Day 1 & already hit my first roadblock, haha!

[kateebee]

So, I have been prepping for today's start since last week and spent all day in the kitchen Sunday prepping breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week. I have been excited about today as a fresh start for myself. Framing this first and foremost as a reset for my body and mind, and hopefully I will also get some clarity on whether food intolerances/sensitivities are what has been plaguing me, and maybe even see some weight loss. 

Of course, I wake up, pack bags for my husband (who is doing what I will call a Half30 because he's not following as strictly) and myself, get out the door, get all the way to the front steps of my office (90 minutes) and realize I forgot my breakfast. UGHHHHH. I do an emergency Google of what Starbucks might have to offer and grabbed a Protein Box (of which I will only eat the eggs and fruit) and some dry roasted almonds. Quite an auspicious start. 

Here's hoping that the rest of the day goes more smoothly. Planning to spend some time today doing some more If/Then emergency preparation as a result of today's lesson. 

If there's any other October 10 start dates, please say hi!!

 

[dizzie_v]

Hi Kateebee!!

Today is my start date, too!! Glad you were able to overcome the breakfast situation. It gets easier. I always have a stash of Rx Bars and almonds at my desk in case of emergencies. 

This is my second go-round with the Whole30. I finished one in July/august, and this is my last chance to complete one before the holidays. I did really well the last time. I identified sugar as basically not compatible with my body. Dropped tons of inches and around 15-20 pounds. i felt great on week 3.

Hang in there! It's totally worth it!

-d

[dizzie_v]

Day 1 in the books, kateebee!! How did you do??

[kateebee]

@dizzie_v Thanks for checking in! I made it through yesterday feeling okay. No different than any day when I try to eat healthy/count calories or points, etc. 

I went to lunch with some friends because we are all in the office together only on Tuesdays, but I ate an apple and drank water and ate my packed salad afterwards. 

I did have a sort-of fail. I was getting hangry so I dipped into an Rx Bar on my way home from work. I wouldn't quite classify it as an emergency as much as unrealistic planning, so I was a little disappointed about it. I eat lunch around noon and don't get home until 6:30 (and then immediately go into bedtime routine for my kid) so I knew that if I didn't, I'd be dying by 7:30 when dinner was ready. So I ate the Rx Bar to prevent myself from eating something worse and made a plan to do better today. I brought a leftover bison burger (no bun) to eat around 4:00 before I leave for the day and hopefully that will keep me going until dinner tonight. 

How did you do??

[dizzie_v]

@kateebee I'd still call that a win... An RX bar is better than the drive through! I like how you've adjusted your plan for today to prevent that from happening again. Kudos!!

I did great yesterday. No restarts for me! Got to the box... The WOD was all cardio, aka my nemesis. I still have to scale but I didn't feel like death after the runs like I usually do. Had a sweet potato and some leftover rotisserie chicken, and went to bed before I could ruin it!

One of my goals for this whole30 is to quit smoking. I hope I have one cigarette less today than I did yesterday!!

[kateebee]

@dizzie_v YES!!! I love that goal and that approach. One less every day will get you there! Awesome. Have a great Day 2!

 

[dizzie_v]

@@kateebee Good Morning, lady! Hope your day 2 went well, and that your day 3 is off on the right foot!

I feel freaking fantastic today. I signed up for the w30 daily emails, and based on what day 3 "should" be, I totally expected to feel like crap, but so far, so good. Maybe later in the week, lol.

My mil was babysitting yesterday and bought some commercially baked goods (i don't even want to say what they were so as to not put those thoughts in your head) for the kids. While i did not find it hard to resist them, I'm still side eyeing her for even bringing it into the house.  To be fair, she doesn't know I'm doing the whole30, but i still balk at the kids having that much sugar.

What food groups do you think you will miss, and what's your plan to overcome?

For me, the biggest challenge is eating enough of the good stuff, and keeping it up post w30. (what's on your menu today??) I was so terrified of "ruining" my results the last time that I basically under-ate and almost passed out a couple times at the gym. This time around, I'm planning on reintroducing specific dishes as opposed to food groups, and I'm taking this time to find (and make a list of)  meals that I like that I can add to my post-w30 rotation.

 

Make it a great day!

 

-d

[kateebee]

So glad to hear you are feeling fantastic!!

Day 2 was okay. Day 3 is going so-so. I am at the end of what has been an absolutely grueling project at work over the past four months, and I just do not have the energy for the B.S. that is going on around wrapping up this portion of it but I am not sure how much of that can be blamed on W30, haha. We are submitting our work early today, and it should hopefully get better early next week. 

I am also getting the daily emails and I read this morning's email about being tired from bed, 20 minutes after I should have been up, haha!

I am missing cheese and wine, mostly, and I am pretty sure that will continue. Grains are not a big deal other than just habit, although I was staring at a particularly delicious-looking piece of bread yesterday for longer than was normal. My plan for overcoming the wine is flavored club soda dressed up in fancy glasses with lime/lemon and mint/basil, etc. and finding a new "treat" for the end of a rough day. Also, cross-stitch while watching TV at night with my hubby to keep my hands busy and avoiding snacks/wine. 

I am worried about post-W30 as well so I like your plan. I am also thinking about doing a modified plan after the re-intro phase (I am going to follow the re-intro closely because I am eager to see if there's a specific food intolerance I can find). So I would stay on plan 5 days of 7 or something like that and just be reasonable on the other 2 days. 

Menu today is a breakfast frittata from Whole30 Cookbook w/ side of prosciutto, chicken tortilla-less soup, leftover turkey larb from Whole30 cookbook and some veggies as a late afternoon snack to get to dinner, and salmon and green beans. My goal is to not snack on any dates today (I had two yesterday after spotting some Oreos in my work kitchen and one after dinner). What about you? Do you have any small goals for today or this week?

What's your exercise routine like and do you modify for W30? I have been slacking on that aspect. 

 

 

 

 

 

[dizzie_v]

@kateebee 

 

Whew!! Yesterday was challenging!

Thanks for reminding me about sparkling water... I need to get a case and some lemons!

So yesterday... i totally under-packed food. So by 330, i was craving curry meatballs. Great, right? Not so much. I still had to hit the gym after work, and had to stop at the store after that for some last minute items, which means i couldn't start cooking until 8 (I tell you what, though: the thought of food got me through the workout really quickly, lol).

So I go home and start following this recipe, salivating at the thought of these meatballs. I finally finish at 9:30, and they were underwhelming. I'm doing it my way next time. Ground chicken is waaaay too dry. Any ideas on how to make it more moist? Next time, I'm trying ground pork. And there's always beef, natch. 

Also, your breakfast frittata with prosciutto is making my mouth water. Maybe that will be my fancy weekend meal... If i make it, I'll take pics. 

I do Crossfit 2x a week, and for the next 4 weekends, i plan on doing a burpee/squat couplet for time. 10 burpees, 1 squat / 9 burpees, 2 squats /  8 burpees, 3 squats ... 1 burpee, 10 squats, just to see if my performance improves with eating differently and quitting smoking. Cardio has always been my nemesis, and the only way to get better at something is to actually DO it! If I were you, I wouldn't pressure myself on the working out, though. The first time i did W30, I was totally chill with the workouts. I was focusing all my energy on staying on plan, so if i i make it to the box, great. if not, i enjoyed taking a nap, too! 

All in all, yesterday I stayed on plan, and was grateful that my craving was W30 approved. Now I'm having  hard boiled eggs for breakfast instead of two, and lots of protein and veggies for lunch.

Make it a great day!!

 

-d

[kateebee]

Sorry for the delayed response... I was away from the computer all weekend. How was your first weekend of this round? Any fancy meals to share? 

I really need your curry meatball recipe. It sounds intriguing! On the scale of ground meat, I would say chicken is the driest in my experience. For meatballs, I would try bison, especially if you're trying to satisfy a craving. I LOVE bison and it is super moist. 

I have never tried Crossfit. It sounds interesting so maybe I will see if a local box has a trial membership. Unfortunately, my schedule SUCKS for making it to organized classes. I try to get in a workout in my office gym on the days that I'm in the office. Today I am working from home, and my husband encouraged me to skip doing chores on my lunch break so I am going to do a half hour of yoga and maybe some time on the elliptical. 

I am still on plan despite travelling to rural Maryland (basically West Virginia) this weekend where there was nothing but my favorite homestyle and college party meals to be found. Wings, pizza, Cracker Barrel right next to our hotel, pot roast, steak subs, pancakes and cinnamon rolls at breakfast, you name the unhealthy food, it was there. And not even a Chipotle within an hour drive. Plus, we went to a baby shower that had a huge table of homecooked deliciousness and a giant dessert table and candy sprinkled on the seating tables. It was SO HARD. I wanted to eat EVERYTHING. We prepared by stopping at Wegmans on the way up and getting some snacks and menu checking ahead of time. We went out to eat before the shower because we didn't know what would be served so we didn't walk in on empty stomachs. There ended up being a lot of compliant food there (shrimp, plain smoked brisket, raw veggies) even if it was sprinkled among the other cheesy, creamy options. I am glad I made it through but it was rough. 

How's your smoking reduction plan going?

[dizzie_v]

@kateebee Wooooow. Kudos to you for navigating such challenges!!! *slow clap* Your husband is doing it with you, too? I wouldn't worry so much about exercise at this point. the first couple weeks of W30, especially if you haven't been working out regularly before, just eat and sleep, lol. DO NOT stress yourself out about it. Really. I even cut back on trips to the gym my first round. No regrets, and still did amazingly well. 

Here's the curry meatball recipe: https://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/coconut-curry-chicken-meatballs/ Thanks for the advice. I'm picking up bison and doing my own thing, lol. I still haven't gotten that curry "fix" i'm craving, so I'll probably give it another go.

I did ZERO meal prep this weekend. However, i did pick up some heads of cauliflower and broccoli, and bought a case of "emergency" Rx Bars from Wegmans (though i need to take it easy with those. I kinda went off the rails on Friday with that and had two back to back ) . I am happy that I'm craving w30 foods, though. This weekend I went on an EPIC search for w30 approved bacon. What i learned was that the food industry is just that: an industry, for profit, that is not concerned in the least with what they are offering, as long as they can make money. /rantover

Reading ISWF this go around is  really intriguing and helpful. I like that i don't have anxiety about staying committed because i've already successfully done this. So, that frees up some mental space to read their take on  food and the whys of the program, do some additional research, and stay committed. I was especially intrigued by the chapter on hormonal responses to food. I need to go back and take some cliff notes so i can really sear it into my brain.

I also did a two-mile hike at a state park on Sunday. While it was only two miles, i swear i was climbing the stairway to heaven, lol. The start was deceptively downhill. Then, of course, i hit like 45-degree switchbacks all the way back to the car. I was dead tired, but still felt great. I don't know how to explain it... tiger-blood-ish??  Sooo glad I had thinly sliced steak, some bacon, and zoodles for lunch. I'm trying to get better at the  protein+fat before a workout. Slept like a baby, too.  Have you noticed any NSVs yet? I have. I'm in a better mood, and my body is naturally shutting down at night. In the mornings, when i'm up, I'm UP. And this is a weird one, but I don't feel anything in my belly. no rumblings, no discomfort, no gas, no slightly queasy ill/i-should-not-have-eaten-that-feeling...NOTHING. 

Regarding smoking... eh. so-so. i only smoke like 4 a day, and i really enjoy it, so it's hard. yesterday i only had two, and i smoked the last one in the pack last night. this morning's car ride was devoid of my usual cig, so that was interesting. i just jammed along to my songs. i have to change the associations, like: when i'm in the car, i smoke. or after lunch, i smoke. you know what i mean? Let's see how today goes. I think I'll be ok as long as i don't get hungry/bored/upset. 

I live in Gaithersburg, Maryland! Where do you live?

[dizzie_v]

@kateebee

Hey lady! You still with me?? Come on now, we got this!! I hope you're kicking a$$ and taking names at work! Yeah!

Quick update: yesterday i only smoked two cigs. Also, I felt like I ate a TON of food yesterday. However, it was my Crossfit day, so i knew i needed fuel to perform. Anyhoo, looks like it worked. I ran 800m without stopping for the first time EVER (I'm NOT a runner, lol), and completed the WOD. Coach said my squats were looking good!! Hurray for NSVs!!

Make it a GREAT day 9!!

[kateebee]

Hey girl!! I'm with ya! It's been a busy few days but I am still on track and feeling really good. Just in a place where I'm remembering all my good eating habits that I have had in the past. Forcing myself to drink a glass of water before snacking and be mindful about whether I'm actually hungry. All good things. 

EXCELLENT WORK on those NSVs!!

Kiddo is calling for me, so I'm out. Have a great rest of the day and kick Day 10's butt!!

[dizzie_v]

@kateebee

 

Day 15, day 15!!! woohooo!!!

Are you hanging in there? 

I went to the Renfest on Sunday. I did really well there (the funnel cakes did NOT sing their siren song to me, lol) but on the way back, I almost fell face first in some McDonald's french fries. I kept driving, though. Didn't stop. It's only 15 more days, and McDonald's will (unfortunately) always be there.

How are you?

[kateebee]

So glad to be halfway done but really struggling over the past few days. I feel like I've lost the great mojo I had for the first week and a half or so. I feel gross and bloated again, and like the effort isn't worth it if I'm going to be feeling like this anyway. I think it's related to hormones... so I'm hoping I feel feel better again in a few days. I tried to add some more starch (via sweet and white potatoes) when I started feeling bad but that hasn't helped at all, so I'm going to back that back out. 

Weekend wasn't rough for any particular reason other than that I was out and about doing family stuff and I was hungry and there was crap food that I wanted to eat EVERYWHERE. Made it through three drinking and snack focused events (happy hour with a bestie, ladies night at a girlfriend's house, and OctoBEARfest at the zoo) without going insane and honestly not even feeling that many cravings, but my son threw a fit at bedtime yesterday and it was exhausting getting him down and all I could think of was a glass of wine. I am looking forward to being able to have a glass here and there when the 30 is done. 

Great job on the french fries!! Funnel cake is a weakness of mine, and I know how that smell can carry, so good for you for getting through that!

 

[Mdubg]

I've got 1 week left and the only things I really, really miss are honey and sweetened almond milk. I don't do dairy (lactose and I are not friends). I don't like the taste of cow's milk anyway and I don't really care for cheese or yogurt (the dairy part was super easy to give up). I miss beans a little, but I've been doing fine without that as well. I am in a bit of a rut with breakfast because all I really eat now are eggs or eggs with vegetables. Breakfast for me used to be a fruit and veggie smoothie, but smoothies are out.

What, besides eggs, sausage and non-pork sausage can a girl eat for breakfast...

Week 1 I had eggs for breakfast and for lunch and dinner I had some type of chicken and tons of veggies.

Week 2 I had eggs for breakfast and for lunch and dinner I had some combination of beef and veggies.

Week 3 I had, you guessed it, eggs for breakfast and for lunch and dinner I had some combination of fish and veggies.

Week 4 (next week), I will have (probably eggs for breakfast) lamb and veggies.

Lunch and dinner are a breeze. I miss the convenience of overnight oatmeal or smoothies (those were my go-to's for breakfast). I'm tired of eggs, but I feel better than I have in months. When I am done with this round of Whole30, I will add honey to my tea again. Since I can't add honey, I've just not been drinking tea at all.

What do you all do for breakfast? I'm not used to a heavy savory breakfast so that's been my real struggle.

[ShannonM816]

@Mdubg you can have anything for breakfast you have any other time of day. Eggs are definitely convenient, especially if you precook a frittata or breakfast casserole, but you could have soup or salmon cakes or really anything you want. Here's one previous discussion with lots of non-egg ideas, or google Whole30 no egg breakfast for more (do be careful on sites other than official Whole30 sites, you'll find lots of faux-tmeal or banana pancakes but those aren't really Whole30). 

[kateebee]

@Mdubg Breakfast has been a bummer for me, but mostly because I miss bagels. I haven't hit egg fatigue yet, but I have seen the suggestion @ShannonM816 made of just treating breakfast like lunch or dinner and eating whatever you would for another meal. I have a pretty rigid idea of what breakfast should be, so I don't know that I would go full-on salmon cake for breakfast, but it could help for sure. I have been doing breakfast hashes that I make on Sunday. Chopped up or spiralized veggies, some compliant sausage and an egg on top. I feel like these reheat better than frittatas. I've also seen some recipes for sweet potato "toast" on Pinterest. I think it's basically thin slices of SP toasted then topped with avocado and other veggies. 

[Mdubg]

Thanks for the suggestions. I need to change my thinking. I'm not a fan of potatoes in general (although I have forced myself to eat sweet potatoes) so I doubt I'll do potatoes for breakfast. I'm also not a fan of HASH of any kind so that's out. I think I will try my veggie soup with a side of compliant beef sausage for breakfast tomorrow and see how I feel. I also can't get down with having a cold breakfast that's not cereal so salads are out. It will have to be something hot. I forgot all about salmon patties (or cakes depending on where you're from). I can TOTALLY have those for breakfast. Haven't had those since I was a kid. But I'll have to find a recipe that omits the bread crumbs.

[dizzie_v]

@Mdubg When I went to Bali years ago for a wedding, there were a lot of Japanese tourists at the resort I stayed at. For breakfast, there was a wonderful spread of both western (think omelettes, pancakes, fruit and oatmeal, etc) and Asian (think noodles, protein, vegetables, soup) breakfast items. This really opened my eyes. It seemed that the Japanese would start their day with savory, filling items. This was a light bulb moment for me: Why WOULDN'T you eat the heavy stuff for breakfast? You need this to power your through the day, right? Ever since then, "breakfast" is just a meal for me and I'm not constrained to limiting my food choices based on the time of day. It's made the w30 a lot easier, quite frankly.

 

@kateebee I don't even understand how today is day 17, lol. Time flies! I Think you're doing a fantastic job of navigating those tricky social situations. I know how hard it is! 13 more days to go... we can DO this!!!

Could you be getting your period? Maybe that's why you're feeling so icky. You won't feel like that for the entire w30, so just accept the ickyness, don't stress about it, and ride it out. 

I'm battling an awful sore throat/head cold/sinus pressure thing. I think it's due to not enough rest and stress over this huge conference my employer had yesterday, where i had a two hour speaking session. It's all catching up to me, i suppose. I'm planning on sipping on bone broth all day. I also had steamed veggies and eggs for breakfast (though i think i'm light on the fats... forgot about that  )

Here's to both of us feeling better!!

[ShannonM816]

@Mdubg the blue underlined words in my previous post are links -- the salmon cake one I linked is my favorite way to make them. I think it's the Old Bay seasoning that makes it for me, but they're moist and hold together well, and if you make them and decide you do like them, they also freeze well, so in the future you could double the recipe and save some for later to save time.

These Spicy Tuna Cakes get good reviews as well, although I've never tried them. You could probably make them with salmon instead if you prefer.