JessFind's Whole 30 Log - Sept. 2nd-30th

[heb2014]

1 hour ago, Prairie Dawn said:

Also, if you like the flavor of hummus and are ok with a lot of prep work (roasting, pureeing, etc), baba ghanoush is a pretty great alternative to eat with cut up vegetables - it's a roasted eggplant dip made with tahini, garlic, and olive oil.  

I'm a big hummus fan so during planning I googled no bean hummus recipes and found all sorts of things to use in place of chickpeas: roasted carrots, broccoli, beets, zucchini. I'm excited to try some of them.

[JessFind]

Day 4 - 3:30pm: I feel awesome! Today has been amazing. I had a good night's sleep and woke up feeling very rested. I've been SUPER awake all day, alert, and have 0 trace of a headache which literally never happens for me. I know I'll have more hard days ahead, but I hope this is my new norm! 

[JessFind]

Day 4 - Sept.5th: 

This day was amazing! I had consistent good energy all day -- not even a mid-afternoon slump -- and didn't have a headache. As someone with chronic headaches, that's a miracle. So here's what I ate: 

 

Breakfast: I learned my lesson from the day before and had a heartier breakfast of an omelette with turkey, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and spinach with a small side of potatoes. 

Lunch: Leftover chicken with Brussels sprouts and broccoli. I kind of had to choke it down. But it did the trick and kept me full. 

Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs and some grapes. 

Dinner: Zoodles with ground turkey and compliant pasta sauce. I need to perfect my zoodles recipe more. I baked them on 350 for 15 min and they were pretty mushy. If anyone has any tips, I'd be all ears! You guys had such great tips yesterday. 

I rode the wave of my newfound energy and did more meal prep last night. I hit up Whole Foods and got some new compliant dressing that I'm excited to use as a dipping sauce and more veggies. After dinner I prepped two turkey burgers that I'll use with a lettuce wrap, made some other lettuce wraps with turkey, prosciutto, tomato, and onion; and I made more bacon, and prepped a stuffed avocado with the bacon, tomatoes and onion. 

On to Day 5! 

[JessFind]

Day 5 - Sept. 6th: 

I usually like to fill out my daily experience the day after because I want it to be accurate to what happened, but I'm filling out today's in the morning to allow for weekend craziness if I don't get to it tomorrow morning. I didn't have quite as restful of a night's sleep as I did the day before, so I didn't wake up feeling as incredibly awake, but I still feel like I have good energy and I still don't have a headache anymore. So yay! 

So here's what I have planned today: 

Breakfast: I already ate one of the halves of the stuffed avocado I prepped. It was yummy! 

Snack: I have two of the lettuce wraps with turkey and prosciutto that I prepped the night before. I'm not sure if I'll need both of them but I have them just in case. 

Lunch: I have one of the turkey burgers I prepped with iceburg lettuce as a "bun", tomato, and some compliant avocado mayo. 

Dinner: I'm not totally sure what we'll do. Probably some chicken and veggies.  

Notice anything different about today? I have no fruit! I didn't even notice this until I was on my way to work after packing my lunch. I think you guys were right in that I was leaning on fruit in the earlier days to balance out my extreme lack of sugar. I still don't think that was necessarily the wrong thing to do for me, but I am excited to see that my brain isn't going to that anymore now that I'm feeling good.  

[JessFind]

Friday Thoughts

(Sorry for all the posts this morning. I don't expect anyone to read them all, I'm just using them as a record for if/when I do this again.) 

I think I'm going start a weekly Friday post about thoughts from the workweek and preparing myself for weekend temptations. 

The last 5 days have been an adventure. I didn't know what to expect going into the Whole 30. I knew I needed a change in my life and was inspired by friends who said how great they felt during it. So I dove in, despite some other friends thinking it wasn't a good idea because it was so restrictive. I came in doubting myself a bit. I had done diets so many times in my life. I always came in hopeful, meal prepped like a champ that first Sunday, but then quickly fell off the wagon. Why would this time be different? 

Well, it is different. I can already tell. I think sugar and carbs are a HUGE factor in this. In diets before, I would still allow myself to have my daily Coke Zero, and saw spinach tortillas as a way to have less carbs in my lunch sandwich. I allowed myself weekly "cheat" days where I would binge on high-calorie, high-processed foods. I would allow myself an alcoholic drink here and there. All of this meant that I never broke the cycle. I still had fake sugar and processed foods in my system. The diet became this thing I was just doing until the next cheat day. And soon, every day was a cheat day again. 

Day 2 and 3 of this was very very hard. I was extremely tired. I had trouble focusing on my work (or anything else). I was grumpy. But thankfully the things I prepared on Sunday carried me through to Day 4. Day 4 was really a breakthrough! I don't remember myself feeling that good in probably years. Day 5 is shaping up to be the same. I think I've turned the corner. Finally.

Non-Scale Victories for the week: More energy, better sleep, much less swelling in my feet and hands.

Weekend Temptations: 

Holy cow, you guys, this weekend is going to be a TEST. I don't know if you all saw my post in the other forum where I said I'm the wife of a baker, but this on Saturday we're a vendor in a local market, which means today and tomorrow the house will fill with smells of cookies, cupcakes, and scones. OH - and it's a fall market, which means they'll be literally my FAVORITE kind. That's right, pumpkin spice scones and cinnamon apple cupcakes. And then I have to be next to them all day and sell them! All without taking a single bite of anything. 

Sunday will be another super hard day. My good friend is having her birthday at Jeni's ice cream by my house. Now, I'm not necessarily a huge ice cream fan. I mean, I like it, I'm not a monster, but I don't really crave it. But Jeni's is another story. Literally my first craving during Day 2 was for Jeni's cream ice cream. I thought about not going to the party, but my friend has supported me in so much, even when she didn't feel great, that I'm going to try to show up for her. And watch all my friends eat the ice cream. And smell the smell of fresh waffle cones. And sit there with my water. 

Phew. If I make it to Monday, I deserve some champagne! Oh wait ... we're not doing that anymore.  Hopefully the pride of getting through those temptations will be reward enough, and by then I hope to feel even better, if that's even possible. I'll still make time to meal prep on Sunday and will be scouring the two Whole 30 cookbooks I bought for some inspiration. 

Have a good weekend, everyone! 

[Prairie Dawn]

Oh man, that local market with all those delicious fall bakery goodies sounds TOUGH.  And to be so close to them and so involved... oof!  You got this, though!  Sounds like Day 4 was awesome for you and you're over the really difficult first few days.  It's amazing that you can already see and feel a difference in your body and energy levels.

About your zoodles: I find that zucchini gets mushy pretty quickly, what I like to do is just quickly pan-saute them in a  very hot pan with some oil or ghee, almost like you're stir-frying them.  It only takes maybe 1-2 minutes, just enough for them to warm through.  Any longer than that and they start to steam (and get mushy) because they have such a high water content.  Also, have you tried spaghetti squash?  That's pretty great with marinara and meat sauce too.

Keep up the awesome work!  Good luck with the bakery treats and the ice cream proximity - you'll do great!

[JessFind]

@Prairie Dawn Thanks so much, lady!! Fingers crossed my willpower is high enough that day. Gotta make sure I eat enough that morning so I'm not hungry and tempted! 

[Amura]

5 hours ago, JessFind said:

(Sorry for all the posts this morning. I don't expect anyone to read them all, I'm just using them as a record for if/when I do this again.) 

But we do 
It's always great to see how others do, to support each others, to find inspiration in their achievements  

And I want to say that you are doing awesome, and it's impressive how much you've learned about yourself and dieting in just a few days!

Also, keep it up, great temptations ahead but I'm sure they won't beat you.
I'm going to a mediaeval market tomorrow and I think I'll be tempted enough but yours is gonna be a feat. And when I say feat, I mean NSV!

[JessFind]

Day 6 - Sept. 7:

I did it, you guys! I DID IT. I survived the baker’s market without eating any sweets. But oh man, it was touch and go there for a bit. I’m in Charlotte, NC, and it was 95 degrees today. Our table was outside on asphalt for 6 hours, it was SO HOT, and all I wanted was a damn cookie. It might not have been smart to do this during the “kill all the things” phase. My poor husband. But I prevailed! Thankfully I planned ahead and did a good job having things that were filling and easy. 

So here’s what I ate: 

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with some bacon crumbles and a dash of truffle oil 

Lunch: turkey burger on lettuce with tomato and compliant mayo 

Dinner: seasoned chicken with roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes. This was our first time using ghee and it was delish! We needed something hearty after sweating outside for so long. 

My energy level is better today than yesterday, which was much needed. And overall I’m feeling good! I’m much less testy now that I’m in AC away from good-smelling sweets.  

What are you guys prepping for the week tomorrow?

[Amura]

You did it, of course you did! 
And from now on things are gonna look quite easier, you'll see, because your body is adjusting and because compared to that market pretty much any situation will be less stressful for a healthy diet.
You are gonna do great!

 

I don't do a lot of prepping on Sunday, I usually prep ingredients the day before I'm gonna eat them (and for those I use frequently I make a larger batch to store) but not huge Sunday prepping for me

[JessFind]

@Amura Thank you for the encouraging words! 

[JessFind]

Day 7 - Sept. 8: 

Today was a whirlwind of food prep and house chores. 

Breakfast: Eggs, bacon, avocado

Lunch: Spinach salad with turkey and tomato 

Dinner: Chicken with fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts, chorizo

Prepped for the week: 

- Egg white cups with tomato and spinach 

- Avocado bowls with bacon and tomatoes 

- Turkey burgers

- Chicken soup with mushrooms and potatoes 

- Lettuce wraps with turkey and prosciutto  

That's all I can remember but I feel like I did more than that, haha. I've eaten more avocados this week than maybe my entire life combined. I average a whole one a day. That's fine, right? I feel like I'm eating a lot of fat but I'm reminding myself that I'm not eating nearly as much as when I would go out to eat all the time. 

On to week 2! 

[heb2014]

5 hours ago, JessFind said:

 I've eaten more avocados this week than maybe my entire life combined. I average a whole one a day. That's fine, right? I feel like I'm eating a lot of fat but I'm reminding myself that I'm not eating nearly as much as when I would go out to eat all the time. 

I have these same exact thoughts about eggs. Someone tell me it's true that eggs just had a bad rep and that my cholesterol isn't going up!  

Way to go on Week 1 - especially this weekend!

[Amura]

6 hours ago, JessFind said:

I feel like I'm eating a lot of fat but I'm reminding myself that I'm not eating nearly as much as when I would go out to eat all the time. 

I think I actually eat more than I used to. All my meals are larger than before, and my snacks have reduced but not so much.
The difference is that now I feel satiated and I can easily say no to a treat. I don't need so much willpower as I used to, and so now I prevail!

1 hour ago, heb2014 said:

Someone tell me it's true that eggs just had a bad rep and that my cholesterol isn't going up!  

Eggs had an undeserved bad reputation.  But even so, your cholesterol may or may not go up.
It's a bit more complicated that one number going up or down, and scientists are learning more about it every day - or so it seems.

[JessFind]

Day 8 - Sept. 9: 

I had a great night's sleep the night before this day and had good energy all day. My appetite was down considerably, though. This threw some of my meal times off. I'm not super worried about this, I'm assuming my body is just adjusting to having more fat/protein and less carbs. 

Breakfast - 1 small egg white cup with tomato and spinach 

Lunch - I wasn't hungry enough for my full lunch, so I ate my snack, which was two lettuce wraps with turkey and prosciutto

Mid afternoon snack/lunch - I at my "lunch" around 3 which was a turkey burger and mushrooms 

Dinner - Because I ate so late I really wasn't hungry for dinner, so I just had a large apple with cashew butter around 6:30. At 10:30, I had another small egg white cup. 

I had my first food dream last night, where I broke the Whole 30 eating Chinese food. And I wasn't even eating my usual order! I am starting to crave fries and breads a little bit more. Good news is I'm starting to really like unsweet tea (this is a big deal for a southerner) and flavored seltzer water, so I'm not really missing Coke at all. Anyway, on to day 9! 

[Amura]

Wow, you really did not eat much.

If I were you I would try to eat full meals even if I don't feel like it.
I mean, you don't want your body to get into a "save energy" mode. Which supposedly does when you undereat.
I don't think a day is a big deal, mind you, and if tomorrow you are back to normal hungry levels I'm sure it's all right, but if you keep not being hungry I would suggest you to post in the troubleshooting section so a mod or another experienced user can give you some advice.

Keep it up, you are now moving into the HARDEST days! 

[JessFind]

Thanks, @Amura! My hunger is back to normal today, and even more so, probably because I ate so little yesterday. Maybe yesterday was just a fluke.

[Jihanna]

9 hours ago, JessFind said:

I'm starting to really like unsweet tea (this is a big deal for a southerner) and flavored seltzer water, so I'm not really missing Coke at all.

You can't possibly be a "real" southerner after that statement... *chuckle*
I found myself in the same boat when I was doing my last round. I didn't even touch seltzer water my first round, because I knew my Coke addiction was strong enough that I needed to break away entirely from carbonated stuff that round, but during my most recent one I did enjoy the heck out of some LaCroix and bubly, and a couple of store-brand types that were compliant. For tea, I wound up taking a baggie full of tea bags (some fruity, some peppermint) with me when I went out, so I could add a bag to my tea if it wasn't tolerable otherwise. It made a big difference.

[JessFind]

Day 9 - Sept. 9th: 

My hunger came back today, and I think I ate pretty well! I'm getting good, consistent sleep now, which is really nice. 

Breakfast: 1 egg white cup with 1 piece bacon 

Snack: 1/2 avocado with tomato and bacon 

Lunch: Chicken soup with mushrooms and small potatoes and a banana 

Dinner: Spicy tuna from pg. 28 of the "Quick and Easy Whole 30" cookbook. It was good! 

[JessFind]

Update: So it turns out this will be my last full week of living by the book of Whole 30. My husband and I scored last-minute, crazy cheap tickets to Copenhagen! We leave in a week and a half, so I want to give my body some time to reintroduce things like bread, dairy, and sugar. The whole point of doing this was to see if those things affected me negatively. I know this isn't the best news for the diet, but I'm super excited about the trip, and I firmly believe that part of traveling is experiencing the food of that region. 

Even though I'm not doing the whole 30 days, I really do feel like this has changed my relationship with food already. I've broken up with Coke and Coke Zero, my ride or dies since I was in middle school. I also learned that I really don't need bread with every meal, that I can be full and satisfied with salads, and that sugar is in EVERYTHING so I need to check the labels. I can fully see myself doing a full round early next year. So I'm going to finish out this week strong, and then take it from there. 

[Prairie Dawn]

Awesome news about Copenhagen!  Sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.  I agree with you a hundred percent: in just a few days (less than two weeks!) I already notice some pretty great differences.  I also like that you're still trying to reintroduce things so you don't have any surprises while you're on vacation!

Have an amazing time!