in that she's at least tried most things I've made (other than the spaghetti squash.) And most of them, she's eaten without too many complaints. The shepherd's pie, for example, she complained about the thyme in it... But she took a big serving to work with her last night. And she's willing to try the brussels sprouts tonight. I just wish that I could get her to try more, or at least be more involved in the process, so she can find things that she does like. Besides pizza and cheeseburgers.

[Guest]

Does your mom like sauces?  I confess I am picky and I get around a lot of it by drowning my food in sauce- I bought compliant ketchup and bbq sauce from Tessamae's online and I made salsa and red pepper sauce from the w30 book.  Those have helped a lot.  I also cover my spaghetti squash in marinara sauce.

Congrats to you for doing so well.  I hope it works out for your mom too.

[cahliah]

She's really not a sauce person. She likes BBQ ribs (and I do plan on making those when we're not so tight on grocery money) but she's really not one to cover anything in sauce. Even the meatballs and wings I made last week, she didn't really want sauce.

[Guest]

Bummer, that's tough.

[cahliah]

For dinner tonight, I made pan-fried chicken strips and - for the first time ever - I made and ate brussels sprouts. Tossed them in olive oil with a little salt & pepper, and some prosciutto, browned them a little in my nifty cast iron skillet, and stuck them in the oven for 15 minutes... I wasn't sure what to expect... But I loved them. Even went back for seconds! Of course, nobody else liked them, so the leftovers are all mine!!! Muahaha!!!

My mom is still complaining about being hungry all the time, but I know the problem, and I keep trying to tell her she needs to eat more fat. I posted the meal template on our fridge so she can see what her options are. Hopefully that, as well as constant encouragement to eat more, will help some. I do feel bad that she's not doing so well - it feels almost like it's my fault, because I'm the one who has read the info and who plans the meals... But I can only do so much for her before she has to start doing for herself.

[ShannonM816]

I don't know if you could get your mom to try it, but these Elvis Burgers are amazingly good (as are these SB&J burgers). It's a little weird sounding, and some people aren't into the sweet & salty mix, but they're really, really good. I usually use almond butter for both of them, but any nut butter should work just fine.

Another thing that's good on a burger patty is a fried egg or two, cooked a little bit runny. I love to do that with roasted sweet potatoes (I don't usually add the oregano or cilantro, but the chili powder is actually good on them) or roasted red potatoes on the side, with a big dollop of mayo to dip the potatoes/sweet potatoes in, and usually some other non-starchy vegetable, like roasted broccoli that I can do at the same time I do the potatoes in the oven.

[cahliah]

I could definitely try that. She might be a bit turned off by the nut butter & banana, but maybe if I made one for myself like that, and suggested she try a bite, it might work out better. The egg is a good idea, though - and maybe a mayo-based dipping sauce for the veggies (she won't try my mayo - she's a Miracle Whip person, and claims she hates mayo)

[cahliah]

Dinner tonight was sort of a mix of what was in the fridge. Chicken strips, brussels sprouts (which, it turns out, I don't like reheated), roasted carrots & potatoes with ranch dressing for dipping, and celery with cashew butter. I think I would have been happier with something a little more cohesive and less 'bits of this and that put on a plate', but at least I learned from that!

My arm is feeling a lot better, but my knee was acting up again. My energy and stress levels seem to have leveled off again, at about their normal spot. Can't say I've felt any major changes yet, but it's still early days (more than 1/3 through now, though!)

 

Today's condensed meal log:
Meal 1: Shepherd's pie
Meal 2: Chicken strips, brussels sprouts w/prosciutto
Meal 3: Chicken strips, brussels sprouts, roasted carrots & potatoes w/ ranch, celery w/ cashew butter

[JenHZ]

you could try cold Brussels sprouts

or you can re satue them on the stove top

if you have to reheat roasted seem to stand up to it the best

[cahliah]

This morning, while she was making her breakfast (canned potatoes sauteed in ghee, with onion and scrambled eggs on top), I talked to my mom about meal plans for the next week. I'm doing my best to make sure that there are things she'll eat, while also encouraging everyone to try new things. We've had a roast in the freezer (for some reason, I thought it was a pork loan, but nope, it's a roast) and that's our plan for Saturday night, so she was asking what I was going to use to season it. I wasn't sure, so she said she'd prefer just salt & pepper (she's on a big 'just salt & pepper' kick right now - asks for whatever protein I'm making, just salt & pepper, no oil or anything) - I asked why, and she said it's because I "won't let [her] use [her] seasoning!"

...up until Whole30, she put Morton's Nature's Seasoning on everything. But it has sugar in it, so it's out. But, it kinda hit me that I was right - she's not taking ownership of this - it's what I'm letting her eat, or not letting her eat. If she doesn't take ownership of this, and start making her own choices, she's going to wind up right back where she started, with a day's worth of food being 3-4 hot dogs and a bag of potato chips. Unless I'm willing to keep on her and, honestly, I couldn't handle that. I'm going to have to work with her to get to where she's making good food choices because they're good for her, and not because it's what I said she can/can't eat. But, knowing this, at least I have a good idea of what we need to work on!

 

Oh, and breakfast/meal 1 today was leftover cheeseless chicken parm over spaghetti squash. And I'm going to have more celery & almond butter in a minute, so I have some fat to keep me going until dinner.

[JenHZ]

can you web surf for what else is in that seasoning and make your own - no sugar - version?

excellent insights into what you can and what you will not do

[cahliah]

6 hours ago, JenHZ said:

can you web surf for what else is in that seasoning and make your own - no sugar - version?

Yep - it's basically salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt. Funny thing is, my mom, when she finds out I'm putting garlic powder & onion powder in things, asks me to make them with just salt & pepper. But, apparently, they're her go-to seasoning. 

I'm going to make up a big batch of it, I think. Will make her happy to have something familiar.

[cahliah]

Dinner was swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes. I was supposed to do roasted rainbow carrots, but the rainbow carrots were too expensive this week, and I completely forgot to just toss some regular carrots in the oven. Oops.

The meatballs were edible, but none of us were big fans. Oh well - they'll get eaten anyways. My mom took some to work with her.

Somehow, I'm the only one who isn't sick right now. My mom caught the cold I had, and my daughter, apparently, has another cold. This time with a high fever, poor thing. We're going to see if we can get her to the doctor tomorrow.

[cahliah]

Forgot to mention that I had a banana after dinner. And, now, I'm having a snack of celery with almond butter. Was getting hungry, and too long until time for my 3rd meal.