Starting 5/14

[KelliW]

Thanks ladies for your ideas.  I looked up some of the recipes and will make them this weekend.  I can't believe today is Day 18!  I know I'm going to 39, but I've been feeling so good that I'm happy with that!

Scrambled eggs, coconut milk in my coffee, fruit and beans for breakfast.  Lunch will be chicken salad on top of green salad and avocado..  The chicken salad will be made with one of the jars of mayo I purchased prior to joining.  They finally came in the mail the other day.  I made chicken salad yesterday with the chipolte lime may.  That one is OK.  I'm not sure what about it that I don't like, but I put just enough in to get the salad to hold together.  I'll try the plain one today.  I need to make my own - I've heard how yummy it is.

 

I've been getting so much done at work and home it's amazing.  Yesterday I had a small tired spell mid-afternoon, so I just drank some iced tea.  I've been staying up too late.

@CaLorraine - Hope you are feeling better!

Good luck today!

[SugarcubeOD]

1 hour ago, KelliW said:

beans

Beans??  I hope you mean green beans?

[KelliW]

18 minutes ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Beans??  I hope you mean green beans?

Yep - I forgot to type green.

[SugarcubeOD]

9 minutes ago, KelliW said:

Yep - I forgot to type green.

Excellent

[Vguck]

@pilatesfan how was the butternut squash soup?  This sounds so good - was it easy to make?  I will have a lot of time this weekend to make meals.  Last weekend we were so busy with activities that we cooked some meat and have some veggies but nothing is really a solid meal per say.  

Loving this Tiger Blood.  I'm wondering how I ever got stuff done only a few weeks ago.  So happy to have made it to this point.  I don't feel like I am on a "diet" this is more of a sustainable lifestyle.

Has anyone given thought about reintroducing foods - either on the 10 day plan or as desires come up.  I am leaning toward only introducing something if it comes up and I really want it - however, it is still 2 weeks away to who knows how I will feel then.

Hope everyone is doing well.  You guys are all great!

[Vguck]

I miss "bored snacking" although I completely understand there is nothing good that comes from it.  

[CaLorraine]

12 minutes ago, Vguck said:

I miss "bored snacking" although I completely understand there is nothing good that comes from it.  

Yessss. I can't believe how bad of a snacker I was until doing this!

[KelliW]

14 minutes ago, Vguck said:

I miss "bored snacking" although I completely understand there is nothing good that comes from it.  

OMG - Me Too!!   Right now and at 9-10pm is hard!  That's probably where most of my calories were eaten.  

Now to go get yet another glass of water.....

 

[SugarcubeOD]

1 hour ago, KelliW said:

OMG - Me Too!!   Right now and at 9-10pm is hard!  That's probably where most of my calories were eaten.  

Now to go get yet another glass of water.....

 

Go to bed at 9 then... snacking can be a coping mechanism for tiredness... plus, you can't eat if you're asleep

[pilatesfan]

Vguck , I used the butternut squash soup recipe in the whole 30 book.  I took a shortcut in using a bag of frozen butternut squash.  I buy mine at a local Publix store but don't know what is available to you.  I've made it twice so you know it must be EASY.  Goes together pretty fast and is delicious.

I made the classic chili today and my husband even ate some.  We both thought it was very good.  I had mine with a side of rutabagas.  Of course husband had crackers with his.

I am definitely a grazer so consequently hardly ever was full or satisfied.  My 10:00 PM ice cream habit was the worse.    Of course, a lot of boredom eating too.  Going to bed is a good idea but then wake up during the night hungry.  Today is the first day that I could say I felt really good instead of I'm so tired.  Maybe tiger blood is kicking in?!? 

 

[CaLorraine]

Last night was interest, well the last couple of days. Mentally my mind is pining for all of the things I used to it and I've been feeling emotional over it and this feels so very hard when that happens. My husband made cinnamon rolls yesterday for his coworkers but he saved a few for our daughters. I was getting them ready for the girls to eat and had to walk away and have my husband do it because the urge to eat them was so strong. We make dang good cinnamon rolls. My husband apologized for making them. I told him there was no need to apologize, my reaction to the cinnamon rolls is reason enough for me to be doing a whole30. I should be content not to eat them, not battling myself on if I should or not. 

I cant wait until these reactions go away. I seemed to be fine at the beginning of this, it's like a delayed reaction to being cut off from those foods with no breaks. 

Anyway, we are rocking it my friends!

my coworkers are always commenting on how yummy my food looks and smells  I let them have a taste occasionally, I'm thinking we may have some more whole30 participants by the end of this. They are all so supportive and encouraging. I've had the best reactions from everyone on this journey which is so nice. 

[pilatesfan]

If it's any consolation, my dreams last night were all about cake.....all kinds, chocolate, coconut, caramel, etc.  I'm with you.  The sugar urge is still strong.  I'm not hungry.  Just continue to think about the things that I know are not good for me.

To add insult to injury, my dinner plans for tonight were to roast a chicken.  Well, thank goodness, i continue to read labels.  My chicken contains carrageenan.  What the heck?  I knew it was in dairy products but never thought it would be in meat.  So dinner plans have changed.  Probably fish.  I have leftover rutabagas and I picked yellow squash from my neighbor's garden last night.  Will attempt my famous squash casserole but make it compliant without the cheese.

I know we are in the final days but now I'm concerned about the reintroduction period.  I  know sugar will always be a trigger food for me so need to be thinking about how I'm going to handle it.  I can't imagine none at all but know a little always leads to a little more and so on.  I'll get it figured out I'm sure.

 

 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

CALorraine, I like your thinking - all through this process.  Hitch your wagon to a Reintro Phase when you're done. This will really raise the bar on your awareness and how trickery trigger foods may affect you going forward.

There are trickery triggers = food offenders that I cannot bring home to this day. I simply don't bring the offenders home. Navigating my way through my family's choices is another ballgame.  I still have to prime my mind and interrupt old habit thought patterns.  I have to activate a narrow focus, day to day and sometimes it's minute to minute.  

Keep tooling along and I wish you well.   

[Vguck]

@CaLorraine I was in the grocery story a few days ago and saw a new Ben & Jerry's product I would love to try.   I felt really sad knowing I never will - the main reason being that ice cream is a major problem for my digestive tract. Then I got to thinking about all of the foods I really don't want to eat anymore but my mind would love to dive right in.  Luckily, through this process, I have gained impulse control.

I have been using a program (http://realplans.com) which has been a huge help for me.  I purchased a subscription which allows me to customize the plan to be Whole30 compliant and keeps me on track.  That coupled with the Whole30 cookbooks are great and make me think I can sustain this lifestyle. I am going to put off reintroduction because I have a routine I like and I have never FELT so great before.  Also, I am nervous about reintroducing foods because my body and skin were such a mess 20 days ago. 

[KelliW]

OMG @CaLorraine and @pilatesfan

I'm so glad you mentioned this today!  I was getting out of the shower today talking myself out of getting on the scale.  I wanted to jump on because I was hoping it was motivation for me to keep going with W30.  It's been a couple hard days with all the school and sports year end celebrations.  It gets hard to watch everyone eat the pizza that you picked up while making a compliant meal for myself.  It definitely was a quick meal, but still hard.  

Yesterday was ice cream  at a local ice cream joint after school, donuts for national donut day (at the dentist off of all places) and then donuts this morning for my youngest soccer game (our turn to bring snacks).  The Sugar craving is so hard to master!

Sometimes the only thing that keeps me going are some of the NSV's experienced.  Cleared skin and mind, more focus and a little looser of the pants.  I wish someone would tell me they have noticed my shrinking, but I guess there hasn't been that much of a change.  I guess I need to be patient.

@Vguck Ice Cream is definitely my downfall too!  I get all bloated when I eat ice cream and dairy, so I need to keep that in mind.

On a funny note - my husband asked if I had a crush on a bagboy at the grocery store because I was there so much!   Today is our 17th anniversary - so we will celebrate compliantly (I will at least).

 

Good Luck during the rest of the weekend!!

[CaLorraine]

Do y'all know if we are at a point where we can listen to our bodies being full and content? Lunch today was amazing, but I couldn't finish, I felt stuffed lol normal? 

[pilatesfan]

Has anyone else noticed the difference in their grocery cart?  I just got back from the store and was amazed that over half my cart was fresh fruits and vegetables.  The rest meat and olive oil.  Big change for me.  No processed food, dairy or bread.  (or cookies!!)

I still get what I perceive as hunger.  So I'm not really at the full and content all the time.  I am either drinking a glass of water or hot tea when I feel hungry.  No change in the looseness of the clothes for me.  However I am eating way more meat and fat than I have previously.  I figure it will eventually balance out.  I did have someone at pilates comment on my arm muscles.

Thank goodness no end of the year celebrations for me so I haven't had to deal with pizza, doughnuts, etc.  

[SugarcubeOD]

3 hours ago, pilatesfan said:

Has anyone else noticed the difference in their grocery cart?  I just got back from the store and was amazed that over half my cart was fresh fruits and vegetables.  The rest meat and olive oil.  Big change for me.  No processed food, dairy or bread.  (or cookies!!)

I still get what I perceive as hunger.  So I'm not really at the full and content all the time.  I am either drinking a glass of water or hot tea when I feel hungry.  No change in the looseness of the clothes for me.  However I am eating way more meat and fat than I have previously.  I figure it will eventually balance out.  I did have someone at pilates comment on my arm muscles.

Thank goodness no end of the year celebrations for me so I haven't had to deal with pizza, doughnuts, etc.  

You're still a human being, so you're going to get hungry.  The question is, is that hunger 4-5 hours after a meal?  If so, that's perfect and exactly what you're looking for.  If you're still hungry all the time or in two or three hours after, then you're not eating enough.

[SugarcubeOD]

5 hours ago, CaLorraine said:

Do y'all know if we are at a point where we can listen to our bodies being full and content? Lunch today was amazing, but I couldn't finish, I felt stuffed lol normal? 

This seems reasonable.. Do YOU feel like you can trust your hunger/full signals?  Are you consistently eating template meals that leave you feeling full and satisfied for 4-5 hours?  If the answer to both those questions is yes, then yes, you can probably start trusting.  Did your lunch have a lot more fat than usual?  That can make you feel full faster.

[CaLorraine]

@SugarcubeOD I think my handful of olives was bigger but not that much more. 

Yes to both of your questions. It's been amazing to me that I'm not getting hungry after 2 hours, I sometimes can go longer than 5, like at work and my lunch break isn't until later. I never thought this was possible. 

[CaLorraine]

Is it supposed to be getting harder? I feel like my sugar cravings and desire for sweet snacks has gotten worse. It's awful. I'm fighting tooth and nail not to give in but it's hard :'( normal or no?

todays food: meal 1: half a sweet potatoe, half a bell pepper, half a avocado, 2 eggs and one aidells apple and chicken sausage. 

Meal 2: non existent

meal 3: roast with roasted butternut squash, green beans and olives. 

Yesterdays:

meal 1: same as today's 

meal 2: pulled pork carnitas salad, with olives

meal 3: two palm sized chicken breasts and half a plate of mixed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.

and fridays

meal 1: sweet potatoes and 4 eggs 

meal 2: the carnitas salad with olives

meal 3: same as saturdays but with olives. 

I know I'm struggling with getting decent fats in. Like really struggling. But is everything else looking okay? Maybe I need more of something or more food? I just hate how bad my cravings have been roaring the last few days, I feel my resolve slipping so I need to change something STAT!

a part of me worries about if this will actually change my relationship with food. I've been so messed up with food controlling me and being an emotional eater, I fear that as soon as I add back in, that's it, I'm fall back to my old ways. That I'll always be carb consumed and over eating.  so I think a part of me is like eh, you won't be changed so what's the point. Anyone else? Mods is this normal? :'(

guys, this is hard. The food changes are easy compared to the mental battle of not giving into cravings and changing my habits of using food to cope for everything. 

[ArtFossil]

5 minutes ago, CaLorraine said:

Is it supposed to be getting harder? I feel like my sugar cravings and desire for sweet snacks has gotten worse. It's awful. I'm fighting tooth and nail not to give in but it's hard :'( normal or no?

todays food: meal 1: half a sweet potatoe, half a bell pepper, half a avocado, 2 eggs and one aidells apple and chicken sausage. 

Meal 2: non existent

meal 3: roast with roasted butternut squash, green beans and olives. 

Yesterdays:

meal 1: same as today's 

meal 2: pulled pork carnitas salad, with olives

meal 3: two palm sized chicken breasts and half a plate of mixed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.

and fridays

meal 1: sweet potatoes and 4 eggs 

meal 2: the carnitas salad with olives

meal 3: same as saturdays but with olives. 

I know I'm struggling with getting decent fats in. Like really struggling. But is everything else looking okay? Maybe I need more of something or more food? I just hate how bad my cravings have been roaring the last few days, I feel my resolve slipping so I need to change something STAT!

a part of me worries about if this will actually change my relationship with food. I've been so messed up with food controlling me and being an emotional eater, I fear that as soon as I add back in, that's it, I'm fall back to my old ways. That I'll always be carb consumed and over eating.  so I think a part of me is like eh, you won't be changed so what's the point. Anyone else? Mods is this normal? :'(

guys, this is hard. The food changes are easy compared to the mental battle of not giving into cravings and changing my habits of using food to cope for everything. 

Eat more fat! At every meal! Olives have to be a heaping handful so you might try other fats as well.  And don't skip meals like you did today. The template is key to keeping you satisfied. 

And a craving is just a thought. Distract yourself with a non-food activity and it will pass.

Focus on your 30 days and then your reintroductions not some mythical future ("always"). 

[CaLorraine]

1 minute ago, ArtFossil said:

 

And a craving is just a thought. Distract yourself with a non-food activity. 

I like that! And needed that reminder! "A craving is just a thought" 

thanks!

[SugarcubeOD]

1 hour ago, CaLorraine said:

Is it supposed to be getting harder? I feel like my sugar cravings and desire for sweet snacks has gotten worse. It's awful. I'm fighting tooth and nail not to give in but it's hard :'( normal or no?

todays food: meal 1: half a sweet potatoe, half a bell pepper, half a avocado, 2 eggs and one aidells apple and chicken sausage. 

Meal 2: non existent

meal 3: roast with roasted butternut squash, green beans and olives. 

Yesterdays:

meal 1: same as today's 

meal 2: pulled pork carnitas salad, with olives

meal 3: two palm sized chicken breasts and half a plate of mixed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.

and fridays

meal 1: sweet potatoes and 4 eggs 

meal 2: the carnitas salad with olives

meal 3: same as saturdays but with olives. 

I know I'm struggling with getting decent fats in. Like really struggling. But is everything else looking okay? Maybe I need more of something or more food? I just hate how bad my cravings have been roaring the last few days, I feel my resolve slipping so I need to change something STAT!

a part of me worries about if this will actually change my relationship with food. I've been so messed up with food controlling me and being an emotional eater, I fear that as soon as I add back in, that's it, I'm fall back to my old ways. That I'll always be carb consumed and over eating.  so I think a part of me is like eh, you won't be changed so what's the point. Anyone else? Mods is this normal? :'(

guys, this is hard. The food changes are easy compared to the mental battle of not giving into cravings and changing my habits of using food to cope for everything. 

I think you need to eat more in general... your breakfast had a half a pepper as your non starchy veg... that's not really enough.  No meal 2 and no indication of how much you ate at meal 3.  Take another look at the template, add fat, add veggies, up your protein a bit.  Cravings can be due to lack of sufficient nutrients; your body knows how to get quick energy - from those craved foods... so it's asking for it.

As far as your thoughts about adding things back in and not being confident that this new lifestyle has stuck, yes, that's a pretty normal feeling for people, but instead of projecting what may or may not happen in the future, how about focussing on today and tomorrow... and tomorrow, you need to eat more.

Yes, this is hard.  We know it's hard.  But we also know it's worth it.  Good for you for reaching out - we definitely don't expect or want you to go through this alone, but in the end, YOU are the one going through it, so you might want to start looking at different coping techniques, really plan out what your reintroductions might look like closer to the end and then make a WholeCALorraine plan that is your own custom food plan.

[cristinamt]

And I don't believe green beans are compliant because it's more legume than pod, right?