Silverstah's 1st Whole30

[silverstah]

So.... here we go! 

Today is Day 1 - looking forward to making some really positive changes in my eating habits. 

Like lots of people, I've gone back and forth between healthy and unhealthy choices for most of my life.  In 2015 I was at my heaviest weight ever - 165 lbs. at 5'7".  I was feeling bloated, unattractive, and unhealthy.  I went on Weight Watchers in September 2015 and made some very positive changes in my eating habits - and dropped to 137 lbs. in 7 months or so.  I also started going to the gym seriously - so not only was I losing weight, but I was toning up and gaining energy.  I felt GREAT! 

Then I let work stress and personal stress get in the way - and I started falling back into some unhealthy habits.  Since April 2016 I've gained and lost the same 7-ish lbs., my gym time has been seriously curtailed, and I've lost a lot of energy and confidence. 

A friend on FB has been documenting her Whole30 journey, and what she was eating looked healthy and good - and I decided I need a kick-start to get back on a healthy path.  

I've retained some decent habits from my WW days - I had cut a good deal of dairy, processed sugars, and processed starches out of my diet.  However, in the past six months I've started indulging more in "treats" - more sweets, more fast food, more cheese (a definite weakness of mine), and more alcohol.  When I was doing WW I was pretty much eating lots of grilled chicken and veggies - so hopefully this won't be too difficult of a transition.  And I'm excited that there are things on Whole 30 that are encouraged (avocados, for example!) that are high "points" values on WW. 

So - yesterday I went to the store and stocked up on some healthy options - lots of veggies, lean meats, and avocados.  Probably too much fruit - but I'm going to do my best to keep that to a minimum.  

My biggest challenge is going to be breakfast, I think - so that'll take some serious planning.  My normal breakfast is an egg sandwich (single fried egg with sharp cheddar cheese on a whole wheat english muffin), and I will fully admit that I typically sleep in way too late to make a breakfast at home.  So last night I made the tomato and spinach frittata from the book as prep - cut into slices that I can just stick into the toaster oven while I'm getting dressed and eat on the go.  Coffee won't be a problem - I gave up dairy in my coffee almost a year ago, transitioning to almond milk.  About a month ago I started the coconut oil in my coffee, and LOVE that... so we're good there.  

I know I'll have to plan a LOT - I work extremely long hours, and will have an extremely long commute in the evenings starting at the end of May.  But  hopefully by then I'll be in such a good routine that it won't be a big deal. 

So.... here we go!  This morning I had a couple of slices of my fritattta for breakfast - and it was good!  And that was at 9am, and I'm still full.  So... I KNOW I can do this.  And I know it'll be good for me.  <3

[silverstah]

Day 1 - I'd say it's pretty much a success! 

Breakfast: Spinach and tomato frittata. 

Lunch: Tuna salad (tuna mixed with homemade mayo - why have I never made homemade mayo before?!?! - and diced apple.  Eaten with half of a red bell pepper. 

Snack #1: banana

Pre-gym snack: hard boiled egg, and a small helping of mango slices and blackberries.  I didn't read that they suggest you avoid fruit before the gym until I was literally eating fruit before going to the gym... 

Post-gym Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, diced and sautéed with greek seasoning and a little bit of olive oil; sautéed veggies (sweet potato, broccoli, brussels sprouts, onions, artichoke hearts) with a little balsamic vinegar; 1/2 avocado (which was really good with the chicken!)

I also got to the gym for the first time in a few months - THAT was a wakeup call.  20 minutes on the elliptical was WAY harder than it used to be.  

Dinner below - I went way overboard cooking the veggies.  Only finished about half of that - put the rest away for dinner tomorrow.  

[silverstah]

How weird - after posting last night, I went and explored some more of the forums.  Found a few really long discussions about giving up alcohol during and after W30 - and just reading other people discussing their challenges made me suddenly REALLY want a drink.  Now, I have been a daily drinker - glass of wine, beer, cocktail, SOMETHING - but I had tapered off to 3-4 drinks/week over the past few weeks in prep for this.  But reading those discussions?  Made me SUPER crave a glass of wine.  Luckily, we didn't have any - so I COULDN'T.  I did end up having a small cup of fresh fruit instead - I know, substituting one craving for another.  But still, baby steps. 

I DIDN'T automatically stick my hand in the bag of tortilla chips my husband was eating when I got home from the gym last night - so, small victories.

 

[silverstah]

I'm not sure if it was because of the gym last night or what, but I was ravenous all day today.  After dinner tonight I'm finally settled:

B - tomato and spinach frittata, coffee with coconut oil

L: tuna salad with apple chunks, bell pepper, hard boiled egg, banana

Snack 1: small fruit salad

Snack 2: 1/2 avocado, hard boiled egg, small helping of fruit salad 

Dinner: baked chicken leg and thigh, sautéed veggies (onion, sweet potato, bell pepper, artichoke hearts, Brussels sprouts and broccoli). 

Yesterday I was barely hungry at all between lunch and my p-workout snack. So today was a little frustrating. And I'm alternatively craving crunchy things and sweet things - although I know that the sweet cravings will pass, and anything sweet I'd eat wouldn't really satisfy anyway. 

No hangover-like symptoms, thankfully.  Although my diet had rapid,y gone downhill over the past month or so, I was still making reasonable choices.... so hopefully this won't be terrible. I just wish I could get those sweet cravings to go away quickly!

[silverstah]

So - full accountability - last night I let my sweet tooth cravings take over.  I ended up making a cup of chai spice tea and blended in some coconut oil - which was lovely - and then ate an apple.  

I think between the workout (after a long break) on D1 and then not consuming enough fats/protein - I had inadvertently sabotaged myself.  The baked chicken leg/thigh really helped - and today I'm feeling back on track.  So far: 

B: tomato and spinach frittata, coffee with coconut oil

L: tuna salad with homemade mayo, 1 HB egg, 1/2 bell pepper, 1/2 avocado

Hopefully that balance of protein/fat will drive me through the day! 

[silverstah]

Day 4.  I didn't post yesterday - it was a crazy hectic day and I just didn't have time.  Stayed on track food-wise, but my schedule was wonky so I know I didn't eat when I should have.  Reconstructing: 

B - leftover hash browns w/onion, sautéed in olive oil.  3/4 of a chicken sausage.  1 egg. Coffee with coconut oil

S1 - banana

L - I didn't end up eating "lunch" until after 4pm - so I was (naturally) starving. I forgot to pack my tuna salad, so I went to Fresh Market to see what they had on their salad bar, protein-wise.  All they had that wasn't mixed in mayo was some dry looking chicken - but they DID have a wonderfully sized little platter of sashimi tuna.  So I had some of that, and a little serving of fruit.  The tuna filled me up fast.  I also had an almond-coconut 'Perfect Bar', which seems to be compliant.  

D - again,  ate way late - I didn't get home until almost 11pm.  Too tired to really cook.  I sautéed up some onions, sweet potato, 1/2 a chicken sausage, and an egg.  Wish I had more green veggies in there.  But we were out of everything but brussels sprouts... and I wasn't in the mood.  Drink: coconut water in a wine glass, which makes me feel fancy.

 

[silverstah]

Day 5 - still on track.  Not feeling any particular cravings - mostly a little bit of food boredom, but I don't have time to really try anything new or exciting.  I have a spaghetti squash I'm looking forward to trying over the weekend. 

B: the last of the tomato/spinach quiche.  It's not my favorite, but it's easy to prep in the mornings.  Coffee w/coconut oil

L: small cup tuna salad.  1/2 avocado.  1 hard boiled egg.  1/2 apple. 

Dinner will be weird again - I won't get home until 11pm so I'll have to eat SOMETHING between job #1 and job #2.  I still have half of the avocado, half the apple, and another hard boiled egg in my bag, which should be fine to tide me over. Worst case scenario, I guess, I get some more of the tuna sashimi from Fresh Market - but that'll get expensive very quickly.  I need to go shopping this weekend for more compliant quick things I can pack in my lunch bag.  

[silverstah]

It's interesting - I'm starting to identify the things that I know are bad habits.  I'm feeling a little blue today, and even as early as last week I'd get myself through the day by getting a latte or promising myself Bojangles at the end of the day.  Right now I don't want the Bojangles at ALL - although I wouldn't turn down an almond-milk latte, if the ones made by Starbucks were compliant.  Oh well.  

[silverstah]

So, the rest of D5 was... interesting. I usually have an hour between job #1 and #2, but I ended up in a really heavy conversation with a friend, and didn't have time to get something healthy from Fresh Market. I was super glad for the almond/coconut bar I had in my bag - that totally kept me away from the pike of snickers and m&ms in the dressing room. 

Got home around 10:30 - and my husband (who is dipping his toe into it - he's not 100% committed, but he's giving it a go for a while) made some ground chicken taco meat, which we ate with pico and avocado. I didn't even miss the tortillas!

I also tried black coffee for the first time yesterday - it made my stomach WAY too acidic. I didn't mind the taste that much, but it seems that (for now) my stomach wants some fat with the coffee. I usually do coconut oil in the morning, but that s not practical at work. I think I'll have to get a small bottle of that W30 compliant creamer to keep at work for those mid-afternoon pick me ups. I was really trying to avoid anything like that, but we're heading into a busy month and I'd like the option for an afternoon cup of coffee that doesn't make my stomach feel sour.