Whole30 Episode 2: The Avocado Strikes Back

[kellyfoss]

Please excuse the ultra-nerdy title. I have to keep it light and interesting or I'll panic and realize I actually decided to embark on this journey again - for the second time in a year! I completed my first successful W30 in Feb/March of this year and felt great. I lost 11ish pounds, gained the best sleep and complexion of my adult life, learned lots of new recipes and attained a higher level of confidence. But I slowly slipped back into my old ways of eating after reintroduction. I tried another reset over the summer but only made it a week or so into the program before giving up, mostly due to numerous social obligations that took over my life and distracted me from the process. Also if I'm being honest, my heart wasn't in it.

A few months and some pretty serious thyroid issues later (my Hashimoto's flared up big time last month and I was put on a higher dose of synthroid to combat the symptoms), I'm back and I'm determined to make Round 2/Episode 2 happen this time! I may be insane for trying to complete a W30 during Halloween. It's my favorite holiday. The food is kind of the entire point. But I figure if I can make it through Halloween with no alcohol and no chocolate I'll basically be an official superhero and then I can celebrate on my birthday (November 11) with lots of goodies!

My start date is tomorrow, Tuesday 10/10. I like even numbers. I should finish around 11/08. This time I took the plunge and signed up for Real Plans, so we'll see if that takes some of the edge off the planning aspect of this. I've already generated my first week of meals and it's a really cool program. I'll be grocery shopping after work today to acquire my Week 1 ingredients. I ordered my Primal Kitchen mayo. I've apologized to the avocado gods for the no doubt hundreds of their children that I'll be consuming over the next 30 days. I'll be taking my weights and measurements tonight to compare with my results at the end.

I've done it once - I can do it again! See you all tomorrow - Day 1, baby. <3

[jadore43210]

Yes girl!! So glad the scales finally tipped and that we'll be doing this TOGETHER! Absolutely awesome! As per your recommendation, shall I order myself some primal kitchen mayo? I don't usually cook burgers at all, but I'm tempted to start... I had some sweet potato-kale hash with a SSU egg for dinner and it was (need I say?) the bomb dot com! Truly delicious! Tomorrow I shall see what is in store for me as I think the real challenge begins. For me, the real challenge will be being on campus all day in a building where delicious warm bagels are a mere floor away with colleagues who will be coming in and out of the office with lattes and sugary snacks. Stress will be high with my test and I will have next to no time to eat, so I'm planning it all now.

In short, I think it's awesome that you're doing this a second time around! I'm really excited to see how it affects your Hashimoto's and for you to see how much better you feel and the changes you see. I'll be there to pester you with questions every step of the way, my friend. Day 1 -- let's do this!

[kellyfoss]

9 hours ago, jadore43210 said:

Yes girl!! So glad the scales finally tipped and that we'll be doing this TOGETHER! Absolutely awesome! As per your recommendation, shall I order myself some primal kitchen mayo? I don't usually cook burgers at all, but I'm tempted to start... I had some sweet potato-kale hash with a SSU egg for dinner and it was (need I say?) the bomb dot com! Truly delicious! Tomorrow I shall see what is in store for me as I think the real challenge begins. For me, the real challenge will be being on campus all day in a building where delicious warm bagels are a mere floor away with colleagues who will be coming in and out of the office with lattes and sugary snacks. Stress will be high with my test and I will have next to no time to eat, so I'm planning it all now.

In short, I think it's awesome that you're doing this a second time around! I'm really excited to see how it affects your Hashimoto's and for you to see how much better you feel and the changes you see. I'll be there to pester you with questions every step of the way, my friend. Day 1 -- let's do this!

Ahh thank you so much! I'm proud of both of us. I think with each other's support we'll both be just fine. It's really not as intimidating as it seems as long as you stay on top of the planning aspect of it. Which you will. You know what your hardest parts will be - the long days on campus with little time to think about food. So just make sure you always plan for those days and pack a lunch and you'll be in great shape!

Edit: And YAS for sure you should get the PK mayo! Either the plain or the chipotle lime (my favorite). You can use it in about a bajillion ways. I like to add a little water and olive oil to mine and make salad dressing! Or put it the flavored kind on eggs, sweet potatoes (sounds weird but it's good), dip veggies in it... endless possibilities.

[kateebee]

Hi, I'm starting my first round today (10/10)! Happy to see someone with the same start date! 

[kellyfoss]

56 minutes ago, kateebee said:

Hi, I'm starting my first round today (10/10)! Happy to see someone with the same start date! 

Awesome! I know, everyone always starts on a Monday but I liked the symmetry of 10/10. Best of luck to you, you'll do great!

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D1

M1: Three scrambled eggs with italian chicken sausage (compliant brand from Giant Eagle), coffee with almond milk.

M2: Subway chopped salad with turkey, spinach, lettuce, cucumber, onion, tomato and green pepper. Oil and vinegar dressing, salt and pepper added.

M3: Chicken and spinach hash mixed with prosciutto and a side of red skin potatoes. 

I wasn't able to grocery shop until later this evening so my first two meals were kinda scraped together. But now I have a fully stocked fridge and a good meal plan for the week! This already feels pretty comfortable again. Of course, I say that now... wait until the KILL ALL THE THINGS starts. 

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D2

M1: Three scrambled eggs with spinach, 3/4 of an avocado, coffee with almond milk.

M2: Leftover chicken on a bed of spinach with prosciutto.

M3: Seared sirloin steak with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli on the side. La Croix.

Day two was great, other than the fact that around 2:00 pm I crashed HARD. Real hard. Like I was totally fine one minute and then all of a sudden a headache came on and my eyes got heavy and I wanted nothing more than to lay my head down on my desk and sleep. I was expecting that though, the "hangover" phase, so I just scurried into the lunchroom to get a little more coffee and rallied through the rest of the day.

As it was last time, my challenge is to incorporate more vegetables into my meals. It's easy for me to include proteins and fats but I have to work on cramming more veggies in if I want to get the best possible results.

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D3

M1: Three scrambled eggs with spinach, leftover mashed sweet potatoes. Coffee with almond milk.

M2: More leftover sweet potatoes (yum!) and three deviled eggs made with compliant mayo.

M3: Sesame and garlic stir fry with chicken, carrots, mushrooms and bok choy. La Croix. 

Snack: Apple slices and almond butter.

Today was pretty decent. I'm not going to make a habit of bombarding my system with sweet potatoes, but I'm trying really hard to stick as much to an autoimmune protocol as possible this time around (less tomatoes, white potatoes and peppers) so they are my go-to starch. I also immediately regretted the after dinner snack. I wasn't hungry for it, I just wanted it. And that's the kind of behavior I'm trying to avoid. Plus, last time I attempted R2 and fell off the wagon after a few days, it was because I was eating a TON of that particular snack. It's my kryptonite. Not this time!

[Fonzico]

Another 10/10 start date over here! I also did a round earlier this year, so we're in a pretty similar boat

Good job on recognizing unhealthy snacking behavior, and nipping it in the bud! Any strategies for avoiding the snacks when you're feeling that way?

[kellyfoss]

22 hours ago, Fonzico said:

Another 10/10 start date over here! I also did a round earlier this year, so we're in a pretty similar boat

Good job on recognizing unhealthy snacking behavior, and nipping it in the bud! Any strategies for avoiding the snacks when you're feeling that way?

Woohoo! Happy day 6 to you, then. And typically I avoid it by telling myself I can have it maybe once or twice a week, max. Then I get to look forward to those days and it satisfies me in the moment so I won't reach for it automatically. When those days come, most of the time I find I don't want it anymore. Works fairly well for me.

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D4

M1: Three deviled eggs made with compliant mayo, leftover mashed sweet potatoes. Coffee & almond milk.

M2: Leftover sesame garlic stir fry from the night before with chicken and veggies.

M3: Turkey roll-ups wrapped in kale with compliant mayo, carrots, tomatoes and avocado. Next time I'm using romaine, I forgot how much I hate raw kale in those quantities.

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D5

M1: Went out to eat for breakfast at First Watch! Had a three egg omelette with roasted tomatoes, zucchini, crimini mushrooms, and onions. Added salmon. Side of fruit, side of potatoes (which are cooked in olive oil, not butter - I used to work there so I've seen it firsthand!), black coffee.

M2: An apple. Kinda skipped it since we ate breakfast late and then went on a ~4 mile walk afterwards and didn't get back until around 3.

M3: Cooked dinner with my boyfriend and my mom - grilled salmon, grilled asparagus, onions and mushrooms. Mashed sweet potatoes on the side. So good!

I had somewhere around 13k steps yesterday according to my Fitbit and it felt awesome! I seriously loathe sitting at a desk all day and I need to make long walks a part of my weekly routine again. Unfortunately at some point yesterday or the day before I pissed off my back again. I've had pretty awful back problems for the past few years (probably due in part to my years of being on my feet all day while serving, but also thanks to a mild case of scoliosis that just got worse as time went on) but they have been under control for about 8-9 months now with chiropractic visits and yoga. I don't know what I did to make it mad, but no amount of stretching is going to fix it this time. I'll call the chiropractor tomorrow. Blarg.

Good news is, I woke up today (day 6) and completely forgot to make coffee! Yes, you heard me - FORGOT. TO MAKE COFFEE. This is a good sign. 

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D6

M1: Three scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms mixed in, half an avocado. Coffee w/ almond milk.

M2: Skipped it, ate a late breakfast again and then spent the day grocery shopping. Had a handful of strawberries and blueberries.

M3: Chicken apple sausage and potato soup. O. M. G. New favorite Whole30 recipe, hands down! It was posted on the W30 Facebook page this past week and I decided to give it a shot. Boyfriend and I were both blown away by how good it was, despite the face he made when I poured a cup and a half of coconut milk into the broth! I made extra for lunch on day 7. WOW. And so many options for customization later on! Love it.

Feeling good, already looking and feeling a bit more trim. I can also tell that my higher dose of Synthroid is starting to really kick in. My mood is more stable and all other things (cough cough libido cough cough TMI sorry lol) are beginning to run as they're supposed to again. Hard to say if it's the medication or the food, but I think the combination of both is going to do wonders for me over the next 3 weeks.

[jadore43210]

Ah so is the idea to write down all the things we eat? Also that chicken apple sausage and potato soup sounds AMAZING!!

[kellyfoss]

9 hours ago, jadore43210 said:

Ah so is the idea to write down all the things we eat? Also that chicken apple sausage and potato soup sounds AMAZING!!

You definitely don't have to, I just use it as a way to stay accountable and keep a record of my progress. Totally up to you! I did it the first time and it seemed to help. And dude yes that recipe was insaaaane. Here it is, in case anyone wants to try:

 

Smoked Sausage and Potato Soup
Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups of compliant chicken stock
1 ½ cup of coconut milk (from a can)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup of diced red potatoes, peeled
1 package of Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage, sliced (or compliant chicken apple sausage of choice, such as Applegate)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of chopped kale (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a large sauce pan with enough water to cover an inch above the potatoes

Boil potatoes for approximately 6-7 minutes. You should be able to poke with fork fairly easily but it shouldn’t be cooked through yet

Drain potatoes and place back in sauce pan
In a skillet, brown sausage then set aside (5 minutes)

In same skillet on medium heat, add onion and sauté until softened (7 minutes)

Add garlic and sauté for additional 30 seconds

Add onion, garlic, and sausage to sauce pan with potatoes

Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock and stir

Turn on heat to medium low and bring to a simmer

Add spices and turn heat to low with pan partially covered with lid.

Let simmer for 20 more minutes while stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D7

M1: Three deviled eggs, half an avocado. Coffee.

M2: Leftover sausage and potato soup from the day before. (Omggg still good even reheated! Will most definitely be making this again.) Apple on the side.

M3: Shrimp and crumbled prosciutto over zucchini noodles. Strawberry salad with a lemon mustard dressing. YUM. 

Just about 1/4 of the way through this! Had a doctor appointment today and she ordered more bloodwork on 11/1 to check on my T4 and TSH levels. As well as my Hashimoto's antibodies. Hoping to see some progress because at that point I'll be on day... 23? I think? So we'll see if there's any noticeable change from my previous results. Obviously the higher dose of Synthroid will be making a huge difference on its own, but I've read lots of testimonials here from people with Hashi's who notice an extreme reduction or even elimination of their antibodies. Fingers crossed!

[TerriN]

Hi! Been following your posts as I started a few days before 10/8- day 10 for me & doing good. Great to find groups with similar start dates. I feel I’ve moved past the crazy fatigue, hangover, cranky stage. Got a great workout in this morning so added plus! 

[sharonna]

Finishing my first round on Oct 22.  Ate super well no cheats BUT the weight loss was only around ten pounds.  However I do have to blame it on alot of almonds as at times I was just too hungry to not munch.

This change of life way of eating is amazing.  I so want to stay on it and stop alcohol for good BUT I think the happy hours when done are going to win....Not sure if I should switch over to WW as I still want to drop 15 pounds.  Hmmmmmm any suggestions pleas??

Sharon

[kellyfoss]

1 hour ago, TerriN said:

Hi! Been following your posts as I started a few days before 10/8- day 10 for me & doing good. Great to find groups with similar start dates. I feel I’ve moved past the crazy fatigue, hangover, cranky stage. Got a great workout in this morning so added plus! 

Awesome, good job! I'm about to move into that stage myself - the better sleeping, more energy stage! Not quite "tiger blood" but the beginnings of it. Good luck on the rest of your journey, feel free to check in.

1 hour ago, sharonna said:

Finishing my first round on Oct 22.  Ate super well no cheats BUT the weight loss was only around ten pounds.  However I do have to blame it on alot of almonds as at times I was just too hungry to not munch.

This change of life way of eating is amazing.  I so want to stay on it and stop alcohol for good BUT I think the happy hours when done are going to win....Not sure if I should switch over to WW as I still want to drop 15 pounds.  Hmmmmmm any suggestions pleas??

Sharon

Hi Sharon - Firstly, a 10 lb weight loss is pretty fantastic in only 30 days (especially for a plan that is not technically designed to help you lose weight)! I lost around that much myself the first time. If you're still hungry between meals and need to munch, consider adding more healthy fats (olives, avocado, compliant mayo, etc) to your meals and it should keep you fuller longer. I personally have a neutral to negative history with WW. It never did much for me. I'm far from an expert or a moderator, but I'd suggest keeping your eating as clean as you can in the following months. Reintroduce the foods you can't live without, but keep cutting out the rest. That, plus moderate regular exercise, should do the trick. Good luck!

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D8

M1: Scrambled eggs with spinach, leftover mashed sweet potatoes. Coffee & almond milk.

M2: Leftover strawberry salad from the night before with blueberries and a hard-boiled egg added.

M3: Breakfast meatballs (made for dinner!). They use sweet potatoes and finely diced mushrooms as their binding. Roasted garlic potatoes on the side.

Did some yoga that focuses specifically on back pain before dinner and it seemed to help. I'm less achy today. I'll keep doing that and hopefully I can avoid the chiropractor. At this point I'm just stubborn and want to fix it myself.

[brittanyxo]

On 10/15/2017 at 6:37 AM, kellyfoss said:

I had somewhere around 13k steps yesterday according to my Fitbit and it felt awesome! I seriously loathe sitting at a desk all day and I need to make long walks a part of my weekly routine again.

Hey Kelly, I just through all your posts! Congrats so far. I'm so in the same boat as you, I only in the past couple years started a full time desk job, before I was always doing work that was on my feet (bartending, warehouse, etc)... My energy levels are just shot, I feel like I'm never able to get off my butt. It doesn't help I live in Vancouver (Canada), so this time of the year is rain, rain, rain. 

I did my 5th Whole 30 start on 10/16, so I'm just on Day 3, but I've made it to Day 30 3 times now, (One ended at Day 27).

I'm the same way with needing to track/record things. Helps keep me accountable, and motivated.

Hope you keep going strong! Definitely gonna try that soup recipe!

[kellyfoss]

1 hour ago, brittanyxo said:

Hey Kelly, I just through all your posts! Congrats so far. I'm so in the same boat as you, I only in the past couple years started a full time desk job, before I was always doing work that was on my feet (bartending, warehouse, etc)... My energy levels are just shot, I feel like I'm never able to get off my butt. It doesn't help I live in Vancouver (Canada), so this time of the year is rain, rain, rain. 

I did my 5th Whole 30 start on 10/16, so I'm just on Day 3, but I've made it to Day 30 3 times now, (One ended at Day 27).

I'm the same way with needing to track/record things. Helps keep me accountable, and motivated.

Hope you keep going strong! Definitely gonna try that soup recipe!

Wow, you've done (almost) four Whole 30s! That's amazing, I'm super impressed/inspired. I'm just hoping I can make it through two. Good luck on your latest journey. I find keeping a record is really helpful for me in a lot of ways. 

And seriously try the soup and let me know what you think. I am already craving it again!

[Rottiegirl2017]

I've been reading through the thread and I noticed that there are several folks on their "x" round of W30 and start dates in and around Oct 10.  Mind if I join?   

I've completed two back-to-back rounds and rolled into (my extended) Whole90 on Oct 13th.  My first ever Whole30 was started 8/14 and I immediately extended to Whole60, which has extended to a Whole90.   I started my journey thinking that I would like to complete a Whole90 (brings me to just before Thanksgiving) but I wanted to take it in baby steps, evaluating how I felt at the end of each 30 days. 

@Sharrona and @kellyfoss - 10lbs in 30 days is fantastic!  I was just about 5lbs for each of my Whole30's so far - total of just under 10lbs.

@kellyfoss - I use sweet potato as one of my main starchy veggies too.  I eat tons of broccoli and haven't tired of it yet -- it seems to be my "go to" for dinners; same goes for eggs........I have them in one way, shape, or form pretty much every morning.   I try to make at least one crock pot meal a week - this typically provides a lot of leftovers for lunches and last minute dinners.

I made a copy of your potato soup -- I'll have to make that next week, sounds amazing!

[kellyfoss]

14 hours ago, Rottiegirl2017 said:

I've been reading through the thread and I noticed that there are several folks on their "x" round of W30 and start dates in and around Oct 10.  Mind if I join?   

I've completed two back-to-back rounds and rolled into (my extended) Whole90 on Oct 13th.  My first ever Whole30 was started 8/14 and I immediately extended to Whole60, which has extended to a Whole90.   I started my journey thinking that I would like to complete a Whole90 (brings me to just before Thanksgiving) but I wanted to take it in baby steps, evaluating how I felt at the end of each 30 days. 

@Sharrona and @kellyfoss - 10lbs in 30 days is fantastic!  I was just about 5lbs for each of my Whole30's so far - total of just under 10lbs.

@kellyfoss - I use sweet potato as one of my main starchy veggies too.  I eat tons of broccoli and haven't tired of it yet -- it seems to be my "go to" for dinners; same goes for eggs........I have them in one way, shape, or form pretty much every morning.   I try to make at least one crock pot meal a week - this typically provides a lot of leftovers for lunches and last minute dinners.

I made a copy of your potato soup -- I'll have to make that next week, sounds amazing!

Of course you can join, welcome! More the merrier. You're kicking some serious butt it seems, already into your third round in a row! Dang. Major kudos to you.

I definitely need to incorporate more green veggies and more crock pot meals as well. I eat a good amount of spinach, kale, zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli. But I can definitely do more. My greatest challenge is including veggies in my breakfasts. It's hard to stomach them that early in the morning sometimes, but I try.

If you do try the soup definitely let me know what you think!

[kellyfoss]

W30R2D9

M1: Three scrambled eggs with spinach, 3/4 of an avocado. Coffee & almond milk.

M2: Leftover meatballs and roasted garlic potatoes. Still SO good! Coworker mentioned that whatever I'm eating smells amazing. I wanted to be like "I know right, AND it's healthy!"

M3: Mustard-crusted tilapia with cilantro lime sweet potato wedges on the side. Made a ton because I thought boyfriend was going to eat with me - turns out he wasn't hungry, so now I have leftovers for dayyys. No complaints, it was really good and I've got lunch now until Saturday!

Going strong, honestly. I know days 10 and 11 are supposed to be the hardest but at this point I'm really not worried. Around this time next week is when I expect the really good stuff to start - better sleep, brighter skin and eyes, consistently happy mood, etc. Gotta at least get to that part! I haven't had any cravings yet, but give it time... wait until Halloween. Gulp.