Official 1/1/13 Start Group

[Run4fun]

I have had a mild headache (nothing like some of you are describing) for about a week and some awful foot cramps at night. I posted a question on the Troubleshooting page and magnesium deficiency was the response. I ordered and just received today Natural Calm which Nat mentioned so I'm going to try that tonight. Hope you get some relief, Cupcake!

[jmarnold30]

I had a wonderful weekend with my daughter and her husband. We've been super busy looking for furniture and appliances for our new house so I haven't spent much time on the forum. But I did want to check in to say that I completed the 21 DSD yesterday, well, actually I'm doing it through today (because of my consumption of black eye peas on Day1). After today, I will have a sweet potato sometime next week and see what that does to my blood sugar and maybe some berries. I am hesitant to do much more than that because I don't want to undo any success that I have had by doing these two together. I will say that my stomach is noticeably flatter, especially my upper stomach which stays distended since my pregnancies. My pants and underwear are literally falling off.

I've been battling appetite issues. I am not hungry at all, but I am forcing myself to eat anyway because it seems that when I skip breakfast my blood sugars rise the next day. Also that has always been a huge problem for me and it was a goal of mine to overcome during this Whole30. I have ALWAYS been a breakfast skipper and many times a lunch skipper as well, which I know has totally thrown my metabolism completely out of whack. So I am trying to undo many years of damage. A normal day for me used to be 2 cups of coffee with Splenda and heavy cream, then nothing until the evening meal with a little snack of some sort at night. So to go nearly 30 days, except for 2, where I actually eat three meals a day is a huge success for me.

I am also nearer one of my other goals (to eliminate two meds with this first Whole30)...I have decreased one of my insulins, cut in half the other and now I am cutting the blood pressure tablet in half as I am having extremely low blood pressure.

I'm also still going back and forth about how long I am going to go on, or if I will stop a couple days and then get right back on it. I

[torena]

Good job, jmarnold30! I'll be doing a 21DSD probably March 1. I'm trying to warm my husband up to the idea. His company is being bought out, and it finalizes on that day. I don't know if he'll not want to do it because of that, but I will be doing it no matter what. This has been so empowering.

[helen]

First long day at work and I ate too much. It was all Whole30 approved but it was TOO much. Ugh. When I have long hours I get really hungry and then overeat/emotional eat when I get home. This is why I just want a normal schedule !!! Oh well. Tomorrow will be a better day I hope. At least I exercised today (some cardio at the gym).

[Nila]

Anyway, I rebuked the satan in those sweets and ate my Whole30 lunch.

Love it. Love.

[jtota]

Helen,

I feel your pain. It has been nice to know that if I eat 3 eggs cooked with cocnut oil and 2 slices of side pork before work I won't be hungry until late in the day. But I have to eat that exact breakfast for some reason. No less than 3 eggs, and absolutely no carbs. If not I am humgry by 9:00.

Christine19 ,

I suppose you may be at your dinner now, but I was thinking the allergy route my be a good one. I have read that paleo folks often pull the gluten allergy card at restaurants.

Shubert,

Hang in there. Just keep thinking about concept of the extinction burst when those cravings hit (there's a link earlier in the thread). Giving in now to a craving just gives it more power. I know it's hard, I'm feeling that way too . . .

I have really been struggling with motivation as my clothes get tighter and tighter. I don't have a bunch of health problems so fat loss was a goal for me and not seeing results is getting frustrating. I was hoping this would finally be the thing I needed. Still pressing on hoping it is just fluid and it will some how magically fall of by then end of the 30 days. I am however sleeping soundly and yesterday and today I have noticed a return of increased energy, it is not "tiger blood" but a quiet, steady energy that lasts all day. I am performing really well at work and my boss even noticed the attitude change, I used to be too tired to want to anything extra, now I am eager to pitch in. Not sure if its just getting the gluten out or what. I am feeling overloaded on fat and protein, perhaps it is just something I am not used to. My 3:00 cookie craving is officially gone, used to be like clockwork, now 3:00 breezes by and I don't even notice what time it is. I suppose these are all good reasons to feel successful but for now I am treating the remaining time like a challenge to complete and a science experiment in myself. The idea of 45 or 60days now seems like whole ' other ball game. Perhaps I will break and then repeat following the vegetarian protocol. Time will tell. ..

[dukunbayi]

Things I have learned since yesterday:

1. Plucking dates from the bag and using them to scoop up almond butter 'to tide me over' while preparing dinner is not a particularly good idea.

2. I must eat breakfast.

3. I love my crockpot.

[christine19]

OK I made it through the dinner interview...it was a little more than an interview as my 'host' was entertaining other associates, which made for an interesting (and long) evening. 5 hours! Anyway, I did not drink...had sparkling water. It was a seafood restaurant and no salad on the menu! I had a raw tuna appetizer and salmon with veggies for dinner. The only thing that was not compliant is there was some sort of dairy I think with the tuna...crème fraiche? And also I could tell the salmon had butter involved in the making and I only ate half of it. I did my best...do I have to start over at day 1?

[christine19]

Helen,

I feel your pain. It has been nice to know that if I eat 3 eggs cooked with cocnut oil and 2 slices of side pork before work I won't be hungry until late in the day. But I have to eat that exact breakfast for some reason. No less than 3 eggs, and absolutely no carbs. If not I am humgry by 9:00.

Christine19 ,

I suppose you may be at your dinner now, but I was thinking the allergy route my be a good one. I have read that paleo folks often pull the gluten allergy card at restaurants.

Shubert,

Hang in there. Just keep thinking about concept of the extinction burst when those cravings hit (there's a link earlier in the thread). Giving in now to a craving just gives it more power. I know it's hard, I'm feeling that way too . . .

I have really been struggling with motivation as my clothes get tighter and tighter. I don't have a bunch of health problems so fat loss was a goal for me and not seeing results is getting frustrating. I was hoping this would finally be the thing I needed. Still pressing on hoping it is just fluid and it will some how magically fall of by then end of the 30 days. I am however sleeping soundly and yesterday and today I have noticed a return of increased energy, it is not "tiger blood" but a quiet, steady energy that lasts all day. I am performing really well at work and my boss even noticed the attitude change, I used to be too tired to want to anything extra, now I am eager to pitch in. Not sure if its just getting the gluten out or what. I am feeling overloaded on fat and protein, perhaps it is just something I am not used to. My 3:00 cookie craving is officially gone, used to be like clockwork, now 3:00 breezes by and I don't even notice what time it is. I suppose these are all good reasons to feel successful but for now I am treating the remaining time like a challenge to complete and a science experiment in myself. The idea of 45 or 60days now seems like whole ' other ball game. Perhaps I will break and then repeat following the vegetarian protocol. Time will tell. ..

I am having the same issue....was slimming down after the first 12 days and now I am bloated and tummy not looking good. And I have worked out nearly every day. What gives? Too much fat? I have been eating a 1/2 or whole avocado a day....

[helen]

I had a wonderful weekend with my daughter and her husband. We've been super busy looking for furniture and appliances for our new house so I haven't spent much time on the forum. But I did want to check in to say that I completed the 21 DSD yesterday, well, actually I'm doing it through today (because of my consumption of black eye peas on Day1). After today, I will have a sweet potato sometime next week and see what that does to my blood sugar and maybe some berries. I am hesitant to do much more than that because I don't want to undo any success that I have had by doing these two together. I will say that my stomach is noticeably flatter, especially my upper stomach which stays distended since my pregnancies. My pants and underwear are literally falling off.

I've been battling appetite issues. I am not hungry at all, but I am forcing myself to eat anyway because it seems that when I skip breakfast my blood sugars rise the next day. Also that has always been a huge problem for me and it was a goal of mine to overcome during this Whole30. I have ALWAYS been a breakfast skipper and many times a lunch skipper as well, which I know has totally thrown my metabolism completely out of whack. So I am trying to undo many years of damage. A normal day for me used to be 2 cups of coffee with Splenda and heavy cream, then nothing until the evening meal with a little snack of some sort at night. So to go nearly 30 days, except for 2, where I actually eat three meals a day is a huge success for me.

I am also nearer one of my other goals (to eliminate two meds with this first Whole30)...I have decreased one of my insulins, cut in half the other and now I am cutting the blood pressure tablet in half as I am having extremely low blood pressure.

I'm also still going back and forth about how long I am going to go on, or if I will stop a couple days and then get right back on it. I

I used to be a breakfast skipper too. But when I started teaching high school (which I did for 7 years) I would be famished by mid afternoon if I skipped breakfast and I figured out that I had to have a high protein breakfast with almost no carbs even back then. Now I almost am consuming as many calories at breakfast as I do at dinner which blows me away. I do think skipping meals screws up my metabolism though.

Pregnancy is where my weight gain came (in the past 6 years I gained 50 pounds, two pregnancies back to back and then my husband had a stroke from viral meningitis which was very stressful since I had a 10 day old baby and 18 mos old plus a job I needed, he is okay now but that year was very hard and I gained 30 pounds easily that year). In the past year and a half I have lost 30 pounds and have maintained the weight loss for over a year now. It was slow losing for me. So I too am hoping this jump starts me to lose the remaining 20 pounds (I wish) by summer or if not by the end of this year. Honestly, I would just be happy losing 10 and maintaining that weight. My mom is one of those women that has dieted all her life. She used to only eat maximum 800 calories a day. I cannot do that as to me it is no way to live. Mostly I need to figure out how to not stress eat in relation to work. At least last night I binged on healthier things (normally it would be bags of my kids Annie's cheddar bunnies).

I am going to do longer than a Whole30. I want to get my habits in place with work in place. I am not sure I can sustain eating this much meat long term though so will probably start by adding back in plain greek yogurt (which is high in protein, low in sugar) and see how that goes. I think I am done with grains. I do love an occasional basmati rice meal. My kids eat a lot of brown rice. My oldest daughter eats no meat or eggs so she does rely on whole grains/rice for protein some. Her allergies are terrible though so I know an elimination diet would be important for me to access her health but SO hard with picky eaters.

Okay, I'm rambling. Definitely did not make the 8 hour sleep mark last night and today is a day from hell in terms of my scheduling our lives ending in a long night at work. But I made good food for the day and hoping that helps!

[Run4fun]

A half teaspoon of Natural Calm magnesium powder in about 3 oz. of water last night before bed = no foot cramps, headache is all but gone, and I had my best sleep of my Whole 30 so far (and I was already sleeping like a champ). Going to do that for a few more nights before I claim success but, for those of you struggling with headaches, sleep, and/or cramps, you might consider giving it a try.

[MyWar]

Day 23: I can see all of my abs for the first time in my life

[CupcakeNinja]

I've decided I think I am dehydrated. So I had salt pork with my eggs this morning and have some salted pistachios to munch on later if the headache does not abate (because, that's right, it's still here), and I'll continue drinking my water. I am going to see about Natural Calm, so thanks for the rec, Run4Fun (and Nat by proxy)! I think I was losing too much water, because I've confirmed a previously-only-suspected intolerance for raw spinach. We'll see if the increase in salt today helps. I hope so, because yesterday was awful.

[Contessa]

...to go nearly 30 days, except for 2, where I actually eat three meals a day is a huge success for me.

I am also nearer one of my other goals (to eliminate two meds with this first Whole30)...I have decreased one of my insulins, cut in half the other and now I am cutting the blood pressure tablet in half as I am having extremely low blood pressure.

Wow. This is really impressive to me! You have shown real dedication and creativity during this month. Not to mention flexibility in trying new things, new eating arrangements. I hope you can really soak in how good it feels to have done what you've done.

OK I made it through the dinner interview...it was a little more than an interview as my 'host' was entertaining other associates, which made for an interesting (and long) evening. 5 hours! Anyway, I did not drink...had sparkling water. It was a seafood restaurant and no salad on the menu! I had a raw tuna appetizer and salmon with veggies for dinner. The only thing that was not compliant is there was some sort of dairy I think with the tuna...crème fraiche? And also I could tell the salmon had butter involved in the making and I only ate half of it. I did my best...do I have to start over at day 1?

Dude. If you were here, I would give you a high five AND a fist bump AND an energetic round of applause. Sounds like you crushed it last night. Whether or not to start over is your judgment call. What I hear is that you made a series of very good decisions in a challenging situation. If it were me, I'd really focus on that, and let myself fully acknowledge the benefits of having managed a tough situation with grace. And then I'd move right on into the next day in the sequence. Go Christine go!

[dukunbayi]

[/size]

Dude. If you were here, I would give you a high five AND a fist bump AND an energetic round of applause. Sounds like you crushed it last night. Whether or not to start over is your judgment call. What I hear is that you made a series of very good decisions in a challenging situation. If it were me, I'd really focus on that, and let myself fully acknowledge the benefits of having managed a tough situation with grace. And then I'd move right on into the next day in the sequence. Go Christine go!

That. Exactly my thought.

[dukunbayi]

Question: what do you all do to maximize efficiency in the kitchen?

I'm getting a bit chopped-out. I don't have a real food processor, so step#1 might be to obtain one. And a stick blender while I'm at it.

I do have a vitamix, kitchenaid mixer, and a crockpot. And a mini food processor that, frankly, takes longer to clean than just using a knife.

Thinking long term here... I'm busy and lazy, and if I am to sustain this level of cooking, I need to automate myself. Please share your kitchen ninja secrets!

[dukunbayi]

...if the headache does not abate (because, that's right, it's still here),

I am not prone to migraines, either, but I have had a couple. One (a couple weeks pre-whole30) lingered like yours, and I ended up getting a shot of toradol (NSAID intramuscularly), which finally broke it. I have had one since starting the whole30, and it went away with excedrin migraine. Natural Calm seems a better option (so now I know, now I know). I'm gonna give that a try, as well. I saw it at my food co-op and thought it expensive, but heck! so are NSAIDs, etc.

I really hope you feel better soon. Brain pain is a real drag .

[NatPatBen]

Question: what do you all do to maximize efficiency in the kitchen?

...

Thinking long term here... I'm busy and lazy, and if I am to sustain this level of cooking, I need to automate myself. Please share your kitchen ninja secrets!

Vidalia Chop Wizard!! It's one of those as-seen-on-tv products, but since it had great reviews on amazon.com, I bought it at Bed Bath & Beyond ($20 - 20% coupon). It's SUCH a time saver for me that I just ordered a very similar product (but with more "plates") yesterday for a friend's birthday. I've used it to chop onions, bell peppers, and greens and to dice garlic.

I got a mandolin slicer for sweet potatoes, but those are still more challenging than other vegetables.

Over the weekend, I chopped 4 onions, a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, 2 heads of garlic (1/2 minced with garlic press, 1/2 diced with chop wizard). Plus I made chocolate chili and a crockpot chicken (with carrots, sweet potato, onions, green leafy veggies, coconut milk, and various seasonings). That has lasted to the point where I haven't had to cook anything on Monday and Tuesday! My first two-day break since I started this process.

Today, I'm making crockpot game hens (put them in this morning with onions, bell peppers, celery, pumpkin, and broth). I WAS going to make the pad thai from Well Fed using the chicken thighs I cooked and chopped over the weekend... but turns out my husband was adding that to his chocolate chili (?????) the past few days so it's all gone.

I don't even use my small food processor anymore. Anything that requires processing, I put in my Ninja blender.

[NatPatBen]

... Natural Calm seems a better option (so now I know, now I know). I'm gonna give that a try, as well. I saw it at my food co-op and thought it expensive, but heck! so are NSAIDs, etc.

I don't remember how much I paid for it, but I will say I've had the same container of Natural Calm since... June 2012 I think. I only take it when I have headaches and it's only halfway gone.

[helen]

Question: what do you all do to maximize efficiency in the kitchen?

I'm getting a bit chopped-out. I don't have a real food processor, so step#1 might be to obtain one. And a stick blender while I'm at it.

I do have a vitamix, kitchenaid mixer, and a crockpot. And a mini food processor that, frankly, takes longer to clean than just using a knife.

Thinking long term here... I'm busy and lazy, and if I am to sustain this level of cooking, I need to automate myself. Please share your kitchen ninja secrets!

We have one of these and it is super easy to clean and I use it ALL the time. Sometimes just to make salad dressing even. http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-EHC650-2-Speed-Chopper/dp/B00005MF97/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358967192&sr=8-2&keywords=ergo+mini+food+chopper

[Run4fun]

I purchased one of the Vidalia onion chopper on Nat's earlier recommendation and it's also become my secret weapon! I love that thing! I even used it on baby carrots when I was making Paleo Shephard's Pie. So fast and super easy to clean too!

[CupcakeNinja]

Question: what do you all do to maximize efficiency in the kitchen?

My copy of Well Fed arrived two days ago! So what I'm going to do is follow her instructions on prepping stuff on Sunday as much as possible, because I have yet to figure out how to maximize my efficiency, and I have a food processor, a stick blender, a Magic Bullet, a chopper (not the one Nat has, just a KitchenAid one), a mandolin, two crock pots, etc, etc, etc. I've got TONS of tools, and every night I'm beating my head against the kitchen counter because everything takes so darn long to prep and make. I'm going to have a Well Fed revolution this weekend.

My headache is hiding in the corners of my mind right now. It's still there, barely hanging on. I read up on magnesium and guess what food has a ton? Spinach. Which I ate Monday night and Tuesday for lunch and both times were followed by a rather urgent trip to the bathroom because I can't handle raw spinach (which I had suspected pre-W30, as I mentioned before). So, not only did I not get that good magnesium, but I also dehydrated myself. My headache may have two mamas. I may be going to the Whole Foods tonight for some Natural Calm.

[christine19]

[/size]

Dude. If you were here, I would give you a high five AND a fist bump AND an energetic round of applause. Sounds like you crushed it last night. Whether or not to start over is your judgment call. What I hear is that you made a series of very good decisions in a challenging situation. If it were me, I'd really focus on that, and let myself fully acknowledge the benefits of having managed a tough situation with grace. And then I'd move right on into the next day in the sequence. Go Christine go!

thanks...you made my day!!!!

[Nila]

Question: what do you all do to maximize efficiency in the kitchen?

I'm getting a bit chopped-out. I don't have a real food processor, so step#1 might be to obtain one. And a stick blender while I'm at it.

I do have a vitamix, kitchenaid mixer, and a crockpot. And a mini food processor that, frankly, takes longer to clean than just using a knife.

Thinking long term here... I'm busy and lazy, and if I am to sustain this level of cooking, I need to automate myself. Please share your kitchen ninja secrets!

My food processor - a Kitchenaid, I think; 12-cup - is my best friend in the kitchen. I use the regular blade, the small bowl with blade attachment, and the grater attachment seemingly daily. I grate the heck out of vegetables. It also has a slicer attachment that I seriously just remembered. I'll have to break that baby out too. I paid way more for this thing than I like to several years ago and it has paid me back in time, effort and sanity.

I have a Pampered Chef serrated peeler this is quite the handy tool as well. And a Wüsthof knife that I keep sharp with several bamboo cutting boards in various sizes are also very helpful. It's funny, I asked for a cutting board as a gift a few years ago and got 4! One broke in half, so my son sanded the broken edges and now I have two smaller very handy boards.

Also useful: foil and non-bleached parchment paper. These help tremendously with clean up. And matching rectangular food storage containers as well as tall 32oz. containers have helped stow things in the fridge and freezer.

I have not used my blender, my stick blender, my toaster oven, or mixer once in the last 23 days. Nada.

Not that this has anything to do with food, but since I brew a lot of tea to drink iced, I have a glass tea pot and a brewing set for iced tea from Teavana that has seen a ton of use over the last several years.

Finally, kitchen organization makes it all easier too. Everything has a place - and that place is close to where I use it or at least grouped together how I use it to for greater efficiency.

I just bought a julienne peeler and am anxious to dig in to some veggies with that.

[NatPatBen]

I don't know about you all, but I can gain weight SUPER easily. Like, if I were an actress and had to gain 20 lbs for a movie, I could say "When? By next week?"

Yesterday afternoon, as I was about to leave work, I saw that a meeting had ended in a conference room near my office. Left behind: tons of various cookies (choc chip, macadamia nut, sugar, etc), several bags of single-serve trail mix, lots of sodas, and 8 bottles of water. Were this a month ago, I would've taken all of the trail mix, a few cookies, a few sodas, and all of the water home. Instead, I only took the 8 bottles of water.

Today in the kitchen on one side of the hall: another platter of cookies, cups of pudding (chocolate & vanilla wafer), plenty of fruit. On the other side of the hall: salad. Instead of cookies, pudding, and fruit (what I would've taken before), I added some salad (with my homemade garlic paprika mayo + apple cider vinegar + Italian seasoning <-- things I keep at work to make compliant salad dressing) and a bit of fruit to my lunch (chili and spaghetti squash).

So I was thinking.... wouldn't it be great if every time we made GOOD choices, we lost a lb... to offset the lbs gained whenever making bad choices. I wish it worked like that.