Hool Posted March 22, 2018 Share Posted March 22, 2018 Hello! I'm starting March 23 (tomorrow) and would like to meet an online buddy for support and whom I could support as well. Doing the Whole30 for more energy; to drop some pounds (10 would be good); to reduce inflammation that causes sciatica (leg pain). Would like to find someone who is clear about why they are doing the Whole 30. Wishing ALL participants success!!! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 Hi! I'll join you! I've completed one Whole30 already in December and I am ready for round 2. My main reason for completing a second one is because I want to reduce my body's need for thyroid medication. Before my first round, I was taking 150 mcg of Synthroid and now my medication has been reduced to 138 mcg. Following this way of eating and living is making me healthier but I need an accountability partner to keep me honest. For this round, I want to nix my snacking habit. During and after my first Whole30, I would eat nuts & dates or a Lara Bar after lunch & dinner. This time I want to follow the rules better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 23, 2018 Author Share Posted March 23, 2018 Hi Grace... that's great. I definitely need accountability, too. There's a lot to learn with the Whole30. I bought the book and am reading about how to follow the plan. I think the fact that you lowered your need for medication is fantastic. That's the whole point... getting healthier. Bravo! How would you like to do the accountability thing? Is this a public forum? If it is, maybe we could exchange email addresses and schedule a regular check-in email... daily, twice a week, weekly? I haven't done this before so please let me know what would work for you. Here's a funny coincidence... the middle name of my dear friend from college who told me about the Whole30 is Grace. OK, looking forward to getting going on this (it's day 1 for me). Here's to success, Hool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Hi Hool, We can check-in with each other on this forum. I usually check it once a day, that way I can say, "I completed Day __ !" and feel good about myself. You can also gripe about any symptoms you may be experiencing from cleaning up your diet on any given day and ask for recipe ideas if you get into a cooking rut. Many people give up after about a week, so checking in to the forum daily keeps you honest and more likely to stick with it for the whole 30 days. This is definitely much easier to do the second time around especially since last time I discovered I am sensitive to gluten. Last night I was at a party and my brother asked me to make an orzo, feta cheese, arugula, tomato dish. I made it and was not even tempted to try it. My sister served me a beer without asking me if I wanted one, but I easily declined it and reminded her that the gluten in the beer makes me break out into an eczema rash. I also avoided eating nuts & dates after my meals yesterday, did yoga and went on a hike. So all in all, a successful first day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 24, 2018 Author Share Posted March 24, 2018 Hi Grace, Sounds like a great first day for you! Lots of roadblocks that you navigated well. I went shopping yesterday and I'm going again today since I realized we need more items, especially a substitute cream for morning coffee. I found two possibilities: Nut Pod and a powdered product called Laird, and both seems OK for ingredients. Is there a list of ingredients that are (or are not) permitted? The ones below I'm not sure about: tapioca starch flour; expeller pressed canola oil; cornstarch; maltodextrin; yeast extract. A list would be so helpful while shopping!!! I had a good first day as well but probably ate too much steak last night. I was just hungry from not eating much during the day because I wasn't sure about ingredients. On to day two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkor Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 5 hours ago, Hool said: Is there a list of ingredients that are (or are not) permitted? https://whole30.com/2015/01/rules-recommendations/ https://whole30.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/ 5 hours ago, Hool said: The ones below I'm not sure about: tapioca starch flour; expeller pressed canola oil; cornstarch; maltodextrin; yeast extract. cornstarch and maltodextrin are out, tapioca flour is ok as a thickener so it depends on what this product is, and canola oil is begrudgingly allowed for restaurant dining but strongly discouraged for at-home consumption Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 Kirkor, Thank you for this. The links were very helpful. Hool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 Hi Grace, Just checking in. Today was challenging but I think I did well. I went to a dinner that I doubted I could eat much at, so before going I had a sweet potato and some coconut water. I figured if I didn't show up hungry, I would be able to pass the buffet easier. It worked and I allowed myself a no-sugar mixed fruit salad (the only compliant item there), a glass of kambucha (sp?) and a cup of herb tea. After I got home, I made an vegetable omlette with eggs, egg whites, and vegetables. Pretty filling! I have found coconut milk for coffee in the morning but am going to look for a new brand as the one I got has sodium metabisulfate which sounds bad... I think it's a preservative. Hope your day went well! Hool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Good morning! I like to blend coffee with a spoonful each of coconut oil and ghee. It makes a yummy latte. My husband and I decided to give up coffee a few months a go, so now I make a tea latte. If you live near a Whole Foods, they have plenty of compliant non-dairy milk. You can experiment with a few compliant brands until you find the one you like best. Good idea to eat before you go out! That way you don't have to ask a million questions about every dish. Day 2 went well and I successfully navigated another family party. Before I left for the party at noon, I made sure to eat a really good salad with chicken, avocado, olives, & baby greens with a yummy, homemade compliant vinaigrette. At the party, I drank sparkling water and tea. My well-meaning sister offered me a glass of wine but I politely declined telling her I was too tired to have a drink and preferred herbal tea. None of the food on offer was compliant, so I had a handful of almonds and a tangerine around 6:00 pm to tide me over until dinner. When I got home at 8:00 pm, I ate leftover chicken, sauerkraut and baby greens for dinner. I was definitely tired at the end of yesterday and slept well last night. I hope Day 3 goes well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 Hi Grace, Thanks for the idea for morning coffee. I discovered a new way to roast root veggies -- by accident this evening. I used white beets, red beets and carrots, coated them with olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder and red chili peppers (I like a little zing). That's pretty normal, but the (good) accident came when I drizzled coconut milk/cream on them and tossed it. I didn't use much, but it created a nice sauce and the flavor of the coconut with the peppers and naturally sweet beets and carrots was delicious. The one thing I'm seeing from this new program is that food prep takes much longer than I'm used to. So does shopping with all the label reading. I would imagine, though, that the shopping will get easier as I learn what is OK for the program. Hope your day went well! ~Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 Hi Julie, Yum!! The roasted veggies with coconut milk sounds delicious! I am going to try it tonight. Food prep & shopping definitely gets faster the more you do it. When I go shopping now, I know exactly what to buy and what not to buy. I like to roast whole chickens, legs of lamb, pork shoulder & wild salmon on a rotating basis. They last for a few meals so I don't feel like I am cooking something time-consuming for every meal. I also make sure to always have Costco size amounts of baby lettuce and various raw veggies to chop into a salad. My "fast" lunch is a salad with leftover protein, lots of chopped veggies, avocado, olives & vinaigrette. It takes me 5 minutes to put together and I take it to work everyday. I also make sure to have hard-boiled eggs on hand as an easy protein source. Yesterday went well. We had a family day at the Santa Monica beach pier and went out to eat dinner at a healthy restaurant that happily made sure my food was gluten free, soy free, dairy free & sugar free. Last night I had a food dream about being at a friend's party and baking sourdough bread but in my dream I wasn't tempted to eat to it. I guess the second time around I have more will power even in my dreams. I hope Day 4 goes well for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 Hi Grace, How did the roasted veggies turn out? If you are having dreams like that, you are your own best supporter. I remember when I was living in Spain and starting have dreams in Spanish and realized I had crossed the barrier into bilingualism. So the barrier you crossed was moving from a "diet" to "lifestyle". I'm writing early today because we have a busy evening ahead and I don't want to forget. I had my first meal out for lunch today at a place called the Natural Cafe. Its name is apt. The food is pretty clean. I had a "sloppy Jane" which is ground turkey over a bun. I removed the bun and the corn chips (tossed them into the trash to counter temptation) and ate the turkey and salad which I had with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I was stuffed! Tonight we're having NY steak and broccoli. So chugging right along here.... Thanks, Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Hi Julie, I like your bilingualism analogy. During and after college, I lived in Mexico for three years and I remember crossing the language barrier after living with a family for three months. Once you learn a language, it is unlikely you will forget it. I think as we are learning how to follow an optimal diet and setting new habits, we are unlikely to forget how to be healthy. Since my first Whole30 three months ago, I have stuck pretty closely to a Paleo diet except for a few special occasions. It is definitely becoming a lifestyle for me. Yesterday I tried Chia seed pudding for the first time for breakfast. I can see while it may be technically compliant, it is not recommended. I got my snacking munchies after dinner yesterday and had some dried fruit and salted almonds. I am better off having a more substantial breakfast of eggs, avocado and veggies. I forgot to buy coconut milk when I was at the market on Sunday so I still have not tried the roasted veggies with coconut sauce yet. Something to look forward to! Cheers to Day 5! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 Wow Grace... we could do this in Spanish! But my keyboard is missing the diacritical marks. We went on a 15-mile bike ride this morning and I brought along two bananas -- one to eat and one to have in case we stopped for ice cream or another treat and I didn't want to sit and watch others eating. It worked well because the bananas were partially light brown so they were very sweet. I found a soup I love that's prepared for faster meals and the ingredients appear to be OK. The only ones I am not sure about are "expeller pressed canola oil and/or sunflower oil". Not sure what the and/or means. I think canola oil is not good but sunflower oil is OK since the online list shows sunflower seeds and sunflower seed butter as OK. The soup Portabello Mushroom soup and the brand is Imagine. I sprinkled some brewers yeast in it which tasted a bit like cheese. Hope your day yesterday went well and that you have another good one today. ~Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Si quieres, podemos escribirnos en español Yesterday I went to the beach with my sister, my two children, my nephew and my son's friend. It was a perfect beach day and we had a blast! It was low tide, so the kids had fun playing in the little shallow pools along the shore and my sister and I took turns taking a long walk/run. We had a good breakfast of bacon, eggs, avocado & salad before we left. I packed raw veggies, turkey, sunflower seeds, almonds & water for lunch. On the way back home, we stopped at a burger restaurant & I had a plain protein style burger. It was not very filling since it was mostly lettuce, sliced tomatoes & a thin burger patty. Then we went to a movie and when we got home, I was still hungry so I had leftover chicken & vegetables with coconut milk & compliant green curry paste. All in all a great Day 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted April 3, 2018 Author Share Posted April 3, 2018 Hi Grace, Sorry to take so long to respond. 3/29 was my birthday and then I have had out of town guests (still do) with Passover. We leave tomorrow to Death Valley where I will probably have not internet connection. But... on my birthday I had wine -- did well on the food, though. So I understand that means starting over on day 1 and since you are now on day 12, are you good with continuing? I would be glad to. You could stop on Day 30 and I would continue on my own. I'm bummed I had the wine, but it's something I have remedied by counting from the next day as day 1. Let me know what you think. Thanks, Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted April 6, 2018 Share Posted April 6, 2018 Happy birthday and Happy Passover! I actually had wine over the weekend too. I started over on Sunday so I could easily remember what day I was on. I am on Day 5. Enjoy Death Valley. I've only been once but it was pretty spectacular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted April 8, 2018 Author Share Posted April 8, 2018 Thank you, Grace! Death Valley was just amazing... my second time in 2 months. We cooked something was delicious and was all vegetables with olive oil, herbs, spices, and eggs cracked over the top that cooked through at the end. I think it was a Moroccan recipe. Some people sliced avocado over the top. Really delicious. Have a good day 8! Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceMelodie Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Good to hear you had a good time in Death Valley. That meal sounds so yummy! I ate pretty standard compliant food today, nothing too exciting. I went on a great hike at Switzer Falls in Angeles Crest with my family. It was really pretty, mostly shaded and there was a cool waterfall at the end. I am feeling good but I am super tired from the long hike. Good luck tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hool Posted April 12, 2018 Author Share Posted April 12, 2018 Hi Grace... Amazing thing happened that started during our Death Valley trip. The crushing pain I had from the sciatica is lifting. I am feeling so much better. They say the absence of pain is euphoria and boy do I feel good. The orthopaedic surgeon says the reduction of inflammation is probably the result of the no dairy and there is more I can do (like avoiding nightshade vegetables). So I now know what to do (I hope) and am going to divert off the Whole 30 and start a total inflammation-reducing diet. For that reason, I am going to join a group that does the anti-inflammation diet out of our local hospital dietary program. I hate to leave you and Whole 30, but since I had success with the reduction of sciatic pain, I need to focus on the issue of inflammation. I so appreciate the communication we've had. If you want to continue with check-ins, that would be fine but we won't be doing the same thing. Please let me know what you think. All the best, Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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