lauraska Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 A little back story: I did two Whole30s this summer to jumpstart my paleo eating and had great success. (You can find my last log, here.) Since I started this I've lost over 25 lbs by changing my eating and also addressing the PCOS that I've battled since high school. I will be up front and say that I am doing this Whole30 while also taking some serious medications for my PCOS. I'm not interested in entertaining discussion about whether or not I should be on those medications. I trust doctors and science just as much as I believe in nutrition being an essential part of health. What derailed me from paleo over the last six weeks was the most horrific stomach virus I have ever experienced, brought to our home by my adorable toddler son. He was over it in a day. My husband was over it in a couple days. I suffered with the virus and its after-effects for nearly a month. I resorted to eating whatever would stay down, without worrying about its value. Was that wrong? Yes. Did it make my life less stressful for the time being? Yes. But I've noticed little problems creeping back into my life that had been all but eliminated by sticking to a Whole30 plan. My facial rosacea is back with a vengeance and it had all but disappeared during my Whole30s. I have some inflammation, especially in my ankles and feet. My weight loss has not stopped or reversed, but it sure has slowed down. And my energy level and sleep quality have both gone to the birds. So I'm recommitting. As of Friday I am back to Whole30. The truth is, I can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb0426 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Nice to meet you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Welcome back! Looking forward to getting to know you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 Nice to meet both of you, kb and Alana! Well, after two false starts on Friday and Saturday, both of which consisted of successful days ruined by a sugar craving right before bedtime, I have finally had a successful Day 1! I have integrated yoga into my regular schedule over the last few months, but today was my first Bikram (hot yoga) class. It was amazing and somehow the feeling of sweating out toxins made me even more determined to eat cleanly for the entire day. I did it! It's always the first day that's the hardest for me, so I have high hopes for the rest of the week even though I'm still going to take it one day at a time. Breakfast - I ate light because I woke up late and didn't want to eat a big meal so soon before my bikram class. Just a banana and a cup of coffee with coconut milk. Oh, and lots and lots of water. Lunch - I stopped at Chipotle on the way home to reward my husband for chasing around our crazy toddler while I was at Bikram. (We take turns giving each other our own time on the weekends, but when I left, my poor husband was mopping up a spilled cup of coffee that was all over blocks which my son was insisting on using/throwing.) I had a Whole30-compliant salad and lots more water. Dinner - Mega veggie stew in the slow cooker. (Recipe - http://blog.stuffimakemyhusband.com/2012/11/mega-veggie-freezer-beef-stew.html#.) Dessert will be water, by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 That stew recipe looks great! I'll be making one tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingu Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 Welcome back Lauraska! Hope you start feeling awesome again very soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 Day 2 Success! Breakfast - three eggs sunny side up, mashed sweet potato, slice of ham, coffee with coconut milk Lunch - leftover stew from yesterday Dinner - THIS (with some adjustments)! http://fastpaleo.com/chicken-broccoli-alfredo-casserole/ I left out the cream and cheese and put the bacon across the top of the casserole in whole strips. Mmmmm mmmmm good! I'm psyched to go back to Bikram yoga tomorrow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Day 3 in the bag. Feeling great. I went back to Bikram yoga tonight and I think that it has been really helpful in staving off cravings and detoxifying my system. Breakfast - leftover casserole from last night Lunch - I wasn't very hungry but knew I had to eat something light or I'd be a mess at yoga. Two hard boiled eggs and some fruit. Dinner - Well Fed's Chocolate Chili with a topping of sauteed kale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 I fell asleep early last night and didn't get to post! It was a good Day 4. Breakfast - egg cup with compliant sausage and kale Lunch - leftover chili and kale Dinner - We ordered from a new thai place in our neighborhood, but I grilled the guy on the phone about their curries. He gave me all the ingredients and was very patient with me. I just ate a red curry without the rice they sent with it. I'm sure the beef was not grass fed, but I was TIRED and not about to cook, so this was the best it was gonna get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Well, obviously I fell off the wagon in December. It was a stressful month, both personally and professionally, so it was very hard to stay on track. I tried my best to eat paleo meals when I could, but the temptations were great and I succumbed often. So I'm back today to start what I'm calling "The First 30 Days of 2013." I'm going to do a Whole30 with the understanding that it might need to be a Whole60 or even a Whole90 to get me completely back into the paleo lifestyle. I'm also going to take on a "30 Days of Yoga" challenge where I practice yoga every single day for 30 days, whether it's 15 minutes or 90. (I'm joining an awesome website called yogaglo.com to accomplish this. Check it out!) And finally, I'm going to focus on sleep. 7 hours every night, no excuses. It's not the perfect amount but it's about 2 hours more per night than I've been getting and I totally feel it. Looking forward to being re-engaged with the forum. I missed you guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Welcome back Laura, you'll be a new woman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Laura, you and I are returning at the same time! Good to "see" you again . I'm holding off until next Monday to begin, and will be following your log for inspiration I'm really hoping to repeat the great success I saw on round one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 3, 2013 Author Share Posted January 3, 2013 Day 1 was great, other than the fact that I caught the cold my toddler had over Christmas. Ended up staying home from work today (Day 2) because my head was swimmy and I had a mild fever. I didn't want to spread this plague around the office! Day 1 Breakfast - three eggs, bacon, coffee with coconut milk Lunch - wasn't feeling too hot, so just had some broth Dinner - These ribs (minus the honey in the glaze) with roasted cauliflower I did a half hour yoga class on yogaglo in the evening. It was designed to eliminate stress in the head, neck, and shoulders, which was great considering I was achy all over from this cold. Day 2 Breakfast - a few strawberries and a piece of my new breakfast casserole. Lunch - skipped again because I was sleeping Dinner - broiled pork chop and a big pile of steamed broccoli I'll be doing another yoga class online as soon as the kiddo is asleep. I know I'm not eating very much but that's more a symptom of this cold than anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Wow, thanks for posting that yoga website! Awesome! Good luck in your first 30 days of 2013! And feel better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Today was a bad day, not because I strayed from the Whole30 but because I felt crap and didn't eat much. I basically had some eggs and bacon for breakfast (but didn't finish it) and some broth with sriracha and chicken pieces for dinner. My appetite is awful with this cold, but I'm at least staying hydrated. Did a 20 minute online yoga class that focused mainly on seated positions. My head is a little too swimmy for balancing on one leg and whatnot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jabisk Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Hope you are feeling better soon! Love the yoga website you posted. I have recently become addicted to Bikram yoga but between work and family I often can't make the schedules classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 I fell off the wagon with posting... but not with eating or yoga!! This cold has really smacked me down, but I've sort of raged against it and stayed Whole30 compliant. Granted, my appetite is pretty minimal, but every single meal has been legit. And even if it's only been for 30 minutes or less, I'm still doing daily yoga. Tonight, I didn't feel like listening to the yogaglo teachers talk at me, so I simply did a series of sun salutations until I felt tired. My appetite is slowly coming back and energy is starting to return so I'm hoping that this week I can go to at least one Bikram yoga class and get a bit more food into me for fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 So it's time for a re-set... My plague got worse before it got better, but I stayed strong with my Whole30 eating and yoga through the whole thing. The problem actually occurred when I started to feel better. My appetite came back with a vengeance and I ate, but ended up throwing just a couple things into the mix that shouldn't be there. (A touch of cream in coffee, a piece of pizza, one piece of chocolate.) I'm not kicking myself over it. And since I'd been thinking of making this a Whole60 anyway, this is just the beginning of the next 60 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Glad you are feeling better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 Well, guess who failed miserably at her 30-day challenge? ME! First it was the stupid bronchitis, then I was on the road in CA and NV for work with overnight flights and crazy schedules, and then I came home to a little one with a double ear infection who was up every two hours during the night. Oh, throw on a death in the family AND a best friend who gave birth to a baby this weekend who might have some serious permanent neurological issues. I haven't really had a second to focus on me, and that's alot of what this whole process is about - focusing on what I need from food, through sleep, and with exercise. I'm not complaining or making excuses - but obviously, I've had some roadblocks. So, I channeled all of my frustration and sadness yesterday into a monster cooking session. I prepped food for every evening meal this week. Right now, there is a coffee rubbed pork shoulder in the crock pot. I couldn't find a responsibly-raised shoulder, but I cut a good amount of the fat off this one, so I did what I could. Meatballs are in the freezer and will be slow cooked in sauce later in the week and put on top of sweet potato gnocchi that I made and froze. (That was probably the hardest cooking project I've ever taken on, by the way. Gnocchi is a bitch to make!) I also put together all the ingredients for Well Fed's chocolate chili and froze them so I could just throw in the crock and cook. Also got a chicken red curry and salmon filets on the list for quick easy dinners/leftover lunches. I'll be getting back into my yoga groove, which I kept up for part of my week away but not the latter half. I miss it! I'm going to try to work in some gym time, too, so on the days I hit the treadmill and weights, I'll just do a series of sun salutations in the evening. I know this forum can sometimes be hard on those of us who are struggling, so I ask in advance for some understanding. I'd love for this thread to be a "no lecture" zone! I'm excited to get back on the horse and start this Whole30 anew, so I hope that counts for something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Fall down seven, get up eight! (to quote Derval, quoting Japanese proverb...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Sorry life has been so dramatic Laura, but sounds like you're not just getting up (ref above) but bouncing up, good for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Here we go! Stressful day because my adorable son gave me a mild case of his pink eye, but I stuck to the program! Day 1, 2.0: Breakfast - Paleo biscuit from White Lion Baking Co. with two eggs and a compliant breakfast sausage, small cup of cut fruit, coffee with coconut milk. Lunch - sweet potato/coconut soup with some added chopped spinach and leftover pulled pork from last night. Dinner - chicken red curry with peppers and fresh spinach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraska Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Two awesome things for Day 2, 2.0: 1) I had to go to NYC for work and stayed on program all day! 2) I wore a dress today that hasn't fit me in almost three years! Breakfast - I made it last night and scarfed it this morning before running to the train station. Paleo biscuit with compliant breakfast sausage and egg. Black coffee from Au Bon Pain. Lunch - Steak salad with fajita vegetables, mild salsa, and guac at Chipotle. Dinner - Well Fed's Chocolate Chili with sauteed kale on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyjo Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Looking forward to w30 2.0! Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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