Whole29 holly

[hollymayd]

Hi, I'm holly. I started the whole 30 on Monday 24 without planning to, someone else at my crossfit started and it sounded good to me. Id been thinking about it for a while but just needed a bit of a push. I'm only doing 29 days as it takes me up to Christmas Eve, and I'm only human. I only just discovered this forum today on day four.

I ve always struggled with my weight, yoyoing. I lost about 17kg prior to my wedding earlier this year, but have now put 8 of those kilos on again. I ve always had a problem with gluten, and can't handle too much dairy, I'm looking forward to being able to listen to my body and take control of my appetite.

So day one. Monday 26 November.

Since I hadn't planned to do the whole 30 until 7am, and was pretty unprepared I think I be done ok.

B - 2 eggs and 2 rashers of bacon

L - roast chicken salad and half an avocado (salad was baby spinach,!cucumber, capsicum, tomato and balsamic and olive oil dressing)

D - 15 homemade chicken and prawn dumplings and 8 pan fried prawns. Ok, so not the best start but not the worst. The wonton wrappers are definitely forbidden. I came home to an empty house (hubby away), craving sugar and wanting to eat the first thing I laid my eyes on... Which were the dumplings in the freezer, oh fail!

Exercise

Am crossfit

Tuesday

B - smoothie, banana, raspberries, spinach, egg, 3 cubes frozen coconut milk (homemade) almonds, sesame seeds. I didn't realise smoothies are out of the whole 30 til today.

S - tin of tuna

Lunch - same as Monday, roast chicken salad and avocado

S - carrot and black coffee (was getting headache in afternoon)

Dinner - steak sliced and pan fried with tomatoes and asparagus lime and herbs

Exercise

Crossfit pm

Yoga

[hollymayd]

Day 3 Wednesday

B - sliced apple lightly fried in coconut oil with cinnamon, small handful of almonds, 1 fried egg

S - black coffee

L cold roast chicken with 1/2 tomato, 1/3 red onion, 1 avocado, balsamic dressing

S 12 cherries ( was craving sweet. I wasn't hungry, craving about 2 pm wheni normally have a coke zero!

S small handful roasted mixed nuts. I went grocery shopping and I normally buy myself something.

D 1 loin pork chop, sliced apple, sweet potato and baby spinach with balsamic and olive oil. 2 tablespoons nut butter (I made my own and was taste testing - never made it before.

So I think I ve snacked too much, but I am definitely eating better than I was.

Exercise

None I strained my neck on Tuesday

Thursday day 4

B - 2 bacon rashers, 2 eggs, 2 slices sweet potato, 1/2 tomato

L - met my mum for lunch. Ordered roast beef and had a dairy and gluten free salad. It had lentils in it but I picked them all out

S - 2 pm sweet craving again. Sliced apple with cinnamon, with a spoon full of home made nut butter

D - BBQ squid and flathead with home made mayo. I was going to make a baby spinach salad but the leaves had gone off

Exercise

Crossfit am!

[Tom Denham]

Congratulations on jumping in and eating better. Good for you!

Bacon is typically cured with sugar, so your bacon may not be Whole30-compliant. BBQ is often made with sugar in some form, so look out for that.

The amount of food you are eating at meals seems a bit light to me. You may find it easier to avoid snacking if you eat more food at meals.

[hollymayd]

Thanks Tom, I checked the bacon and there was no sugar on the label, are there any other names that can be used to hide it?

And I meant that I bbqed the calamari on the grill with some salt and pepper. It was so delicious, I think I could get used to eating like this.

I think I snack out of habit and boredom, I work an office job so I use it to break up my day, I'm not hungry. So I ve come to work today without any snacks to see how I go. I woke up this morning feeling full of energy, rather than hitting snooze 10 times, so im feeling pretty positive

[Tom Denham]

Good for you having a good experience from the start!

Sugar is sometimes listed as organic cane juice, dextrose, or a few other things. There is compliant bacon out there. I've seen it before, but I haven't found it in stores near me in over a year. Glad you're finding it!

Back when I was a psychotherapist, I drank a cup of coffee with every client. I don't know how I made it on those days when I saw 8 people in a day! You might try drinking a cup of herbal tea in place of eating anything when you are just wanting to break up your day.

[pingu]

Going well Holly!

[hollymayd]

Thanks for your support. Im pretty lucky where I live - Tasmania, Australia. We have the most amazing fresh produce, lots of it free-range and organic and it's really accessable, not driving to heaps of different shops to get it. The crossfit i go to sell packs of organic, free-range sugar-free bacon so its pretty easy to get my hands on it. The mayo i made used eggs from a friends chickens and garlic from my garden. I do a bit of fishing and diving, so I the squid/calamari and flathead fish I ate last night I caught the weekend before. Hopefully I can catch some more this weekend.

Hubby came home last night from work (was away for 4 days) and I think I've convinced him to start too (after last nights seafood feast) - he has a bucks weekend this weekend so will start on monday. It will make it easier for me if he stops bringing sugary food home with him, like choc coated muesli bars which he eats when he's being 'healthy' - i told him he might as well eat a mars bar!.

I'm not sure if you have them in the U.S but I have a thermomix which makes it easier to eat healthier. I think its similar to a vitamix maybe? But i can grind my own almond meal, nut butters, make mayonaise in it, cook in it, make butter - then clarify it into ghee (it heats to about 120 C as well), make my own mince, boil eggs, it has a steamer on top so steam fish and vegies. When I first got it i was using it to make nasties like bread, pizza dough, risottos, custard quite frequently.

Herbal tea is a great idea, thank you, do you have any favorites Tom? 8 cups of coffee a day would kill me. I think the most i've ever had is 3 - and I used to be a shift-worker.

Thanks, Holly

[Tom Denham]

My favorite herbal tea is Tazo's Wild Sweet Orange.

[Loraine]

Holly you are off to a reat start. I think we are very lucky in most parts of Australia (I'm in Western Aus) as we can quite easily find free range and organic foods. I am going to be in trouble when I return to the UK next year as they are not quite so 'with it' in the food area.

[hollymayd]

Friday - day 5.

Woke up feeling really positive and refreshed, even though I probably only had about 5.5hrs sleep.

B - 3 short rashers bacon, 2 fried eggs and one tomato, long black (went out for breakdast)

S - cup of black herbal tea

Lunch - homemade pulled beef with spinach, capsicum, red onion, tomato and lemon salad dressing. I think I should have had more fat with this meal to curb cravings.

2pm - normally have a sweet snack of some sort - didn't today (hooray)

3pm - had the nods at work, lucky I have a desk job, so warm and stuffy in my office, like a warm car.

5pm S - 2 mashed boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise - driving to my parents an hour away and not sure when and what dinner would be

830pm - dinner - entree Thai chicken patties/cakes fried in coconut oil with a cucumber salad. Mum made them and were amazing, neglected to tell me they had a small amount of rice flour to bind them until after I'd eaten! She did such a good job with gluten, dairy, legume free she forgot grain free, I couldn't really get upset with her.

Main - twice cooked pork belly with home made apple sauce (just apple and lemon). I think I would have eaten a bit too much tonight - mums cooking is amazing. Probably ate about 150g chicken and 300g pork! Would only do this at the parents house (i never cook pork as my husband hates it)

Exercise - crossfit AM (and boy it was hot in there- cooked me for rest of day)

So today I am happy with myself for saying no to the sweet sugary Thai dressing mum made to go with the chicken (I had a squeeze of lemon) but not so happy with the amount of food I ve just consumed although it falls within the guidelines (apart from rice flour) I ve just made my parents a grain free, dairy free and no added sugar Christmas cake (still full of dried fruit) and I have no desire to eat it.

Til tomorrow

[hollymayd]

Day 6 - sat dec 1.

Breakfast - 2 eggs, 100g smoked salmon and 1/2 avocado

Lunch - roast lamb, mango salad with avocado mayonnaise and pecans

Dinner - had a hens night. I was too full from lunch still to eat beforehand, but there was some food I could eat - I had a pick at some olives, and some chicken meatballs.

I'm really happy with my willpower today - I had no gravy/mint sauce with my lamb, I came home from my parents to find my in laws had left chocolate advent calendars at the front door, I drank water at the party, didn't eat any party food, was given a party bag full of lollies, and I still didn't give in, yet I don't feel like I ve missed out

[hollymayd]

Ok so today is day 7, I have already noticed a couple of benefits in the first week

- my sinuses have cleared up, I'm not waking up so stuffy now

- after a little breakout my skin is looking heaps clearer

- I am really thinking about what i put in my mouth and why I am eating it. Am I bored, is it a habit, am I actually hungry.

- I am getting better at saying no without feeling like I am missing out- I currently have a cupboard with two advent calendars, a tin of milo, And a Lolly gift bag. I was surrounded by party food last night and wasnt tempted.

- and finally, I was super naughty and got on the scales - I've lost 2.5kg this first week. My aim is to get back into my fave shorts which I can do up but are tight!

The best thing is that I ve got my husband convinced to start eating like this! He wont be doing the whole 30 yet, but his diet will be inproved so much. I do most of the cooking in the house so he d be eating the same meals as me at home, but he's going to try it at work too. He has a big sugar and beer dragon to slay but it will be easier if both of us do it!

[Lisa K.]

Holly, I am so excited for you! I'm on day 25 of my Whole30 and it really is life changing! I cannot wait for you to experience all of the benefits of healthy eating. Have you read "It Starts With Food?" It's areally great book and on days where I was feeling a little antsy it really helped me stay motivated and committed. It also educated me on why I needed to eat this way - that helped me stay committed too! Good luck!

[melbournegirl]

Making great progress holly. I know if I get on the scales before the end it will influence my eating... I am so trying to learn the proper amount to eat to be full and not too full and also to not eat when I am not hungry. I thought I was doing well but from day 22 after three! cups of coffee at a work conference my next three days were really messed up and I felt like I was eating all the time to stop the gnawing in my stomach. Happy at least that I ate clean still.

I need to find some bacon.. What brand have you found!

[hollymayd]

Day 7 Sunday

Breakfast - steak and sweet potato, then some frozen raspberries, almonds and coconut milk (wow im like old mother Hubbard with nothing in her cupboard at the moment, this was the best I could scrounge up without having to take a trip to the supermarket). And a coffee with coconut milk - this is the first "white" coffee I ve had since I started, felt like such a treat.

Lunch - left over steak followed by a spoonful of mixed but butter. This sounds really gross I know, I wasnt really that hungry and in a rush!

Dinner - steak with green beans, broccoli, cumin spiced mashed sweet potato and a glaze made with coconut aminos. Wow - I ve eaten so much red meat today. My hubby was craving steak and veg for tea so who was I to say no, lol!

So the bacon I ve found is boks bacon - they re Tasmanian and do a labeled sugar free one available in my crossfit, or cygnet butchery bacon doesnr have sugar listed in the ingredients. I think scottsdale pork is sugar free too!

[hollymayd]

Hey Lisa I just downloaded it and had a quick flick through it - it looks really good. It's really interesting as my mum started eating like this about 11 years ago, starting off gluten free, then dairy free, and then working out sugar was causing lots of my parents health problems and gradually eliminating harmful foods from their diets (losing 30kg each and excema clearing up, arthritis pain easing). I just couldn't understand her reasoning behind it - I thought "whole grains, and muesli bars were healthy". I'm finally getting my head around the message about the dangers of SAD diets/calorie counting etc.

[melbournegirl]

I always thought that the people that only ever ate real food were crazy for depriving themselves... Now I know better. And even though non real food has always made me sick, I always ate it often enough to stay addicted ... Really hoping to break that addiction via whole30 or 60 or whatever it takes!

[hollymayd]

How long do you think you ll be going for juzpo? I definitely will continue to be gluten free and minimal grains/sugar and dairy when the whole 30 is over.

Day 8 (so far)

Breakfast - 1 egg and one bacon rasher

Raspberries, almonds and coconut cream. Coffee with tiny bit coconut cream

Snack - tin of salmon. I don't think I ate enough at breakfast. When I first thought about eating a snack I waited 5 minutes to see if I still wanted it before eating it.

Lunch - about 50g left over beef, 2 boiled eggs. And my fav salad ever, roast sweet potato, steamed green beans !baby spinach, cashews and a tiny amount of chopped up bacon with a balsamic dressing

Snack - sliced apple with cinnamon, with a spoonful of nut butter.

Dinner - in going to make a almond crusted chicken schnitzel with garlic cauliflower puree and vegies. Hopefully enough for lunch tomorrow.

Exercise -

Crossfit pm

Summer hockey pm

[melbournegirl]

I have been dairy free on and off for a year or two... A few stints trying a2 milk, and butter and cream only and a stint trying cheese again, all spectacular failures so resigned to dairy free... Fits well with the paleo philosophy at least. I am using and will continue with ghee though.. My issue is the protein I am pretty sure.

I have been gluten free for most of the last 15 years and starch free for a couple and limiting myself to one serve of whole grains a day for awhile... Not sure if I will add grains back in... Maybe some brown rice or quinoa occasionally. Oh and air popped corn! My stomach is better without grains at all if I can manage it. I have never tolerated legumes and have been off them completely for a few years, except for the occasional papadum. So that only leaves sugar! And cocoa! Maple syrup and 85% chocolate! Stock cubes. Maybe tinned beet root. Bacon. And making some fruit based treats. Not much will change really for me food wise from a component basis, more from a compilation basis...pancakes and puddings for example. My main issues I wanted to fix were cravings, eating too often and cocoa, nut and fruit dragons. My biggest deficiency with prior paleo eating was not enough saturated fat and too much for me fruit sugar.

I think I need more than 30 days to get my appetite sorted, it's improving but still up and down. I'd like to go up to Xmas...45 days. Would really love to have a sugar free Xmas day, unlikely but you never know. A glass of wine would be nice though

When do you finish?

[hollymayd]

Hey juzpo that sounds like a smart way to go for me too. I think if I am going to eat something sweet I might have to try "harm minimization" lol - and make sure it's something that's really worth it! I finish on Christmas eve, so 29 days. I saw the article about not starting in the holiday season but I was just sick of feeling sick and not having control of my appetite. I thought the worst that could happen is that I not complete it, but would still be eating better than what I was previously. I plan to start again on the 1st of January and get my hubby on board properly then. In the week between I will definitely eat paleo as much as I can over the Christmas period and I'm also going to a music festival so good food may be scarce.

Tuesday 4 December day 9

Breakfast - frittata (eggs, bacon, asparagus, sweet potato, tomato, capsicum) with 1/2 avocado and black coffee.

Lunch - left over chicken almond schnitzel with broccoli and 1/2 avocado

S - 1/2 bier sausage.(grain and sugar free)

Dinner - 4 small salmon and sweet potato cakes cooked in coconut oil and baked vegetables (onion, eggplant, tomato, zucchini, capsicum, garlic) with avocado mayonnaise (yummy)!

Exercise

Crossfit am

I had bad sugar cravings this afternoon, definitely wasn't hungry but just wanted something sweet and was falling asleep at my desk. Not sure whether I should have something to eat like an apple and nut butter? Or just battle though. Feeling good on the whole though

[melbournegirl]

Try olives and carrot sticks and boiled eggs... It was suggested to me and I found it works for me anyway