Is anyone doing The Whole Thirty?

Gillby1

Fuddle, Flissh and Southerngirl, well done! I haven't had time to post for a day or two, but have been catching up on your daily posts when I could!

Thanks for the meatloaf recipe - will give it a try. It sounds like a convenient breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack all rolled in to one!

I'm still doing well, and cannot believe it's day 11 already! I'm still thinking about snacks, and craving puddings after a big meal, but because I've come this far, and because they are so unambiguously NOT ALLOWED on the Whole30, I've managed not to give in! I haven't made the date/choc mousse or the banana ice cream for myself again, though, because it felt like I was still eating unnecessary sugary snacks. I'm not suggesting you all do the same, by the way. Just that I realised I was looking for ways to 'cheat'!

Day 10

Breakfast: chicken, avocado, prawns, peach
Lunch: Can't remember at the moment!
Dinner: Chicken curry with loads of veg and cauli rice

Day 11

Breakfast: prawns, calamari and chorizo, half avocado
Lunch: Red pepper stuffed with meat ragu, salad, peach, cherries
Dinner: Sausages, asparagus, swiss chard
Snacks: Almond cherry date bar (the homemade thing!), apple

It's getting easier and easier to plan, shop and cook for meals now, as I am getting into the habit of being more organised. My other half is happy with most of the meals I cook, but occasionally adds rice or potatoes and a snack. My boys are both really enjoying sharing my breakfast foods, especially the prawns, which really helps.

Hope you've all had a good day!

Gilly

southerngirl_2

Well done Gilly for making it to day 11 :T your meals always sound very tasty with lots of variety and colour! Can you please share your recipe for your cherry almond date bar. I'm going to sit down this weekend and plan my meals a bit better to keep them interesting and flavoursome.

The meatloaf was pretty good and you can easily experiment with it and add any veges you want. Reading the comments from other people who have made it gave me even more ideas - some had used turkey or chicken mince which would be quite nice with chopped bacon and herbs etc.

Day 4

Breakfast - mushroom, egg, bacon, watercress, advocado

Lunch - meatloaf, watercress, advocado

Dinner - chargrilled artichokes (I didn't have lunch until 4.30pm as work was crazy busy and couldn't face much food for dinner - will prob be starving at breakfast tomorrow!)

Drink - black coffee, water

Still feeling tired, even more so today. Have lost the euphoric feeling but still in a happy friendly mood I thought giving up chocolate which I used to eat every day might make me a bit moody but so far so good.

Good luck all for tomorrow.

flissh

Day 9:j

Gilly you are right dates and banana soft scoop are cheats for puddings:( I am not going to give them up but I am going to restrict them to about twice a week. I must not have them every day.

Breakfast, scrambled eggs
Lunch, curried chicken & veg, soup
Dinner, Chicken & veg. Banana soft scoop (before i decided to restrict pud substitute!)

Snacks melon.

Drinks the usual black tea & coffee, herbal tea

Keep up the good work every one. I am going away for the weekend so may face a few challenges but feel determined to keep at it. I won't be posting 'till Sunday night as will not have the internet.
:wave:

Gillby1

Flissh - have a lovely weekend away! Keep up the good work. Well done for cutting down the puddings. Are you hoping to lose weight on the Whole 30, and if so, are you seeing any difference yet?

Southerngirl - for the almond date bar I just used a food processor to blend a cup of almonds, about 7 or 8 dates (but add more if the consistency isn't right) and a small handful of dried cherries (from Tesco). I also added seeds and flaxseed, but you could leave these out if you don't have them, or try adding desiccated coconut? I process it until it comes together into a sticky lump, then roll into balls or shape into bars. They taste a bit like those Nakd bars, and are good for an energy boost!

Hope that helps. Have a great day!

flissh

Hi All,

I'm all packed and off in a mo!
Gilly, I am doing this to lose weight, but also to change the way I eat & drink (alcohol). If I'm not careful I eat far too much. I also can drink a couple of glasses of wine most evenings without thinking about it.

My clothes do feel a bit looser all ready.

Any how, have a good weekend all, chat Monday:D

southerngirl_2

Have a fab weekend away Flissh

Thanks Gilly for the recipe. Have you tried it with any other fruits/nuts? I don't think I'm a fan of dried cherries, do you think dried apricots would work? Have you ever baked it in the oven? I love nuts and coconut but I guess it's finding a dried fruit that will hold everything together.

Day 5

Breakfast - Bacon, egg, watercress, advocado

Lunch - Meatloaf, watercress, advocado

Dinner - Meatloaf, handful of walnuts

Drinks - Black coffee, water

Thank goodness the meatloaf is now all gone - will look forward to something tasty tomorrow!

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

Gillby1

Hi all,

Southerngirl - I haven't tried baking it, but am going to next time. It might make it a little more chewy and sticky, I hope! I bought some dried figs to try, instead of cherries, but you could just use dates, or even dried apple, banana or other berries.

Flissh - It's brilliant that your clothes feel looser! Are you waiting until the end to weigh yourself? I did weigh myself yesterday, as I was worried about loosing too much weight, but I finally seem to be stable at around the 8 stone mark (I am 5' 6" but have the bone size of a sparrow - just like my dad!). I do look a bit too skinny, though. Let's put it this way - I won't be wearing my bikini when we go on holiday next week, as there'd be nothing to hold the top up!! I think it's partly due to chasing around after my two boys, but also due to problems digesting food, which I'm hoping will improve with the Whole30.

Has anyone noticed any changes in their wellbeing? I'm feeling really energetic today, and have already got loads done! Usually by now i'd be in need of a doze after eating a huge bacon sarnie, but my sardine and salad lunch seems to have the opposite affect!!

Day 12 (yesterday)

Breakfast: Chicken, avocado, nuts, fruit

Lunch: Red pepper stuffed with meat ragu, salad, almond date bar

Dinner: Thai beef curry with cauli rice

Will update on day 13 later. Am enjoying the food i'm eating, and love feeling healthier and not struggling with IBS! Dare I say it, but even the IC has eased off for a few days. AND I really am sleeping all night - except when my eldest falls out of his new big-boy-bed and needs mummy to put him back again...

I'm so glad we're all in this together, btw:o. I really look forward to writing and reading posts on this thread!! :T

Have a lovely weekend everyone xxx

southerngirl_2

Hi All

Day 6

Breakfast - Sausages, bacon, egg, watercress, advocado

Lunch - Sausages, strawberries

Dinner - Sausages, watercress, advocado, onion

I know what you mean Gilly. Even though I'm feeling tired I also feel quite energised, if that makes sense, and also getting lots done.

So far these are the positive changes that are happening - I've lost weight, the bloated feeling is disappearing, my mood feels more 'stable' and I'm able to take things in my stride without feeling stressed or anxious like I may have before, bodily functions improved if you get what I mean. And I think my shopping bill will end up cheaper.

I haven't found anything negative so far - sure I'd love a glass of wine and some chocolate but it's not the end of the world if I don't have it for thirty days.

One thing I've been thinking about and I'd been interested to hear what everyone else's plans are - what happens at the end of thirty days. Are you going to continue with the whole30 plan? Introduce some foods back into your daily eating?

Gillby1

Hi all!

Day 13 (yesterday)

Breakfast: Prawns and calamari, avocado, nuts

Lunch: Sardines and salad, fruit

Dinner: Thai salmon with coconut sauce, asparagus, mange tout, mango with coconut milk

Snack at 8pm (was very hungry last night!): homemade beef burger with bacon

Day 14

Breakfast: Avocado, almond date bar, boiled egg

Lunch: Homemade burger, sausage, chicken wings (BBQ lunch!) with salad

Dinner: OH is making chicken curry from scratch tonight, so i'll have that with cauliflower rice.

It's a beautiful day, here, which makes it much easier to eat healthy, light, salady foods and fruits. I hope it's bright and sunny where you are! Good luck with today, everyone xxx

Gillby1

southerngirl wrote: »

One thing I've been thinking about and I'd been interested to hear what everyone else's plans are - what happens at the end of thirty days. Are you going to continue with the whole30 plan? Introduce some foods back into your daily eating?

I think i'm hoping that I'll be able to reintroduce small amounts of grains, dairy, legumes etc... with no ill effect, but will reintroduce them slowly, one by one, so I can check for any reactions. Ultimately, however, I will make sure I eat much less of those things than I used to, and if I feel the old IBS/IC symptoms, i'll know it's time to be strict with myself!

How about you?