My W30 log - Starting on August 15th

[Amura]

DAY 23

• Meal 1: Leftover beef stew, zucchini and carrots
• Meal 2: Steak, little green peppers and strawberries in coconut milk with cinammon
• Snack: A handful cashewes
• Meal 3: Spinachs with onion and canned tuna, plus one egg. And a cup of mint tea.

 

[Amura]

DAY 24

• Meal 1: Leftover beef stew, zucchini and carrots
• Meal 2: Bacalhau à Bras (Portuguese dish made mainly with cod & potato) with mayo, and a plain salad (lettuce, carrot, radishes)
• Meal 3: Pumpkin creamy soup (with carrots and potato), some small sardines and 1 banana

Today was a crazy day and I've felt quite stressed - but managed not to snack. YAY!

On the other hand, yesterday I downloaded an app to guide me thru some planking.
I'm gonna try to exercise my "core" as they say, and this app has a begginers routine which is very very short so it seems a good starting point for me. 

[Prairie Dawn]

Oooh a planking routine!  Love that!  I bet you'll see yourself getting stronger really quickly.

Congrats on finishing Day 24!  You also reminded me that sardines exist - I LOVE sardines and tinned fish in general but always forget those are an option.  Going to pick some up on my next trip to the grocery store  

[Amura]

22 hours ago, Prairie Dawn said:

Oooh a planking routine!  Love that!  I bet you'll see yourself getting stronger really quickly.

Congrats on finishing Day 24!  You also reminded me that sardines exist - I LOVE sardines and tinned fish in general but always forget those are an option.  Going to pick some up on my next trip to the grocery store  

I'm the less sport-driven person EVER, I don't think I had made planks before so this is quite new for me.
This routine is also very short (these first days, each position is only 10-30 seconds or so, up to a total of 3 minutes) but it should be gradually longer. That's why I liked it, seems good for totally new people like me.
I'm nowhere near your vinyasa yoga workout!

But I think Whole30 has helped me to realize that I need to change other habits as well.
As this is something that I can make at home, that does not take long, and that provides a personal satisfaction 
I'm hoping to be consistent about it, let's see how I fare when work gets tougher.

Also. Canned fish rules. My grandpa used to have sardines for breakfast. I'm more of an egg person, but yeah, now I see the convenience.
I'll probably be using more of them for breakfast when I get up earlier.

DAY 25

• Meal 1: leftover beef stew & carrot, some lettuce, radishes and mayo
• Meal 2: Two hardboiled eggs, octopus, zucchini, carrot and one banana.
• Snack: Black tea and a handful of cashews.
• Meal 3: Octopus, one hardboiled egg, some bits of zucchini & carrot, one cup of pumpkin creamy soup with coconut milk.

Crazy day. Menstruation never helps.

I slept a bit poorly (I can't agree with my parents at certain points and there is a topic in which I would like to reach an agreement) but I did not feel too tired.
I think this could be how the Tiger Blood feels in me - nothing special, just not feeling easily exhausted.

Went to the city today. Wanted to spend te day in the mediaeval market - it was really cool.
My in-laws phoned early in the morning, he had a medical emergency and had to go to the hospital (in the same city) and needed my husband to drive them - but everything turned out ok.
We had brought our lunch, they bought some octopus (typical dish here, my fave food!) and joined us. It was nice.

My mother-in-law asked me how the diet was going, and if I had lost any weight.
I replied her that I don't know. I mean, sometimes I figure I did, but others I think it's just my imagination.
I'm really hoping that there is some weight loss, even if it's not much. NSV are great, but if you want to show others that a plan is working then numbers are much more convincing. (You'll say it's not about others but, for me at least, enviroment counts.)

Had an afternoon snack at home.
Because I had little fat at lunch I thought I could indulge in a handful cashews. I was not hungry but it felt agreeable to my stomach.

Also dinner was pretty much leftovers from lunch. Arranged them differently, just that.

[Amura]

DAY 26

• Meal 1: Omelette (3 eggs), lettuce, carrot, radishes and some mayo
• Meal 2: Barbecued marinated pork ribs, some salad and potatoes, also one banana
• Snack: Green tea
• Meal 3: Pumpkin creamy soup and a handful cashews

Today I felt quite sleepy - but I think it's more about my menstruation than my diet. Anyway it's not big deal during the weekend.
Morning spent playing on the beach, then visiting my in-laws for lunch and afterwards a nice walk back home. I don't plan to do planks today, I think the walk suffices.

My lunch was once again too protein-based so for dinner I decided to go for veggies and fat instead.
This is the first time I have a protein-less meal in 26 days, because I really did not feel like it. Again, it might be mentruation putting everything upside down, but I'm listening to my body in these kind of things.

Also I've been thinking about reintroduction a lot. Because, you know, only 4 days more and then I'm moving into reintroduction.
I'm a bit worried about possible after-effects. I may have not noticed much when removing some foods from my diet, but that does not mean I won't suffer noticeable issues when I reintroduce them.
And some of those after-effects might be very complicated to deal with at work... Oh, the idea of diarrhea at work is certainly scary.
So.
I think I'll be testing foods on Friday (lunch & dinner only) so I can deal with any uncomfortable situation during the weekend.

My day 31 falls on Friday (Sept 13th), so maybe checking my weight in the morning and reintroducing dairy the very same day. Yoghourt and cheese, most likely.
One week later (Sept 20th) I would test wheat. I'm thinking bread and pasta, because they are staples.

Then on Tuesday 24th we'll celebrate my husband's birthday with a homemade cake, and I'm considering whether I should exert my food freedom this early...
This could count as testing a risky combination (dairy + wheat flour + sugar) in a "worth it" kind of situation for me, I think.
Unless I had some after-effects during the previous tests, because then I would not risk feeling unwell in the middle of the week.

Later on (I have not decided the order yet) I would try some legumes (I really like peas, so peas got their own day, and probably other days for chickpeas, lentils and beans) and also some other grains (mostly rice and corn, not-so-sure about oats anymore, maybe baking some rye bread).
I think I want to make this into separate sections, just to see if some legumes/grains feel different from others.

This is a systematic approach but it would take me more than two months, so I guess it's neither fast track nor slow roll. 
I'm just gonna call it "my thing" 

[Amura]

DAY 27

• Meal 1: 2 hardboiled eggs, small sardines, lettuce, carrot and mayo
• Snack: Half an apple
• Meal 2: Pork sirloin, green little peppers, salad (lettuce, apple, carrot, almonds) and stawberries with coconut milk
• Meal 3: Green beans with potatoes and chorizo, one hardboiled egg

Yesterday I skipped my planks, I should try to do some today but I'm not feeling my best - menstruation pain.
I'll see later if I feel up to the task or I postpone it until I feel a bit better.

I'm getting very excited about finishing this 30 days plan. I'm almost there!
Looking forward reintroduction.

[Amura]

DAY 28

• Meal 1: Omelette (3 eggs, coconut milk), carrot, green beans and potatoes
• Meal 2: Sea bass, green beans, potatoes and black olives
• Snack: Green tea and a handful nuts
• Meal 3: Half an apple, wild asparagus, cherry tomatoes, an small portion of leftover pork sirloin, small sardines and a hanful black olives

So my menstruation has gone nuts. It hurted yesterday, it still hurts a bit today - but there is no bleeding at all 
3-days long periods are not normal, not for me anyway. The lack of blood is an oddity, the persistence of pain is even more so.
I don't even know if the Whole30 can affect to menstruation this way, I mean, it's supposed to change hormones in some ways, and they are all related and maybe my reproductive system needs adjusting too? I don't know.

Other than that, I'm fine.

Only two more days to go!

[Jihanna]

It can definitely throw things off in the period department, speaking from experience. I didn't notice a specific change to the composition of mine (same basic length overall, same general makeup in terms of heavier and lighter days), but my pain level tends to be different when I'm fully compliant, my PMS happens differently, and my cycle ends up getting thrown off by a week or two by the end of a 30-day round.

[Amura]

DAY 29 

• Meal 1: Omelette (3 eggs, coconut milk), pumpkin pureed soup
• Meal 2: Stewed rabbit and salad (lettuce, carrot, radishes, nuts, maio), green tea
• Snack: Black tea and a handful cashews
• Meal 3: Leftover sea bass, wild asparagus and sweet potato

Only one day to go - times flies!

Today I felt quite sleepy but I don't think it's food related. Weather was very hot and that always makes me a bit dizzy.
I noticed it midday and drank a tea after lunch, then I drank another one while I was cooking dinner, but I don't think it helped.
Oh, well, whatever.

Today I went back to my planking routine, but I decided to level down to the easiest ones because I do not want to overdo it.
I'm striving for consistency, not quick results. 

[Amura]

DAY 30

• Meal 1: Omelette (3 eggs, coconut milk), pumpkin pureed soup
• Snack: Black tea, a handful cashews
• Meal 2: Boiled hake, potatoes and carrots, plus some mayo
• Meal 3: Leftover rabbit, broccoli and sweet potato, some black olive oils

So here we are. Day 30 already.
In all honesty I thought this would be much harder, but it was not. It was rather easy, with very little issues. And time passed really quickly. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones

Tomorrow is day 31.
I'll be stepping on the scale right after breakfast, just out of curiosity. I think I've lost some weight, but I don't really care if the actual number is small. Anyway I think it's good doing something for one's health and I've made way better choices lately so I'm quite proud of myself.

But that does not mean I'm gonna make my Whole30 any longer. Tomorrow I'm officially in the reintroduction phase, and I'll start testing foods from the first day.
It's gonna be dairy, it's an easy test - yoghourt after lunch, some cheese with my dinner.
Then back to compliant for a week, and testing wheat next Friday.
I really want to figure out those two, because I think they are the ones in which my diet has changed drastically, so it would be nice to get some insight. And I'll be testing on Fridays just in case I don't feel so good for a day or two.

I'll keep posting here but I think I'm not gonna log my meals anymore.
I thought it would be useful in case I needed help or advice, but at this point I don't think it's of much use.
Also I'll be looking forward trying some fancy recipes. Up to this point I tried to focus on simple meals because I wanted to be as true as possible to the spirit of the program, and I was afraid that looking for new recipes would lead me stray. Now I feel much more confident on my skills to build a balanced set of meals within the Whole30 frame, so I think that it's time to get wild in the kitchen!

Things I have already learned and that I want to keep with me after Whole30:

• Breakfast should include veggies.
  I am a breakfast person, but veggies were not part of it most of the times. I realize now my mistake. It requires a bit of prepping for my everyday breakfast but I think it's worth it.
• Some foods may not be bad for me (I haven't tested yet) BUT in any case, they used to be the cause I had a reduced intake of veggies.
  When I make pasta or rice, I usually pair it with a protein - not with veggies. When I make legumes (which are a protein source anyway) I pair them with even more protein - and only a little bit of veggies . When I make a dairy-based sauce for a meat dish, I don't reduce the amount of meat in it - I limit the side dish which would be typically veggies.
  So even if those foods end up feelin ok, I must forge a plan to make sure I have enough veggies with them!
• Prepping and cooking large amounts of my go-to veggies is a real time saver.
  I used to prep only one day in advance, and I keep doing so with my protein sources (I like to buy them very fresh) but having veggies ready to eat allow me to make a quick breakfast, to fix something easily while the rest of the family eats non-compliant meals, etc.
• Sugar was not that hard to quit after all. 
  I have struggled with it for so long, trying to eat my tea unsweetened, never managed to do so. I see now that I needed to go an step further to be able to see it with clarity.
  I'll be keeping a no-sugar rule, with exception of special occassions and homemade treats.

This sense of accomplishment is great. I'm hoping that all of those who are now in the middle of their Whole30 reach this blissful point.

And thank you everybody for reading my rants!

[Prairie Dawn]

Congratulations on hitting Day 30!  WOOHOO!  I've enjoyed reading your logs and it sounds like you've reached some really great conclusions.  Love your emphasis on veggies and planning ahead - honestly, this is such a perfect takeaway I'm going to try and remember it for myself just in everyday life!

 

[Amura]

Thanks!

Yeah, I think it's been worth it indeed.
I mean, you hear about how important veggies are all the time, but I used to think I was eating enough of them.
Whole30 has been eye opening in that sense, I really could be eating way more veggies than I used to, only if I made room for them in my meals.

I still don't know how other foods affect me (if at all) so it's impossible to reach any other kind of conclussions, but at this point I feel like just having reaching a better understanding of how important veggies are and proving myself that I can easily live with no sugar are worth-mentioning milestones. I guess you can say those are my overall NSV.

And today I weighted myself first thing in the morning. I have lost almost 4 kg (that's about 8 lb) in 30 days, and I think that's impressive!
It's a lot of weight for someone who has been eating such large meals, and making just a tiny bit of exercise.

I'm looking forward losing some more during reintroduction (probably not that much, I'm sure testing foods will mess it all up a bit) and hopefully find a point where I can steadily lose smallish amounts of weight until I reach my desired weight (dropping about 15kg - that's about 30lb). 
I had not expected to lose so much to begin with and definetely I'm not in a hurry to lose it all, but I must admit that sheding some weight off makes me more positive about the fact that it's feasible (which at certain points in my life seemed unlikely).

[Amura]

DAY 30 + 2

Yesterday I ate dairy derivates, namely yoghurt after lunch and snaked on mature cheese during dinner.
I did not notice anything right after eating and I'm feeling perfectly fine today. No reaction whatsoever.

This lack of reaction tempts me to move forward in a "fast track" fashion, but on the other hand it might be wise making it slow and letting the body readjust a bit at a time.
I'll see how this goes. I like planning ahead but I'm gonna try to be flexible.

Also. I have decided I will weight myself again when the reintroduction is over.
Just to see if I actually lose a bit more weight during this new period.

[Amura]

Tonight was horrible, I slept really really bad.
My son woke me up and I could not sleep any more, thoughts about all the things I should be doing kept creeping into my mind and they would not let me rest.
I ended up getting up in the middle in the night to do some work.

I felt awful the whole day.
I wanted to take a nap but my son was in a too playful mood to let me sleep (I've always been a bad sleeper and I need certain situations to be able to fall aslept).

But I did not crave sweets.

Whenever I had a bad night, my body always asked for extra energy - of course in the shape of caloric bombs, preferably baked treats.
So a bad night was followed by a lot of bad food choices, which left me not only tired but also losing confidence.

Today I feel exhausted, I do, my body needs to rest, but definetely I'm much happier about my response to the situation.

So I guess this is another NSV for me  

[Amura]

I messed up my reintroduction.
I'm not sad about that. To be honest it was more of a concious choice than a slip.

I've been logging everything since I began Whole30 and I wanted to log my reintroduction as well, so I'm gonna do it anyway.

Last friday (a whole week after testing dairy) was the turn for wheat. I eat some bread with my luch (not much) and pasta for dinner.
The pasta dish was complicated. I made spaghetti á la carbonara, which we all love (other than pasta it's bacon & egg, I skipped on the cheese) and I served only half a plate, the rest being veggies. It was not easy, felt kinda weird, I don't know, required a lot of conviction (but I'm pretty sure that's the way to go).

Anyway I felt great. It was tasty and there were no undesireble side effects, not that day neither the later ones.

I meant to move on "fast track" after that, because I did not expect reactions to anything else to be honest.
I meal planned everything so I had 2 days in-between tests.
And that's when everything went wrong, some unexpected leftovers, some changes to the plan... and I had to either make extra meals for me or either go with the flow and accept that I would not have 2 days in-between some tests.
I chose the latter.
Hell, I even chose to eat birthday cake in my husband's birthday - made with half the sugar the recipe called for anyway, because cake recipes are usually too sugary.

I guess it's ok because I did not feel any worse at all, so it's quite safe assuming that I would not have any reaction had I introduced them according to the manual. Also still managed to lose weight (1.5kg, about 3 pounds).
But at this point, after testing all the things I eat more frequently, I think it's time for me to move on.
Yes, to move on to my food freeedom.

I've learned a lot from this Whole30.
I did not have any health issues neither noticed important changes in my overall health, as other people do, but I've learned that my seemingly large-enough daily portion of veggies was much smaller than it ought, that I could quite sugar completely from my routine, that if I eat enough in my meals I can easily say no to snacks.
So I'm gonna take all I've learned and create some framework, some rules, to keep going from here. And definetely creating a post-whole30 log for accountability.

Thank you to everybody who cared to read this thread at any point or another