mazzystarslight Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Hey, so it's day 28 and I've been pretty much totally compliant -- once, early on, my mom realized she had marinated chicken in yogurt after I had already asked and recently I ate hot sauce and brunch potatoes I'm not sure were compliant despite my efforts as well. Anyway, I read the whole book, my body has pretty significantly morphed (thinner, probably because I'm not eating enough) and I am so, incredibly sick of everything I have been eating/can eat. I get the emails and read a similar forum topic on one recently where Melissa was like, "change up what you're eating etc." I have never eaten so much bacon in my life, I am not a bacon person and eat two slices (Applegate no sugar added) almost daily. I'm not a huge vegetable person (but have been trying!) so it's been a lot of eggs and meats, occasionally some potatoes if I feel like cooking them or find some I can eat. I think I've eaten 5 bars total (3 sea salt chocolate RX and a couple Larabars); I know they are emergency only and not recommended so I tried not relying on them too much. I mapped out my reintroduction and it's going to take like another 15 days. I already know I'm going to feel sick with the day one alcohol thing since I've been depriving my body of sugar and carbs to absorb it so it feels like a trick -- "eat super clean then see how you feel after you consume these things that are definitely going to make you make you never want it again." I'm just so, totally sick of it. Hotdogs and bacon and sausage and smoked salmon and eggs and eating out but not enjoying it. Also combatting mental health and boyfriend issues, which aren't helping but definitely all related... I'm not sure what to do at this point. Trying to keep a positive outlook and rereading parts of the book but I just don't feel good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I'm curious... why have you eaten more bacon than usual, and why deprive yourself of carbs? There's no need to do either of those things on Whole30. And yes, changing up what you're eating can definitely help with food boredom, especially if you've gotten into a routine and eat the same basic things all the time. It's recommended to have a fist-sized portion of starchy veggies every day, in general. As a female (I'm assuming), you might need a little more than that on a normal basis, especially if you're anywhere near the period week of your cycle... more carbs are suggested for those who have mental health issues, also. I'm diagnosed with bipolar and do take medications; my daily starchy veggie intake is around a 1.5 fist-size normally, and I increase that to 2 the week before my period (and usually hold or increase again slightly during period week before dropping back to my normal level once it's over). When I feel like my mood is fluctuating downward, I increase my carbs a little, gradually... if I feel like I'm riding a little too high, I'll back it up a bit, still gradually. (That's not to say it works like that for everyone, or even all females or all with the same diagnosis, just sharing what works for me because it can give some context into how the suggested amounts might not be quite what you need.) Are there any specific foods that you really enjoy and could try to make work within the Whole30 framework, especially during your reintroduction? Or sauces that you enjoy and could maybe make (or find) a compliant substitute for? I know for me, I love Asian foods and flavors, so I made sure to stock up on coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sesame seed oil so I could make quick stir-fry sauces and yummy salad dressings. I also bought a spiralizer so I could change up how I presented veggies, because there's actually a pretty big difference between baked sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potato cubes, and sweet potato noodles cooked in any way. It really helps with breaking up the monotony when I feel we're getting into a rut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazzystarslight Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 I'm eating more bacon because I don't know what else to eat and I guess it's kind of tastier than everything else I know I can eat. I guess I don't know enough about carbs (that aren't bread/pasta) and starchy vegetables (just Googled). I'm diagnosed as biplar too (and borderline) but am currently off of meds... the foods I'm craving (cheese fries, pizza, dessert) are not workable around Whole30 at all. I can't think of any sauces I'd want to eat Whole30 either. All of your Asian ingredients seem to require work (I've used coconut stuff for sauces) and in this day in age, I don't see why anyone should settle for bland, boring, unsatisfying foods -- it's costly, inconvenient, and doesn't taste good to me. I ended up eating some raw almonds and compliant sausage in a compliant marinara sauce last night. Another day of food drudgery and 15 more before "food freedom" when I know I'm going to lose it and go crazy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I'm sorry to hear it. Unfortunately, it's so very easy to eat overly processed foods that aren't as good for us... and does typically take more effort (or more money, if not both) to eat a healthier whole-food based diet. I get it, and I totally understand. I also totally agree that there shouldn't be any reason to settle for bland or just plain unsatisfying foods, even on Whole30 -- but it does take time and a bit of effort to break out of a psychological pattern of feeding our cravings for foods that don't support our health appropriately. Don't fret over not staying Whole30 after reintroduction. That's not really the whole point of the process. The point is to eliminate the major foods known to cause issues for a lot of people (and provide a pathway to addressing psychological relationships with foods as well, hence avoiding things that are SWYPO in general and for each individual), then see if those foods do in fact cause problems for your system specifically (through reintroducing them one at a time). If you learn that these foods don't cause problems, then great - use them in your daily diet and be well! It's still worth addressing the "worth it" factor on things that we crave that are less than great for us, though, even if they don't cause physical issues like bloating or pain. Anyway, back to a few thoughts. Do you have a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker? Both of those made my Whole30 so much easier because I could just add the ingredients and not babysit. There are also a number of shortcuts that you can take to cut down on prep time, like... - frozen bag of mirepoix = diced onion, celery, and carrot - frozen bag of Cajun mirepoix = diced onion, celery, and green bell pepper - canned crushed tomatoes + herbs = simple marinara base - lean meats don't have to be pre-cooked for slow cooker or pressure cooker meals (even spaghetti sauce or chili), as long as the total cook time is enough to get the meat cooked through. (I wouldn't suggest it with anything less than 80% lean ground beef, though I've done it with 73% - it just makes for more meat fat left behind, and that's not really appetizing to most people.) - frozen bag of cut potatoes My grocer's freezer aisles seriously saved my life, because I cook for 7 people and there's no way on earth I'd have managed all of the prep all the time. If you're only cooking for one and are able, then grabbing some pre-cut/pre-spiralized veggies in the produce aisles might also be an option (it would blow my budget, so I bought a spiralizer and do it myself). Whole30 took a bit of extra time, yes, even compared to the amount of prep I'd already been doing for my family. It cost a little more, though I've since learned ways to help keep those costs down some, because practice makes perfect after all But I also learned a great deal about how foods affect me and my personal relationship with food in general as well as specific ones that have been my go-to foods during mental or emotional stress... and for me, that journey was worth it. I really hope your journey proves worth it for you in the end, and that you're able to find food freedom within a framework that includes food you enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy_Michigan Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 19 hours ago, mazzystarslight said: Hey, so it's day 28 and I've been pretty much totally compliant -- once, early on, my mom realized she had marinated chicken in yogurt after I had already asked and recently I ate hot sauce and brunch potatoes I'm not sure were compliant despite my efforts as well. Anyway, I read the whole book, my body has pretty significantly morphed (thinner, probably because I'm not eating enough) and I am so, incredibly sick of everything I have been eating/can eat. If I were you, I would be be hesitant to start my reintroduction because it doesn't seem like you were to the point yet that you formed a new lifestyle change of incorporating new whole foods into your diet. I would highly recommend trying "paleo" for at least a week- still not introducing grains, legumes, and dairy, but having more food variety because there are less limitations. This is how I learned to love to incorporate adding sweet potato, pumpkin, and all sorts of veggies into delicious meals. For breakfast, when you are paleo you can have banana pancakes. Or PUMPKIN pancakes, which I have LIVED off of. You can also make pizza egg muffins which are the bomb (although that might be allowed on whole30 already). My favorite paleo breakfasts: Banana Pancakes *I make the kind with a bit of almond flour*: https://www.marksdailyapple.com/paleo-pancakes-two-ways/ Pumpkin Pancakes *My favorite*: https://balancedbites.com/content/paleo-pumpkin-pancakes-from-practical-paleo/ Pumpkin Waffles: https://paleomg.com/the-paleo-kitchen-pumpkin-waffles/ Pizza Egg Muffins *My other favorite*: http://realeverything.com/mini-egg-pizzas/ Other favorite paleo treats: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins *Yum*: https://paleomg.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins/ Sweet Potato Chai Muffins *So much better than they sound!*: https://paleomg.com/sweet-potato-chai-muffins/ Sweet Potato Brownies: https://paleomg.com/sweet-potato-brownies/ I'm not a fan of veggies myself, but over a few years of paleo/whole30 eating, I learned that I actually love the taste of roasted broccoli, roasted carrots (carrot fries), roasted sweet potatoes (sweet potato fries), and figured out that I like cooked zucchini when it is covered in spaghetti sauce and meatballs (I'm too lazy for noodles so I just cut the zucchini in long strips after peeling the skin off). Or I just dip cucumbers and carrots in ranch...that's still eating my veggies! I'm not a great cook. When I am off of Whole30s I really enjoy Paleo Parents/Realeverything.com (if kids like it, I'm more likely to like it), Paleomg, and Well Fed/MelissaJoulwan.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy_Michigan Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Oops almost forgot. I have also made hundreds of these in my life time. I would totally enjoy paleo recipes after your whole30 for a bit. Pumpkin Pucks: http://realeverything.com/pumpkin-pucks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbz Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough go of it! And not just with Whole30, but with life as well. I do hope things improve for you and wish you the very best! I am curious as to what you are actually eating in a day. I struggle with Whole30 because it's so much work - all the planning and shopping and meal prep and dishes! But I don't struggle with not liking the foods. I really love the food I eat on Whole30. And this is from someone who loves Chinese takeout and burgers and pizza and onion rings and cereal... Do you like to cook? I can see why this might be difficult to find interesting foods if you're not big on cooking because it's definitely hard to find stuff you can just buy, whether that be at restaurants or a store. Whole30 convenience foods suck as far as I'm concerned. That being said, here are some of my favorite recipes that I think are straight-up delicious, Whole30 or not, and that are loved by me and many non-Whole30 friends: Sesame Chicken: https://40aprons.com/whole30-sesame-chicken/ (this tastes like the real deal (i.e., like the stuff from my favorite Chinese place) Spinach and Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/twice-baked-potatoes-paleo-whole30-vegan/ (this is one of my all-time favorite recipes ever) Golden Cauliflower Soup: http://meljoulwan.com/2012/10/24/golden-cauliflower-soup/ (I make a double batch and use this as a way to add veggies to my breakfast) Salisbury Steak Meatballs: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-salisbury-steak-meatballs-whole30/ (this might just be the best gravy I've ever had) In general, my favorite recipe bloggers are Mel Joulwan and Paleo Running Momma. Maybe trying something from them will help? I also agree with making sure you have starchy carbs every day. Honestly, my body works best with lots of potatoes. Sometimes I'll eat them with two or even three meals a day. I feel better that way and I love them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazzystarslight Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 Thank you all, your replies are really helpful and mean a lot to me! I know that eating healthier, whole-foods is good for me and I honestly really enjoyed Whole30 up until recently when I posted. I probably need to re-evaluate the med thing since it's definitely mood related. I don't think food causes any physiological issues for me, but definitely psychological. I don't currently have a slow cooker or anything like that, but I may look into one. I actually took your advice and bought a bag of a gourmet frozen veggie mix from Costco (watercress, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, etc.) and frozen potato wedges I'm pretty sure are compliant (https://www.alexiafoods.com/chef-inspired/oven-fries-olive-oil-rosemary-and-garlic) from another grocery store, which I'm cooking up now. I went to Zoe's earlier today, which I found has it's own Whole30 menu (https://zoeskitchen.com/pdf/zk30/menu_whole30.pdf) and then unexpectedly back out for lunch again with family where I settled for some plain ahi tuna tacos without shells or sauce or anything (pic attached) -- they weren't super satisfying but I was still pretty full from my chicken kabob Greek salad from Zoe's. Like I said, my reintroduction is going to take about two weeks and I think I'd be frustrated if I stretched this out any longer -- I want to say that I saw it through and hopefully do it again. Thanks for all of the recipes and food tips, I will definitely be trying some of them this week! I actually like cooking but sometimes get tired/overwhelmed and want to not always think about what I am going to eat, so convenience is sometimes nice. I definitely have not been eating enough. Thank you all so much again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazzystarslight Posted February 19, 2020 Author Share Posted February 19, 2020 On 2/17/2020 at 5:46 PM, kirbz said: I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough go of it! And not just with Whole30, but with life as well. I do hope things improve for you and wish you the very best! I am curious as to what you are actually eating in a day. I struggle with Whole30 because it's so much work - all the planning and shopping and meal prep and dishes! But I don't struggle with not liking the foods. I really love the food I eat on Whole30. And this is from someone who loves Chinese takeout and burgers and pizza and onion rings and cereal... Do you like to cook? I can see why this might be difficult to find interesting foods if you're not big on cooking because it's definitely hard to find stuff you can just buy, whether that be at restaurants or a store. Whole30 convenience foods suck as far as I'm concerned. That being said, here are some of my favorite recipes that I think are straight-up delicious, Whole30 or not, and that are loved by me and many non-Whole30 friends: Sesame Chicken: https://40aprons.com/whole30-sesame-chicken/ (this tastes like the real deal (i.e., like the stuff from my favorite Chinese place) Spinach and Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/twice-baked-potatoes-paleo-whole30-vegan/ (this is one of my all-time favorite recipes ever) Golden Cauliflower Soup: http://meljoulwan.com/2012/10/24/golden-cauliflower-soup/ (I make a double batch and use this as a way to add veggies to my breakfast) Salisbury Steak Meatballs: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-salisbury-steak-meatballs-whole30/ (this might just be the best gravy I've ever had) In general, my favorite recipe bloggers are Mel Joulwan and Paleo Running Momma. Maybe trying something from them will help? I also agree with making sure you have starchy carbs every day. Honestly, my body works best with lots of potatoes. Sometimes I'll eat them with two or even three meals a day. I feel better that way and I love them! I made the Spinach and Artichoke Twice Baked Potatoes... they are amazing!! Pic attached (went out on my Day 30 with a bang with these and a New York strip -- I shared with my boyfriend -- for dinner!). Thank you again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbz Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Oh yay! I'm so glad you loved them too! Just looking at them makes me want to go right on home and make them for dinner! LOL. Congratulations on finishing your Whole30! I wish you the very best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jihanna Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 I LOVE those potatoes. We even love them as mashed potatoes, without going through the whole stuffing and re-baking process So delicious, and I'm so glad you're enjoying your food! Definitely happy for you to have come to the end of your 30 days, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazzystarslight Posted February 19, 2020 Author Share Posted February 19, 2020 Thanks! If anyone wants to know just how little I ate I lost over 22 pounds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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