Tag: whole30

Whole30 Discoveries

- Meaghan Penrod

Well hello friends.  If you can math, you know it hasn’t yet been 30 days…  All of you die-hard Whole30-ers will not like the way I’m going about this, so maybe just click away from this post now…lol

When I first started Whole30, I went into it thinking that I would do exactly what the author said–follow the program to a t for 30 days and if I fell off, I’d start from the beginning.  But let me tell you how that actually went down. I started on a Monday and did amazing all week! I didn’t break any rules and I wasn’t even tempted to.  The first few days, I definitely felt really sleepy and the second day I had a ton of bloating.  But other than that, I didn’t struggle much.  As I’ve said, my eating habits aren’t that far off from the plan, so I don’t think it was a huge adjustment for my body. But by the time Friday rolled around, it was the first day where I felt clarity and energy! I got so much done during the day and I really did start to feel a difference.  However, the timing of this challenge was not great as my husband is in the Army National Guard and he had his 3 week training starting at the end of this week.  He was leaving on Saturday and come Friday he asked if we could go out for dinner and drinks for his last night.  I MEAN, he’s gonna sleep in a tent in the woods for 3 weeks…I think I at least owed him this! So I decided to restart again after he left.  I actually didn’t break THAT many rules at dinner.  I got a steak with potatoes and veggies…but I had lots of alcohol lol

My house margarita and his mule

Fast forward to Saturday, when my girl Cassie, AKA Gluten Gossip, had her birthday celebration at a brewery.  It had a gorgeous outdoor patio with all kinds of games AND they served cider/mixed drinks…so I totally could have just continued drinking, but I was actually surprised how easy it was for me to just stick to water! And then she brought out the gluten free cupcakes…and I ate one lol BUT come Sunday, I started over.

I stuck to the plan and noticed something HUGE this week–I no longer had cravings. This is a big deal for me.  I’m almost ALWAYS thinking about food.  Like an hour after dinner is over, I’m actively arguing with my brain about how I don’t need a snack lol All I want to do all night long is eat something…I don’t usually do anything crazy–it’s usually just popcorn, fruit, pieces of chocolate, etc…and a lot of time all of those things.  It just feels so annoying to constantly be wanting to eat though! But suddenly, with all those grains off the table, I felt totally stable…which seems like a weird word to describe it, but it’s dead on! I wasn’t thinking about food at all in the evening! Even when dinner time rolled around, I didn’t feel like I was starving to death.  There were one or two nights where I actually did get hungry (not just bored) and I had some watermelon or an apple with almond butter and felt totally satisfied.

It was at this point that I kind of realized I had gotten what I wanted out of Whole30.  I’ve been a carb-fiend my whole life.  Any time I saw a diet that cut out carbs, I didn’t even give it a thought.  I’m great at not eating grains during the day, but come dinner time, I always felt like I NEEDED grains or I wouldn’t be satisfied.  The thought of skipping that seemed like pure torture and something I just couldn’t sustain.  But for some reason, this time around I decided to give it a go and it seriously changed everything for me.  Suddenly, controlling my portions at dinner wasn’t even a big deal because I could eat SO many veggies without worrying about it! I think this is one of my biggest take-aways.  Portion control is always so hard for me and when I’m eating this way, it’s not even an issue anymore! Plus it inspired me to get really creative in the kitchen and make things I wouldn’t have thought of before. Like this shrimp stir fry:

Shrimp stirfry

 I had never used coconut aminos before, even though I always meant to try them.  And I make stir-fry ALL the time, so I knew I needed to get them for this challenge.  I was BLOWN AWAY at how amazing they were.  The depth of flavor was insane and this was by far the best stir fry I’ve ever made (flavor-wise).

I kept thinking up new recipes and was shocked again and again by how satisfying they were! These ground turkey lettuce tacos were SO good and I made enough so that I could have taco salad the following night. Plus not limiting my intake of avocado…? That’s all I’ve ever wanted in life!

I also started getting creative with coconut flour and found that I could make a lot of yummy dishes with that–like fried eggplant or “breaded”-mustard chicken.

I started really enjoying my lunches again and feeling invigorated by not having to worry about how much of each food I was eating.  This way of eating really just changed my mindset.  I feel like before, my mindset towards food was like a super anxious dog that’s jumping around and growling and whining….like he just can’t seem to control himself or figure out how he feels! But this way of eating has made me feel like a a dog chillin’ out in the sun haha zen.

Later that week, I went out to dinner with my parents at Outback.  I was doing great! I turned down wine (easily), ate carrots and celery as an appetizer, ordered steak and potatoes plus salad, and when dessert came around I didn’t care about it at all.  But I could tell my parents really wanted it and they wanted me to share it with them.  Food is just such a big thing for my family–it’s really something we connect over and it’s how a lot of them show their love.  So I agreed and for the first time that I can remember, I ate a few bites and put my spoon down willingly.  Usually, I’m like elbow deep in there and I’m in it til the end! This time, I felt satisfied after a taste and was good to go.  WHAT?!

So it was at this point that I decided I didn’t need to keep going with Whole30 fully.  I had gotten the mental peace that I wanted from it and I saw how I could incorporate it into my life.  Going forward, I now understand that all the grains and sugar really do make my brain feel out of control.  I plan on cutting way down on them during the week so that when the weekend rolls around, or the occasional blogging dinner, I can indulge in a healthy way–in a way where I thoroughly enjoy myself, but I don’t feel frenzied or the need to eat WAY more than I need. I feel like I finally have control over food.

 

Preparing for Whole30

- Meaghan Penrod

I’ve always been the kind of person that gets super excited about something and then reads up on it like crazy! As a kid, any time I got a new pet I’d learn everything about them.  To this day, I can still tell you more than you probably care to know about Beta fish and Hermit Crabs lol

So in preparation for this experiment, I read through the Whole30 book and reviewed other various articles on the internet.  I just wanted to make sure I had a good idea of what I’d be eliminating, good alternatives, and any tips and tricks that might be helpful. Plus, I like knowing all the science and reasons behind something like this–that’s what helps me feel motivated and driven.

Quite honestly, I started feeling pretty good about it.  I realized you can still have potatoes, which is a HUGE deal for me haha I think just that alone will help me feel like I’m not starving myself of carbs.  For the most part, I already eat this way for breakfast and lunch during the week.  I don’t really eat any dairy or carbs during the day, so the only real struggle is going to be at night.  A meal doesn’t feel complete for me without 3 parts–meat, carbs, and  veggies.  So finding satisfying replacements for my pasta and rice will be a big deal.  I do really enjoy spaghetti squash so I’m hoping between that, cauliflower rice, and potatoes I’ll be good to go! Plus, you’re allowed to keep eating until you feel full, so it’ll be nice not having to carefully measure my portions.  I can just allow myself to enjoy the food until I feel like I’ve naturally come to the end of my meal.

In preparation for today (my first day!), I went to the grocery store on Sunday and got lots of goodies to get me started:

Spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, zucchini, squash, avocados, apples, strawberries, bananas, oranges, watermelon, coconut milk, coconut aminos, kombucha, chicken, ground turkey, and beef.  My new neighbors already loaded me up with their chicken’s and duck’s eggs, so I’m good to go there.

I knew in order to be successful with this, I needed to do a little bit of meal prep.  I know some people go crazy with it, but I like to do a little at a time.  So yesterday I cooked several potatoes (red and sweet potatoes) in the crockpot along with 3 chicken breasts.  I also hard-boiled some eggs and made 2 chia puddings (just 4 tbs of chia seeds and 1 cup of flax milk, mixed together and put in the fridge).  Later in the week, I’ll be roasting my spaghetti squash but for now I’ll just be making zoodles for dinner with my zucchini.  In the morning, I finish putting together my breakfast and lunch.  Today I diced up some strawberries and chopped up some pecans and threw them on top of the chia pudding I prepped.  For lunch, I made a salad with the lettuce, red pepper, cucumber, and avocado and then threw some of my slow-cooked chicken on top! I also always make my dressing the day of–I just get a small container and pour in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of whatever vinegar I’m in the mood for (today I did red wine vinegar), salt, pepper, and some herbs (today it was parsley).

I don’t anticipate the work-day to be much of a struggle because it’s no different other than adding in meat…which I’m pretty excited about.  The real test will be how crazy I feel not having real pasta with dinner tonight…and not snacking all night long on carbs…

Stay tuned!

 

Why Whole30?

- Meaghan Penrod

First off, let me start by saying that I NEVER had any interest in doing Whole30.  I’ve been hearing about it for years now and every time another person would tell me they were doing it, I’d roll my eyes.  Oh you’re gonna cut out grains, dairy, and booze? Sounds like a blast.  It didn’t make sense to me because that’s not a sustainable lifestyle and it just seemed like a waste of time.  I saw it as just another “get skinny quick” diet.

Then there’s my internal struggle of “but should I try to be vegan?” It’s honestly so hard to know what to do these days with so much conflicting information out there.  You read one book that says grains are killing you and then you watch a documentary that says grains will save your life and meat is killing you.  Then you look to a nutritionist but the documentaries and books are telling you that all of these professionals are brainwashed by big-business.  CAN SOMEONE STOP THE MADNESS.

At the end of the day, I think you have to figure out what works best for your body.  I’ve tried eating mostly vegan and have felt pretty good, but mentally it’s still a huge struggle for me.  I can’t help it…I really like meat and avoiding it makes me feel deprived.

Then there’s the fact that I have Celiac Disease.  With this autoimmune disease comes all sorts of fun side-effects–inflammation, fatigue, depression, anxiety, etc.  I eat VERY STRICTLY gluten-free, but I don’t feel 100%.  I’ve noticed in the past few months that I just feel tired all the damn time.  I don’t ever wake up for work feeling alert and energized…I always feel like I need 4 more hours of sleep.  On the weekends, I’ll sleep for like 10-12 hours and that’s the only time I feel pretty awake.  But then I start feeling like I need a nap a few hours later! I thought I was maybe getting too much sleep and that was making me tired, but I’ve tested 7-8 hours and I still feel exhausted! Then once I finally drag my ass out of bed, I feel thoroughly unfocused and unmotivated.  Getting myself to accomplish nearly anything productive takes A LOT of mental pep-talking. I’ve been on Zoloft for a while now and that has totally changed my moods! But this fatigue is just weighing on me. I also deal with some skin issues. I get quite a bit of redness and often my skin just seems irritated.  Occasionally I’ll break out, but it’s mostly just the redness that drives me crazy. I’m also at a weight that’s higher than I’d like. I’m not even sure if it’s the weight or the fact that I just feel puffy and bloated.  I want to just tone things up!

A couple of my friends/family mentioned doing Whole30 in the past month or so and, for some reason, I decided to look into it a little more instead of just rolling my eyes.  Maybe it was because my sister-in-law decided to do it and she’s a woman of science (she’s a Veterinarian)…I figured if she trusted it, maybe I should too. As I was reading, I saw a lot of people with similar symptoms (or with Celiac) saying they tried it and it totally changed their lives.  They felt mental clarity and energy they hadn’t felt before.  Their skin cleared up.  They no longer felt any bloating.  They slept better. Their blood tests showed better overall health.

I also learned that Whole30 isn’t a traditional “diet.”  It wasn’t created for weight loss at all.  It was created to help people figure out what foods are making them feel less than their best.  The authors did tremendous research into all the foods that could potentially cause people to feel less healthy and those are the ones you eliminate for 30 days.  Then at the end, you can slowly add them back in one at a time to see if there’s any one food in particular that is causing you harm.  THAT I can get behind. It made me curious! What if all this time, my body actually hates legumes or certain grains and just cutting back or eliminating them could change everything? It’s something I just have to see for myself.

So for the next 30 days, I’ll be eliminating all grains, dairy, soy, legumes, sugar (including artificial), and alcohol.  The main areas I’ll be closely observing are:

  1. Energy levels
  2. Mental clarity and focus
  3. Skin changes
  4. Weight changes

At the end, I could feel exactly the same…but there’s the possibility that nothing will ever be the same for me again and I’m ready to find out!