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JenX- Round 3.5 June 2019


JenX

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After several years of riding my own bike, living mostly Paleo (and Keto off and on) I'm back for another round. In the past year my menopausal symptoms have been raging: depression along with malaise and general lack of interest, various pains & aches so I don't want to exercise, fatigue, hot flashes and extremely poor sleep. My alcohol consumption has been increasing too which I'm sure is related, and my food has been OFF the RAILS with me putting ALL THE THINGS in my mouth. Over Christmas I even started baking bread! Time to clean it all up again and get back to basics.

Goals

  • Improved sleep
  • More consistent energy
  • More stable mood
  • Get back into the exercise habit

June 1- I thought starting on a weekend was going to be harder, but it was actually easier since I had all the time in the world to prep and cook. 

B- breakfast hash (shredded yam, cabbage, pork sausage) w/ 1 egg and 1/2 a tomato

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(June 1 con't)

L - frankly I don't remember, but it was to template :D

D - pork picadillo (80/20 ground pork sautéed with onion, serrano, red bell, tomato, tomato paste, pineapple and green olives - AMAZING!), on baked yams

JUNE 2

B - Arugula with tomato & avocado, 1 slice bacon and 2 fried eggs (dressed w/ bacon grease and sherry vinegar)

L - turkey burger on lettuce with bacon and w30 ranch, tomato/onion. side of baked sweet potato fries

S- hb egg, almonds

D - hotwings (ghee/franks/touch of coconut cream), roasted Broc/Caul/Mush + ranch

June 3

B- leftover hash (sausage, cabbage, yam) + 1 egg, 1/2 a tomato

L- lettuce wrap (roasted eggplant, zucchini, red onion, chicken breast) w/ bacon and ranch. cucumber salad w/ EVOO &sumac

D- pork picadillo. Sauteed kale with spaghetti squash. Decaf w/  coconut milk after. and 10 almonds* again, habit. need to stop.

NOTE TO SELF: coming from Keto, i'm going to have to keep an eye on my fats. I will add way more than template if I'm not paying attention!  Also, since goals include improving mood and sleep I need to make an effort to get a full serving or 2 of starchy carbs. 

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okay, now that I'm caught up:

june 4

b - arugula plate (see above). fat is 1 slice bacon, one thumb bacon fat, 1/2 an avocado

l- lettuce wrap (f=mayo and 1/4 avocado) same as above but no bacon. Cucumber salad (no EVOO) and 1/2 a mango. (OMG fruit! hahahaha!)

d - leftover "fried" chicken (legs were covered with beaten egg white/baking soda/salt and let stand in fridge for 24 hrs before baking on high heat). Roasted brassicas. mashed Yam w/ ghee. (at least this is the plan.) 

I'm not having any obvious adjustment symptoms as I expected.  I've had a tiny headache off and on, yesterday afternoon and a bit this morning. that could just be from giving up alcohol or could be from giving up my stevia (or both). My sleep has improved already, the bags under my eyes are becoming less noticeable. 

Working on my meal plan for next week.  I'm always amazed at how no drinking equates a clean kitchen. I get so much more done in the evenings when I don't have my wine...:rolleyes: Running program started yesterday as planned and i'm looking forward to tomorrow's "run". 

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day 4 went to plan but I added some w30 ranch to the plate as I realized dinner was short on fat. I was stressed at work and had been battling a headache all day so as my hand turned the key to my front door the thought passed "gee, a glass of wine would be wonderful right now". It wasn't strong enough to consider it a craving, just a passing fancy. Not bad that it took 4 full days for even the thought to occur. I went in and got busy putting things away then had 1/2 a bottle of kombucha in a wine glass while I prepped dinner.  I would have slept wonderfully last night, except one of my more inconsiderate neighbors was setting off firecrackers until midnight and upsetting the dog who was upsetting the cat who was in turn upsetting me.  Better luck is hoped for tonight.

june 5-day 5

b - same hash, this time on a bed of arugula w/ 2 sunny-side up eggs.

l - chicken salad made with tons of veggies (celery, red bell pepper, green onion, red onion, radish, homemade mayo, mustard, parsley & cilantro).

d - (planned) pork picadillo on baked yam, avocado or dressed arugula on the side.

:angry: coworkers brought in donuts AGAIN. I swear at least once a week someone brings in donuts or they do bagels. its insane! glad I ate a slightly larger breakfast.

 

I also got in the 2nd day of my running program (yay me!). Starting this slowly back into it is killing me, but I've simply lost too much fitness to jump in quickly.  total of 3 run days planned this week and no run is over 20 minutes with as many walk breaks as needed. I'm not yet adding in pre- or post-workout. honestly I don't have a need for it until I get back up to 3 miles, then i'll add in pre-workout.  for post, I just eat my breakfast but make sure to include a bit of starchy veggies like today. Okay, enough babbling...back to work.

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21 hours ago, doubledee said:

Congrats on what sounds like a good start to your new Whole30! Your picadillo sounds delicious--I may have to make some of that myself!

Thanks!  I have to tell you, it is amazing over either baked yams or spaghetti squash. I hope I can duplicate the recipe when I try to make it again. I tend to be a make-it-up-on-the-spot kind of cook (like read 6 recipes and mash them together) so chances of exact duplication are slim! 

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So, amendment to last night's dinner. Had the Pic. on spaghetti squash sautéed w/ kale and garlic.  Also had way too many almonds afterward. thankfully this package is almost gone and when it is we'll keep those out of the house for a bit as even raw unsalted are turning into FWOB.

 

June 6 - day 6

B- was bored with my rotating breakfast so made egg salad w/ 3 hb eggs, homemade mayo and yellow mustard. Ate with 8 leaves of leaf lettuce. Probably not enough veg but I was full at that point. 

L-leftover chicken salad from day 5 w/ romaine

D- is up in the air. It will either be shrimp w/ veggies and spaghetti squash, or shrimp fried c-rice, or a turkey burger if I don't want to cook as those are already made.

I am definitely feeling better today. headache was bad all day yesterday but not bad enough to take anything for it. Today, I had one briefly in the car but frankly that could have just been stress.  It seems gone, at least for now. Slept pretty well last night but did still wake up 2x. I seem to be in a good mood today, too, which I have not been the past 2 days.  Maybe i'm already over the hump? I hope so!

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On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 9:13 AM, JenX said:

D- is up in the air. It will either be shrimp w/ veggies and spaghetti squash, or shrimp fried c-rice, or a turkey burger if I don't want to cook as those are already made.

Yeah, so yesterday was a HUNGRY day. My breakfast didn't hold me, I was hungry by 11. Added a bunch of baby carrots to my lunch and did make it to dinner, but barely! so dinner was H U G E: the rest of the picadillo on a whole baked yam, the rest of the plate filled with arugula salad dressed in EVOO. After that I was still hungry (somehow!) so had about 2/3rds an avocado diced up with a tomato and a small handful of raw almonds. Every once in a while those days happen where I simply can't get enough to eat. but I survived it! LOL!

June 7 - day 7

B - my arugula breakfast salad w/ 1 slice of bacon, dressed with bacon fat 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado and a tomato

L - turkey burger on romaine. I brought 2 patties just in case I have a replay of yesterday, although so far bf is holding me fine.

D - sautéed shrimp with sunshine sauce (if I get it made). spaghetti squash w/ left over roasted eggplant & zucchini. whatever else needs eating in the fridge as tomorrow I cook!

Thankfully ALL of the almonds are now gone. I won't be buying a new bag. I need to give nuts a rest.

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What a nice weekend! I actually had energy for a change. I was still a couch potato Saturday afternoon, but I did my run in the morning at the beach and did all the shopping, plus picked up the house and ran the dishwasher. Sunday was even more productive with dog Agility, more cleaning, a TON of cooking and then deep cleaning the kitchen after destroying it. :D

June 8 - day 8

Pre-WO: 1 hb egg with mayo (knew I was running errands after my run so wouldn't be able to eat right after.

M1 - last of the hash

M2- turkey burger on lettuce w/ all the fixings +avocado. radishes w/ salt

M3 - NY steak, 1/2 baked potato w/ Ghee, roasted broccoli

 

June 9 - day 9

M1 - new hash (sweet potato, cabbage, onion, kale, homemade pork sausage (80/20 ground pork & spices)

M2- Tom Kha soup (thai coconut milk-based w/ mushrooms). Ginger-lime chicken thigh, fried cauliflower rice

M3 - leftover steak, 1/2 baked yam, asparagus w/ chimi-churri sauce

Tried my run this morning, but I either have a knot or a slight strain in my calf. I always seem to get a calf strain when I get back to running. sigh. ice, rolling, massage, compression and wait for it to heal. In other news, my hips aren't aching any more which is AMAZING! 

This was the first time I've microwaved the riced cauliflower, cooled and used a towel to ring out all the moisture. that makes it a MUCH better fried rice consistency! And I've neve made this soup, but it is absolutely delicious. It helps that I had really good bone-broth on hand, and one of my friends brought me soup aromatic packs from Thailand so I actually had kaffir lime leaves. It tasted totally Thai, salty, sweet, sour and spicy in balance. mmmm! Glad I have 3 more servings.

Day 10- 6/10

M1: Hash + 1/2 avocado

M2: turkey chili + avocado and a green salad w/ vinaigrette

M3: Ginger-lime chicken thighs w/ fried cauli-rice and Chinese broccoli w/ sunshine sauce

 

 

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Btw - I have to say while my mood is great and my sleep seems to be improving, I feel huge... like i'm putting ON weight. I wonder if my body is having a hard time adjusting to a higher amount of carbs after eating super low carb for so long (except for binges, that is). We'll hold firm and stick to my plan for now, but I would seriously like my pants to fit a bit better...

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I remember feeling rather huge my first time through, and my pants started fitting more tightly for a bit there... but in the end, I'd lost weight. I'm hoping the same holds through this time, because it's happening again :D I AM trying to make a conscious effort of being mindful of how much is going into my mouth, though, because overeating is a life-long issue for me (and sometimes it's so sneaky and subtle, like "Oh, there's only a big spoonful of the mash left, and not even half a baggy worth of that roasted broccoli... yeah, I think I'll just eat them, that's not enough for anyone to really use..." but all that after I've already had my full meal, of course).

I agree that your picadillo description is amazing. I've always loved picadillo (made with beef, though) and think it's high time I throw something together to introduce my family to it... maybe next week! :) 

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Oh yes! Chronic over-eater here. before my first whole 30 I did not have an off switch. I couldn't identify being "full" unless I was stuffed to the point of being uncomfortable. On top of that I was a binge eater. Like, go to 3 different stores to stock up for the weekend binge because it would have been embarrassing to buy that much junk at one store. :ph34r:Once I did my first W30 I found out my body was searching for an adequate amount of nutrients and fat both. Once I gave it that, it got back into balance.  I can honestly say I haven't truly binged in 3 years. Overeaten? sure! but on purpose and not that often.  

 

Glad I'm not alone  in the tight pants phase. I think I'd forgotten that was all part of this.

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23 hours ago, JenX said:

M3: Ginger-lime chicken thighs w/ fried cauli-rice and Chinese broccoli w/ sunshine sauce

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this! this was delicious!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sadly I feel even larger today. i'm beginning to think it maybe be either the coconut aminos and/or fish sauce as I've been eating on them the last 3 days and that's when I noticed the fluffiness of my belly.  Most of my lunches and dinners have both those items in them this week and I certainly won't throw out the food. I'll just lay off the next time I cook and see if any changes happen.

M1: - 4-egg omelet (they were only large eggs, not x-lg so I could hold 4. For future reference it was too much food!) w/ sautéed mushroom, onion, green onion and tomato, topped with pico and 1/2 an avocado (big avo, coulda done with 1/4, again for future reference.)

M2: Tom Kha soup (lime ginger chicken thighs, coconut milk, bone broth, mushrooms & aromatics) with fried cauliflower rice.

M3: salmon & broccoli. Possibly some yam if I feel the need for it.  

Bottle of GTs Kombucha - ginger-aid. I can't wait for my scoby to finish growing so I can start brewing again. buying 'bootch is just too expensive!

I didn't have any carby veg with dinner last night and I slept amazingly well. Not enough, as I got to bed too late, but still, hard solid sleep with very few times where I woke up instead of 6-7x a night. My last w30s, having carbs with dinner has helped me sleep better, but not sure that is the case anymore. I may cut back to just 1x in the AM on workout days and see if it helps overall.

Not sure if I'm running in the AM. I can still feel a knot in my calf and don't want to aggravate it.  As is i'm glad it already felt better this morning. Hurt all day yesterday and that was with a compression sleeve on.

 

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On 6/10/2019 at 9:38 AM, JenX said:

Btw - I have to say while my mood is great and my sleep seems to be improving, I feel huge... like i'm putting ON weight. I wonder if my body is having a hard time adjusting to a higher amount of carbs after eating super low carb for so long (except for binges, that is). We'll hold firm and stick to my plan for now, but I would seriously like my pants to fit a bit better...

If you haven't seen it, maybe look at the timeline. Based on the timeline, it would be prime time for you to bloat up, though it could also be the coconut aminos as you mentioned. That seems pretty common as well.

https://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/

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Thank @Aliem999 - I hope it's the case. Just as bloated and fat feeling as ever today. I'm also in peri-menopausal which means never knowing exactly what my body and my hormones are doing so it could certainly be something related to that as well. I now have a zit on my chin as of this morning so maybe it's that. grumble.  Regardless, my hunger is on the low end today so I'm going to take advantage of that and eat the lower end of the template today.

M3 yesterday had 1/2 a baked potato w/ ghee, and a "remoulade" type sauce I made for the salmon.

1/2 bottle of GTs Original

late night munchies (another sign of impending hormonal whatevers!!). 4 figs with about 1/2 a packet of cashew butter.

June 12 - day 12

M1: 1/2 serving of pork-sausage/sweet potato/cabbage hash and 2 eggs in coconut oil. added all the cooking fat so didn't add any additional

M2: w30 compliant turkey chili. green salad w/ EVOO vinaigrette

M3: ginger lime chicken thighs w/ leftover Chinese broccoli, 1/2 bottle plain GT's 

Unexpected benefit. Last 2 days coffee has not tasted good. I still drink it (i'm an addict, I freely admit it! :D) but i'm drinking less coffee and more herbal tea. I had to cut my run short Monday due to my calf acting up. I can still feel it, although it is much much better, but I decided I better give it another day before trying another run so pushed to Thursday. I hope to get out for a walk a lunch to see how it feels.

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And it seems to be! yay!!  the belly overhang on my jeans is definitely smaller today and I feel, if not "slimmer" at least less puffy. I've cut back slightly on my carby-veggies, now only about 1/2 a serving 1x a day. and am being very conscientious about my plated fats staying on the lower end of the template.

adding to M3 yesterday: fried cauliflower rice. dressed all the veggies with sesame oil; not ideal for a fat, but its the only thing I thought I had that would go with those flavors. I forgot I had a whole JAR of sunshine sauce made up in the fridge. Grrr! :angry::rolleyes: Guess I need to write it out on my food plan so I remember. 

June 13 - day 13

  1.  1/2 serving of hash (same as day 12). 2 eggs scrambled in schmaltz, 1/4 lg avocado. That felt just right amount wise. let's see how it lasts.
  2. Tom Kha soup, leftover Chinese broccoli (Yu Choy is delicious! I'm going to look for more at the store); fried cauliflower rice with 1 scrambled egg. I think my soup is a bit shy on protein.
  3.  Salmon. zucchini from the garden (1st of the season!), sautéed w/ mushrooms and onion. Remoulade. 

Again, no carb with dinner and I slept better. its a sign.... go with it :D.  On top of that  I opted to turn off the early alarm (5am) and go with the later one this morning (6am). I was sleeping so well I wanted more. Finally a whole 8 hours and I only got up once!

 

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2 weeks in! My sleep is definitely better. My mood is better. Hot flashes have gone on hiatus again (thankfully!) and I haven't had any night sweats. I'm sure that's the not-drinking.  Sadly, i'm sure.... they always go away when I quit drinking. :blink:

  1. hash (maybe 3/4 of the serving, obviously the servings I put into storage bowls were too large!), 1 egg fried in ghee, 1/4 lg. avocado.
  2. turkey chili w/ 0.5 avocado (med.). Green salad w/ evoo vinaigrette
  3. Good question?! Ah Friday... I still have a few things leftover, like more Tom Kha soup and fried c-rice, but not sure i'll be in the mood for that. I also have thawed boneless skinless chicken breast I could cook up, or I could quick thaw some shrimp.  For that matter I have leftover breakfast hash. I'll probably do the chicken and throw that together with leftover veg from last night, and some pre-baked yams I have on hand. 

I need to get planning for next week's meals. I usually have it all written out by now, but I haven't put a lick of thought into what I'm making yet. I know I have to make bone broth, and that whole chickens are on sale this week at Ralph's so chicken will definitely be on the menu.  I also have some cod in the freezer I could do something with. I'm trying really hard to not fall back into boring meals. One of my go-to's is baked chicken with roasted broccoli and i'm proud to say I haven't had that so far this round!

I'm definitely less bloaty and fat feeling today. I really hope i'm done with that part.

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Catch up from this weekend

June 14

M3: chicken breast, yam, broccoli. coconut milk in coffee after dinner for fat. handful of raw pumpkin seeds.

June 15

m1: breakfast salad (2 strips s.f. bacon, 2 eggs on arugula 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 a tomato)

m2: last of the Tom Kha, fried cauliflower rice, chicken., pumpkin seeds

m3: 2 mojo marinaded chicken wings, some Tikka Masala chicken breast. Leftover salad w/vinaigrette , yam

 

June 16

M1: leftover hash w 1 egg. coconut milk in coffee

M2: chili w/ 1 whole avocado, 1/2 a mango in chili powder and lime juice, pumpkin seeds.

M3: compliant chicken Italian sausage pasta sauce on spaghetti squash. Olives in sauce + EVOO on top. 

snack: 1/2 a palm of chicken breast with mayo and mustard, pumpkin seeds. 

 

Need to cut the seeds out.... they're becoming a crutch b/c I'm out of my favorite, almonds. I'm out of those on purpose, so shouldn't be trying to replace them. 

I was super lazy all weekend. All I got done was laundry, cooking, and washing the car. I think I needed some down-time though. I'd taken Friday afternoon off so I was able to get all the shopping done - it was glorious to wake up Saturday without that chore hanging over my head. I do think i'm suffering from a bit of food boredom. I keep trying to switch things up, but its more the planning, shopping, cooking aspect i'm bored with. BUT, i'm feeling very even-keeled in my mood, I haven't had a hot flash in like 1.5 weeks and i'm sleeping better. Still not enough, and not uninterrupted, but harder.  So hard I would have loved to keep on sleeping this morning. My alarm startled me out of a dream. I absolutely hate waking to an alarm and usually am up well before mine goes off, but not this morning. I couldn't manage my run, too much to get done, but I brought my gear so maybe I can run at lunch. 

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Oh! forgot today.

June 17 - day 17

M1: BF salad, 2 strips, 2 eggs, bacon fat, 1/2 avo, 1/2 tom, sherry vinegar on arugula

M2: cabbage roll soup. No added fat - this soup was made with my own fatty bone broth, and 80/20 ground beef. If it doesn't keep me full, i'll add fat tomorrow, but i'm pretty sure it will.

M3: steak, zucchini/mushroom/onion, chimichurri. coconut milk decaf coffee [planned]

 

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again, I was sleeping so hard I turned off my first alarm and stayed in bed. Zzzzzzzz! I got home last night and made a delicious hash to nibble on this week. Homemade pork sausage (almost have the spice blend right), diced yam, 1/2 an onion and 1/2 a green cabbage. 

Last night's M3 ended up being the NY Strip (ate the whole thing! 2 full palms), broccoli and 1/2 a potato w/ ghee. NO SEEDS after dinner yay me!

June 18 - day 18

m1: that hash + 2 eggs and 1/2 an avocado. I couldn't quite eat all that I dished up.

m2: cabbage-roll soup, 1 hb egg + mayo for extra fat, 1/2 a mango with lime and chili powder.

m3: chicken sausage meat sauce on spaghetti squash. I have dog agility league tonight which means running home, eating, running there and basically having to sprint. I can't do it on a full belly so may short my dinner and then have a snack when I get home. we'll have to see.

I've been trying to decide if I'm going to stay pretty well compliant and for how long.   I did a full set of reintroductions on a slow roll last time around and I doubt anything has changed. besides I rarely eat grains or legumes anymore. I love adding dairy in as it makes cooking a bit easier, but it definitely affects my energy so I think I'll try to stay away from it for a while yet.  That leaves wine & beer. Beer bloats me something awful, so I try to buy the low-carb stuff when i'm drinking but every once in a while I just gotta have a real beer, ya know? Wine interrupts my sleep and depresses me, but I have such a hard time staying away.... I belong to 3 and 1/2  wine clubs (I split one of them with a friend) and just love trying new bottles. sigh. Sadly I have proven in the past that I have no ability to moderate my wine intake. Bottles generally make it 2 days max around my house and i'm the only one drinking. :wacko: So long as nothing is open, I have no trouble so the solution is to NOT open anything. Maybe special occasions. And no, Friday night is not special enough anymore.

so, what I have in my head right now is I have no reason to NOT stay compliant once the 30 days are up. I have 2 occasions where I for sure would be non-compliant. #1, my favorite sushi restaurant is closing and we need to go eat there before they do. that will be in july sometime.  #2, I have a trip to napa planned in late august. there will be wine. lots of wine. I think I'd like to stay 95-99% compliant at least until my trip in late December. See if I can get more of this weight off and keep this good mood and better sleep. its a fair trade.

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So, I just could not deal with work yesterday. I took the day off and was a complete slug, bonded to my couch watching tv and napping. I have no reason, I just felt I needed to recharge and I feel better today for it. I was also HUNGRY all day yesterday - stayed compliant but not always to template. and I snacked which I don't usually do. I was watching Iron Chef America and the ingredient was herring. That made me so hungry for fish I couldn't even! so I grabbed a tin of sardines and ate the whole thing. I love the ones from Trader joe's - boneless fillets in Olive Oil. so good! LOL! That was at 4:30 and I was still hungry for dinner 2 hrs later. 

so, to catch up... Day 18 was to plan above. No plated fat at dinner so I had a decaf coffee +  1/4 can coconut milk when I got home along with a handful of raw pumpkin seeds.

Day 19

hash w 2 eggs, coffee w/ coconut milk

M2: chicken(breast) salad with a ton of veggies and compliant mayo. figs

snack: sardines in oil, garlic aioli

M3: roast chicken quarter, broccoli, mushrooms, mayo w/ Tapatio for dip (pretty tasty!) also had 2 small handfuls raw sunflowers. I just could NOT get enough food yesterday. LOL! 

June 20 - day 20

M1: (late) hash, 2 hb egg, 1/2 an avocado

M2: hamburger cabbage-roll soup, mango with chili and lime, avocado

M3: spaghetti squash with chicken sausage sauce. extra olives/evoo

While my energy is fine, no peaks or valleys, I'm in some sort of malaise where I just don't want to do anything. I think its external stress - sometimes my preferred way to deal is to just shut down and shut out the outside world. At least i'm not doing it with wine and food, so that's an improvement I guess. I'm going to try to get out for a walk at lunch today, and walk or run tomorrow, then hike this weekend. exercise is a way better way for me to deal with stress, I know, and I know it works. I just have to break through my doldrums.  

Food boredom has also struck so that's not helping matters. I absolutely HATE everything I have in my fridge right now. will be using lots of hot sauce to choke it down and try to come up with new things to make this weekend. If past w30s hold true, this food aversion thing should be gone by then anyway.

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