Whole30 ~ Week 1

7 days of no grains, legumes (including soy or peanuts), dairy, or added sugar. 20 days of no Dr. Pepper. This is shocking, people.

Day 1: Ate good food. Had energy. Felt great.

Day 2: Levi gave me his cold bug (sore throat, stuffy head). Massive headache. Shaky and felt like I was going to pass out. Foggy brain. Yuck. Still ate good food.

Day 3: More of day 2, but on no sleep as Lola was now sick. Oh, and Luke and Leif, too. Ate more good food.

Day 4: Sore throat, headache, and shaky/dizzy feeling mostly gone, but stuffy/runny nose persisted AND Lola spent a second night not sleeping. I was beyond tired, and Little Miss wouldn’t sleep during the day, either. I wanted a babysitter and a long nap. (My mom is out of town for over a week…what was she thinking?! Just kidding, Mom. I hope you are having a terrific time.) Oh, and what I really, really, REALLY wanted was a whole batch of hot-out-of-the-oven-chocolate-chip-cookies and a 32 oz Dr. Pepper. Ate good food instead. Please pat me on the back for surviving this day.

Day 5: Lola slept the night (mostly), but not so much during the day, so I was a little tired. Lingering cold.

Day 6: More of the same. Really great dinner, though! Levi gave the bacon, onion, garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, baby spinach, and shrimp (with a spritz of lemon juice) stir fry two thumbs up!

Day 7: Fabulous (not) sinus headache. Still not getting quite enough sleep at night, and it really wears on me! And I cheated. I popped a cough drop in my mouth at 4:30 am because I couldn’t stop coughing, I didn’t want to wake my family, and I desperately wanted to get a little more sleep!

I was crazy in the mood for snacking and eating out, and I had to run errands with the kids. It took all of my will-power to bypass all the drive-thrus and the snack aisle at Target and 95% of the food at the grocery store. The boys were ‘starving’ so I bought a big bunch of bananas, and they each snacked on one on the way home. This Whole30 is going to change their lives, too. I was shocked to see them inhale salmon burgers, baby spinach, and oven-roasted green beans for dinner. Who knew.

 

What I’ve eaten this past week:

Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, baby spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, Brussels sprouts, yams, pumpkin, red pepper, onion, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, avocado, bananas, kiwi, apples, strawberries, blackberries, mango. (That’s got to be some sort of record…)

Baked steelhead trout (heavenly), basil-grilled chicken (on a bed of baby spinach, topped with chopped sun-dried tomatoes), marinara meat sauce (over thinly-sliced, sauteed red cabbage), tuna, shrimp, and salmon.

I’m drinking about 96 oz of water (sometimes part unsweetened green tea) every day and supplementing with calcium.

(I’m not going to lie. I want food I can’t have. It isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. But I still want it.)

Do you feel sorry for me, yet?

Let me add: No portion ‘control.’ No counting calories. Ate when I was hungry. BBQ burgers (bun-less) topped with dijon mustard, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and bacon served with yams oven-roasted in olive oil and sea salt, sliced apples fried in a generous amount of coconut oil (cinnamon and nutmeg, too!), banana split milkshakes (full-fat coconut milk, frozen bananas and strawberries, and unsweetened cocoa powder…. oh. my. goodness!!), deviled eggs, sweet potato chips, sunflower seeds, black olives, dried apricots (like candy), at least two eggs scrambled in bacon fat with bacon every morning, most of my veggies have been oven-roasted in a generous amount of olive oil (I never knew veggies could taste so yummy!!), more coconut milk in smoothies, almond butter slathered on sliced apples, and one Lara Bar (those things are tasty!).

I would have taken pictures, but, trust me, we didn’t stand on ceremonies when it came to digging in.

I think Russ is loving this diet. He gets a hot, home-made, interesting, delicious dinner EVERY night. And a lunch packed for him every day. I think he’s getting spoiled.

(If only this diet came with grocery delivery service and a kitchen clean-up crew!!)

As I was chowing down on yummy food, I couldn’t imagine losing weight, especially as someone who never loses weight. And here it is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I lost 5 pounds.

Yep.

I don’t expect to continue that kind of weight loss (or even maintain it), and I realize much of that is water weight, but it still feels good, ya know?

Here’s to week two. Let’s raise a glass of banana-split milkshake. Anyone joining me? Grin.

Check out more fabulous recipes at The Clothes Make the Girl, Whole9 Steal This Meal, The Foodee, Whole Life Eating, and ChowStalker.

 

Live in rooms full of light

Avoid heavy food

Be moderate in the drinking of wine

Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics

Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water

Change surroundings and take long journeys

Strictly avoid frightening ideas

Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements

Listen to music.

~A. Cornelius Celsus

And So It Begins… Day One

 

Thirty days without added sugar, grains, legumes (including soy and peanuts), and dairy.

Thirty days of lots of meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and healthy fats. No portion limits. No counting calories.

Why? To get out of a horrible cycle of low energy, carb cravings, eating unhealthy food, and generally feeling miserable. And to kick the Dr. Pepper addiction. (I’ve already been off Dr. P for almost two weeks!) Losing a little weight would be a bonus, but I don’t lose weight easily and have no expectations in that department. (I bought a scale just to get a starting weight, however, so we’ll see.)

Side bonus? No eating out. I have to go grocery shopping and plan meals. No unhealthy drinks and snacks out for the boys to snitch.

My husband, sister, and brother-in-law are doing it with me!

I will try to post a weekly update here on my blog with recipes. Here are my food ideas so far:

 

Breakfast:
Eggs
Sauteed veggies
Bacon/Sausage/Chicken Apple Sausages
Spinach Smoothies (banana, pineapple, huge handful of baby spinach, coconut milk, frozen berries)
Sliced banana, coconut milk, and chopped pecans (roasted in coconut oil) dusted with cinnamon

Lunch:
Leftovers
Tuna salad on tomato (soy- and sugar-free mayo)
Chicken salad on lettuce
BLT salad with guacamole dressing
Taco salad (lettuce, taco meat, tomato, olives, avocado)
Shrimp crunch salad (with shredded carrot, celery, sunflower seeds, and mayo-lemon dressing)
Cauliflower and broccoli salad (with chopped artichoke hearts, black olives, cubed chicken, and vinaigrette dressing)

Snacks:
Celery with almond butter
Almonds with a tiny amount of chopped dried apricots
Sweet potato chips
Sunflower seeds

Dinner:
Panama pork stew
Grilled tri-tip and bacon-wrapped asparagus
Bun-less burgers (with bacon and avocado) and sweet potato fries
Shrimp and veggie stir-fry
Pecan-crusted tilapia and roasted veggies
Chicken strips with marinara sauce and green salad
Spaghetti meat sauce over thinly-sliced sauteed red cabbage
Swiss steak over cauliflower ‘rice’ and green salad
Seasoned pulled pork over shredded lettuce with diced tomatoes, olives, and avocado
Chicken and veggie soup
Crab bisque and green salad
Various grilled meats and roasted veggies (brussels sprouts, French green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, yams, etc. with olive oil and sea salt)

Sweet Treats:
Pumpkin milkshake (frozen pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and pumpkin pie spice in vitamix)
Chocolate banana milkshake (frozen banana, coconut milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder in vitamix)
Fried apples (thinly sliced in coconut oil, topped with cinnamon and nutmeg)

In Desperation:
Lara Bars

I would LOVE it if those of you who are participating would post food and meal ideas in the comments and just generally let me know how things are going and what is working well for you. It is so much more bearable with the company and support of friends!

 

Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well. 

~Marcus Valerius Martial

Whole30

LIFE. It’s my One Little Word for 2011. And LIFE has been good. The boys are, well, vibrant. Little Miss is, well, I don’t even have the words to describe her. We have had months of productive lessons. Russ is back to work. Spring is here, and I’m positive glorious weather is on its way. I have interests and passions. I have an amazing family. My friends are awesome. Life is right on track. Except…

My eating habits are ATROCIOUS. I want to (and do) eat all. day. long. I’ve been hungry since the day I was born. The only time I’ve lost my appetite longer that the 48 hour flu has been during the first few months of pregnancy and the couple months I was at my worst battling anxiety/depression. My whole life I’ve craved food that I shouldn’t be eating. Lately that has escalated. Something must change. Telling myself to eat smaller portions doesn’t work. Convincing myself that veggies are tasty doesn’t work. And fighting the cravings is unbearable.

On top of the craving and eating, my energy is almost non-existent. I constantly feel like I’m coming down with a head cold. That stuffed-up, head-achy, foggy-brain sort of feeling. I don’t want to live LIFE like that.

I’m participating in the Whole30 to reset my system. Thirty days of no sugar, grains, soy, dairy, or legumes. It will be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. (I don’t think I’ve gone that long without a Dr. Pepper in twenty years!) After thirty days, I’ll re-evaluate how I feel and decide where to go from there. I suspect I’ll need to be on some version of a Paleo diet to feel at my best, but we’ll see.

I chose to work in two-week increments. Last Saturday I stopped drinking Dr. Pepper and eating M&Ms while gradually reducing my carb intake. I’m spending another week working on my menu and grocery shopping lists. Friday the 29th is officially my day 1 of Whole30, at which time I will only be eating meats (including fish and eggs), fruits, vegetables, nuts (-peanuts) and healthy fats. Two weeks after starting Whole30, I plan on adding in some form of exercise.

I’ll be sharing menus and recipes here on my blog, but if anyone is interested in doing this challenge with me, I’ll share a few links to get you started:

The Whole30 2011:: Details on the Whole30 challenge.

Everyday Paleo:: Lots of great information and awesome recipes.

Paleo Diet Lifestyle:: More great recipes.

 

And some extra credit reading for you. {grin}

 Is Sugar Toxic? @ The New York Times (It’s a long article, but every word is worth it!)

If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them.

Speaking of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer…

The Fiscal Toll of Treating ‘Lifestyle Diseases’ @ The New York Times

For the first time in history, lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and others kill more people than communicable ones. Treating these diseases — and futile attempts to “cure” them — costs a fortune, more than one-seventh of our GDP.

Let’s add epilepsy and kidney disease to the conversation, shall we?

Low-carb, high-fat diet could replace dialysis @ Health on MSNBC.com

A type of low-carb, high-fat diet that's typically used to manage seizures for children with epilepsy could reverse kidney disease in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics, a new animal study suggests.

As long as we’re talking about health, how about a good night’s sleep?

How Little Sleep Can You Get Away With? @ The New York Times

Not surprisingly, those who had eight hours of sleep hardly had any attention lapses and no cognitive declines over the 14 days of the study. What was interesting was that those in the four- and six-hour groups had P.V.T. results that declined steadily with almost each passing day. Though the four-hour subjects performed far worse, the six-hour group also consistently fell off-task. By the sixth day, 25 percent of the six-hour group was falling asleep at the computer. And at the end of the study, they were lapsing fives times as much as they did the first day.

The six-hour subjects fared no better — steadily declining over the two weeks — on a test of working memory in which they had to remember numbers and symbols and substitute one for the other. The same was true for an addition-subtraction task that measures speed and accuracy. All told, by the end of two weeks, the six-hour sleepers were as impaired as those who, in another Dinges study, had been sleep-deprived for 24 hours straight — the cognitive equivalent of being legally drunk.

(Emphasis mine…Lola, did you hear that?)