ShieldMaiden Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Wow, so I feel very foggy today, almost hungover. Only day 3...yikes! I am still having a hard time getting in three meals a day. That has always been hard for me, so that might be contributing my hangover. I also stupidly volunteered to cook dinner for my friends who were arriving back home from a vacation. They were on what should have been a 2hr 50 min flight and of course you never really know what that will mean with travel and actual arrival time, but they ended up showing up at my house about 2.5 hrs later than I was expecting so that really screwed me up timing-wise. You really need to eat when you are hungry on this plan, not when life dictates it's the right time. I cooked the Strawberry Chicken with Avocado Salsa for them, since I knew it was good enough that anyone on the plan would still like it. This worked out but now I think the lime in the dish has given me a reaction on my mouth due to the high acid content. lol! So basically, it's day 3 and I'm a hot mess. Because, life. Oh well, I don't think there is any solution per se, I will just try harder today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura_juggles Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 "Just try harder" isn't always the most useful thought process. That's what we're here for, though - to offer suggestions that may help you navigate this Whole30 business *smarter*. What about 3 meals a day is hard? Do you get busy with life and forget to eat? Do you have trouble figuring out what to eat when you're hungry so you skip it? If you can give us a little bit of a better idea why you're having trouble with 3 meals a day, we can offer some help. And you're probably not eating enough, which contributes to the foggy hangover, which makes you not eat, which contributes to the hangover, etc etc etc. What are some things you've eaten so far? Might be able to offer some tweaks there too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 4, 2019 Author Share Posted June 4, 2019 Thanks for your help. So far I have managed the following (only eating breakfast (Brunch?) and dinner: Sun and Monday I did the same thing because of the dinner guests: 4 eggs, 1/4 of an avocado, and Franks red hot sauce Strawberry Chicken with Avocado Salsa on a bed of greens (recipe here: https://www.wellplated.com/strawberry-chicken-with-avocado/) Today, I got a late start because of my splitting headache and fog. I'm self employed and work from home so thankfully I can allow my self a little recovery time. I have only had this so far: 4 eggs, 1/2 avocado, Franks red Hot. Served with cubed potatoes boiled, then pan fried with my own creole seasoning blend (compliant) in a little ghee. I think I have dinner covered here (with out the sauce to stay compliant) ;https://www.wellplated.com/healthy-slow-cooker-buffalo-chicken/ It is lunch I struggle with. I get annoyed at stopping in the middle of my work to eat. I need to go back to my book and look for quick and easy lunch options. I don't feel like eating during the day, but I think this is bad for my overall energy and mood. I'd love something that I could grab quickly and maybe even eat while i am working? I have cooked chicken left over from last night, but I don't want to eat it with the salsa again (too much acid right now). I also have quite a lot of sweet potatoes in the house and a cauliflower too. Would it be not enough nutrition if I just had the chicken and some olives? I just don't really feel like eating. Would love any suggestions you have found for quick, low prep lunches. It is so hard to break old habits! Normally I would just make myself a huge iced strong coffee with milk and sugar at this point. Very mature choice... lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 4, 2019 Author Share Posted June 4, 2019 Oh! Just realized I will have to omit the cornstarch too on that recipe! It looks like it is just for thickening, so no big deal, but I guess I will need to grab some arrowroot powder soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 I generally try to keep things like boiled eggs, cubed chicken, cubed (or other small bites) of roasted veggies, washed and ready-to-plate salad greens, pre-sliced salad veggies (cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, etc.) and on so... that makes it easy enough to grab a few things, toss them in a salad or on the plate stand-alone. Just chicken and olives would be lacking -- you'd have protein and fat, but no vegetables. The same seems to be true of your breakfast yesterday, so that's something to consider. Overall, you've definitely not been getting enough to eat, so it's no wonder that you're walking through fog right now (in addition to the usual hangover effect of the first few days). I'd highly suggest trying out some type of meal-planning service. Yes, there will undoubtedly be prep work involved because you're eating real, whole foods... but if the planning part is made easier, that might help you work smarter not harder Remember that nourishment is cumulative, too... which unfortunately means that getting more food in today will help, but it'll take several days of eating enough before your body realizes that you're not trying to starve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 4, 2019 Author Share Posted June 4, 2019 Good, suggestions, thanks! Does this look better? Enough veg, or do I need more quantity or variety? (That's compliant dressing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura_juggles Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Skipping lunch and lowballing all your meals like you have been has caught up to you, basically. Set yourself an alarm on your phone to go eat lunch. You're sacrificing how you feel for not wanting to stop working to go eat. The break for lunch is not only good for your overall nutrition, but also for your brain. Trust me; go eat some lunch. Get yourself a couple bags of pre-chopped salad greens and throw them in a mixing bowl with the chicken, olives, and cukes you have in the picture. If you've pre-cooked some protein and have some bagged salad handy, lunches become really easy. You *will* start to feel better when you're getting enough fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 I second that it looks a little light on veggies, but I'd also say that if you're struggling to get this much in, it might be worth eating this and then tossing more veggies in at the tail end if you feel like you can (or need to) eat more at that point. Getting your body used to having a midday meal, even starting small, is a huge step toward getting yourself situated. Work is important, but you can't do your best work if you don't keep yourself well-nourished, and acknowledging and breaking those kinds of habits is part of what Whole30 is all about. Admittedly, I'm having a hard time getting back to the 3 daily meals concept this time, too... I'm sleeping 3 hours later than I did last round (now that my kids are out of school) and I'm just a few days home from a trip where we only ate two meals each day, so I'll be breaking those meal-skipping habits right alongside you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 4, 2019 Author Share Posted June 4, 2019 Ok! Sounds like a plan. Thanks for that feedback, I appreciate it! I feel like I am getting an education! I bought a big box of salad greens from Aldi but the stupid thing went bad. I had been eating quite a lot of it (tossed the Strawberry chicken on it) but it still got crappy. Do you guys have a suggestion for keeping it salads fresh? Do you just buy smaller bags more frequently or do you buy a particular type of greens that last longer? I am finding a lot of this is timing and planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 I usually go for a bag of 3 romaine hearts for use in my salads, occasionally grabbing a smaller bag of spring mix or something to go with it. I'll get bags of baby spinach if I have recipes that call for it, then use whatever isn't needed for the recipe in a breakfast fritatta or casserole if I'm not feeling the idea of having it in a salad. Big boxes of greens don't happen in my household unless it's an unbeatable deal and I have at least some reasonable idea of how I'm going to use them before half the box dies on me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 4, 2019 Author Share Posted June 4, 2019 Yeah, I honestly think the box I got was past its prime when I bought it! Because I was really powering through it, especially with dinner company and it still wasn't fast enough! Thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura_juggles Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Mixed greens, spring mix, and baby lettuces will all go gross a lot faster than the heartier salad greens like iceberg and romaine. They're more delicate and tender so it takes less to make them icky. I bought a 3 pack of romaine 2 weeks ago and finished it yesterday. Not a leaf went bad. If you really prefer the more tender greens, you'll need to buy them in smaller packages more often. I decided that I didn't like them *that* much more and switched to the romaine. It's saved a bunch of money and wasted food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 I've also found that a bag of baby spinach won't go bad as quickly as spring mix... there's something in the spring mix that starts to wilt early compared to everything else, and it starts getting everything else in the mix nasty. If you find that even a small bag of spring mix (if you want to keep buying and using it) goes bad before you can get through it all, it's worth seeing if any local places have a good salad bar you could pull a serving or two from -- since the greens are so light, the cost is negligible (we usually grab things like sprouts and spring mix from Earth Fare's salad bar, since we use those less often than romaine and spinach). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 5, 2019 Author Share Posted June 5, 2019 Good points! Today, I looked at the individual bags and realized if I bought two they would be the same price as the giant box, so I just bought the box, but I sneakily picked one from the back of the shelf and it looks better honestly! I think I'll be ok this time. I also had the realization that I had planted some lettuce in the garden too that I sort of forgot about but I need to get out there and do some intensive weeding. This will be another good source for easy fresh greens I totally forgot about! Duh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 One day... someday... I will have a container garden with all sorts of things for my salads... the "cut and come again" greens, green onions, dwarf carrots, and even grape tomatoes... but for now it's a dream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30 Certified Coach ElainaR Posted June 6, 2019 Whole30 Certified Coach Share Posted June 6, 2019 On 6/4/2019 at 5:12 PM, ShieldMaiden said: Do you guys have a suggestion for keeping it salads fresh? Do you just buy smaller bags more frequently or do you buy a particular type of greens that last longer? @ShieldMaiden I recommend moving the greens to an airtight container as soon as you buy them. Also, anytime you open the container and see bad leaves, immediately remove them. If you buy head lettuce it will last longer as mentioned above. I find that a large bag of kale can usually stay fresh for two weeks! Also, store your lettuce in your refrigerator somewhere where it won’t get smashed so that you can limit the bruising and keep it fresh longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchrodingersCat Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 2 hours ago, ElainaR said: @ShieldMaiden I recommend moving the greens to an airtight container as soon as you buy them. Also, anytime you open the container and see bad leaves, immediately remove them. If you buy head lettuce it will last longer as mentioned above. I find that a large bag of kale can usually stay fresh for two weeks! Also, store your lettuce in your refrigerator somewhere where it won’t get smashed so that you can limit the bruising and keep it fresh longer. I bought one of those lettuce keepers, with the basket in the bottom. I was skeptical but OMG - lettuce lasts soooo long in them! I bought another one for making salad for the week for my husband and even cut salad lasts so much longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShieldMaiden Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 NIce! I will look into the lettuce keeper! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 With the amount of salad greens that pass through my fridge, I might have to look into one, too! Thanks @SchrodingersCat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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