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My 1st Whole30 of 2020 (and in several years)...


decker_bear

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Day 4 

Okay, for reals tho, how I am ONLY 4 days in? It feels like two weeks! 

I woke up this morning around 730 after my little 4am snack. I wasn't super hungry, and I also knew that there was no way I could stomach eggs and veggies in the traditional sense. I started off with my coffee with coconut cream and started working on a sausage and apple frittata. I didn't follow a recipe, but it consisted of 1/2lb ground pork (seasoned with fennel seed, garlic and salt), onion, apples, zucchini, eggs and coconut milk. It was super tasty and by the time it was done baking and cooling a little I was ready to eat. I had two slices and it was amazing. 

Today I get to pick up my puppies! Okay they're not puppies, they're 3 years old, but they are MY puppies! I'll be driving late afternoon to go pick them up. I'll try to plan lunch so that the drive will fit nicely between lunch and dinner, but of course I will have my compliant snacks just in case. 

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Definitely sounds like not enough food just in general - low on both veggies and fats. Sounds like you'll be back on track tomorrow. Congrats on the new family members!

I tried to make a stir fry last night and thought 'OH! I will add the new Paleo Kitchen BBQ sauce I got!" and it was... not my favorite. I think it's the cinnamon flavor in there but I was not a fun and it kinda ruined it for me. Not to mention that now I have a whole bottle of it lol. I have high hopes still for the ranch and the italian dressing. Ever tried either of those? 

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1 hour ago, BecFreeby said:

Definitely sounds like not enough food just in general - low on both veggies and fats. Sounds like you'll be back on track tomorrow. Congrats on the new family members!

I have high hopes still for the ranch and the italian dressing. Ever tried either of those? 

I agree - i domt think I ate enough yesterday. 

I haven't tried those flavors. I got the Primal Kitchen Caesar, also not my favorite. It was really runny and didn't stick to the lettuce like I hoped, so I k8nd of ended up with a soupy salad. Gross. 

I am, however, a huge fan of Tessamae dressings. The lemon garlic is FANTASTIC as a chicken marinade. The avocado ranch is good too, and I'm generally not a fan of ranch. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for the Tessamae Caesar! 

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Day 4 Cont'd

My initial plan to eat lunch, go pick up the puppies and be home for dinner didn't quite work out. The dogs were late getting in to town, so I didn't get there until 4:30. By the time I spent the time with them to make sure it was a match, filled out the application, waited on paperwork that didn't come (looong story) and got on the road, it was 6:30 and I was pretty hungry. I had the RX Bar I brought for a snack and felt satisfied. Of course, I wasn't hungry for dinner by the time I got home and got the dogs settled, but I ended up being able to eat a handful of almonds, 3 eggs and some zucchini. I also made some brussels sprouts but I just couldn't eat that much. 

I got to bed late because the dogs were still adjusting. It's going to take some time to get into a routine resembling normal. :wub:

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Day 5

I've rescued one dog before, but two is no joke! These little blessings kept me running crazy today. Now, to be fair, we had to go to the pet store and exchange their leashes because the ones we got - they just weren't having it. My boys also came over for dinner and our other dog, Stitch, came with him. I'm sure that between that and being in a new home for only 24 hours was just a lot. I don't blame them for being a bit cranky. I'm feeling it myself. Hopefully tomorrow we can all just chillllll.... 

I had a really hard time eating today. I would start off hungry and a few bites in feel stuffed. I did what you are supposed to do, stuck to the template and ate as much as I was able. I even set my food off to the side so I could continue eating when the urge struck. As soon as I had breakfast and lunch sitting there together I conceded and put it all away. 

Breakfast - leftover apple pork frittata 
Lunch - beef & broccoli with mushrooms 
Dinner - cod, caesar salad and mashed potatoes 

I'm having a cup of chamomile tea before bed and I had half a bottle of kombucha with dinner. 

I've also been using Day by Day this time around. I don't think it was written when I did my W30s in the past. It's really pretty cool, even if you already know the program and what to expect pretty well. I'm starting to enjoy the bedtime routine of writing in it, reflecting on the day. I've tried to get in the habit of journaling in the past and it never sticks. If I can stick with Day by Day for 30 days I'll be feeling pretty good. 

I've also been listening to Melissa's podcast - Do The Thing. I really liked her recent episode about morning routines and how they can be hugely beneficial. I'm going to start working on a morning routine of my own - just something to consistently start the day off on a positive note. 

NSV: I had absolutely zero cravings today 
NSV#2: I followed the rules and ate as much as I could on schedule even when I didn't feel hungry 
NSV#3: I did all the dishes after dinner even though I was tired and I really, really didn't want to. 

Insights: Nothing significant today. I didn't get much sleep last night because of the pups so I'm getting to bed earlier tonight, hoping they sleep a little better, too. 

Here's a picture of the mellower of the two. The other one doesn't sit still long enough for a photo. I swear to gawd she's part squirrel. 

20200911_150638.jpg

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Day 6 

I slept in (except that I didn't sleep much) until about 10:30. I was up a LOT last night. I had one pup asleep between my legs and the other asleep on my shoulder. The one on my shoulder seemed like she was having a hard time breathing, so of course I was a bit worried and half trying to keep an ear on her. She'd change positions what felt like every couple of minutes, and I'm pretty sure it woke me every time she shifted. I must have gotten enough sleep combined though because my energy levels are good today. 

My appetite has been a lot better today compared to yesterday. I didn't have much time between waking and my son coming over to take some big stuff over to the Good Will, so I reheated a pile of sauteed sweet potatoes and cooked up some eggs. I had my coffee with coconut oil. 

Since I had breakfast late, I ended up having lunch late, too. I reheated the broccoli beef and topped it with the last of my cashew sauce. I also had a handful of almonds. I seem to be leaning on nuts a lot for my fats. I don't overindulge, but I feel like there might be a way to mix it up a bit. If anyone has a suggestion for healthy fats I'm totally open! 

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Day 6 - continued

Today is the first day in a while that I've had any sort of significant craving - and I really wanted a glass of wine. I'd been watching a TV show and they were drinking wine and that was a huge trigger for me. It wasn't a crazy uncontrollable craving - I wasn't going to run to the store and buy wine - but it was strong enough that had there been wine in front of me I probably would have accepted it. To me that just reinforces the importance of not having tempting foods around. 

For dinner I was inspired by another member's comment about Sunshine Sauce. I didn't have any sunbutter, so I ended up making some sauce with a combination of almond butter and cashews. I drizzled that over a pile of cooked chicken thighs, zoodles, sliced portabello mushroom and fresh tomato. So good. And now I have some sauce left over for the next day or two. 

My energy today has been really great. I feel like it was pretty good yesterday too, but I would have to refer back to my log to be sure. I haven't been sleeping well because of the pups, but tonight I'm going to try putting them in a playpen next to my bed and see if they will let me sleep alone. You know who is really in charge around here, and it's not the hooman. :wub:

Insights: keep non-compliant food OUT OF THE HOUSE. I may have caved if I would have had wine around. Sleep. Cravings for me aren't typically as bad when I have sufficient sleep. 

NSV: Went on 3 long-ish walks with the pups today. 

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On 9/6/2020 at 9:03 PM, SchrodingersCat said:

I think changing your day 1 was an excellent idea - you're so right about the psychological aspects. 

OHHHHHH do I hear you. This is me. You may have noticed in my food log I tend to go a bit overboard, and part of that is this crazy anxiety about keeping it interesting or I might notice that I'm missing out on something. Even though this round is open ended and not 30 days, I can't help but count and be aware that I'm coming up on the 30 and stressing about what happens next and "Falling off".

GOOD LUCK for day 1!!  

I was just thinking about this--the anxiety surrounding food boredom on W30--and it struck me that while not on W30, I can eat the same thing for days on end, take a one-day break, and go back to eating the same thing for days on end until I grow tired of it and switch to something else. Lately, while packing and planning to move, it was take-out shawarma, my go-to being hummus, lentil soup, salad, chicken. And sushi from the grocery store. I practically lived on these two meals all summer. So, why do we feel we need to outdo ourselves on W30? Honestly, I'm amazed at the effort I'm willing to put into meal prep, though I'm also noticing that it doesn't HAVE to be that big of a deal. As long as I have protein, veggies, and fat handy, I'm good. It's true that the excitement of overmuch salt/fat/sugar/msg/whathaveyou taken out of the equation may be part of why getting back to real food and making it extra tasty is important. But I keep telling myself, "It doesn't have to be such a big deal." Especially because my plan is basically to keep going through October with my little doctor-ordered side step away from fats and starches in the middle.

Anyway, love your reflections, contemplations, and participation in my log. WE CAN DO THIS (cue Rosie the Riveter image)!!

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Cheers to no cravings and makeshift sunshine sauce and new squirrel pups!

I hear you on wine. It's something I miss a bit when I know I can't have it but hardly actually drink it when I'm not on an elimination diet. I really do feel better in general without alcohol, and over the course of my umpteen W30s including one year alcohol-free, it doesn't sing the same siren song. When I do imbibe, it's generally one, maybe two. Even though my dude manages a bar. Neither of us is the drinker we once were, and I'd like to think that's the natural order of things (I'm 43 and he's nearly 51). Anyway, I digress from my original intent, which was to say YAY YOU! Wine always seems better on tv. YOU GOT DIS.

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4 hours ago, LadyM said:

Cheers to no cravings and makeshift sunshine sauce and new squirrel pups!

I hear you on wine. It's something I miss a bit when I know I can't have it but hardly actually drink it when I'm not on an elimination diet. I really do feel better in general without alcohol, and over the course of my umpteen W30s including one year alcohol-free, it doesn't sing the same siren song. When I do imbibe, it's generally one, maybe two. Even though my dude manages a bar. Neither of us is the drinker we once were, and I'd like to think that's the natural order of things (I'm 43 and he's nearly 51). Anyway, I digress from my original intent, which was to say YAY YOU! Wine always seems better on tv. YOU GOT DIS.

Yes yes yes! It's true, when not on W30 I rarely drink it. I think it's mostly just an issue of wanting everything I "can't" have. I pretty much have a rebellious side in everything, so why should food be any different? 

In response to your previous comment, I think that's where the pressure to keep things interesting comes from. If I'm going to submit to following these "rules," my rebellious side still needs a chance to say, nope, I'm not eating that. If I'm going to stick to the rules I need other choices to allow my rebellious side some latitude. Prior to this W30 I was eating oatmeal nearly every morning. We ate pizza (the same pie from the same place), sushi (the same rolls), and pad thai from the same place regularly. So what you said is right on - why can we do that and then suddenly panic about keeping things fresh for W30? I really think it's rebelling. There are no "rules" around eating all that other stuff, but there are rules for W30. 

The psychology of behavior (particularly around food) is so fascinating to me! 

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Day 7 (and yes, I still have to check!)

This morning was a bit cray cray. I had the pups sleep in the playpen last night, hoping against hope I could get some sleep. It kind of worked. The little one (Gen) ended up in bed with me but fortunately slept NEXT to me instead of ON TOP OF me. The bigger one (Ulli) stayed in the playpen until morning. So thank goodness for finally getting some rest. We got up and I started getting my shoes to take them outside. They were out of bed for 30 seconds when I find Ulli in my office taking a dump on the floor. :angry: I rush them downstairs and get them outside, and of course they both just stare at me. We hung out forever until I finally conceded to going back in, and within seconds they both peed on the carpet. I got to exercise my "don't get mad" face. Cleaned it up and started watching videos on house training adult rescues. I made a cup of coffee but breakfast wasn't even on my MIND. Tried a few things and then ran to the store to pick up a few things. I got back around 11:00am and realized I hadn't eaten. D'oh! 

So, all that to say ... I'm going to need to figure out some kind of morning routine that meets their needs and ensures I get my own business handled. 

Breakfast: 4 eggs (which felt like a lot today despite not having eaten much) topped with a healthy pour of my "cash-alm-shine sauce," sweet potato mash, asparagus and cuties. Coffee with coconut oil. 

I'm going to try to get in a light lunch later this afternoon and have a slightly later dinner to get the 3 meals in, and make some sort of effort to get back on schedule. 

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Day 7 - continued

I swear, these dogs are going to push me to my breaking point. But, they're adjusting, so I just have to be patient. I swear I can only clean up SO MUCH PEE before I lose my mind. 

Anywhoooo.... About 3 hours after breakfast I had a lighter lunch. I made a shrimp fried rice from cauli rice, peas, coconut oil, coconut aminos, egg, and shrimp. Of course I topped it off with my cash-alm-shine sauce. It was light enough I could eat it even though I'd eaten a few hours earlier, but satisfying at the same time. 

My energy is a little lower today. I've had a couple of bouts of "I just want to take a nap," though I'm probably just catching up from lack of sleep the last couple of nights. 

NSV: My leggings weren't quite as tight when I put them on today. Woo hoo! 

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36 minutes ago, SchrodingersCat said:

Oh man, you are a saint! I would be so frustrated, I love doggos but I think I'd weep. I have an elderly cat who barfs on everything and that's bad enough!

Oh it's been challenging for sure!! If I didn't work at home I could never do it. 

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Day 8

If the timeline holds, I'm halfway to Tiger's Blood. Woo hoo!! Some positives for today: I only had to clean up puppy pee one time (YAY!!), and my son came over for dinner. I was able to make a compliant meal that he loved. I got the pups to both sleep in the playpen last night with minimal complaining. 

Okay, so ... workout this morning was yoga. I'm trying to be easy on myself since I haven't been sleeping a ton since getting the pups. The little one kept jumping on me while I was trying to do the various poses. It was kind of hilarious. I mean, how can you get mad when this little furry thing comes streaking across the room and stops like a pin on your belly and starts licking you? You can't, that's how. 

I made breakfast right after yoga: 4 eggs, sliced portabello mushrooms & zucchini cooked in lemon infused olive oil, and a fresh nectarine. I started eating around 9, but I didn't finish until close to noon. Partly I was distracted by crappy work stuff, and partly I didn't have much of an appetite. I ate as much as I could each time, but it took longer to go back to than I would have liked. 

I made lunch around 3:00. I made some chicken wings in the air fryer and ate them with cucumbers dipped in cashalmoshine sauce, cuties, and almonds. It took about an hour to eat lunch (again, crappy work stuff). 

I got a call from my son around 530 that he was coming over to get some stuff, so I offered to cook dinner. I made compliant sausages, mashed potatoes and green beans. When not on W30 my son likes a lot of butter in the mashed potatoes. I have ghee, but it's kinda expensive, so I don't want to dump a whole container in it (plus that can't be very healthy anyway). I had some leftover homemade mayo that probably didn't have very many days left in it, so I dumped the rest in the potatoes. I seasoned with Himalayan salt, garlic and paprika, and rounded it out with almond milk to get that creamy consistency. He had 3 helpings - so I'm gonna say it was pretty good. 

Insights: I want to put more effort into finishing my meals. On days when it's hard, I'm going to shoot for finishing them within an hour, but if it's not an issue of appetite (and just time) I am going to focus on finishing them within a half hour. 

NSV: I helped one of my friends that I am coaching have some "ah ha" moments around portion sizes and snacks. 
NSV #2: absolutely zero cravings today. I wanted some wine to cope with some stupidity I was dealing with at work, but it was different than a craving. 
NSV #3: I planned meals well enough that I didn't need any snacks. 

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12 hours ago, decker_bear said:

I have ghee, but it's kinda expensive

Have you tried making it yourself?  It's super easy, just dump a pound of salted butter into a saucepan and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  Cover the pot with a wire screen if you have one.  I don't bother skimming much off the top anymore, just let the milk solids drop to the bottom of the pot to brown.  Do not stir during the process.  When it's done, leave it until it's warm to touch not hot, then strain it through a few layers of cheesecloth into a glass jar.  It's so good, and I love the flavour of the home made burnt-ish butter better than the store-bought super mild flavour.  

Congrats on those NSV's!

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5 hours ago, ShadowInTheKitchen said:

Have you tried making it yourself?  

No way!! I will have to try that. I was always reluctant because I thought it was like making brown butter and there was a 2 second window between done and burned. I'm totally trying this, that would make my life sooooo much easier! Thank you! 

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Day 9 

I swear I'm stuck in some kind of time warp. I feel like I've been doing this forever, but not in a yucky burned out way, just more like "I swear it's been 6 months since I had a doughnut" kind of way. This is my first time doing it with Day by Day, and I have to say I really like it. 

Okay breakfast: 4 eggs, portabella mushroom and asparagus cooked in lemon-infused olive oil, 2 small plumcots, coffee with coconut oil x 3. 
Today I focused on making eating a priority and not getting distracted by work. I know the "rules" say to sit down with no distractions at a table set and enjoy the food you've just created. I'm not NEARLY focused enough to be able to do that. I'm ALWAYS multitasking no matter what it is, but by making breakfast a priority WHILE multitasking, I think that is going to be the best long term solution for me. :) I finished breakfast within 45 minutes of starting. Much better than 4 hours yesterday. 

Lunch - leftover spaghetti squash, chili, and brussels sprouts with cashalmshine sauce. I think I should patent that name, it's fun. Also, I don't like Brussels sprouts. I keep thinking I do, so I buy them, and I cook them, and I try to eat them. But I think I just need to accept that I don't like them and move on to another vegetable. It's not them, it's me. 

I'm feeling ... peckish today. Not hungry, not even munchy necessarily, more ... stir crazy. Like, I would totally kill a can of pringles or a bag of gummy bears, but it's not even necessarily what I want. I've been outside with the dogs a few times so it's not cabin fever. Maybe it's Day 9 angst. Update: it just dawned on me I was feeling this way because I got to bed late last night. Duh! I was up until midnight watching FOOTBALL!! :ph34r:

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16 hours ago, decker_bear said:

No way!! I will have to try that. I was always reluctant because I thought it was like making brown butter and there was a 2 second window between done and burned. I'm totally trying this, that would make my life sooooo much easier! Thank you! 

This *can* happen on the stovetop, but I've been making my ghee with a foolproof crockpot method I love. Just dump the butter into a crockpot set to low and leave it overnight with no lid. In the morning, voila! It's ready to strain through a cheesecloth into jars. I also recommend using unsalted grass fed butter. I've never bought ghee, always have jars of it on hand. It's not that big of a deal. I swear!

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You two crack me up with the not being able to sit down and eat a meal in a specified timeframe. I have the opposite problem. I finish too fast and am working on mindfulness from the opposite end of the spectrum!

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18 hours ago, SchrodingersCat said:

I'm the same with sitting down to meals, I get bored. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate my meals, but I don't want to sit there and lovingly gaze at them while I eat them!

That sauce does sound fun!!

I am literally laughing so hard right now!! "Oh, my dearest plate of eggs, how I love thee..." 

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5 hours ago, LadyM said:

This *can* happen on the stovetop, but I've been making my ghee with a foolproof crockpot method I love. Just dump the butter into a crockpot set to low and leave it overnight with no lid. In the morning, voila! It's ready to strain through a cheesecloth into jars. I also recommend using unsalted grass fed butter. I've never bought ghee, always have jars of it on hand. It's not that big of a deal. I swear!

OH MY GOSH THIS SOUNDS EVEN EASIER!!! I am so excited. Ghee is coming off the shopping list and butter is going on. Just so I'm clear, the stuff left in the cheesecloth is the dairy solids and everything that strains through is the ghee, right? Do I need to refrigerate the ghee? 

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5 hours ago, LadyM said:

You two crack me up with the not being able to sit down and eat a meal in a specified timeframe. I have the opposite problem. I finish too fast and am working on mindfulness from the opposite end of the spectrum!

It's fun how different we all are! :wub: I eat SO MANY cold meals because I get distracted too easily! :lol:

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