Rebecca001 Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 I’m beginning my 3rd round today, almost 2 weeks after my last one ended. R1 was July, and after that I reintroduced wine but nothing else; R2 began Jan 1st, reintroduced wine last weekend (3 glasses of red, felt hideous the next day) and drank yesterday (white, felt ok this morning) - other than that I haven’t introduced anything else. I’m not worried about my meals; I have eaten this way for so many months now that I genuinely don’t think about the food, it’s a very natural way for me to eat and I can meal plan quickly and effectively. this time I’m focussing on my behaviours and the rules, in a bid to really find my food freedom. I am struggling with winter and a strict lockdown in the Uk and I find I am: eating outside of meals; grazing in the kitchen; eating a lot of compliant ‘food with no brakes’ and emotional/ bored/ stress eating. That’s been a lifelong habit for me that I think now I feel ready to tackle head on. So this round I am also removing: nuts, nut butter, fruit, and dried fruit, and no ‘bars’ of any sort- these are definitely not worth the hard psychological response I experience to them. I haven’t weighed myself since 31st Dec and decided not to weigh after my last round, so I’m not weighing before I start. I don’t really have weight to lose except a few vanity pounds so that’s another habit I’m keen to break. I’ll be eating 3 meals, and a pre-run or post run snack every day. I’m really going to focus on getting a full 4-5 hours between meals and I think in the early days this will be the biggest challenge for me as I often don’t eat breakfast til 10am, then have lunch fairly soon after, and dinner at 6pm (but with a bit of kitchen foraging in between!) I do exercise a lot, I run 35-40 km a week and do hiit workouts and yoga as well so I do worry that I don’t eat enough. We’ll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 14, 2021 Author Share Posted February 14, 2021 R3 D1 went ok, to be honest it was just more of the same! I had salad lunch with mackerel and fried egg. Dinner was a raclette/hot plate type thing with seasoned pork belly, chicken with shallots and salads. I made more of the amazing mango salsa from Friday as it was so tasty!! R3D2 today: James and I went for a cold Valentine’s Day run together, a good 12.5km and I did that fasted, so had 2 small pieces of pork belly when I returned, just to keep me going until brunch/lunch. I realise this means I’m skipping a meal today however it’s impossible some days to fit them all in and still get 4-5 hours between and not be eating late at night. So I ate salad, boiled eggs and tinned fish at 12, and we will be having roast lamb and all the veg at dinner which will be 5.30pm. I must make sure to get all my 3 meals in tomorrow as it will probably be then that the impact of a long run and a missed meal really shows. I’m prepping some food today for the week ahead: seasoned chicken thighs, some egg mayo, and I always cook extra veg as I will add it to pretty much any meal over the next few days. I’m also pre-prepping a load of veg sticks for the fridge as well as my snack this week is crudités and tahini/lemon dip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 R3D3 - feeling good this evening. Did a good, hilly run in the sunshine and yoga this evening. breakfast: chicken thigh, egg mayo, veg crudités and cherry toms, tahini/lemon dip lunch: roast lamb, roast sweet potato, roast parsnips, braised red cabbage and mayo dinner: pork shoulder steak, shallots, spicy apply sauce, red cabbage and peas and mayo No snacks, no fruit except in savoury meals, no nuts, - none of my ‘not worth it’ list. I have also really focussed on having that clear 4/5 hours between food and a few times today I was tempted but stuck very well to my plan. FFF book came today so I’m excited to read that. tomorrow: food is sorted, dinner will be grilled chicken curry from the W30 book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 R3D4 today- another really good day. Breakfast (chicken, egg mayo and salad), lunch (errrr more chicken, more salad, and avo with some veg sticks and tahini lemon dip), dinner was really delicious- cauli rice, chicken breast and a spicy curry sauce with butternut squash, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes blended with coconut milk. I did have a banana after dinner (breaking my no fruit rule!) but that’s ok. Feeling good with no snacks and no extras, and sticking to my meal plan to the letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 18, 2021 Author Share Posted February 18, 2021 R3D6 today- food yesterday was good, as was today. I had chicken thighs, a few chunks of roasted sweet potato and sliced roasted beetroot, and salad for breakfast after my run, then lunch was prawns in leftover curry sauce again, with carrot sticks. The curry sauce is 100% veg with cauli rice on the side as well. Dinner was sausage patties with squash and mashed sweet potato with broccoli and peas, and I had a banana after my meal as well. I’ve done a 6km run and a 6km walk today, plus yoga. I’m feeling good, it could partly be due to having the week off work, however I think the w30 and certainly the no snacks/ no nuts is really benefiting me, and although I’m still having fruit I am limiting to one piece a day and not grazing on it when I’m bored. The weekend is looming again, always a bit of a danger zone but I’m feeling confident I can focus on my 3 big meals and nothing extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 So it’s 21st feb today, and I have done a lot of thinking this week. I’ve had a really successful week of just eating my 3 meals, nothing else. It’s a very important change for me. I reread my notebook from January and even there I can see that I struggled in round 2 with eating outside of mealtimes. This last week I have literally had my 3 meals a day. I can feel the tiger blood returning so I think even though my food was 100% compliant, it was overloading my insulin responses and just making me feel sluggish, and (ironically) hungry. So that’s the first thing I’ve come to conclude should be in my ‘not worth it’ list 1. Eating outside of mealtimes I reintroduced wine on 6th feb, had 2 glasses of red, felt yuck. Last weekend had 2 glasses of white- didn’t feel as yuck. This weekend had red on Friday, again, felt yuck Saturday morning and really struggled to get to sleep. Therefore, unfortunately, I do think that red wine is creeping into my ‘not worth it’ list as well. 2. Red wine (I will miss you, old friend) Plus as I had already deduced 3. Dried fruit, nuts and nut butter (except within savoury dishes ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 So today I was really hungry, right from the moment I got up. Not hungry, but ‘wanty’ actually. I ate big portions at my 3 meals and stuck to that rule, and I’m glad I did because I could have eaten so much if I’d let myself. I made a pineapple chicken coconut curry for dinner. It wasn’t what I wanted it to be, it just didn’t work how I thought it would in my mind, and I put tumeric in it which I have occasionally found to give me a bit of stomach cramps, and lo, it has done again tonight, so therefore 4. turmeric is now on my not worth it list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Saturday morning here and I’m reflecting on the week that’s gone. I managed a full week again with no snacking or grazing, no nuts or nut butter or dried fruit, and just having my 3 meals. Even last night when we had a few glasses of champagne (I know, right?!) I didn’t end up eating, partly though because there wasn’t anything I actually could eat as the fridge is bare! Last week worked well because I specifically planned my breakfasts and lunches and prepped them a few days in advance so I’m definitely doing that this week as well. Someone said to me I looked really good, “different” (in a good way!) and I reckon it is the tiger blood effect. And actually really the effect of now 7.5 months of really good food. Although I can’t believe how much more energy I have by not snacking. That really is the only change in the last few weeks and it seems to have stirred up my energy levels. I’ve not been hungry especially. A few times I’ve wanted something mid afternoon, usually after running, but never been so hungry that I’ve raised the fridge. so on to another week. Things are starting to change here: the weather is warming up as spring arrives and lockdown is beginning to end, with 8th March schools reopen and 29th we can meet up to 6 people outside which will be a big and very welcome change. I think my outdoor sports will reopen then as well, and I cannot wait for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Interesting- today I had a sausage which was entirely compliant ingredients except for sodium metabisulphate. And now all afternoon I’ve been in a crappy mood. Now I didn’t really introduce that properly, it was an unplanned change so I didn’t really think about it- but I have definitely noticed my mood changed and especially compared to how great I felt yesterday. So that’s an interesting development. I’m not sure if I will now do a few days really strict W30 and then attempt to find something else with that in and test again, or whether to just be mindful of it if anything comes my way again - I’m not actually planning any reintro yet so it’s not like I’m going to test other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 Just checking in- feeling really good today although I’m quite hungry! Ate loads of protein today, not as much veg as I should have though. No nee reintroductions or anything to report in that sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 I reintroduced something yesterday. I was really struggling with sugar cravings and decided that yes, I would allow myself some milk chocolate and enjoy it guilt free. So I did! results: a terrible night, headache, night sweats, felt rubbish all day actually (maybe as a result of the bad night?) but yes, I have decided that certainly Cadbury’s dairy milk is not worth it. It wasn’t really nice enough to warrant the side effects. I’m not saying I’d never have chocolate in that scenario again but it would need to be a better quality brand to make it worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 So following from my milk chocolate, my foot is still painful, the joint of my toe is so tender. Particularly when it’s in my trainers which is annoying, so much so I’ve had to relace them to avoid that tender bit. So I think I really do need to keep dairy out now, if I wasn’t sure of that before! so 5. Dairy you are definitely not worth it. Shame, because it would be nice to have occasional chocolate but it can’t be dairy. now, if I look back at my list, I had some dried fruit and nuts this weekend as a bit of a treat because of it being Mother’s Day. I’ve been fairly controlled around them but they are definitely ‘there’ and I’m going to make some sort of ‘bake’ later to use them so they don’t take over my menu this week. also: red wine. Now that was featured on this list a while back but I have had some since then and it is really not worth it. It sounds strange but it makes my mood very flat and grumpy even on the night while drinking it. It’s not fun. I think it will be hard to completely give it up though so I need to do a bit of soul searching - I know it’s not worth it. But it needs to remain on the list. on the whole, I am feeling good right now. I’ve lost the firey tiger blood feeling so this week I’m back strict on the w30 plan to recapture the tiger! I’ve been doing a fierce bootcamp daily which even in 1 week I am noticing a difference in my muscle tone, and running really well also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Fernanda Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 Hi Rebecca! How is it going with your not having dried fruit and nuts thing? Has it got better with the snacking? How was spending easter with the no-dairy chocolate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 Hey @Maria Fernanda, I have had a really weird few weeks. I developed a really bad pain in my hip (I deserved this as I run a lot and this year have run too much and not rested properly...) but yes. I think eating dairy a few weeks ago, aggravated it and I was fully in pain, hobbling round. I also had my Covid jab and felt bad after that. I didn’t go off plan but I just felt like I was struggling. Saying no to everything was a battle where normally it is easy. I substituted with lots of compliant things like nuts and dried fruit and nut butter (and I know these don’t agree with me really) and I had a bit of a ‘spin out’ or a binge on these for a few days. It didn’t feel nice. easter I was very strong actually and had NO CHOCOLATE which I’m very proud of but to be honest the reason was that I absolutely did not trust myself to eat so much of it and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop. simce Easter, I have been better, the last few days have felt a bit brighter. My leg is not so painful now and I have gone totally back to basics with my food, 100% compliant and no nuts or dried fruit. I have had a little too much fresh fruit I think but I will gradually try to cut that back too. I don’t feel the tiger blood yet though. The experience has definitely made me wary of dairy now and that will definitely put me off in future I think (I hope!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 I will also add as I have just reread my posts on this thread, I feel SOOOOOO much better when I eat 3 meals a day and don’t graze and I am absolutely going to work at getting that rhythm back into my life. Waiting 4-5 hours between meals really works for me but it takes me a few days to get into the swing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 So a week of healthier behaviour has paid off for me. I feel much brighter. My leg is still a bit sore to be honest, and I’m not running anywhere near as many miles as I have been it as I would like. I need to get back into daily yoga and generally self care a bit. definitely I know that 3 meals a day and no snacks is working better for me. I did weigh myself a few days ago and I was shocked to see I had gained 7lbs since 1st April! The following day I was very strict, I cut carbs right down and tracked what I ate, and the following day it was gone, so it was clearly water retention but even so. It gave me a little shock! we are going to Devon tomorrow to Sunday, and then on Monday I return to work, so I am determined to begin a full round of 30 days (fully, alcohol free and totally on it) beginning Monday 19th which will take us nicely up to mid May and hopefully the start of summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKUtah Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 It's been tough to give up grazing. My brain wants to make the case that healthy grazing is okay but waiting between meals is something I need to really focus on. So far, I've been able to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 15, 2021 Author Share Posted April 15, 2021 @SKUtahyep, grazing is my worst habit. I really do believe it is a habit too, as in it is something I can change with practice, but it’s a behaviour I often revert to when I am tired or stressed. I feel so much better when I don’t do it though, I am very insulin sensitive and grazing really plays havoc with that.. I had a horrible day yesterday, felt really tired and washed out, had a nap mid afternoon which is very unlike me and just couldn’t shake the sleepy, worn out feeling all day. I ended up eating a lot of carbs and drinking wine which was not really a good idea. It all started with some NKD bars (uk version of larabars) which clearly although are technically compliant, they are not worth it one bit. going away for a long weekend at the sea today, so I’m a bit worried about food and how that will pan out. It’s the first time I have headed out into the world with nothing prepared as back up and not really knowing where or when we eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 16, 2021 Author Share Posted April 16, 2021 I’m really gearing myself up for my next round, which will be starting on Monday 19th April, although I am not planning on going wild food-wise before then either. We are away at the moment and yes, did drink quite a lot of wine last night, enough to make me dehydrated and headachey this morning. My concerns about food were resolved though, we did a shop as soon as we arrived so we have plenty of compliant foods. My round 4 is going to be strict- no nuts or nut butter, no fruit if possible also, and getting that meal template really established. Reading other threads is very informative and it’s clear how important the template is in keeping that balance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKUtah Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 @Rebecca001 Good luck today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 Thanks @SKUtah i have had a good day today, R4D1. In fact, although my stomach was growling away this morning, I have eaten very lightly as I am really trying to actually listen to myself this time. I feel lighter and energised this evening, and despite returning to work after 2.5 weeks off for Easter holiday, I have had energy this afternoon for a walk, hung some washing out and did some housework. My food today has been lovely, a salad with sofrito chicken and mayonnaise, and then my evening meal was a lemongrass Thai chicken curry and cauliflower rice, so loaded up with veg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKUtah Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 You're evening meal sounds amazing! Is that recipe in one of the books? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 @SKUtahno it was from a recipe book called The Doctors kitchen, but it has a lot of compatible recipes or ones that are easy to sub. https://hexhamchiropractic.co.uk/shelley-s-recipes/lemongrass-thai-curry/ leave out the soy sauce or use coconut aminos https://thedoctorskitchen.com/recipes loads more here on his website. tonight I’m having spiced lime cauliflower and sweet potato with prawns from the same book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 R4D2 today. Stomach growling a bit again this morning and I probably should have eaten something but I forgot to pack anything to take to work. I came home and immediately had chicken thighs, salad, and 2 boiled eggs. Had pre workout snack of an egg and some chicken, and now about to have spicy lime cauliflower and prawns. I’m starving! my hip was ok at circuit training so tomorrow I might try a little run after work- but I’m not going to push it if it isn’t 100% better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca001 Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 Another day, another yummy dinner from my dr’s kitchen book. This time it was Vietnamese style chicken balls which I had with stir fry pepper, mushroom, spring onion, sugar snap peas and 5 spice seasoning. Lunch was a salad and boule eggs, new potatoes and mayo. I’m feeling that familiar tiredness today, a good indicator that w30 is underway. One thing I notice with each new round is that the side effects begin more quickly and subside more quickly too, so hopefully I will feel a bit better tomorrow. I didn’t run in the end today. My hip was -mostly- pain free and I thought I would give it just another day or two to really get it back to normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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