meli22 Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Tomorrow I'm starting my first Whole30. I'm hoping that a public log will hold me accountable and help me stick to it. Where I'm at right now: My psoriasis is out of control Various mild but annoying digestive issues My energy peaks around 1pm and then I'm sluggish for the rest of the day - until I get a burst of energy right before bedtime Emotional eating (am weirdly drawn to bland starchy food: rice cakes, rice noodles, breadsticks, &c.) Difficulty identifying hunger / fullness cues My morning (and afternoon) coffee is such an ingrained habit that I wonder if I even like it For the last few years I've eaten more or less paleo but after moving to a new city last summer I began turning to food to deal with the stress. I've put on about 10 lbs since my move, which really isn't the end of the world but I can't fit into some of my favourite clothes any more and that's bumming me out. I hope to find other ways of self-soothing that don't involve food. As for the coffee, I'm not going to go cold turkey. I still have some left at home and I'll use that up, then see where I'm at. I'm also going to make a concerted effort to drink more water. Ok! Let's do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Welcome! The boards are full of some great info, people, recipes and meal ideas. Best of luck as you embark on your food journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 3, 2020 Author Share Posted March 3, 2020 Day 1 2 (!!!) cups of coffee w/ tahini "milk" (tahini + water) (B) sauteed greens w/ garlic and scallions, 2 poached eggs, some leftover roast chicken, sauerkraut & handful of kalamata olives (Post-WO) cucumber and apple slices, 1/2 small avocado (brought an egg but wasn't hungry enough so had it for lunch instead) (L) salad (kale, radicchio, pickles) w/ vinaigrette (walnut oil, acv, mustard), sardines, 1 hardboiled egg & pumpkin seeds (S) cup of black tea + 12 hazelnuts (D) chicken-vegetable stew w/ drizzle of walnut oil; some cut-up cantaloupe and honeydew melon I was irritable and sluggish all day today, worse than usual though this may have been due in part to my period. I need to get out of the habit of drinking coffee BEFORE I eat breakfast - realized how much I love the "speedy" feeling I get from drinking coffee on an empty stomach (despite drinking lots of lemon water too). I'm assuming this is probably related to the dramatic drop in energy I felt around 11am, hmm... For years I've been eating 3 meals + 2 snacks a day so easing out of that will be challenging, particularly on work days. We shall see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 Day 2 (B) cup of coffee w/ hazelnut "milk", green vegetable soup w/ drizzle of sesame oil, cucumber slices, roast chicken (Post-WO) 1 hardboiled egg, apple slices, handful of toasted coconut, cup of coffee w/ almond milk (L) vegetable stew w/ clams, 1/2 avocado, sauerkraut (S) celery sticks, small handful of hazelnuts (D) roasted cauliflower and kale stems, pickles, olives, roast chicken w/ mustard Drank my morning coffee with breakfast and noticed a difference in my energy - seemed a bit more consistent than usual. I was definitely in a much better mood! Still figuring out portion sizes for meals so that I don't feel the need to snack in the afternoon - next time I could have a salad or some roast yam alongside the soup. Organic celery and avocados were on sale at the health food store so I picked some up along with some red clover. Interested in seeing if adding this to my herbal infusions will help with my skin issues... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Day 3 (B) cup of coffee w/ hazelnut milk, garlic-sauteed greens, celery & scallions, 2 scrambled eggs, sauerkraut, 1/2 baked yam, 8 or 9 hazelnuts (L) green vegetable soup, 1/2 baked yam, 1/2 avocado, celery sticks, last of the roast chicken mid-afternoon coffee w/ almond milk (D) salad (kale, radicchio, celery, cucumber, pickles) w/ vinaigrette (walnut oil, acv, mustard), tuna, olives, roasted cauliflower; papaya & 1T toasted coconut for dessert (S) tuna w/ sauerkraut Energy was consistent throughout the day. No issues with mood or lethargy. Was RAVENOUS when I got home from work at 10pm. Wednesdays are my long days so will probably need to increase the amount of protein in my dinner that day (these particular cans of tuna are water-packed and only 60cals, probably not enough to keep me going. Maybe eat 2 cans as a portion if I know I'm going to need more fuel). My face broke out for the first time in 6 years. Pimples!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Day 4 (B) 2 cups of coffee w/ hazelnut milk; roasted cauliflower, sardines (w/ mustard, pickles, celery, cilantro, sauerkraut), toasted coconut (L) grapefruit, 2 scrambled eggs, sweet potato-coconut milk soup (S) espresso, green apple, pumpkin seeds (D) vegetable stew w/ ground pork, 1/2 avocado Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Eeeek breakouts are no fun, but they are a sign of detoxing. The body eliminates toxins through the digestive track the skin and the respiratory system. Drink lots of water way more than you think you need. Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 7, 2020 Author Share Posted March 7, 2020 Day 5 (B) black tea w/ hazelnut milk; sweet potato-coconut soup, cod fillet, grapefruit (Post-WO) hardboiled egg, celery sticks, small handful of walnuts, coffee w/ almond milk (L) vegetable stew w/ cod and clams, 1/2 avocado, sauerkraut afternoon coffee w/ hazelnut milk (D) zucchini noodles w/ walnut oil, compliant "mushroom" umami seasoning, olives, ground pork; bowl of vegetable stew Slept poorly so was overtired today (hence 3 rounds of caffeine, agh). Woke up pretty bloated, which is unusual for me (if I'm going to be bloated it's always a late afternoon/evening thing). I took some digestive enzymes with breakfast and that settled things down, so no problem. I've been drinking my usual herbal infusions throughout the day (nettles and hibiscus steeped in water) with some lemon juice, and matching my caffeinated drinks with 1-2 glasses of water. Pimples are already fading somewhat My psoriasis hasn't gotten any worse. I was curious to see what would happen but it seems to be about the same all over (I have it on my neck, ears, lower back and hands). I think if I were to do this again I'd schedule my start date to NOT align perfectly with my period! Day 1 of my whole30 was also day 1 of my period so I can't differentiate between my typical period issues and w30 side effects. In any case, I've been in fairly high spirits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 7, 2020 Author Share Posted March 7, 2020 Day 6 (B) coffee w/ nut milk; sweet potato-coconut soup, cod fillet, grapefruit, small handful of walnuts (L) zucchini noodles w/ walnut oil, "mushroom" seasoning, olives, ground pork; vegetable stew (S) coffee w/ nut milk; grapefruit, walnuts (D) zucchini noodles w/ walnut oil + mustard, olives, ground pork, celery, sauerkraut + cucumber; sweet potato-coconut soup Worst day of my period coincided with weirdest day of eating. I felt extra hungry today. Note to self: if there are nuts around, I will eat wayyyy too many in one sitting. I'm going to try to avoid them for the rest of my program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 8, 2020 Author Share Posted March 8, 2020 Day 7 (B) coffee w/ nut milk; vegetable stew w/ drizzle of sesame oil, cod fillet + clams; sauerkraut (S) coffee w/ nut milk; cut-up honeydew and cantaloupe (L) salad of shredded cabbage, radicchio, celery + pickles w/ vinaigrette (walnut oil, acv, mustard) + sardines; handful of green olives; cucumber slices; small baked yam (S) closed handful of pumpkin seeds (D) zucchini noodles w/ walnut oil, mustard, olives + pickles; roast chicken Hangry and tired all day. I think it was a combination of poor sleep (up from 2-4am), my period, and daylight savings. The first thing I saw when I got to work was the half-eaten chocolate bar my colleague had left on the desk I wasn't so much hungry for the morning fruit but was desperate for a little sugar high so I could make it to lunch without falling asleep - otherwise I'm sure I would've caved in and eaten some of that chocolate. Today was the first day I wanted bread. And a pint. I could have sold my soul for a Guinness this afternoon - instead I made do with a spicy ginger tea (sigh). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 @meli22 way to push through day 7 and staying compliant. The first two weeks are the hardest as you go through so many emotional roller coasters with food. Having your why written out somewhere you see it daily or multiple times a day can really help with perspective on hard days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 @BabyBear thank you! Yes, I'm finding the journaling process very helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Day 8 (B) coffee w/ nut milk; sauteed greens, celery & zucchini w/ 2 scrambled eggs, handful of green olives, sauerkraut (L) salad of radicchio, celery, shredded cabbage, pickles, capers & vinaigrette (walnut oil, acv, mustard); sardines; small baked yam; 1/2 small avocado (S) hardboiled egg, cut-up cantaloupe & honeydew melon (D) zucchini noodles w/ sesame oil + mustard, pumpkin seeds, sauerkraut; roast chicken; sweet potato-coconut soup; cucumber slices + baby carrots Feeling good today - slept better and had enough energy to go to the gym before work and walk home from work (about 45 mins). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 I admit that writing down tonight's dinner felt mildly embarrassing because it just seemed like a lot of food and for a split second I was ashamed of how much I ate! Eating larger meals is changing the way I think about my body, eating, hunger, and how I was raised. When I was a kid every single adult woman around me was on Weight Watchers and I was occasionally shamed for eating "too much". I haven't thought about this in a very long time. I think this is the first time in decades that I've given myself permission to eat as much as I want/need in one sitting and this feels like a massive paradigm shift for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Day 9 B - coffee w/ nut milk; sweet potato-coconut soup; cucumber slices + baby carrots; 2 poached eggs w/ compliant hot sauce S - cup of homemade chicken broth L - tomato-coconut soup; roast chicken; sauteed cabbage w/ sauerkraut + pumpkin seeds S - coffee w/ nut milk; honeydew melon D - salad of radicchio, celery, carrots, 1/2 avocado + vinaigrette (olive oil, acv, mustard); roast chicken; green soup Tuesdays are my Saturdays, which means low-key meal prep. I let a couple chicken carcasses I had in the freezer simmer on low overnight for a soup. I included leftover zucchini, celery, parsley stems, greens that were going a bit grunge-y. Added onion, garlic, cauliflower, rosemary and dried fennel. Pureed the lot. Turned out nicely. Cans of crushed tomatoes on sale so I bought a few. Cooked some onion, celery and bell pepper, added some spices and pureed it all with a can of coconut milk. Not bad! Could use this tomato soup as a base for meat sauce - I might add some ground beef and mushrooms to it at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 Day 10 B - coffee w/ nut milk; tomato-coconut soup; roast chicken; handful of green olives; honeydew melon L - sauteed purple kale, snow peas & mushrooms; pollock fillet w/ pesto; cucumber slices; green soup Post-WO - tuna, baby carrots mid-afternoon coffee w/ almond milk D - 3 hardboiled eggs w/ pesto, sauerkraut, pickles; celery sticks; honeydew melon S - bowl of tomato-coconut soup; last of the roast chicken w/ pesto I wonder if I eat fruit because I'm thirsty? After I've finished off the last of the honeydew melon tomorrow I'm going to cut out fruit for the remainder of the program to see if it will compel me to drink more water instead. Before the program I was used to eating multiple servings of fruit every day so I'm curious to see what would happen if I were to cut it out completely for a little while. I'm actually surprised by how little I've craved sweet things so far. Also, the salt cravings that have plagued me since last summer have vanished completely! I made a kind of pesto out of a big bunch of parsley, pumpkin seeds and olive oil; added some cucumber, lemon juice and lots of capers. It's delicious and a good way to use up parsley or cilantro stems. I once made it using radish greens too. This will be a plated fat while I wait for my avocados to ripen. Also of note: I have not had any digestive issues (aside from a bit of bloating on Day 5) since I began the program Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 Day 11 B - coffee w/ nut milk; green soup; pollock fillet w/ pesto; celery and baby carrots; honeydew melon mid-morning coffee w/ nut milk L - sauteed cabbage, mushrooms, snow peas & celery w/ a poached egg; 1 fennel-pork sausage; handful of green olives, sauerkraut; tomato soup mid-afternoon coffee w/ macadamia nut milk (fancy!) D - 3 hardboiled eggs; small baked yam; salad of parsley, capers, snow peas, celery & cucumber w/ vinaigrette (olive oil, acv, mustard); closed handful of pumpkin seeds S - cup of almond milk w/ turmeric and cinnamon Overtired on account of brutal late night/early morning combo. Someone brought in a plate of giant, gorgeous homemade brownies to work and I had to look at them for 3 hours. My cup of golden milk, in comparison, was only okay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBear Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Good job sticking to your guns! Your meals sound scrumptious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 @BabyBear Thank you! I'm a fan of keeping it simple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 Day 12 B - 2 cups of coffee w/ nut milk; green soup w/ drizzle of fish oil; 1 fennel sausage; cucumber and baby carrots L - sauteed cabbage, mushrooms, celery and snow peas; 2 pollock fillets w/ pesto; sauerkraut D - tomato soup; roast chicken w/ skin; celery and baby carrots; sauerkraut I actually lay in bed this morning worried because of the "no fruit" declaration I made on Day 10! The thought of not being able to eat something sweet scared me - this is interesting. After I ate breakfast the desire for something sweet passed. I also drank more water today and, consequently, didn't feel any desire to eat more honeydew melon. I've been waking up feeling hungry the last few days, which is a change. I typically finish eating dinner by 7pm at the latest; before the program I would wake up around 6:30am, have a coffee, and not feel like eating breakfast until 9:30. Now I wake up ravenous, and eat breakfast before 8am. Today I was able to go 4-5 hours without feeling hungry. Blood sugar feels balanced and I'm finally starting to recover my hunger cues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 Day 13 B - coffee w/ nut milk; zucchini noodles w/ vegetable stew (as a sauce); 1 fennel sausage; 1/2 avocado L - zucchini noodles w/ tomato soup + ground pork "sauce"; cucumbers, celery + baby carrots; pesto; sauerkraut D - zucchini noodles w/ tomato soup + fennel sausage; baby carrots; last little bit of pesto; 5 or 6 moroccan olives; green soup Funny day of eating - just wanted to eat the same thing, over and over again. I made 3 big batches of soup to put in the freezer (a pureed broccoli soup with all the parsley/cilantro stems and leftover zucchini, and 2 x my usual vegetable stew) and picked up a giant head of cabbage (lasts forever), a big container of dried black olives and some frozen meats, fish and vegetables. Cooked lots of chicken livers to put in the veg stew. Stocked up so I can hang around at home as much as possible over the next couple weeks. My gym is closed until April so I think I'm just going to go for lots of walks and do internet yoga. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 Day 14 B - coffee w/ nut milk; 3 scrambled eggs; sauteed purple kale, snow peas & mushrooms; Moroccan olives; sauerkraut mid-morning coffee w/ nut milk L - tomato-vegetable stew w/ chicken livers; 1/2 avocado; celery, sugar snap peas & baby carrots; green dressing; cut-up cantaloupe and honeydew melon D - tomato-vegetable stew w/ chicken livers; sauteed cabbage & bok choy w/ green dressing cup of almond milk w/ turmeric, cinnamon & coconut oil Work was stressful today (I work in retail and don't have the strongest immune system), I "needed" a treat for lunch so did the fruit thing. Whatever. I definitely ate my resentment (the store was full of coughing, sneezing people. PSA: IF YOU ARE SICK, STAY HOME!!!! Stay home even if you aren't sick!) On the plus side, my blood sugar was stable and my energy was pretty good. The hour-long walk to and from work was a breeze (am avoiding public transit). I also never thought I'd enjoy eating an entire plate of sauteed cabbage, but there you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Day 15 B - coffee w/ nut milk; tomato-veg stew w/ chicken livers; 1/2 avocado; sauerkraut late morning coffee L - sauteed purple kale, mushrooms, snow peas & celery; 2 scrambled eggs; tuna w/ mustard; green olives; baby carrots & cucumber S - small bowl of green soup w/ drizzle of fish oil D - tomato-veg stew w/ chicken livers; sauteed cabbage w/ green dressing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 Day 16 B - coffee w/ nut milk; tomato-veg stew w/ chicken; 1/2 avocado; sauerkraut L - cabbage "hashbrowns" w/ 2 eggs + hot sauce; green soup drizzled w/ fish oil; cucumber and baby carrots; Moroccan olives post-lunch coffee w/ nut milk D - sauteed bok choy, snow peas, mushrooms & celery; sardines w/ mustard, capers, celery, sauerkraut & snowpeas; green olives Ok, the cabbage hashbrowns were really good (shredded cabbage mixed with 2 eggs - flattened in the pan and browned). They'd be good with roasted tomatoes or compliant ketchup. My appetite seems to be adjusting to 3 meals a day. It's a relief to not be thinking about food all the time - I'm finding a structured eating plan to be very liberating for me. I'm sleeping beautifully - not even dreaming, just sleeping a full 9 hours night after night. For someone who's wrestled with insomnia for a decade... there are no words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meli22 Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Day 17 B - coffee w/ nut milk; tomato-veg stew w/ ground pork; green olives; cucumber & baby carrots L - cabbage "hashbrowns" w/ 3 eggs + hot sauce; 1/2 avocado; sugar snap peas & celery post-lunch coffee w/ nut milk S - green soup; Moroccan olives; tuna D - tomato-veg stew w/ ground pork; baby carrots, celery & snap peas; Moroccan olives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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