Helen's second Whole30 Log

[helen]

Day 12 Food

Meal 1: 2 scrambled eggs, green smoothie (spinach, blackberries, baby carrots)

Snack after yoga: Larabar

Meal 2: large chicken breast (prob 8 ounces), peas, cucumbers, mixed sauteed peppers, red peppers, macadamia nuts

Meal 3: Homemade Kombucha, 2 organic hamburger patties (small), tomato, onion, banana & a little almond butter

Day 12 Sleep 8.5 hours (pretty sound sleep)

Day 12 Exercise: Power yoga (2 hours)

Reflections:

Best yoga class ever! Side crow, one armed crane, bird of paradise. It was really awesome.

Tried my first homemade Kombucha and it is pretty good. Going to work on flavoring (I added blueberry juice, lemon and ginger but will add more of these next time). I have a second batch under way and I got 6 bottles out of the first. I think I am going to buy another scoby so I can have several batches going at the same time or wait until I get scoby babies.

I still feel like I'm overeating. The banana and almond butter with dinner was wanting something sweet. But oh well.

I met a friend at the Earth Fare for lunch (hard to find anywhere to eat) and they had a LOT of compliant things which are spendy but worth knowing about (grilled chicken breasts with olive oil, grilled blackened chicken, salmon, steamed fish).

Everybody's working for the weekend! Yay for Friday night.

[dukunbayi]

Hey Helen! I'm crawling outside my cave for a bit, and just read through your last several posts. I wonder how much fat you're eating?

I have found that poor sleep leads cravings, and insufficient fat leads to cravings, and then of course everything just spirals off of each other. Maybe add some healthy fats to every meal and see what happens?

I just splurged and bought a 10-pack of Artisana coconut butter single serving packs to keep in my bag for emergencies.Let's see if I can keep it to emergencies . (I also bought a 10-pack of the cacao bliss, but saw that it has agave in it, so tha'tt have to wait till after my WholeWhatever.)

[helen]

I do struggle with my fat intake. I'm going to look for those single servings of coconut butter. That sounds cool to have in my stash. I want to get those small packs of guacamole too. If I get the compliant one from TJs it browns before we eat it

[helen]

Day 13 Food

Meal 1: 2 scrambled eggs with garlic, onion and tomato. Green smoothie (cucumber and blackberries), coffee with coconut milk splash

Snack: mixed nuts, macadamia nuts, plum

Meal 2: chicken sausages (2), 1/3 banana and a spoonful of almond butter.

Meal 3: cauliflower almond 'rice', green beans and mushrooms, salmon with a ton of garlic, Kombucha.

Day 13 Sleep

Day 13 Exercise: Power yoga at the Y.

Reflections:

Today was good. My cravings seem to have subsided. We went to the library after the Y and ended up staying 2 hours so I was glad to have the nuts in the car (omg--I could not love dry roasted macamadia nuts more) but I ate twice as much as I should. Once again, not well planned. I feel really lucky at the quality of instructors at our downtown Y. Most of them teach the majority of time at the studios but they keep a few classes a month at the Y (reduced membership plus sentimental) so they are extremely gifted teachers. Saturdays are 90 minutes too so it is essentially a studio class with free childcare! The woman today has this awesome accent when she teaches and is amazing.

Sometimes I feel like I am eating too much. But I guess I can adjust this as I move forward now that my cravings have subsided (for now). One thing is that I am finally waking up hungry. I hope this means good things about my hormones (my mom mentioned today that she went through menopause at 43 and I'm 43) so going to talk to my OB at the next check up about what to watch out for, etc.

Okay, so my homemad Kombucha must be strained again. Got a big mouthful of slimy scoby. It was gross. But it tastes good and is essentially free so I am not giving up!!

Tomorrow is a fun day (my dance wave) and I am going to sti in the newly remodeled steam afterward at the Y.

Stress seems less. I listened to a great interview on the Balanced Bited (Practical Paleo author) podcast on hormones just now too!

[helen]

Day 14 Food

Meal 1: 2 scrambled eggs with garlic, onion and tomato, coffee with coconut milk splash

Meal 2: chopped steak, roasted veggies, collard greens, coffee

Snack: larabar

Meal 3: chorizo sausage (oh so yummy), peas, Kombucha, plum

Day 14 Sleep 5 hours

Day 14 Exercise: Ecstatic dance wave

Reflections:

Had a great day. I am in a dance collective and we had some folks from Asheville (large dance collective) come over and facilitate a dance for us today. It was fun and I got super sweaty and then did some yoga. Afterward, we took them out to lunch to this cool place called 'The Bistro' and I found the most compliant menu items. It was a special occasion and I was just not going to stress if they used vegetable oils on the grill. This is a very high end (use lots of local meat and produce) so I have faith that it was all mostly good for me. Then I hit the coop and bought some expensive local compliant chorizo sausage and YUM.

GREAT day. Hoping this is the end of my eating though which is why I am posting now

[helen]

I ended up snacking a bit last night on food made for today (tuna salad, grilled meat, also coconut chips). I had a cup of coffee at around 2 pm yesterday (what was I thinking?) so I was up late and only got about 5 hours of sleep. Sigh. I will be interested how my food intake is today and cravings when I hit my afternoon wall.

[helen]

Day 15 Food

Meal 1: 2 scrambled eggs, coffe with coconut milk, cucumber, carrot, blackberry smoothie

Snack after yoga: banana

Meal 2: ground beef with onions and garlic, sugar snack peas

Snack on way to work: green smoothie (greens, baby carrots, blackberry)

Snack between labs: mixed nuts

Meal 3: turkey thighs, broccoli, macadamia nuts

Day 15

Day 15 Exercise: Power yoga (90 minutes)

I drank coffee in the afternoon yesterday or maybe it is the moon but I didn't go to bed until 1:30 am last night and was up by 7. I am usually in bed by 10 pm. I am dragging so feel I want to graze thus I am logging in as I go to keep me aware of what is going into my mouth and why. I was so tired but went to yoga and the class was really small so the instructor was doing a lot of adjustments on each of us which normally I would be so happy about but I just felt terrible. The difference is no sleep on my mood, energy, self esteem is overwhelming. Friday in yoga I just thought I looked great and was rocking it. Today I felt fat, old and grey. Sigh.

I have to leave for a long night of work and am debating whether to make some coffee. I feel like it is an adrenal stress when I do this. Yesterday I had the coffee in a nice relaxing group setting but today it feels like a drug.

Long day ended with a student staying an hour after class ended to discuss his going ot school to be a P.A. He is a super nice guy but I am soooooo tired.

Looking forward to bed in a few.

[helen]

Well, today I had some chocolate. Which I suppose means I'm not on Day 16 after all but back to Day 1. I've had this debate about where do I go from here (song in my head as I type that) and I've basically decided to stay the course for the next 14 days. Yesterday I really was feeling constrained by the Whole30. I was looking at some local breakfast sausage and I love the farm and it all contained sugar. I just really was having a hard time deciding why not to buy it and instead by/eat the compliant Trader Joes chicken sausage that is produced not locally and probably in a big factory. Sigh.

But, I have been struggling again with my sugar demon (I have had 3 Larabars in the last 24 hours) and I need to get this figured out. We are going to Atlanta to see the Frida/Diego exhibit on April 13th and I plan to stay Paleo but I don't want to be completely restrictive so I am just going to recommit RIGHT NOW to a Whole15.

The chocolate was very satisfying I must admit. But as I learned last time this is a slippery slope for me, this sugar stuff. Big loud SIGH.

So, Trader Joes corporate sausage for me. I'm feeling kind of sad about not finishing a second Whole30 as planned but oh well. Progress not perfection. My new mantra. Off to yoga.

[Nila]

You're doing a lot of good for yourself. Really enjoy these next 15 days. And then really really enjoy the exhibit!

[helen]

Whole 16 Day 1

Meal 1: 3 egss with garlic, onion, tomato, coffee with coconut milk, cucumber, red grape, carrot smoothie

Snack: Larabar

Meal 2: ground beef, nuts, snap peas

Snack: Larabar and then CHOCOLATE (milk chocolate to boot)

Meal 3: green beans, mushroom, onion and chicken sausage stir fry, Kombucha

Sleep:

Exercise: 10 minutes elliptical and Y yoga.

Reflections:

I've been struggling with cravings all week and I caved. I felt almost immediately calm and the cravings were gone after I ate the chocolate bar. Sigh. Interesting to me: the red grapes in the smoothie made it too sweet. I was trying to use them up as part of this process I am going for no food waste as much as possible. But yuck. Give me my moderately sweet blackberries back tomorrow!!

I am going to keep this log for the 30 days but to reflect that it is no longer a Whole 30 (I am doing two Whole 16s back to back now I suppose with a chocolate break in between I suppose) I am starting my days over.

[helen]

So, I may be done with Whole 30 for now. The girls and I ate at Earth Fare and they had this great looking Mahi Mahi but the ingredients included (organic and olive oil mix used on grill) so I had to pass it over for some boring chicken. I don't know. I don't feel like I need things so restrictive right now. But I ate the chicken.

Meal 1: two fried eggs with hot sauce (yum!) and a green smoothie (cucumber, carrot, blackberry)

Snack after yoga: Banana

Meal 2: chicken, roasted veggies, kale, cucumbers, Kombucha

Snack at work: nuts, plum

Meal 3: chicken thighs, stir fry

Sleep:

Exercise: very low level Y yoga

Reflections:

We had a sub at yoga today and it was like a geriatric yoga. I don't mind yin or slow yoga but this didn't include the breathing and such that those slower paced classes usually include. It felt more like an hour of stretching without warming up (you got to get hot to stretch). I would have much rather just done the elliptical and watched a movie on my new Kindle.

I'm feeling bummed about this second Whole30. Not that I 'can't do it' but that I don't want to do it. I feel like it has lost it's zing with me. I may do another one if I get way off track but I think I'm ready to just be on my own. For things like the fish today. It was healthier in my opinion and I want to eat more seafood and.....I am too type A to 'cheat' again so I've got to just decide.

Alrighty then. Students just left and I'm going home.

[Nila]

So...decision? What were your goals for this Whole30? I know you wanted to control your computer time. What else? What about the nutritional aspect had you doing a Whole30? Whatever your decision, I support you and would like to continue supporting you.

[helen]

Thanks Nila! I really do appreciate your support. I ate some chocolate again today but I'm okay with it. I was joking it is my Whole30 but with chocolate. I am going to continue to try and stay the course until we leave for Atlanta. I guess I should move this to a 'post 30 log' technically but I don't think it really matters much.

I can't find my list that I wrote down the first day but I was thinking about it today too! My kids pilfer my desk and 'borrow' things like my notebooks and that one has gone missing which I am bummed about (it will show up when we clean house this weekend I hope).

But my big goal was the computer which I have made progress on (except nights I get home late). Also, to log my food which I'm doing despite having to admit I am eating chocolate. I also remember trying to 'let go' of 'progressing' in yoga. I am getting pretty good at some stuff and I tend to focus on those skills during class but I don't want yoga to be another thing I have to be good at. I just want to do yoga.

I actually feel really good today. This Whole30 has taught me a lot. I did it mostly for fear of having all the Easter candy around and binge eating plus snacking was creeping in later in the month last month. I've nipped both those things in the bud. I admitted I want a little chocolate each day so I bought expensive dark chocolate at the food coop in single servings which will help me control portions. Also, I made a paleo banana bread (ingredients compliant but SWYPO) this morning as I just want a meat free protein option (it is 4 eggs, 3 bananas, 4 TBS coconut oil, 1/2 cup almond butter, cinnamon and 1/2 cup coconut flour plus baking soda and powder). I am glad I caved and made it as we were at the zoo today for almost 7 hours and it was awesome to have!

So, I'm going to continue the course and just let it be. I plan to stay compliant except if I eat the chocolate. I also want to start buying the local farm breakfast products that contain less than 1% added can sugar rather than the sugar free corporate stuff (I am still not going to do bacon though!!!). And I'm going to continue to log for a while. The logging is making me think about things and that is really good.

Meal 1: eggs, green smoothie (cucumber, kale, blackberries)

Grazing at the zoo (6 hours): mixed nuts, larabar, green snap peas, plum, paleo banana bread, chocolate

Meal 3: chicken thighs, part of pork roast, Kombucha

I didn't eat any veggies because my husband came home and I got distracted and then had to leave for my dance class. I ate almost a pound of green snap peas at the zoo so I feel okay about it.

My allergies are non-existent so far this year. We'll see what happens when the oaks and maples start to really throw pollen but this is WOW for me. Plus, my PMS is down. Plus, my best mom friend told me since I started the Whole30 that it is the happiest she has seen me since before my second daughter was born! She mentioned my moods seem a lot more stable (i.e. I'm not as depressed). These are pretty big things. So maybe I'll be a Whole30 with dark chocolate and maybe a cheat meal twice a month kind of person? I think alcohol may be done for a while too. Just don't want the toxins!

[Derval]

Re the yoga, I read this recently & thought it good

http://bodypositiveyoga.com/7-steps-to-stop-comparing-yourself-to-others-during-yoga/

[helen]

Hmmm....so strangely my enthusiasm for being totally compliant seems to have returned. I did a great power yoga class this morning at a new studio that has heated rooms and I felt more calm and relaxed then I have in a long time. I realized last week I was having some anxiety over work. We are having a regime change and being an adjunct means that my supervisor can make a huge difference in what classes I get and the new person is totally new (I've been adjuncting and teaching 12-15 hours a semester since 2000) and so I am worried since she kind of flaky. But trying to let it go. I can't do anything about it except communicate my needs and ask for support from some of the other faculty if things don't go okay with my schedule.

Today I did something I rarely do. I took the day off after yoga. Well, I did care for my children (someone gave my daughter this scrapbooking kit which I have been not wanting to do and it ending up being pretty fun) and I did dye the grey out of my hair but I didn't clean or do laundry or bathe the dog or work on the lab manual I am writing or grade papers or ..... And as soon as I can get the girls down I'm going to go to bed. All that stuff will just have to wait until another day. Okay, I came back to edit that I went to Target to get Easter basket for girls and I went to Trader Joes to grocery shop. So may day off isn't exactly honest but...it is a start to not always having to be productive. In fact, I think I'll take another bath right now.

Meal 1: leftover pork chop, green smoothie (1/2 cucumber, cup of spinach, carrots and a handful of blackberries)

Meal 2: Kombucha, nuts, plum

Meal 3: Hamburgers (2 small), squash, broccoli, garlic and onion stir fry, homemade Kombucha

Sleep: 9 solid awesome hours

Exercise: hot yoga

[helen]

Re the yoga, I read this recently & thought it good

http://bodypositivey...rs-during-yoga/

I liked it too. I really no longer compare myself to anyone at all anymore but I do tend to push myself pretty hard to progress. One thing I started doing is a body scan during final relaxation (I start with my pinky toe and 'relax' all my parts). It isn't meditation but with that and counting my breathing at least I'm not thinking of my shopping list or my lists in general...

[helen]

Another good day so far. Going to post so I don't forget. Went back to the new hot yoga studio. I love the hot yoga but I feel like I'm cheating on my studio. Sigh.

Meal 1: 3 eggs with hot sauce and green smoothie (1/2 cucumber, cup of spinach, a couple baby carrots and handful of blackberries)

Meal 2: chorizo sausage (2), cauliflower rice with onions, garlic and almonds.

Snack: handful of nuts (well maybe two handfuls)

Meal 3:

Sleep:

Exercise: hot yoga

[helen]

Haven't logged for a few days but I've been compliant and very busy.

Mon April 1st

All I had all day was a banana, Kombucha (1/2) and some chicken.

Exercise: two yoga classes

Sleep: 9 hours

Reflections:

Sunday was emotionally charged because of work and Easter with extended family. I woke up having a bit of an anxiety attack which led to me taking Benadryl to go back to sleep which tore my stomach up so I barely ate yesterday.

I felt normal after my second yoga class and the sun finally caem out. I really need to move to the Florida Keys.

I am going to stick with this logging I think so I guess I should move this but I'll wait until I'm back from Atlanta. This is my supposed day 23 and I feel I've done well although the chocolate meant I am really not on day 23.

My mom told me after I had eaten them that she cooked the beans in butter. I wonder if the dairy helped with my sore stomach on Monday? I want to keep dairy out (maybe an occasional goat cheese) but I have no use for dairy. I'd mostly like to eat less meat so I'm going to add tempeh for sure after the 13th and see how that goes.

Stomach still hurts so no coffee. Maybe this will help me give it up!

[dukunbayi]

Helen, Are you planning a formal reintroduction?

[helen]

Well, I have been kind of offroading a bit a few times the past two weeks (chocolate mainly but I did have a handful of Goldfish and my stomach was RIPPED up the next day. I am not kidding, it was seriously painful). So I am thinking of only adding tempeh in first and then going from there. I want a non-meat protein and tempeh seems the best choice. I am going to drink a couple of beers on the 13th but then when I get back I want to do a Whole7 and then start a proper reintroduction. This is the problem with 'ending' right before our big overnight without the kids trip to Atlanta. Sigh.

Today I was craving sugar and was so glad nothing 'free' in the office at work.

Also, I need to log. I want to move to Post Whole 30 though and do this I think.

[helen]

Today:

Meal 1: two eggs, green smoothie (cucumber, kale, blackberries,carrots)

Meal 2: chicken thighs, chirozo (sp?) sausage, snap peas

Snack at work: Larabar, Kombucha, macadamia nuts (I ate WAY too many of these, so RICH)

Meal 3: tuna salad, sugar snap peas

Exercise: Y yoga

Sleep:

Reflections:

I had a big offroad on Saturday night while stuffing kids Easter eggs (goldfish crackers, chocolate, starburst). Wow, my gut was RIPPED all day on Sunday so I stayed compliant since. I threw out the candy too after my youngest ate about 20 starburst in a row. Sigh. I guess I should be posting this in a post Whole 30 log but I think I want to start that after I return from Atlanta when I get serious about reintroductions.

But yea, the junk food I ate Saturday night caused some serious GI problems so that was good.

Today, I had a massive sugar craving but survived by not having anything to tempt me.

The macadamia nuts are fabulous (bought from refrigerator at health food store) but so rich and I ate too many.

Going to bed. My house is a PIT. Seriously, it is terrible but I've decided I like sleep more than worrying about my house at this time in my life.

[helen]

Last night slept great (9 hours with only waking once when the 4 year old got in bed with me).

I woke up very full from all the macadamia nuts I ate yesterday. In two days I ate 7 servings I realized (today and yesterday). If I buy them again I am going to take the time to parcel them out in single serving sizes. That is what I do with the mixed nuts from Trader Joes and it keeps me in check. Because I woke up full I didn't eat until noon as I went and worked out and then hit TJ's for a bunch of food. But today was a good day. Work stress reduced (big cheating scandal/meetings with all sorts of higher ups/scheduling for fall resolved) and I cooked and cleaned most of the day after buying my 4 year old this weird coloring scrapbook thing that kept her literally busy almost all day. It was POURING rain too and the best $14 I've wasted in a long time. Off the wagon with Meal 3. I'd move the log but I don't think it really matters at this point.

This weekend it will be sunshine I hope!!

Coffe and coconut milk

Meal 1: chocolate chili, snap peas, carrots

Meal 2: chocolate chilli, tomatoes and extra onion and Kombucha

Meal 3: just plain chocolate and macadamia nuts

Off the wagon with Meal 3. I'd move the log but I don't think it really matters at this point.

Exercise: 45 minutes at gym walking on treadmill beside my friend. So much fun. Y yoga in evening with husband.

[helen]

ARRGGGHHH....chocolate. Gotta reel this in.

Meal 1: 2 eggs, green smoothie (cucumber, kale, carrot, blackberry)

Meal 2: chocolate chili, onion, tomato

Snack: chocolate

Meal 3: chorizo sausage and a plum and MORE CHOCOLATE.

Sigh.

Chocolate binge today. Sucks. Gonna just get back on the wagon.

Exercise: yoga workshop

[dukunbayi]

Maybe another Whole30?

[helen]

Maybe another Whole30?

Ha! I didn't make this one. I am going to try to be 95% compliant for the next month and see how it goes. I've never really binged no chocolate before so this is a sugar binge. Sigh. Grumble. Sigh.