ashleycolette's Whole30 Log

[CrazyCow]

Did you see the poached pears in ISWF? I think there could be a few things there--though I suppose if slaying the sugar dragon (or demon)(mine's called Bob, no particular reason), the last nine days for a reset could be best left. But chewy choc chip sounds good... (shhhh, post W30 check out this naughty recipe for a paleo chewy choc chip fix--sorry W30 mods, it was valentines, I'm only talking chocolate...).

[ashleycolette]

Did you see the poached pears in ISWF? I think there could be a few things there--though I suppose if slaying the sugar dragon (or demon)(mine's called Bob, no particular reason), the last nine days for a reset could be best left. But chewy choc chip sounds good... (shhhh, post W30 check out this naughty recipe for a paleo chewy choc chip fix--sorry W30 mods, it was valentines, I'm only talking chocolate...).

Oh man, those look great. What's the deal with the special chocolate chips? I haven't really read up on the reintroduction phase and what qualifies as paleo or not. I'm still reading ISWF, hopefully I'll finish it before the 30 days is up.

Day 22 -

Breakfast: Two scrambled eggs

Lunch: Salmon (with mayo/mustard/dill sauce) and leftover squash mixture from last night

Dinner: Chicken wings and plantain chips

I'm finally able to breathe! I'll admit, I'm on a lot of drugs, and I think I had three cough drops during the week so that I could survive, but I'm actually going back to work tomorrow. Granted, I've been doing work from home throughout the week. It's almost midnight and I have a ton of energy. I'm actually excited to be going back to work tomorrow, and just getting out of the house in general.

Oh! AND I'm going out to dinner with friends tomorrow night. We're going to LongHorn Steakhouse. My plan of action is to order a filet chargrilled, steamed veggies, and a salad (which I'll bring my own dressing for because I hate oil and vinegar). Then we're going to see 'Argo'. I hope it's worth all the hype.

And one more thing, I felt like I went shopping tonight in my closet! So many clothes fit that I haven't been able to wear in a long time. I'm definitely planning to continue this lifestyle beyond the 30 days (throwing some treats in along the way). I have still weighed myself. I know this is a very unhealthy obsession, but I like to see the progress. However, one thing I'm NOT thrilled with is I'm losing my ass. Yes, I understand that means most of my ass was made of fat, but damn. Anyone have a good butt workout?

22 days down, 8 to goooooooooooo!!!

[ashleycolette]

Day 23 -

Yesterday went well. I finally went back to the office. I made it through dinner out at a restaurant AND saw 'Argo', which was a fantastic movie. I totally understand the awards and nominations for it. I highly recommend seeing it if you get the chance.

Food

Breakfast: Two hardboiled eggs with mayo and some sliced fruit (banana, strawberries, blackberries)

Lunch: Leftover salmon and spaghetti squash/zucchini mix

Dinner: Chargrilled filet, steamed veggies, garden salad (which I brought my own dressing for)

Snack: a few pistachios and leftover plantain chips from my mom's house

Activity

Still none. I'm still kind of sick, but planning to do some kind of activity today. Probably some of the awesome butt exercises I've found on pinterest!

Another improvement I've noticed is that I haven't had acid reflux in a long time and I haven't been taking any pills to prevent it either. That's a huge blessing for me. I'm guessing that dairy is the culprit for that. Guessing we'll find out when it's time for my reintroduction phase.

23 days down, ONE WEEK TO GOOOO!!!! This is fabulous. I can't wait to drink my green smoothies again!

[30Canandaigua]

Ha! I lost quite a bit of my ass. Have you looked at www.MarksDailyApple.com? He has a free fitness ebook with basic exercises; squats, pushups ect... but he starts out with the easy modified version. I have never stepped foot into a gym, but have been working on the basics at home; which do not leave me feeling like I got hit by a bus after drunkenly dancing on a bar all night. (Not that I know what that feels like...... )

[ashleycolette]

Today is Monday and I'm off work. I'm still slightly congested, but I'm sleeping better than I was last week and have a bit more energy. I spent the weekend with my friend and it's included a couple lara bars and some fruit, but we've made some pretty god dishes as well. I think my favorite is nomnompaleo's chicken with gravy. That gravy is FABULOUS.

I did work out for a little bit on Saturday, combining some Just Dance with a few butt/thigh toning moves I saw online. I'll to have to check out your suggestion, 30Canandaigua. Looks like Mark's page has lot of recipes that would be great as well. Just signed up for the free newsletter.

I'm still wanting some sweets. I can't imagine that craving go away. I tried the whipped coconut milk. That was disappointing to say the least. Friday is my last day! Woohoo! Can't wait to take my measurements. I have continued to weigh myself, but haven't taken any measurements since the initial time I posted it. I'm planning to make Well Fed's Pad Thai this week. We made the sunshine sauce last night. I was surprised how much I liked it, considering I don't typically like peanut sauce anyway.

Off to make my breakfast/lunch for day 26!

25 days down, 5 to go!!!

[ashleycolette]

Day 26 -

I'm eating too much fruit (and sunbutter). I know this because 1) I've gained two pounds back, and 2) I haven't been feeling as energetic. Admittedly, I'm not totally recovered from being sick, but I thought I'd be more energetic by now. Instead, it's almost noon and I feel like taking a long nap.

Food:

Lunch - Slow roasted pork shoulder with a can of green beans

Snacks - Carrots with ranch dressing, then pistachios

Dinner - Pad Thai (that recipe was amazingly delicious and I used broccoli instead of snap peas)

Another snack - Slice banana, strawberries, and sunbutter

Activity:

STILL haven't worked out since being sick. I can't wait to get back in the groove of things.

My dad will be in town and staying with me tonight. My bathtub is finally going to be replaced tomorrow morning. I still haven't figured out what I want to do for the tile. I signed the paperwork yesterday to get my new furnace, AC, and water heater. Watching my checking account quickly deplete... I didn't have time to pack lunch today and I have to be at the office from 1:30-2, so not really sure when I'll be able to go home and grab something. I'm excited for this to be the last week of Whole30. Planning to get back on track with less fruit (and no larabars!) this week. I think I was just ultimately trying to satisfy my sweet tooth, and nothing I was eating was satisfying me, or helping me nutritionally.

26 days down, 4 to go!

[ashleycolette]

Day 27 -

Today has gone pretty well. I got super busy at work and didn't eat 'lunch' until about 4pm. My dad is in town today, and it's nice to get to see him. He's asked lots of questions about the diet, mainly in a challenging way and I get flustered trying to answer him when he has something to say to ev-eerr-ryyy THING. And he wonders where I get it from...

Food

Breakfast - Some mixed fruit from Panera (pineapple, grapes, cantaloupe) and two hard boiled eggs with mayo

'Lunch' - Slow cooker pork, leftover sweet potato, carrots with ranch

Dinner - Crab salad (which was delicious! added scallions, celery, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, and OLD BAY - because that's how Marylanders do) with plantain chips (which turned out delicious!)

Activity

Nada. Really going to work out at least once this week, regardless of being fully recovered or not.

I have a feeling I'm going to steal a couple more bites of crab salad before going to bed tonight. I have a bit more work to do and need to clean up my room/bathroom since it's getting demolished tomorrow and people will need to access it! I'm excited/nervous about having it done. I really need to get my ish together and figure out what tile I want. I'm horrible at making decisions about things that are permanent, or even not permanent. Anything when it comes to decorating is difficult for me. I haven't hung any pictures on my walls because I don't want to put holes in the walls, I'm afraid it'll be uneven, off center, etc. Apparently I'm not a fan of commitment... but doing the Whole30 counts as a commitment, right?!?!

27 days down, THREE TO GO!!!! OMGGG!!!!

[ashleycolette]

Day 28 -

I did NOT sleep well last night. I had to stay up late running a report for my boss, then I woke up from a stupid nightmare, and then had to get up early for the plumbers to begin work. Even with all the noise going on with my tub replacement, I still managed to fall asleep on the couch for about 30 minutes. Then I took about a two hour 'nap' after they left. My plans for making it to the gym did NOT happen tonight, but that's ok because sleep was way more important. Since I'm not going to be able to shower in my own home for about a week, my plan is to shower at my mom's tomorrow. Luckily she lives about a mile away. Also, I have told myself that I WILL wake up early tomorrow morning and I WILL put my happy ass on the elliptical for at least 30 minutes. All of this will happen with plenty of time to eat breakfast, drive to my mom's to shower, and arrive at work at a reasonable time (i.e. 10am).

I'm becoming very overwhelmed with the idea of reintroduction. I'm so unsure of what I want to eat and that I'll go overboard, OR that it won't be satisfying. I'm so glad I have all these awesome forums to browse that share so many experiences with reintroduction. I went out tonight and bought tapioca starch and coconut flour. I have some almond flour. The plan is to try to make some paleo-fied desserts. I believe that's also SWYPO? I'm really more excited about having green smoothies than anything and I have plenty of frozen bananas saved up to use as my base. I just need to go out and get some fresh baby spinach!

Has anyone used a decent spinach pesto recipe? I was looking for some cheese free options earlier, but I'm not confident that just omitting the cheese will be that good. I did read a spinach and artichoke dip recipe that used cashew butter in place of cream cheese. I'm thinking that might be a good substitute to try, and I bought a small packet to test this theory. I'm not usually a fan of cashew butter, but I think hiding it in spinach, walnuts, garlic, salt, and oil might do the trick.

Food

Breakfast: Pad Thai

Lunch: Salad with crab salad on top

Snack: Leftover slow cooked pork, carrots with ranch

Dinner: (at Moms's!) Turkey burger with onions and roasted green beans with red peppers

Activity

NONE for almost two weeks. This will be remedied in less than 12 hours!

28 days down, 2 to go! Can't believe I'm almost done!!!

[ashleycolette]

You know how I mentioned the other week how I feel stupid trying to figure out the gym machines when there are others around? This is about right... http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/post/43531834318/when-i-havent-been-to-the-gym-in-a-while

I love this site.

[ashleycolette]

Day 29 -

I lied. I totally did NOT get my ass up to exercise. I ended up incredibly pissed off that my roommate had cancelled one of my DVR recordings that I'd been looking forward to seeing all week long. As a result, I ended up going to sleep much later than planned and woke up WAYYY later than planned. However, I DID go to the gym after work. Aside from the stupid large amount of work I have to get done, my day went pretty well. My friend let me have the rest of her sunshine sauce to go with the pad thai I'd made, so I swung by to grab that before work. I had dinner at my friends house tonight for our usual Thursday night gathering, it's just usually at my place, so it was nice to have a switch and not have to cook anything. I made a stop at MOM's Organic Market before the gym. I picked up Sunbutter, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, pasture eggs, and two Larabars.

I'm still checking out Paleo desserts to figure out what I want to make as my first treat post-Whole30. Any suggestions? What's the BEST thing you've had? I really hope I find something sweet and Paleo that I enjoy, and I'm content having that instead of occasionally a pizza, fondue, cheetos, fritos, milkshakes, etc. I'm also planning to try more dishes with different varieties of sweet potatoes, but as I want to lose more weight quickly, I still plan to limit my carbs most days by only occasionally having sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and parsnips.

Food

Breakfast: Stir fry - sauteed cabbage, onion, leftover pork, egg, and coconut aminos

Lunch: Pad Thai

Snack: Hard boiled egg with mayo (and then again about two hours later)

Dinner: Slow cooked ribs, roasted carrots, parsnips, asparagus, and green beans

Dessert: Sliced banana, blackberries, and strawberries

Wow. I ate a lot of food today. It didn't seem like that much as the day went on, and I was definitely hungry when I grabbed the second hard boiled egg. I have the urge to snack on something right now, but I know it's because I'm bored, not because I'm hungry.

Activity

I made it to the gym! I did only 20 minutes on the elliptical and then some upper body weights

The plan for tomorrow is to make something fantastic for breakfast tomorrow. Not quite sure what yet, but it'll probably involve beef. I have leftover pad thai in the fridge at work. I'll need to bring something to snack on before I go to a movie with a friend. Then I want to attempt to make a pesto sauce to eat over my leftover spaghetti squash for dinner. Man, that sounds fantastic. I hope it tastes as good as I'm imagining it will!

I didn't feel very energetic today. I think that will improve as I spend more time back at the gym. Being sick really knocked me on my butt. I'm so proud that I've made it to the end. I had lots of doubts. I remember when I never thought I would make it a couple of days without pasta, bread, sugar, or cheese. Those were like my staples. I'm enjoying the food. I know I would still enjoy the other food, but I have noticed improvements and losing the weight is definitely keeping me motivated. Back in August (I think) I was reading entries from Jan's Sushi Bar and she was posting about doing the Whole30. I read what the program was about then and scoffed at the idea of following such a ludicrous diet. But, here I am. So far I'm a believer. I'm eager to see how I continue to change as I continue using these guidelines through most of my daily life.

29 days down, ONE TO GO!!!

[ashleycolette]

DAY 30!!!

I DID IT! I DID IT!

This is going to be brief, as I don't really feel like sitting at the computer too long and I need to get to bed soon, as my dry wall is being replaced at 7am!! On a SATURDAY!!!!

Food

Breakfast: Stir fry of pork, egg, cabbage, and onion

Lunch: Salad with crab salad, hard boiled egg, and guac on top

Dinner: Pad Thai

Snack: Pistachios and a bit of pork

I'm actually still kind of hungry right now, but I'm trying to resist eating. What I really want is these: http://paleomg.com/banana-vanilla-bean-pancakes-with-mixed-berry-compote/#

Activity

Nada. I'll get some in tomorrow though.

I'm planning to post my results tomorrow. Have a good night!!!

[ashleycolette]

RESULTS!

First, let me mention that I decided to make Banana Vanilla Bean Pancakes this morning, and it totally was not worth it. I did put maple syrup on them, but I didn't finish them and I'm planning to make beef with paleo pesto on spaghetti squash shortly. It's nice to not feel restricted and that I'm eating the foods I actually WANT. I WANT to make this pesto sauce without cheese. I'm eager to brown the beef and season it. I want the satisfaction I receive from eating those foods.

The most noticeable changes for me (aside from weight loss):

- I haven't had acid reflux the entire month. This used to be a huge, painful problem for me and I was always trying to prevent it or treat it.

- I haven't taken medication for my vertigo more than twice. I used to take it probably twice a week, so twice in one month is amazing.

- I've had more consistent energy throughout the day. Getting sick definitely knocked me down a few notches, but I'm confident that as time progresses and I continue eating this way, I'll maintain my energy. BTW - has ANYONE gone the entire 30 days without getting sick on here? That seems to be a common theme. I stopped taking my vitamins while on this program, but I think it would have been beneficial to continue the vitamin C at least.

I've lost about 9 pounds. I had lost 10, but I think I put one back on from all the fruit and nuts, and sunbutter that I've had. I also think my portions have gradually gotten smaller as the month went on, which left me hungry and looking for more to snack on. Instead, I should have just loaded up more veggies on my plate to stay full for longer.

Here's my oldmeasurements:

Bust: About 45" (wasn't sure if this was supposed to be with or without a bra)

Waist: About 38"

Hips: About 44"

Thigh: About 26.5"

Here's my NEWmeasurements!

Bust: 41" (with a sports bra on) - down 4"

Waist: 35" - down 3"

Hips: 42" - down 2"

Thigh: 25" - down 1.5"

Haha, it kind of looks like a countdown as you read it. '4, 3, 2, 1.5...'

Am I supposed to total those up for inches lost?! I lost 10.5"?!?!

I really like writing on this log and read about other peoples experiences, so my plan is to continue, and stay mainly compliant. I hope no one minds me sharing my splurge meals.

Actually, it's 9am. Getting up at 7 for my drywall was way too early. I'm going to take a nap and when I wake up, I'll make the pesto and a fresh batch of mayo. Making mayo is DEFINITELY something I'm going to continue doing going forward. I cannot believe how easy it is to make. Off to get a bit more sleep now...

[Derval]

Great results, well done.

[30Canandaigua]

Awesome!! Great job Are you planning to stay whole30 while you introduce different groups? I would definitely recommend... maybe you can pin point what aggravates your vertigo!!!

Also- I did not get sick during my first W30, and am a week into me second feeling pretty good!

[ashleycolette]

I definitely slept until about 12:30. Decided to weigh myself once more, and it put me down almost 11 pounds total. I'm going to average that out at 10 and be pretty happy about it.

I made the pesto sauce. It was DELICIOUS. I ate it with spaghetti squash, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, and some beef (which I severely overcooked). So happy about the pesto that I didn't care too much about overcooking the grass fed, organic beef. Made my batch of mayo. Have some asparagus and more beef tips I'll need to cook over the weekend. Anyone have some good recipes?

[TynCoed]

Have just read your 30 days Ashleycolette.

Really sorry to read about the expensive home repairs along the way - but am so impressed you didn't deal with it in a vat of ice cream. Well done you.

[CrazyCow]

Well done, you star! Sounds like a great finish.

First, let me mention that I decided to make Banana Vanilla Bean Pancakes this morning, and it totally was not worth it. I did put maple syrup on them, but I didn't finish them and I'm planning to make beef with paleo pesto on spaghetti squash shortly. It's nice to not feel restricted and that I'm eating the foods I actually WANT. I WANT to make this pesto sauce without cheese. I'm eager to brown the beef and season it. I want the satisfaction I receive from eating those foods.

- I've had more consistent energy throughout the day.

I found following my first W30 that the foods I was stoked to reintroduce were no great shakes. I agree with you; I wanted to continue to cook this way.

Energy too has been a huge thing for me--definitely could/can see a difference.

Now just over 1/3 of the way through W30 no2, there are things that I am still learning. Topping the list is this is a great community. Sometimes just stepping into the forums for a bit to read or respond is just enough to get excited about what we're doing here. I'll be looking out for you!

[ashleycolette]

So it's been a couple of days. I've stayed mainly compliant. I've only made it to the gym once.

Non compliant items I've had:

- a bit of rice with pine nuts (I spilled most of the small serving on my friends carpet, so I really didn't have much!)

- a Reese's PB Cup

- While Chocolate Chip cookie (omg, that was amazing)

- Brownie bite

- Brussels sprouts with bacon (the bacon wasn't compliant, I'm sure)

- SMOOTHIES! I put honey in them, but I LOVE that I get so much spinach this way

- Banana ice cream (I mean I processed a frozen banana, added some Enjoy Life brand choco chips and ate it)

I haven't really noticed a difference in how I feel by eating these things. I can note that eating the white choco chip cookie prompted me to really want the brownie, and then later that evening I ate the banana ice cream. I can see how easy it is to get carried away with eating sweet stuff.

I also tried to make a paleo cookie recipe. I was not impressed. Lesson learned is that I'm better off just eating what I really want in a small portion because the imitation stuff isn't satisfying. Hoping to hit the gym a lot more this week. I cannot wait for my shower to be in use again. The plumber is here to tile right now. It'll probably take two days, and then I'm going to grout it myself. AND THEN the faucet will be installed. This has been such a pain in the butt. At least my mom is only a mile away and I can use hers whenever I need.

Hope everyone is doing well!

[ashleycolette]

Wow! It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted. I'm still doing well, though my energy is low today. I'm sure the chocolate chip cookies I had yesterday certainly didn't help. I've kept most of my meals compliant throughout the week. The only thing I've had an upset stomach after eating has been corn. I've only tried it once, but I'm pretty sure that was the culprit.

I've been exercising a few times a week. I have my fourth kettlebell class tonight. I'm really enjoying the class and it's keeping me motivated to be at the gym more regularly.

I wrote a guest post on my best friend's blog about my Whole30 Experience: http://mistymorningprints.com/2013/03/08/guest-post-ashley-whole30/

My weight is down to 190. I cannot WAIT to get in the 180's. To be honest, I don't think I've been in the 180's since I was a teenager. I don't really remember the last time the scale was under 200, let alone 190. It feels amazing that I've been able to take the weight off.

I made Well Fed's Cottage Pie last night. It's AMAZING. I added some extra spices and just pureed some fresh, steamed cauliflower without the added coconut milk and oil. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/12/28/paleo-comfort-food-cottage-flower-pie/

One of my favorite desserts now is blending a frozen banana, sunbutter, and vanilla in my food processor. Friggin AMAZING.

My best friend is contemplating doing a second Whole30. I'm not in a place right now where I have any interest in going that many consecutive days without a treat. We'll see...

[Derval]

Great to hear your happy update.