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LadyLis sounds like you had a great weekend. Congrats for staying the course! Our usual routine after gardening is to go up the road to our favorite watering hole and reward ourselves with a couple of craft beers so the urge to, at least, have a glass of wine as a reward for all of the hard work was strong. 

I'm curious about what you said about kombucha- do you have a problem with it or was it your friends? I brew my own but don't drink large quantities of it- a few sips a day, at most, and I'm not even doing that right now.

Gook luck with your 'scope. I'm (over)due for one and have been researching how to follow the prep without the usual Gatorade and bullion cubes. I found a homemade sports drink recipe here https://wellnessmama.com/2575/natural-sports-drink/ and figured bone broth and maybe some homemade gummies as a treat for all of the misery would fill the bill. I've put it off way too long and need to suck it up and do it.

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Happy Monday!  Sounds like you all had a successful weekend -- congrats! 

It was a challenging few days than I expected, but I'm happy to report that W30 prevailed :)  

On Friday and Saturday (days 6 and 7) I was super emotional (weepy, cranky) for no real reason?!  Maybe it was some weird, delayed variation of "Kill all the Things"?  

Then last night my running group got together for our annual Xmas celebration.  This year was an overnighter at a beautiful home in a nearby resort area -- with lots of drinking, eating, drinking, board games, hot tubbing (and did I mention drinking?)  Based on my emotional state earlier in the weekend, I wasn't sure I could handle it (normally I'd be the one uncorking the first bottle of wine!)  But, it turned out great!  I cooked a W30 compliant feast for dinner (which everyone loved) and brought lots of sparkling water.  My girlfriends were curious about W30 and totally supportive.  And it was nice to wake up relaxed and refreshed today instead of headache-y.

So, onward and upward!  Have a great night, all!  

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Ladies,

so sorry to leave you hanging! Sometimes checking in on a forum is not my strong point. I ended up just starting it as a whole a few days earlier bc I was ready. I have had to do a lot of prepping bc I’m a basketball scout for a high school girl’s basketball team. Being on the road a lot has hurt me in the past, but not this year! 

After getting past the first 2 weeks of severe headaches, I’m still having headaches, and this severe bloating and heartburn that I’ve never had in my life!!!! I can usually eat spicy food and no issues! I really dislike heartburn to be honest! What gives Whole30?!! I’ve been eating lots of kale and spinach, so I was ready in other parts of the old forum and it suggested cutting those out or lessening them. I’ve had bloating since day 1. So idk what the deal is! I’ve been taking a probiotic so I’m just not sure what is going on. 

Any suggestions anyone? I wonder if the nughtshades are giving me issues?

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On 12/2/2017 at 5:02 PM, Eryca said:

Thank you LadyLisbette! I do have meal templates! So, not so funny story, I got the stomach flu Thursday night and ended up in the ER to get rehydrated. OY! So I did not start whole30 yesterday. I'll probably start Monday or Tuesday! Today was my first day of solid food! What timing! I'll definitely go easy on the sugar and grains until I start, and probably not eat any dairy or soy. Looking forward to all of your updates! 

I got the flu the week before over thanksgiving so my body was ready to roll! Hope you’re feeling better now!!!

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51 minutes ago, EWilber34 said:

... severe headaches, I’m still having headaches, and this severe bloating and heartburn that I’ve never had in my life!!!!... / ....I’ve had bloating since day 1. So idk what the deal is! I’ve been taking a probiotic so I’m just not sure what is going on. 

Any suggestions anyone?...

How long have you been taking probiotics, and what dosage?  The symptoms you list are common side effects of taking probiotics.

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It sounds like we all had some big challenges this weekend. And we all rose to the occasions-yaaaay!! Great job everybody.

EWilber- So sorry to hear that; it's so miserable. T2A has a good point. You've changed a lot of things in your diet all at once so it's hard to pinpoint the source of your gastric distress so maybe take away one thing at a time to see what helps? Also, we use a drop of peppermint essential oil to help with heart burn and it really helps- plus it's compliant.

So I'm on Day 9 today and feeling pretty tiger blood-ish. Last night, though, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck and had a few KILL ALL THINGS moments that, thankfully, passed before I acted on them! My own personal roller coaster. I managed to get a work-out in so that helped my outlook and this morning I'm celebrating a couple of nsv's- I wasn't as stiff first thing in the morning and taking the stairs didn't kick my butt as badly today as it has been.

Now if I can just figure out what's for dinner...

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Hurray for getting over challenging weekends, and, again, in *December*!  I guess I'm feeling a bit proud on behalf of all of us to do this now, but I already said that...EWilbur, glad to see you here. Sorry for all the tummy troubles...I second what Holly said about eliminating the possible suspects. That happened to me last spring, and it turns out it was the antibiotics that I needed to take starting on day 8. I did a W60, and I was still sick for over a month afterwards. When I started on Dec. 1 I was a little gun shy about all the vegetables because at one point I thought that is what was making me sick. The good news is that it's such a good life skill I think for the long haul to do all of the eliminations!

Holly, I'm planning to use electrolyte infused water to prep for my 'scope, which I've been hearing about, but haven't found yet. I have some Epic bone broth on hand, and if it's clear enough, I will drink that too on prep day. As for kombucha, I love the stuff myself. I think my friends were making a list of the things they are skeptical of. More for me, I suppose! I haven't brewed it myself, but admire that from afar.

Overall my energy level has been really, really good. But I'm struggling with not getting back to sleep in the middle of the night, and hence not wanting to get up early to exercise. As for food, today was dicey. I went to the movies with a friend (we saw Ladybird, it was AWEsome), and we had lunch afterwards. My pork chops with apples and ginger had - are you ready - cream sauce! I scraped it off to the side and ate the chops, anyway. I'm goin' with it.  I was stunned by the pitifully small amount of vegetable on my plate - I could eat ten times that much broccolini. I could earn a gold medal in eating my veggies, lol.

I'm feeling a little nervous about the upcoming prep and procedure, so my security blanket is a batch of soup in the fridge, and a double batch of these babies http://meljoulwan.com/2014/03/28/mmm-cuban-meatballs/ which are mixed and ready to be cooked up. I'll get up extra early tomorrow to make my sliders and assemble a salad for lunch - tomorrow will be a 10 hour day at work. If I roast my yams, I will have everything I need for recovery, and the weekend without having to cook until at least Monday. 

RunGirl, your running friends sound awesome. I'm so glad you had them to help re-set your mood after the weepy/cranky days.

Best to all

 

 

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LadyL I struggle with getting back to sleep in the middle of the night as well. It didn't improve during my first W30 but I'm hoping it'll be different this time since I've made a few changes. My husband is using a CPAP now so the wall-shaking snoring has stopped, I take magnesium every night at bedtime and I've started using an eye mask to block out light from the TV that I listen to to distract my brain and make it go to sleep and it helps in the mornings, too, because we don't have any curtains on our windows. This time of year that only matters on the weekend since it's dark when I get up during the week. I do feel more rested but we have a 17 pound cat that has decided that 430 is a great time to walk all over me and have a big purr-fest so that doesn't help- trying to break him of that habit since I get up at 530 and it's hard to go back to sleep.

OK! That's the second Mel Joulwan meatball mention and you're making me crave meatballs- not that that's a bad thing! Definitely going to be putting some meatballs on the menu for next week. I've been looking for something new and that should fit the bill. Thanks. It sucks that going out to eat is so hard. Good job.

Good luck with prep & procedure. You sound like me- a planner. It makes me feel better to have a plan and a list. Are you a list maker, too? Sometimes on the weekend we have a no-plan plan kinda like free association housework/projects and it works surprisingly well as long as I don't get too ADD and wind up with ten things going at once!

Making your own booch is easy and fun. If you ever want to give it a try, let me know. I'd be happy to send you a scoby and some starter tea. EWilber do you like fermented foods? It might be a way to get some probiotics in without resorting to pill-form. I try to eat a little fermented something everyday but have been dropping the ball a bit since starting W30. Gonna have to fix that. Most ferments are really easy then you just have to be patient (sigh) and let them do their thing. Aside from being fun and creative, it's also way cheaper than buying them. I just can't spend $7-12/pint for $1 worth of veggies and salt.

NSV: I redid the same yoga class from a few days ago and did much better. I can actually get my forehead on the floor in child's pose. It was a little  uncomfortable but I was able to get my shoulder to stretch far enough-yay!

Day 10!

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Hey gals - Happy Day 12 (and 13 and 10 and all)!  

Ewilbur - So sorry to hear you've been feeling so yucky for 2 weeks.  That stinks!  Especially when you're taking such good care of yourself.  Have you figured out anything that seems to help?

Hollys - Yay for your NSVs (especially the increased range of motion in your shoulder)!  And the Tiger Blood :)

LadyLis - It sounds like you're on track for your upcoming procedure.  I have an electrolyte I use for workout recovery that is compliant -- not sure if it's OK to post a link here?  I get it on Amazon.  Message me if you want the info!  Glad to hear your energy levels are high.  Sorry to hear you're not sleeping well, though?!  That's one of the things that W30 seems to be helping for me -- I still wake up several times a night, but seem to fall back to sleep pretty easily.

I have a NSV to share:  One of my running partners commented this morning on how great my skin looks -- "glowing" was the term she used.  Yippee!  My energy levels have been great the past couple of days, too.  And I've tried out a few new recipes that turned out to be yummy (including a tomato soup and spaghetti squash with clam sauce!)  Tonight is a new Nom Nom recipe: sausage stuffed portabella mushrooms.  I'm super excited about it.

Have a great W30 evening, friends!

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RunGIrl, you're glowing - that's so cool! Yay for great energy and a glowing complexion! Tomato soup, recipe please! How was your new Nom Nom recipe? Delish I'll bet - she's a genius. Today I finished up the batch of her wonton meatballs in lettuce cups for lunch, yum. 

Holly - yikes, that's a lot of sleep challenges! Like you, I use a sleep mask - I think it's called Alaska Bear all natural silk sleeping mask. It's the softest thing ever, and I especially use it during full moon phase. But I think it's partially a tactile comfort thing, I just like the way it feels on my face. That was so descriptive, the wall-shaking snoring, wow, that must have been rough, so glad that's behind you. Then there's the cat - Yeah, our 17 year old is a real howler in the early morning. It's actually getting better, though, so that's good. Our cat is not a lap cat, so I swoon a little at the idea of a cat in my bed, on my belly. The cat fur is greener on the other side...lol. It seems cold, but have you thought about locking her out of the room and using ear plugs? Oh precious sleep! On my first round of W30 I did see a big improvement to my sleep...so starting next week I will get back onboard with exercise, and see if that helps (I will be surprised if it doesn't help)...I'll look into magnesium, too...ah the quest for excellent, long sleep. It's true, I'm an organizer, too! Oh yeah, that Cuban inspired Well Fed meatball recipe is my new favorite! Wow-wee. I shared it with a co-worker today and she swooned. I'm holding space for her to make her way to paleo and W30, no attachments. I think I'll have to write myself a big note for tomorrow mornign that says, "FASTING"  so I don't forget, LOL.

It occurred to me yesterday that 30 days brings me to the 31st as a day to re-intro and I've decided that will be....champagne! Ha, I hadn't thought of it before.

Home stretch to the weekend - be well, all!

 

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RunGirl, glowing is awesome, especially when someone else notices! The only thing I have glowing right now is a giant zit. LOL! That too shall pass. Just checked out NomNom's portabellas and they look great. My husband isn't crazy about 'shrooms but I am so I think I'll make a batch of these for my breakfasts next week and have a scrambled egg on the side. Thanks for the idea. I need to remember to get some extra ground pork this week to turn into sausage for them; I have some homemade brats in the freezer but they have cream in them so they're off limits for now.

LadyL- I use the same mask; isn't it great! Well, our smarty-pants cat can open the doors. If a door gets closed "accidentally" he feels the disturbance in the force, hunts it out and opens it. We have to warn people when we have house guests. At least he doesn't bring me presents when he comes looking for hugs. I'm half Cuban and I was already planning on making SeriousEats ropa vieja this week so maybe I'll go for wonton meatballs this week and Cuban's next week. Bubbles sound like a great re-intro! NY eve/day is our anniversary and that will be days 28 & 29 for me so I'll have to think up a really indulgent, compliant dinner for us. Party animals that we are, half the time we're asleep by 9 anyway unless we go to a show but downtown Nashville has gotten nutty on NY so we've been passing the last couple of years.

I only managed a light weight workout yesterday but at least I did something and that's one of my goals- something...anything! I know y'all are ahead of me but I just realized I'm over 1/3 of the way there. Time flies when you're taking care of yourself!

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Holly, your cat is cracking me up! How does he do it? Cuban cuisine is new for me, and I am loving my introduction with those meatballs. That ropa vieja looks yummy! What else do you recommend for me as a newcomer?  You guys sound like us, real party animals...but, consistent sleep schedules make for a happier time of it, I think, so there is that, not that glamorous but functional and lots of fun can be had within that, right?

So far what I've learned is that I don't like fasting. And now I know what hangry feels like. Hangry and a bit emotional overall. But this is not the hardest thing I've ever done. That's my mantra for a moment of challenge.

 

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Yeah he cracks me up too, except when it's 230 in the morning like this morning! We've had him since he was a day old and fed him with an eye dropper. Apparently we did too good of a job; he weighs 17 lbs and is really tall. He's solid black and my mother calls him a panther :) We have lever handle door knobs and he stands on his back legs, puts one paw on the door and swats the door handle with the other until it opens. He's even managed to hang onto the handle and pull a door open but usually he's on the "pushing" side.

Aside from arroz con pollo (chicken & rice) that was a big deal at an extended family get together, my Mom didn't cook much Cuban food. Black bean & rice were in the regular rotation along with red beans & rice because I was born and raised in New Orleans and my Dad's side of the family is Cajun- both of which have been off the menu for about 5 years :( I LOVE beans . Those meatballs are a riff on picadillo. It's a tomato-based sauce w ground beef, olives and raisins served over rice and we had that a lot because it was easy and cheap.

Hopefully your ordeal is over by now and you are getting to indulge yourself in something delicious.

Have a great weekend everybody!

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2 weeks in -- yippee!

LadyL - Was your procedure today?  How did it go?  Hope all is well and you survived the fast.  Just think -- only 2 more weeks until you can celebrate with some bubbly!

Hollys - Your cat is a hoot!  Hope you have a restful weekend anyway and the Tiger Blood keeps flowing :)

EWilber - How are you feeling???

Here is the tomato soup recipe I made this week:  https://againstallgrain.com/2017/09/18/dairy-free-tomato-soup-recipe/?mc_cid=8338a2befe&mc_eid=7ef80997a8  I used diced tomatoes that I canned from the garden this summer (instead of roasting fresh ones) and it still turned out great.

The stuffed portabellas were delicious.  Big thumbs up to https://www.thesimplegrocer.com/ for the W30 approved Italian sausage.  It really made the dish!  And I'm super excited to serve their No Sugar Ham for Christmas dinner later this month.

Tonight is Nom Nom's Instant Pot chicken and gravy http://nomnompaleo.com/post/156918257623/instant-pot-pressure-cooker-chicken-and-gravy.

You can see I'm trying to step up my cooking game for the final few weeks of this adventure. :)

Have a wonderful Friday night and a successful weekend, ladies!

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Hi gang! I got through my procedure on Friday just fine - it was a fascinating experience in so many ways. I felt emotionally fragile in the prep room and had a raging headache from not drinking water for 5 hours. I was promised by very kind professionals who refused me a tylenol that the IV would replenish me better than drinking water. The drugs didn't hurt either, hoo boy, I was flying. By the time I got home the headache was gone baby gone. I hadn't eaten in 48 hours, and I was still really stoned. A dear friend accompanied me there and brought me home, and she shared a bowl of W30 chili with me, and really liked it. https://whole30.com/2017/01/januarywhole30-bison-chili/ 

In essence, I feel like I got a re-set in the middle of the re-set as it was actually Day 15. I ate very light on Saturday, just soup, and soup, and more soup, not even eating the W30 template-recommended amount of fat, and felt really satisfied - mainly I did that because I was so busy, which would have been a mistake but I think it was best that way. I worked for 12 hours yesterday, and when I got home I was still jamming around, not tired yet. I think that's Tiger Blood, eh? Thanks for the moral support, crew, I appreciate it! This morning I made shaved brussels sprouts and yellow potato hash, with eggs over-easy draped over the top, and (non-compliant) bacon for my husband, and the Cuban sliders for both of us. I'm back.

BTW Holly, I didn't thank you for your kind offer to share the scoby, and all the great info on fermenting! I'll keep that offer in my pocket! Thanks! Ok, I've heard of picadillo, now I have more to work with. For all my years in the Bay Area, and enjoying lots of int'l cuisine, somehow Cuban got past me, and now I'm intrigued and really loving it. Like you, I love beans! Are you forever off of rice and beans, both? When riding my own bike since the first round, I have occasionally had beans, but I try to avoid rice, so rice is rare.

RunGirl, awesome cooking - I printed out that tomato soup recipe, it looks delicious. I've never roasted tomatoes before...I would like to try growing container tomatoes next season, and you have inspired me. I have been thinking about compliant ham for Christmas, too, and thanks to your simple grocer link I see it's on sale - score! Do you love your Instant Pot? It seems to cook things up so fast, almost as fast as the computer on Star Trek, "computer, make me some chicken soup"

EWilbur, how did it go eliminating kale and spinach? Are you feeling better? Were you eating the greens raw? I have a hard time with raw kale.

Next up for food, I have no idea, I am focused on gift baskets for staff. It was a trip wandering around World Market looking at all of the sweets and treats. I didn't crave them as much as find them fascinating. I do have some steaks in the freezer, and some ground chicken, and I'm craving that chicken apple hash, so probably that. Still have lots of yams and some Thai soup to finish off, plenty of salad fixings for the week, and a little of the cuban slider mix....

Have a good week, everybody!

 

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Happy Monday to everybody! Day 15 for me and, except for a brief craving for a glass of wine last night (tired and exhausted-yes both- and feeling in need of a reward), this weekend was great. I took Mel Joulwan's Sunday cook-up to a whole new level- not something I would recommend on a regular basis! I didn't intend to turn it into a cook-till-you-drop, refrigerator-stuffing, holy-cow-what-have-I-done cookathon but I did! It's a good thing we have a second fridge in the basement because it's stuffed to the gills, too!

I had gotten the pieces/part of chicken to make a batch of bone broth and I had that going before 7. I mixed up the meat mixtures for the portabellas and for a pate (grinding liver is really gross) on Saturday so I got both of those finished. Those stuffed portabellas are terrific; I'm having them for breakfast right now w a couple of scrambled eggs. Run Girl- thanks for mentioning that recipe. Since I was planning on eating it for breakfast, I used breakfast sausage and didn't top it w the marinara sauce. I also simplified the recipe and put the raw meat mixture into the raw mushroom caps then baked for 30 minutes. Next time I'll try to leave the meat a little looser and not pack it in and shave off about 5 minutes of cooking time. The nice thing about sausage (unless you want to stuff it in casings) is that it's no different than seasoning meatballs or a meatloaf so I just used my regular breakfast sausage seasoning. They are so delicious and a nice change of pace from my usual breakfast casserole. I got a batch of pear/cardamom kombucha going and it smells so good; I can't wait for it to be ready to drink. We cooked a GIANT pot of collard greens- thankfully I had smoked a pork hock and made stock from it a while ago so I just had to defrost it. For dinner I made the ropa vieja from SeriousEats http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/11/ropa-vieja-cuban-latin-american-beef-stew-recipe.html and it is amazing! It was easy (except for cleaning of the greasy splatter from browning the meat), seriously delicious and makes lots so there's leftovers- a must in our house since my husband works from home and I bring my lunch everyday even when I'm not W30-ing. Make it! Oh- and I forgot to add the olives at the end and it was still great. A triple batch of laundry detergent rounded out my day and left every kitchen appliance I own huffing & puffing.

LadyLis, roasted tomatoes are so good. When our garden is going gangbusters and I start running out of time to can, I'll put halved tomatoes skin-side up, onions and garlic on a sheet pan and roast the till the skins are nice and brown and blistery then freeze it. It's good as a base for Mex, Italian or Cajun - just add spices, veg, mea,t whatever and you have a quickie meal.

I got a rump roast this weekend so I'll probably cook that tomorrow and I want to get a batch of the W30 Thai Carrot Soup made. It is really good; has anyone else tried it?  Well I thought it was a W30recipe but now I can't seem to find it. If anyone's interested, I can send the recipe later. I was going to make it a couple of weeks ago but was out of almond butter. I just got a jar from Costco-only ingredient is roasted almonds- and it's almost too good. I have to really work to not stick a spoon in it every time I walk in the kitchen. Of course, one night when I hadn't included enough fat in my dinner, I mixed some up w cocoa and shredded coconut- that didn't suck :) 

Have a good one!

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Hey there!  Happy Tuesday!  Today is Day 18 for me -- the end is in sight.  Though I have to admit that I'm starting to feel the tug of "I'm feeling great so don't really NEED to do a full 30 days..." and "It's the holidays, wouldn't it be nice to have a glass of wine and sample those chocolates we got with that gift basket?"  Fortunately, DH is talking me off the ledge. :)

LadyL - Thanks for the update.  Glad to hear the procedure went well and didn't derail your W30.  That's a serious NSV!  Other than chicken-apple hash (so yummy!), what's on the menu for the rest of the week now that you can eat again? I made Nom Nom's Kahlua Pork in the Instant Pot over the weekend -- it was crazy good!

Hollys - Just WOW!  That sounds like quite a cook-up!  You should be set for a while now -- isn't it such a relief to not have to figure out what's for dinner every night?  The Thai Carrot soup sounds good, esp since it involves almond butter.  

You guys are doing great! So proud of you!

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RunGirl- good job coming down off that ledge!! :) Today is Day 17 for me and it really feels good to be on the downhill side! Having a 4-day weekend (that's also Christmas!!) will be a challenge, though. I'll have to really focus to stay off of that same ledge. It's great that y'all are doing this together. My husband thinks i'st a great idea in theory but he's totally not willing to give up cream in his coffee, flour or sugar. He thinks skipping beer is doing a W30-lol! He's happy for me to be doing it, though, because he knows it makes me feel so much better. Sure wish I could get him on board; right now I just have to try to lead by example. It's a personal decision we each have to come to in our own way and on our own timeline.

I'm trying to get ahead of the cooking game so I can get some stuff in the freezer for those nights when I just can't face cooking dinner. Got my rump roast cooked last night- gravy for DH and jus for me (which I like better anyway so don't feel like I missed out). Now I just need to pick up the green onions and shitake mushrooms to make the wonton meatballs. It's hard to face a grocery store with the-week-before-Christmas crowds, working late and rain but I need to suck it up today and just do it. I'll have to look at that Kahlua pork; I've heard so much about it. I always want to smoke our pork roasts but that might be a nice change since we try not to eat too much smoked stuff.

NSV's: I was dying for a snack yesterday afternoon but by the time I got home I had forgotten about it and was fine even though we didn't have dinner until 730. AND... I've been able to wear two pairs of pants that I couldn't fit into. They are a little snug but not uncomfortable-wooohooo!

Grilled flank steak, avocado and cherry tomatoes for lunch today so that's something to look forward to.

EWilber- How are you doing?

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Hi Friends! Holly, I'm so wowed by your big cook-up! When I did my first relatively big cook-up last spring (nothing like yours I must say) I woke up with a stiff neck from all the prepping! LOL, I learned to watch my body mechanics at the cutting board = ) I would so love to have a second fridge or deep freezer! I tried your almond butter-cocoa-coconut treat last night since I didn't eat enough fat with my dinner, and it sure was yummy. Now I'm going to do the magic trick of partially forgetting about it.

This week has definitely been about polishing off the leftovers, and they have stretched because I've had a couple of restaurant meals. They're compliant, but not that satisfying as I really do prefer my own cooking! Do you guys feel that way, too? I did thaw out some ocean cod one night for both of us. But now it's time to get some wonton meatballs going. I'll pick up my monthly order from the local meat market of 8 lbs. of freshly ground dark meat chicken in 1 lb packages, that is a lifesaver. Taking a page out of your book, Holly, about breakfast casseroles, I think I'll preassemble the chicken apple hash with the roasted yams, so when it's time for breakfast or a quick lunch, that's already done and all I need to do is heat it up, and stir in some baby spinach which partially wilts so nicely, and the only thing to make it better is a dollop of mayo. I don't even add pepitas or almonds anymore, I like it so much. I'll also take some steaks out of the freezer. I have a sugar free ham in the freezer for Christmas, and am dreaming up some kind of compliant scalloped potatoes, and will research that. Also, Has anyone made the crispy green beans that were recently featured on the W30 recipes on IG? I'll try that too, if anyone wants a link I will look it up!

Gasp, I had some close calls this week, too, flirting with the edge, and that sugar dragon that swoops up from it. On Tues. I was looking forward to going to my favorite Palestinian kebobs place after a meeting in that neighborhood, and it was CLOSED, as in closed forever! OMG. I was so sad, and also so very hungry. So I went to the sushi place nearby, and that was a mistake. I left hungry. On my way home I stopped at the grocery, and snacked on some compliant trail mix and ate more dried fruit than is really appropriate. Uh oh, is that against the rules? It was also a lower water intake day than usual, so the next day, yesterday, I really tightened up my game and ate right and drank plenty of water, and I feel a lot better, but in that time frame there was also a lot of forbidden chocolate and homemade baking getting passed around on all sides. NINJA moves, dodging all of that. Whew!!!

RunGirl, your partner is a champion ally, talking you off the ledge. Here's me and my husband at the Mexican place last night. He's eating chips and salsa, and I'm waiting for my grilled chicken salad. Me: Boy, those chips sure look good. Him: Here, you want some? ARGH! It's okay, I know he's going to do that, and I just plan for it...if I tried to take one, maybe he'd pull it away from me? LOL.

 

 

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1 hour ago, LadyLisbette said:

Here's me and my husband at the Mexican place last night. He's eating chips and salsa, and I'm waiting for my grilled chicken salad. Me: Boy, those chips sure look good. Him: Here, you want some?

Whooohooo thanks for the laugh Ladylis! Swap out me and my husband in that but it usually involves Klondike bars. As long as his gesture of "kindness" doesn't coincide with Kill ALL Things, he'll probably survive, though.

Funny that you have body mechanics issues at the cutting board; I do too but it's my lower back. I noticed that a bunch of my shirts have little holes right in the middle at waist height. I think I stand sway-backed and hunch my shoulders when I'm working so I've really been working on posture and strengthening core/back. It's getting better but I REALLY have to pay attention. Last night I was canning the chicken bone broth I made Sunday and I only got a couple of twinges in my back; it totally feels muscular so I think I'm on the right path.

Sugarless ham sounds great. Even the real-deal country hams around here have sugar in the cure. We picked up a couple of gorgeous grass-fed rib eyes at the farmer's market and will be indulging on those for Christmas. I just have to figure out what else to fix with them. I have a request for buttered new potatoes and even though potatoes are allowed now, I don't need the extra carbs. Weight loss is high on my list of things I'd like to get out of this W30. Yeah, I know you're not supposed to be focused on it but that's my reality.

Happy Winter Solstice to you all! Now we can start watching the days get longer! It's my favorite day of the year. Yeah, weird, I know :) 

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I like it that Winter Solstice is your favorite day of the year, that's cool, HollyS. And: glad I'm not the only one with a smart alec at home! Ha ha!

Re. body mechanics in the kitchen, I do also have a pattern of little worn out holes in my long sleeved tee shirts, where my belt buckle hits the counter when I'm washing dishes! It's getting better after years of conscious effort. I think awareness is the key to all of it, so it's a life time project. I find that yoga and tai chi help a lot, but if I'm not taking classes, I have to be on top of my home practice to stay awake, and try to be mindful in the kitchen and out. You mentioned working at a desk. I imagine you work on your posture at the desk too, do you take stretch breaks, stuff like that? I was reading about what we learned from the Appollo Missions about the effect of (anti-) gravity and aging on the astronauts (they were all stooped over like old men when they landed), and the suggestion to stand up/sit down several times periodically to train the brain, whether we sit all day or stand all day. I'm in the latter category, standing almost all day, moving around a lot, but standing for hours. I should start a habit of taking sit/stand breaks, too, now that we're talking about it...as exercises go, it's easy stuff, right?

Yesterday was our staff holiday party. I would have loved a pot luck, but people are so busy and everyone just wanted pizza. So we had pizza. They had pizza, that is, I had, surprise, chicken apple hash. Pizza is easy for me to pass on, just gives me a stomach ache. But the chocolates, I was surrounded. I took a couple long, deep sniffs of the See's box just for fun, but mainly don't feel that tempted - it's like it's mental. I guess that means the dragon is tamed (for now). The other observation was watching the sort of anxiety I think a lot of people feel around gift giving, even though we just did a secret santa. I think next year I will make a toast and just say something about how the real gift is each other's company and humor (it's a funny bunch of people).

I appreciate your honesty about weight loss being a priority. I would be lying if I said I didn't relate to that...and your pants are fitting better - YAY, congrats on that NSV, that's awesome. Last round I did lose some weight, I think about 6 pounds in 60 days. Since riding my own bike and making observations I've come to understand that I could probably be less generous with myself about that dollop of mayo I enjoy so much. So this time I've been more aware of that, and will continue in the new year, and see how that goes, watching my feeling of "belly satisfied" and how long I remain sated. If my weight and shape stayed the same as now forevermore, that would be okay, I'm healthy, and not a disgrace to myself as I feel I have been before (self judging I know), but I would like to wear size 8 pants. Now I'm a solid size 10, and they fit just right, not too tight, not too big, and I am inching my way in the right direction...I know I'm on the right path, exactly as you said. And this summer I did the most challenging backpacking trip of my life so far, and I rocked it, so I guess those kinds of measures are equally or more important...still, 8 seems like such a good number to me.

Since I didn't have shitakes, last night I made a double batch of Greek sliders made with lamb based on Well Fed 2 - my favorite section on Burgers, Balls, and Bangers. I should write Mel a love letter! And this time I have actual ground fennel, a package that will last for years, from my trip to the Bay Area two weeks ago that I got at a lovely and aromatic Indian market. I can't find it here, and it takes forever for me to make in my mortar and pestle...so I'm cooking some up after this post, and will enjoy that for several days...best of all, since it's lamb, my husband won't touch it, deep happy sigh. Not that I don't like to share, but this is serious money in the bank. I'll make a sauce with mayo, a little water, dried mint and z'atar, just as Mel describes in the book sans the lemon juice, which makes it a little too tart, even for me, the lemon head of the family.

We're almost there! Woo hoo!

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Hi everyone. I’m new here. I’ve been stalking your posts! Hope you accept me into your little family here. Anyway I’m on day 5 and I feel so discouraged. I’m so bloated and cranky.  I almost tackled my daughter to lick her brownie. Someone delivered Christmas cookies to us yesterday so now I sit right next to them staring at them. Day and night. For real. I’m not going to lie. I’m really hoping to lose ten pounds doing this and I’m hoping to get rid of all of my stomach issues but I weighed myself this morning( yes, yes I know I’m not supposed to but the scale actually called out to me) and I only lost 1 pound.  I need some major motivation. Please help 

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1 hour ago, Sonyafarah said:

Hi everyone. I’m new here. I’ve been stalking your posts! Hope you accept me into your little family here. Anyway I’m on day 5 and I feel so discouraged. I’m so bloated and cranky.  I almost tackled my daughter to lick her brownie. Someone delivered Christmas cookies to us yesterday so now I sit right next to them staring at them. Day and night. For real. I’m not going to lie. I’m really hoping to lose ten pounds doing this and I’m hoping to get rid of all of my stomach issues but I weighed myself this morning( yes, yes I know I’m not supposed to but the scale actually called out to me) and I only lost 1 pound.  I need some major motivation. Please help 

1 pound a week is a very decent rate of loss but as you know weight loss is not the intent here and weight loss is also not linear so please put the scale away and concentrate on the non scale victories... if you need a list, google 'whole30 non scale victories' and there's a pdf that you can tack up on your fridge :)

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