Jump to content

My W30 Lifestyle Change


LadyWolf0926

Recommended Posts

Today is R4 D1, and as with anything new, motivation is high.  I have had successful rounds before and have had gone through reintroduction, so I feel I have a good handle on what foods are okay for me to eat, what I need to eat in moderation and what foods I need to avoid altogether.  My relationship with food is still a bit tricky, though.  When I am on round, I am great!  I am all-in, I have only needed to do a restart once and have had phenomenal results each time.  I struggle on reintroduction, and while I have been able to identify my inflammatory triggers (some of which surprised me), I am not good at "try something, reset then try something else".   So, once this round is done and my 30-days are through and I'm reset, I will continue to live a Whole 30 lifestyle.  I am great when I just stay on plan, and I think that's really where I need to be. I am 100% okay with that.

I have two other friends either doing Whole 30 or Keto at the same time as me.  My husband and I have had some good heart-to-heart conversations, and I gave him the green light for tough love when it's needed.  And my medical providers are on board and will be tracking my progress, and I am not talking about the numbers; they are going to be reading my journals and talking with me virtually.  So I have my village!

This weekend was meal prep.  Going back to my training days, I am much more likely to stay on track if I prepare my food in advance so I can just heat it up.  If I don't have to think about it or what I am fixing, I am less inclined to "cheat", so I need to be vigilant here.  I have slated Saturdays as my meal prep day, since my husband is usually working, and Wednesdays are my meal planning days.  Meal planning on Wednesday should give me enough time to prepare and order the shopping list, and when I shop, I use curbside pick-up so I am not tempted in-store.  So, I made some homemade chorizo and baked a frittata de chorizo con papas with nutritional yeast for this week's breakfast, and I marinated some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in EVOO and Paleo Powder for chicken fried cauliflower rice for my lunches.  As with anything, I watch what is posted on Pinterest as a "Whole 30" recipe.  While it may be okay for food freedom, a lot of recipes would be considered SWYPO while on round; so, if I find something I like, I will read it carefully and modify it according to the rules, if necessary.  Dinners will vary evening to evening, and since my husband is simple to feed, he will eat Whole 30 dinners with me and not even realize he's doing it (and if he does realize, he never says anything).  And I need to work hard on getting my water in.  That's always a struggle for me.

Meals:

Breakfast - Coffee with Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Nut Pods Creamer / Frittata de Chorizo con Papas /  Strawberries

Lunch - Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice w/onions, carrots, peas and egg

Dinner - Pan-seared Chicken / Green Beans / Broccoli Stir-Fry Veggies / Strawberries

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

R4 D2 - Woke up this morning a little head-achy and super foggy.  My head felt like a ball of cotton, and I've just been so "out of it" all day.  I'm working through it, but it has not been easy. This is just the beginning of the detox, and I know what the next few days will bring. It's a short term problem, although I am kicking myself for not starting closer to the weekend so I don't have to focus so hard on work.  I'll just continue to wade through the quicksand until it passes.  

Sticking to my meals and not having the cravings yet, but I know they're coming.  A big NSV for me yesterday was that I noticed I had been stopping myself from mindless snacking.  This is when I would walk through the kitchen, grab a handful of something, toss it in my mouth and keep on going.  If it's cherry tomatoes I just picked fresh from the garden, not such an issue, but that's not what I had been grabbing.  Biscotti, ABJ's, Candy, Chocolate-covered Almonds were pretty much the standard.  I thought about putting out some nuts to help with this, but that's not helping to curtail the 'grab and go' that I was doing; so, I didn't put anything out that would be an easy grab and will work on continuing to break that habit cycle.

Tonight, I am going to go to bed earlier and try to get a better night's sleep.  Hopefully that will help with the brain fog.

Breakfast - Coffee with Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Nut Pods Creamer / Frittata de Chorizo con Papas / Salsa / Strawberries w/chopped nuts and coconut

Lunch - Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice w/onions, carrots, peas and egg

Dinner - Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin / Spinach with Bacon / Herb-Roasted Potatoes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

R4 D3 A little better day today, although I didn't sleep well at all.  Headache isn't there but still feeling lethargic, and I'm sure my lack of sleep has something to do with that.  I'm keeping up with my journaling and working in my Whole 30 Day-by-Day, so I feel good about that.  I also signed up for Whole 30 group coaching for the September Whole 30.  Even though I am already in round, I see no issue with continuing my round, especially if this is a committed lifestyle change.  I have not used a certified Whole 30 coach before, and I am excited to see how the process works with a coach.  I am anxious to gain more information on the program and insight on how the program works with my body.

Today is meal planning day, and next week I am planning on sous-vide breakfast bites, taco salads for lunch, and I am going to plan each day's dinner out more carefully than the "on the fly" dinners I am doing this week.   It's not been hard, but it's just easier if I have dinners planned.  On the taco salads for lunch, I use a great Whole 30 chili recipe from Melissa's Whole 30 Slow Cooker cookbook, and I put that on chopped romaine with tomatoes, onions and avocado.  It's one of my favorite recipes, and I'm packing in some extra veggies.  The sous vide breakfast bites are going to be chorizo, bacon and veggie, and I have great sous vide silicone molds for my Instant Pot; so those I can whip up in no time.  I make my own Chorizo sausage so I can control the ingredients and spice level (I like spicy), and I just need to get my hands on come W30 compliant bacon, which (tbh) has been a little difficult lately.  Worst case is I get some skinless pork belly and make my own, but that is labor-intensive.  Thinking of really leaning on my Instant Pot next week, so I'm scouring my cookbooks looking for ideas that I can cook in addition to the chili recipe.

Tonight, I am planning on going to go to bed earlier again and, fingers crossed, hope I have a much better night's sleep.  I need it right now.

Meals:

Breakfast - Coffee with Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Nut Pods Creamer / Frittata de Chorizo con Papas /  Salsa / Strawberries w/Hemp Seeds

Lunch - Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice w/onions, carrots, peas and egg

Dinner - Air-Fryer Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs / Sautéed Spinach w/Bacon / Green Beans with Ghee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

R4 D4 Much better today!  Got a better night's sleep and do not feel as foggy or lethargic.  I did run in to a bit of the KATT today, though.  The "jingle" notification that tells me an email has arrived just got on my last nerve and massaged it today.  I found I had zero patience for emails today or responding to them, so I engaged my team (who know I'm on W30) and they were kind enough to step in and respond on my behalf so I didn't do or say anything stupid to a client.  Like I said D1, I have my village, and I am super grateful for them!  I am doing a much better job or getting my water in, and I see the bloat starting to shed.  

Tonight I am thankful we have leftovers b/c I am just not in the mood to get in the kitchen an whip anything up.  Dinner last night ended up changing at the last minute b/c the husband didn't feel like chicken thighs in the air-ffryer, so I made a creamy mustard thyme sauce and pan seared them.  It was actually very good, and my husband was happy with the change.  He also asked for mashed potatoes, and in both dishes, he said he could not taste the coconut cream, which made me happy. 

Meals:

Breakfast - Coffee with Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Nut Pods Creamer / Frittata de Chorizo con Papas /  Salsa / Strawberries w/Hemp Seeds

Lunch - Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice w/onions, carrots, peas and egg

Dinner - Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin w/Primal Kitchen Mushroom Gravy / Garlic Sautéed Spinach / Oven Baked Mashed Potatoes / Green Beans with Almonds

Link to comment
Share on other sites

R4 D6 and I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting over the hump. I was super cranky D5, and it's seemed like everything and everyone got on my last nerve and massaged it. I'm still getting headaches in the morning, but they're improving. Sleep is better, and I'm doing good getting my water in. 

I noticed the swelling in my hands and legs is much improved, and I'm not waking up with hand pain. I've been wearing compression gloves at night to help with the arthritis, and I'm not having to wear those anymore; that's a great NSV! I'm having improved gut health, and my cravings for bread are starting to go away. Having had successful rounds in the past, I look forward to the good things that are coming, and I'm happy to see good things happening after less than a week.

Today is my mother's birthday, and she asked for a special meal so I cooked her favorite lemongrass pork chops. It's such an easy recipe with tons of flavor, and it's right on plan. I made her favorite lemon blueberry shortbread bars for dessert, and I was 100% fine. No cravings! I was content to have a bowl of berries and a cup of coffee. I baked a loaf of bread for the family, and I was perfectly fine passing it around without wanting a single nibble! More NSVs!!

Food prep day tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to my new menu! 

Meals:

Breakfast - Coffee with Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Nut Pods Creamer / Frittata de Chorizo con Papas / Salsa / Good Foods Chunky Guacamole / Strawberries w/Hemp Seeds

Lunch - Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice w/onions, carrots, peas and eggs

Dinner- Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops / Ghee-roasted Asparagus / Herb-roasted Potatoes / Salad w/Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette / Mixed Berries / Coffee w/Nut Pods

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Last post was R4 D6, and today is R4 D18, and I'm cruising right along. I've been writing in my W30 Day-by-Day Guide and tracking everything there. It just feels like I've been drinking from a fire hose these past two weeks, and today was no exception.  Normally, I would have caved by now, but I've been sticking to the process, planning and prepping meals, and it's paid off. NSV! And I'm starting to feel the good good that comes with Whole30. Falling asleep faster, sleeping better, better gut health, more energy, no mid-day crashes, no cravings, less joint pain..... I'm feeling it and seeing it. 

I did make an adjustment to my meals last week that seemed to help kick my progress up a notch.  Of course having been on W30 before, I had expectations of what I should be feeling and when, and when I didn't feel like I was where I should be, I dove back into my Guide to look at my food. After looking back on my meals, they're technically fine for Whole30, but I didn't feel like I was really getting enough nutrient dense vegetables.  So I made that small change and voila! Magic!

Although I'm on Day 18, I'm doing September Whole30 with a coach next week (we actually started this week). I'm already of the game, which is neither here nor there for me at this point, and I'm interested in getting more of the Whole30 nitty gritty from a Whole30 expert. I want to be ultra-successful on my Whole30 path, and I'm excited to set what I learn from Kaitlyn. So my Whole30 is going to be closer to a Whole50, and I'm totally okay with that.

We're gearing up for Q4 at work, and every year it's like a merry-go-round from hell. We're employee benefits consultants, and a lot of our clients have January renewals. Not only are stress levels high, but we're also traveling a lot. Enrollment meetings will begin in a couple weeks, and I'll be traveling out of state. Nothing by plane, thank goodness, and that will make it easy for me to pack my meals in a cooler. This is going to be the big test for me as far as making sure I'm sticking to my Whole30. Meal planning and prep is so important, and when I'm traveling with coworkers, I'll need to have a game plan ready for eating out. We'll be on this schedule from mid-September until Thanksgiving, and I'm mentally preparing now. 

Time to meal plan and grocery shop for next week. I've got some new recipes I'm trying next week, and I'm excited about that. I made a W30 compatible Shrimp Egg Foo Young for breakfast this week with cauliflower fried rice, and it was a fun break from chorizo omelettes (which I still love). 

Meals:

Breakfast - Shrimp Egg Foo Young / Cauliflower Fried Rice / Primal Kitchen Mushroom Gravy / Mixed Berries / Coffee with Vital Proteins Collagen Powder and Nut Pods Creamer

Lunch - Teton Polish Sausage / Sauteed Peppers and Onions / Apple Slices with Almond Butter

Dinner - Pan Seared Ribeye / Baked Sweet Potatoe with Ghee / Steamed Spinach

Link to comment
Share on other sites

R4 D19 I'm really tired today. Slept great, fell asleep fast but did not want to wake up. I should've gone to bed earlier, but I still had things to do so it was late. I'll sleep in tomorrow and do some catch up; only thing I have to do is food prep and some housecleaning.

Next week is a travel week, and I'm gearing up for some eating out. It's so hard when almost all restaurants use vegetable oil that contains soybean oil, which makes me sick as a dog. I've checked the restaurant menus we're eating at, and it's going to be a lot of salads. One place I may be able to get a lettuce wrap burger with steamed veggies, but I'm making and taking my own salad dressing for the rest. 

Meals:

Breakfast - Shrimp Egg Foo Young / Cauliflower Fried Rice / Mixed Berries / Coffee with Collagen and Nut Pods

Lunch - Spicy Taco Hash with Eggs / Mixed Berries

Dinner - Meatballs Marinara with Napa Cabbage and Nutritional Yeast 

Snack - Apple with Almond Butter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

R4 D28 I am glad I decided to extend my Whole30 to a Whole50 since I'm still getting lethargic and not quite there yet. I've definitely noticed the physical changes: reduced pain, reduced swelling, sleeping better, no cravings. I'm getting there, but it is much slower this time. I'm eating to the template, and maybe it's just my body still adjusting took the be nutrition. It doesn't matter; I'm clearly not ready for reintroduction just yet. 

I've had a couple of good restaurant experiences these past 9 days. Both times I scoped out the menu beforehand, and the chefs have been more than accommodating. I asked one restaurant to bake as opposed to frying, and they did and the food was delicious!! Manager said they may make baking the entree an option for other Whole30 guests. It's never been weird because I didn't make it weird, and both felt like big wins!

I'll be traveling in a week, and I've got my meals planned. Driving makes it so much easier; I can just pack everything in a cooler.

Breakfast - Omelette with sauteed super greens, Kite Hill plain cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers / Bacon / Strawberries / Coffee with Collagen and Nutpods 

Lunch - Whole30 meatloaf with sunny side up egg / steamed spinach

Dinner - Chicken stuffed with Kite Hill Ricotta and Basil, marinara / Sauteed Spinach

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...