September 18 start date

[Svmomma]

2 hours ago, Brad C said:

Good morning everyone - how is everyone holding up?  Not gonna lie, these scrambled eggs with diced peppers and tomatoes are not very appealing this morning  But the end result is worth it so I'm going to grind it out.  @Tj V how is the headache pal? Hope you are hanging tough.  Have a great day everyone, we can do this!

So digging through the Whole30 book last night I read that most bacon has sugar in it (even if it says 0 grams sugar)... after three days of eating a meal plan recipe egg/spinach/bacon/sweet potato bake for breakfast I'm really bummed.  I don't even like bacon that much! First visions of "is it worth it" last night

[Mike5858]

Good Morning everyone!  Another day in the books right?  I made it through yesterday just fine, but last night was my most serious craving (for sweets) so far.  I got through it, but it was tough, I'm not going to lie!  Tj that breakfast hash sounds really good!  Have a great day everyone.  We can do this.

[Mike5858]

24 minutes ago, Svmomma said:

So digging through the Whole30 book last night I read that most bacon has sugar in it (even if it says 0 grams sugar)... after three days of eating a meal plan recipe egg/spinach/bacon/sweet potato bake for breakfast I'm really bummed.  I don't even like bacon that much! First visions of "is it worth it" last night

Are you thinking about starting over?  I think there's two ways to look at it. 1) You're only three days into it, so not much time invested or 2) It's a tiny amount of bacon, you've fixed the issue, and you're going to forgive yourself and move on.  I'd take take option two.  It's not like you washed down a handful of Oreos with a glass of wine.  Doesn't that sound good?

[Svmomma]

1 minute ago, Mike5858 said:

Are you thinking about starting over?  I think there's two ways to look at it. 1) You're only three days into it, so not much time invested or 2) It's a tiny amount of bacon, you've fixed the issue, and you're going to forgive yourself and move on.  I'd take take option two.  It's not like you washed down a handful of Oreos with a glass of wine.  Doesn't that sound good?

I know right?  I did think I'd just continue through and get to day 30 and see if I could add three, but ultimately not "start over" as that felt too defeating.  

[dmrob2009]

16 hours ago, Tj V said:

@dmrob2009, so glad to see you joined us! Welcome. Wow! No weight at the beginning huh? I'm stuck in the get this weight off me mode, so you not taking weight is impressive to me. Good luck to you and you'll find there are lots of helpful and nice people here....tons of support. 

Thank you!  I think the scale might have been what derailed my reintroduction twice.  So... I put it away until after reintroduction.  Hoping this helps!

[dmrob2009]

44 minutes ago, Svmomma said:

I know right?  I did think I'd just continue through and get to day 30 and see if I could add three, but ultimately not "start over" as that felt too defeating.  

Honestly, I've seen bacon that has no sugar listed in the ingredients but then says in fine print may contain maple syrup or sugar.  I think it's done that way because the bacon is processed through the same machines with other products that contain those ingredients.  It's more of a "cover your butt" thing for the manufacturer.  I certainly wouldn't worry about it.  Particularly if starting over would derail your mojo!!!  Congratulate yourself for figuring out the importance of scanning all packages with a fine-tooth comb before buying and move on!!!  You're doing great!  Woo hoo!

[Mike5858]

54 minutes ago, Svmomma said:

I know right?  I did think I'd just continue through and get to day 30 and see if I could add three, but ultimately not "start over" as that felt too defeating.  

Just my two cents, but I think you're doing the right thing.  Keep on, keepin' on, you're doing great.

[dmrob2009]

Good morning, Whole30 friends!  Beginning day 4 and I feel slightly better than yesterday.  No more low grade headache, though I'm off and on a little queasy from all of the roughage, LOL.  I have noticed a decrease in the quality of my sleep lately.  Hopefully this will pass.  I made the Salmon Benedict with Asian cauli rice for dinner last night.  Made everyone happy except one ( story of my life... haha!) so I promised said person (dear daughter) some chicken and spaghetti squash for dinner tonight.  

On another note, I've noticed a few comments about boredom with eggs.  Amen!  My husband and kiddos asked me just yesterday if there was anything besides eggs that we could have for breakfast.  I have to admit, eggs are not sounding great this morning.  I'm doing a little research and chia seeds with fruit, coconut flakes and coconut milk are an option.  In addition, many do smoothies because the possibilities are endless.  I know they are not recommended, but they'd help to break the monotony.  

At any rate, I hope everyone has a wonderfully successful day today.  Keep up the good work... you can do it!  

Carpe diem!

[AthenaC]

43 minutes ago, dmrob2009 said:

Good morning, Whole30 friends!  Beginning day 4 and I feel slightly better than yesterday.  No more low grade headache, though I'm off and on a little queasy from all of the roughage, LOL.  I have noticed a decrease in the quality of my sleep lately.  Hopefully this will pass.  I made the Salmon Benedict with Asian cauli rice for dinner last night.  Made everyone happy except one ( story of my life... haha!) so I promised said person (dear daughter) some chicken and spaghetti squash for dinner tonight.  

On another note, I've noticed a few comments about boredom with eggs.  Amen!  My husband and kiddos asked me just yesterday if there was anything besides eggs that we could have for breakfast.  I have to admit, eggs are not sounding great this morning.  I'm doing a little research and chia seeds with fruit, coconut flakes and coconut milk are an option.  In addition, many do smoothies because the possibilities are endless.  I know they are not recommended, but they'd help to break the monotony.  

At any rate, I hope everyone has a wonderfully successful day today.  Keep up the good work... you can do it!  

Carpe diem!

@Svmomma @Tj V @Mike5858 @dmrob2009 Hi all, day 4 I feel better even though I slept horrible. I have to stop drinking water at night! I wouldn't worry about the bacon you have eaten...but going forward maybe just don't have until 30 days are over....the compliant bacon is out there...but so expensive. Trader Joe's has unfurled bits and pieces that says it has sugar but 0 grams of sugar...after 30 days try that ...you will love it! Have a great day....everyone!

[Brad C]

Thanks for all of the kind words and advice everyone -- this forum is definitely helping me get through this first week!  @dmrob2009 I am with you on the sleep -- although mine is weird.  I am waking up a couple times in the night, but usually just to pee because i have been drinking so much water to keep me full and not craving.  When I wake up, I am actually pretty relaxed, and fall back to sleep OK.  Same with the morning - I am actually falling asleep earlier than normal so I am also waking a little earlier, but I am feeling decent when I wake up.  A solid night of sleep would be great though!  Also, thanks @Tj V @dmrob2009 @DrewMc for the affirmation on the eggs and mixing it up -- total "Aha" moment for me -- I can def do a day without eggs, get my protein from other meat, nothing says I can't!! 

This forum has been interesting to me.  I know I haven't read the book for a while, but I do not remember what it said about "starting over".  I have seen that mentioned in this forum a few times now, and just felt like adding my two cents.  I am a pretty OCD rule-follower type person with this stuff, but I have also realized just in these last four days, that this Whole30 thing is about more than just doing the plan for 30 days -- it is about changing our relationship with food forever.  I have had two "slips" - two days ago, I had two wheat thins and three peanuts in between a long stretch of time between meals before @tayrex03 set me straight on the "extra" meal for those of us exercising at a decent pace, and another this morning when I had two slices of bacon with my eggs.

Granted -- that means that both times, I did not follow the Whole30 to the letter of the law.  But to me, what is important is that I was aware both times that what I was doing wasn't according to plan, and I also checked the sugar content of both before eating.  For me personally, this entire experience is about breaking my addiction to sugar and processed foods, and those two little slip ups are not keeping me from that goal.  I have shaved probably 150+ grams of sugar out of my diet each day for the past four days.  That is HUGE for me, and I will be OK with myself still being on "Day 4" even though those two times I backslid.  I recognize everyone is different -- but I guess my point in this rant is to 1) reaffirm for myself what my goals and focus are, and 2) offer encouragement to anyone that simply because you accidentally didn't follow the plan, or fudged ever so slightly, that you've still got this, and that we just need to stay focused moving forward!

Sorry to ramble everyone -- I am feeling very proud of my efforts so far but I am very hard on myself and start to doubt when I read things about what is and is not allowed on the plan

[kirbz]

I just wanted to add two tips that I've found helpful: 

• Don't worry about the grams of sugar on the nutrition label because sometimes those are the result of naturally occuring sugars, which is okay. What you really want to look at is the ingredient list. There are lots of sneaky names for sugar like dextrose! Pretty much all sauces, dressings, condiments, bacon, sausage and other things have added sugar! 
• Check out the whole30approved instagram feed for store-bought products that are compliant. They're expensive but if you can afford it, super helpful!

Everyone is doing an amazing job! We're changing bad habits and improving our lives and the lives of those of us who are learning from us! 

[ShannonM816]

1 hour ago, dmrob2009 said:

On another note, I've noticed a few comments about boredom with eggs.  Amen!  My husband and kiddos asked me just yesterday if there was anything besides eggs that we could have for breakfast.  I have to admit, eggs are not sounding great this morning.  I'm doing a little research and chia seeds with fruit, coconut flakes and coconut milk are an option.  In addition, many do smoothies because the possibilities are endless.  I know they are not recommended, but they'd help to break the monotony.  

For best results, make all your meals match the meal template -- protein, fat, and lots of veggies. Chia seed concoctions and smoothies don't really do that. They both tend to be lots of fruit and fat. 

If you check out the Can I Have list, you'll find chia seeds and smoothies mentioned.

Quote

 

Chia: Yes

These “seeds” aren’t the same botanical family of seeds that we eliminate with grains and legumes, so that makes them fine to eat during your Whole30.

Tip: Chia isn’t likely to cause you any serious trouble, but it’s not the omega-3 super-food it’s made out to be, either. We explain why in It Starts With Food, but in summary, chia should be treated like any other nut and consumed in limited quantities.

 

Quote

 

Smoothies: We’d rather you didn’t

This is a very popular question, with a very unpopular answer. Smoothies (generally made using lots of fruit) are technically compliant on your Whole30, but we strongly recommend against it. Food that you drink sends different satiety signals to your brain than food that you chew. So when you drink your meal, your brain isn’t getting the feedback it needs to tell your body that it’s had enough of what it needs. Plus, smoothies are generally really fruit-heavy, and starting your day off with a liquid sugar-bomb sets you up for cravings, hunger, and volatile energy levels throughout the day. In summary, we’d rather you just eat the food, and skip the smoothie.

 

I'll let you in on a little secret, though -- there's no such thing as "breakfast food." There's just food. The food doesn't care when you eat it. Your body doesn't care what time it is when you eat the food. Pick food you like, and eat it -- even first thing in the morning. There's a discussion here with some ideas. Soup, salmon cakes, pad thai -- all good options for your first meal of the day. Put a roast in the crockpot overnight, wake up to hot food, no cooking required. I know a lot of people think this sounds weird, but if you stop thinking in terms of breakfast food, you have so many more possibilities. 

[kirbz]

7 minutes ago, ShannonM816 said:

I'll let you in on a little secret, though -- there's no such thing as "breakfast food." There's just food. The food doesn't care when you eat it. Your body doesn't care what time it is when you eat the food. Pick food you like, and eat it -- even first thing in the morning. 

I just want to second the comment that ShannonM816 said! I have to gag down eggs in the morning. I really, really, really struggle with eating them and absolutely hate it. So, for a day or two, I've tried just having whatever (like I had BBQ chicken and steamed carrots the other morning) and it is SO SO much easier!

[Tj V]

5 hours ago, Svmomma said:

So digging through the Whole30 book last night I read that most bacon has sugar in it (even if it says 0 grams sugar)... after three days of eating a meal plan recipe egg/spinach/bacon/sweet potato bake for breakfast I'm really bummed.  I don't even like bacon that much! First visions of "is it worth it" last night

Ok, @Svmomma, give yourself a break. You are supposed to read the labels. You read the label and it said no sugar, right? How are you supposed to know it might have secret sugar unless you raise the pig and slaughter it yourself and make your own bacon. That being said....I don't know if I've ever met someone who didn't like bacon...even my vegan friends are trying to get bacon flavored vegan junk that looks like bacon. 
Anyway, don't beat yourself up! If you don't really like it anyway then it's a no brainer...just don't use it again. 

[Tj V]

3 hours ago, Brad C said:

Thanks for all of the kind words and advice everyone -- this forum is definitely helping me get through this first week!  @dmrob2009 I am with you on the sleep -- although mine is weird.  I am waking up a couple times in the night, but usually just to pee because i have been drinking so much water to keep me full and not craving.  When I wake up, I am actually pretty relaxed, and fall back to sleep OK.  Same with the morning - I am actually falling asleep earlier than normal so I am also waking a little earlier, but I am feeling decent when I wake up.  A solid night of sleep would be great though!  Also, thanks @Tj V @dmrob2009 @DrewMc for the affirmation on the eggs and mixing it up -- total "Aha" moment for me -- I can def do a day without eggs, get my protein from other meat, nothing says I can't!! 

This forum has been interesting to me.  I know I haven't read the book for a while, but I do not remember what it said about "starting over".  I have seen that mentioned in this forum a few times now, and just felt like adding my two cents.  I am a pretty OCD rule-follower type person with this stuff, but I have also realized just in these last four days, that this Whole30 thing is about more than just doing the plan for 30 days -- it is about changing our relationship with food forever.  I have had two "slips" - two days ago, I had two wheat thins and three peanuts in between a long stretch of time between meals before @tayrex03 set me straight on the "extra" meal for those of us exercising at a decent pace, and another this morning when I had two slices of bacon with my eggs.

Granted -- that means that both times, I did not follow the Whole30 to the letter of the law.  But to me, what is important is that I was aware both times that what I was doing wasn't according to plan, and I also checked the sugar content of both before eating.  For me personally, this entire experience is about breaking my addiction to sugar and processed foods, and those two little slip ups are not keeping me from that goal.  I have shaved probably 150+ grams of sugar out of my diet each day for the past four days.  That is HUGE for me, and I will be OK with myself still being on "Day 4" even though those two times I backslid.  I recognize everyone is different -- but I guess my point in this rant is to 1) reaffirm for myself what my goals and focus are, and 2) offer encouragement to anyone that simply because you accidentally didn't follow the plan, or fudged ever so slightly, that you've still got this, and that we just need to stay focused moving forward!

Sorry to ramble everyone -- I am feeling very proud of my efforts so far but I am very hard on myself and start to doubt when I read things about what is and is not allowed on the plan

Why would bacon be not on the plan? Was it maple bacon or something? And the whole "starting over" thing is a strong suggestion, not a rule. I messed up last time around and the moderator told me to just carry on. This time I took two Tums, not even thinking about it and 2 days later it hit me that they have sugar in them. Not starting over for that! Now, if I went off the rails and had cake and ice cream, then sure....

[slc_melissa]

Any foods that don't contain items specifically outlawed are OK on the plan.  Most bacon is cured with sugar, ergo most bacon is off the plan.  

[Svmomma]

3 hours ago, AthenaC said:

@Svmomma @Tj V @Mike5858 @dmrob2009 Hi all, day 4 I feel better even though I slept horrible. I have to stop drinking water at night! I wouldn't worry about the bacon you have eaten...but going forward maybe just don't have until 30 days are over....the compliant bacon is out there...but so expensive. Trader Joe's has unfurled bits and pieces that says it has sugar but 0 grams of sugar...after 30 days try that ...you will love it! Have a great day....everyone!

Yeah for some reason my meal plan started with like three or four different recipes that included bacon.  Just didn't initially occur to me that bacon would be anything other than meat.  Going to make my own breakfast sausage next and will stick to other true meats.  Just stopped by grocery store to check all the other bacons and yup they all have sugar.  Now on to the meals that can help me get through runs and gym work outs.  Read plenty not to expect to stop with struggling with low energy/led legs until after two weeks  But just had my first pangs of hunger and quickly needing to get to my lunch (I still needed to prepare) because I didn't have pre- and post- work out foods this am.  Just a good Whole30 approved breakfast (minus the bacon).  

As for the starting over factor @Brad C I think it's was pretty strict in the book, with a hint of using your best judgement.  And I'd just been reading it.  I'm sure starting off strict is best for those that would look for the opportunities to cheat.  But I appreciate encouragement from @Mike5858 and @Tj V that moving on is best.  It's hard not to commit to all the sacrifices and not do it fully to the spirit of the letter, otherwise risk not realizing full potential of the effort.  You too should keep moving on moving on!

[Tj V]

Well, I'm now doing the Whole 35 because I threw up after lunch and still had an upset stomach at dinner so I had white rice. Since I'm not interested in starting over, I'm making it a Whole 35 instead....I know it's semantics, but it makes me feel better. 
Hope you all had a good day! Here's to Day 5!

[Mike5858]

Happy Day 5 everyone!  I didn't sleep all that great last night, but I hope it was just a "one off", and things will get back on track.  I certainly fell into the "hate all things group" last night.  So bizzarre, because I knew what it was, and I still had to control it.  My wife had the same issue, and we laughed about it between crabbing at everything we saw on TV last night.  I hope that goes away soon, as we are normally very happy people.  Speaking of TV, I had another bad craving last night, but fought it off.  Sitting in front of the TV at night is a real trigger for bad eating for me.  I need to figure something out.  Have a great day everyone.  we've got this!

PS: Tj V, sorry to hear you were sick yesterday, I hope you're better today.

Mike

[Tj V]

@Mike5858, so far so good on the stomach front. Thanks for asking. 

[Svmomma]

11 hours ago, Tj V said:

Well, I'm now doing the Whole 35 because I threw up after lunch and still had an upset stomach at dinner so I had white rice. Since I'm not interested in starting over, I'm making it a Whole 35 instead....I know it's semantics, but it makes me feel better. 
Hope you all had a good day! Here's to Day 5!

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that.  Way to re-frame it and move on.

[Svmomma]

Day 5 and so far so good.  Sleeping well and hard, but did go to bed with a weird pang in the stomach.  Had the first big urge to have a glass of wine after an evening meeting when I got home.  I always want to placate myself after a big event.  Trying to develop some new and healthier habits.  Hoping to get through the weekend with the same affect.  Has anyone read anywhere drinking too much coffee can be a hinderance during this time?  It's easy for me to drink 3-4 cups a morning while working from home.  

Also thinking ahead to a long run tomorrow with a friend.  Secretly I don't want to tell her what I'm up to, as she is the queen of giving life advise and it drives me crazy, but if I'm seriously lagging it will beg a discussion.  She's done every food related "diet" or "elimination" or "alternative-choice" out there.  I've always known that if I make any changes it would have to be on my accord, and not because of something she said or suggested.  So thus the secret effort and would rather get her comments/input after day 30!  She's leaving the country for two weeks soon... maybe I fib and tell her I'm not feeling up for the run.  Then we'll catch up when she gets back.  

Silly issues I know... onward and upward!

[Svmomma]

p.s. Not sure how to share recipes on this, but have to share my daughter came home late after dance looking for more of the chicken strips I'd made the night before.  A big win in my house:

1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
4 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 pounds chicken tenders
1 tablespoon coconut oil

[Tj V]

3 minutes ago, Svmomma said:

p.s. Not sure how to share recipes on this, but have to share my daughter came home late after dance looking for more of the chicken strips I'd made the night before.  A big win in my house:

1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
4 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 pounds chicken tenders
1 tablespoon coconut oil

That sounds yummy! I don't have any Chia seeds, so I'd have to leave them out. So, you roll the chicken strips in the flaxseed and cashews and fry them on top of the stove? Or did you bake them?

[Mike5858]

11 minutes ago, Svmomma said:

Day 5 and so far so good.  Sleeping well and hard, but did go to bed with a weird pang in the stomach.  Had the first big urge to have a glass of wine after an evening meeting when I got home.  I always want to placate myself after a big event.  Trying to develop some new and healthier habits.  Hoping to get through the weekend with the same affect.  Has anyone read anywhere drinking too much coffee can be a hinderance during this time?  It's easy for me to drink 3-4 cups a morning while working from home.  

Also thinking ahead to a long run tomorrow with a friend.  Secretly I don't want to tell her what I'm up to, as she is the queen of giving life advise and it drives me crazy, but if I'm seriously lagging it will beg a discussion.  She's done every food related "diet" or "elimination" or "alternative-choice" out there.  I've always known that if I make any changes it would have to be on my accord, and not because of something she said or suggested.  So thus the secret effort and would rather get her comments/input after day 30!  She's leaving the country for two weeks soon... maybe I fib and tell her I'm not feeling up for the run.  Then we'll catch up when she gets back.  

Silly issues I know... onward and upward!

Not sure about the coffee Sv, I know they don't want you drinking it all day, or anytime at night.  I normally do around 3-4 cups myself.  If I read anything I'll let you know.  I understand what you mean about keeping things to yourself for awhile.  I've got a couple of friends that I will be keeping in the dark about what I'm doing for a bit.  There's actually quite a bit written about interacting with friends and family on Whole30, and quite a lengthy article in this week's newsletter.  I'm like you though, and do better when I do things on my own accord.  I have a great support system from my brother and sister-in-law who are fitness fanatics and have done Whole30 a few times and continue to practice a lot of it.  Problem is, they are in Savannah, and I'm in St. Louis.  I wish we had friends we could enjoy healthy meals with.  Have a great day.

Mike