Day 1 Whole30
Today was my first day on the Whole30 eating plan. I've had breakfast and lunch. So that means two meals down and 88 meals to go.
So far today I've made some homemade vegetable broth and a large base salad that will be easy to add tomatoes and nuts or even some meat (chicken or tuna).
I've got type II diabetes and have a difficult time tolerating the medication I've been prescribed. So now my goal is to lose weight and increase my activity so that I can reverse this condition.
I'm doing this Whole30 with four of my five daughters and a daughter-in-law. I am confident that having this much support will be a big help.
Just a little bit history about me... I'm 65, been married for 45 years, have six grown children, and 16 grandchildren. I'm a quilter, writer, and love to be creative.
Embarking on a new adventure will be both challenging and rewarding.
Stay tuned for updates on how this goes.
So far today I've made some homemade vegetable broth and a large base salad that will be easy to add tomatoes and nuts or even some meat (chicken or tuna).
I've got type II diabetes and have a difficult time tolerating the medication I've been prescribed. So now my goal is to lose weight and increase my activity so that I can reverse this condition.
I'm doing this Whole30 with four of my five daughters and a daughter-in-law. I am confident that having this much support will be a big help.
Just a little bit history about me... I'm 65, been married for 45 years, have six grown children, and 16 grandchildren. I'm a quilter, writer, and love to be creative.
Embarking on a new adventure will be both challenging and rewarding.
Stay tuned for updates on how this goes.
Day 2 Whole30
Day 2 - Has gone pretty smoothly. I have decided that I can do only one large salad a day. I like salads, and I made a delicious balsamic dressing, but not more than once a day. Maybe as this project goes on, I'll do more salads.
Breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, and blueberries. For lunch a big salad with tuna. For dinner, it will be lemon chicken with parsley potatoes made with ghee and some leftover veggies from yesterday.
I did make some homemade mayo, which was surprisingly easy. I've made it two days without chocolate, which for me is impressive. I also made some vegetable broth.
Breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, and blueberries. For lunch a big salad with tuna. For dinner, it will be lemon chicken with parsley potatoes made with ghee and some leftover veggies from yesterday.
I did make some homemade mayo, which was surprisingly easy. I've made it two days without chocolate, which for me is impressive. I also made some vegetable broth.
Day 3 Whole30
One more day down... 27 days to go. I'm feeling pretty confident that I will be able to complete this.
Breakfast was deviled eggs (made with my homemade mayo), lunch was a big salad. Dinner will be a homemade meatloaf with chicken, pork, and beef, with several "different" ingredients like cranberries, dates, and almonds. I'll report tomorrow how that turned out. It does smell good.
I survived a test today. I was at the second grocery store and felt like I was starving! But I managed to complete my shopping without straying.
I've been surprised by no headaches which I expected since this is such a drastic cut in sugar. Going from eating some chocolate EVERYDAY to none is a significant change, but one I feel that it is needed.
One more day down... 27 days to go. I'm feeling pretty confident that I will be able to complete this.
Breakfast was deviled eggs (made with my homemade mayo), lunch was a big salad. Dinner will be a homemade meatloaf with chicken, pork, and beef, with several "different" ingredients like cranberries, dates, and almonds. I'll report tomorrow how that turned out. It does smell good.
I survived a test today. I was at the second grocery store and felt like I was starving! But I managed to complete my shopping without straying.
I've been surprised by no headaches which I expected since this is such a drastic cut in sugar. Going from eating some chocolate EVERYDAY to none is a significant change, but one I feel that it is needed.
Days 4 and 5 Whole30
For some, they say that these days are the most difficult, but I seemed to get by them okay. I did go to a weekly meeting Thursday evening, and this was a challenge since I always eat mints or chocolate. I was glad that I had cleaned out my purse and had no choice but to tough it out.
My meatloaf tasted okay, but was pretty dry... I think I added to many ground almonds. I'll make some tomato sauce to have with the rest.
I may be feeling a little lighter, moving a bit easier. I have arthritis so it can be different from day to day. I am encouraged enough to continue.
Cooking has been more intense than I thought it would. I've never cooked this many full meals ever! But I've never cooked my own vegetable broth or homemade mayo. Neither are trying to make, just meant I had to spend a lot more time in the kitchen.
For some, they say that these days are the most difficult, but I seemed to get by them okay. I did go to a weekly meeting Thursday evening, and this was a challenge since I always eat mints or chocolate. I was glad that I had cleaned out my purse and had no choice but to tough it out.
My meatloaf tasted okay, but was pretty dry... I think I added to many ground almonds. I'll make some tomato sauce to have with the rest.
I may be feeling a little lighter, moving a bit easier. I have arthritis so it can be different from day to day. I am encouraged enough to continue.
Cooking has been more intense than I thought it would. I've never cooked this many full meals ever! But I've never cooked my own vegetable broth or homemade mayo. Neither are trying to make, just meant I had to spend a lot more time in the kitchen.
Days 6, 7, and 8 Whole30
I made it past the weekend! Tuesday now, so past the hardest part of the week.
Day 6 - Big test on Saturday, we went to a Mexican restaurant. I have steak fajitas without tortillas, cheese, or sour cream, but lots of veggies and salsa. Ordered extra peppers, that I wanted to eat the salsa with, but when they came, they were grilled, so I had some extra peppers with the fajitas.
I took the peppers home and added zucchini and mushrooms for some roasted veggies the next day. It was so tasty that I didn't miss the omitted items too much, but I did miss them some.
Also, made some microwave "mug coconut bread," which I will have when I really need some bread.
Day 7 - I made chicken broth, which I will use during the week, and freeze some for use later. My homemade vegetable broth on day 2 and froze some of it for use later. I've decided that I can have the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch. I found RX Bars which are amazing that I can eat for breakfast and for lunch I have a big salad with tuna and balsamic dressing. I'm not a real big breakfast person, so the bars are filling and have 12 grams of protein.
Day 8 - Cleaned out my freezer yesterday and found several packages of meat, some lean burger, ground turkey, fish, and some chicken. Glad to see the burger, since I had that and mushrooms, and canned tomatoes. I made tomato sauce for my butternut squash noodles.
This is the first time I've made the sauce without adding sugar, which tomato sauce usually need a small amount of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I cooked down a small amount of balsamic vinegar and added it to the sauce which added a little sweetness and another layer of flavor. I'll use this method after Whole30.
These 30 days really may change my relationship with food, and that can't be a bad thing.
I made it past the weekend! Tuesday now, so past the hardest part of the week.
Day 6 - Big test on Saturday, we went to a Mexican restaurant. I have steak fajitas without tortillas, cheese, or sour cream, but lots of veggies and salsa. Ordered extra peppers, that I wanted to eat the salsa with, but when they came, they were grilled, so I had some extra peppers with the fajitas.
I took the peppers home and added zucchini and mushrooms for some roasted veggies the next day. It was so tasty that I didn't miss the omitted items too much, but I did miss them some.
Also, made some microwave "mug coconut bread," which I will have when I really need some bread.
Day 7 - I made chicken broth, which I will use during the week, and freeze some for use later. My homemade vegetable broth on day 2 and froze some of it for use later. I've decided that I can have the same thing every day for breakfast and lunch. I found RX Bars which are amazing that I can eat for breakfast and for lunch I have a big salad with tuna and balsamic dressing. I'm not a real big breakfast person, so the bars are filling and have 12 grams of protein.
Day 8 - Cleaned out my freezer yesterday and found several packages of meat, some lean burger, ground turkey, fish, and some chicken. Glad to see the burger, since I had that and mushrooms, and canned tomatoes. I made tomato sauce for my butternut squash noodles.
This is the first time I've made the sauce without adding sugar, which tomato sauce usually need a small amount of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I cooked down a small amount of balsamic vinegar and added it to the sauce which added a little sweetness and another layer of flavor. I'll use this method after Whole30.
These 30 days really may change my relationship with food, and that can't be a bad thing.
Days 9-15 Whole30
Still on track after 15 days, which honestly has shocked me. My biggest challenge has been dairy NOT sugar, and that has been shocking to me. Before starting the Whole30, I was eating chocolate daily. But now I'd love to have something smothered in cheese.
Since I'm diabetic, I've been checking my blood sugar level, and since starting, I've dropped my morning fasting level by 66 points, which is great since I've stopped taking all my medications. For years I'd taken Metformin, and I've developed a reaction. I've tried a couple of additional medicines, both unable to tolerate. One made me sick to my stomach, after only two days. The other I had a response within 45 minutes I developed hives that took steroids to get rid of the severe rash. I was still breaking out three days later, and I had only one pill. My diabetes isn't wildly out of control but needs to be addressed now before I start having complications.
I went to the gym last week had a good work-out and had scheduled a session with a trainer for today but had to cancel due to Indiana weather. The gym I go to has a whirlpool and a couple of different saunas. They are my reward for treadmill work and a little bit of strength training. According to my Fitbit device, I was in a fat burning mode for eight hours. That was so encouraging to continue.
Now, I have to decide about re-introduction for foods that I had given up for 30 days. I think I'll start with bread and grains. I bake my bread, so I know exactly what I'm eating. You are supposed to start with things that you probably don't have issues. Then maybe beans and the last corn, then I would move on to dairy. Sugar can be final, but now I feel I really can control the sugar and not have it manage me like a slave.
I am sure that I will keep making my mayo and ketchup. I've made my pasta sauce for a long time, but now I won't be adding sugar to balance the acidity in my sauces. For the pasta sauce, I cooked down some balsamic vinegar and added a small amount to the tomato sauce at balanced the bitterness and added another layer of favor. I see permanent changes in my relationship with food, and that is a good thing.
I'm going to be spending a few days with one of my lovely daughters and her family. So I won't post again until Wednesday or possibly Friday. She is going to feed me the allowed foods. It will be nice to have someone cook for me.
Future plans... I'll probably do this again, maybe 2-3 times a year. We'll see.
Still on track after 15 days, which honestly has shocked me. My biggest challenge has been dairy NOT sugar, and that has been shocking to me. Before starting the Whole30, I was eating chocolate daily. But now I'd love to have something smothered in cheese.
Since I'm diabetic, I've been checking my blood sugar level, and since starting, I've dropped my morning fasting level by 66 points, which is great since I've stopped taking all my medications. For years I'd taken Metformin, and I've developed a reaction. I've tried a couple of additional medicines, both unable to tolerate. One made me sick to my stomach, after only two days. The other I had a response within 45 minutes I developed hives that took steroids to get rid of the severe rash. I was still breaking out three days later, and I had only one pill. My diabetes isn't wildly out of control but needs to be addressed now before I start having complications.
I went to the gym last week had a good work-out and had scheduled a session with a trainer for today but had to cancel due to Indiana weather. The gym I go to has a whirlpool and a couple of different saunas. They are my reward for treadmill work and a little bit of strength training. According to my Fitbit device, I was in a fat burning mode for eight hours. That was so encouraging to continue.
Now, I have to decide about re-introduction for foods that I had given up for 30 days. I think I'll start with bread and grains. I bake my bread, so I know exactly what I'm eating. You are supposed to start with things that you probably don't have issues. Then maybe beans and the last corn, then I would move on to dairy. Sugar can be final, but now I feel I really can control the sugar and not have it manage me like a slave.
I am sure that I will keep making my mayo and ketchup. I've made my pasta sauce for a long time, but now I won't be adding sugar to balance the acidity in my sauces. For the pasta sauce, I cooked down some balsamic vinegar and added a small amount to the tomato sauce at balanced the bitterness and added another layer of favor. I see permanent changes in my relationship with food, and that is a good thing.
I'm going to be spending a few days with one of my lovely daughters and her family. So I won't post again until Wednesday or possibly Friday. She is going to feed me the allowed foods. It will be nice to have someone cook for me.
Future plans... I'll probably do this again, maybe 2-3 times a year. We'll see.
Days 16 and 17 Whole30
So excited about how my blood sugar is doing. Checked two times today, morning fasting level 129 and a post-meal level of 174. Which at least puts me in the ball-park for a person with a diagnosis of diabetes. Most impressive is this is with NO medication.
I've checked the sugar level earlier while on Whole30, and it has consistently gone down. But it did take some time for my body to start processing carbs better. I know that I need to continue watching what I eat carefully, but I'm confident I can live an enjoyable life without daily chocolate. That is quite big for me.
So excited about how my blood sugar is doing. Checked two times today, morning fasting level 129 and a post-meal level of 174. Which at least puts me in the ball-park for a person with a diagnosis of diabetes. Most impressive is this is with NO medication.
I've checked the sugar level earlier while on Whole30, and it has consistently gone down. But it did take some time for my body to start processing carbs better. I know that I need to continue watching what I eat carefully, but I'm confident I can live an enjoyable life without daily chocolate. That is quite big for me.
Days 18 - 23 Whole30
Been a rough week, but I remained successful. No cheats yet! No one is more surprised by this than me.
Two big tests were going to the movies - without popcorn or candy. But I did survive. It helped that my cousins didn't eat any of those things. We had just had a big lunch, I brought my dressing, so I was able to enjoy my salad without guilt. The second one was a more significant test. I was sick with a stomach bug and was vomiting for hours. Still weak but at least I can keep food down. I was so tempted to try some crackers to settle my stomach, instead, I toughed it out and ate applesauce most of the next day.
Now I have only eight days left. Then I get to start reintroducing foods that have been off limits for 30 days. The plan at this time is to start with homemade bread and then other grains and beans. Hopefully, that won't take too long and later on to dairy. Sugar will be last since I need to limit that anyway and I've found out that I can live without sweets every day. I think I'll appreciate a treat once or twice a month and be more grateful for such sweetness of an indulgence.
Been a rough week, but I remained successful. No cheats yet! No one is more surprised by this than me.
Two big tests were going to the movies - without popcorn or candy. But I did survive. It helped that my cousins didn't eat any of those things. We had just had a big lunch, I brought my dressing, so I was able to enjoy my salad without guilt. The second one was a more significant test. I was sick with a stomach bug and was vomiting for hours. Still weak but at least I can keep food down. I was so tempted to try some crackers to settle my stomach, instead, I toughed it out and ate applesauce most of the next day.
Now I have only eight days left. Then I get to start reintroducing foods that have been off limits for 30 days. The plan at this time is to start with homemade bread and then other grains and beans. Hopefully, that won't take too long and later on to dairy. Sugar will be last since I need to limit that anyway and I've found out that I can live without sweets every day. I think I'll appreciate a treat once or twice a month and be more grateful for such sweetness of an indulgence.
Days 24 - 30 Whole 30
I made it! No one is more surprised than me. When I started, I would have rated my self-control level at 0-1 out of 10. But I did make it the full 30 days without cheating.
The results -
Energy level higher
No longer stiff after sitting
Inches lost a total of 6" (bust, arms, thighs, hips, and waist)
Blood sugar down 62 points
Weight down 8.8 lbs.
Not being stiff is a big deal since I have arthritis in my back and when the weather changes (I live in Indiana so the weather can change several times in a day). I do feel very stiff and sometimes a little achy.
One day 31 I started adding back major food groups, starting with grains. I quickly add everything else since I don't have food allergies or sensitives (except for bananas).
What did I learn from this experience? I learned that I CAN exercise self-control when it comes to food. I will be able to do this again, while I don't have food issues, I need to control the amount and what I eat to lose some more weight and continue to lower my blood sugar. I also need to be careful with additives, hormones, and "flavor enhancers" that are so often used by the food industries.
Though I don't have food issues, I do have problems with chemicals, chemicals in medications. I have a long list of allergies for drugs, both OTC and prescriptions. Making your homemade ketchup and mayo isn't tricky, and once you find the best recipes, you don't miss the additives or sugars.
Now my current challenges will be to decide which food plan I want to try and will be able to stick with it.
I made it! No one is more surprised than me. When I started, I would have rated my self-control level at 0-1 out of 10. But I did make it the full 30 days without cheating.
The results -
Energy level higher
No longer stiff after sitting
Inches lost a total of 6" (bust, arms, thighs, hips, and waist)
Blood sugar down 62 points
Weight down 8.8 lbs.
Not being stiff is a big deal since I have arthritis in my back and when the weather changes (I live in Indiana so the weather can change several times in a day). I do feel very stiff and sometimes a little achy.
One day 31 I started adding back major food groups, starting with grains. I quickly add everything else since I don't have food allergies or sensitives (except for bananas).
What did I learn from this experience? I learned that I CAN exercise self-control when it comes to food. I will be able to do this again, while I don't have food issues, I need to control the amount and what I eat to lose some more weight and continue to lower my blood sugar. I also need to be careful with additives, hormones, and "flavor enhancers" that are so often used by the food industries.
Though I don't have food issues, I do have problems with chemicals, chemicals in medications. I have a long list of allergies for drugs, both OTC and prescriptions. Making your homemade ketchup and mayo isn't tricky, and once you find the best recipes, you don't miss the additives or sugars.
Now my current challenges will be to decide which food plan I want to try and will be able to stick with it.