Back again for a Whole 25

[Jessica M.]

...whole25 and not whole30 because I have no delusions of being 100% compliant for my 40th birthday or the kid-stuff-filled weekend before it.

Tried a second Whole30 beginning March 11th and pooped out about day 12. Too unprepared and uncommitted.

(Was at Girl Scouts with my daughter... couldn't finish my post)

Day 1:

Breakfast: 2 zucchini and sweet potato patties (egg, spice, cooked in coconut oil) tasted a couple of bites of the pork I cooked overnight. I thought I had more protein but I guess not. Had to get the kids sent off and go for my annual physical with my doctor (joy).

after doctor appointment had a pear, then 1 1/2 mugs of coffee with coconut milk at work.

Lunch: Couple of cups of baby spinach wilted with some chicken breast and a bit of olive oil. Wholly Guacamole single serving pack with baby carrots.

On the way to girl scouts: banana

Dinner (after 8): Slow cooked pork, green beans, 2 more zucchini/sweet potato patties.

There are oranges calling to me from the kitchen, but that's ok. Done for the day. Took a multi vitamin, calcium/magnesium/zinc, and a fish oil tablet. Haven't been taking my vitamins ever. I'm so bad with that.

Took my BCP, depression rx, zyrtec-d, and singulaire. Breathing has been worse. Need to see an allergist.

All my general blood test things are fine. Regular medical establishment fine. Compared my cholesterol numbers, etc., to the recommended ones in the Paleo Solution book, kinda high.

Was 202.4 at the doctor today, 200 on my scale at home. Last weekend I was 198. Couple of weeks ago I was 196. Things are moving in the wrong direction. But I know why (reverted to my old habits).

Goals for this Whole 25:

Restrict the nuts and seeds. Nuts are not my friends. They are a food without brakes. If a few sneak in in a recipe, that's one thing. Will not buy jars or bags of nuts for snacking. Need veggie based snacks.

Go easy on the sweet potatoes. They saved me from cranky/crazy in my Whole 30 introduction. I'm not quite as sugar/carb addicted this time around. Maybe I can get by with like 1/2 a sweet potato instead of 1-2 a day. Very calorie and carb dense.

FINALLY go check out the yoga class I have been wanting to try. Get some darn exercise.

11:24 here. Headed to bed. Late. Assuming asleep by 12, about 6 hours sleep tonight at best. Oh well. Better tomorrow.

[Jessica M.]

Day 2:

Breakfast: 1 seedless cucumber (salted), 2 hardboiled eggs, 1/2 small avocado

At work: 2 cups of coconut milk coffee. Switched to the small mug instead of the giant one, though.

Lunch: Couple of cups of spinach, some mushrooms, tiny bit of olive oil, couple of pieces of baked chicken breast, other 1/2 of the small avocado.

4:30 pm I am hungry, made another cup of coffee with coconut milk to offset. I've been kind of low level hungry all day. Trying to ignore it.

Now it's almost 5, have to run from work to my kids' basketball practices. Still feeling hungry. Might have to grab something to eat on the way. Unprepared again. Maybe a single serving of raw almonds, though I said I would restrict nuts and seeds this time. Do I use them for emergency get-at-the-gas-station snacks for times like these, or make myself wait till dinner, or go out of my way and grab some kind of veggie? My coffee came out badly, will be ditching half of it. Yuck.

Dinner... probably pork from last night with some kind of veggie. Have to see what's on hand. I think I have some lettuce about to go bad, maybe I will make some "wraps."

Update: I did grab some "natural" almonds on the way to the practice (no oil or salt, 1.5 oz). Made good time so popped in the house and grabbed baby carrots to munch in the car with the family (often I meet them at the park). Dinner: 9 by the time I was cooking for myself, ate a cold chicken thigh out of the fridge while I cooked zucchini and mushrooms in coconut oil. Warmed up some of the slow cooked pork. Stuffed now because I overdid it. Sigh. Water, water, water, of course, all day. Beverages are always my main complaint-- "nothing to drink!"-- I've tried about a million different teas but haven't found one I like, ESPECIALLy unsweetened.

10 pm now, hoping to be in bed by 11. So, 7 hours sleep predicted.

[jodea]

It looks to me like your day two breakfast could have been given a boost with some more protein and veggies. It's worth a try to prevent hunger during the day.

[Jessica M.]

It looks to me like your day two breakfast could have been given a boost with some more protein and veggies. It's worth a try to prevent hunger during the day.

Thank you, jodea. I felt like I overate my first Whole 45 but I guess I have to find a happy medium! I was hungry all day and wound up having too much protein at dinner.

[jodea]

It definitely takes a lot of trial and error to get the balance right. I'm near the end of my second Whole 30 and only just figuring it out myself!

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

It can be difficult, I know for me personally I have to have a lot of leafy greens in my breakfast to feel satisfied until I eat lunch around 6 hours later. Maybe try adding some of that lunch time spinach, or kale, to your breakfast and see how you feel.

[Jessica M.]

It's failing to plan (a.k.a. planning to fail) in my case. I know the template but don't always make time or have what I need on hand (or either!). Today, case in point. Ate that same spinach chicken combo (more or less) the past 3 days and didn't have time to cook something else. Thought about taking some pork, but I had that with carrots and plantains cooked in coconut oil (odd but filling, still no leafy greens) for breakfast. Just went to the supermarket by my job to rustle up some lunch. Did NOT want a salad. Wasn't feeling particularly like any protein at all. Settled on some hard boiled eggs (2) since I didn't have eggs at breakfast, and found this little box in the produce section with beets infused with vinegar. Only ingredients beets and vinegar! Thought I would eat the whole thing (says 2.3 servings, work that out), but had a little more than half and was getting full and done with vinegar. Had an apple too. Seltzer to break up the water monotony (whooooo).

I've never cooked beets myself (except from a can), and am not wild about them, but sometimes I'll have them just to have something DIFFERENT! So, odd combination, but fine. Oh, I also bought some dry roasted cashews with salt, had a handful and left them in the car so I don't snack on more than is appropriate. Will bring them home for hubby (why I didn't buy almonds, which I prefer-- he can't share).

So... if I freak out tomorrow about pink pee, someone remind me about having like 6 beets.

Yesterday was fine, just too busy to log. I forget breakfast, but similar to Monday and Tuesday. Lunch, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, chicken thigh meat. Guacamole and carrots. Dinner was tilapia, sweet potato with coconut oil (tried to have just half but wanted the other half). Lots of broccoli. Bit of avocado. I think that's it.

Shouldn't be weighing myself (but this is round 2.5 so I do know things are happening inside), but it was a good lesson. Monday I was back up to 200 (from 196.4) from eating poorly the few days before that and overeating healthy foods before that (which I tend to do) and still not exercising. This morning I was 195.6. ALL THAT WAS BLOAT FROM GRAINS, SUGAR, DAIRY, ALCOHOL! HELLOOOOOOOO! SO... I keep trying to pound it into my brain that this is the way I need to eat until I am a healthy weight, and 90% of the time after that!

ALMOST went to the yoga class I've been threatening to try last night (almost only counts in horseshoes and something or other I don't want to Google right now?). Changed clothes at work and the new "workout" pants I bought were too tight and so was the shirt I'd grabbed, so I was already self conscious and then I was going to go be the new person in a class that could be too hard for me? I chickened out and drove home. I do that.

Well, day 4. It's not so bad this time. Less headachey and cranky for SURE.

[Beets]

Horseshoes and hand grenades?

You should try yoga! But I know what you mean about the outfit. When I went back to it last year (and again this year after my efforts petered out) I felt like I spent half the time pulling my pants up and my shirt down. Having comfy stuff that stays put does help you feel better.

Or just find a place that has a beginner class that's mostly women. There is one teacher at my place that does an evening class mostly in the dark (or, very dim lighting)--so it doesn't matter what you wear. A restorative class is more likely to be like that and it'll make you feel so good! And ready for bed if you do it in the evening.

Hope you have better results planning your meals. Maybe use this weekend to prepare some stuff to have around next week?

[Jessica M.]

Ah-ha! That's it. Hand grenades. Never understood how almost works with that! Ha.

There is a beginner class at this place, it's on Tuesdays and at 7. I'd miss my kids' basketball practices and be home when they're in bed. The Wednesday one is not beginner (hatha) but I am hoping I could get through on my VCR tape knowledge of yoga. ;-) It's at 6, so I could hit it on my drive home from work and be home in time to tuck in the kids. I'm looking for other options, but there's nothing up where I live (suburbs) and something kind of on the way home would work. I need something active and mind calming and yoga is totally that. Trying to do it at home is just too humorous. Dogs humping my elbows, Kids sneaking over to see what I'm doing, hearing whatever hubby has on tv in the other room, etc. Not exactly zen.

Past couple of days were ok. Compliant but not amazing. Sleeping like the dead. My veggie co-op woman had a bunch of goodies for me this week. A lot of corn, though, so I'll keep one for DH and DD and pass the other ears along to the inlaws.

Breakfast: 3 eggs with sweet potato and kale cooked in butter. Should have been clarified butter but I didn't make any yet this go-round. Have been having coconut oil all week and needed something different.

Friday I was mentally craving cookies, Coke Zero, pizza. There is cookie dough in the fridge and DH is entering a cupcake contest at work this week. Need to prep good food for myself to successfully avoid those things without feeling major deprivation.

Lots to do but I just want to snuggle on the couch. Need to go finish tile shopping for ripping out my nasty carpets. Spent so much money the past 2 days ordering flooring for 2 of the 3 spaces we are planning on re-doing. Of course the room I want to start with the most we didn't order anything for yet. I really wanted to start tearing out carpet yesterday and we didn't yet. Looking forward to ridding the house of it, and some exercise in the process. We have it in our heads we can do tile, should be interesting. Only experience is watching a million shows on HGTV and DIY Network. Hee hee.

[Jessica M.]

Told the kids I want stuff to start my vegetable garden for mother's day/my birthday. :-) Hopefully they listen since hubby tends to forget my requests. He's a good gift giver but not so good at hints. Or direct requests.