annnewjerz Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Hi everyone! I've been a lurker on the forums for a few weeks now and thought it was finally time to introduce myself and start posting. My Husband and I (29 and 28 respectively) started our first Whole30 on January 14 --- which puts us at Day 5 today. We're doing it for a variety of reasons, but it would be a lie to say that one of mine isn't weight loss. In the past year, I have lost 75 pounds through calorie-counting and exercise (including CrossFit for two months before fracturing my foot) and have another 70 or so to lose before I'm in the healthy range for my height. I know that I can continue to lose weight if I continue counting calories and exercising, but in the end I know that's something I won't want to maintain forever. Quite honestly, it's exhausting --- and sort of miserable. I never have enough energy, yet I can never fall asleep when I know I should be. I feel exhausted after my work-outs rather than energized and even though I eat healthfully compared to most people I know (I eat lean meats, veggies, nuts, etc. with a cheat item/day thrown in) I don't feel healthy. My Husband has never been morbidly obese. Like most people, he struggles with the same 20 pounds or so --- gaining and losing and then gaining. He is athletic and can drop the weight fast, but he is a junk-food-aholic at heart and would love nothing more than being able to eat half gallons of icecream and burgers and still remain fit. So, after reading about a friend's success on the Whole30 --- I talked to my Husband and we decided to give it a shot. What have we got to lose, right? In my case a lot. And I mean that in a good way. A lot of weight, a lot of triggers that cause me to eat to work through, a lot of cravings to battle. We are only on Day 5 but I have to say --- I'm hooked. Everything we eat is delicious. Finding new ways to incorporate vegetables into a meal for a non-vegetable eater is fun. Seeing him go back for seconds of something that I wouldn't have dreamed making him for dinner last week is mind-blowing. I go to sleep at 10 every night and wake up at 6 feeling refreshed and ready to go work out, rather than pressing the snooze button until I can't spare another minute. And the best part? I'm not miserable at all. I thought eliminating so much from my diet would make me grumpy, tired, resentful of those people who can eat pizza at dinner when I can't and in all honesty it doesn't bother me one bit. I feel happy. It's weird. Last night I went out with coworkers to happy hour. Not once did I wish I had a martini in hand instead of my cold glass of water. Have I lost weight yet? Who knows. I feel less puffy, if that makes sense. If I lose weight at the end of this, great. If not? It's not as important to me as it seemed to be 5 days ago. There's talk of extending to a Whole60 already because it's been that easy. Looking forward to posting more and if you have any good advice, meal ideas or words of encouragement, I'm all eyes. Ann (and Erik too, even though he'll never post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Canandaigua Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Good Luck Have you checked out the recipe sharing?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm going to do separate posts each day with food journals and since I'm already on Day 5 and haven't done any entries on here yet --- please excuse the influx of posts that are about to come your way. January 14, 2013 - Day 1 Ann Breakfast = 2 Spinach, onion and mushroom egg cups, small banana, 5 cashews Lunch = Beef stew with turnips, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth Dinner = Salmon with ghee, dill and lemon w/ cauliflower mash Snacks = Small handful raw almonds, rotisserie chicken, 4 shrimp Erik Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, onion and mushroom egg cups, sweet potato hash Lunch = Beef stew with turnips, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth Dinner = Salmon with ghee, dill and lemon w/ cauliflower mash Snacks = Rotisserie chicken (pre workout), small handful cashews, apple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Good Luck Have you checked out the recipe sharing?? Thank you! I have not yet! I found a load of good recipes online and through Pinterest and have a board dedicated to Whole30, but I don't want our meal selections to get boring so I will definitely be looking at the Recipe section to see what people recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Tuesday, January 15 – Day 2 Ann Breakfast = 2 Spinach, onion and mushroom egg cups, navel orange, 5 cashews Lunch = 2 poultry sausage links w/ peppers and onion and cauliflower mash Dinner = 3 Lettuce wrapped chicken tacos with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo Snacks = Small handful of raw almonds, rotisserie chicken, rotisserie chicken and 6 shrimp (post workout) Erik Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, onion and mushroom egg cups, sweet potato hash Lunch = Beef stew with turnips, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth Dinner = 5 Lettuce wrapped chicken tacos with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo Snacks = Small handful of cashews, apple and orange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Wednesday, January 16 – Day 3 Ann Breakfast = 2 Spinach, onion and mushroom egg cups, navel orange, 5 cashews Lunch = 4 Lettuce wrapped chicken tacos with homemade guacamole and pico de gallo Dinner = 1 pork, apple and mustard burger w/ homemade sweet potato wedges and green beans Snacks = Rotisserie chicken Erik Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, onion and mushroom egg cups, sweet potato hash Lunch = 3 poultry sausage links w/ peppers and onion and cauliflower mash Dinner = 2 pork, apple and mustard burgers w/ homemade sweet potato wedges and green beans Snacks = 2 poultry sausage links (post workout), cashews, apple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Thursday, January 17 – Day 4 Ann Breakfast = 2 Spinach, mushroom and onion egg cups, sweet potato hash, 5 cashews Lunch = 1 pork, apple and mustard burger w/ cauliflower mash and green beans Dinner = Grilled beef tenderloin appetizer at Ruth's Chris without sauce, homemade sweet potato wedges Snacks = Rotisserie chicken, apple, almonds Erik Breakfast = 3 Prosciutto, onion and mushroom egg cups, sweet potato hash Lunch = 3 poultry sausage links w/ peppers and onion and cauliflower mash Dinner = 2 pork, apple and mustard burgers w/ cauliflower mash and green beans Snacks = Cashews, apple, orange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Haven't checked in on my log in a few days, so it's time to update on current status and input some more of my food journals. Today, we are on Day 9 and still feeling good. I would be lying if I said I liked the cooking though. Cooking 2+ hours every.single.night is a bit of a drag. For the most part, cooking the dinners is just fine. Cooking breakfast even isn't that bad --- after all, it's just egg cups and a huge batch of sweet potato hash. What really kills me is the lunch. Pre-cooking our lunch is just a time-suck, but there aren't ever enough leftovers from dinner for both of us to take lunch the next day. It is what it is though and knowing that we are both eating nutritious lunches makes it worth the effort. As far as feelings about the Whole30, negative side effects, etc...so far so good. Since Day 1, neither of us has dealt with the typical "phases" you would experience during the Whole30. We have both been in great moods, been sleeping extremely well, we have loads of energy and the cravings have been minimal. I'm sure they will get worse at some point (if not for me, definitely for Erik) but we are both feeling ready to take on the next 21 days of proper eating and I think if we lean on eachother for support, it should be smooth sailing. Fingers crossed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Friday, January 18 – Day 5 Ann Breakfast = 2 Spinach, mushroom and onion egg cups, sweet potato hash, 5 cashews Lunch = 2 Grass-fed Organic　 hamburgers, cauliflower mash, homemade sweet potato wedges Dinner = Steak served over salad w/ Tessamae dressing, 2 grilled pineapple slices Post-Workout = chicken breast, egg topped with prosciutto Snacks = 4 almonds, apple, rotisserie chicken Erik Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, onion and mushroom egg cups, sweet potato hash Lunch = 2 Grass-fed Organic hamburgers, green beans, homemade sweet potato wedges Dinner = Steak served over salad w/ Tessamae dressing, 2 grilled pineapple slices Snacks = Cashews, apple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Saturday, January 19 – Day 6 Ann Breakfast = 1 Spinach, mushroom and onion egg cup, 2 slices pineapple, sweet potato hash Post-workout = 1 fried egg, apple Lunch = Taco salad with chicken, guacamole and pico Dinner = 1.5 beef burger, 1 fried egg, 1/4 avocado, asparagus with prosciutto Erik Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, mushroom, onion and spinach egg cups, 1 slice pineapple Post workout = Sweet potato hash, rotisserie chicken Lunch = Taco salad with chicken, guacamole and pico Dinner = 2 beef burgers, 2 fried eggs, 1/4 avocado, asparagus with prosciutto Snacks = Cashews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Sunday, January 20 – Day 7 Ann Breakfast = 2 fried eggs with prosciutto, fried plantains, berries with coconut milk Lunch = Taco salad with chicken, guacamole and pico Dinner = Rotisserie chicken, cauliflower mash, green beans, berries with coconut milk Snacks = Cashews, pineapple, sweet potato hash Erik Breakfast = 2 fried eggs with prosciutto, fried plantains, berries with coconut milk, sweet potato hash Lunch = 2 grass-fed burgers with guacamole, sweet potato hash Dinner = Rotisserie chicken, cauliflower mash, green beans, berries with coconut milk Snacks = Pineapple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Monday, January 21 – Day 8 Ann Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, spinach, mushroom and onion egg cups, sweet potato hash, strawberries with coconut milk Lunch = Beef stew Dinner = Steak, grilled zucchini, cauliflower mash Snacks = Pistachios, banana, strawberries with coconut milk Erik Breakfast = 2 Prosciutto, spinach, mushroom and onion egg cups, sweet potato hash Post-Workout = 1 egg cup, sweet potato hash Lunch = Beef stew Dinner = Steak, grilled zucchini, cauliflower mash Snacks = Apple, cashews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Would you think of no/little cook lunches? Kind of a smorgasbord on a plate? If you look through my log you'll see that my lunches are pretty low effort affairs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annnewjerz Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Would you think of no/little cook lunches? Kind of a smorgasbord on a plate? If you look through my log you'll see that my lunches are pretty low effort affairs... I would love little/no-cook lunches. I'm the type of person that used to be content coming home and eating a bowl of cereal for dinner if my Husband wasn't home because it meant I didn't have to cook! Unfortunately, cooked lunches are just the way things have to be for my Husband because he's a much pickier eater. That being said, I will look through your log to see if there's anything that would be easy to toss together if for some reason I need to work late and don't have time to cook. I never really thought of doing a "Bento Box" style lunch on the Whole30, where you just take a little of this and a little of that, toss it together and call it a meal. Thanks! Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.