Day 5: Kill all the things?

I don't feel particularly Dexter-esque today. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see.

• Breakfast packaged to eat en route: one scrambled egg with one diced sausage patty, stuffed into 1/2 of a green pepper, and a cup of tea. 'Twas good, although I lost some precious protein when it fell out of the pepper and into the no-man's-land under the driver's seat. Note to self: clean the car tomorrow.
• Lunch was pretty much a repeat of yesterday, but instead of the prosciutto and carrots, I added another egg and lots of chopped snow peas. It was MARVELOUS. I had a nice ripe banana and a handful of raw cashews, too.
• For dinner, we had pot roast again. I think this is the first time we've EVER eaten a pot roast all up. Usually we get bored and throw it out. Tim and I enjoyed it every time we ate it. Lola even ate it tonight! I baked up some more sweet potatoes to supplement the meat (plus a little extra for tomorrow).

Notes:
Work was very busy. I felt productive. It's going to be crazy for the next week or so. As long as I take time to pack a lunch, I'm confident I'll succeed in sticking to the challenge. The true test will be the annual welcome-back party on Tuesday. It's going to be at a bar with tons of bar food, and it's a social occasion. 'Nuf said.
Ears still plugged.
I've been walking every weekday, too, from the Fenway MBTA stop to work in the morning and back again in the afternoon. It's about 15-20 minutes one way. That's the extent of my exercise, but I feel good about it. It's a nice opportunity to take in the fresh air, embrace a little healthy solitude, and see Boston. My walk takes me past a bustling park/track/football field, along part of the Emerald Necklace, and past the MFA's giant baby head.

;

Day 4: Kill ALL the Things

Today was like another day of Hangover.

I felt a little dazy, a little woozy, a little yucky. I woke up early to get Lo to a doctor's appointment by 8 AM. My mind felt good. My body felt tired. The yuckiness came and went, like morning sickness. (NO, I'm not.) Stacy described it as feeling your body reconfigure itself.

• Breakfast was good. I made sausage patties with ground turkey last night (and just a dash of cayenne). They were really flavorful, but hard as pucks. Lola LOVED 'em! I had two in the morning, with 1/4 avocado and about about a cup of boiled sweet potatoes and carrots. I enjoyed it, although I might use salsa next time I have the sausage. They were a bit dry after a few bites. I had a mug of tea on the way to the doctor's office and again on the way to work. I was happy to go back to tea. The coffee/coconut milk combo did not work for me.

As an aside, on my way to work I listened to an NPR interview with Cris Beam, the author of a new book called "The End of June." It's about the foster care system. I definitely want to read it, and thought my family might have some thoughts, too.

• Lunch was deeeeelish! I had a spinach salad with compliant prosciutto (from Trader Joes, just pork and salt), carrots, diced snow peas, hard-boiled egg, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Finished up with half a banana and a few strawberries. I felt full. I felt happy. I felt generally good. My body, though, was still tired. It could use a nap.
• Dinner was ... interesting. I made Tim and Lola rigatoni and baked up a spaghetti squash for myself, then I threw on some compliant pasta (Rao) sauce from Whole Foods. It was not pasta. It was spaghetti sauce on squash. It took me a while to get over it and just enjoy the new thing I was eating: squasta. To get my protein, I added in a turkey sausage patty. For "dessert," I had a Apple Pie Lara bar. Yum.

I was a little irritable, but within reason. 

Notes:

Groceries did cost a bit more this week, because I had to get some weird essentials (like coconut oil and coconut milk and coconut flakes... yeah), but I find that I'm saving money because I simply CAN'T buy lunch at work. There's very little I can eat here. I have bought a fresh fruit cup and some flavored seltzer, but otherwise, I'm not spending. Holla!
My ears are still plugged.
I've always wanted to try spaghetti squash! It's really a cool veggie. 

Day 3: OH! The Hangover.

I woke up to the alarm this morning feeling quite rested, but then I hit the snooze a few ten times and didn't feel so rested when I finally rolled out of bed. After my shower, I got a case of the woozies. Just like a hangover. I dry-heaved a few times (that happened on Monday, too), then I felt a little better. I still feel woozy. I'm glad I didn't skip breakfast because I think that would have made things much worse.

• Breakfast changed from the meal plan. I had two eggs fried in ghee, half a green pepper, and some strawberries. I tried coffee with coconut milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It's not coffee. It's something else. Like faux-chai. I drank it, but I didn't love it. Maybe I will in time...
• 11:30 AM... I keep thinking of my semi-regular breakfast of a blueberry muffin from Dunkin Donuts. Dang those are good. I'm dreaming of Day 31. I'll have a good breakfast and add half a muffin, maybe. 
• Lunch was good. I had tuna (mixed with Whole30 compliant mayo), spinach, and carrot salad, a cup of cantaloupe, and some orange vanilla seltzer. I felt much better, although I still craved a snack. Not because I was hungry. Just because it's habit, and I was bored.
• For dinner, we had leftover slow cooker beef. I really, really didn't want to eat it, but I needed to eat something. Skipping a meal is not compliant. I had it warmed up with a little extra beef broth and served it over spinach. Yummmmm. Next time I will definitely make more sweet potatoes to go with. For "dessert," I had bananas and strawberries with coconut milk. Yummmmmm. Thumbs up, Dinner!

Notes:
I almost skipped breakfast, but instead opted to be late for work. My boss noticed and told me to send her an updated list of my sick/personal time. Doh.

I really like spinach! I used to think it made me gassy, but there is no such thing happening. I've gone through a whole bag of it already.

I was extremely tired and yucky all day. Thoughts of bread and muffins were very torturous today.

Day 2: The Hangover

"And it is definitely true that the amount of suck you experience in this phase is directly proportional to the amount of crap you consumed before you began the program." - Days 2-3, Whole30 Timeline

I'm not feeling hungover, really. Just tired. Missing my coffee.

• Breakfast was the same stuff, but better. I ate the avocado with the egg, had bites of a juicy, sweet apple when my mouth felt dry or bored.
• A co-worker came by to get a mint from my candy cup on my desk, as she usually does on her way back from the loo. I felt a slight urge to reach for one, too, as I usually do when she does, then remembered my pact with myself: if I want a mint, I'll just go brush my teeth. Two birds, one stone, and what not. By the way, I'm also flossing every night as sort of a tacked-on challenge. Somehow it makes sense.
• Lunch was great! I strayed a little from the meal plan and just had reheated leftovers from last night. I mixed the warm sweet potatoes and carrots with my spinach salad w/almonds and didn't need dressing. Perfect.
• Super cravings for something junky at 3:30 today. I had some cashews instead. They were nice and sweet, but the cravings were persistent. Fortunately, I am, too. After I brushed my teeth, I felt better. No one wants to immediately ruin a fresh mouth with candy or crackers!
• Dinner was quick and easy. I diced and cooked up some chicken breast, sauteed a huge green pepper, then threw it all together with some sugar free salsa I got from Whole Foods. It was a thinner salsa than I usually use, so I attempted to thicken it with coconut flour. I served it to Lo and Tim over jasmine rice, and I ate it over a mound of spinach. Good meal! Everyone was happy.

Notes:
I'm so glad this diet thingy allows fruit! Otherwise, I wouldn't do it.
I felt very tired today, but I slept well. I avoided my pre-sleep rounds of solitaire, and I think that helped.
I downed my blueberry seltzer while watching TV. Tim ate a chocolate bar. =(
I've determined that, in order for this to work, I can't attempt to change my meals too dramatically. I simply can't cook two meals every night, one for me and one for the others. And I just don't have the energy or desire to try new recipes for 30 days in a row.

Day 1: So what’s the big deal?

The Whole30 website has cute list of how you'll feel at different points of the month. Day 1 is "So what's the big deal?"

It wasn't a big deal, really, but it was weird. I wasn't excited about my meals, except for dinner.

• I had a hard time with breakfast, because I generally have a doctored coffee and a Nutragrain bar in the car. Boiled eggs are dry, so wolfing them down was not a pleasant experience. The avocado was ripe, but rather dull. The strawberries, though, saved the morning. Delish! God bless summer strawberries. TMI: I was pretty nauseated for a minute or so after breakfast, but then I felt okay.

• Lunch was okay. I ate at my desk, because I had to leave early to sign the closing papers for our refi!! Romaine sure makes a good strong wrap. I didn't bring the spinach or cukes, so I had tuna and grated carrots wrapped in romaine. Sweet Stacy brought me some fresh fruit and an unsweetened iced tea. So nice!

• I had two snacks of unsweetened coconut flakes and roasted almonds. All the while, I had a bag of fruit chews, highly processed & sweetened dried fruit and nuts, a can of ginger ale, and a shortbread cookie sitting in my office with me, c/o my boss who surprised me with a leftover guest bag from her daughter's recent wedding. I maintained self control.

• Dinner was slow-cooker beef roast with sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery. I used Whole Foods' 365 brand beef broth. With just some garlic, S&P, and onion powder, the meal was very flavorful! Tim liked it, too. I rounded out my dinner with a handful of spinach with almond slices. Washed it all down with blueberry-flavored seltzer water, which satisfied my craving for a sweet dessert.

Notes: 

I need to build more time into my morning routine for breakfast and less time for snoozing. 

I don't eat a lot of veggies. I have to make a point to work them in. 

I only had a couple of cravings for junk which went away pretty quickly.

My yawning problem went away on Sunday, but I still can't hear well.

I'm pretty tired without my coffee, but I do enjoy unsweetened black tea way more than unsweetened coffee.

Tomorrow... "The Hangover"

Current State of Things

In a word: bad. I feel bad.

I've had swollen sinuses for two weeks. My hearing is muffled, and at times it sounds like everyone is talking through fans. I cannot stop yawning. In fact, my jaw is starting to ache from all of the yawning! I went to urgent care (cha-ching) and was told to use flonase and sudafed daily and do a nightly steam treatment. Well, three days in, my coughing stopped, but that's all. When my hearing is normal again, I'll call it a success.

I'm also incredibly tired and quick to anger. Admittedly, I just got my period, so I can blame some of this on PMS, but it's just not okay. I can't endure this every month. Tim can't either.

My appetite is nil.

My self-motivation is okay, though. Onward.

Week 1 Meal Plan

Monday
B: Black tea, 2 boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup strawberries
L: Tuna salad lettuce wraps w/shredded spinach, carrots, and cucumber, fruit
D: Slow-cooker beef with sweet potatoes, celery, onions

Tuesday
B: Black tea, 2 boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup strawberries
L: Leftover beef "taco" salad w/black olives and salsa, fruit
D: Salsa Chicken with 1/2 avocado and cumin-roasted carrots

Wednesday
B: Black tea, Apple, Sweet Potato, and Turkey Hash, fresh spinach
L: Egg Salad, cucumber, carrots strawberries
D: Burgers w/avocado, steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Thursday
B: Black tea, leftover Hash, fresh spinach, Monkey Salad
L: Burger, tomato/black olive/basil salad, fruit
D: Tuna salad with spinach, cashews, berries and balsamic vinaigrette

Friday
B: Black tea, 2 boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 cup strawberries
L: Compliant roast beef (or proscuitto) wrapped veggie sticks, monkey salad
D: Almond-crusted chicken tenders, sauteed green beans, 1/2 sweet potato

Saturday
B: Coffee w/coconut milk, spinach, pepper, mushroom omelet, 1/2 avocado or fruit
L: Leftovers
D: Grilled steak tips, mashed (or steamed) cauliflower

Sunday
B: Coffee w/coconut milk, fried eggs w/salsa, 1/2 avocado
L: Compliant roast beef (or proscuitto) wrapped veggie sticks, fruit
D: Homemade spaghetti w/meatballs over spaghetti squash

Inspiring Blog

I'm finding a lot of great recipes on this blog: http://goodcheapeats.com/my-whole-30-eating-plan/.

Okay. I'm going for it!

On Monday, August 26, I plan to start the Whole30 challenge. Basically, for 30 consecutive days, I will be abstaining from refined sugars and sweeteners, dairy, grains, seed oils, alcohol, legumes and some other stuff. According to the diet's creators, this will bring my metabolism back to its normal, healthy state by breaking negative, hormonal feedback loops and easing digestion problems that result from eating foods that interfere with my body's natural functioning. The book It Starts With Food has been fun to read and explains the solid science behind this.

My bestie, Stacy, has successfully completed the challenge. She looks great, eats great, and has inspired me to take the challenge. She loaned me the book. Thanks, Stacy!

As you may know, I've long suffered from food sensitivities. Dairy, most obviously, has been hard for me to digest, but I suspect that my problems go way beyond dairy. Throughout the years, it's been a constant guessing game as to what foods have made me feel tired, foggy, moody, bloated, pimply, twitchy, etc. So instead of doing trial eliminations based on all the weird, wild guesses I've made over the years, I'm going to hit the reset button with the Whole30 and start from there.

My #1 Motivation: Many of the testimonials online say that energy levels and ability to focus are boosted and sustained, along with a feeling of general well-being.

I also hope to lose weight, learn to shop locally, feed my family healthier meat and in-season produce, and model good behavior for my daughter.

At this point, I'm making up my meal plan and shopping list. I'm feeling optimistic, in that I already like a lot of the things that are on the Okay list and have started to limit some tempting things on the Bad list (like alcohol, dairy, and sugar). I live close-ish to an organic farm that sells grass-fed meat and organic produce. I also did pretty well when I was pregnant with Lola, so I know I can say "no" to bad things if the payoff is high enough. I was worried about the financial aspect and still am somewhat, but if I'm buying less crap to munch on at work and home, it should balance out.

I'm feeling un-optimistic, in that I worry I'm being naive about how hard it will be and that my commuter, working, Lazy Mama lifestyle won't allow for more from-scratch cooking (necessary because so many of the foods available to us contain the Bad items). Perhaps the benefits of better sleep and higher energy will help me out with this.

I'm gearing up for the challenge, and I'm looking forward to good results. I know how different I feel with a clear mind and a healthy gut. I WANT THAT, NOW. And maybe, just as Stacy's experience has inspired me, I will be able to inspire you, too.

Read on if you like. Otherwise, I'll probably be telling you about it some other way.

Much love,
Mel