Starting January 2!

[DeeZaftig]

It's 62° in the Mid-South are right now and temps will be dropping tonight to below freezing to give us a nice coating of ice about 5:00 AM Friday morning.  Making my check list now:

• Full gas tank
• Take laptop home to work
• Dry wood for the fireplace
• Hot dogs (compliant) to roast over the fire if the utilities go out
• Pick up milk and bread .... oh wait, nix that one!!  

Y'all stay warm and stocked up with essentials if you're in the icy zone!

 

[LagunaRover]

4 hours ago, Kathy from Texas said:

Happy day 10 everyone!  I really love reading everyone's posts.  All the recipes, ideas and motivation are really helpful.  My biggest "craving" has been to step on a scale!!  This is really strange as typically I only step on a scale about once a month... Anyway, I hadn't put the scale away since I really don't use it, but I had to yesterday because everytime I walked by it I was so tempted to step on it.  Also, I'm curious if there are any other women over 50 out there.  I'm asking because one of the things I was hoping to see a difference in is my sleeping.  I don't know if I am still waking up at night just because of my age or if I need to wait a bit longer to see an improvement in that area.  I do think the quality of my sleep is better but I hate waking up at 3 am every night

Hey Cathy - I'm 54, almost 55 and I have to say that for me I'm sleeping sounder, I think because I'm just not drinking any wine like I used to. The other interesting thing is that I bought one of those new Motiv fitness rings which is like a fitbit but a ring instead of a bracelet.  It tracks your sleeping hours and how many times you are restless/awake at night and it also tracks your resting heart rate.

Before the Whole 30 I was apparently restless an awful lot at night, but since starting the program that's dropped, so the quality of my sleep is better.  I get up every morning at 5:45am to go to work and try to get to bed by 10:30pm.  My resting heart rate at night has gone from an average of between 68-78 beats per minute (once got to 82) to an average of between 57-62 bpm - that's pretty dramatic.  Less sugars from both the wine and the food I'm guessing.

Are you waking up to go to the bathroom or just because your body feels like it's "awake" at 3:00am? What time do you go to bed? Would it be worth trying to go to bed a little later to see if you wake up less early in the morning?  Keep us posted!

[D.M.]

5 hours ago, OHMaryF said:

I am in the "food is out to get me" mode. I had to go to the grocery store and it is like the cakes and cheese are just looking at me pass them by, lol. I do love eggs, but I avoid the rut by eating whatever premade or left overs I have i made the chili from the Whole 30 program book late last night and let it cook in the slow cooker until this morning. I had that for breakfast and it was good. Yesterday, I had a compliant apple chicken sausage and half a baked potato and half an avocado for breakfast.  

I agree...I am a little tired of being strong and ignoring the sweet things I used to eat.  So, I just pour another glass of water with lime and cranberry- or make a big pot of herbal tea and try to move on. I hope it will get easier to not think about food.  (It's hard when you are cooking for 5 people and they have waffles and cookies).  Then I remember the beginning of this process when the email says: "This is not hard.  It's a choice."  and I find a little more will power.

I did make something fun and different the other day after a trip to trader Joe's:  I sliced up a small honeycrisp apple (left peel on), I put it in my iron skillet with some ghee.  Then, I threw in a whole bag of red cabbage on top, and also added a some sweet potato ribbons.  Finally, I added sliced up pieces of TJ's garlic-chicken sausage.  I let it cook at medium high, and then added a swirl of red wine vinegar.  It was DELICIOUS for lunch, dinner and breakfast the next morning.

[Kathy from Texas]

55 minutes ago, LagunaRover said:

Hey Cathy - I'm 54, almost 55 and I have to say that for me I'm sleeping sounder, I think because I'm just not drinking any wine like I used to. The other interesting thing is that I bought one of those new Motiv fitness rings which is like a fitbit but a ring instead of a bracelet.  It tracks your sleeping hours and how many times you are restless/awake at night and it also tracks your resting heart rate.

Before the Whole 30 I was apparently restless an awful lot at night, but since starting the program that's dropped, so the quality of my sleep is better.  I get up every morning at 5:45am to go to work and try to get to bed by 10:30pm.  My resting heart rate at night has gone from an average of between 68-78 beats per minute (once got to 82) to an average of between 57-62 bpm - that's pretty dramatic.  Less sugars from both the wine and the food I'm guessing.

Are you waking up to go to the bathroom or just because your body feels like it's "awake" at 3:00am? What time do you go to bed? Would it be worth trying to go to bed a little later to see if you wake up less early in the morning?  Keep us posted!

@LagunaRover I like the idea of tracking my sleep.  I usually go to bed around 10:30.  When I wake up at 3 am it's not necessarily because I have to go to the bathroom, but I might make more of a conscious effort to stop drinking water earlier.  I'm not wide awake and ready to get up then.  I usually toss and turn until I fall back to sleep.  One interesting thing is that the past few nights I've gone to bed around midnight one night I slept until 6 am. So maybe I don't need as much sleep as I used to?  Thanks for the advice!

[Garden Gal]

18 hours ago, LagunaRover said:

Hi everyone! So, I decided to make the chicken curry recipe in the Whole 30 book last night, but of course didn't read it all the way through for directions first because I had all the ingredients and thought "fine, I can do this."  Well, after looking at the complexity of three pots/pans/dishes plus a food processor which I don't own, I was about to throw in the towel, it was getting late, but then I thought I'd improvise. I really detest cooking so always try to make things easy.  Here's what I did:

2 chicken breasts in a Pyrex dish, sprinkled with a ton of baby spinach, then a layer of sliced potatoes.  I smothered all that in curry sauce which I made with olive oil, onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, coconut cream, a TON of hot madras curry powder, (I love spicy) and salt and pepper. Put it in the oven for 50 minutes and voila!  Tasty, succulent chicken with veggies all in one dish!

 

That sounds good!  I have some kale I need to use. I’ll sub that for the spinach. 

[Garden Gal]

5 hours ago, Kathy from Texas said:

Happy day 10 everyone!  I really love reading everyone's posts.  All the recipes, ideas and motivation are really helpful.  My biggest "craving" has been to step on a scale!!  This is really strange as typically I only step on a scale about once a month... Anyway, I hadn't put the scale away since I really don't use it, but I had to yesterday because everytime I walked by it I was so tempted to step on it.  Also, I'm curious if there are any other women over 50 out there.  I'm asking because one of the things I was hoping to see a difference in is my sleeping.  I don't know if I am still waking up at night just because of my age or if I need to wait a bit longer to see an improvement in that area.  I do think the quality of my sleep is better but I hate waking up at 3 am every night

I’m 60 (Ohmygoodness!  When did that happen?). I usually sleep through the night unless I’ve been drinking iced tea later than I should. But I can usually get back to sleep almost immediately. 

[Garden Gal]

5 hours ago, Kathy from Texas said:

Happy day 10 everyone!  I really love reading everyone's posts.  All the recipes, ideas and motivation are really helpful.  My biggest "craving" has been to step on a scale!!  This is really strange as typically I only step on a scale about once a month... Anyway, I hadn't put the scale away since I really don't use it, but I had to yesterday because everytime I walked by it I was so tempted to step on it.  Also, I'm curious if there are any other women over 50 out there.  I'm asking because one of the things I was hoping to see a difference in is my sleeping.  I don't know if I am still waking up at night just because of my age or if I need to wait a bit longer to see an improvement in that area.  I do think the quality of my sleep is better but I hate waking up at 3 am every night

 

[JohannaE]

7 hours ago, diamonds422 said:

Not sure if it's the same as in the thread I'm linking to, but you may want to check the ingredients on your mayonnaise just in case. If it's made with canola oil or soybean oil, it's not compliant.

 

Yeah, it's canola oil. Canola oil is recommended in limited quantities at home, but not banned. I certainly don't use it as my primary cooking fat, but for a small quantity as a garnish for a recipe once in a while, I'm not too worried about it.

From the rules:

"Encourage you to limit your use of the others (like safflower, sunflower, canola, grapeseed, or sesame) at home, while not specifically excluding them on the program. That means don’t use canola as your primary cooking fat in your own kitchen."

[SugarcubeOD]

52 minutes ago, JohannaE said:

Yeah, it's canola oil. Canola oil is recommended in limited quantities at home, but not banned. I certainly don't use it as my primary cooking fat, but for a small quantity as a garnish for a recipe once in a while, I'm not too worried about it.

From the rules:

"Encourage you to limit your use of the others (like safflower, sunflower, canola, grapeseed, or sesame) at home, while not specifically excluding them on the program. That means don’t use canola as your primary cooking fat in your own kitchen."

Here's from the Can I have guide... I just looked through the rules from the link here and don't see that wording.  Can you provide a link as to where you found it?

Canola Oil: Yes, reluctantly (because sometimes, you have to dine out)

While we don’t think vegetable oils are a healthy choice (understatement of the century), we don’t expressly rule them out on the Whole30. If we did, you’d never be able to eat outside of your own kitchen, because all restaurants use them in cooking. We wanted to create the healthiest program possible, but we also need it to be do-able for those who travel for business or pleasure, or simply want to dine out during the month.

Tip: Eliminate the consumption of vegetable oils at home, even if you’re not on the Whole30, and make sure the rest of your diet is focused on the most nutritious choices possible, especially if you dine out frequently.

[Garden Gal]

 Went to Trader Joe’s last night and bought more meat and some harissa.  Stopped by Walmart on the way home tonight and picked up some Classico Tomato & Basil sauce.  I made a  lazy man’s shakshuka for dinner tonight. Paired it with a green salad dressed with fresh lime and olive oil. Very yummy! 

[JohannaE]

1 hour ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Here's from the Can I have guide... I just looked through the rules from the link here and don't see that wording.  Can you provide a link as to where you found it?

Canola Oil: Yes, reluctantly (because sometimes, you have to dine out)

While we don’t think vegetable oils are a healthy choice (understatement of the century), we don’t expressly rule them out on the Whole30. If we did, you’d never be able to eat outside of your own kitchen, because all restaurants use them in cooking. We wanted to create the healthiest program possible, but we also need it to be do-able for those who travel for business or pleasure, or simply want to dine out during the month.

Tip: Eliminate the consumption of vegetable oils at home, even if you’re not on the Whole30, and make sure the rest of your diet is focused on the most nutritious choices possible, especially if you dine out frequently.

https://whole30.com/2015/01/rules-recommendations/

[elizabeth.joan]

I think I've reached the "I need a nap" phase. I have been exhausted the past two days. I already feel a difference in just 10 days though, which is great! The past two days have been really stressful at work and I usually end up leaving for the day with a throbbing headache after days like these, but that didn't happen this week. 

[evaq]

Guys, we're 1/3 through! Woo hoo!!!!

I'm getting tired of my own cooking and eating the same food but I only have myself to blame since I do a lot of big batch cooking to simplify the shopping/prep/cooking. And I'm happy that my running/workouts haven't suffered this time around. I remember how tough and heavy my legs/lower body felt when I did my first whole 30 and tried to run.

Stay strong and keep up the good work everyone!

[dianne m]

I'm 55 and have never been a good sleeper.  4 hours straight is a good night, with an hour here and there after 4 am.  Expert power napper, though.  

I thought my sleep was improving the first week - slept 10+ hours on Friday night.  But, this week, I'm having a lot of trouble falling asleep (that's not usually a problem) - which makes me agitated, too... making it harder.  And then the cycle starts.  Keeping the faith that it will get better.  Sleep is number 1 reason I'm doing this.

I'm often commenting that time is flying by - this program has definitely slowwwwed it down - so aware of what day it is...

We hit the double digits!  Woo hoo, indeed!  

 

[nicoledawn913]

On 1/9/2018 at 10:36 AM, racheleats said:

Don't be embarrassed I did the same thing! Dump almost all of the failed batch into something you can pour easily, and then crack an egg into the original container with that little bit of failed mayo. Blend that with the immersion blender and then slow drizzle the rest of the mixture!

So I decided last night that I was going to give my mayo another shot and what do you know, another fail!  So I followed these directions you gave me and it worked!!!  I literally jumped up and down with joy and my kids laughed at me, but I don't even care because that's how much I love homemade mayo!  Thank you so much for the tip!!

[racheleats]

35 minutes ago, nicoledawn913 said:

So I decided last night that I was going to give my mayo another shot and what do you know, another fail!  So I followed these directions you gave me and it worked!!!  I literally jumped up and down with joy and my kids laughed at me, but I don't even care because that's how much I love homemade mayo!  Thank you so much for the tip!!

Awesome!! That's exactly how I felt the first time I saved mine  

[OHMaryF]

Day 11 and I am feeling pretty good. I did wake up about 4:30am with a headache, but I think a large part was I needed to drink more water. I took some medicine and drank water and was fine by the time I got up and left for my barre class. I had some of the chili I made the other day for breakfast, with a salad. Very good. I will be making the salmon cakes from the Whole 30 program book for dinner. My husband really likes them. I am going to add some Old Bay as seasoning because- Maryland.

I am so excited to have found grass fed beef at our local chain grocery store at a decent price. I also noticed that Whole Foods has their animal welfare ground beef on sale, so I think I will try that as well. Since my husband and daughter are not eating Whole 30 it will be nice to stretch the ground beef budget since our daughter wants me to make hamburgers this weekend.

We have got this. We are headed towards the half way point!

[MaineacMom]

Made a batch of cauliflower rice for the first time. So easy and delicious. Served it with a sausage veggie bake and salad.

[GayeC]

So, I'm looking for some information and/or encouragement. I'm on Day 12 and have been 100% compliant. I feel okay but not great, but my digestion is very "off" and I'm sleeping poorly. Also, although I haven't weighed, I feel pretty certain that I haven't lost any weight. I'm definitely at the point of wondering whether the effort is worth it - for the most part, I felt better before I started. My pre-Whole30 diet was pretty healthy and I don't have any major health problems, so I didn't expect the transition to be this long or difficult.

[ErikaA]

2 hours ago, GayeC said:

So, I'm looking for some information and/or encouragement. I'm on Day 12 and have been 100% compliant. I feel okay but not great, but my digestion is very "off" and I'm sleeping poorly. Also, although I haven't weighed, I feel pretty certain that I haven't lost any weight. I'm definitely at the point of wondering whether the effort is worth it - for the most part, I felt better before I started. My pre-Whole30 diet was pretty healthy and I don't have any major health problems, so I didn't expect the transition to be this long or difficult.

Although you may be compliant with the W30, you may still need to look at what you are eating - perhaps something you have left in (or added to) your diet is causing issues - for me, my stomach is irritated when I eat raw onions, so I have stopped adding these to my meals.  I would also recommend taking a second look at the meal template and making sure you are getting enough fats/protein/etc. 

Is it possible that the digestion and sleep could be a result of something else?  Like other stress in your life? It's easy to look to W30 as a cause for everything going on, but there may be other external factors?

I would also try looking through the NSV checklist - see if anything pops out that maybe you haven't thought about.  I know this really helped me - there were so many items I hadn't really thought about because i was so focused on how my appearance was changing.  For me, other NSVs have been - reduced cravings, better mood, my eczema has lessened, I'm listening to my body more, etc.

I had a couple of really rough days this week and was feeling the same - wondering if it is worth it.  But, I think we need to keep in mind that we aren't even half way through yet, so we haven't really given the program a real chance unless we push through the tough days.

I wish you the best and hope you start to feel better!  I am confident that you can get through it!! 

[GayeC]

2 minutes ago, ErikaA said:

....I wish you the best and hope you start to feel better!  I am confident that you can get through it!! 

Thank you, Erika. I appreciate the ideas and encouragement.

[diamonds422]

2 hours ago, GayeC said:

So, I'm looking for some information and/or encouragement. I'm on Day 12 and have been 100% compliant. I feel okay but not great, but my digestion is very "off" and I'm sleeping poorly. Also, although I haven't weighed, I feel pretty certain that I haven't lost any weight. I'm definitely at the point of wondering whether the effort is worth it - for the most part, I felt better before I started. My pre-Whole30 diet was pretty healthy and I don't have any major health problems, so I didn't expect the transition to be this long or difficult.

List a few days of what you ate and drank (be as specific as possible) in the past few days and one of the mods will give you guidance. 

Try not to focus on the weight loss. In my experience, you don't notice much of a difference until later on, anyway. And as for all the non-scale victories, many of those come later as well. Hang in there! Week three is where it all picks up, at least for a lot of people. 

[diamonds422]

Yesterday was tough and probably my worst day template-wise. I had two compliant hot dogs and a couple strawberries for breakfast, slow cooker turkey, olives and more strawberries for lunch, and for dinner, a cut-up hot dog sautéed with mushrooms and onions. I also had an apple and almond butter with dinner. Oh veggies, where art thou? I'd been doing so well with veggies this time. Oh well, everyone has an off day, right?

Anyway, yesterday was our wedding anniversary and we wanted nothing more than to pop open a bottle of bubbly and/or go out to dinner. My husband gave me his I-wanna-quit face, but we decided that we're already one third of the way through, and it's normal to want to quit around this time, so let's keep going. 

Last night after my hot dog meal I made Mel Joulwan's classic beef stew while watching the Tonya Harding interview on ABC. It is AMAZING. I am not a meat and potatoes person at all, but this stew is heaven. Highly recommended! 

[racheleats]

2 minutes ago, diamonds422 said:

Yesterday was tough and probably my worst day template-wise. I had two compliant hot dogs and a couple strawberries for breakfast, slow cooker turkey, olives and more strawberries for lunch, and for dinner, a cut-up hot dog sautéed with mushrooms and onions. I also had an apple and almond butter with dinner. Oh veggies, where art thou? I'd been doing so well with veggies this time. Oh well, everyone has an off day, right?

Anyway, yesterday was our wedding anniversary and we wanted nothing more than to pop open a bottle of bubbly and/or go out to dinner. My husband gave me his I-wanna-quit face, but we decided that we're already one third of the way through, and it's normal to want to quit around this time, so let's keep going. 

Last night after my hot dog meal I made Mel Joulwan's classic beef stew while watching the Tonya Harding interview on ABC. It is AMAZING. I am not a meat and potatoes person at all, but this stew is heaven. Highly recommended! 

Yesterday was a tough one for me too! Had really low energy all day, and when I got home from work was suuuper extra bloated and just felt gross. I did my gym workout but when immediately went home, took a shower and went to bed. Without eating dinner!! Feeling so much better today, but sometimes you just gotta let good enough be good enough you know?! PS love beef stew - way to go on deciding to keep going. You can have some champagne when it's all over!! Still plenty to celebrate then  

[dianne m]

replying to all of the above... but, especially @GayeC - read everything you can from Melissa on the site.  It's very encouraging.  I get whatever emails they offer and they are helpful - although I didn't get one today for some reason.  As I've mentioned a couple of times, the Day by Day journal seems to be spot on with how I'm feeling (give or take a day) and I get a lot from reading what I've previously written about the experience. 

I, too, feel like the transformation isn't quite kicking in - this week seems harder (in terms of energy & sleep) than the first, but, I know I'm in this for the long haul, and just getting rid of sugar is helping my joints tremendously.  My resolve hasn't wavered, but I feel kind of low energy.  

Anyway - DAY 11!!!!    WE GOT THIS!   I'm looking forward to trying the mayo and beef stew and ... and .. and