Britt's Food Log! W30-1

[bkruse]

Hello! I'm Britt, and my husband and I are currently on Day 3 of our first W30. I just found the forum today, and I love this thread. I am having calorie counting withdrawals. LOL. I am on a path towards better health - I started working out with Camp Gladiator, a boot-camp style workout 2-3x/week 6 weeks ago, and have an ultimate goal of losing 80lbs. I am almost pre-diabetic (very high normal), and want to kick that in the butt too before it becomes an issue. My weaknesses are definitely sugar and carbs, which hopefully W30 can help me kick in the butt. My incentives are better health (obvi.), weight loss, getting in shape to start trying for a baby, & BONUS my mom is taking me to Paris in the spring if I can start making some sustainable changes. YES!!!

Here's my Log so far - Oh, also we are nightshade free because my husband has severe GI issues.

Day 1:

Breakfast - Unripe mango, spinach, and lemon frittata (read a hack to sub unripe mango for tomatoes and it turned out pretty good) + coffee with coconut milk

Lunch - Harvest Grilled Chicken Salad with Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette

Dinner - Chicken Stir Fry with Sunshine Sauce

I had a tbsp of almond butter after dinner, going to cut this out, as it seems to want to wake up my sugar dragon, and nobody has time for that!

 

Day 2: 

Breakfast - Same frittata + hard-boiled egg with mustard + coffee with coconut milk

Lunch - Traditional Protein Salad in Romaine lettuce + Cucumber slices with leftover sunshine sauce + strawberries

After-Lunch Snack - Unsweetened Applesauce pouch + Raw Almonds

Dinner - Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Chicken Soup

1 Tbsp almond butter after dinner again. 

 

Day 3 (so far) - 5am Workout:

Pre-Workout: Banana + 1 tbsp almond butter

Post-Workout: Hard-boiled egg + mustard

Breakfast: Chicken, Olive, and Artichoke Heart Frittata + coffee with coconut milk + 1 cup mixed berries (Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries)

Lunch: Traditional Protein Salad in Romaine Lettuce + Leftover cup of butternut squash soup + Cucumber slices with leftover sunshine sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bkruse]

Day 3 (Continued)

Dinner: Leftover butternut squash soup + Assorted Nuts (Walnut, Macadamia, Cashew), Raisins, & Snow Peas. 

We went out to an event right when I got home from work that had lots of off-plan stuff - nachos, chili dogs, desserts, blah blah.  I ate the leftover soup before we left, and brought the rest of the things to snack on during the event. Worked out well. Drank some black coffee there and wished I had brought coconut milk. LOL. 

Evening: 1 cup coconut milk + 1 tbsp almond butter. 

Really really struggling with nighttime cravings. I want all the sugar all the time after 9pm. Trying to power through it, but it's hard y'all! 

 

Feeling great so far - no major issues and no severe 'hangover' feelings. A bit of a headache the past 2 days, but that's all. Going strong!

[bkruse]

Day 4

Breakfast: Coffee + Coconut milk + Hardboiled egg with mustard + Chicken, Olive, and Artichoke Heart Frittata

Snack: Unsweetened applesauce + raw almonds

Lunch: Chicken Salad (rotisserie chicken, avocado, celery, carrot, salad mix, and leftover raspberry vinaigrette) + cucumber slices

Dinner: Baked tilapia, cauliflower rice, and mixed veggies

Did okay! Just a normal day today

[bkruse]

Days 5 & 6 (Saturday & Sunday)

Here's my weekend log, as much as I can remember - I knew weekends would be hard, so I'm just happy that I stayed completely compliant, even though I was really snacky on Sunday. But it's hard. I want sugar. I had an awful headache Sunday afternoon that wouldn't quit. I also need to drink WAY WAY more water. I am only drinking 1-2 cups a day now, and my recommendation is 140oz a day.

 

Day 5 - Got up at 4am to watch the wedding! It was so beautiful!!

AM Snack: 2 cups coffee + coconut milk, small apple

Breakfast: Diner Breakfast - this was soooo good. I found compliant bacon, thankfully, as I am in Austin, which is not only a fairly big city, but is also super health-conscious. Made this for the whole family and everyone was shocked it was W30. Roasted sweet potatoes, fried eggs, bacon, & homemade turkey sausage. Yum!

Lunch/Dinner(ish): I took a longgg nap after the wedding, so we didn't eat again around 5. I made a salad with pan-seared chicken breast, mixed greens, avocado, grated carrot, celery, and homemade ranch dressing. Made a big portion because we were going to a party that evening. 

Evening: We went to a party Saturday evening, and I came prepared. I was that weird girl bringing Topo Chicos and sugar snap peas, yes. LOL. But I made it through lots of yummy food and lots of yummy drinks without straying off course. It actually felt very empowering. Drank 3 Mineral Waters, bag of sugar snap peas, and some nuts. I did have a bit of a issue when we got home...it was 2am and I was starving. Ate honeydew melon, coconut cream, and almond butter. No protein, all sugar and fat, which was definitely sugar dragon having its way. 

 

Day 6 - Sunday was very difficult for me. I felt like crap, headache and just overall a hangry person lol. 

Breakfast: Honeydew melon + Smoked Salmon + 2 fried eggs + avocado

Lunch(ish): Snacked all day. Nuts, coffee + coconut milk, mineral waters, blueberries. I was definitely finding whatever I could to make it through. It sucked. But, still going, so that's a plus. 

Dinner: Pork Chops with Spiced Applesauce, Salad Greens, and Mashed Cauliflower - y'all. That mashed cauliflower is the BOMB. SO GOOD. 

 

Overall I'm proud of the steps I made over the weekend. It was NOT easy, but I did it and I'm still going strong. I got through the snackiest part of my week, where I normally eat all the crap, and threw in a very early morning and a late night party as well. I love logging because it allows me to see where I'm at and make changes, and I'm excited to see how next weekend goes. 

[bkruse]

Hello! Day 7 Log

Breakfast: Melissa’s chicken hash

Lunch: Mango, celery, & leftover cauliflower rice with pan seared chicken thighs and leftover ranch dressing on top. Yum!

Dinner: I made a slow cooker brisket and it turned out good! Broth, meat, carrots, celery, onion. Delish.

Evening Snack: 1 tbsp almond butter after coming home from grocery shopping. Needed a little boost.

I was sooo tired today! Like, got to work an hour late, and then when it was time to go home, I usually walk up the 4 flights of stairs in the garage to my car, but today I took the elevator and still was winded when I reached my car. I did find comfort with the book timeline though, because I am exactly where it says I will be. It’ll only get better!!

[bkruse]

Day 8 (One week down!) 

5am Workout

Pre-WO: 1 tbsp almond butter

Post-WO: 2 fried eggs, blackberries, 1/2 avocado

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs, blueberries, coffee + coconut milk (Side Note: Golden Star Milk is AMAZING in coffee, but Taste of Thai is a freaking disaster. LOL. ToT made my coffee so bitter and look like chicken broth. But, it is the best one to make cream with, so there's good and bad. 

Snack: 8 almonds

Lunch: Mashed Cauliflower + Brisket (Both Leftovers) + Celery, Carrots, and a garden salad with mixed greens, raisins, walnuts, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

Snack: alot of almond butter. Probably 3 tbsp. Also, some coconut cream and a banana. 

Dinner: Chicken Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash with Pesto - I was sooo disappointed with this. Not that it wasn't good, it was amazing, but my basil plants have not been producing, so I bought basil paste. And as I was making the delicious pesto, I read the label that I forget to check in the store. Milk, Sugar, and Canola Oil. So, I got to watch the rest of the fam eat some delicious pesto and I was definitely a little bitter about it. Why can't basil paste just be basil?!?! Someone tell me. The sugar industry really has a hold on America's nutrition, it's sad. 

 

I am still feeling incredibly exhausted (and today is Day 9 when I'm writing this). I can't get out of bed, I go to sleep early, and I'm not properly meal prepping because I'm so tired. These past 4 days have been unbelievably exhausting for me, and I'm really struggling keeping any kind of energy up without snacking in between meals. Hopefully this will pass soon. 

 

[bkruse]

Day 9

Breakfast: Blueberries, 3 fried eggs, 1/2 avocado, spinach

Lunch: Mandarin Orange, 2 stalks celery, spinach, walnuts, red wine vinegar, and leftover chicken meatballs. 

Snack: Small red apple, 2 tbsp almond butter, handful walnuts

Dinner: W30 shepherd's pie with mashed sweet potatoes - by far my favorite dish of the whole thing so far. It was amazing!

Post-Dinner: Wanted a snack but drank unsweetened green tea instead. It tasted awful, but got rid of the craving

Today was another exhausting day. I heard from the troubleshooting forum that it definitely sounds like I'm still struggling with fat adaptation, so I need to try to replace my nuts and fruits with carbs and protein. I was so tired today, but I did push through and roast up some sweet potatoes after making dinner to use as snacks if needed. Hopefully that will help, because this transition has been so difficult for me. I am so tired all the time, and get snacky and don't want to meal prep, which is a very bad combination of feelings. Just trying to keep pushing through. Tomorrow is 1/3 of the way!

[bkruse]

Day 10! (6:30pm Workout)

Breakfast: 5 pieces roasted sweet potato, coffee with coconut milk, & 1/4 of a sweet potato & chorizo frittata. 

Lunch: 1 mango, roasted sweet potatoes, 4 chicken meatballs, & 2 stalks celery. 

Pre-WO: Roasted sweet potatoes (see a theme today? LOL), Small serving summer protein salad - tuna, homemade mayo, strawberries, walnuts, green onion, blackberries, & dill relish on romaine lettuce. 

Post-WO: Banana + 2 tbsp almond butter + Unsweetened green tea

Dinner: Chicken Curry - HUGE bone-in split chicken breast with homemeade curry sauce - subbed the tomatoes in the book for canned pumpkin since we are nightshade-free, and it turned out super yummy. Served with wilted garlic kale greens.

 My energy is slowwlyy starting to turn around. I think it was my massive dose of sweet potatoes today instead of quick sugars and fats between meals that helped. My workout was tough, but I did better than my last one on Day 8. Also, it was a cardio/yoga combo today, so that was a nice recovery workout. My post-workout snack was sugar dragon at its finest, but it did help boost me until dinner, with the unsweetened green tea helping to combat my sugar cravings. That has been the most helpful tool for me - the green tea is quite bitter, so it's helping to derail my craving for sugar and I will drink a glass or two if I'm really struggling. 

Also, I made clarified butter two nights ago, and used it to cook dinner with tonight - it is so good! It has this slightly nutty taste to it, which my first batch didn't have, and I could seriously just eat it ... all ... with a spoon. But I won't, because that's not how this goes. LOL. Am I in the dream of junk food phase? Maybe I dream of nutty clarified butter because I'm such a nut. LOL. Anyways, all else is good in the hood - 1/3 of the way to better health and eating habits!

[bkruse]

Days 11-13

Honestly I have done a horrible job logging over the weekend, so I'm just going to write a little blog here about the weekend. I have stayed completely compliant, but have eaten a ton of fruit, which is definitely my go to when I'm opening up the fridge and disappointed that there is nothing there I want to have. On the bright side, I have so much energy! My body seems to have finally fat-adapted, and I am so excited about that. I've been cleaning, running around, organizing...just been a busy and good weekend. 

Friday Day 11- I had a really great day at work Friday, but had a complete and utter meltdown Friday night. I didn't want to cook, and I knew I had tons of leftovers plus half of a batch of roasted sweet potatoes, so I planned on just eating those things. My husband and I live with his mom and grandma, who are not participating in Whole30. I make dinners for us together, but cook up rice or serve their food with bread, etc. Well, they got hungry and ate ALL of the whole-30 compliant leftovers while I was at work, and left all of the leftovers I couldn't have, like chicken and rice, tamales, bacon with sugar (while the package of no sugar added bacon was completely gone), breakfast tacos. You name it, if it wasn't W30 they didn't eat it. I had a tantrum like a baby. Seriously. I almost gave up then and there and ordered a pizza. I tried to make salmon cakes and the canned salmon made me want to vomit (bad idea!), and ended up eating a bag of sugar snap peas, half of an 18 OUNCE container of frozen blueberries, canned chicken, and mayo crying in our bedroom. Yeah. It was definitely the highlight of my life and character right there. ACK. But, we got through it, and hopefully I can better handle if this situation comes up in the future. It's just food, but the thought of having a prep and cook-free night gone really is what broke me I think. I'm having a hard time prepping enough meals still. 

Saturday Day 12 - Saturday was good, I actually went out and did my side hustle job for a while, which is Shipt, grocery delivery. I was worried that I would struggle with all the bad food choices, but it wasn't so tough, except for the one person who ordered bulk chocolate, which I had to scoop out and put in a bag. It smelled heavenly. I bought myself a cold-pressed green juice with no added sugar to tide me over, and while it definitely tastes like straight up grass, it gave me the energy boost I needed. I got in a ton of steps, and made over $50 in 3 hours, so really can't beat that.

 Sunday Day 13 - I was really really worried about Sunday. It was my brother-in-law's birthday, and he wanted to go out to Cheesecake Factory. I did my research and read up on the forums here, but there wasn't really many good food options that weren't incredibly expensive or needed a ton of substitutions, so I figured I would just hope there was something on the menu that would work for me. It turned out really well - I did get substitutions, but it wasn't as horrible or as needy as I thought - I got a salad, had them take off the tomatoes, cheese, and dressing, and added dry-grilled steak to the top. I topped it with olive oil and salt, and it was good! I didn't even feel like I was missing out. The cheesecake was of course difficult, but my brother-in-law actually didn't even want a piece, and his wife has a ton of food allergies, so there was only one piece that my MIL had and shared with my niece, plus a piece we brought home for grandma, which meant it wasn't all over the place like I had worried it would be.

Later that night I made my first recipe not from the Whole30 book, which was fun! I am starting to understand better and better what I can and can't have, which is bringing some joy back to my love of cooking. I roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts in the oven, and browned ground turkey with parsley, garam masala, and turmeric. I then added 1.5 cups of homemade chicken bone broth, the roasted vegetables, and 2 tbsp of coconut flour to make a stew-type of dish. It was amazing!

[bkruse]

Days 14-15

Hello! Monday Day 14 (Memorial Day) - I snacked again throughout the day, but did make the delicious diner breakfast again. Stayed compliant. Wanted a hot dog all day. LOL

Tuesday Day 15: I finally am back to work and back to a routine, thank goodness. I do so much better during the weekdays than I do on weekends. 5-am workout today!

Missed Pre/Post-WO foods - got up late and then had to hustle after working out to get to work. 

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 1/2 sweet potato with skin, 1 cup blackberries and strawberries, coffee + coconut milk. 

Lunch: 1/2 sweet potato with skin, summer tuna protein salad (tuna, homemade mayo, mustard, dill relish, sliced strawberries, sliced blackberries, celery, walnuts, and green onions) in romaine lettuce cups with 2 small tangerines. 

Snack: 2 tbsp almond butter + .25 cup macademia nuts. I was out of roasted sweet potatoes, so need to make more - those help tremendously with my snacking on fruits/nuts when I have them made. 

Dinner: Baked boneless skinless chicken thighs with roasted cabbage.

 

Glad to be back on track, and excited to start really feeling good in the next few days hopefully! Also, I totally had a dream last night that someone gave me a beautiful salad with cheese and I ate it before realizing it had cheese, then ran away crying. Good times!! LOL. 

[bkruse]

Wednesday Day 16

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 1 boneless skinless chicken thigh, handful of blueberries, 1 small mandarin orange, coffee + coconut milk

Lunch: 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, mixed salad greens, & homemade ranch dressing with leftover roasted cabbage, 5 strawberries, & 1 small mandarin orange. 

Dinner: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with coconut milk, clarified butter, and cinnamon, baked garlic lemon tilapia, and roasted asparagus with lemon and olive oil. 

Good news! Today was the first day I wasn't tempted to snack at all! I am making progress, and it's so exciting to see. Over halfway through, and it is slowly but surely getting easier and easier.