Calee's Whole Whatever

[calee]

May 1st. I'm jumping in with both feet. Brand new to Paleo. Nervous, excited, curious, scared, crazy. A big mix of everything. A bit of history as I'm doing this for a plethora of issues.

I have been eating fairly healthy for a long time. Formerly morbidly obese. Currently doing well. Not a stranger to low carb and exercise. I started eating Primal on January 1, 2013. A few gluten slips along the way. I love dark chocolate. Cream in my coffee rocks my morning. But the Whole30 has been calling my name. I've never been willing to forego things that may be hampering my best physical self. Here's my list:

1. Hypothyroid, on meds.

2. Mother was Celiac diagnosed in her 40's. Maybe me too?

3. RA that's been in remission for 10 years but Nightshades (white potatoes in particular) induce immediate hand swelling.

4. 20 years ago had blood tests for food intolerances. Beef, eggs, oranges. All my favorites. I get red patches by my nose and hand swelling when I eat too much of them.

5. Some excess weight.

How would I feel if I didn't eat those foods? Don't know, never tried. Years of low carb, years without sugar, years off and on being vegan, but never cleansed of everything at once. I think I'm ready to try. Holy cow, did I just say that? Oh yeah, I'm scale addicted as well. I guess I'm addicted to tracking my every bite on MFP too. Whole30 will be quite a change.

No grains, no sugar, no dairy oh my! Now add beef, eggs, oranges, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and did I mention goat cheese and cream? My imaginary plate looks pretty empty right now. I'm gonna need a lot of help folks. I can't do this alone, that much I know. So school me please.

Olives. I can eat olives, right? Ok, here I go. Off to pack my chow for lunch tomorrow!

Wait! I think I need a glass of wine and a hunk of cheese! Guess not, eh? Ok, I didn't think so.

[Tom Denham]

I love that you call yourself brand new to Paleo and have been eating Primal since January 1, 2013. Many people would consider themselves experts by now. I'm glad you're here!

[Nadia B]

Hello! Welcome. Don't worry about what you can't eat. Focus on what you can have. I am nightshades and egg free. I love my food and empty is the last word I can use to describe my plate. You will find a lot of support here, so no stress, please.

Study shopping list, browse some logs with similar tags and check out cooking/recipe sharing section to get some food inspiration. On page 11 of my post log (I write a lot here, keeps me going) there is a post with all my favorite recipe blogs. Hope this helps.

Good luck!

[calee]

I love that you call yourself brand new to Paleo and have been eating Primal since January 1, 2013. Many people would consider themselves experts by now. I'm glad you're here!

Tom, I'm 62. I've been on every diet imaginable. Most I did "my way". I'm here to be schooled by you mods and others on how to achieve optimal health. I know that Primal 80/20 and Paleo/Whole30 are miles apart. They are each great, but right now Whole30 is really calling me.

Thanks for the Welcome!

[calee]

Thank you Nadia! I will definitely check out your blog. I too will probably write a lot. My glass is always more than half full. I will try to stay rogues on my yummy choices. I know there's a world of good eating waiting for me.

[calee]

May 1- Day 1

Female 62, 5'4". 148.6 start weight. Now where to hide the scale?

I was excited last night. Couldn't sleep. 2am-6am just is not enough. Oh well.

Coffee black, this is a first. Not so bad. Victory! I only do one, then switch to tea so I'm good. Yay!

Time to walk to work. I'll come back and post my food/day later.

[calee]

Day 1

1. 1 cup black coffee. I think it was harsh on my tummy. I had heartburn all day. So uncommon for me. Feels crappy! Chicken breast, 1/4 avocado

2. Chicken leg, 1/4 avocado, yam, raw veggies. Not very hungry because of the heartburn.

3. Turkey bone broth with meat. 1/2 sweet potato, greens

Snack- an ounce of almonds.

Tonight I took pictures and measurements. I hope to see complimentary changes!

[Bethann67]

My favorite discovery ( fairly early in my whole30!)was bulletproof coffee ... I love coffee ... But not black coffee...I drink it after I eat breakfast on my way to work... And I don't need coffee the rest of the day ( and I drank the majority of my calories pre whole 30)

Bonus: bulletproof coffee aids in your metabolism becoming fat adapted ( I lost 13.4 pounds) , and for me eliminated ALL cravings.

Yesterday was day 30, so I could have gone crazy today... And I didn't! No cravings ...still eating whole 30 style ( with the exception of a pat of butter for re-intro ( epic fail)

Good luck on your whole 30! And try and forget EVERYTHING you knew to be true about dieting... This isn't a diet... But chances are you will lose weight! ( or inches)

[calee]

Bethany, thank you so much for your encouragement. Lots of people over on Mark's Daily Apple do BP coffee. I've not tried it. I drank tea and an occasional decaf until last December. I think that this might be the perfect time for me to transition back to tea. I only drink one small caffeine coffee at around 5:30 AM. I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine and I'm already sleep challenged.

Congrats on Day 30!!! That's terrific. So why was the butter an epic fail?

[Bethann67]

Dairy is a worse friend then I thought , I think.

[calee]

Day 2: I slept 11:30-5:30. Woke to my alarm. I tried to go to sleep earlier but the heartburn kept me awake. My hands are swollen and I feel heavy and not spry this morning. Almost a twinge of a headache. I will try to hydrate more today and add more salad to my day. It's going to be 88. My office is overly warm with no air con. I will try for a walk in the woods tonight.

Starting with one cup of black coffee then will switch to herbal tea. Coffee is definitely lacking without cream. Yesterday I experienced bad heartburn all day and into the night. I wonder if black coffee can do that? I ate some coconut flakes, look like little strips. Maybe I don't digest those well? Not sure but I felt bad all day.

One of my goals these 30 days is to eat simply. Not try to replicate things (Paleotize) that I might miss. If I get those strong dark chocolate urges I may eat a date but I want to see my mind chatter change.

I'll have to work on breaking my scale addiction. Part of Whole30 is not weighing food or myself. Not tracking on MFP, which I've done for years. I don't have much faith in my not overeating yet. So I guess in effect, what I want to achieve is a sense of balance. I haven't felt that balance in roughly 50 years of dieting, so this is challenging. My plate is running over with good options so I will focus on what I can have/do, not what I can't.

Made it through Day 1 without nightshades or allergens. Onward! Oh wait, I'm still in bed. It will be a lovely walk to work this morning. Still nice and cool out.

[kb0426]

You can do this! And you don't need any apps or devices to tell you when to eat or not eat!

You will be changing your relationship with food. This is a very exciting time for you!

[calee]

You can do this! And you don't need any apps or devices to tell you when to eat or not eat!

You will be changing your relationship with food. This is a very exciting time for you!

Thanks kb! I know you're right!

[calee]

Day 2 Bites

1 cup black coffee, then decaf tea the rest of the morning. Lots of water the rest of the day. 30 minute walk while it was still cool at 7am.

Meal 1- chicken thigh, romaine lettuce, 1 ounce cashews

Meal 2 - chicken breast on a big salad, 1 ounce almonds, 1/2 avocado

Meal 3 - lamb burger, sautéed green cabbage and onion in EVOO. If still hungry 1/2 sweet potato

I got out of the office for a short walk this afternoon. Mostly just to stretch and get away from my computer. I found myself wanting a piece of gum, or something, anything. At least the Artisan Bakery wasn't calling to me.

Overall I feel like I'm doing great. Other than nightshades, eggs, beef and dairy, it's not that different from how I generally eat. I feel really lucky! I'm happy for the support that I get here. Thanks!

[calee]

Still Day 2: I realized that I didn't write how I'm feeling.

Prior to yesterday I was have 1 cup caffeinated coffee w/cream at 5:30am and 1 cup decaf w/cream right afterwards. Sometimes I would get another decaf at Starbucks or a local cafe around 10am. I was never ever tired and in fact need sleep meds occasionally when I'm still wide awake at midnight. Yesterday and today, 1 black coffee at 5:30am. I don't do any other caffeine.

It was really hot in my office today, so I don't know if it was the heat or mini caffiene withdrawal but around 3pm I wanted to take a nap. Thankfully at 4 it was tine to walk home. I'm tired tonight. No square of dark chocolate pick me up. Just natural rhythm.

I was feeling snacky tonight. Mouth hungry, not tummy. I ate three dates and felt like it was enough. Maybe I should have a bit of sweet potato instead but it doesn't matter. I've had two successful days and I'm pleased.

[calee]

Day 3: I was wiped out but still had insomnia last night. Slept 12-5:30. Woke naturally but tired with a headache. Detox?

Goal for today: Three complant meals that I enjoy. Walk to work. Walk in the woods tonight. Be kind to myself and my coworkers in our tiny office. Hot day, no air con, cranky pants. Hmmmm, maybe a challenging day.

Black coffee is tasting better to me!

[calee]

Day 3 Bites:

I feel like I'm eating too much. I have to cut back the nuts or cut altogether. Feels like emotional eating.

My morning headache cleared after a few hours. My morning walk helped. I walked 30 in the morning and 45 in the evening.

I went to Whole Foods and found meat for a few days. I also bought some Ghee to try. I've never had it.

1. Handful of nuts and a sweet potato between meetings.

2. Big salad with chicken breast and avocado

3. Lamb burger, fresh sauerkraut, 4 dates

Tomorrow will be a challenge. Meeting a friend in the city for a two hour walk and then lunch. Then meeting another friend at the Farmer's market to walk around and hang out for the afternoon, have dinner and go to the film festival. That's lots of eating away from home. I will get some fruit at the market so that I don't get caught extra hungry with nothing to eat. Leaving home at 9 am and won't get home till after midnight. Wish me luck!

[calee]

Day 4: slept Midnight -6. Trouble going to sleep. Took 1/4 sleeping pill at midnight. Woke naturally. Slight headache. Better than yesterday. Less tired than yesterday.

Not sure what I will eat for lunch and dinner since I'll be away from home. Ive been researching this morning. There is a good meat company at the Farmer's market. They do meat cones of good quality pig parts. I will definitely try that. There's another met company in the market that I discovered though Mark's Daily Apple. I will see what they offer in ready made lunch. I have to be careful as both co's use maple sugar. I will need to ask questions.

I will be walking 2-3 hours in the city today. That should feel great. I haven't gotten in any long walks yet this week so I'm looking forward to it.

1. Black coffee, herbal tea. A new appropriate sausage that I found at Whole Foods last night. Veggies.

2. Seafood, salad, banana

3. Seafood, salad, peach

I'm sticking a Larabar in my purse. If we get tickets for a 7pm film we want to see, then go into another 9:30 film that we have tickets for, there may not be time for dinner. I'll get a piece of fruit at the market as well.

I'm determined not to get side tracked by lack of planning today. Fail to plan, plan to fail. Oh my!

I ended up walking 4 hours today. I felt good. I started getting ornery at around 9:30 while at a film with friends. I reminded myself of the day 5 video that I saw here and was able to laugh it off.

[calee]

I was reading someone's journal and had a flash of insight.

I'm eating nuts for the crunch because prior to Whole 30 I was eating mini-bell peppers as a daily snack. I think I was missing the crunch and comfort.

I must have subconsciously already have figured it out because yesterday I took a carrot and radishes to work with me. I have to remember that I look for the crunch factor and be more prepared..

[calee]

Day 5: slept 2am-8am. Not used to staying up so late but didn't get hone till 12:30. Woke a bit tired and slight headache. No pain just a shadow feeling. Detox?

I'm good with how I traversed the food while away from home yesterday. I went to a few "Paleo approved" meat markets only to find not a single ready to eat meat that didn't have some sugar used in the curing. I passed and picked up a banana and peach to hold me till I could get some fish and romaine to munch.

I'm aware of a tiny touch of crankypantsitis so I will tread gently today. I'm going to start with a two hour hike in the redwoods with a friend. That should tire me out. This afternoon I will do some cooking for the week. Roasted veggies and the like.

1. Natural pork sausage

2 carrot, radishes (I realized I need crunch to not do hand to mouth nuts) Chicken breast, 1/2 avocado

3 sautéed cabbage, some sort of meat, 1/2 avocado

I'm looking forward to my day!

Question: for Whole30, how many nuts per day are acceptable? I found the template confusing. Thank you!

[calee]

Day 5: I managed to not be ornery today. I hiked 2.5 hours and was so tired but I got through the hills. I took longer than usual to finish today, but it's the finishing that counts.

Did some cooking this afternoon. I'm prepared for a few days. I found some good ground pork to make my own breakfast patties. Broccoli is roasted, cabbage sautéed. Meal 1 and 2 packed for Monday. Now I just need. Good nite sleep!

[percypat]

crankypantsitis

Ha ha! I knew this was a thing!

[calee]

Day 6: whew! I made it through the weekend intact. Planning and asking questions in restaurants was helpful.

I was so tired out from all my hours of walking Saturday and Sunday. Slept 9:30-5:30 and was actually awoken by the alarm. I generally get 6 to 7 hours sleep so this was unusual. Yay! I did wake with a slight headache. This has happened several days in a row so I will take this as detox. It goes away in the morning. I'm really trying to pay attention to how my body feels. I think my tummy hasn't experienced as much bloating. My pants fit the same. I'm still experiencing a bit of morning stiffness in my hands. I love the food I'm eating. I am having more fruit than I have in years. I think it's literally been years since I had a banana before. Happy to be enjoying their yumminess. I will have to keep an eye on it since I would like to drop 5-10 pounds this year. I'm not sure what I should weigh but I still have some left over fluff after shedding my big fat suit.

I love all the things I got at the big alternative grocery yesterday. Green beans, zucchini, sweet potatoes, artichokes, avocados, cabbage, carrots, radishes, romaine. All so colorful. First cherries of the season and good watermelon. The poor butcher had to keep running to ask if things had sugar or anything else I don't want. I'm trying two types of ground sausage. Rosemary lamb rolled sausage, ground lamb for burgers. I'm avoiding beef which is generally a staple for me. Chicken sits hard in my tummy and I ate a lot of it last week. I have salmon as well but have not felt drawn to eat it. I ate a lot of seafood on Saturday so maybe that's why.

I discovered last week that I was reaching for nuts to replace the peppers (nightshade) that were my go to snack, I will try to be more prepared this week. I mss the easy goto ness of eggs.

Bites for the day.

1. Sausage patty, sautéed cabbage, 1 black coffee, decaf and herbal tea.

2. Turkey sausage link from the deli no preservatives or filler, avocado, carrot, radish, watermelon

3. Lamb sausage, cooked veggie a few cherries. If really hungry, 1/2 sweet potato.

Walk to work and back. Try to get in 75 minutes in the woods. I am looking forward to my day 6!!

[Beets]

Days 5-8 were the worst for me. I think it's your body adjusting from sugar- to fat-burning.

Insofar as nuts go, the meal template has info re adding nuts to meals as a (less than ideal) form of fat. There is no set amount of allowable nuts. You're aiming to be eating enough at meals so you don't need to snack. It takes awhile and obviously sometimes you get stuck out or away from acceptable food for awhile and nuts can be the only good option. In that case, I'd limit it to the smallest amount you can eat to satisfy your hunger.

Ideally, if you do need to snack you want to be eating a mini meal, as per the template, with protein, veg and fat. Nuts can make you bloated and they are not great in terms of Omega-6 fatty acids and phytic acid--which is an anti-nutrient. So you don't want to be relying on them every day.

[calee]

Beets, thanks for your comments. Truth is that I don't "need" a snack. I think I'm having a tough time giving up a bad habit.

I did read that nuts are not optimal. I have to break this 1 ounce a day habit. I had it at lunchtime today. I will only eat nuts with a meal and less than an ounce. Now the trick of controlling the hand to mouth movement. DANG! Truth is, I bet I would feel better without them.