Starting July 16!! Successes and woes!

[Beckha99]

So this will be my second time doing a Whole30. I am starting today. I actually started yesterday and then messed up last night, so today is day 1 (again). The last time I did this, I was working so it was easier to be distracted from the food stuff, but this time I am unemployed. Some might think it would be easier to workout and plan meals etc, but that isn't me. I hate meal planning. The last time I did this I must have eaten the same meals about 75% of the time.

I am in a serious rut in life. Maybe my midlife crisis? I am 41. I have gained 45 lbs in the last 18 months putting me around 225 lbs. I didn't weigh that much with either of my pregnancies!! I have zero motivation to do anything but sit and read. My husband is military and we have moved a bunch. We are currently in San Diego and have been here for 3 years. (PS- We hate California. The weather is great, but other then that...meh.) I really just feel like I am careening out of control, and I need to get my crap together.

Less than 2 years ago I was running half marathons, and exercising regularly, and doing well. And then it all went to hell. I have been dealing with anxiety and depression for the last 13 years. I also have always had a horrible body image. I need out of this toxic cycle. I am hoping doing the whole30 again will help me jump start things again. Yes, yes, I realize that this may seem like a poor me post, but it is my truth right now. 

I have really gotten in a terrible routine of having several drinks at night to wind down, and that will be a hard habit to break. But it DEFINITELY needs to happen. Between no alcohol and no sugar, I'm gonna be honest, this is gonna suck. I have already warned my family that the first 10-14 days, I am going to be in a horrible mood. But I have felt so bad for so long, I need to do this. I want to feel good and healthy again, even if it means all the suck to get there!!

So yes, I ramble and am all over the place. That's me. I may or may not have been referred to as a "hot mess" from time to time. If you are doing your whole30 around the same timeline as me, or can identify with where I am and want to share and comment (or VENT) on your whole 30, feel free, but be nice!! Here goes nothing....

[Emma]

"Feeling out of control".  That's how I feel, but instead of acting wild and crazy like a kid, I just sink into doing nothing and getting nothing done. It's not a good place to be. I'm fifteen days into a much needed Whole30 and it's nice to be feeling hopeful again. Certainly my body is liking this, but man, it is not a quick process. But I'd rather be in this process than no.

You got this!

[Beckha99]

Thanks Emma!! I totally relate to what you said. Isn’t it funny that doing nothing and getting nothing done can make you feel as out of control as running around like crazy? God 15 days seems like forever away to me, but I know I can get there. Keep it up!

[Beckha99]

UG! So I am very frustrated. Things went off track again last night. Here is the thing...the last time I did this, it was just me. This time my husband said he was going to do it with me. Now, last time he said the same thing and at the end of day one it was clear that he just wanted to eat what I cooked, but not actually adhere to the rules of the Whole30. That ticked me off something fierce. So I went ahead on and understood it would just be me. When he said he would do it 100% this time, I believed him. He said he was serious. BUT he is taking a class right now for his military retirement, and every day he has come home sad and feeling defeated, and just says screw it. Which totally enables me to say "I will start again tomorrow!" Day 1. AGAIN. 

I feel like a jerk when I do the food prep for these meals, and it is my time and energy, and he wants to eat what I make, but then have a beer or some chips. Plus, he has a habit of coming home at night and eating leftovers from the fridge before dinner. And it is the whole30 food I have prepped or could use for another meal, etc. I should feel good that at least he will eat the whole30 meals even if he doesn't adhere to the plan right? I should be happy he is eating a little healthier? But it just makes me irritated. I feel like a horrible person. 

So we are less then a week before my kids start back to school, and so I feel like maybe i can just eat as clean as I can this week (to kinda prepare my body) and then start on Sunday, and know that no matter what it is just me doing this. I feel like I have more power when it is just me. I like the support of the forum because I feel like it is people struggling through it just like I am. I don't think my husband will end up actually sticking with it, and so I have resolve to do this (at least in my household) on my own. I am ok with that. I am not ok with thinking someone will do something with me, and then just quitting. It makes me feel like it is ok for me to quit too. 

This is hard. I know the book says it's not, but it is. After you get used to it, it becomes easier, but the beginning is alway tough. I am definitely feeling defeated right now, but I am going to pick myself up and start again this Sunday with renewed determination. I guess I should change the name of my log. Ug!!

[Whole30coachme]

Hi Beckha,

Your frustration is completely normal!  And it's completely normal to take a couple of attempts to get through your second round (Melissa has posted about the second time being more difficult, here: https://whole30.com/2015/02/second-whole30/)

I understand why you would want your husband to join you for moral support, and I also understand why it may be difficult to have him to eat the food you prepare but not abide by the full set of rules.  Here's the thing - you've successfully completed the program before, on your own.  You can do it again!  Perhaps you may need to have an honest conversation with him and let him know that it's ok with you if he doesn't join you on this round,  but also explain how much time and effort you've put into preparing the food that you're eating and the leftovers, and asking if he could find something else to snack on before dinner if he's hungry.  It would be a little extra work for you, but you could also prep some chopped veggies, hard-boiled eggs, etc. and let him know that those are available for snacking, but you would like to save the leftovers for your meals.

I like your plan of preparing your body this week and starting over again.  I often challenge my clients to eat at least one meal a day completely Whole30 for the week before they begin a round.  This can help to prepare you mentally for beginning a round while also making the hangover period much easier.

 

Good luck!

Kate

[Jihanna]

It's hard to do this alone, in the middle of other people. I do all the cooking for a family of 7, 5 of us with adult-sized mouths. So I decided that I would do Whole30, expanded the food budget enough to make sure I had plenty of compliant options at home, and proceeded to cook compliant meals for the whole family (plus my other meals, for which I only worried about myself). My dad still had his beer and tortilla chips, my mom still had her goat cheese, my husband still had his sandwiches and whatever, the kids still ate ramen and snacky stuff. I didn't let it bother me, because I knew I was compliant.

For my second round, my mom said she wanted to do it. I gave her all the info, talked with her about what she'd have to avoid, meal templates, etc. She seemed 100% on board. I will say that she at least ate compliantly, but she in no way shape or form followed the meal template most of the time (including a TON of fruits and drinking fruit juice on a daily basis). It is what it is. I stayed compliant, and I benefited. She did too, but it does make me wonder how her results would have looked if she'd reduced fruit and nuts... and I definitely tended to eat my lunch separately from her, because I knew hers would have tons of natural sugar (fruit) that I really didn't need to give myself, so I'd eat later to avoid feeling the temptation to grab some of her fruit salad or something.

Is it easier when everyone in the family is on board? Absolutely, because it means you can ditch all the stuff you don't want around... but you're going to benefit by doing this, whether or not you have a "partner" working it with you.

Whole30 is personal. Don't make it about him, don't let his participation dictate whether or not you can be successful, and definitely don't feel a need to sabotage. Do you. Do the prep, enjoy the food, and be available to support him without making any part of it contingent on him doing this alongside you.

As far as him snacking on food you intended to use, could you maybe set him up a "snack center" in the fridge? This would just be a place where anything you put in it is totally okay for him to grab and munch on, which will hopefully prevent him from grabbing things you plan to use.

^ The opposite end of that is to actually group and label the things that you're planning to use, so it's evident that they're not up for grabs. We do that with some of our stuff sometimes -- put separate things in smaller baggies, then put them all in a gallon baggie (or bigger plastic bag) with a note "DO NOT EAT! Will be part of dinner on ______."

I agree that giving yourself an "on-ramp" to a new round is a great idea, and might help overcome the start-up stress. Just remember, this is all for you... if others benefit, then awesome, but it starts with you.

[Beets]

Getting in the “I’ll start over tomorrow” cycle is really easy but also (for me) a big pitfall. Bc, my brain says, if I’m starting over tomorrow I can and should eat all the bad stuff I mgiht want to eat after I start. 

I think as far as doing it together goes don’t wait for him. If he gets healthier and develops a liking for healthier food that’s awesome. Don’t let him derail you though. 

As far as him eating your prepped food? Ack that would also drive me crazy. I’d def put my foot down there. As you know the hardest but also best thing is prepping and planning all your food. I’d be like if you’re on this w me great if not don’t eat all my food! 

Labeling the “ok to eat” and “don’t touch on penalty of ___”  in your fridge is a good idea. 

ETA: I just read your first post and I 100% relate. I was here 4-5 years ago and finished 3 or 4 Wholes including a long stretch of super strict AIP eating. It was really hard to get back on the program and I started and stopped a few times. I also dealt with a lot of family stuff anxiety etc etc. Every time I’d consider starting up I’d be like, ehhh but then I can’t drink on vacation or when X happens etc etc. So I’d do it partially—like I’ll do it all except I’ll still drink wine—-and that never works. The all or nothing thing works well bc there is no gray area. 

I saw some pics of me from this weekend and I was like  that is it I’m starting today and I still haven’t shopped but that all or nothing thing kept me from having a drink at the beach. (My ritual.) And you know what? It was 1000x easier to get my kids to bed and I woke up with a clear head and it’s starting to feel like I can get back to the old me.    

[Beckha99]

So here is the scary part so far...I have eaten compliant since Monday, but have still had my wine. EVEN with the wine, yesterday I had so much energy. I could tell a huge difference. Why is that scary? BECAUSE what the hell have I been putting in my body that I can eat better even while still having my wine at night and feel SOOOOO much better!!! So when I go to start day 1 this Sunday, I am hoping I can do even better. 

I know that there will still be a certain amount of suck to the process (especially with the sugar detox from the vino), but I am even more motivated to do it now. I have also really started to look for new recipes as well. Especially for dinners. It actually is nice not to eat the same chicken and vegetables every day. I figure I will cook whole 30 compliant dinners for everyone (my 10 year old son is NOT excited about this), and then I can do breakfast and lunch just me. Even after I ranted yesterday about my husband eating the food I prepped, he came back with a bang last night and made me rethink things.  When I was cooking dinner and said he was really proud that I have been actively working on finding new healthy (and yes still yummy) for the family, and was super impressed. It felt good to have positive feedback from him. Even if he didn't know I wanted to strangle him yesterday afternoon! LOL

So I want to share the recipes that I have tried for dinner this week thus far because they were sooooo good. 

https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-burrito-bowls-whole30/ These taco bowls were amazing and filling! My kids both said that the cauli rice tasted a little weird, but said it was still good. I did use a different cauliflower rice then normal, so maybe it was that, but I thought it was great!!! 

https://www.theendlessmeal.com/thai-chicken-zoodle-soup/ My husband, 13 year old, and I LOOOOOVVVVEEEDDD this. My 10 yearly ate half and then asked for a PB&J. But at least he tried it!

I appreciate everyone's feedback! It really helps! Thanks y'all!

[Beckha99]

Ok, so I am now on actual day 2. My husband has told me again that he is 100% on board. I told him I will supply whole30 dinners, and lunches of left overs (as much as I can), and he needs to make sure he is compliant on the rest of his meals on his own. I thought this was a good compromise after last week's derailing disaster. 

My food yesterday was fine. I don't have leftovers from dinner last night. I mean, I did, BUT my husband gave some of our dinner to the neighbors (we had chicken wings with the whole30 buffalo sauce). He was returning a bowl they brought us food in, and we usually have a policy not to return a dish without something to give them. Now here is the thing...I love my neighbors. They are a cute elderly couple and I know the husband loves hot wings. I felt like a total jerk saying no don't share any. So I said, I am not sure if we are going to have enough for our lunches tomorrow if we do that. Hubby says "You can have the leftovers and I will eat some fruit or something for lunch." So I am a stay at home mom, and he works. So I said "No you just take the left overs." (there was enough for one lunch) "I can fix something else since I will be at home." At the time I felt like it was the nice thing to do, but now at lunch time it makes me angry. I am not sure if I am angry at him, or at myself for not sticking up for myself and telling him if he decides to gift some of our dinner, that's on him. Maybe I need a marriage counselor along with my Whole30. I am mad at him, but ultimately, I feel like it is my own fault. Deep breath.

ANYWHO, on the subject of food, I am frustrated today with recipes. I have 2 recipes that I have most of the ingredients for, but am having trouble finding the last few things. Also, several of the things were pretty expensive. We are a military family without a lot of extra cashflow, so when I can't find date paste for a recipe, and have to buy whole dates to make the paste, plus sugar free dried cranberries for my salad recipe, BAM! $20 in addition to all the other ingredients. I know that my health and body are worth it, but school just started so we have all kinds of additional expenses this month for back to school stuff. I know my recipes are my choice, but when I research to find good ones, and make plans for a recipe to be dinner, it is hard to change at the last minute. (PS-I never knew dates were that expensive.) I guess I am going to have to do more research when looking at recipes, and check prices before I commit. And plan meal further out. Even though I completely suck at planning in advance. 

My sleep was fitful. I got approximately 4.5 hours of sleep last night. Between the general restlessness and the heat, it was a tough night. I know I need to endure a few nights where sleep is hard to come by while my body is detoxing from everything. I am trying to be patient, but with back-to-school, a heatwave, and a drastic change in my eating, I am a grumpy jerk. So that's the tea on day 2 sis. Give me strength!! 

[Jihanna]

Beckah, the very best meal-planning suggestion I can give you is to plan around the local sales.

My method goes a bit like this...

1. Know the Non-Sale Pricing. If I know what my usual buys cost when they're not on sale, I know if I can afford recipes using those items when they're not on sale. This means I can have some "standard" recipes that I know will be affordable regardless, giving me a little more room to buy slightly more expensive things for "special" meals we don't do as often.

2. Check this Week's Sales. I always check the weekly ad for at least Kroger (where the majority of my shopping is done) and Sprouts (where we get probably half of our weekly produce, sometimes more, depending on sales). I make a list of anything on sale (including the pricing, any limits to how much I can buy, etc.) that I might end up wanting or needing. Because I know the non-sale pricing on standard items, I can easily judge if the price is better at one store or the other.

3. Meal-Plan Based on the Sales. I plan 5 family meals each week. At least 3 of those use on-sale protein or protein frozen from another week's sale. Usually I can manage to get all of my protein on sale, unless I'm doing a "special" meal. I do those far less often now (not on round, but still cook 99% of family meals totally compliant) than I did during my first Whole30. Almost all of our veggies are gotten on sale, either from my usual stores or from the produce market's bargain bin, which saves us a ton because trust when I say we go through some veggies in this house!

4. Don't Over-Complicate. One of the things that got me during my first Whole30 was that I wanted to be able to do super-awesome meals that I was reading about, with complicated steps and lots of prep and ingredients I'd rarely heard of and never used... after that month, I kept up with doing compliant meals, but I started finding things that we liked and were easier to throw together. I definitely still do a fair amount of prep, but that first month routinely saw me doing 1.5-2 hours of prep for each meal. That's insane, trust me! So now I tend to pick easier recipes that we'll enjoy but that won't make me feel like it's a chore to put it all together.

5. Substitutions are Okay! Trade out expensive grape or cherry tomatoes with chopped Roma or another tomato. Use a different lettuce, skip the expensive cabbage and just use green stuff, try carrots in place of parsnips, etc. If sugar-free dried cranberries are expensive, maybe use a little fresh fruit instead (I personally love fresh blackberries on my salads, when I can get them on a good sale).

6. Check Bulk Options. On this one, I'm not meaning "bulk" like what you get at Costco or Sam's, but rather the bulk bins at places like Sprouts or Whole Foods. This is especially important for things that you don't keep on hand and don't know if it's worth buying a whole container. Stuff like raw nuts, nut flours, coconut flour, nutritional yeast, etc., often can be gotten cheaper this way than in pre-packaged bags. Some stores will have a section with herbs and spices, also, which makes it nice for spices or blends you're not sure you'll use again.

I know it LOOKS like a lot, but it's a fairly straight-forward process, especially once you get used to doing it. I make my grocery list up while I'm writing up my meal plan, and then immediately put everything I'm getting from Kroger into my online cart... and order for pick-up. I think we probably save at least $20-$30 every week just by ordering online, since I'm NOT walking every aisle and staring down sales on stuff we don't actually need.

Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully there will be some inspiration there  

[Beckha99]

Thanks Jihanna!! I appreciate the time you took to type that out. You have really great points! Maybe I can also use the whole30 to help me be less of a procrastinator and more of a planner. Always my weak spot. 

[Emma]

Becka99, I LOVE reading your posts and your struggle to get onto your "actual Day 2". You may have seen that I have had a few struggles as well. I think I managed to avoid the forum for the most part during the down days. It is not easy at all! Easy and not easy.

Your marriage counseling comment had me laughing. I totally got miffed at my husband for taking my leftovers to work for his lunch. What's up with that! We have plenty of prepackaged crap food for him to take like Madras Curry and Lentils packages and frozen tamales, but noooooo, he takes MY stuff.  The first time we did Whole30, we did it as a family and we cleared out all the cabinets and fridge and prepped the kids and we all chose recipes and then I did the food prep and we were all on board. It was great. This time, the only Whole30 my family is doing is at the dinner table and that's only if you ignore the chips, salsa, and beer that preceded it (husband) and the desert that follows it (kids), but since we are all eating healthier meals and since I don't really want those things, it's okay. It's really tricky if somebody actually wants to do Whole30, but isn't reading the book or doing the research or hanging on the forum because they want the perks without the internal drive to understand the process which makes it just like a diet. I do wish my husband would do it again though. He slept SO well on Whole30 and I get tired of him not sleeping and then not finding a solution.

I hope you're Day Three goes well. I was struggling last night to get through my Day Four. I don't think I have much room in me to mess up and start again so I'd better stick with it. Ugh. This first week is so tricky isn't it?! We can do it!!!

[Beckha99]

Today is Day 3-

Last night was ROUGH! I had to coach my son's basketball practice until 630. BTW-heat wave in CA, so it was 87 degrees, no air conditioning in the gym, and trying to teach a bunch of 9-10 year olds drills, etc. I should have lost like 20 lbs just from sweating. Unfortunately, I was feeling really bloated last night too. So while I should have felt better with the activity, I just felt like a fat tub of lard. Also, coaching 9-10 year olds while on day 2 of the whole30, yikes. 

We got home around 645pm, all of us sweating like we vacationed on the sun, and it was time to make dinner. A crockpot whole30 recipe for a busy night you say? Not for this chick. Nope. I instead made my kids some stuffed chicken breasts (pre-made/frozen) and veggies, while I started on brand new recipe for the hubby and myself. Then, my husband walks in the door while I am: sweating (it still hasn't stopped from practice!), corralling the kids to take showers, do homework, etc, cooking 2 separate dinners, and says "Do you want the bad news, or the bad  news?" At that point I just stopped and stared at him. WTH? Seriously dude? Do you see me here? What on god's green earth would make him look at me and think to say that right then?? I decided to ignore him, but he didn't catch the hint. So, he goes on for however long talking about how he has to be in someone's retirement ceremony on Friday, and oops the uniform he needs no longer fits so he needs to buy a whole new one and have it altered before Friday. You know, cause I was TOTALLY expecting that extra 150.00 expense. Did he not know I spent $20 on dates and cranberries yesterday? After that, he quickly disappeared upstairs and left me to finish dinner. 

I was running around the kitchen like a chick with my head cut off for the next 40 minutes making dinner. Yes it was a salad, but it had a million weird things in it, and I hate to make date paste. DATE PASTE PEOPLE!! That was a mess. Of course right before I was done, everyone reappeared downstairs to ask when dinner would be ready and just get in my way in general. I plated the kids dinners, chucked the contained with the mixed salad on the counter and told my husband to eat whenever he was ready, grabbed a sparkling mineral water, and went outside and sat in the quiet with the dog for 15 minutes. 

From the time I got home to the time I went to bed, I just kept thinking how awesome a glass of wine would be. I was trying to rationalize quitting. "It's ok. I can eat mostly w30, and still have occasional wine, and be good. I don't need to do the entire 30 days. I can do it Monday through Friday and take weekends off. I will still be healthier then when I started and was eating like total crap, right?" Then, I thought about last week, and having to start over. I was like, "Man, if I didn't get off track, today would be day 8 instead of day 2." That was the worst. When I thought about that way, it was a little easier to stay on track. No matter what I wanted today, next week when I realize the time and effort I gave up it wouldn't feel worth it. 

So here I am on day 3. Feeling like it should be day 12 at least. Is it sad that my proud moment so far today has been eating my breakfast (eggs with sautéed veggies, avocado and salsa, with one approved sausage patty). I also had a small bowl of cantaloupe, but after the eggs I didn't want it so I put it back. Since I have been eating eggs for the last week and a half, I think I am at the point where I go from 3 eggs down to 2. Because, well, eggs repetitively eventually don't taste as good as when you started. So here is to only 27 more days of breakfast eggs! 

Sleep-I got another 4.5 hours last night. I wish I knew why I have a hard time sleeping. And, even though it was cool in my room last night, I was sweating like CRAZY. Is that happening to anyone else? I know it is gross, but for the past 3 days, no matter how cool it gets at night I am a total sweatbox. 

Tonight I am making chili. Totally makes sense. 90 degrees...chili...yup!  Sorry about rambling folks. 

[Jihanna]

Congratulations for making it to Day 3!!! I felt like you needed a least a little fanfare on that one. (((hug)))

57 minutes ago, Beckha99 said:

Tonight I am making chili. Totally makes sense. 90 degrees...chili...yup!  Sorry about rambling folks. 

I totally get this. I made chili last night, nevermind that our heat index has been around 100 for a handful of days straight.

For sleeping, especially when it's been hot and nasty, I've found nighttime showers help me. I like to do mine late enough that I'll be going to bed with combed but slightly damp hair, which helps to keep me cooler while trying to go to sleep. I also have a little spray bottle with distilled water and a few drops each of peppermint and lavender essential oils, and I mist that over myself if needed, which gives the AC and fan something to grab hold of and usually winds up driving me to find a thin sheet for partial cover.

I'm sorry it's been such a struggle, despite enjoying reading the recaps. It's awesome that you were able to look forward into next week and see that you'd be disappointed if you gave up today, though... truly amazing, and I'd actually consider that something of an NSV, in my book.

[Emma]

10 hours ago, Beckha99 said:

From the time I got home to the time I went to bed, I just kept thinking how awesome a glass of wine would be. I was trying to rationalize quitting. "It's ok. I can eat mostly w30, and still have occasional wine, and be good. I don't need to do the entire 30 days. I can do it Monday through Friday and take weekends off. I will still be healthier then when I started and was eating like total crap, right?" Then, I thought about last week, and having to start over. I was like, "Man, if I didn't get off track, today would be day 8 instead of day 2." That was the worst. When I thought about that way, it was a little easier to stay on track. No matter what I wanted today, next week when I realize the time and effort I gave up it wouldn't feel worth it

Laughing - Oh, the rationalizations! Good thing I wasn't sitting right next to you because all your ideas sounded really reasonable

But yeah, being back at the beginning isn't fun so I think opting for just plodding along and staying the course is a good thing.

It is so tricky to remember that it will be worth it one month from now. One measly month. And yet, in the now, it seems so daunting. But we can do it.

Caring for your family and financial stress and date paste.....you've got a lot going on! And eggs. I'm with ya. I eat eggs every morning. They're so easy. But I need to break away at some point. Hopefully at some point I will start making enough food to have leftovers for breakfast and for lunch. I can't believe I am yearning for a fridge of leftovers!

And the sweating - that's weird, but interesting. My cycle and my perimenopause rhythms are totally affected by changes in diet or changes in caffeine consumption. It's always a bit eye opening for me to realize that the food and coffee is impacting my hormones. No clue why you are sweating - maybe it's the toxins leaving your body!!!  That's a great thing to have happen. Or change in salt intake? Who knows, but I do hope you sleep better tonight. And if you don't, know that you will be sleeping really well in just another week or two if we stick with things - which we'll do - cuz we're brilliant strong women.

[Amy_Michigan]

I totally agree with the shower in the evening advice.  It helps me!   Today my brain was rationalizing quitting as well.  Not because of cravings, thank God, but just the whole idea of eating a lot of saturated fats.  I decided I am going to continue on, but since eating red meat is not a rule on the Whole30, I'm going to try to incorporate more fish, chicken, and turkey, and cut out red meat.  Just a personal choice.  And I cut out eggs because it's just not appetizing to me...going to only use those when I make salmon cakes or tuna patties.  I like that for a restrictive 30-day plan, there is a lot of wiggle room for how you can do it and still follow the rules.  Also, I like that when I'm bored of the types of foods I'm eating, or getting stressed out by all of the cooking, I can just try to think of my favorite foods from when I was 10 years old and try to make them with compliant ingredients.

[Beckha99]

Day 4- Is the day over yet? 

Today is a horrible, no good, very bad day. Sleep last night said 5 hours, but there is no way I got that much. None. My husband woke me up around 5 to let me know he had a headache. An hour later when I woke up to my alarm, I had a headache, and cramps (guess what time it is?!?!) I was so exhausted, the only reason I was able to force myself out of bed was because I needed to take advil for the cramps. Let's just say today has been a kill all the things day.

Nothing has gotten me out of this funk that is looming over me today. I didn't want to finish my breakfast. I ate lunch, but mostly because I felt like I had to, or things would get sketchy later in the day. It is now 4pm, and there is no way I am going to put a dinner together.

I feel gross. It is in the 90s, and my body already wants to crawl in bed for the night. The only thing I accomplished today was getting the kids their school supplies. Other then that. Nothing. Can I just have a bowl of fruit for dinner? I know there is no protein, but I am not hungry. And I am not doing it because I want something sweet. It i just easy, and compliant. I can't even muster the energy to be funny. I want to take a nap, but with how crappy I have been sleeping it will probably ruin my sleeping tonight. Maybe it will be better tomorrow. 

[Amy_Michigan]

When I feel like that I just look in my fridge or the cupboards and take everything out that doesn't need prep and then pick and chose and start eating. Once when I was looking in the cupboards I found canned tuna and I was like "WOW, I'm so LUCKY!"  My before-whole-30 self would be laughing at me.  I poured the tuna into a pan, dumped an egg in with it and some almond flour and just started whipping it together in the pan and adding salt.  It turned out yummy even if it wasn't pretty.  Frozen veggies prepared in microwave then done.  

[Jihanna]

Fruit is compliant. It doesn't meet the template, but I think all of us have days where we're totally off-template... and mine are usually right around that same time you're experiencing now. It sucks, big time, but it happens and we roll with the gut-wrenching punches our bodies throw us. Go with something compliant that you feel like you can manage to eat and keep down.

My period go-to is starch, and I purposefully ramp up my starchy vegetable intake a bit during the time leading up to it (up to about double the usual amount during). I also increase protein and iron, and eat lots of salads because they're easy enough for me to do quickly (I try to prep strips of chicken and then just have Romaine hearts that I chop up literally an entire heart for a salad, then throw other stuff on top, lol).

For cramps I drink peppermint tea, and for nausea I use ginger tea. For headaches, I use peppermint and rosemary oil -- I typically spread it on my scalp after a shower, but I've also "cheated" before by actually mixing it in with my shampoo, which gives me a very nice session of shower aromatherapy. I'm happy to grab the ibuprofen if necessary, too, and can't even imagine feeling bad about it.

(((hugs)))

I'm currently dreading mine, because I know it's fast-approaching and I've strayed a bit from my "mostly paleo" by exercising a bit of judicious food freedom... it was definitely worth it, but I do realize it'll have an effect!

[Emma]

Hopefully a good 24 hours of cramps and ugg will pass and you'll feel better. Stay the course. It's good stuff we're doing and our bodies will appreciate it. Power through it and watch some good tv is you are able!!! (And why is your husband waking you up to share that he has a headache! That was a rhetorical question. Mine wakes me up thinking he's dying. I tell him the heartburn is most likely all the spicy food he ate or the stomach ache is from eating two whole pizzas, but he still thinks it's always some obscure malady that warrants a visit to the ER. We don't go to the ER, but we do interfere with my sleep!)

Sometimes, I like to go to bed and daydream about the coffee I'm going to have when I wake up. It makes me smile.

Hope you do sleep well and you do feel better.

[Amy_Michigan]

Hope this weekend has been going well for you!    Just think, you will be a 1 week in, only 3 to go and it will get easier!!

[Beckha99]

Day 8- 

Day 8 seems like a blessing and a curse. It is over the one week mark officially, but I say 8 and then I say 30, and I am like "Whoa! That kinda seems like forever away." I am feeling pretty good. Saturday was really busy (which I prefer on the whole30 because it keep me from thinking about things I want and can't have). Although, I took my son to a birthday party, and his friend is from a lovely Filipino family. What is that important? Because they have bday parties that include kids and adults, and they have food. Not just any food, but LUMPIA!! Seriously, I dropped that kid off like a hot potato and ran! LOL All the food smelled amazing and terrible for me. 

My patience is wearing thin with my husband and daughter. My daughter is 15 and she is funny because she keeps saying she is eating whole30 with us, and then comes around the corner with string cheese or a turkey sandwich on bread. That's right I said the B word. So here is the deal with these two. First of all, they are like refrigerator ninjas. If there are leftovers from the previous nights dinner I make, they somehow get in there undetected and eat it before I even think about my lunch. Yesterday, I went totally bonkers on them, and told them I am sick of everyone eating the food, but ignoring me when I need help cooking it. They thought I was hilarious. I was not being funny. So take that and combine it with the fact that my husband has decided to post his damn weight on the dry erase board on the refrigerator. Ummm WHAT??? I asked him if he even understood what the whole30 is supposed to be about. He was like "Sure, my relationship with food and yada, yada." He said he was well aware of how what he puts in his body affects the way he feels etc, but he needs the weight measurement for his motivation. 

I know logically I have lost some weight and space on my body, but his is super visible, and now with the weight counter (he lost 8.5 pounds in a freaking week!!) I just feel like I am not doing as well. Sometimes, it is hard to do this with someone else for you to compare your body changes with. I know I am not supposed to, but it happens. I am trying to concentrate on the non scale victories and stuff. I do feel so much better for the most part. I just need to concentrate on that. 

Last, night I had the worst headache. It was the first one since last week. It sucked, but it could have been worse. 

I guess my big deal this weekend was sleep. Glorious sleep! 7 hours on Friday, 9 on Saturday (Sooooo needed), and 6.25 last night. So much better than the 4 hours a night I was getting last week. On Sunday, I even went out in the yard on my own to mow and weed. My husband came out a little later. I think he felt guilty I was out there. It made me feel good that I was motivated to do it. Not just dragging my butt outside because I had to. 

I feel like I am getting back to having goals and wanting to do things. That is HUGE for me. Like I have enough energy that I cannot just sit on the couch and read. I have to do something. 

My biggest struggle right now, is planning my dinners. For the first week, I had found new recipes and was going along at a good clip. Now I am having a hard time with things that sound good, or deciding what to make. I am hoping I find some new things to try this week. 

Things to share: 

Here is an amazing recipe everyone in my family went nuts over. The blog Paleo Running Momma has so many good whole30 recipes if you like to try some different things. AND you can sort the recipes by diet: Whole30, Paleo, gluten free. That is a huge help for me! Anyway, this breakfast egg roll in a bowl is awesome! My husband and daughter said if I just made a ginormous batch, they would eat it every day. Honestly, I could eat it for breakfast everyday. 

https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/breakfast-egg-roll-bowl-paleo-whole30/

Also, if you have a Sprouts near you and you can find this sausage, you should try it. It is very tasty. I used it in the recipe above because I couldn't find any whole30 compliant ground pork sausage. Although, I had to account for the fact that the recipe calls for 1 lb (uncooked) of pork sausage, and this is already cooked. So obviously, you use less then a pound.  

[Jihanna]

I totally feel your pain on people wanting to eat but not help cook. I occasionally force my teen into the kitchen to help me get dinners cranked out on time, even when it's something I know she won't eat.

That said, in your situation, I think I'd probably threaten to stop cooking for them... and quite possibly actually stop, if they kept it up.

Oh, mama, I would really lose my zen on them and then find it again just so I could lose it once more.

Good luck!

[Amy_Michigan]

I feel like no one is really "doing" a whole 30 unless they are making their own meals.  Because if other the person stopped making meals or left for vacation they'd have to fend for themselves and probably would slip up if no one is there to hand them compliant food.  It is nice to have good intentions, but I would say the people not making their own food are on a "clean/whole foods diet" or "elimination diet" and the people who are actually making their own food is doing it to change their habits and lifestyle for the rest of their life. 

Mentally being prepared for having food in stock, meal planning, and cooking are all part of changing lifelong habits in my opinion.  I try to think about that...because I obviously might lose weight faster by tracking calories and eating 1200 per day and logging my food online.  But changing habits is key or else you WILL gain everything back eventually (unless logging food IS your forever lifestyle change I guess).  So I would rather lose weight slow and steady if my habits change for the better...if it takes me 2 years to lose 80 pounds, that is fine with me.

[Beckha99]

30 minutes ago, Amy_Michigan said:

I feel like no one is really "doing" a whole 30 unless they are making their own meals.

I totally agree. If I had a personal chef making all of my meals for me, I bet I would eat really great too. It sucks because I have to balance the fact that I do the cooking with the fact that he is the one working. I feel like it is 100% my job (I am good with guilting my way into things). BUT I could throw a frozen pizza in the oven in 15 minutes and say dinner is done, or I can take the 45 minutes to an hour it take to make a whole30 meal. They just don't see the difference.