Post by: lexde on January 29, 2019, 07:44:03 AM
I'm going to include below a basic FAQ for the diet for those who haven't read up. FULL PROGRAM PDF HERE. (https://whole30.com/downloads/official-whole30-program-rules.pdf)
What is the Whole30?
The Whole30 is an elimination-type diet that emphasizes whole foods. The goal is to investigate how your body responds to certain foods, by first eliminating them and then slowly reinstating them after the 30 days are up. If they still work for you great! If you find something that helps you feel better in your body, thats great too.
What SHOULD you eat on Whole30?
- Vegetables! Including potatoes, to your heart's content.
- Fruits. Fruits are allowed in moderation, remember - you're trying to limit your sugar intake during the 30 days.
- Unprocessed meats. Sausage is still okay, but check for sugar and other off-limit preservatives.
- Seafood. Fish & shellfish are all good!
- Eggs. So many.
- Nuts and seeds. With the exception of peanuts, which are legumes.
- Oils and ghee. Olive and coconut oil and ghee are your friend. (No peanut oil, because legumes.)
- Coffee. As long as there is no dairy in it! Almond milk (unsweetened) or other nut-milks are A-OK.
Avoid for 30 Days -
- Added sugar. Dont consume sugar that is real or artificial during the 30 days. This includes honey, maple syrup, agave, Splenda, xylitol, and Stevia. When it comes to grocery store finds, this one might be the trickiest to avoid. Common household ingredients like Sriracha include added sugar. You need to check the label on everything.
- Dairy. This means no cheese, cow milk, yogurt, cream, sour cream, kefir, and butter. The only exception to this rule is that you can have ghee.
- Grains. This means no corn, rice, quinoa, wheat, rye, millet, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, bulgur, or sprouted grains.
- Alcohol. No alcohol for cooking or drinking is to be consumed while doing Whole30. This includes vanilla extract. You can have something like kombucha, however, which does include a very minor amount of alcohol (as long as there isnt added sugar from outside of fruit juice).
- Legumes. For 30 days you cant eat beans of any kind, soy of any kind (including tofu, soy sauce, miso, edamame), chickpeas, peas, lentils, and peanuts.
- Carageenan, MSG, and Sulfites. Avoid processed foods while doing Whole30. If you see these three things on any ingredient list, its out.
- "Junk" Food. This means that you cant recreate your favorite junk food or baked good recipes even if they use Whole30-compliant ingredients. This is less to do with your physical reactions to food, and more to do with the mental side of things. Dont try to recreate pizza crust out of cauliflower, and dont make pancakes out of eggs and banana.
The Golden Rule of Whole30
The most important thing to remember when doing Whole30 is to check the label on everything you buy. A lot of everyday condiments and prepackaged goods have added sugar or additives that you might not be aware of. When in doubt, choose whole foods, especially vegetables, but also fruits, nuts, meats, and seafood.
Post by: lexde on January 29, 2019, 07:45:59 AM
Nom Nom Paleo - Kalua Pig & Cabbage (https://nomnompaleo.com/post/111934821818/pressure-cooker-kalua-pig)
Nom Nom Paleo - Ollie's Cracklin' Chicken (https://nomnompaleo.com/whole30-ollies-cracklin-chicken)
Nom Nom Paleo - Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon (https://nomnompaleo.com/2018/01/21/whole30-day-21-roasted-brussels-sprouts-bacon)
Cafedelites - Authentic Chimichurri (https://cafedelites.com/authentic-chimichurri-uruguay-argentina/)
Paleoleap - Fruit Salad with Mint & Lime (https://paleoleap.com/fruit-salad-with-mint-and-lime/)
Post by: Orvell on January 29, 2019, 07:49:58 AM
My plan will to be veg, eggs, and fish heavy, and meat light (but still consumed). I'm looking forward to busting out my recipes and getting my groove back on.
Post by: Orvell on January 29, 2019, 10:17:47 AM
It is somewhat complicated by my mom coming into town this weekend, and trying to figure out what would feed us both and make us both happy, hahaha. She's an adventurous eater, which helps... But it makes gauging how much leftovers we'll have more difficult.
Post by: lexde on January 29, 2019, 10:47:16 AM
Starting to get a Plan In Place.Nice! I like seeing people plan! I have a prior engagement on Sunday, which is why I bumped my start date to Monday the 4th.
It is somewhat complicated by my mom coming into town this weekend, and trying to figure out what would feed us both and make us both happy, hahaha. She's an adventurous eater, which helps... But it makes gauging how much leftovers we'll have more difficult.
Also just as a heads up, peanut butter is a no-go on Whole 30 since peanuts are legumes. If you’re modifying the plan that’s fine, but just wanted to bring it to your attention just in case. :-) Almond butter & banana is awesome, too!
Post by: Orvell on January 29, 2019, 11:27:50 AM
:)Starting to get a Plan In Place.Nice! I like seeing people plan! I have a prior engagement on Sunday, which is why I bumped my start date to Monday the 4th.
It is somewhat complicated by my mom coming into town this weekend, and trying to figure out what would feed us both and make us both happy, hahaha. She's an adventurous eater, which helps... But it makes gauging how much leftovers we'll have more difficult.
Also just as a heads up, peanut butter is a no-go on Whole 30 since peanuts are legumes. If youre modifying the plan thats fine, but just wanted to bring it to your attention just in case. :-) Almond butter & banana is awesome, too!
I'm keeping peanut butter even though it's not W30! But thanks for (gently) bringing it up in case I wasn't aware. :)
Any favorite recipes you're looking forward to?
Post by: lexde on January 29, 2019, 11:43:00 AM
I’m definitely looking forward to making some fresh chimichurri and eating it on everything! I love and for some reason totally forgot about it until I was meal planning!:)Starting to get a Plan In Place.Nice! I like seeing people plan! I have a prior engagement on Sunday, which is why I bumped my start date to Monday the 4th.
It is somewhat complicated by my mom coming into town this weekend, and trying to figure out what would feed us both and make us both happy, hahaha. She's an adventurous eater, which helps... But it makes gauging how much leftovers we'll have more difficult.
Also just as a heads up, peanut butter is a no-go on Whole 30 since peanuts are legumes. If you’re modifying the plan that’s fine, but just wanted to bring it to your attention just in case. :-) Almond butter & banana is awesome, too!
I'm keeping peanut butter even though it's not W30! But thanks for (gently) bringing it up in case I wasn't aware. :)
Any favorite recipes you're looking forward to?
Also topped baked potatoes (with pulled chicken or pork).
And slow/pressure cooked pork shoulder! So many options.
I am NOT looking forward to giving up soda. I drink way too much Coke Zero and know that it will be the most difficult part of the next 30 days. :-( Maybe it will break my habit once and for all, though! I did make a huge 3-gal jug of mint-hibiscus tea which is excellent, so I will plan to have that in my fridge at all times to curb the cravings.
Post by: Orvell on January 29, 2019, 11:49:48 AM
Im definitely looking forward to making some fresh chimichurri and eating it on everything! I love and for some reason totally forgot about it until I was meal planning!I've never made chimichurri! If you have a favorite recipe, let me know? :)
Also topped baked potatoes (with pulled chicken or pork).
And slow/pressure cooked pork shoulder! So many options.
I am NOT looking forward to giving up soda. I drink way too much Coke Zero and know that it will be the most difficult part of the next 30 days. :-( Maybe it will break my habit once and for all, though! I did make a huge 3-gal jug of mint-hibiscus tea which is excellent, so I will plan to have that in my fridge at all times to curb the cravings.
Re: soda
For me, it's beer. Even NA beer. I love the stuff, like, the taste. Ha! So something I've been getting used to is carbonated water with various fruits or other flavorful things added. Wedge of lime, hank of ginger, fistful of frozen raspberries, etc.
It satisfies that FIZZY THING IN MOUTH need at least a liiiiitttle bit.
Post by: lexde on January 29, 2019, 12:57:17 PM
This is the recipe I will be making:I’m definitely looking forward to making some fresh chimichurri and eating it on everything! I love and for some reason totally forgot about it until I was meal planning!I've never made chimichurri! If you have a favorite recipe, let me know? :)
Also topped baked potatoes (with pulled chicken or pork).
And slow/pressure cooked pork shoulder! So many options.
I am NOT looking forward to giving up soda. I drink way too much Coke Zero and know that it will be the most difficult part of the next 30 days. :-( Maybe it will break my habit once and for all, though! I did make a huge 3-gal jug of mint-hibiscus tea which is excellent, so I will plan to have that in my fridge at all times to curb the cravings.
Re: soda
For me, it's beer. Even NA beer. I love the stuff, like, the taste. Ha! So something I've been getting used to is carbonated water with various fruits or other flavorful things added. Wedge of lime, hank of ginger, fistful of frozen raspberries, etc.
It satisfies that FIZZY THING IN MOUTH need at least a liiiiitttle bit.
https://cafedelites.com/authentic-chimichurri-uruguay-argentina/
Probably a double-batch! It’s very good on...everything. Grilled meats and veggies, especially.
My office stocks La Croix so I may go for that carbonation; I’ve heard that sparkling water with a bit of tart cherry juice is really good for soda cravings, too.
Post by: Orvell on January 31, 2019, 07:15:44 AM
Last day before The Happening. Got my car running despite the -23 F degree temps and plan on using it to make a Trader Joes run after work today to replace some of my staples with sugar free versions.
How rude is it that my powdered peanut butter* contains sugar?
And that my dried blueberries have added sugar too??
FUCKING RUDE, that's how rude.
* I'm a peanut butter rebel.
Post by: Orvell on February 01, 2019, 09:22:59 AM
My planning was important, my plan is useless. ;) As almost always is the case.
Breakfast/lunch is leftover "nachos" from last night (idea stolen from @Bracken_Joy ) aka thinly sliced sweet potatoes, baked, topped with spiced ground beef, avocado, olives, and a lime, date, and hemp heart sauce. It's super fucking yummy.
Tonight I'm going to make a pesto and spaghetti squash chicken dish. :)
Let it begin!
Post by: lexde on February 01, 2019, 10:15:23 AM
Day 1!That sounds super good!!
My planning was important, my plan is useless. ;) As almost always is the case.
Breakfast/lunch is leftover "nachos" from last night (idea stolen from @Bracken_Joy ) aka thinly sliced sweet potatoes, baked, topped with spiced ground beef, avocado, olives, and a lime, date, and hemp heart sauce. It's super fucking yummy.
Tonight I'm going to make a pesto and spaghetti squash chicken dish. :)
Let it begin!
Post by: lexde on February 01, 2019, 10:18:09 AM
This morning was strawberries for breakfast, then a baked potato and buffalo patty for lunch. Dinner will probably be a big salad with a protein mixed in.
No diet soda is going to be the most difficult part of this for me, hands down. I have a black coffee on my desk right now to curb the caffeine-headaches and am sipping lime-water throughout the day. If I break down I may grab a la croix from the work fridge. :-)
Post by: bocopro on February 01, 2019, 10:42:17 AM
Just finished January Whole30 (yesterday!). It's my fifth successful one (don't ask how many failures - yeesh). Finally, it feels like cooking this way has finally "gelled" for me and on Day 31 (today), I just got up and made a Whole30 breakfast and packed lunch like no big deal. It really makes you feel better, so keep it up even when you get cravings.
I'm going to link a few helpful articles and recipes below for anyone who enjoys this kind of eating:
Whole30 Timeline (found this accurate the first few rounds, at least): A lot of Whole30 is mental.
https://whole30.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/
Random tips:
- Have a plan BEFORE you're hungry. Cannot emphasize this enough. Especially if you'll be doing errands, etc. That way you don't panic and sprint into a Panera for one of those crunchy cinnamon sugary bagels covered in cream cheese.
- Put food in your purse/backpack/car/desk - you will be shockingly hungry at weird times. Have it otherwise you'll be staring down a vending machine, nearing tears at some point. All of my food panic moments are coming out strong in this post.... :)
- Pre make food. A lot. I find food volume eaten goes WAY up on Whole30. Whoever suggested above pork shoulder - yes! That makes days and days of lunches.
- Definitely pre-make breakfast. I will include breakfast recipes below (because I love it). Breakfast is the one meal people typically have the most time adjusting to- because the general population doesn't "cook" at breakfast time, or plan. You'll have to and it takes time in the mornings. Whole30 also allows/encourages "non-breakfasty" foods in the AM (savory things, salad, soup, etc.) so if you can do that, more power to you. I can't quite stomach salmon and kale at 6am...
- If you are a coffee drinker, Nut Pods. (This is a Whole30 approved coffee creamer made with almonds and coconut and isn't that bad, really.) Amazon, Kroger, etc. has this in a couple of appropriate flavors and also plain.
- Eat more fat than you think you should. It's pretty much your energy source. I find I get sad and hungry after too many Whole30 meals of grilled chicken and broccoli. (too few calories, not much energy).
- You can do it!
Recipes:
Egg Bake - Mexican style - so good
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/mexican-breakfast-casserole-paleo-whole30/
Egg Muffins - you can put anything in these:
https://realsimplegood.com/healthy-egg-muffins/
Whole30 Chili - great for leftovers - and sweet potato in chili = bomb
https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/chorizo-sweet-potato-chili-paleo-whole30/
Chia Pudding - may be totally yucky to you, but I kind of crave a different flavor "palate" mid-whole-30 and this sort of solves it.
https://sunkissedkitchen.com/chia-breakfast-pudding-whole30/
- Also, coconut milk curry - lots of options online and so yummy
I'll be following along this thread to keep at the style of eating (I relapse, which is why I keep repeating Whole30) and as I reintroduce.
Good work, everyone!
Post by: Orvell on February 02, 2019, 09:51:00 AM
Can I ask why you keep doing W30? As I understand it, the elimination part of the diet isn't really meant to be prolonged. It's either a behavior re-set for habit changes (why I'm doing it) or a way to learn about what makes your body feel good etc. Then you move forward, and if you like the style, do something Paleo ish with a bit more flexibility.
Congrats on making it through your W30, though. :)
Today is my Day 2:
Another round of 'nachos' for breakfast. Lunch will be zuchini noodles, chicken, and pesto. Dinner will be spaghetti squash and whatever else is in my fridge.
The salad plan I had got nuked since my delicate leafy greens froze. Thanks, polar vortex.
Post by: lexde on February 02, 2019, 11:48:44 AM
Recipe (https://paleoleap.com/fruit-salad-with-mint-and-lime/)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190202/64ffba8aa1a9293b8ad7c3be4aa3ffcf.jpg)
Didn’t have grapes on sale, so it’s plum, peach, nectarine. I may go to the store and grab some blueberries to add more texture and colors. It’s yummy as is though!
Post by: lexde on February 02, 2019, 04:04:33 PM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190202/332d95d6605b9b59a283c0d3b3ab0c76.jpg)
The recipe for me made 6 servings + 1 hungry chef serving as I was shredding the pork. Hold your judgment until you make the recipe and THEN tell me you can wait to portion everything out. ;-)
Overall really good. I may need to freeze 2 or 3 of them and rotate into a later week.
Also picked up chicken thighs, skirt steak & chimichurri. I 100% overshopped this week. I may make the chimichurri tomorrow though to meld in the fridge and the skirt steak after work Monday to have dinners set for a few nights.
Post by: lexde on February 02, 2019, 07:07:40 PM
Shoulder roast was $16.00
Garlic I had, but maybe $.10?
Salt
3 slices of bacon $.30
1 head of cabbage $.99
Total: $17.39. Made 7 very generous portions. $2.48 per meal plus a bowl of rich stock that I had for dinner. Pup got to chew on the bone for a bit, and got a quarter cup of the stock in her bowl, so we are both happy and full.
Post by: Orvell on February 04, 2019, 08:15:18 AM
Yeah, trying to approach this with some money savings in mind is tough. @__@;;
I'm kinda giving myself a pass for the moment, but eventually I'll need to make sure it's sustainable financially.
:)
Today is my Day 4. So far so good. :) Today is also really the first "test" though, as I'm at work and surrounded by the things that usually get me and my sugar dragon.
Free right now: girl scout cookies, candy bars, home made cookies
So far hanging strong. I had broccoli and collard green saag with (2) eggs in it for breakfast, and lunch will be an avocado, lime, and salmon salad on a bunch of leafy greens.
Snacks are a cucumber, and apple, and some peanut butter*
*Yes, I'm a rebel
Post by: lexde on February 04, 2019, 08:33:23 AM
Day 1
Exercise
HIIT 60 mins (570 cal burnt) - New high score for the 60-minute time!
Nutrition
Coffee with nutpods.
1 of 2 servings of fruit salad and a coconut LaCroix for breakfast.
Lunch is Kalua Pig & Cabbage.
TJ's unsweetened coconut chips for a snack.
Dinner will be marinated flank steak and chimichurri. Plus baked potato if I'm still hungry, otherwise Omit.
Ive been told that volume eating on Whole30 goes up (as evidenced, also, by the nearly-gone fruit salad I made).
Weight
Recorded Start Weight
I know you aren't supposed to weigh in during Whole30 but I am going to be tracking this regardless. It's the only rule I plan on breaking, and doesn't impact what I do/don't eat anyway, which I think is the reason for the rule to begin with.
What Ive learned so far...
Fruit salad is good but not worth it. Too expensive and eaten too quickly! I used 8 fruits plus mint to make this, and I have one serving left that may be gone today (after 3 days). I could eat two whole fruits per day for this, and itd last longer and stay fresher at that rate. Now I know!
Coconut LaCroix is the best flavor (to me, by far). I can already tell that this will be what gets me through the next 30 days of being Coke(Zero)-free.
Post by: Orvell on February 04, 2019, 08:45:23 AM
Post by: katscratch on February 04, 2019, 09:28:55 AM
Following for recipe ideas and inspiration to stick to my current eating. I've eaten 95% paleo for six or seven years now but this year am trying to reintroduce some foods like quinoa and lentils (the latter isn't looking so promising thus far).
It took me a good year to really feel like paleo was "easy". For instance meal planning, prepping and batch cooking are just things I do to get ready for my week now - I know those aren't exclusive to paleo but they weren't things I did before I had to prepare all my food for several months in the beginning. It also feels totally normal to travel or be out with friends while sticking to foods my body likes. My budget settled down after a few months - especially if you're coming off a more standard carb heavy diet, the hunger at first is ridiculous! Once your brain finally figures out different cues for satiety that does get better!
I've heard several times LaCroix and tart cherry or cranberry juice but always forget it! That sounds like it would be a good substitute for me for the acidity of wine, one of my chronic off and on vices.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 04, 2019, 10:00:56 AM
In response to some joint inflammation last month, I started eating +/- W30-compliant* about a week ago -- after a holiday season filled with far more grain and sugar than I'd prefer. I plan on continuing for a while, so I'll join this thread.
*My weight drops like a rock if I don't keep my carbs up a bit, and I suffer some unpleasant side effects if my carbs come mainly from fruit and potatoes. So I do include white rice in my diet. And pastured butter. But I won't mention those any further in this thread. :)
Post by: lexde on February 04, 2019, 10:03:14 AM
I've done many W30's in the past, and before that ate pretty strict paleo for a while.Welcome! And you don’t have to hide your modifications. No Whole30-police here. :-)
In response to some joint inflammation last month, I started eating +/- W30-compliant* about a week ago -- after a holiday season filled with far more grain and sugar than I'd prefer. I plan on continuing for a while, so I'll join this thread.
*My weight drops like a rock if I don't keep my carbs up a bit, and I suffer some unpleasant side effects if my carbs come mainly from fruit and potatoes. So I do include white rice in my diet. And pastured butter. But I won't mention those any further in this thread. :)
I hope you can narrow down the cause of your inflammation! That sounds awful.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 04, 2019, 10:11:56 AM
Welcome! And you dont have to hide your modifications. No Whole30-police here. :-)
Thank you! *whew*, I will then boast about how much better sweet potatoes are with pastured butter vs coconut oil! ;)
bfast today: 2 eggs fried in olive oil, handful of almonds + handful of macadamias (both home-roasted @ low temp w/ olive oil and sea salt), handful of raisins, banana, 2 olives, black coffee, medium-small apple
lunch today: 1 med sweet potato with pastured butter + copious ceylon cinnamon, steamed broccoli, and seasoned grass-fed ground beef with diced tomatoes and red onion
after lunch (planned): black coffee + 1/2 serving of 85% dark chocolate -- for the iron, fiber, and flavanols!
Post by: bocopro on February 04, 2019, 02:53:13 PM
Hi Bocopro.
Can I ask why you keep doing W30? As I understand it, the elimination part of the diet isn't really meant to be prolonged. It's either a behavior re-set for habit changes (why I'm doing it) or a way to learn about what makes your body feel good etc. Then you move forward, and if you like the style, do something Paleo ish with a bit more flexibility.
Short answers are:
- I routinely fall off the Paleo wagon and like a little "reset" because I'm an irrational person who *knows* grains/dairy don't sit well with me, but have trouble actually completely nixing them.
- I'm an abstainer, not a moderator (Gretchen Rubin's excellent book Better Than Before talks a lot about habit change) and Whole30's abstaining nature ensures I'll eat healthfully for an entire month as opposed to failing miserably at moderation.
- Having a few Whole30's under my belt means it's not as jarring or miserable as the first, thus, the huge inconvenience factor is gone, making them an easy "whoa there, better eat a little better" reset to keep doing when it seems I'm relying more on (expensive, unhealthy, sugary) convenience foods a bit more than my liking.
You're right, sticking to Paleo is a way more tenable solution. I'm working on habit change to get to that point at this very moment!
Post by: Orvell on February 04, 2019, 02:54:33 PM
Cool! :) I hope my comment didn't come across as too abrasive. Totally understand that we're all on our own food journeys. ^__^Hi Bocopro.
Can I ask why you keep doing W30? As I understand it, the elimination part of the diet isn't really meant to be prolonged. It's either a behavior re-set for habit changes (why I'm doing it) or a way to learn about what makes your body feel good etc. Then you move forward, and if you like the style, do something Paleo ish with a bit more flexibility.
Short answers are:
- I routinely fall off the Paleo wagon and like a little "reset" because I'm an irrational person who *knows* grains/dairy don't sit well with me, but have trouble actually completely nixing them.
- I'm an abstainer, not a moderator (Gretchen Rubin's excellent book Better Than Before talks a lot about habit change) and Whole30's abstaining nature ensures I'll eat healthfully for an entire month as opposed to failing miserably at moderation.
- Having a few Whole30's under my belt means it's not as jarring or miserable as the first, thus, the huge inconvenience factor is gone, making them an easy "whoa there, better eat a little better" reset to keep doing when it seems I'm relying more on (expensive, unhealthy, sugary) convenience foods a bit more than my liking.
You're right, sticking to Paleo is a way more tenable solution. I'm working on habit change to get to that point at this very moment!
Post by: lexde on February 04, 2019, 06:02:22 PM
Totally grumpy and it took me a second to realize that it’s because I haven’t had any sugar/artificial sweetener today. I didn’t even realize I often end my day with something sweet. I need to break that habit, now is as good a time as any!
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 05, 2019, 06:17:08 AM
Totally grumpy and it took me a second to realize that its because I havent had any sugar/artificial sweetener today. I didnt even realize I often end my day with something sweet. I need to break that habit, now is as good a time as any!
I hear that! I'll have periods where I forgo the after-dinner sweet snack, but if I make an exception just once, the very next day I feel a strong craving to have it again, even if I've stuffed myself silly at dinner. I've settled on a reasonably benign snack of a piece of fruit and/or some dark chocolate.
Post by: lexde on February 05, 2019, 06:31:12 AM
I've settled on a reasonably benign snack of a piece of fruit and/or some dark chocolate.That seems like the way to go for me. I have some frozen cherries that should bridge the gap.
Post by: Orvell on February 05, 2019, 07:25:45 AM
(Had to take my pet in for surgery this morning, appetite is all over the place)
Breakfast was a small bit of saag and an egg, supplemented with date and nut cubes from the grocery store because snacking is easier on a nervous tummy than a big meal.
Lunch will be pork "egg roll" stir fry bowl leftovers from last night (super yummy!) and my afternoon snack is a banana and some nut butter. I also have a cucumber and some baba ganouj as a back-up if I get ravenous.
Bird In Hand, your big ass salad sounds delicious as hell.
Post by: lexde on February 05, 2019, 07:32:44 AM
Today is my Day 5, and I'm a little off my game. Thankfully I made a good amount of food so I can afford to be so.Hope everything is okay with your pet today. :-( I know that feeling and it's awful.
(Had to take my pet in for surgery this morning, appetite is all over the place)
Breakfast was a small bit of saag and an egg, supplemented with date and nut cubes from the grocery store because snacking is easier on a nervous tummy than a big meal.
Lunch will be pork "egg roll" stir fry bowl leftovers from last night (super yummy!) and my afternoon snack is a banana and some nut butter. I also have a cucumber and some baba ganouj as a back-up if I get ravenous.
Bird In Hand, your big ass salad sounds delicious as hell.
Egg roll in a bowl is one of my favorite meals. Sounds like you've set yourself up for success today!
Post by: Orvell on February 05, 2019, 07:39:02 AM
Hope everything is okay with your pet today. :-( I know that feeling and it's awful.<3 Thank you! She's a good cat. <3
Egg roll in a bowl is one of my favorite meals. Sounds like you've set yourself up for success today!
Post by: lexde on February 05, 2019, 07:40:54 AM
Exercise
HIIT 60 mins (475 cal burnt) - I was gassed this morning even going in. I had trouble sleeping last night (was up from around 2:40-3:15am) and then tossed and turned a lot, so I went into the 6:15 class pretty tired as-is. Just went on autopilot, and stuck it out, so no complaints.
Nutrition
Had a few pieces of flank steak dipped in chimichurri at 7:45 when I got back from class.
Black coffee (maybe add nutpods but probably not) soon to wake up.
Steak, chimichurri and a baked potato for lunch.
Fruit salad for afternoon snack.
Coconut chips for another snack if I'm still hungry, but optional.
Buffalo burger & baked potato for dinner.
Frozen cherries for dessert if I can't kick the sweet tooth today.
La Croix (coconut and/or mango) while I curb my diet soda habit. Also lots of water with lime (TrueLemon & TrueLime is a LIFE SAVER - cannot recommend enough!) and some iced hibiscus-mint tea at home.
Weight
-1.8lbs from start - water weight for sure.
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 05, 2019, 09:08:18 AM
@Bird In Hand have you had ghee? I can't imagine eggs cooked in olive oil, that sounds really funky, I tried it once and it was pretty rough flavor wise! Ghee is delicious, esp for scrambling or frying eggs, and it's super easy to make.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 05, 2019, 09:21:20 AM
@Bird In Hand have you had ghee? I can't imagine eggs cooked in olive oil, that sounds really funky, I tried it once and it was pretty rough flavor wise! Ghee is delicious, esp for scrambling or frying eggs, and it's super easy to make.
It's probably a little funky. :) The trick is 1) don't use a lot of EVOO, or 2) use refined olive oil, and/or 3) use EVOO so frequently that you get used to the taste. I use a modest amount of EVOO and don't notice the taste anymore in the eggs.
I've also used refined coconut oil, butter, and ghee for frying eggs. All good choices IMO -- EVOO is simply my go-to choice.
Good luck with the next round of IVF!
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 05, 2019, 11:31:54 AM
Bird In Hand, your big ass salad sounds delicious as hell.
It is! Not only that, but it's very filling and a dead simple way to load up on a day's worth of veggies all in one meal. Having it pre-made (1qt mason jars) for the entire week ahead is icing on the cake.
Dang, now I'm hungry for cake! :D
Post by: Rosy on February 05, 2019, 12:33:36 PM
1. So, I thought I'd peek in and try all the recipes that sound good to me for a start.
We'll see how that goes - my goal is healthier eating in general, so I think whole30 is a good choice.
2. In January, I finally managed to switch back to all black coffee and started a 12-week Qui Gong class.
Now in February - I'm tackling salads.
I already have five good ones in my repertoire that I hardly ever actually make, duh. That is changing as of today.
My goal is to find five more salads that we both like.
3. I don't want to diet either, but I want to cut down and out as much of the sweets that I'm hooked on as possible.
Chocolate and Caramel and Truffles - oh my:).
So to start with - no more sweets past six o'clock. I will allow up to three in the afternoon then work my way down to just one. I think I'll eat up my provisions and when I'm out, I'm done.
Sweets are my downfall - so I can't see myself cutting those out entirely-forever, but I should be able to cut it by 90%.
I'm contemplating sticking with my oatmeal, nuts and fruit,... boiled egg...or fruit, eggs and potato for breakfast. I guess oatmeal is a grain, but for now it is staying.
I do know dairy is a problem for me, so I am largely cutting it out and I suspect some grains might be problematic for me too.
If you don't mind @lexde I'll hang around since most my goals for February do fit in with your whole30.
Now I am looking at that 'big ass salad' recipe to see how much of that I can integrate into tonight's supper - grilled shrimp.
... and I am (almost) wishing I hadn't eaten a (small) slice of my birthday cheesecake - sliced up fresh strawberries (it's the strawberry season in Florida) and totally forgot I had whipping cream to go with it. Maybe my subconscious is trying to help me:)
I need to look up Salad Nicoise, I think it qualifies as a whole30 candidate. It does - yay! Haven't made that in ages.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14239/salad-nicoise/
or this version:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/255361/nicoise-salad/?internalSource=similar_recipe_banner&referringId=14239&referringContentType=Recipe&clickId=simslot_3
Post by: lexde on February 05, 2019, 12:35:54 PM
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 06, 2019, 08:35:26 AM
bfast: banana, macadamias, almonds
lunch: Big Ass Salad (usual recipe) with pan-fried chicken thigh
dinner: seasoned ground pork (taco seasonings) & green chili refried beans over basmati rice, with diced onions & tomato, topped with guacamole
random snacks during the day: 2 apples, 1 clementine, a handful of various nuts, olives, and a couple pieces of dark chocolate
The rice, refried beans, and chocolate are definitely not W30, but all three are relatively benign IMO. I wish I could do without the refried beans, but my taco bowl was sad enough without the sour cream. :(
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 06, 2019, 08:37:48 AM
Yesterday meals:
bfast: banana, macadamias, almonds
lunch: Big Ass Salad (usual recipe) with pan-fried chicken thigh
dinner: seasoned ground pork (taco seasonings) & green chili refried beans over basmati rice, with diced onions & tomato, topped with guacamole
random snacks during the day: 2 apples, 1 clementine, a handful of various nuts, olives, and a couple pieces of dark chocolate
The rice, refried beans, and chocolate are definitely not W30, but all three are relatively benign IMO. I wish I could do without the refried beans, but my taco bowl was sad enough without the sour cream. :(
Great sour cream sub for taco bowls: http://www.worthcooking.net/taco-salad-creamy-cilantro-dressing/ (http://www.worthcooking.net/taco-salad-creamy-cilantro-dressing/) The hemp hearts make it super creamy and dairy like.
Post by: lexde on February 06, 2019, 08:55:24 AM
Exercise
Rest day for me. :-)
Nutrition
Coffee with some Nutpods creamer at work to start the day - not sure if I am going to buy more of this. It's nice, but expensive.
Turkey burger with MMP + baked potato with ghee for lunch.
Coconut chips for afternoon snack.
Steak & chimichurri for dinner with riced cauliflower.
Frozen cherries for dessert.
La Croix while I curb my diet soda habit. Also lots of water with lime.
Weight
-2.6lbs from start - water weight for sure. I'm trying to decide if this is from cutting out (diet) soda or not, since I drink just as much seltzer water right now as I was drinking soda, so it can't be the carbonation.
Either way, my skin is clearing up a bit (may just be coincidental since I'm only on day 3) and I've lost some water weight/bloating that I had, which is nice.
Also, I am seriously convinced that Nom Nom Paleo's Magic Mushroom Powder is in fact magic. I don't like mushrooms but I like umami a lot, so I figured I'd give it a go. I made the small-batch recipe: 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms (ground into fine powder); 2/3c kosher salt; 1tbsp crushed red pepper; 1tsp fresh ground black pepper (I used white/black peppercorn mix); and 2tsp dried thyme. It smells pretty earthy but the flavor it imparts on EVERYTHING IT TOUCHES is amazing. 10/10 recommend that you guys give it a shot. I got the dried mushrooms on Amazon, the rest I had on hand.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 06, 2019, 09:23:52 AM
Great sour cream sub for taco bowls: http://www.worthcooking.net/taco-salad-creamy-cilantro-dressing/ (http://www.worthcooking.net/taco-salad-creamy-cilantro-dressing/) The hemp hearts make it super creamy and dairy like.
Nice, thank you! It didn't occur to me that there might be a reasonable non-dairy alternative to sour cream. I'll definitely look into it.
Post by: Orvell on February 06, 2019, 10:27:13 AM
Can confirm, very yummy, too!Great sour cream sub for taco bowls: http://www.worthcooking.net/taco-salad-creamy-cilantro-dressing/ (http://www.worthcooking.net/taco-salad-creamy-cilantro-dressing/) The hemp hearts make it super creamy and dairy like.
Nice, thank you! It didn't occur to me that there might be a reasonable non-dairy alternative to sour cream. I'll definitely look into it.
Post by: Orvell on February 06, 2019, 10:29:11 AM
Breakfast was re-heated pork "egg roll" bowl; lunch will be leftover avocado and salmon salad.
I need to make a fresh set of food today, though, for dinner and for lunch tomorrow.
:)
Anyone have suggestions? I'd prefer it to be either vegetarian or egg/fish centered since I've used pork this week already.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 06, 2019, 10:39:08 AM
Anyone have suggestions? I'd prefer it to be either vegetarian or egg/fish centered since I've used pork this week already.
You could make some egg salad (w/ homemade mayo -- avocado oil is my favorite for this) and put it on a Big Ass Salad. That's always a welcome addition to my salad repertoire anyway.
If you don't want to bother with making the egg salad (to put on your salad), then a big heap 'o hard boiled eggs works well too.
Or Big Ass Salad with tuna.
Post by: katscratch on February 06, 2019, 12:27:06 PM
Today's foods:
- 3 eggs
- black coffee x too many
- goat milk yogurt w/frozen berries (not W30/paleo compliant)
- super juicy baked chicken breast:
* brine x 30 minutes
* baste with melted ghee
* rub with whatever spices suit your fancy (this time I used paprika, garlic, pepper)
* bake in preheated 450F oven until internal temp reaches 165F (about 20 minutes for my oven)
* rest, covered; let cool completely before popping into lunch containers - salad greens w/walnuts and olive oil
- green tea
- roasted baby potatoes and carrots w/ghee and rosemary
That's what I brought to work. We'll see if I eat anything else once I get home - around 9pm. More likely I'll just make tea and go to bed :)
[/list]
Post by: zygote on February 06, 2019, 11:03:59 PM
Anyway, I went to Trader Joes tonight and much to my surprise they have a new seasoning that sounds exactly like that mushroom powder. Its called Mushroom and Company: Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. Its got salt, dried onion, mustard seed, porcini powder, white button powder, red pepper, black pepper, and thyme. It was only $2.99. I havent used it in anything yet but it tastes really good on its own. I thought other people might be interested. And also wanted to say thanks for the recommendation, because I wouldnt have thought anything of it if I hadnt read this thread today!
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 07, 2019, 07:21:00 AM
Im not doing Whole 30, I just like reading threads with good healthy recipes, haha.
Anyway, I went to Trader Joes tonight and much to my surprise they have a new seasoning that sounds exactly like that mushroom powder. Its called Mushroom and Company: Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. Its got salt, dried onion, mustard seed, porcini powder, white button powder, red pepper, black pepper, and thyme. It was only $2.99. I havent used it in anything yet but it tastes really good on its own. I thought other people might be interested. And also wanted to say thanks for the recommendation, because I wouldnt have thought anything of it if I hadnt read this thread today!
I love it. It's SO good on avocado. And HB eggs. And like... everything.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 07, 2019, 07:39:42 AM
bfast: banana, macadamias & almonds (I've been lacking in AM protein lately)
lunch: sardines over basmati rice
dinner: Big Ass Salad (leftover pan-fried chicken thigh). Also added diced apples to this one, yum.
snacks: 2 apples, sesame nori, 1 clementine, cinnamon + banana slices + PB on rice cakes, 1/2 serving dark chocolate
Post by: lexde on February 07, 2019, 07:41:05 AM
This is getting boring since I eat mostly the same thing each day. Yesterday's food:Does posting get boring, or your food? :-) I love apples in salad, gives it an awesome sweet/crunch.
bfast: banana, macadamias & almonds (I've been lacking in AM protein lately)
lunch: sardines over basmati rice
dinner: Big Ass Salad (leftover pan-fried chicken thigh). Also added diced apples to this one, yum.
snacks: 2 apples, sesame nori, 1 clementine, cinnamon + banana slices + PB on rice cakes, 1/2 serving dark chocolate
Post by: lexde on February 07, 2019, 07:56:21 AM
Exercise
Rest day for me. :-)
Nutrition
Coffee with some Nutpods creamer at work to start the day.
Flank steak, chimichurri & brussels sprouts (roasted in duck fat + MMP) for lunch.
Coconut chips for afternoon snack.
Buffalo burger for dinner.
Frozen cherries for dessert.
La Croix/water with lime.
Weight
-2.6lbs from start - no change today.
So far so good. I'm going to a marketing event today for work so I will just order a soda water with lime and pretend I'm drinking vodka soda. No big deal. I'm debating going to my workout class at 6:15 tomorrow morning if I'm out late tonight, but we'll see.
Post by: Orvell on February 07, 2019, 08:13:14 AM
Office temptations are at an all time high.
For free in the office today:
An entire baguette
Scones
Muffins
Peanut butter m&ms
Mini candy bars
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and half an avocado
Lunch: ??? I didn't pack, so I'm going to need to eat out. Wish me luck finding something heh
Dinner: ??? Undecided. Probably a re-vamp of "burrito bowls" with sweet potatoes, or some vegetable soup.
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 07, 2019, 08:19:11 AM
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 07, 2019, 08:44:35 AM
Does posting get boring, or your food? :-) I love apples in salad, gives it an awesome sweet/crunch.
Hah -- I meant my posts about same-old food are boring (to other people). Maybe my food is boring as well, but I enjoy it!
Post by: lexde on February 07, 2019, 08:45:25 AM
Righ! I was going to say - as long as you enjoy eating it, it’s not boring! :-)Does posting get boring, or your food? :-) I love apples in salad, gives it an awesome sweet/crunch.
Hah -- I meant my posts about same-old food are boring (to other people). Maybe my food is boring as well, but I enjoy it!
Post by: lexde on February 07, 2019, 08:47:02 AM
Day 7 for me.Any grocery stores near you? I usually default to grabbing a bag of greens and a green goddess or other compliant dressing.
Office temptations are at an all time high.
For free in the office today:
An entire baguette
Scones
Muffins
Peanut butter m&ms
Mini candy bars
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and half an avocado
Lunch: ??? I didn't pack, so I'm going to need to eat out. Wish me luck finding something heh
Dinner: ??? Undecided. Probably a re-vamp of "burrito bowls" with sweet potatoes, or some vegetable soup.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 07, 2019, 08:51:07 AM
I haven't even had breakfast yet, and I'm already excited for 'roasty bowls' for dinner. Roast sweet potato pieces, shredded and roasted brussel sprouts, either beef or elk steak pieces (we'll see what I grab to thaw), and then raw bell pepper, red onion, and paleo ranch dressing. My latest obsession, part of my recent love affair with sweet potatoes.
'Roasty bowls' -- love it! On recent weekends we've been making a big meal out of roasted veggies. Typically sweet potatoes, turnips, butternut squash, brussels sprouts. Red onions also work great. It surprises me how filling this meal is! Short on protein for sure, but I'm OK with an occasional carb binge when it's mostly root vegetables. I like your idea of mixing in pieces of steak. I have some stew beef that would work well for that.
Post by: Orvell on February 07, 2019, 08:59:36 AM
A place downstairs in my building can probably make something work for me. :)Day 7 for me.Any grocery stores near you? I usually default to grabbing a bag of greens and a green goddess or other compliant dressing.
Office temptations are at an all time high.
For free in the office today:
An entire baguette
Scones
Muffins
Peanut butter m&ms
Mini candy bars
Breakfast: 2 fried eggs and half an avocado
Lunch: ??? I didn't pack, so I'm going to need to eat out. Wish me luck finding something heh
Dinner: ??? Undecided. Probably a re-vamp of "burrito bowls" with sweet potatoes, or some vegetable soup.
It's an absolute ice rink where I am today and I don't want to risk walking the mile to the grocery store just now. Seriously. The sidewalks are a quarter inch thick with ice.
Post by: katscratch on February 07, 2019, 05:12:16 PM
Breakfast:
2 eggs
goat milk yogurt (not compliant)
chopped dates
walnuts
Lunch:
baked chicken
roasted potatoes/carrots w/oil & rosemary
greens
Dinner?
I may just have a couple clementines, make some tea and hit the hay when I get home
...I had to wait until 3pm to eat lunch, and wanted a grilled cheese from the cafeteria SO BADLY. My body does NOT like wheat or most dairy so this is a terrible idea! But my brain LOVES grilled cheese dipped in RANCH. I'm so glad I know after doing elimination diets before that this is 100% a psychological craving.
My packed lunch did just fine and I was just as satiated. And I won't be bloated and cramping all day tomorrow!
Post by: Rosy on February 07, 2019, 06:25:48 PM
Tomorrow I'll be near the store that carries my favorite caramels - will I stay away?:)
@katscratch - yup, same here, some tea and a clementine would have been a better choice than having veggie soup - now I am way too full.
Mr. R. is recuperating from surgery and wanted soup, I just ate with him - bad move.
This is turning into a really good exercise to find out what agrees with me and dare I say it out loud - less wind.
Post by: katscratch on February 07, 2019, 09:18:34 PM
I ended up doing tea and cashews. By the time I got home I forgot I had clementines in my lunch bag, ha!
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 08, 2019, 06:01:57 AM
lunch: Big Ass Salad (made some more pan-fried chicken thigh)
dinner: leftover taco bowl (taco-seasoned ground pork over basmati, diced tomatoes, guacamole)
snacks: 2 apples, a couple handfuls of macadamias/walnuts/raisins, 1 clementine, 1 serving dark chocolate
Post by: Orvell on February 08, 2019, 02:11:28 PM
Starting to feel the urge to stray for the first time. It's 80% social stuff. There's a dinner on Sunday I may or may not go to, but that will have no food for me and I don't really want to be That Person. And a friend today asked if they could come over and we could make pie. Ug. I told them I'm doing no sugar and focusing on savory stuff, and they get it, but I feel bad. Like I'm missing out.
I'm doing the W30 for habit resetting purposes and to kick start some weight loss. I've already done a W30 before and learned from it that soy doesn't love me. I'm not doing this for the knowledge an elimination diet brings. So in many ways that makes it much easier to entertain the notion of pressing pause on it.
Food wise and body wise, I'm feeling good, though. :)
Breakfast was two slices of sugar/nitrate free turkey bacon, and egg, and half an avocado.
Lunch was leftover beef and veggie stew from last night.
Dinner will be a big salad with salmon.
:)
Post by: Orvell on February 09, 2019, 05:23:38 PM
Still hanging in here. :)
Breakfast: Polished off the last of the beef and veg stew leftovers
Lunch: Salmon and avocado "salad" on an actual green salad
Snack: A banana and peanut butter; walnuts
Dinner: More of the salmon and avocado "salad" with 2 slices of turkey bacon and a bunch of olives
\o/
Tomorrow I plan on cooking up a bunch of sweet potatoes, some brussel sprouts, and a salmon fillet. Early next week I'm going to make a parsnip, mushroom, and beef "risotto"
Post by: shadowmoss on February 10, 2019, 07:56:24 AM
Post by: Orvell on February 10, 2019, 10:32:57 AM
PTF. I had planned to do a W30 thisonth but didn't get the food sorted. I'll read along for inspiration.Yeah, planning is critical, especially if it's not the sorts of foods you usually cook.
Good luck!
^__^
Post by: Chippewa on February 10, 2019, 10:56:13 AM
Albondigas soup
Fish, squash, kale chips and a banana
Shredded chicken and broccoli
Eggs, sausage, kale and sweet potato
I do need to use better cuts of meat with regards to the meatballs and sausage. But its a start.
Switched milk-sugar coffee for plain black tea.
This morning’s breakfast was rock fish, avocado and cauliflower rice. Was actually pretty good with some seasoning.
I do still eat the occasional beans and oatmeal. So doing a high Whole30 ratio. :)
And have incorporated walking. But still not up to par with my goal yet.
Post by: lexde on February 10, 2019, 06:31:43 PM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - 587 calories burned!
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods (I caved and bought some, work is supplying the rest of it starting this coming week though!)
Artichoke hearts (canned/whole)
Compliant bacon
Baked potato with homemade beef burger with onion
Another beef burger with onion... was hungry after HIIT!
Sparkling water with 1/3c tart cherry juice added as a spritzer, it was *okay*
A bite of eggroll in a bowl I made for lunches M-W.
Weight
-2.6lbs from start.
Sorry I was MIA for two days! Friday was just not a great day for me and I ended up calling in to work and telling them I wasn't coming in and was working from home. Ended up not really doing much work from home, so I'll have to make it up this week. I ate a LOT of food on Thursday night and was generally just completely ravenous AND low energy at the same time, but I stayed compliant. Saturday I pretty much did nothing all day, and today/Sunday I cooked for the week, went to look at a house (I'm going to put an offer in, yay!) and cleaned some. Low key weekend, I'm REALLY not ready for the week, but that's life. I went to the gym on Friday & Sunday and am going back again tomorrow, too! Weight is holding steady, which I'm happy about. I'm a little meat-heavy I've noticed but hopefully this week with the eggroll in a bowl (lots of veggies!) I'll even back out.
Post by: Orvell on February 10, 2019, 06:47:13 PM
I think I'm going to make it later in the week, too, once I get through all the stuff in my fridge. :)
Today (Day 10):
Breakfast: leftover avocado salmon "salad" and 2 slices of turkey bacon
Lunch/snacks: olive tampenade on thin sliced sweet potato (~fine but not "good"); salmon; walnuts; dates
Dinner: olive tampenade with plantain chips (ACTUALLY good); brussel sprouts and salmon; walnuts
"Treat": hot cocoa (unsweetened cocoa powder, hot water, and a spoonful of canned coconut milk)
I feel like I went overboard with the plantain chips. Might have to be pretty careful with those.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 11, 2019, 07:00:03 AM
For diet, I'll just say that I had to make a decision to cut back on the dark chocolate. I'll probably still have some, but I'm going to limit myself to 1/2 serving per day, max. So in that sense I'm moving a little closer to the W30 idea. But you'll still have to pry the basmati rice from my cold, starchy hands!
Post by: meerkat on February 11, 2019, 10:04:43 AM
PTF. I had planned to do a W30 thisonth but didn't get the food sorted. I'll read along for inspiration.Yeah, planning is critical, especially if it's not the sorts of foods you usually cook.
Good luck!
^__^
I'm also following along for inspiration. I'm a picky eater so I'm going to have to recalibrate things a bit (e.g. I'm not a huge fan of bananas but it seems crazy to dismiss such an easy food when everything is so limited).
For those of you with significant others who are not also doing W30, do you just not share meals for the month?
Also, if making cauliflower rice in my blender a terrible idea? I don't own a food processor and don't want to grate it on top of all the other food prep I would have to do. I may also have seen it available at a local store in the frozen vegetable section but didn't have time to price check it.
Post by: Orvell on February 11, 2019, 10:21:57 AM
For those of you with significant others who are not also doing W30, do you just not share meals for the month?For better or for worse, my partner/roommate is out of the country for the next 4 weeks. XD So yes.
But otherwise, as the main cook in the house, I would just make the food I want in bulk; if she prefers other food she can make it. ;P But that's how we tend to operate anyhow.
Post by: lexde on February 11, 2019, 10:57:42 AM
I wouldn't think of Whole30 as that limited - think of it more as a short-term opportunity to try a million other foods you wouldn't normally eat. If you don't like bananas, don't eat 'em! I don't like Avocado, but it's in nearly every recipe that holds itself out as "Whole 30 Approved". Just... no.PTF. I had planned to do a W30 thisonth but didn't get the food sorted. I'll read along for inspiration.Yeah, planning is critical, especially if it's not the sorts of foods you usually cook.
Good luck!
^__^
I'm also following along for inspiration. I'm a picky eater so I'm going to have to recalibrate things a bit (e.g. I'm not a huge fan of bananas but it seems crazy to dismiss such an easy food when everything is so limited).
For those of you with significant others who are not also doing W30, do you just not share meals for the month?
Also, if making cauliflower rice in my blender a terrible idea? I don't own a food processor and don't want to grate it on top of all the other food prep I would have to do. I may also have seen it available at a local store in the frozen vegetable section but didn't have time to price check it.
Instead I've been eating more cabbage, carrots, sweet potato, russet potatoes. I've also got celeriac in the works. I'm eating more fruit that I wasn't really putting into regular rotation before. A lot of raw coconut chips to snack on. Roasted radishes, I've found, are amazing! And I would have never tried them if I had the option of eating rice/other grains to round out my meal. I'm eating different proteins (pork belly, whole chickens, etc.) too.
So if you don't like bananas, tell bananas to go kick rocks. My avocados will be right there with 'em.
I am 99% sure that you can "rice" cauliflower in a blender. Just do a few florets at a time (maybe 1/6-1/4 of a head at a time?) and then pulse it to chop. You don't want to put in too much at a time or it'll stick to the sides and be uneven, but there should also be a number of youtube videos out there re: ricing cauliflower in a blender.
Post by: lexde on February 11, 2019, 11:14:24 AM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - 432 calories burned
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x2 (once before and once after workout)
Coconut chips
Egg roll in a bowl
Strawberries & pineapple
Beef onion burger x2 for dinner
Sparkling water
Hearts of palm
Weight
didn't weigh in today
I put an offer in on a house today which is super exciting. Fingers crossed I get it. I didn't weigh in today but I did go to the gym this morning and got a decent workout in. I'm still sore from yesterday, but I have tomorrow and Wednesday off. :-) Really enjoyed my egg roll in a bowl this afternoon, hope everyone has a good day today!
PS- I am SHOCKED that I am not missing Coke Zero almost at all. I think the LaCroix is the reason, but still.
ETA- I had to forgo my potato this evening as it had a big black spot running through the middle that I couldn't have seen washing/baking it. Bummer. It was my last one, too. I had a can of hearts of palm (because those + artichoke hearts I can eat like no tomorrow) with dinner instead.
Post by: Chippewa on February 11, 2019, 11:36:55 AM
!!I would think you could just take a knife to the cauliflower. I bought cauliflower rice. Convenient for sure. But I will be chopping it myself next time for cost savings. Let us know how the blender works for you. I may try using my Nutribullet for it.
Breakfast
Black tea
Chicken, cauliflower rice, egg, salsa, kale
DD is not doing whole30 but she really enjoyed the spaghetti squash version of spaghetti.
Post by: katscratch on February 11, 2019, 04:52:49 PM
Post by: lexde on February 11, 2019, 05:59:48 PM
I thought for years I hated spaghetti squash and now I love it -- it's the best base for casseroles! The Buffalo Chicken one from Paleomg is a perennial fave around here -- spaghetti squash, ground chicken, frank's hot sauce, mayo, chopped celery/carrots, and an egg. YUM.I... am going to have to try that soon. That sounds awesome, but admittedly I have never even had spaghetti squash!
I like acorn squash and some butternut squash, but am not a huge zucchini/summer squash fan. But that recipe sounds awesome!
Post by: katscratch on February 11, 2019, 07:22:48 PM
Delicata squash is my favorite substitute for cream in dairy-based sauces, while I'm on the subject of using squash in everything :)
Foods today:
3 eggs fried in ghee
Chicken breast, jasmine rice
...not so hungry today. Tomorrow I'll be ravenous so I packed a lot of food for my workday.
Post by: lexde on February 11, 2019, 07:43:55 PM
It doesn't have much flavor on its own. The texture is not like pasta (not chewy) or other types of squash. It can make pretty much anything a casserole by adding an egg and the ingredients you want.I've never even heard of Delicata squash! I have some produce to find!
Delicata squash is my favorite substitute for cream in dairy-based sauces, while I'm on the subject of using squash in everything :)
Foods today:
3 eggs fried in ghee
Chicken breast, jasmine rice
...not so hungry today. Tomorrow I'll be ravenous so I packed a lot of food for my workday.
Post by: SquashingDebt on February 12, 2019, 05:36:34 AM
It doesn't have much flavor on its own. The texture is not like pasta (not chewy) or other types of squash. It can make pretty much anything a casserole by adding an egg and the ingredients you want.I've never even heard of Delicata squash! I have some produce to find!
Delicata squash is my favorite substitute for cream in dairy-based sauces, while I'm on the subject of using squash in everything :)
Foods today:
3 eggs fried in ghee
Chicken breast, jasmine rice
...not so hungry today. Tomorrow I'll be ravenous so I packed a lot of food for my workday.
Any squash will be much tastier if you eat it grown locally. Delicata is in season in the US approximately August-October, so it might be hard to find a good one now. If you can find kabocha squash (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabocha; comes in all colors), that and butternuts are your best bet for delicious squash this time of year. Kabocha is my all-time favorite. It's a little starchier (like a potato), nice and sweet, good for roasting, and you can eat the skin, which makes it easy to prepare.
Post by: lexde on February 12, 2019, 05:38:15 AM
It doesn't have much flavor on its own. The texture is not like pasta (not chewy) or other types of squash. It can make pretty much anything a casserole by adding an egg and the ingredients you want.I've never even heard of Delicata squash! I have some produce to find!
Delicata squash is my favorite substitute for cream in dairy-based sauces, while I'm on the subject of using squash in everything :)
Foods today:
3 eggs fried in ghee
Chicken breast, jasmine rice
...not so hungry today. Tomorrow I'll be ravenous so I packed a lot of food for my workday.
Any squash will be much tastier if you eat it grown locally. Delicata is in season in the US approximately August-October, so it might be hard to find a good one now. If you can find kabocha squash (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabocha; comes in all colors), that and butternuts are your best bet for delicious squash this time of year. Kabocha is my all-time favorite. It's a little starchier (like a potato), nice and sweet, good for roasting, and you can eat the skin, which makes it easy to prepare.
Awesome! I realize that my aversion to trying new produce has been seriously holding me back. I'll add this to the list! :-) Thanks!
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 12, 2019, 06:30:21 AM
I filled a large cabbage leaf with seasoned grass-fed ground beef, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, a few slices of olive, and a bit of mayo. Folded it up and ate it like a sandwich.
Come to think of it, it's not much different than my Big Ass Salad after all. :D
Post by: Orvell on February 12, 2019, 09:51:05 AM
Day 12:
Breakfast -- two slices of turkey bacon, a handful of walnuts, a banana
Snack -- celery and peanut butter (not w30); date and nut cube things from the grocery store
Lunch -- leftover brussel sprouts, salmon; a side salad
Dinner -- beef, mushroom, and parsnip "risotto"
Post by: Orvell on February 12, 2019, 06:19:01 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/ZBxlW5hl.jpg)
(I had seconds, it was very yum!)
Recipe here: https://www.thepaleomom.com/beef-mushroom-parsnip-risotto/
Post by: lexde on February 13, 2019, 10:06:33 AM
Exercise
Rest day
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x2
Coconut chips
Egg roll in a bowl
Strawberries & pineapple
Beef onion burger & hearts of palm for dinner.
Sparkling water
Almond butter, 3 chicken tenderloins cooked in compliant seasoning, some pickles, and almond milk for after-dinner snacks. I was ravenous yesterday. :-(
Weight
didn't weigh in
I was so snacky yesterday and wanted to eat everything. :-( I think I probably need to eat more during the day, but I just haven't been packing enough, which results in lex-pocalypse in the kitchen later. Stayed compliant, though, and honestly it was probably more like one big meal, I just kept going back into the fridge looking for more haha. I'm thinking this means that (1) I should not forego breakfast as I usually do, or (2) I need a more substantial afternoon snack/lunch. I will take this into consideration!
Post by: lexde on February 13, 2019, 10:12:23 AM
Exercise
Rest day again
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x2
Coconut chips
Egg roll in a bowl
A lot of cashews
Dates
Buffalo burger
EPIC chicken sriracha bar (not a fan)
Weight
-4.0lbs overall
I weighed in this morning just for the heck of it and was pleasantly surprised. I'd be very happy if I could drop another 2lbs this month, but I won't push my luck. Now that I have a lot of the basics for Whole30, it's pretty cheap to eat this way. I'm out of potatoes, but can grab a 5-lb bag for about $3 which will last next week. Combined with some ground turkey for burgers (already have some beef on hand and then chicken thigh/tenderloins in the freezer) I'm pretty much set for next week, too.
Post by: lexde on February 13, 2019, 10:19:11 AM
Dinner:That looks so good! Did you like parsnip rice more than cauli rice? I'll have to try that.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZBxlW5hl.jpg)
(I had seconds, it was very yum!)
Recipe here: https://www.thepaleomom.com/beef-mushroom-parsnip-risotto/
Post by: Orvell on February 13, 2019, 10:21:15 AM
I did! :) It adds a really complex flavor that's almost buttery? It goes well with the beef. I'd made this recipe before but without the carrots, and I enjoy it both ways.
I'm gonna copy you're previous dinner and make pork egg roll in a bowl tonight, though. ;)
Post by: lexde on February 13, 2019, 10:24:47 AM
Thanks Lexde!I got a lot of compliments on the egg roll in a bowl at work! A bunch of people asked me where I “got” it and it took me a minute to realize that they thought it was restaurant-made. Nope! All me. :-) I like using regular cole slaw mix for prettier colors and more flavor instead of plain green cabbage. Both ways are excellent though! Normally it calls for a little extra sweetener but I found it totally unnecessary with the carrots in the mix. :-)
I did! :) It adds a really complex flavor that's almost buttery? It goes well with the beef. I'd made this recipe before but without the carrots, and I enjoy it both ways.
I'm gonna copy you're previous dinner and make pork egg roll in a bowl tonight, though. ;)
Post by: lexde on February 13, 2019, 08:30:45 PM
I made emergency snack bags for when I am working late and won’t get home until 6:30-7. They’re about 350cal each so quite substantial but also nutritious and filling.
1/4c raw cashews, 1/4c unsweetened coconut, a few slices of freeze dried strawberries.
Post by: Orvell on February 14, 2019, 06:51:37 AM
Do you hide them from yourself? If I made "emergency snacks" for myself, there's about a 60% chance I'd just eat them regardless of need, because that's how my brain works around shit like that.
Post by: lexde on February 14, 2019, 07:36:57 AM
:) That's a smart idea.I have a drawer at work that's filled with snacks so I just put them there. I do get into snack-attack mode sometimes, but lately (cutting out both sugar AND artificial sweeteners) I've been okay with self-regulation. Also have a bunch of NON whole-30 foods in there (valentine's candy) that for some strange reason I have no desire to eat. I think it's a combination of "I've made it this far!" and "I actually feel a little better cutting the junk out", but so far so good!
Do you hide them from yourself? If I made "emergency snacks" for myself, there's about a 60% chance I'd just eat them regardless of need, because that's how my brain works around shit like that.
Post by: lexde on February 14, 2019, 08:19:32 AM
Off the top of my head, I've got:
- 12 of those snack-bags of nuts/coconut/strawberries
- A red cabbage, duck fat, onions and vinegar, so I may need to pick up an apple to make this braised cabbage dish (https://nomnompaleo.com/post/4626288075/chez-panisse-braised-red-cabbage).
- 2 buffalo burgers
- 3 turkey burgers
- 5 or 6 beef burgers (may use 2 or 3 to make a lighter-meat version of this (https://realsimplegood.com/korean-beef-bowl/))
- big bag of onions
- 5-lbs of russets
- 6-8 chicken thighs
- 10 or so chicken tenderloins (big)
- BIG bag of riced cauliflower (3lbs!!)
- 6 eggs
- 12oz pork belly
- 4 chicken sausages (compliant)
- bag of frozen cherries (I eat them after dinner, so good!)
- full bag of coconut chips for additional snacking
- nutpods & coffee (enough for another 1.5 weeks, going to save it for pre-workout coffee, on days I don't work out I'll wait and have it at work on their dime)
- condiments: hot sauce, coconut aminos, whole30 mayo, whole30 garlic aioli, ginger, garlic, green goddess dressing, ghee, coconut oil, mushroom salt, bunch of other seasonings
So meal planning off the top of my head,
This week:
Lunches Thur-Fri: korean beef with cauliflower rice (heavy on cauli rice) + nut snack bags for late snacks if needed
Dinners Wed-Fri: buffalo/turkey burger with garlic mashed cauliflower (just using the riced cauli, garlic aoili for creaminess, a little ghee, salt and pepper) + frozen cherries
Breakfast Sat-Sun: soft-scrambled eggs (2) with chicken sausage
Lunches Sat-Sun: chicken tenderloins with caramelized onions and cauli mash + nut snack bags for late snacks if needed
Dinners Sat-Sun: Braised cabbage with pork belly, need to find an apple!
Next week:
Lunches Mon-Thur: russets diced, seasoned and roasted in duck fat with bunless burger + nut snack bags for late snacks if needed
Dinners Mon-Thur: chicken thighs pan-fried in ghee with cauli mash (maybe more caramelized onions? I have...so many onions...)
Post by: shadowmoss on February 14, 2019, 10:32:54 AM
I'm not going to beat myself up if I slip. I figure it will take longer get than 30 days to get totally compliant and make it for a month. I have a complicated relationship with food and just need a jumpstart to eating healthier as well as figure what foods don't play well with my body.
Post by: lexde on February 15, 2019, 07:39:24 AM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - 570 calories burnt!
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x2
snack pack - freeze dried strawberries, cashews, coconut
Egg roll in a bowl
Buffalo burger & cauli mash for dinner
olives, some pieces of roasted potato, frozen cherries after dinner
Weight
didn't weigh in
I think I need to eat more, so I'll probably beef up my lunches next week to keep me full longer. Overall chugging along.
Post by: lexde on February 15, 2019, 07:50:12 AM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - 543 calories burnt
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x2
snack pack - freeze dried strawberries, cashews, coconut
Beef burger with mushroom powder + roasted russet potato
Buffalo burger & cauli mash for dinner + chicken tenderloins
olives
frozen cherries after dinner
Weight
didn't weigh in
I had a dream last night that was super weird. I vividly recall eating a grilled chicken sandwich and crinkle-cut french fries having a great time, and then realizing (after the fries were all but GONE and I had the sandwich in my hands) WAIT. NO this is so wrong!
I don't have to start over because I ate garbage in my dream, right?!
The (apparent) moral of my dream: If you stop paying attention, you're bound to make a mistake! Stay vigilant!
Post by: shadowmoss on February 15, 2019, 08:45:28 AM
I have several goals with this, only one being totally compliant. If I want to make plantain tortillas or bananna pancakes I will. I'm a rebel like that. 😉
Post by: lexde on February 15, 2019, 08:48:21 AM
Starting day 1. Coffee so far, eggs, bananna, dates (3 kinds) and raisens to get through the morning, hamburger thawing for lunch/dinner. Today should be fine.Welcome! :-) Dates are the best!
I have several goals with this, only one being totally compliant. If I want to make plantain tortillas or bananna pancakes I will. I'm a rebel like that.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 15, 2019, 08:50:45 AM
Post by: Chippewa on February 15, 2019, 01:22:03 PM
And for reasons of GI distress either to not eating enough or too much soluble fiber have re-introduced beans back into my diet. (Otherwise I feel awesome and fitting back into my jeans comfortably).
Exercise has been walking 1 hr per work day.
Breakfast: sautéed apples and nuts with sliced banana and almond milk. Black tea.
Lunch: chicken, cauliflower rice, salsa, broccoli. Water.
Dinner: sausage, kale, egg, potato, salsa.
Post by: Orvell on February 15, 2019, 02:06:13 PM
Day 15 here. Things are going smoothly, but I need to meal plan for next week.
Breakfast: leftover mushroom, beef, carrot, and parsnip "risotto"
Lunch: Egg drop soup with celery and peanut butter on the side (this wasn't enough to get me to dinner, so a banana and walnuts are in my future)
Dinner: Will be a freezer veggie stir fry
Reactions so far:
I'm half way through this. It seems strange to say that. It hasn't been particularly difficult, with the exception of some cravings and social issues.
I've dropped a little weight, and my biggest goal is to carry forward my refusal to eat the random shit that appears in my office. It's been a wonderful breather in the pull of the donuts to have a hard and fast rule set.
Wishing everyone a happy Friday!
Post by: lexde on February 15, 2019, 02:08:35 PM
Post by: shadowmoss on February 17, 2019, 09:05:24 AM
Post by: Orvell on February 17, 2019, 09:19:04 AM
I am 2 days compliant, and have food plans for at least 2 more. Reliance on banannas and dates and raisens a bit too much, but progress, not perfection.Nice job!
It really does get easier-- at least in knowing what foods to have around. :)
Post by: Orvell on February 17, 2019, 09:22:03 AM
Today I'm being lazy and having grocery delivery bring me things since it's snowing and I don't want to dig my car out.
I'm going to make meatballs and red sauce, and I have a pack of zucchini noodles in my freezer. Also going to cook up some sweet potatoes, and I have salad stuff for the week. :)
Breakfasts have typically been "whatever leftovers" heated up quick in the mornings, but this morning I made eggs and asparagus with a little bit of chili powder. It was yum as heck.
^__^
Post by: lexde on February 17, 2019, 09:25:55 AM
I am 2 days compliant, and have food plans for at least 2 more. Reliance on banannas and dates and raisens a bit too much, but progress, not perfection.Congrats! That’s awesome! You do what you need to do. Whole30 is pretty strict in principle, but it isn’t the end all be all if you want to just reset your eating versus diagnosing a food allergy/intolerance.
I am doing it by the book because I had a really really bad 3-week face breakout unlike anything I’d ever had before. So I need to eliminate and reintroduce to (hopefully) find the source of the breakout, since my skin is clear again as of day 3-4.
If you’re just doing it to get a handle on your intake and jump start cleaner eating, who cares?! Eat your dates! :-) All of ‘em. Take as many days to ease in as you need. You’re doing a good thing for yourself by changing your eating habits for the better, so however you get there is the right way to do it!
Planning does get easier, too!
Post by: lexde on February 17, 2019, 09:38:55 AM
Exercise
30 minutes brisk walk outside - rest day
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x1
Baked potato with ghee and salt/pepper/granulated onion/garlic
2 garlic chicken sausages
2 cups of unsweetened almond milk (trying to use it up)
a million walnuts
unsweetened coconut chips
cherry juice (had to use it up)
Weight
-4.4lbs - pleasantly surprised I'm still maintaining a downward curve!
Super weird eating day; didn't really eat anything until about 2PM and just snacked. Still probably hit my calories due to the walnuts being high in fat/calories which is good, so I won't go off the deep end to compensate. Happy I'm still losing weight, which is always a nice side effect. Obliques are coming back in. Skin is clearing up, too. I had a lot of surface breakouts which prompted me to start the W30 (I'm talking never-before full face almost every pore was a raised red bump allergy reaction to SOMETHING) which cleared up on day 3-4 but I still had some painful cystic acne on my jawline that has now cleared up as of day 12. Thank goodness. That was not a fun time.
Post by: lexde on February 17, 2019, 09:44:21 AM
Exercise
60 minutes HIIT - 571 calories burnt!!
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x1
Mashed cauliflower & turkey burger for lunch
crispy pork belly & baked potato for dinner
garlic chicken sausage at some point for additional protein (turns out I really don't like these much, noted.)
sparkling water
Weight
-4.4lbs - holding steady from yesterday.
I pushed myself WAY hard at the gym today and am now fighting off nausea. Going to take it a little easy (I hit a PR of 9.5mph on the treadmill, though, wow) and relax/cook for the week. I see a big batch of cauli mash in my future. I wanted to hold off on buying more groceries until the month was over, and I may be able to hold out for another week, but I'm almost completely out of produce so I need to bite the bullet and just buy more after I finish up my cauli-rice/mash. I think I can get away with another bag of potatoes, a head of cauliflower/frozen florets, and some cole slaw mix for potentially another round of egg-roll in a bowl.
Post by: shadowmoss on February 17, 2019, 07:49:13 PM
I'm also going to the gym and walking on the treadmill. I'm not asking much of myself at this point other than to just get off the couch and get on the treadmill. The gym is only about a mile from me. I don't walk to the gym, I'm not that hardcore yet.
Post by: lexde on February 17, 2019, 07:58:09 PM
It is official that I'm cooking again. I set off the smoke alarm tonight. I made parsnips by just frying/steaming with cut up onion in coconut oil. I'll put half in the fridge so tomorrow I have a left over tuna cake, a cooked hamburger, and parsnips. Should be enough to keep me compliant. I'll pop a potato into the air fryer if I need more basic calories. I'm depending on the raisens and dates less now.Sounds like good progress! Clean eating and moving more is always good. :-)
I'm also going to the gym and walking on the treadmill. I'm not asking much of myself at this point other than to just get off the couch and get on the treadmill. The gym is only about a mile from me. I don't walk to the gym, I'm not that hardcore yet.
Post by: Orvell on February 18, 2019, 08:21:58 AM
My sleep the last week or so has been disappointingly mediocre. I'm wondering if I'm not eating enough carbs.
Anyone have this experience?
(My period-related bad sleep shouldn't hit for another week)
Today:
Breakfast: asparagus and a fried egg
Snack: Apple
Lunch: zoodles, red sauce, and meatballs
Snack: celery and peanut butter
Dinner: ????
Post by: lexde on February 18, 2019, 08:35:22 AM
Exercise
60 minutes HIIT - 538 calories burnt
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x1
Mashed cauliflower & crispy pork belly
beef burger & baked potato for dinner
garlic chicken sausage at some point for additional protein
sparkling water
Weight
-2.6lbs - up in weight
I'm up in weight almost 2lbs from yesterday, I'm assuming it's hormonal and/or water weight since it would be impossible for me to have eaten almost +7,000 calories over my TDEE over the last two days. I did have some pork belly with dinner, which is salty/fatty (so good) so that may have made me retain a little water. No biggie. We still have PLENTY of time to go. Halfway there!
This is actually not a difficult way of eating. I do miss dairy more than anything, but I have a ton of cheese in the fridge/freezer that I haven't touched and I don't feel like I am especially depriving myself. I also want to eat the boxes of Quest Bars I have in my pantry and at work, but more out of a desire to not waste food than anything else. Good thing they keep for a while!
I am going to try to eventually wean myself off of the LaCroix, but I want my diet soda habit to drop out for good. So far, so good. I'll keep the bubbly water around for now, then wean to water with lemon/lime.
Post by: lexde on February 18, 2019, 08:37:31 AM
Day 18.
My sleep the last week or so has been disappointingly mediocre. I'm wondering if I'm not eating enough carbs.
Anyone have this experience?
(My period-related bad sleep shouldn't hit for another week)
Today:
Breakfast: asparagus and a fried egg
Snack: Apple
Lunch: zoodles, red sauce, and meatballs
Snack: celery and peanut butter
Dinner: ????
I sleep the worst when I'm dehydrated. Make sure you're getting enough electrolytes (salt+magnesium+potassium) and water. Low carb never affected my sleep, but sometimes having super meat-heavy days will.
Post by: Orvell on February 18, 2019, 08:38:21 AM
I sleep the worst when I'm dehydrated. Make sure you're getting enough electrolytes (salt+magnesium+potassium) and water. Low carb never affected my sleep, but sometimes having super meat-heavy days will.I have been mildly dehydrated. Good reminder. :)
Post by: shadowmoss on February 18, 2019, 11:23:39 AM
Coconut Chicken Curry...
Post by: lexde on February 19, 2019, 08:31:41 AM
Exercise
rest day
Nutrition
Coldbrew coffee, nutpods x2
Mashed cauliflower & beef burger & pickle spears for lunch
beef burger & baked potato for dinner
garlic chicken sausage at some point for additional protein
sparkling water
Weight
didn't weigh in today
You guys I am so mad. I picked up more sparkling water yesterday from Walmart Grocery Pickup in some new flavors just to change things up, and thought that the apple flavor was good but a little too sweet for my liking. Guess what? It's packed full of aspartame.
Rules of W30 mean I start over. I may or may not, we'll see how things are going on day 30 (I'm leaning toward extending it until March 14 now). But I am so mad. I drank a liter of it yesterday and didn't think much of it, but woke up this morning with a sore jaw (turns out that my teeth grinding/clenching is most likely aspartame-related, since it's been a chronic issue until I started W30) and bloated. I just thought I was having an "off"/hormonal day, and poured another glass of apple fizzy water to start my day. I wanted to see what flavors they listed in the ingredients for apple, and BOOM. Aspartame.
La Croix? Nothing bad in it.
Trader Joe's? Nothing bad in it.
Polar? Nothing bad in it. Even the AMAZING orange-vanilla flavor that tastes like a Dreamcicle.
F*cking Great Value? Garbage chemicals in it. Why.
Okay, rant over. But I guess no label can be trusted.
I'm going to cook some more egg roll in a bowl for lunches this week W-F. I still need to find something to do with my chicken thighs -maybe this "honey" mustard chicken? (https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/honey-mustard-chicken-instant-pot-paleo/)
Post by: Orvell on February 19, 2019, 08:51:19 AM
Yeah. I have a bit of an issue with sparkling water. I like it. :D But it generates a ton of waste (I don't have a soda stream), and I never know what "natural flavors" really means.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN???
Post by: lexde on February 19, 2019, 08:59:08 AM
https://passtheplants.com/vegan-ground-beef
Completely plant-based "meat substitute". I am not 100% sure how much I'd like it, but I wouldn't mind making a batch (apparently makes the equivalent of 3 pounds of ground beef) and then going half-and-half with meat if I'm not into it.
Cost analysis. Having to purchase everything (i.e. whole garlic bulb):
1 head of cauliflower, broken into large florets ($2.97)
8 ounces crimini or baby portobello mushrooms ($2.17)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces ($0.88)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces ($0.72)
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled ($0.60)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (I use the julienne cut, packed dry) ($3.29, trader joe's)
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or walnuts ($2.36)
Total: $12.99, or $4.33 per "pound".
Compared to extra-lean ground beef: $5.47/lb for 96%, or $4.00/lb for 93%.
It would be obviously cheaper to scale it up into a double batch. Which would mean an extra head of cauliflower, double-mushrooms, an extra yellow onion. Everything else is included in the above purchase price.
Total for double-batch: $18.85, or $3.14 per "pound".
Post by: shadowmoss on February 19, 2019, 10:08:30 AM
Three days in I'm starting to get nervous. I need to thaw some more hamburger/get a rotisserie chicken/get some pork chops. One or more of the above. I need to cook at least one of the potatoes/sweet potatoes. I need to think about food again. The day is young. I also need to get another bunch of bananas as that is breakfast for me. Seriously, the frozen bowls will be what keeps me able to do this. I normally live on the cheap Great Value dinners. The bowls are $5, and my usual dinners are $1.88. Too expensive to have everyday. I'm being forced to cook, which is actually my main reason for doing this.
Post by: lexde on February 19, 2019, 10:42:18 AM
UG that sucks Lexde!! :( I'm sorry you got sneak attacked. If you start over, sound cool. If you don't start over, sounds cool. There are no W30 police here, as you have said. <3From what I understand, it's an "essence" derived from the peels of whatever fruit the flavor purports to be. Sort of like an extract. But who knows, really.
Yeah. I have a bit of an issue with sparkling water. I like it. :D But it generates a ton of waste (I don't have a soda stream), and I never know what "natural flavors" really means.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN???
I do want to get a soda-stream and hack it like Frugalwoods did here (https://www.frugalwoods.com/2019/01/25/hacked-sodastream-seltzer-reload-and-other-december-2018-expenditures/). Sodastream does sell "essence" for $4.99 per flavor, which makes 20L of flavored seltzer/water. That's $0.25 per liter if you go recommended strength, which is about 1/3 of what I pay for "off-brand" seltzer ($0.79 per liter) and about 1/8 of what a $2.00 2-liter of brand-name soda costs (which, I can't believe how expensive soda has gotten when it's not on sale).
@shadowmoss - just as a word of caution, 99.9% of rotisserie chickens contain added sugar. Why? I don't know. But they do.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 19, 2019, 11:21:00 AM
I stumbled upon this recipe while looking for something to do with my chicken thighs and I am really intrigued!
https://passtheplants.com/vegan-ground-beef
Completely plant-based "meat substitute". I am not 100% sure how much I'd like it, but I wouldn't mind making a batch (apparently makes the equivalent of 3 pounds of ground beef) and then going half-and-half with meat if I'm not into it.
I think it's worth a shot if you are interested in trying something different. But from what I can tell the macro-nutritional profile is (as expected) pretty different from beef. IMO you'd get better nutritional bang-for-your-buck with beef + broccoli/mushrooms with some sweet potato on the side. Not to mention flavor, but I realize this is going to be subjective :P
One thing I'm pretty sure of: the higher fat and protein content in beef is going to make it a lot more satiating than the veggies.
Post by: lexde on February 19, 2019, 11:26:41 AM
That's very true! I could use it as a "mix-in" just to get additional veggies and stretch my meat further, but satiety is definitely something to consider.I stumbled upon this recipe while looking for something to do with my chicken thighs and I am really intrigued!
https://passtheplants.com/vegan-ground-beef
Completely plant-based "meat substitute". I am not 100% sure how much I'd like it, but I wouldn't mind making a batch (apparently makes the equivalent of 3 pounds of ground beef) and then going half-and-half with meat if I'm not into it.
I think it's worth a shot if you are interested in trying something different. But from what I can tell the macro-nutritional profile is (as expected) pretty different from beef. IMO you'd get better nutritional bang-for-your-buck with beef + broccoli/mushrooms with some sweet potato on the side. Not to mention flavor, but I realize this is going to be subjective :P
One thing I'm pretty sure of: the higher fat and protein content in beef is going to make it a lot more satiating than the veggies.
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 19, 2019, 11:36:04 AM
That's very true! I could use it as a "mix-in" just to get additional veggies and stretch my meat further, but satiety is definitely something to consider.
It does sound like an interesting side dish or snack -- perhaps with egg it would make a tasty omelette or frittata. I could see combining it with ground beef for a slightly different texture/flavor too.
I might even try this, or a variation reflecting ingredients I have on hand. Thanks for the link!
Post by: katscratch on February 19, 2019, 12:14:52 PM
Post by: Orvell on February 19, 2019, 12:16:45 PM
I eat meat (more this month than typical) but I prefer/have a goal to be veggie heavy. So I'm glad we're sharing recipes and ideas and weird things we find. It makes me happy. :)
Post by: Orvell on February 19, 2019, 01:43:06 PM
Hollaaaaa.
Breakfast: A big salad with olives and leftover meatballs
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Egg bake (eggs, carrots, a bell pepper, sweet potatoes... it's very orange...) and the last of the meatballs
Snack: Peanut butter and an apple
Dinner: ??? MYSTERY GAME of what's in the fridge.
Post by: SquashingDebt on February 19, 2019, 05:07:01 PM
UG that sucks Lexde!! :( I'm sorry you got sneak attacked. If you start over, sound cool. If you don't start over, sounds cool. There are no W30 police here, as you have said. <3From what I understand, it's an "essence" derived from the peels of whatever fruit the flavor purports to be. Sort of like an extract. But who knows, really.
Yeah. I have a bit of an issue with sparkling water. I like it. :D But it generates a ton of waste (I don't have a soda stream), and I never know what "natural flavors" really means.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN???
I do want to get a soda-stream and hack it like Frugalwoods did here (https://www.frugalwoods.com/2019/01/25/hacked-sodastream-seltzer-reload-and-other-december-2018-expenditures/). Sodastream does sell "essence" for $4.99 per flavor, which makes 20L of flavored seltzer/water. That's $0.25 per liter if you go recommended strength, which is about 1/3 of what I pay for "off-brand" seltzer ($0.79 per liter) and about 1/8 of what a $2.00 2-liter of brand-name soda costs (which, I can't believe how expensive soda has gotten when it's not on sale).
@shadowmoss - just as a word of caution, 99.9% of rotisserie chickens contain added sugar. Why? I don't know. But they do.
That stinks! I also found out the hard way that some sparkling water has aspartame in it. Once you find the brands you can trust, it's pretty easy, but occasionally I'll spot a new flavor on an end-cap display in the grocery store and then get sad when I realize it's the type with aspartame.
I just bought a Sodastream and am really liking it. I also got 2 bottles of that flavoring from them, and like it too. I find I like to use a little less than their recommended serving to get it to taste what it's like from the cans, in case that's helpful for your math :) A full half teaspoon per liter, which is what they recommend, (I did measure!) made it taste too strong.
Post by: Orvell on February 20, 2019, 08:12:04 AM
I've been considering a SodaStream (or something similar) for literally years. XD Someday it will likely happen.
I'm glad to know that people are getting good use out of them. :)
Post by: Orvell on February 20, 2019, 08:14:02 AM
Zoom zoom! The month is chugging forward.
I need to make a food plan and cook some more-- I'm pretty low on Stuff To Eat right now.
Question for the gang:
I love making saag. Previously I've made naan to go along with it and eat it with, as it needs "something" to sop it up. Generally that's rice or naan. :(
Anyone have good Whole30 ideas for a side-food to help eat Saag with??
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 20, 2019, 08:18:32 AM
Day 20.
Zoom zoom! The month is chugging forward.
I need to make a food plan and cook some more-- I'm pretty low on Stuff To Eat right now.
Question for the gang:
I love making saag. Previously I've made naan to go along with it and eat it with, as it needs "something" to sop it up. Generally that's rice or naan. :(
Anyone have good Whole30 ideas for a side-food to help eat Saag with??
That's my w30 bane =( I like rice for sopping up curries and the like, and eat tons of those. I know a lot of people use cauli rice, but I can't abide the flavor. *gag*
So no advice. Just sympathy!
Post by: Orvell on February 20, 2019, 08:20:47 AM
Cauli rice might work.... HMMM...Day 20.
Zoom zoom! The month is chugging forward.
I need to make a food plan and cook some more-- I'm pretty low on Stuff To Eat right now.
Question for the gang:
I love making saag. Previously I've made naan to go along with it and eat it with, as it needs "something" to sop it up. Generally that's rice or naan. :(
Anyone have good Whole30 ideas for a side-food to help eat Saag with??
That's my w30 bane =( I like rice for sopping up curries and the like, and eat tons of those. I know a lot of people use cauli rice, but I can't abide the flavor. *gag*
So no advice. Just sympathy!
Or Cauliflower + Parsnip combined???
I might have to experiment.
( I MISS NAAN OKAY GUYS. I REALLY DO )
Post by: lexde on February 20, 2019, 09:20:44 AM
Exercise
rest day
Nutrition
Drip coffee, nutpods x2
frozen cherries & fruit/nut snack bag for breakfast
beef patty & baked potato for lunch
turkey burger for dinner with unknown side
sparkling water
Weight
didn't weigh in today
I'm pretty tired this morning, didn't weigh in because it's just one of those mornings where I'm not feeling it. A lot of stress at work, so I'm just doing the bare minimum on everything else for now. I've been on an artichoke kick lately (mostly canned, admittedly) but I want to make this recipe (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244190/artichoke-joes/) since they are hands-down my favorite vegetable and this is super easy. I just need to get a bag of frozen 'chokes now and sub butter for ghee.
Post by: shadowmoss on February 20, 2019, 06:10:03 PM
https://www.aspicyperspective.com/magic-plantain-tortillas/
I did a bit of a fall off the wagon. I went to Golden Corral to celebrate a friend's birthday. The Bourbon Street Chicken was probably not compliant, although it wasn't saucy or sweet really. The cabbage as well as the grilled squash may have had non compliant oil, the roast and potatoes may have had flour in the broth even though I drained it off before I put it on my plate. All in all it met my own goals. I ate many more vegetables than I do when I'm there, and I am now satiated on the day I fell off the W30 last time I tried. Last time it was a donut so I'm ahead of that. I have a lot of food related things to unlearn/relearn, so I'm good with this. I may consider this a practice couple of weeks, and get totally strict starting the 1st. I'm playing it by ear. I will continue to follow the guidelines for now.
Post by: SquashingDebt on February 20, 2019, 11:04:21 PM
@SquashingDebt
I've been considering a SodaStream (or something similar) for literally years. XD Someday it will likely happen.
I'm glad to know that people are getting good use out of them. :)
If it helps your decision making, I had also been considering buying a Soda Stream for literally years (maybe like 7?) and the only thing I thought after buying it was "Why the heck did I wait so long?!" :)
Post by: Bird In Hand on February 21, 2019, 08:46:38 AM
@SquashingDebt
I've been considering a SodaStream (or something similar) for literally years. XD Someday it will likely happen.
I'm glad to know that people are getting good use out of them. :)
If it helps your decision making, I had also been considering buying a Soda Stream for literally years (maybe like 7?) and the only thing I thought after buying it was "Why the heck did I wait so long?!" :)
I got a Soda Stream as a Christmas present about 5 years ago, and it's been sitting unopened in the basement ever since. We drink a lot of Polar Springs at our house...you all have me thinking that I should give the Soda Stream a shot.
Post by: Orvell on February 21, 2019, 08:51:01 AM
Or, another option, if you don't want it, is I'll buy it off you. :)@SquashingDebt
I've been considering a SodaStream (or something similar) for literally years. XD Someday it will likely happen.
I'm glad to know that people are getting good use out of them. :)
If it helps your decision making, I had also been considering buying a Soda Stream for literally years (maybe like 7?) and the only thing I thought after buying it was "Why the heck did I wait so long?!" :)
I got a Soda Stream as a Christmas present about 5 years ago, and it's been sitting unopened in the basement ever since. We drink a lot of Polar Springs at our house...you all have me thinking that I should give the Soda Stream a shot.
Post by: Bracken_Joy on February 21, 2019, 09:03:40 AM
Post by: shadowmoss on February 23, 2019, 05:57:41 PM
Post by: lexde on February 24, 2019, 07:32:20 AM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - going for the class in about 15 minutes so no calories burnt yet!
Nutrition
Cold brew coffee, nutpods x2
turkey burger & sauteed artichokes (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244190/artichoke-joes/) (with ghee, thyme, Herbs de Provence, S&P and aleppo pepper)
eggroll in a bowl for dinner
frozen cherries
sparkling water
Weight
-4.2lbs
Sorry for being radio silent for a few days. I've just been on cruise control. I did go grocery shopping again as I have been eating a TON of frozen fruit and veggies. But on the other hand, yay, I've been eating a ton of frozen fruit and veggies. My new favorite snack is just a cup of frozen cherries, eaten one at a time as I'm playing videogames. Delicious. Weight is back down, and I'm pretty much just going through the motions. I haven't had any major temptations, just the Quest bars I want to chomp on when I need additional protein and don't want to make something, but honestly having frozen turkey/beef burgers ready to go is almost just as easy.
@Bracken_Joy - didn't even think about buying used! I could definitely see that being something that people buy/get as gifts and then say "nah I like Coca Cola/Pepsi better" and then being done after the novelty quickly wears off. I figure modifying it in any way would void the warranty anyway, so that is SUPER smart! I'll check that out.
Post by: lexde on February 24, 2019, 07:35:10 AM
Day 9: Today is the first day I have been challenged by forbidden foods. I let myself get too hungry. I have since gone to the store and gotten some meat and eggs and bananas to tide me over. I ran out of bananas a couple of days ago, so my day hasn't started well. I have relied on the frozen W30 approved bowl once more. This time I'm not feeling all that different, but I think that it is more subtle this time. I feel good, as in I'm fine, not much hurts. Nothing dramatic so far. I'll take that, actually. I don't miss sugar as much as I thought I would, and I don't eat as many dates and raisens as I was at first. I do miss bread as something to wrap around stuff to eat it.The only temptation I have is when I let myself get too hungry too and/or don't plan meals/snacks far enough in advance. I find on W30 I am eating a lot MORE volume, too, so I always think I've made enough but I haven't. Who knew that you'd have to eat more unprocessed food to get all of your calories in?! But even when I feel that "challenge" it's more that I just want to eat something and not that I specifically want those bread/protein bars/sugar items - I just want FOOD. :-)
Have you tried endive (http://endive.com/what-is-endive) at all? Those make really cute/crunchy/yummy "boats" for things like chicken salad, sandwich fixings, etc.
Post by: Orvell on February 24, 2019, 08:35:55 AM
Back to it, now. :)
Planning on making this today: https://paleomg.com/sneak-peek-recipe-from-juli-bauers-paleo-cookbook-buffalo-chicken-casserole/
Post by: lexde on February 24, 2019, 09:30:58 AM
But in my HIIT class today I got "in the zone" for the first time ever while on the treadmills. Ignored the instructor (sorry Tim) and just cruised at 5mph at a 3% incline for over 20 minutes. I have never been able to just run, especially not that long or far. It wasn't easy, but it also wasn't difficult. My heart was pounding, but my legs were going, and I kept thinking, "seriously? I'm still running?"
When he called for walking recovery, I just kept going. Because I thought to myself, "I'm cruising, I can probably make it through the next walk AND the next block of push pace and all out without stopping, too." And I did. And again. And again.
So, 600 calories later, I can say I hit a new personal record. Yay!
Post by: lexde on February 25, 2019, 09:03:42 AM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - 501kcal.
Nutrition
Cold brew coffee, nutpods x2
Egg roll in a bowl for lunch
Apple
Onion-burgers for dinner with maybe a baked potato
frozen cherries
sparkling water
Weight
didn't weigh in this morning
So after yesterday, I wasn't at 100% in my HIIT class. Despite that, I STILL MANAGED TO HIT ANOTHER PR. Yes, over the last PR of yesterday. I ran 2 miles nonstop for the first time in my life ever. I didn't have quite the same "cruising" as I did yesterday, and I was already kind of achey, but I did it. I didn't run on the incline so my heart rate wasn't absurdly high the whole time like yesterday. Now, I've got 2 days off, so I'm looking forward to that recovery. Aleve & lots of water will be my friend today.
I've also noticed that when I work out really hard I do not want to eat anything for a while afterward. Does anyone else get like this?
Post by: shadowmoss on February 25, 2019, 09:34:18 AM
I have learned even more this attempt and I will work more on cooking for myself while going mostly keto. I'll probably do the W30 thing again next year and maybe make it the entire 30 days.
Post by: lexde on February 25, 2019, 09:45:16 AM
In the middle of the night last night I decided to come off the diet. I haven't yet. I tried to make a whole chicken in my instapot yesterday and basically ended up with boiled chicken rather than roasted. I ate the veggies I'd cooked with it and pulled the meat off to cook into other things but my limited ability to cook seems to be my downfall yet again. Added to the fact that I'm only noticing subtle changes this time. My nose had stopped dripping, for one. However, other minor issues are creaping up, such as the ringing in my ears got really loud last night. All maybe unrelated.FWIW, the instant pot basically does what a slow cooker does, except faster. So if you want a roasted chicken, roasting it in the oven really is the way to go as it's easy to overcook and get "chicken mush" in the IP.
I have learned even more this attempt and I will work more on cooking for myself while going mostly keto. I'll probably do the W30 thing again next year and maybe make it the entire 30 days.
I wish you the best of luck with keto, and hope that you find something that works for you! This is a very temporary reset anyway, so we will all be shortly behind you. :-)
Post by: lexde on February 25, 2019, 09:54:05 AM
Post by: shadowmoss on February 25, 2019, 11:13:05 AM
Post by: lexde on February 28, 2019, 08:06:54 PM
Exercise
HIIT 60 minutes - 400-something kcal.
Nutrition
Cold brew coffee, nutpods x2
cashews, freeze dried strawberries, coconut - lots of all
So many almonds.
Also some almond butter
Fruit leather and a lara bar
turkey burger
an Apple
Weight
didn't weigh in this morning
Today was BAD. I forgot to bring my packed lunch which meant no lunch. I had two of the cashew/coconut/strawberry packs which was good, but not as filling. Ate a bunch of almonds and almond butter on the way home (keep them in my car for this exact scenario) and had an apple and some fruit leather while my turkey burger cooked. Not a fun day for eating. At least I didn't go off-plan, although the fruit leather and lara bars (all compliant) were questionable choices.
Other than that, staying the course. I'm taking an extra day off the gym tomorrow and will get back in it Sunday. Working on flexibility training and stretching.
Post by: katscratch on February 28, 2019, 08:09:48 PM
Post by: lexde on March 01, 2019, 09:37:32 AM
It's pretty great you made it work, though.Yeah! I'd rather just fast than mess up at this point, honestly. It wasn't a super fun day and I was ravenous by the time I got home but still worth it.
Post by: lexde on March 01, 2019, 10:13:44 AM
Exercise
rest day - was going to go to gym but am still sore and need to recuperate.
Nutrition
Cold brew coffee, nutpods x1
La croix
Chipotle compliant bowl - Carnitas x2, romaine lettuce, tomato salsa.
Egg roll in a bowl (intended lunch) for dinner.
Weight
didn't weigh in this morning
I forgot my lunch again, yikes. I'll eat it for dinner though. Coworkers are going to Chipotle for lunch and that is one of the few things I can actually have, although without a fondness for guac my bowl will be pretty sad-looking.
I have been really hungry for protein lately so I think I need to load up this weekend. My Whole-30 wraps up on Wednesday next week but I think I will more or less keep it up until I go on vacation on the 15th. Then, as I will be in Puerto Rico, I will be eating beans, rice, plantains, and all of the delicious island food (in moderation). Hoping to settle back into primal/paleo afterwards.
Post by: lexde on March 06, 2019, 10:36:24 AM
You guys - where did the last week go?! Seriously.
Exercise
rest day.
Nutrition
Cold brew coffee, nutpods x2
La croix
beef patty, 1/3 golden potato (about the size of 1 small one), palmini linguine (made from hearts of palm)
pan-cooked chicken tenderloins, 2/3 golden potato for dinner
Weight
didn't weigh in this morning
WOW you guys - it's over? I made it? Sorry I failed to update as regularly as I initially wanted to. Work has been crazy, but I have remained 100% compliant throughout the 30 days, with the one exception of accidentally drinking aspartame-tinged sparkling water a few weeks back. Ick. I've been working a lot but have been really good about not eating out (once in 30 days, Chipotle Whole30 bowl, entirely disappointing) and cooking my meals ahead of time (for the most part). I will do a writeup later about my impressions now that it's day 30!
Post by: lexde on March 06, 2019, 11:05:57 AM
Food
I will say that I got a bit of food-boredom around Day 20 and my appetite waned because I just didn't want to eat any more of the same things, but that was quickly overcome with the addition of a few new foods. Experimenting with new foods is key, I think!
Most of my foods ended up being frozen for convenience, since I am a single person. So I relied heavily on frozen chicken tenderloins, as well as beef, buffalo, and turkey patties without added junk for my protein sources. It's easy to just cook up a single-serving of frozen food for dinner rather than cooking in big batches for me usually, and avoids me getting iffy about leftovers. I can rotate through each of those proteins and only eat the same thing twice in any given week, which was really nice and kept boredom at bay.
I also relied heavily on frozen veggies - cauliflower rice, artichoke hearts, and broccoli.
The fresh produce I ate included - cut pineapple (BOGO at my supermarket that week, couldn't resist!), strawberries, blueberries, and nectarines. However, I moved on to frozen fruit quickly as it was (1) cheaper and (2) kept longer. Frozen dark sweet cherries and frozen pineapple chunks became a close friend and an accompaniment to almost every dinner.
My fresh veggies included - potatoes (not really a veggie, I know) russet & golden, which I ended up preferring over the russets; and cole slaw mix that i used for egg roll in a bowl.
I also had a few canned items - hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, and palmini, which is just pasta-shaped hearts of palm that my assistant told me about excitedly when I told her I was doing this (she is paleo).
I got creative with seasonings, including TJ's mushroom powder, my own umami magic mushroom powder, seasoned salt, and 21-seasoning salute. I was liberal with salt throughout the last month, probably because I was eating less carbs overall and my body wanted SOMETHING to hang onto water, if not pasta and bread.
I also switched from drinking TWO LITERS OF DIET SODA PER DAY to La Croix and coffee and water. You can pry bubbles out of my cold dead hands, so the La Croix (provided gratis by my office in almost every flavor) stays. Two coffees per day with nutpods plant-based (almond and coconut) creamer also stays. I don't think I will be going back to diet soda, so this experiment was completely worth it if for no other reason than it broke me of that habit.
Hardest thing to give up:
Was probably sugar/artificial sweetener. I was (and probably still am) legitimately addicted to Coke Zero. I had dreams about guzzling diet Mt. Dew. It's not a good place to be in. I wanted sweets. In fact, my crazy-brain purchased candy knowing full well I couldn't have it. Why, brain? So I have my favorite licorice (strawberry, I'm not a monster) in my cupboard at home, and it's been there for about two weeks. I honestly don't have a desire to eat it so I'm not sure why I bought it, other than maybe subconsciously I was hoping that buying it would somehow help the craving. (Hint: It didn't.)
I still relied too heavily on fruits (I way upped my fruit intake on Whole 30) and ate frozen fruit after dinner on most nights, emulating dessert. Not unhealthy, but kind of contrary to the Whole30 process. I'll work on this.
Second hardest was dairy. I love cheese. But now after having eliminated it for 30 days and suspecting that it was not doing good things for my skin, I don't think I'll have a problem cutting way back on it.
Easiest thing to give up:
Pasta/bread. I don't eat much of it anyway, so that wasn't a big deal. Especially since I could eat potatoes.
Exercise
My exercise remained consistent throughout the last 30 days. I work out an average of 4 days per week doing HIIT (a 60-minute session of 45-45-10 weights/treads/rowing) and my performance was more consistent than normal, I think. Additionally, I finally broke the plateau from power-walking-and-running-hybrid to running for 23 straight minutes for the first time in my life. Coincidence? Maybe.
Social
This would have been difficult if I were more social. I had to forego several office lunches with my coworkers that I would have otherwise attended, but I knew this was short-term. I also didn't go out to restaurants and had to forego some lunches/dinners with my family. They were supportive, so no big loss there.
Weight
I'll weigh in tomorrow morning to get the final weight loss count. I am definitely slimmer and my clothes are a bit looser, so I expect that I lost somewhere around 3-4lbs this month.
Reintroduction
I am likely going to transition to a "primal diet" after this, but want to reintroduce each food into my diet to see what's been causing what. The plan is to take the next 10 days to reintroduce foods.
Day 1: Legumes - spoonful of PB, black beans with dinner. Back to Whole 30 for two days to see if any effects.
Day 4: Grains (non-gluten) - White rice, corn chips. Back to Whole 30 for two days to see if any effects.
Day 7: Dairy - Skyyr or unsweetened yogurt, cheese. Back to Whole 30 for two days to see if any effects.
Day 10: Gluten - whole wheat bread, pasta. Back to Whole 30 for two days to see if any effects.
Then sugar. I don't plan on reintroducing artificial sweeteners.
Post by: katscratch on March 06, 2019, 11:23:00 AM
I'm definitely interested in hearing more about reintroductions; that seems to be a bit different for everyone.
Post by: lexde on March 07, 2019, 10:04:00 AM
Weight
I'll weigh in tomorrow morning to get the final weight loss count. I am definitely slimmer and my clothes are a bit looser, so I expect that I lost somewhere around 3-4lbs this month.
Final results are in (kind-of) - I didn't weigh in until after exercise and guzzling water today, so my ending weight may be a bit higher than it otherwise would have been, but I was right on the dot and lost 3.8lbs.
Post by: lexde on March 08, 2019, 05:38:59 AM
So I uh, didn’t follow the plan and I reintroduced sugar first.
I had some Trader Joe’s Honey mints, which are just honey, chocolate liqueur, and peppermint extract. Harmless, right? Because it’s not refined sugar? Nope! Still candy.
I had one. Then two. Then half the bag. Oof.
Wanted more.
Had some caramels from the office.
Then licorice.
I didn’t even want it, my idiot brain just took to sugar like it was crack. I slept terribly despite hydrating well before bed. My workout this morning was TERRIBLE. I cannot overstate this. I hit a wall about 20 minutes in and spent the rest of the workout walking at 3.5mph on the treadmill trying not to pass out. After coffee.
I was fighting sleep and wanted to fall asleep WHILE ON THE TREADMILL. Needless to say my performance was awful.
I honestly expected bloating and stomachache. Got neither. Did not expect to feel exhausted, semi-delirious and weak, but here we are.
I want to call in sick to work but can’t, so, more coffee and NO MORE SUGAR.
Post by: shadowmoss on March 08, 2019, 10:29:59 AM