Starting March 6

[Samalamma]

7 hours ago, Dink said:

Article is good. I'll be starting over. Clearing the calendar for April, and going to still try the La Croix to see if that is the route of hydration I will need to take. Not going back to regular eating as the prepping is going well and I am not going to revisit the caffeine withdrawal again. 

Am I still allowed in this forum to see the success of the others that have started or should I leave? 

Good for you for not letting one setback stop you! You should stay for sure! The motivation of others inspires me so much.

[Samalamma]

Are we on Day 10 or 11? Either way its further than I thought I would make it! My friend just finished her 30 days and had tremendous results. Reading the successes of others is so motivating. I don't know if I told you guys yet, but I watched an awesome documentary about the harmful effects of sugar. ITs called "That Sugar Movie". I loved "Fed Up" too and rewatched that to help me stay on track. I am addicted to sweets like cocaine so that has been the hardest part for me. 

[spunky1]

Day 10 down! I'm redoing my meal plan. Tomorrow night was supposed to be chicken meatballs with spaghetti squash and roasted red pepper sauce but I feel like I never want to see a spaghetti squash again. So chicken meatballs with roasted root vegetables and curry sauce it is! More prep but the thought of spaghetti squash again is making me gag. It was so good at first!

[KiwiJG]

Congrats on getting 1/3 the way through March 6thers!  This forum has been a great help to me and many thanks for all the great comments.  Was interesting to see the post on insomnia as I have been noticing it has been harder to get to sleep over the past few nights.  Normally I am a pretty good sleeper so hope it's only temporary!  Samalamma the movie 'That Sugar Movie' was incredible wasn't it? So amazing that he pretty much increased his sugar intake 'via so-called healthy foods' and it has such a bad effect on him.  I am impressed that my husband has stuck to this with me - he had to go to the doctor today for a sinus infection and his blood pressure was amazing.  I hear everyone on the dishes - I work full-time and have not been up to cooking every night, but there is a great clean food delivery option in the Bay Area that follows the whole 30 rules and that has been a huge help. I'm already planning my first 'reintroduction' food - steel cut oatmeal for breakfast!

[frogtox]

Happy day 11 everyone! We should all be starting to turn the corner now on the way we feel, so hang in there. 

I'm still struggling a bit with my energy. I'm sleeping really well (I think I got 9 hours last night, so thankfully I'm not experiencing issues there). On my previous Whole30s I've been on a good track of working out but this time I'm behind on mileage for a race I'm training for in May, so am having to increase the intensity of my workouts while changing my eating. It's not been pleasant, to say the least. Hopefully I'm over the hump though, and have been trying to intake more calories as needed. 

9 hours ago, KiwiJG said:

I work full-time and have not been up to cooking every night, but there is a great clean food delivery option in the Bay Area that follows the whole 30 rules and that has been a huge help. I'm already planning my first 'reintroduction' food - steel cut oatmeal for breakfast!

This sounds amazing! That's a great advantage to living in a big urban area. My first post-whole30 meal is always steel cut oats. I made the mistake the first time of putting maple syrup and fruit on it and it was WAY too sweet. Just a few berries and some coconut milk were all I needed. 

Have a blessed day, everyone!

[Curley Girl]

Hi everyone! I just found this forum.  I also started on March 6th! A co-worker is doing this with me (she's done this once before) so I'm grateful that I see her five days a week and we can hold ourselves accountable. I can already tell that I have results and I'm feeling great. The only downside is I can't seem to sleep very well. I was okay until Saturday night and it seems that I wake up around 1:30am and toss and turn until I get up at 6 (with a little bit of dozing). What I've told people so far about this journey is I really had no idea how much sugar is in foods that we eat! I knew it was added to a lot of spaghetti sauces but I honestly didn't realize how it's sneaked into pretty much everything it seems. My favorite go to organic chicken broth? It has sugar! I was so disappointed. Of course, it's easy to make your own but that was just a staple in my pantry. If you have a Trader Joe's near you, check out their Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage. That's become my favorite meat for my first meal of the day. I love it! Most of their chicken sausage has non compliant ingredients but the Spicy Italian is compliant. The only craving I had was last Wednesday. We have dinner at church every Wednesday night (although I'm brown bagging it those nights). I could have hit someone for a yeast roll that was on my daughters plate. Haha! I (thankfully) got over the craving. I had no idea how delicious spaghetti squash is! This has helped me open up and look around at so many other ingredients that I would just look over in the produce department.

I just wanted to say hello and wish everyone good luck! We've got this!  

[frogtox]

Welcome Curley, and good luck!

Have y'all non-sleepers tried to supplement with magnesium. I take Natural Calm (unflavored) every night and I think that really helps. 

[Sara13]

Hey guys - we just have to get through today and we're past the days that most people quit!  I've really come to notice how much of my life revolves around food lately.  I would mindlessly snack when bored, turn to food for comfort, socialize with friends over drinks and food, the list goes on and on.  Because I've always been relatively healthy, I didn't see it as an issue.  Now that I'm being cognizant of what I'm putting in my body and viewing food as fuel, it really highlights the unhealthy habits that I've had.  I also am becoming better about planning my meals and not turning to take-out because I don't have anything in the fridge or feel like fixing something.  I keep plenty of easy meals on hand, chop extra veggies every time I have the cutting board out, and really just am thinking about what I eat.  I suggest other options for get togethers, take my dog for longer walks to avoid boredom, and treat myself to pedicures instead of ice cream when I'm upset.  That's my NSV for today.  Anyone else want to share one?  

[Samalamma]

@Sara13 you are so right! My life very much revolved around food. It kind of does now but in a much different way. My NSV is that I can tell my pants are fitting so much better, my skin has been clear, and one of my patients said my face looked thinner. I told her that she was my new favorite patient lol.

[DaskiMom]

Hi All!  I've just discovered this thread and I'm so glad I did!  Just spent the last hour reading through all of your posts and it seems like you have a wonderful little community going here - I hope you'll let me hang out for a bit!

My husband and I began our first W30 on March 6 and it's been so eye-opening! I wanted to break my sugar habit (I have a whole mouth full of "sweet teeth") but I REALLY wanted my husband to do it with me to get to the bottom of his gut issues.  For the 14 years I've known him, he's been plagued with "angry guts" as we call them - he's never really comfortable.  He's had colonoscopies and been to different doctors over the years, but nothing has ever turned up.

Our neighbors did a W30 and RAVED about their results so I did some research and decided we'd do it (he's a pretty laid back guy and is generally on board with my crazy ideas).  I made almost all of our meals from scratch already so I was used to investing a few hours a week in menu planning and prep time... but the thought of eliminating all of those wonderful things we love to eat and drink was daunting (we really, really miss pizza).

We've made it to Day 11 and are both enjoying some fabulous NSVs! He told me last night that he hasn't felt this "calm in the gut" since before college (he's in his mid-40s).  I also feel much less "puffy" and just really freaking happy that we're actually doing this thing!  

The only down side for me is the lack of energy. For the past week I've felt like I could take a nap every afternoon - and today I actually did! I could stand to go to bed about 30 minutes earlier (but it's so hard to put my book down and turn out the light!), but reading through this forum and a few others I wonder if it's a combination of my workouts and what I'm (not) eating? Husband runs a fews days a week at lunch with a long training run on Sundays and he said he feels like he's finally turned the corner with the energy thing and feels like he's back to his normal pace/endurance.  I definitely do not.

So... I wake at 6, have coffee with nutpod vanilla and am working through Insanity Max:30 Month 1. Workouts vary each day but I generally burn between 330 and 500 calories per workout. I've tried several different pre-wo snacks and honestly, most make me want to be sick that early in the morning.  I eat breakfast within 30 minutes of finishing my workout and then carry on with my day. I notice the sleepiness creeping in after lunch and by the time I get home around 3, I'm using toothpicks to keep my eyes open. Thankfully the kids are off the bus by 3:45 to keep me busy until they're in bed at 8... But I'm just. so. tired.  

As for the make-up of my meals, I try to stick to the meal template as closely as possible, though it's hard to know exactly how much fat I'm getting since I tend to make things in big batches so the amount of fat I use for prep is actually split among the number of servings, which varies. Since about Day 4 I've been able to keep myself to three meals and mostly no snacks. I drink herbal tea or LaCroix if I "need" something in between, but I haven't been hungry.

Good grief  you'd think I was being paid by the word with the length of this post!

If you've hung with me this long, I'd love to hear if anyone else is still feeling sleepy and how to combat it? Because once I get that bit in check, it's Tiger Blood all the way!

Thanks everyone!!!

 

 

[Sara13]

Welcome @DaskiMom! We're happy to have you join us!  I'm still tweaking my meals a bit to try to combat the tiredness as well.  I've found that having more fat helps me (other than just what I'm cooking something in).  Someone suggest coconut flakes since I don't like avocados...so far that's been good!  I'm also super impressed you work out in the morning.  I keep hoping to get there!

[frogtox]

Happy Friday, all! Daskimom, welcome. I can relate to your husband re: gut issues.   When I was starting to re-introduce food after my first Whole30 a couple years ago, I introduced dairy by having a bit of cream cheese on something. I got in to work and my stomach was making the loudest grumbling noises! My heart sank, because I knew what was coming and sure enough I got so bloated and sick. Two things struck me about this... one was that I didnt' know how badly I felt until I actually felt good. The second was that I had NO idea dairy was an issue for me. I've since learned that *some* dairy is okay, but not much and definitely not soft cheeses. <shudder> Now that I know, I eat it understanding what I'll feel like and weighing whether it's really worth it to me. Sometimes it's not... but occasionally I'll sneak a small sliver of cheesecake.

Good luck over the weekend y'all. I hope you find time to prep so next week is easy peasy!

[Eye of the Tiger]

23 hours ago, frogtox said:

Welcome Curley, and good luck!

Have y'all non-sleepers tried to supplement with magnesium. I take Natural Calm (unflavored) every night and I think that really helps. 

I've been taking 2 doses a day of Rainbow Light cal/mag/D3 (compliant ingredients) for the past 5 days for muscle twitching and insomnia.  Both the twitching and insomnia are slowly fading.  If/when I don't have anymore twitching or insomnia I will go down to one pill in the evening.  I chose that one because I'm supposed to take D3 for my autoimmune disorder, and because I have seasonal depression.

[Sara13]

Does anyone have a favorite recipe to share?  I'm making my shopping list and meal plan for next week and looking to add something new!  I did a sweet potato hash for breakfast as something different this week.  One diced sweet potato tossed in cinnamon, one diced granny smith apple (recommended to toss in ginger, I had none, more cinnamon), and blueberries.  Steam the sweet potato with a bit of water for about five minutes, add the apple for another five minutes, and then stir in the blueberries.  Sweet potato should be mushy and apples will still be a bit crisp.  Add your favorite protein and you have a great breakfast!  I was so tired of eggs...so I added some chicken sausage I lucked upon at Trader Joe's (the only one that was compliant!)

[spunky1]

@Sara13 I had to Google NSV.  Lol!  I feel a lot better than I did before starting Whole30. I don't think I'm getting any skinnier but that's ok. Gut issues are gone, which is great. Besides the extra time for food prep, which can throw me into a tizzy if my schedule gets slightly tweaked, it hasn't been bad at all.  No real strong cravings. I'm very pleased. @DaskiMom You are doing Insanity and Whole 30.  That IS insanity! Good for you! I remember when I tried a similar program (JuicePlus) I was also exercising a lot (per the program) and really felt super sleepy. Because I found Whole30 so daunting and the program doesn't call for it as far as I know, I didn't put too much pressure on myself to exercise, although I have been doing some. I know you probably want to meet your Insanity goals but maybe tone it down to P90X or PiYo or something and see if that doesn't solve the sleepiness problem.  If you are adjusting to a new diet, it might be too much to also adjust to a new exercise program, especially something as intense as Insanity. That's my 2 cents!

[Eye of the Tiger]

2 minutes ago, Sara13 said:

Does anyone have a favorite recipe to share?  I'm making my shopping list and meal plan for next week and looking to add something new!  I did a sweet potato hash for breakfast as something different this week.  One diced sweet potato tossed in cinnamon, one diced granny smith apple (recommended to toss in ginger, I had none, more cinnamon), and blueberries.  Steam the sweet potato with a bit of water for about five minutes, add the apple for another five minutes, and then stir in the blueberries.  Sweet potato should be mushy and apples will still be a bit crisp.  Add your favorite protein and you have a great breakfast!  I was so tired of eggs...so I added some chicken sausage I lucked upon at Trader Joe's (the only one that was compliant!)

I'm going to make the hash tomorrow!  I've been switching back and forth between eggs and Aidell's chicken sausage.  Soooo good!

I think I'm going to try out a whole 30 compliant chili this weekend, and also throw together a soup with ingredients I like (maybe a taco soup with the whole 30 listed seasonings.

[Eye of the Tiger]

3 minutes ago, spunky1 said:

@Sara13 I had to Google NSV.  Lol!  I feel a lot better than I did before starting Whole30. I don't think I'm getting any skinnier but that's ok. Gut issues are gone, which is great. Besides the extra time for food prep, which can throw me into a tizzy if my schedule gets slightly tweaked, it hasn't been bad at all.  No real strong cravings. I'm very pleased. @DaskiMom You are doing Insanity and Whole 30.  That IS insanity! Good for you! I remember when I tried a similar program (JuicePlus) I was also exercising a lot (per the program) and really felt super sleepy. Because I found Whole30 so daunting and the program doesn't call for it as far as I know, I didn't put too much pressure on myself to exercise, although I have been doing some. I know you probably want to meet your Insanity goals but maybe tone it down to P90X or PiYo or something and see if that doesn't solve the sleepiness problem.  If you are adjusting to a new diet, it might be too much to also adjust to a new exercise program, especially something as intense as Insanity. That's my 2 cents!

I agree!  I have to get over my insomnia completely before I go back to Focus T25 (off-shoot of Insanity by Shaun T).  I'm walking and focusing on the W30.  Hopefully by Monday I will be able to start back to T25.  If not, I will start with another Beachbody workout that's not so rigorous.

[spunky1]

@Sara13 I found this list of recipes to be helpful.  https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/quick-and-easy-whole-30-dinner-recipes/slide/4/  The mango chicken I mentioned earlier in this thread is in there.  I've also tried the Paleo Tuna Casserole (surprisingly good, when I was putting it together I thought it was going to be disgusting), Chorizo Butternut Pizza Hash (I used the compliant spicy chicken sausage in this and it worked great!), Ginger Garlic Shrimp Zoodle bowl (so yummy), and the pesto frittata.  I made a bunch of the Whole30 pesto and didn't know what to do with it, so this recipe was great.  But I would suggest either no oil at all in the pan or just a smidge.  Not the whole tbsp the recipe calls for.  The pesto already has a ton of oil in it and mine turned out super greasy when I followed the recipe.

[DaskiMom]

@frogtox - my husband just told me last night that he's already 99% certain that dairy is going to be out for him.  Said he's feeling so much better that he doesn't think he'll miss it all that much.. except for on pizza.  I reminded him that the point of the W30 is to provide us with knowledge, not to create rules for the rest of eternity! If we want to have pizza, we just go easy on the cheese.  And maybe make it a treat and not a regular in the weekly meal rotation.

Thanks for the feedback on my sleepy issues, everyone.  I'm pretty sure it's a combination of not hitting on the right food combo and taking on a ridiculously tough workout program at the same time.  I've completed a few other Beachbody programs in the past year, and while they were tough nothing kicked my butt quite like this is! I think I underestimated how much of an adjustment the W30 would be on my system.

I'll post a few of my fave recipes from the first two weeks when I'm back on my home computer (at work right now). Other than being dreadfully tired of eggs, everything we've tried so far has been delish!

Happy Friday, everyone!

[Samalamma]

@spunky1 Thanks for sharing those recipes! I like the idea of pesto in a frittata! @DaskiMom you are so right about having the power to choose once this is all done. I hope to gain my power back over food, rather than to let it control me. So many times I let my emotions and cravings tell me that I need to eat something. 

[frogtox]

This is my favorite Whole30 recipe ever. http://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/ My family, who don't generally like fish, love these.  My recommendation= make a double batch, and use less salt. 

Another easy crock pot meal: layer boneless chicken thighs, lemon slices and artichoke hearts in a crockpot and cook on low all day. Delicious and almost too easy.

[mompoet]

Hi All, I just found this thread. I hope that I can join you. I began my second Whole30 on March 6 also. I have just read through your posts and feel like I have been on the same journey of discovery and readjustment. Congratulations to you all, and thank you for sharing your experiences on the forum.

I'm the only person at my house doing Whole30, but my daughter, who lives in another city, just completed her second Whole30. She continues to encourage me on mine, via text messages mostly. We sometimes text pictures of our meals to one another.

My first Whole30 experience was great. I am feeling good and happy on my second journey, to join with other March 6-ers. 

 

[DaskiMom]

8 hours ago, Samalamma said:

@spunky1 Thanks for sharing those recipes! I like the idea of pesto in a frittata! @DaskiMom you are so right about having the power to choose once this is all done. I hope to gain my power back over food, rather than to let it control me. So many times I let my emotions and cravings tell me that I need to eat something. 

@Samalamma my problem with food is two-fold - I love it SO much (the flavors, the textures, the experience), that I rarely listen to my body telling me when I've had enough because I just don't want the enjoyment to end! The other issue that I've developed over time is kind of like a Pavlovian response to certain activities/actions - I come home from work, I "need" a snack, I sit down to watch TV, I "need" a treat, we leave for a long car trip, I "need" a vat-sized Starbucks latte, family movie night = ice cream sundaes and popcorn - I could go on and on and on!  I almost never stop to ask myself if I'm really hungry in any of those situations - it's just "what we do," so I do it.  Really trying to use these 30+ days to shift my focus (and actually, the whole family's focus) away from food as reward/treat and toward food as delicious fuel. 

I didn't get to do the menu/grocery list tonight as my daughter and I ended up running a few errands and going to Bonefish Grill for dinner.  I was so nervous about my first venture eating out on the W30, but I searched "Bonefish Grill" in the forums and got a few good ideas for what to order.  It ended up being something I would never normally have considered, but it was so freaking good I want to recreate it at home for dinner!  And I didn't even make her hitchhike home after eating a whole order of Bang Bang shrimp in front of me.  

As I prep the menu and shopping for next week, my goal is to be more mindful of sticking to the meal template to make sure I'm getting the right combo of components and paying attention to how I feel in between meals (sleepy, belly grumbly, etc...).  I know we aren't supposed to track or use apps while on the plan, but I may keep notes either in my phone or in my planner for a few days to see if I notice any patterns.  

Nighty-night all!

 

[Melly88]

Hi there... is it possible to sneak into this group?  

I actually started March 6th and have been doing OK.  I have some really supportive friends, but none of them are on this journey with me.  My mother is supposed to start next week, but I have a feeling she is going to bail on me. :-(  So I am reaching out to YOU, the online community, for that core of support.

I have already started this journey, and for me... there is no reverse. I have let too many trivial things discourage me before - I feel like I have turned around twice and several years have vanished and there have been so many failed attempts at being a healthier me.  I REFUSE to let this be another blip on my radar.  

I read (devoured, really) the book "It Starts With Food" and for the first time, I feel like I have found something that makes sense for ME.  For a real true way of living when it comes to food.  It feels doable... after these first scary 30 days.  

I feel like a newborn giraffe... walking around on shaky legs and feeling very unstable and unsure of myself. I don't know about you all, but I am constantly second guessing myself or feeling bummed when I realize just how unhealthy MOST food has become!  Hello nutrition propaganda and conspiracy theories (GMO much)!

I am excited to be a part of this team... all of us working towards a common goal... trying to follow the same set of rules... cheering each other on and emotionally supporting each other thru this.  The Whole30 is no joke!  

I want to thank you all in advance for being my partners in crime on this journey!  Looking forward to leaning on you and being someone's rock!!!

PS... the insomnia is crazy!

 

[mompoet]

Welcome Melly88, I just "sneaked in" too. It's friendly here.

I share your resolve to readjust my relationship with food and find a healthier way of living that will be "for good." There's a lot to learn, many new skills to practice, and new sensations to experience. We can all support one another as we go along.