Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 31

Soooo I opted out of a spirited refreshment last night and this morning I was down 2 pounds. ya... That's an eye opener. I clearly retain water with alcohol. I really, really want cheese. I have a family birthday party in a couple days at a pizza place and I want to partake. I plan to give myself a free day that day and just pick back up after that. I still haven't reintroduced dairy but because I plan to have pizza I in a couple days I can't very well reintroduce it now because I don't have enough time to recover and I can't count my pizza day as dairy because I intend to have grains. So I guess my plan is to be paleo through tomorrow and then indulge the day after then go back to paleo for a couple days before trying dairy individually. Breakfast: fried potatoes, egg, ham, coffee with paleo creamer Lunch: hot dog, sauerkraut, ketchup, mustard, 2 strawberries Snack: Apple, cashews Dinner: Paleo coconut pancakes with pure maple syrup, bacon and fruit 12 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 30

Well here we are day 30, I don't feel super proud today because I didn't really make it 30 days. I am taking a break from reintroduction and really trying to keep my meals paleo/simple before reintroducing anything else. My weigh in this morning had me down 11 pounds since day 1, although that's great, it is 3 pounds more than my lowest in this process. For some reason today I really want cheese. Breakfast: coffee and paleo creamer, apple larabar Lunch: Spaghetti squash, shrimp, broccoli and cauliflower alfredo Snack: peach Dinner: chicken, fajita veggies, salad with paleo ranch 11 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 29

I have gained back a few pounds and they don't seem to be shedding back off, even with grains and dairy out of the equation. I'm curious if my increased alcohol intake is the culprit. Breakfast: potatoes, egg, coffee with paleo vanilla, ham Lunch: Costco polish dog without bun but with ketchup, mustard, onion, sauerkraut and onion and what was left over from local dinner out last night. Snack: Dinner: Paleo Salisbury steak with oven fried potatoes and mixed steamed veggies, white wine 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 28

Ok, what I know about my 24 hour gluten reintroduction: I gained 4 lbs back, I'm less motivated at 6:30am to get up (which was one of my biggest miracles of W30) and more motivated to keep hitting snooze, I had another belly ache last night and an explosive BM. Gluten did not make me feel good. I mentioned the street fair I didn't end up going to, on Saturday morning my anxiety had me on the fence but after the gluten at lunch I didn't even have a desire to go anymore. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not. I'm actually looking forward to eating W30 for the next couple of days. After I've reintroduced everything I'll have to do a recap post so my results are all in one place. I think dairy might be all I have left to introduce. I guess I should also mention that I haven't been strict in my W30 during my reintroduction, I have been more paleo. I've had added natural sweeteners, grass fed butter and maybe some unapproved oils. Breakfast: coffee with paleo vanilla creamer, fried potatoes, egg, slice of ham Lunch: homemade split pea soup, veggies in paleo ranch Snack: Dinner: local restaurant, pork mingons, potatoes, carrots, white wine

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 27

Today was the birthday party and also a Seahawks game. I regretfully had more gluten today. It doesn't make me feel good. Last night I felt overly full and had a bit of a belly ache. After eating the leftovers and beer today I felt overly full again to the point I didn't even feel hungry for dinner. And my water consumption was down because of the dumb beer. The scale was up 2 pounds this morning, not sure if by gluten or legume but one of those has caused some bloating and my money is on gluten. I had been looking forward to a street fair in town that was this weekend but my general anxiety I think got the best of me... Breakfast: Paleo English muffin, egg, bacon, coffee, paleo vanilla creamer Lunch: bud lights, left over pizza Snack: veggies with paleo ranch, berries, paleo cupcake Dinner: Small amount of spaghetti squash with some sauce and meat balls 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 26

Today my baby turned 5! That wine gave me such a headache/hangover this morning! :( I reintroduced gluten today so I could partake in my kiddo's pizza dinner. I ordered a veggie one with chicken and no cheese. Alcohol reduces my water intake. Breakfast: fried potatoes, bacon, egg, coffee with paleo vanilla creamer Lunch: 1 slice of homemade whole wheat bread (100 days of real food), slice of ham, egg, homemade apple sauce Snack: apple Dinner: veggie pizza with meat/no cheese, bud lights 6 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 25

Today I worked at my on call job. I had a lara bar for breakfast because I was in a hurry. I didn't have any anxiety walking in to a brand new place with unknown people. Win. I did have anxiety about having to go to les schwab alone but it passed quickly and I handled it. I can say that today my hormonal imbalances have finally evened out after the Mexican food the other day. Breakfast: Peanut lara bar, continuing the legume thing, coffee with paleo vanilla creamer Lunch: Fried potatoes, egg, ketchup Snack: Dinner: Paleo shephards pie (so good, wine 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 24

I was fairly certain I had a sinus infection after the way my face felt this morning when I woke up... I had to cancel my follow up massage to get in with a doctor today. I cannot be sick, my baby's 5th birthday party is this weekend! At the doctor's office they gave me some antibiotics so we'll see if I need them. I made myself paleo tortillas to go with my beans while the rest of my fam had whole wheat. They were a surprising success. I reintroduced legumes today. Results to come. Breakfast: last of the fajita veggies with egg, coffee with paleo vanilla creamer Lunch: apple larabar Snack: Dinner: paleo tortillas, 100 days of real food refried beans, sautéed zucchini, wholly guacamole and 2 glasses of white wine 9 cups of water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 23

This morning after my corn introduction last night I weighed in at another pound lost, that brings me to 12 lbs lost so far. I am really battling a cold right now and it feels awful, I hope it clears quickly because my youngest's 5th bday is this weekend! I have noticed more hormonal stuff so I wonder if it has to do with the corn I ate with Mexican food or the gluten free... Breakfast: Apple larabar, paleo pumpkin spice latte Lunch: left over shrimp and veggies from fajitas with a egg Snack: Dinner: Chicken, oven potatoes and broccoli 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 22

Today I had to take 2 of my kiddos to an appointment out of town in the middle of the morning and had a meeting in the early afternoon so this resulted in me and all 4 kiddos in the car most of the day. We were able to hit chipotle for lunch so I stayed compliant for lunch. I actually forgot to feed myself before we rushed out of the house so when I stopped to get gas I tried to find something compliant to munch on. I found cashews, although in peanut oil were better than the McDonalds drive through and an apple which I didn't end up eating because it smelled of chemicals... yuck. Interestingly, on our long drive I had to drive over a long draw bridge. It was foggy and I couldn't see the land on the other side, I started to panic. Like panic, panic... As soon as we made it across safely I was ok but I don't like that feeling. I'm not sure if the gluten free pizza/beer ingredients contributed to the return of anxiety or if it was just a coincidence. I want to know though so I am going to do a more controlled introduction. Tonight at dinner I reintroduced corn so I plan to go the next 2 days W30 to evaluate how that impacts me. Breakfast: Paleo pumpkin spice latte, cashews Lunch: Chipotle salad with carnits, pico and guac Snack: Dinner: Shrimp fajitas with corn tortillas and guac, chips and salsa, chardonnay 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 21

So yesterday I wasn't sure if I'd even have a day 21 in my W30 experience but I felt so uncomfortable yesterday after cheat foods and finally came down with the cold making its rounds in our home that all I wanted this morning was W30 foods! Also because my cheat meal reintroduced a couple things at once, I don't know what exactly made me feel yucky. So we'll see how this plays out but for today I am whole 30-ing again. I'm feeling pretty sick today with a froggy voice and a headache. Breakfast: fried potatoes, egg, avocado, coffee Lunch: chicken apple sausage with onion, spaghetti squash fritter Snack: Dinner: Hamburger soup, pineapple hard cider 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 20

I am seriously considering calling it. It can have been Whole 20. I feel ready to start my reintroduction... I would still call this a success. I'm reaping lots of benefits, mainly for me has been my drastic reduction in anxiety and my noticeable increase in energy. The 11 lbs I've lost isn't bad either. I still would like to lose 5-10 lbs but I think I could do this by eating paleo and being a bit more active. I'm hoping to start a yoga class soon too. I noticed that the beer took the place of water so I ended up drinking a lot of water at dinner. The pizza and beer at lunch made me so bloated and full I was barely hungry for dinner and was still overly full feeling at bedtime. Breakfast: paleo English muffin, avocado, turkey and coffee Lunch: 3 slices of gluten free gourmet veggie papa murphy's pizza with olive oil/garlic sauce. oh, and 3, that's right 3, gluten free beers Snack: Dinner: 2 more pieces of that pizza with some grilled chicken 10 cups of water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - day 19

So I really want to give up. I feel like I have been doing it long enough and I have reaped rewards and now I want to start testing the waters. I feel like I want to stick to paleo/gluten free for the most part because I am pretty sure gluten is my enemy and paleo encourages me to eat more fruits and vegetables. The massage from yesterday has me pretty sore still today but I plan to go back next week for a shorter one focused on the same areas. I made a recipe for paleo cupcakes today to see how they turned out. My youngest turns 5 next week and is Type 1 diabetic, I was looking for a homemade option that wouldn't have as many carbs or be processed like store bought. They turned out great, I tried one... The only deviation from W30 was the maple syrup in them as a sweetener. Breakfast: Monkey salad, coffee Lunch: left over fried potatoes, onions and peppers, 2 slices of bacon and an over easy egg Snack: Paleo cupcake Dinner: banana pancakes, bacon, oven fried potatoes, berries 12 cups water

Whole 30 experience: take 2 - - day 18

I had a massage today to work out the major tension in my neck/shoulders and she really worked hard to loosen that tension. I am sore. Breakfast: fried potatoes, onions and peppers, avocado, over easy egg, bacon, coffee Lunch: Spaghetti squash and left over Mexican chicken Dinner: 2 applegate all beef hotdogs, a spaghetti squash fritter, pickle spear, ketchup and mustard and sauerkraut

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 17

I passed the -10 pound milestone! Woohoo! Let's celebrate!!! Ice cream? haha just kidding. Breakfast: Local restaurant with local, homemade ingredients... pulled pork hash in olive oil, 2 over easy eggs and coffee Lunch: Apple and cashews Dinner: Mcdonald's chicken bacon ranch salad without cheese and with the balsamic dressing. 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 16

SO I know I cheated on day 14 but I'm still giving myself credit for making it half way! I avoided bread and gluten and oils and I got right back on track after. So I'm still proud of myself! My pain is finally slowing today thank goodness. Still looking forward to that massage though. I certainly feel more motivated and have fallen in to a routine and getting a lot done. Breakfast: Apple larabar, coffee Lunch: Fried potatoes, over easy egg and guacamole Snack: Dinner: crockpot Mexican chicken with steamed veggies 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 15

Today was a looooong day of appointments. My Type 1 diabetic kiddo had her quarterly follow up and we were there for 3 1/2 hours! with a 30 minute break to eat lunch until I had to be at my appointment. I scheduled my appointment 2 months ago, I was a new patient and it was regarding my anxiety. I left so disappointed, no answers... I think I'm going to look in to a naturopath. I scheduled myself a deep tissue massage this week because my chronic pain has really flared up. Breakfast: Monkey salad, coffee, boiled egg Lunch: Mcdonald's bacon chicken ranch salad without cheese, with balsamic dressing Snack: Dinner: Spaghetti squash and sauce 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 14

Another stiff neck/shoulder day. I don't know why this is dragging on or if this is normal in the W30 process. It's Monday and I stayed up later than usual last night but still was able to be out of bed about 6:30 without exhaustion. So I didn't document my meals for this day and haven't updated in a few days... whoops. I did have a cheat date with my hubby though! Dinner: local restaurant that serves local ingredients. Gluten free meal with pork, veggies and potatoes and a peartini :D It was so good and I'm not sorry!

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 13

I am on maybe the 3rd or 4th day of having neck/headaches bad enough that I need IB Prophen. :/ I'm not loving that. Watching the Seahawks play their opening game of the season today made me want some game day food and a bud light pretty bad! My weight loss seems to be plateaued at -8 and I'm considering avoiding the scale for a bit so it doesn't make me lose motivation. Breakfast: Monkey salad with apple subbed for banana Lunch: small amount of left over hamburger soup, apple and almond butter Snack: Dinner: Whole 30 teriyaki chicken kabobs with pineapple, red pepper and onion, home fries and green beans 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 12

I have a pretty bad neck and headache today. :( I got out and did some things without anxiety today which felt great. Breakfast: Monkey salad Lunch: Small amount of left over crustless chicken pot pie that was left Snack: Larabar Dinner: fried potatoes, bacon, eggs, peppers and onions 9 cups of water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 11

So today I craved wine/beer a lot. Not sure why but it is what it is. Not sure what else to add. I am still pretty grumpy/moody but I have been able to continue getting up early and not feel exhausted. Breakfast: fried potatoes, onions and peppers, avocado, unsweetened ketchup, coffee, fried egg Lunch: applebees grilled chicken, steamed and grilled veggies Snack: Dinner: Hamburger soup 12 cups water

Whole 30 Experience: Take 2 - - Day 10

I can honestly say that the further in to the 30 days I get the easier it is. I'm not having any terrible cravings anymore, I look forward to the things I can eat and I feel so much better. My anxiety is so much less that it's shocking. Instead of being anxious about something that would normally make me really anxious, I find myself realizing I wasn't anxious. It's a difficult thing to explain but it feels amazing. I think I'm on the 3rd day of waking up between 6-7am easily which is really not normal for me, at. all. So that's a big change and doesn't seem to be a fluke, so far. Breakfast: "monkey salad" Lunch: left over crustless chicken pot pie, spaghetti squash fritter Snack: apple Dinner: applegate hotdogs with lettuce "bun", pickle, onion, sauerkraut, sugar free ketchup, mustard, baked potato chips, halo orange 12 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 9

I had another early morning today where I didn't feel exhausted rolling out of bed. And I am just realizing as I type this that I didn't even think about Starbucks today! Day 9, feelin' fine. I feel like I should mention for my future self to reference that I still have had on and off bad breath and not being able to have mints or gum is not fun. Other than that all the same benefits still apply. I don't remember if I mentioned but day 7 I had the only headache I've had so far which is pretty good for me in general not to mention cutting out sugar. Oh, one other thing I have sort of noticed that I remember from my first W30 is a feeling of fullness before eating even though I'm hungry. I don't know how else to explain it. I just go ahead and eat anyway. haha Breakfast: leftover crustless chicken pot pie, coffee, banana, cashews Lunch: fried potatoes, egg, 1 slice bacon, onions, peppers, spinach and salsa Snack: Dinner: left over crustless chicken pot pie 9 cups water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 8

Day 8 has been good to me! Finally today my Starbucks cravings aren't overwhelming. I've thought about it but it's not making me crazy! This morning I only hit snooze twice but the second time I didn't fall back asleep which is not normal at all. I rolled out of bed and felt "good", not exhausted like I normally would feel. I'm calling both of these things wins. All of the other things I've mentioned as changes in my previous posts are still in play as well and I'm enjoying the support group and people going through what I am and sharing recipes. My youngest had a thing at her school tonight that provided a pizza dinner, I ate ahead of time anticipating I'd be really tempted. My kiddo ate the pizza and I was surprised that I wasn't suffering the whole time! Breakfast: small amount of left over steak, 1 egg, onions, peppers and spinach, half a banana and coffee with coconut milk Lunch: baked potato slices, left over beef roast Snack: peach Dinner: Spaghetti squash, meat sauce 11 cups of water

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 7

So I have to say I am really not loving the Starbucks coffee cravings... Still... On day 7... BUT I do have to say I made it a whole week already!! I celebrated by eating more whole 30 food and drinking more water. haha I have virtually no gas. So there's that. I don't really have much else to check in about other than on day 7 I have lost 7 pounds. And that is pretty great. Breakfast: left over steak, broccoli, mashed potatoes, apple slices, coffee with coconut milk Lunch: a little more steak, 1 slice bacon, 1 small zucchini, cauliflower cream sauce Snack: Dinner: crustless chicken pot pie Water: 12 cups

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 6

My old church peeps added me to a Whole 30 Facebook group they're doing with the church. I have support finally! Tomorrow already marks a week! My kids are driving me bonkers and it's hard not to eat what everyone else is eating. :( I'm still craving my favorite Starbucks drink, basically all the time. My hormones are still feeling more in check, although I can get grouchy I feel like my mood is more stable, I don't have magical extra energy though. Breakfast: 1.5 slices of bacon (I couldn't eat the biscuits and cheesy eggs my mom made for the rest of the family), coffee with coconut milk Lunch: A burger patty, 2 romaine leafs, pickles, homemade mayo, sugar free ketchup Snack: Dinner: 1 grilled pork chop, steamed broccoli, sliced potatoes baked

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 5

I can't believe I've made it to day 5! I'm proud of my will power and while that will power doesn't apply to my ability to not weigh myself for 30 days I am excited to say that after 4 days I am down 6 pounds!! Today I am still craving my favorite Starbucks drink but am holding out. My whole family also ate Taco Bell in front of me at lunch today while I ate my left over meat and veggies. Breakfast: "Monkey salad", banana, cashews and unsweetened coconut (yum!, coffee Lunch: left over hasselback potatoes, broccoli and 2 slices of bacon Snacks: nada Dinner: crockpot garlic roast with veggies

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 4

Still feeling like my hormones are more balanced, hit a tired wall about 3pm. Noticed I didn't crave a glass of wine today while making dinner. Other than those things I am just feeling deprived still. Breakfast: Apple, almond butter, coffee 1 slice of bacon Lunch: Sauteed zucchini with shrimp and a creamy garlic sauce made out of cauliflower. Delicious. Snack: small handful of roasted cashews, homemade banana icecream and few strawberries Dinner: BBQ steak, hasselback potatoes, broccoli

Whole 30 experience: Take 2 - - Day 3

Today has been a tough one. I am feeling pretty tired and irritated I can't eat things. Today I have really craved starbucks, my body is clearly withdrawling from dairy and sugar. I didn't plan for meals well and am lacking motivation to plan... I need to though if I plan to succeed... I will say that I think my hormone levels are more regulated but my breath tastes worse, I don't know if detoxing could cause that but I hope it passes! Breakfast: Coffee, an apple and 2 slices of bacon. Lunch: leftovers from last night, potatoes, chicken, broccoli, 24 ounces of water Snack: 2 deviled eggs made with homemade mayo with a slice of bacon, 24 ounces water Dinner: Mcdonald's chicken bacon ranch salad without cheese and with balsamic dressing and 24 ounces of water. I'm feeling pretty deprived after watching my family chow down cheeseburgers and frenchfries, plus the salad wasn't all that great... :/