April 1st Start Date - Support Group

[Knittheresistance]

Cheers. Hubs and I nominally stated April 1 but I have THE WORST COLD EVER so I've mostly been on the couch without an appetite. Hubs went to the store last night. I think he spent a fortune. I've done plenty of clean eating before so I'm interested to see where this goes!

[WholeRunner]

2 hours ago, LB345 said:

Day 3 Whole 30 and I am EXHAUSTED! No headaches or anything like that, I just feel like I could sleep for a week. And I actually slept like a baby last night. Something I don't usually do... Usually I wake up several times a night. Last night I was out for the count! Maybe also a little teeny tiny bit cranky... (sorry hubby) 

Anyone else? 

Feeling good though other than that! 

THIS! I'm with you 110%
I felt so rested when I woke up this morning, but I'm down to about 5% battery.

Is anyone else having issues adjusting to their new eating habits and getting exercise in? I feel so low energy and haven't adjusted to pre/post workout snacks that are compliant

[The mouse]

Hi everybody! I started April first also, but just came across this forum while trying to get some info. Its only been a couple of days, but I feel like I'm eating too much. I'm eating because I'm hungry, but I know calories. I'm concerned that my protein portions are too big and I'm eating too much fruit. I want to feel good, but lose weight too. Any advice?

[SugarcubeOD]

22 minutes ago, The mouse said:

Hi everybody! I started April first also, but just came across this forum while trying to get some info. Its only been a couple of days, but I feel like I'm eating too much. I'm eating because I'm hungry, but I know calories. I'm concerned that my protein portions are too big and I'm eating too much fruit. I want to feel good, but lose weight too. Any advice?

We don't give advice on how to hack the Whole30 to make it a weight loss scheme.  How much protein are you eating?  Are you feeling full for 4-5 hours and comfortably hungry after that?  Do you follow the template for all your meals?

Calories are an indication of how much energy is required to boil water... it means absolutely nothing in the scheme of eating plans... all calories are not created equal and on this whole food plan, calories are meaningless.  If you would like to post what you've been eating including portion sizes as related to the template (not calories, oz or grams), specific protein, veggies fat, meal timing, water intake etc... we can see if there's anything we can help you tweak but no one will suggest consuming less food than the template just to create weightloss.

[IndustriousJoy]

Today's successes 

1.  Replacing morning hot drink with bone broth!  It's pretty good!

2.  Stewed tomato and chicken romaine wraps were dee-lish. I was thinking 'Who needs a tortilla oh my gosh this is wonderful!'

3.  Closing my kitchen at 7 to be hungry for breakfast. 

Challenge

1.  Took kids to Chickfila for dinner. Brought fruit and nuts for myself. Not the best but not a  gut bomb.  Also lunch was too filling to do another meal. 

[50andstillhere]

I too am tired today, and hungry. I probably didn't eat enough protein at lunch and I do have a headache. i slept  really well last night , which is a bonus for me. I will trudge on and walk a couple miles on the treadmill and hope my energy improves tomorrow. 

I am still very positive that I can do this and this thread is so supportive !!

[IndustriousJoy]

9 minutes ago, 50andstillhere said:

I too am tired today, and hungry. I probably didn't eat enough protein at lunch and I do have a headache. i slept  really well last night , which is a bonus for me. I will trudge on and walk a couple miles on the treadmill and hope my energy improves tomorrow. 

I am still very positive that I can do this and this thread is so supportive !!

Hang in there!  I'm glad they warned everyone it would be a rough first few days (or more for some).  

[JHiggs]

7 hours ago, Kaylakat said:

I make my turkey meatloaf with the everyday seasoning from Trader Joe's, pepper, diced bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. You can even get fancy and sautée the veggies. I used to use ketchup but I have used tomato paste before and the veggies make it moist enough. 

Thanks! That sounds really good! I'm going to give that a try, and i didn't even think about trying tomato paste..maybe thin it out with a little complaint spaghetti sauce?...hmmm...I need more time to get creative in the kitchen! 

[MaineMom]

1 hour ago, WholeRunner said:

THIS! I'm with you 110%
I felt so rested when I woke up this morning, but I'm down to about 5% battery.

Is anyone else having issues adjusting to their new eating habits and getting exercise in? I feel so low energy and haven't adjusted to pre/post workout snacks that are compliant

YES!! About 3 hours after breakfast, I feel faint, and it's usually an ok time to have lunch...Then when I exercise, I feel like my knees are going to give out and I'm light-headed. I've been powering through my long walks and then I'm ready to crash...but it's time to clean up and get dinner ready! My exercise is long established, so from what I've read I'm thinking (hoping!) that it's part of our bodies adjusting to this new way of eating. Let's all keep in touch on this, because I don't want to need a nap every afternoon! 

[Knittheresistance]

Can someone link me to the section about what to do instead of gum? I have a job (private practice lactation consultant) where I a) drive from one end of Seattle -- in horrific traffic -- to the other at mealtimes and b. sit two inches away from a new mom and look at her boobs. Bad breath is Not An Option. Trident keeps me awake and freshens my breath, which will be even more important after I eat all those meat and veg. Brushing my teeth in the car is HARD. I rarely have time to stop between appointments. Ideas?

[MaineMom]

46 minutes ago, Knittheresistance said:

Can someone link me to the section about what to do instead of gum? I have a job (private practice lactation consultant) where I a) drive from one end of Seattle -- in horrific traffic -- to the other at mealtimes and b. sit two inches away from a new mom and look at her boobs. Bad breath is Not An Option. Trident keeps me awake and freshens my breath, which will be even more important after I eat all those meat and veg. Brushing my teeth in the car is HARD. I rarely have time to stop between appointments. Ideas?

Here it is: http://whole30.com/2016/05/whole30-fresh-breath/

Just go to the Whole 30 home page and do a search. It doesn't always give me the answers I'm looking for, but it's a good place to start. 

I can relate, I did home visits and it's hard to eat well between appointments with the "productivity" pressure always there. 

Thanks for your question, I hadn't known that gum was off limits.

Have a great day 4!

[jmcbn]

For those of you struggling with tiredness it IS expected in the early days, however there are a couple of things you can do to help:

• Ensure you are drinking the recommended half an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily
• Salt your food - switching to whole foods (particularly from the SAD) can cause a drop in sodium levels of around 70% and your body needs sodium for normal functioning
• Eat plenty of fat - over an above what you are using to cook with - the brain is 60% fat and so needs fat for brain health, for transporting the fat soluble vitamins around the body, and for energy.
• Rest. Sometimes self-care is the best option over & above exercise, especially when your body is telling you it needs rest. The treadmill/gym will still be there in a few days when you are feeling better.

[anchorageali]

6 hours ago, Knittheresistance said:

Can someone link me to the section about what to do instead of gum? I have a job (private practice lactation consultant) where I a) drive from one end of Seattle -- in horrific traffic -- to the other at mealtimes and b. sit two inches away from a new mom and look at her boobs. Bad breath is Not An Option. Trident keeps me awake and freshens my breath, which will be even more important after I eat all those meat and veg. Brushing my teeth in the car is HARD. I rarely have time to stop between appointments. Ideas?

Hi just cruising forum before bed and saw this. Not doing a whole30 now but have done 6, ever moving closer to food freedom. High quality peppermint oil, with no other ingredients is what I use. Used to be an avid gum chewer but not since my first whole30. So much nasty stuff in it!  Just a drop on your finger and rubbed on your tongue will freshen your breath AND increase alertness. Go easy, I used 3 drops or so the first time and felt like the top of my head was gonna blow off!  Spearmint oil is a nice change as well, though not as easy to find. Do Terra has both. Most health food stores should have peppermint. 

[aprivero87]

22 hours ago, jmcbn said:

That is A LOT of fruit & nuts for just over 2 days. The recommendation for fruit is 0-2 servings per day, with or as part of a meal. For nuts we'd suggest a closed handful (so about 8-10 nuts depending on the type) every other day, max.

Honestly, you will fare MUCH better with some planning to ensure that your meals are built to match the recommended meal template and you'll also avoid the need for snacks, allowing your digestive system some much needed down time between meals (as well as giving your body the opportunity to learn to tap into it's fat stores as fuel).

Eating like this long term will undoubtedly keep feeding the sugar dragon, and most likely cause you some amount digestive distress.

Hi, thank you for your reply with advice and recommendations, they are well received. I know my meals haven't been the best there first days according to the recommendations, although I have been sticking to the rules. I also want to clarify that I'm not recommending my meals / menu to anyone, I'm just sharing my experience. Like the Whole Daily emails say: "Your brain doesn’t like it when you tell it that it can’t have something, and during this first week, the struggles are generally the worst". I has been like this for me the first 3 days, it started to feel easier taming my sugar dragon from yesterday on during the evening, and I've realized the importance of meal planning, which I didn't do much during my first Whole30 a year ago (where I also ate too much fruit and nuts). Yesterday I had a severe headache almost the entire day and felt a bit tired, today I feel much better. It's very difficult for me to give up fruit and nuts entirely, but I'm trying to reduce it little by little.

Yesterday's lunch was 150 gr of snack cucumbers sprinkled with sea salt, 175 gr of raw snack carrots, 1/2 tablespoon cashew butter and drank water. It was long before dinner, so when I came home I felt faint and with a terrible headache, and decided to eat a banana for some energy. For dinner we had homemade creamy soup (homemade vegetable stock, water, broccoli stems and some tops, cauliflower stems and tops, green asparagus, squash and coconut cream). Water for drinking. I drank plenty of water during the entire day to help with my headache. No snacking between dinner and supper. For supper I had 2 scrambled eggs with yellow and red bell peppers, 8 grape tomatoes, 8 grapes and half a small avocado (here in Norway they are often very small).

I also meal prepped a bit for some days ahead: I roasted an entire chicken in the oven with Himalaya salt, pepper, several herbs and compliant spices, and brushed the chicken first with olive oil and coconut oil. So now I have chicken ready to use in plates, salads etc, or to cut up a piece and bring in my lunchbox to work.

Today I tried out soup for breakfast, it felt odd, but good for my body. I had a cup of black coffee and a bowl of leftover green soup from yesterday's dinner. For lunch I'm having a cup of tea, compliant canned sardines (in oil or tomato sauce without sugar), 150 gr of snack cucumbers, some grape tomatoes and some raw snack carrots. Dinner plans are oven baked salmon with egg, olive oil, fennel, bell peppers, shredded cabbage and shredded carrots, and probably a fresh salad on the side. I already have the form ready in the fridge, just to add the bell peppers and eggs and put in the oven when I get home, as I will be late home from work. I will might need a snack between lunch and dinner as dinner will be late today...

Sorry for my long posts! Have a nice day 4, everyone!  

[Scolvin2303]

Hey guys! Day 4 and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed! I am grouchy and feel like shouting "Eff this!" but I try to keep it together and not freak out on everyone. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed while meal planning because my husband has drill for the army this weekend and will be gone. He usually cooks dinner...I HATE cooking but am getting so much better at it already. So for the weekend I have my meats in mind and feel confident about cooking that but as for the veggies..I am lost! I know there is probably some thread I can find suggestions at, but I wanted to see if you guys had any easy/delicious vegetable recipe ideas. It can be any type of veggie and any method. I'm mostly just lost with what spices/what cooking method/and cooking times. Thanks guys, you are the best! 

[LB345]

DAY 4 and so far so good. To be honest, the only thing I am really missing is my glass of wine in the evenings. I do love to relax with a glass of wine in the evenings. Supplementing it with some camomile tea instead 

[busyhomeschooling]

Good morning!  My daughters and I started April 1st, too (our first round).  

We live just outside of San Francisco, the foodie paradise:  wine tasting, Tartine bakery and two Chinatowns in the area.  It's not going to be easy, but I'd love to read all of your experiences and share my own to stay motivated and on track!  

Siobhan 

 

[SugarcubeOD]

6 hours ago, aprivero87 said:

 

Yesterday's lunch was 150 gr of snack cucumbers sprinkled with sea salt, 175 gr of raw snack carrots, 1/2 tablespoon cashew butter and drank water. It was long before dinner, so when I came home I felt faint and with a terrible headache, and decided to eat a banana for some energy. For dinner we had homemade creamy soup (homemade vegetable stock, water, broccoli stems and some tops, cauliflower stems and tops, green asparagus, squash and coconut cream). Water for drinking. I drank plenty of water during the entire day to help with my headache. No snacking between dinner and supper. For supper I had 2 scrambled eggs with yellow and red bell peppers, 8 grape tomatoes, 8 grapes and half a small avocado (here in Norway they are often very small).

 

This concerns me... the sum total of your protein for the entire day listed here is two eggs.  A lunch of cucumbers and carrots with a miniscule amount of nut butter is not enough food for a human adult... no wonder you felt faint and with a terrible headache.

Have you seen the meal template?  It asks for 1-2 palms of protein (your own palm's thickness x width x length) and two thumbs of added fat (or avocado in half or whole, or canned coconut milk etc... it's all listed in the template).  You look like your'e doing well for veggies which is often a stumbling block for people but your meals in this post combined with your meals in the last post show that you're not eating enough.

[jmluciano0314]

I fully expected to wake up ready to kill all the things, but I didn't, however I do feel myself getting crankier as the day goes on. Anyone else feeling the same?

[IndustriousJoy]

5 hours ago, Scolvin2303 said:

Hey guys! Day 4 and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed! I am grouchy and feel like shouting "Eff this!" but I try to keep it together and not freak out on everyone. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed while meal planning because my husband has drill for the army this weekend and will be gone. He usually cooks dinner...I HATE cooking but am getting so much better at it already. So for the weekend I have my meats in mind and feel confident about cooking that but as for the veggies..I am lost! I know there is probably some thread I can find suggestions at, but I wanted to see if you guys had any easy/delicious vegetable recipe ideas. It can be any type of veggie and any method. I'm mostly just lost with what spices/what cooking method/and cooking times. Thanks guys, you are the best! 

I use frozen veggies a lot. Most common--spinach, olive oil, garlic and salt. Just let it steam for awhile in a skillet with lid. I always make enough for at least two meals at once so I can have quick veggies later. 

[MaineMom]

5 hours ago, Scolvin2303 said:

Hey guys! Day 4 and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed! I am grouchy and feel like shouting "Eff this!" but I try to keep it together and not freak out on everyone. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed while meal planning because my husband has drill for the army this weekend and will be gone. He usually cooks dinner...I HATE cooking but am getting so much better at it already. So for the weekend I have my meats in mind and feel confident about cooking that but as for the veggies..I am lost! I know there is probably some thread I can find suggestions at, but I wanted to see if you guys had any easy/delicious vegetable recipe ideas. It can be any type of veggie and any method. I'm mostly just lost with what spices/what cooking method/and cooking times. Thanks guys, you are the best! 

Sounds like you need a cookbook!  Or remember, Google knows so I know! Once you start you'll be amazed. Veggies are easy and quick, you'll be a pro in no time!

[peacefullyfierce]

6 hours ago, Scolvin2303 said:

Hey guys! Day 4 and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed! I am grouchy and feel like shouting "Eff this!" but I try to keep it together and not freak out on everyone. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed while meal planning because my husband has drill for the army this weekend and will be gone. He usually cooks dinner...I HATE cooking but am getting so much better at it already. So for the weekend I have my meats in mind and feel confident about cooking that but as for the veggies..I am lost! I know there is probably some thread I can find suggestions at, but I wanted to see if you guys had any easy/delicious vegetable recipe ideas. It can be any type of veggie and any method. I'm mostly just lost with what spices/what cooking method/and cooking times. Thanks guys, you are the best! 

I roast absolutely everything!  Put a single layer of vegetables on a foil lined cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil/coconut oil/ghee, sprinkle with fancy salt and experiment sprinkling with dried green herbs - thyme, basil, oregano are common tastes - and set oven on bake at 425 degrees until done!  Different veges take different times, so start with 15min and check every ten to see if they're tender.  OR if you have the Whole30 book there is a cheat sheet on page 167.  It's literally the only way I eat vegetables because you can prep so much at one time and have them ready for multiple meals.  Happy Day 4!

[peacefullyfierce]

Day 4!  My prevailing thought is, how can I be starving and full at the same time?  hahaha I am seriously hungry every three or four hours but after I eat I feel so full, like it was too much.  I am used to eating more of the six mini meals a day template, as opposed to the three that Melissa recommends.  I know my body is just regulating itself, but it is funny.  After a stressful night at the hospital with my son I was realllly wanting to stop at the corner store for a box of wine…..but prevailed and instead ate a compliant and mindful meal then slept for eleven hours!  Wow!  I do have a question for y'all:  I used the search bar but there were too many results to sift through.  What is the program's stance on Fitfit or other trackers?  I have been wearing one for two years or so because it's a perk from my employer, we accrue points that translate into money for making our step goals and such. Also I just like gadgets and fitness goals/competition.  Nothing wrong with that since it has nothing to do with food or weight, right?  Thanks for any thoughts, and hey!  Happy Day 4 everyone!  

[Knittheresistance]

Scolvin, I can't figure out how to press "reply" to a specific message. There's no reason to make some sort of Whole30 fancy vegetable recipe. In our house, every meal is accompanied by a vegetable unless mommy is too stressed out in which case it might just be a handful of fresh spinach from a bag or some fruit or nothing. 

Some ideas: triple washed greens. Hot pan, olive oil. Sautee until wilted. Seasonings: fresh garlic or garlic powder, sea salt. Or throw in some fresh or dried basil. Or some herbs de provence. Whatever you have.

Fancy: Chop up 4 whole green onions. Sautee for several minutes in olive oil. Add a teaspoon of grated ginger. Sautee another minute. Meanwhile, defrost a bag of frozen spinach. Squeeze ALL the water out. Sautee the spinach in the green onions for ten minutes. Add more olive oil as needed. After 10 minutes, sprinkle on sea salt and garam masala. This is my son's hands-down favorite.

Broccoli: steam. Olive oil and salt.

String beans: pan fry in olive oil with a pinch of salt. or, pan fry garlic in olive oil, then throw in string beans.

 

I could go on and on... just saying, the veggies are the easy part!

[jmcbn]

26 minutes ago, Back2Me said:

What is the program's stance on Fitfit or other trackers?

So long as you're not tracking calories eaten/burned then this is fine. Nothing wrong with healthy movement so long as it doesn't become an obsession!