Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Hi all! No time like the present, eh? Come on in, the water's fine. You can do it! Usually I'm really methodical about how I start things -- I would be the one with four weeks' worth of meal plans, having already gone grocery shopping, and cooked (and frozen for later) a whole bunch of meals. But for some reason, any time I contemplated doing that for a Whole 30, it was completely daunting. So instead, I'm starting with flying by the seat of my pants. I have three grocery stores within spitting distance of my house, and bring my breakfast and lunch to work every day anyway. So I'm just going to do what I can and make it happen. So far today (day 1): Breakfast (10 a.m.) Black coffee (usually put 1tsp maple syrup in it, but not for the next 30 days) 1/4 of a baked sweet potato Almond butter (raw almonds, no salt) Sea salt Water Mid-afternoon (2 p.m.) Black coffee Lunch (3:15 p.m.) Very small baked sweet potato Paleo chili --ground beef --green pepper, diced --red pepper, diced --onion, diced --garlic, minced --canned diced tomato --chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne powder, paprika, salt, pepper (just realized -- are these spices okay? They're dried and ground up, but don't have additives). Snack - two pineapple spears Dinner - Prosciutto (ingredients: Pork, salt) & cantaloupe Snack - Seltzer, macadamia nuts (1/2 - 3/4 cup, too many!), banana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Day 2 (recreated from memory). Did not wake up feeling hung over and nasty. Still waiting for that to kick in. Most dreading the two-week cravings point; that's where my other attempts at clean eating (or dieting, or whatever it is that I'm trying at the time) have failed -- I somehow manage to convince myself that 'this is ridiculous,' and 'really, I need to figure out what I can do long-term,' and 'just one ____ won't hurt,' and so on. I know Dallas & Melissa are big on "remind yourself why you're doing this" to get through that. But the truth is I don't really know why I'm doing this. Mostly to see if it makes a difference. And to see if I CAN do it, to see if I can get through it, to see if I really am as stubborn as I think I am. For me, I think the most useful reminder when I get to the midpoint cravings is going to be "you've made it this far -- don't waste all that effort by stopping now." It'd be like a No Rep in a CrossFit competition; one where you put in all the effort and tire out your body, but miss the last little bit and so none of what you did actually counts. Okay, so . . . eating yesterday. Breakfast - sweet potato & almond butter w/sea salt. Black coffee (THIS is a whole new thing). Snack - apple, peeled (reallllly don't like the texture of apple skins -- but I can eat the skins of sweet potatoes, go figure). Snack - banana (also peeled) Lunch (at 5:00 in the evening - I realized as I was leaving work that I had forgotten to have lunch, hence the second snack of a banana) - Bacon chili over a slice of sweet potato, seltzer Dinner - 1 can tuna in oil, 1/2 bag baby spinach (heated), balsamic vinegar, garlic powder Snack - small handful macadamia nuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Day 3. Had an epiphany this morning. I've been doing CrossFit for about 10 months now, and for the past five months or so, I've gone whenever I have the time. Usually this means every weekday at lunch, and sometimes mid-week after work as well. And for the past five months or so, I have felt like I was moving through molasses during my Wednesday workout. But I'd still do it, and I'd feel better and more energized on Thursday, and so all was well. Today (Wednesday), though, I had an odd thought: What if I just need a rest day? What if I'm not doing my body any favors by pushing through? How much better could Thursday, Friday and the occasional Saturday be if I didn't pound myself into the ground on Wednesday? I don't know if this is Whole30-related or not, but it suddenly seems to make all sorts of sense to take Wednesday off. Now, it could be that Wednesday is when the excesses of the weekend finally catch up with me. Or it could be that Wednesday is when my Monday and Tuesday sleep deprivation nights (because I still feel awake in the evening, from having rested well over the weekend) catch up with me and that I generally go to sleep earlier on Wed and Thus b/c I'm so tired. Or who knows? But for this week and next, I plan to experiment with taking Wednesday off. Breakfast: Sweet potato, almond butter, salt, black coffee. Snack: banana Lunch: Bacon chili. Mid-afternoon coffee. Snack: Apple (peeled) Dinner: Again with the tuna w/spinach & basalmic vinegar (planning to cook tomorrow, I swear!) Snack: blood orange, some macadamia nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Day 4. Both "the grouchies" and the withdrawal-flu have hit today. The good news is that I work from home on Thursday, so don't have to interact with anyone, and can stay in my jammies and be comfortable. And maybe by the time my family returns from its various places (school, work, etc), I'll have my head screwed on a little more straight. In good news, working from home has let me put a meal in the crockpot (curried chicken & cauliflower), make some breakfast hash (sausage, sweet potato, apple, spices, almond flour), bake some sweet potatoes, and generally do the work that I should have done before starting. Breakfast: black coffee. sweet potato w/almond butter Lunch: Bacon chili Mid-afternoon black coffee Snack: Apple & macadamia nuts Dinner: Chicken & Cauliflower curry Snack: Carrots dipped in leftover curry sauce. Grapes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Day 5. Can't say I'm having "cravings," so much as I'm having "preoccupations." I find myself sitting at my desk, not at all hungry, thinking about things like waffles and bread and english muffins and . . . (sorry; just had to look away from the screen for a moment, even seeing the WORDS got me going. Yikes!) But I'm not hungry, and I can think about having those things in a month or so, if I still want them. So far, the two hardest things have been not weighing myself (I have a once-a-day habit with the scale) and not having my evening glass of wine. For some reason, I find wine very satisfying and filling. The last time I stopped having it, I substituted with macadamia nuts and vacuum-fried bananas from Trader Joe's. I'd go through half a bag of macadamia nuts and a whole bag of bananas in one evening. In my effort to change my relationship with food on the Whole30, I'm NOT doing that. Last night, I had baby carrots dipped in curry sauce. The next step, of course, will be to break myself of the habit of eating after dinner. But I'm taking it one thing at a time, and for some reason, I am legitimately hungry around 9 or 10 at night. Yes, I would happily eat fish & broccoli at that point. But that's a hassle to prepare. Interestingly, I find part of what keeps me honest (here on Day 5) is that if I cheat, then all the effort I put into not cheating on days 1-4 was wasted, and I'll trade my "25 days to go" self-talk for "30 days to go." I'm REALLY hoping this logic holds over the weekend and toward the end of week 2, which is when things always get dicey for me with any new & improved eating plan. Anyway. Breakfast: Breakfast hash (sweet potato, apple, sausage, almond flour, coconut oil). Black coffee. Snack: Pineapple spears Lunch: chicken curry w/cauliflower Snack: Macadamia nuts (lots) Grapes Dinner: Burnt ends (bbq beef - pot'l for sugar in sauce; whoops! had only 2-3 bites) collard greens green beans Snack: Apple Strawberry crusher from Trader Joe's seltzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Day 6. Oh. My. God. I just want to go back to bed. Slept 10 hours last night, planned to go to CrossFit today, but that's not happening. Mostly just going to putter through my day, one step at a time. Taking the kids to a two-day flute workshop starting tomorrow, so I'll do a lot of sitting then. Breakfast: Sweet potato w/almond butter Black coffee Lunch: bGood salad (orange, avocado, greens, chicken) without dressing Snack: Carrots dipped in curry sauce Dinner: Garden salad w/grilled chicken, no dressing Breakfast hash Snack: Almond butter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhuss22 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 oh my gosh...today I am on day 7....woke up early to drive my fiance to the go station, then went to the grocery store for a few things....showered when I got home and proceeded to sleep for 2.5 hours waking up at 11:06am, just in time to get ready and go to work. I was thinking, 'man why am I so tired'?! So then I get to work, and go to that article that describes how we are probably going to feel and it says 'Day 6-7: I want to take a nap'. LOL. I just about fell off my chair because that is exactly how I feel haha. I know the feeling! Keep up the great work!! ....and way to listen to your body and take a break from Crossfit when needed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 @jhuss22 - thanks! Today is day 9 for me, and I'm doing better (though I didn't sleep as well last night as I usually do), so hang in there -- it gets better. Okay, so I haven't posted since midday Saturday. The weekend was crazy-busy, but I managed to stay on my Whole 30, and am now resolving to do even better. I've been snacking on nuts and nut butter even when I wasn't hungry, but just wanted something, you know? As of today, I have a new rule for myself (that MUST already be one of the W30 rules, but it seems so obvious it doesn't get listed) : don't eat unless you're hungry. I WILL conquer the sugar demon. I WILL conquer the impulse to snack mindlessly. As for Sunday & Monday - we were at a two-day flute workshop for both kiddos. I brought all my food, and ate only the food I brought. Period. Full stop, end of sentence. And today? Breakfast: sweet potato & almond butter Snack: Steve's Original "Paleokit." (the jerkey is sweetened with fruit juice, so it may be dubious, but I'm going with it anyway). Lunch: 1/4 of my Taco mixture -- 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef, paleo taco seasoning, jar of Green Mountain Gringo salsa, bag of Trader Joe's roasted onions & peppers Snack: Apple with almond butter Dinner: Curried chicken w/cauliflower Baby carrots Trader Joe's apple/strawberry crusher thingy Coffee, herbal tea, water Evening indulgence: seltzer with a few frozen berries floated in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 Day 10. Feeling a little easier today. Haven't pooped in days (too many raw veggies?), so I have a bit of a belly, but I'm sure that'll resolve itself eventually. Woke up a bunch last night -- but then again, I drank about a bottle of seltzer right before bed, so that's only to be expected. Really enjoyed the seltzer with frozen berries concoction, and those berries lasted through many many glasses of seltzer. So, today: Breakfast: baked sweet potato, almond butter, black coffee Lunch: Chicken curry w/cauliflower Lara bar (good, but not completely worth it if you know what I mean) Banana Snack: Steve's Original PaleoKit Dinner: Taco beef concoction (paleo taco seasonings, beef, compliant salsa, onions & peppers) Lara bar seltzer w/berries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Day 11, and going strong. Odd thing today: I was hungry, like really REALLY hungry - stomach growling, hadn't eaten in six hours (10 a.m. b'fast, 4:30 p.m. lunch), but all the usual mood stuff that goes along with it just wasn't there. I really felt like I could wait to eat until it was convenient. (insanely busy day). And then I stood up and the world went a little bit black, and I needed to leave the house. So I took a water bottle and a Lara bar with me and had a little something to tie me over (tide me over?). It's a new feeling - not having a mood-related need to eat. Fingers crossed that it lasts. So anyway, today: Morning: Coffee with 1tsp coconut oil 10 a.m.: Sweet potato with almond butter 2 pm black coffee 4 p.m. Lara bar 4:45 p.m. Chicken curry 6:00 banana 8:30 romaine lettuce with grilled chicken, granny smith apples, and pecans. Made my own dressing (compliant mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt & pepper) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Day 12. I don't think I'd say I'm at "tiger blood," but this is getting a bit easier each day. Less snacking, more mindful eating. My greatest challenge usually comes around day 15 of any new way of eating -- it's the point at which I settle into complacency, thinking "I've got this figured out" and then comes "so it's okay if I have ______ (fill in the blank)." Honestly, I think my greatest challenges may still be ahead of me. But for now, I'm enjoying the ease with which I'm handling the day-to-day. We'll see how this weekend goes. Today: 8 a.m. -- coffee w/coconut oil 10 a.m. - baked sweet potato & almond butter 2:30 pm -- prosciutto and melon 3:30 pm - Lara bar & coffee (black) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted February 4, 2013 Author Share Posted February 4, 2013 Wow. I've been gone a while, huh? But I've been W30-compliant. Today is day 22. Yesterday was HARD. I don't know if it was the Superbowl, or the way life has been going recently, or an extinction burst, or what -- but I REALLY wanted a glass of red wine and a few cupcakes (my daughter baked cupcakes, then a friend brought over a cake to celebrate her discharge from the hospital last week). So I indulged -- macadamia nuts and dried fruit. Not entirely healthy, but a whole lot better than red wine and cupcakes. And today (ten days after my last post), I think it's time to start listing my foods again: Yesterday (Sunday): First meal - sweet potato & almond butter. black coffee Second meal -- mustard-lime chicken, Brussels sprouts with bacon Mini-meal - Lara bar and black coffee Third meal -- taco beef with salsa and onions/peppers Mini-meal - 2 slices bacon, bowl of macadamia nuts and dried fruit. Seltzer with frozen berried added. Today (Monday): First meal - sweet potato & almond butter. black coffee Second meal - taco beef with salsa, and onion/peppers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 End of yesterday (Monday) - Snack: Lara bar, black coffee, banana Third meal - baked tilapia with mango, pineapple & lime; steamed broccoli with lemon juice. After dinner -- macadamia nuts, dried banana As for today, day 23? Still thinking about sugary things. I have a feeling that when all is said and done, it's going to be dairy, gluten, and legumes that give me inflammation issues and sugar that gives me the psychological/behavioral issues. Gonna have to decide what I do about that. It'd be easier to say "no dairy, no gluten, limited legumes" than it will be to say "no sweets." But I worry about the slippery slope of having "just one," which could turn into "just one a day" or "just one in each bite." Also alcohol - these 30 days have definitely changed my relationship with it. I was having a glass of red wine every night, because I found it satisfying and filling in a way that water (or real food) just isn't. I'm going to have to go back to alcohol as a rare thing, saved for occasions that are different from everyday life. Today's food so far: First meal - black coffee, sweet potato, almond butter, sea salt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Rover Bailey Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Today (Tuesday) Continued: Snack: banana Second meal: Mustard/lime chicken; Brussels sprouts with bacon (yum!) Snack: dried apricots, macadamia nuts Third meal: tilapia & spinach. Snack: Lara bar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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