Victory is Mine - That's a Wrap!

  

• No more sugar spikes and crashes - just consistent energy all day most days
• No cravings for sugar and processed food
• Less tummy aches 
• No full bloated feeling after eating
• Less moody
• Less irritated and annoyed with little things
• Less headaches
• Slightly better knee pain but only slightly
• Feeling more in control and able to make sensible choices without the pressure of emotions and cravings

This program is not a diet, and it's not meant for weight loss as the primary target. The good news is though that with healthy eating and high restriction comes high reward.  I'm extremely happy with my total weight loss of 21 pounds in 30 days! 

So was it worth it? Yes, I'd say it was. It was difficult and challenging at times, but just the fact that I completed it in the face of stress and emotions where I would have quit in the past was a great lesson for me. I can do whatever I want to with my eating. I don't have to be governed by my emotions and can make good decisions even when I would normally turn to food. Even if that was the only benefit I got from the 30 days it would have been worth it. 

Would I do it again? Not any time soon! Lots of people go on to do a Whole45, 60 or 90. That's just not for me. I can see using this type of eating though when I need a boost or to get my cravings back under control. 

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to my wonderful friends who have followed along my journey, checked in at random times, sent notes of encouragement and have been there for me all the way through. I could not have done it without you.  I'm happy that I made some great new friends who took this journey with me or who have been on their own journey for some time but took the time to help me out. I'm glad we could be there for each other through this. Of course I could never have done this without the support of my hubby who had to talk me down numerous times throughout this 30 days. His patience with me and the willingness to try new foods just to support me was so awesome. 

So what's next for me? I'm going to move over to my new blog which will just be a place I can share what's happening, how things are going, etc. It won't be daily or maybe even weekly but I have found that the accountability of writing this and having people ask when the next post is going up has helped me along the way.  You can find that blog by following the link to the right or by clicking here.

Thank you all again in being part of why I can say "I DID IT"!!!!

Until next time...

T

Day 29 - Planning for the future...

Well here we are...one day to go! I can't believe it's July 6th tomorrow AKA day 30! I thought that day would never get here at times and other times it's gone so fast. Particularly this past stressful week.

My Mom is still in the hospital and starting to move around more which is good. I will speak with the transition support people tomorrow hopefully to find out what is next for her. I'll be relieved when we get a plan figured out.

Now, for my reintroduction plan...

I've decided on the "slow roll" reintroduction which is described in more detail here but essentially, you follow the guidelines below:

1. Relax the sugar rule - don't worry as much about sugar (or types of sugar) as an ingredient. I'll be keeping my sugars at under 25g per day (recommended amount for women) as a general guideline. This will be for the foods I'm not already eating, I won't be including the fruit or natural sugars I'm already eating on Whole30.
2. Follow the plan for reintroducing only one type of food that I eliminated at a time. For me, this week I will be trying out some types of dairy on day 31 (cheese, yogurt, cream) and grains (whole wheat grain) on day 4.  
3. Always give 2-3 days between reintroduction and go back to full Whole30 on the in-between days. 
4. Pay attention to my symptoms and see how these foods individually affect me. Watch out for physical symptoms but also for things that could be waking up my "sugar dragon". If I have too much sweet (i.e. yogurt, smoothie, etc.) does that make my cravings come back? 
5. Reintroduce other things as I feel I want to have them. Following the guideline of only 1 thing at a time and 2-3 days between.

That's about it. I hope that by the end of July I have figured out what food makes me feel good, and what makes me feel bad. What keeps me craving free an able to make good choices without the "hard rules" of the Whole30?  To be completely honest, it's a little scary. The last 29 days have been easy to navigate within the confines of the very strict rules - pick up something at the store, read the label, does it have sugar? yes? back on the shelf....easy. Now it's going to be a lot more judgement and decision making on my part.

It was very exciting for me today selecting a yogurt to have next week...it was shocking though to see that most of the flavoured yogurt has between 17-23g of sugar per serving! Seriously!?!? I'm not spending my entire sugar budget on one little bit of yogurt!

Overall, I'm feeling good. I really notice now when something bothers my tummy (too much salt in a day, not enough water, too much oil, etc.)

I'll do a full post on Tuesday morning with my results for the month and my thoughts going forward.

Until then...

T

Day 27 - Into the weekend and the last 3 days...

Today was the most stressful and worst day so far of this Whole30. Things have escalated with my Mom and we found out she will likely have to go to a rehabilitation facility and then likely into long term care. We were led to believe that the place she lives now could provide the care she needed, but it seems that as her confusion, agitation, unwillingness / inability to follow instructions or help herself much at all combined with her mobility challenges she may have will mean a higher level of care.

This was not good news and it was hot out today and I'm just exhausted. I still have my cold in full swing and it was almost all too much for me today.

I only ate breakfast and not lunch or anything between except a light snack near 3pm. When faced with the thought of continuing this for another 3 days is feeling like complete torture.  While it feels exciting on one hand because it's only 3 days, it's also feeling like it will be the longest 3 days of my life....and I don't feel like I can cope right now.

I also feel disappointed that this life challenge that cropped up this week has totally shaken my focus, blasting me off my path which was highly focused and committed and immersed.  So now I'm just vamping, not able to really think about planning or trying new things.  You know what though? Maybe that's just fine.  This is going to happen all the time in life. You're cruising along just fine and then WHAM here's a life moment and good luck. I can't turn to food every time that happens. I can't derail my plans or decide that my priorities don't matter. Jeff reminded me last night that this is a big one that's happened and guess what? I'm still eating compliant. I'm still doing my plan. I haven't given up, where the old me would have and so maybe I need to just realize that I'm rocking it and pat myself on the back (his words).

He's right. In fact, this part of my Whole30 will end up being the most successful of my entire 30 days.

So onward - only 3 days to go. I'm excited to share my "Victory" post and to get on to the next stage of my journey - re-introduction and building my "normal" eating plan.

Next post will be Sunday to share with you my reintroduction plan and what's next for me!

Until then...

T

Day 24 - 26 - Stress, stress and more stress

Well, it's been a rough few days. My Mom fell and broke her hip on Monday night (day 23) and was taken by paramedics to hospital. Lack of sleep and a completely thrown off routine has added a level of stress that's been a big challenge in this, my last week of my program. 

On top of that, I caught a cold and sore throat on Monday and have been sleeping poorly and feeling like crap! 

The good news is, despite these challenges, I have not abandoned my program. I have managed to get my meals in (even if it was just an egg) and I'm still on track to finish on Monday! That's 4 days more after today....4 days people!!!!

Tuesday night, I tried making cauliflower rice for the very first time. I did it "fried rice" style and served it with garlic prawns. I liked it. Don't kid yourself, it's still cauliflower - it's not rice. Anyone who says "oh you can't tell the difference between it and rice" must have very different tastebuds than I do.

Last night we had the most amazing steak from a local butcher shop. I've been to several high end steakhouses in my time, and this was the best steak I can recall having. 

Today I will be making "bone broth" and seeing how that turns out. It's recommended to help with digestion and support of your immune system so why not? 

Hopefully my Mom will continue to get better and the rest of the week will go smoothly. I'd like to finish this strong and be in a good place to start my reintroduction on Tuesday. 

Until next time,

T

Day 21 - 23 - Heading into the Home Stretch

Day 23 here today and that means 1 week to go (ok technically 8 days including today but who's counting?)

The weekend went well though it was SO hot! Thank goodness we invested in that portable AC unit many years ago, it's a lifesaver.

Saturday, I had my first social event since starting my Whole30. I had a stagette to attend where the first hour was nothing but tapas and drinks....I had very carefully planned my evening and eaten before I went and I ordered a Perrier when I got there as well. I was able to munch on a few raw veggies while the girls indulged in fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, flatbreads, spreads, dips and crostini. It all looked really fresh and amazing, but oddly I wasn't the least bit tempted or interested in any of it. The only thing I was a little sad I couldn't partake in was the gelato cookie ice cream sandwiches that came out later in the evening...but they'll be there another day and I'll have a treat some other time.

Saturday also brought the trial of my home made salsa and an avocado....I have never been a fan of avocado in any form but then I have never been a fan of black coffee or breakfast and both those things are now part of my life....so I figured, why not? The verdict....no bueno  :)

Sunday was shopping and cooking day as usual. Despite the heat in the kitchen, I was able to get all my weekly prep done and it wasn't nearly as stressful and time consuming as weeks 1 and 2. It's become a lot more routine. I've accepted the fact that with a healthier lifestyle comes a lot less convenience and a lot more preparation and planning. I'm ok with that, it's a small price to pay in the long run. My once lazy routine of coming home, feeding the dogs and ordering pizza or going out and only having to run the dishwasher a couple times a week is no more....and that's perfectly fine. I expect that I'll really enjoy those nights when they happen on occasion in the future, but that is no longer the routine.

Today is Monday, and I had a hard time getting out of bed, so breakfast was leftover steak and some fruit (no veggies...bad) at my desk.

I got some lovely salmon yesterday and Jeff put it on the BBQ for me so lunch was home made salmon salad cucumber boats with veggies and fruit.

Dinner was a bit derailed when I won tickets to see the advance screening of Terminator Genesis. I threw to gather some of the leftover Salmon spinach and Sweet potatoes in a light coconut green curry. Another experiment that will become part of my repertoire.

I've started planning for next week's end and reintroduction phase. I feel like I have a good, solid plan which I'll share with you closer to day 30. The important thing for me can be summed up here:

WHOLE30: A LEARNING TOOL, NOT A LIFESTYLE

18 May, 2015

From Dallas Hartwig, Whole30 co-creator

You already know the Whole30 is not a diet. It’s not like Atkins or Weight Watchers, and despite its similarities in terms of food selection, the Whole30 is not the same as being “on a Paleo diet.” As we’ve explained, you have to change the framework for how you think about this experience and not try to fit the Whole30 into the “diet” box.

But here’s the thing: the Whole30 program itself is also not a lifestyle. It can and should open the door to a new lifestyle, but our specific rules are not intended to be a way of eating long term, nor is it a benchmark to live up to or a lifetime of “perfect” to be obtained.

In fact, eventually, we hope you won’t need the Whole30 at all… because the Whole30 is a plan designed to make itself obsolete as quickly as possible.

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2...h.r7vy6kYi.dpuf


I'm so excited that I can finally see the finish line for this portion of my journey.

Until next time…

T

Day 19 - 20 - Finally! Some energy!

Good afternoon!

Day 19 was uneventful. I did manage to find a couple neat things at Sobey's to help me out. Potato starch to use for thickening sauces and such as well as a coating for crispy things instead of corn starch. Also found a compliant dressing FINALLY! I'll have to figure out the brand because right now I can't recall, but it's a basil/garlic and it's quite good. No dairy, sugar or grains of any kind. I've struggled with salads because I can't have any dressings unless I make them, and I can't seem to make anything I like.

I was still pretty bummed yesterday that I still don't have my big energy surge but today on day 20 - I feel a lot more energetic for sure.

Today I feel a lot more in control of my food choices and feel like I'm no longer thinking about food as much and specifically what I can't be eating right now.

Today's big win was resisting the invitation to go for lunch with the people from work, when I had brought my lunch.  Even though the thought of my lunch was somewhat unappealing, I wasn't tempted by the thought of anything else either. Since I knew that it would be difficult and annoying to modify something to the point where I could feel good about my choice, I declined.

My lunch was cucumber boats with tuna salad and apples with almond butter. I made the tuna salad a bit too runny, but I will definitely have this again! It was so yummy and I was so full and very happy with my choice.

I'm starting to think I'm really going to enjoy the next 10 days in my Whole30. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually feeling sad that it's ending. No, before you chime in and suggest I do another one back to back...not happening. I'm quite happy keeping most of these habits, testing the waters with some selective reintroduction of foods and managing occasional indulgences and other less healthy choices as that - occasional....

I am really hoping the bulk of my benefits show up in my last 10 days. Since I've started eating more at mealtimes, I'm definitely less nauseous and yucky feeling towards the end of the day.

I'm also going to be doing some meal planning this week and actually try out some of my recipes in the books I bought. I will be making some bone broth as well on the weekend and as we speak, we have Kalua Pig in the crock pot from Nom Nom Paleo for meat for my meals!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...

T

Day 17 - 18 - The New Normal?

I've been thinking a lot over the past 2 days about what I'll do for my re-introduction phase when my W30 is over on July 6. What order will I try to bring things back into my eating habits? What will stay out because I'm happy without it? How will I use this experience to springboard my healthier eating habits long-term? I'm really unsure about all of that, because even though I'm done day 18 now, I'm still so unsure about how to sustain this (even for 12 more days).

The Whole30 is very drastic and it's meant to be that way. I get that, but it's amazing the impact on daily life that it has. I'm truly looking forward to adjusting my eating in July to allow for a bit more flexibility and convenience. 

Another issue that has been happening over the past few days is that the effects of not eating enough are starting to manifest into symptoms. The dizzy, woozy, nauseous, headachey, crappy feelings later in the afternoon and before dinner are a result of not having nearly enough protein and starchy veggies during the day.

Typical Day

Breakfast - 4oz chicken, 1/2 cup sweet potatoes, 2 large handfuls of spinach, fruit serving - I eat maybe 1/2 and can't do more (except the fruit)
Lunch - 4oz meat / protein including hard boiled eggs, 2 cups of veggies, 1 fruit serving - most of the time this gets eaten but sometimes only about 3/4 and I can't do more.
Dinner - 4 - 6 oz meat, salad or other veggies, potatoes or sweet potatoes - this usually gets fully eaten.

I occasionally will have some cashews and almonds in the late morning and/or early afternoon as a "snack" though that's not recommended.

The problem isn't really that I'm not hungry, it's that I'm just tired and bored of this food, the variety is hard to get when you have such limited choices and specialty items are so expensive and difficult to find. Even "compliant" foods have so many limitations and restrictions that you can't even find things that work that way (i.e. almond or coconut milk - not all are equal and not all are allowed).

I also found out I'm not drinking enough water - despite getting 40-60oz a day (which apparently is the right amount for a 120 pound person). I thought I was doing pretty well...

I know I'm sounding pretty negative today, I guess I feel that way. I'm just tired of all of it. The second half was supposed to be so "life changing" when your mood and energy is soaring...so I'm a bit disappointed that all my hard work isn't really paying off in the way I thought it would.  This has been the most restrictive 18 days I've ever done and it feels right now that it's not worth it.

Until next time...

T

Day 16 - back to the grind....uh oh....

The only downfall about being away all weekend is missing my shopping trip and prep time on Sunday. I knew this would be a challenge, but that's ok - life is full of them. I've made my list for the week and went right after work to get it all ready.  Today though, I had nothing with me. I even forgot my water bottle at home! So unprepared.

I stopped at Tim's and got a medium iced coffee (black) and am quite enjoying it this morning. I was even able to resist bagels and muffins, etc! We have a Sunterra Market in our building at work, so I was able to get some compliant breakfast and hit the salad bar for lunch. All in all, not a bad backup plan and certainly no excuse to not eat properly!

My blog is going to be a bit different in the last half of my 30 days. I'm now on the actual back side of this and it feels amazing. I know it's a dangerous time now because I have to be careful not to take any of these new habits that are forming for granted. There will be less focus now on the meals and the food, less pictures too (maybe some of you are happy not to see the food pics now, maybe not?).

The posts will be more about changes that I'm seeing and how I'm feeling overall.

For instance, an interesting thing happened between Saturday and Sunday. I started really having less cravings. I don't feel like I'm craving or loving the "new" food yet, but I'm not thinking obsessively about all the things I'm not eating anymore either. It's a nice shift.

Other "wins" so far:

• Skin - looks clearer and feels nicer
• Mood - less moody. I know I've been a bit cranky off and on during the first 15 days, but I really feel like I am less angry and irritable. 
• Pain - it's about the same, although I haven't felt "yucky" after eating since starting...don't eat to the point of being stuffed, so I'm not feeling indigestion and crampy and gross anymore.
• Headaches - other than the caffeine headaches that came from the lack of coffee, I've had none. 
• Medication - I have not had to take Tylenol or Advil or anything during the day at all for any kind of issue since I started.

Overall, it's going really well. I know I can make it to the end, only14 more days to go!

Until tomorrow...

T

Days 13 - 15 and a weekend away

Day 13

See? It's a brand new day...the sun is shining today and yesterday's little slip then recovery is all over.  I made it through and I'm still here and still on track.

Someone on the W30 Ladies group on Facebook posted something really meaningful to me today. It was perfect timing in light of what happened yesterday. She just completed her W30 and posted this:

"I did things a bit differently and un-'complaint'. I started by eliminating sugar, processed foods, dairy, all grains, corn, legumes, lentils and alcohol from my home. Then I just ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I didn't follow the no snacking rule, or the don't mix certain foods with certain foods etc. I just ate within the 'boundaries' whenever it felt right. Eating this way is how my body feels best (ate paleo for many months a few years ago) and I don't plan on changing it anytime soon so I wanted to make sure that this first 30 days was realistic not 'complaint'. Not having bacon because it has some honey is just not in the cards for me.  I'm sharing this because it's important to me (at least) that I remind myself that diet and the way we fuel our bodies is at LIFESTYLE not just 30 days. Yes a reset is so important but this goes so much further beyond the food and a certain amount of time."

She is so right! I do plan to do some version of this eating long term, it's how I want to eat and how I want to live...I have to stop looking at it like this is temporary. Yes some of the eliminations are, but most will stay with me long term. It really helped put things into perspective.

Day 14 - 15 

We had an awesome weekend with the Kids and Grandbaby! It was beautiful weather and we had a great time visiting and hanging out. Got to hit up Whole Foods in Vancouver which was amazing! I can't wait until we get ours here in 2017! I could see it being pretty dangerous cost wise, so hopefully it will be on the other side of the city! I got some coconut "yogurt" which is a coconut milk based yogurt type thing....it was a bit more like sour cream and would be good in dressings or savory dishes more than just as a yogurt.

I had a fabulous personal chef all weekend who made sure I ate enough (even when I said I only want and egg and an apple)! Breakfast was no problem and then we were full all day until dinner so really didn't eat lunch. I took my nuts and dried fruit for snacks which worked really well in between. I was very happy to be able to stay on track all weekend.  I was also introduced to Tim Horton's iced coffee - black of course. It's actually not too bad. At least there is something out there that I don't mind if I want a little pick me up from time to time.

No pictures to post, I forgot in Whole Foods it was just so magnificent!

Until tomorrow...

T

Day 12 - Last post for a few days

It's still rainy and gloomy here and I have NO energy at all. I couldn't even get out of bed when my alarm rang. Needless to say I ate breakfast at my desk (that I still cooked fresh this morning before I left) today.

I definitely felt different last night and today. My usual crankiness at the end of the day and rebellion against everything W30 didn't happen. I was much more mellow and didn't care that I couldn't have my old foods last night. I was excited to make dinner and really enjoyed it. Even this morning, it's a strange feeling, like the foods I've been missing most are less vivid, more faded. I have to struggle to think about what they would taste like and why I want them....this is very promising.

I can't believe it's day 12! By the time the weekend is over I'll be half way through! HALF WAY PEOPLE!!!

I had a bit of a "lack of coffee" headache yesterday and today I'd sure like to have a nice warm caramel machiatto, but other than that no real issue not having coffee for 2 days.

Breakfast was sauteed chicken and spinach...nothing fancy because I was in a hurry.

Lunch was leftover from dinner - chicken garlic sausage and stir fried veggies.









Here is where things got complicated. The lack of caffeine has really taken its toll today. I started having a wicked headache later in the day and felt dizzy and weak and sick on my way home. I came home and.....made a tiny grilled cheese. There, I said it.  I only used one slice of bread and about 1.5 oz cheese, but still. I needed something to eat as I felt I was going to pass out. I could have grabbed an apple, but I didn't

The next thing that happened was that I texted Jeff to bring me a small slurpee home. He said that we shouldn't have it but I insisted that it was my choice and I wanted it.  When he got home we talked about it and what my "slip" meant and if it should be the end of my program or not. I had to make a decision, do I drink the slurpee which probably would throw a lot of my progress out the window. Do I call it quits and order pizza and quietly never speak of the Whole30 again? Or do I realize that it was one tiny blip in a moment of weakness and feeling crappy and move on?  So without having a sip of the slurpee they were dumped out. At least I can say I still haven't had any sugar!

I know for sure that it had the most to do with the caffeine withdrawal but I am definitely not eating enough during the day. I will be incorporating an afternoon snack to help. I wish the tea tasted better because this is not fun.  

So I'm not starting over at day 1. I am going to give myself a break and move on. I guess perfection is too much to strive for. It was important to me to be true on my blog though, it's not supposed to be just the good stuff. 

Dinner was taco salad complete with a cool ranch I made with my home made mayo. It was ok but I won't make the dressing again.

Today will be the last blog post for a few days as we go visit the kids and our GRANDSON!!!! I can't wait to see them and their place. It is very exciting to be able to stay with them for the first time.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Until next time...onward we go!

T