Hello From the End of Day 29…

Hello friends,

Somehow, I have successfully made it to the end of my 30 days. On the eve of my final night of Whole 30, I wanted to look back on what I learned and the things I can take with me beyond these 30 days.

1. I am not great at maintaining daily blogs. Seriously- all you bloggers out there- HOW DO YOU DO IT? It’s a lot of work, y’all.

2. I have more self control than I give myself credit for. We had a ton of food in the office the past 30 days. Cake, cookies, cupcakes, fries, burgers, etc. etc. etc. And it was far easier for me to say no or just ignore all of the goodies I would normally be ALL over. I always thought my issue was a severe lack of self control when it came to sweets and junk food- if it was there I HAD to have it. But now I know how easy it is to say no and make the healthier choice.

3. There are some fantastic naturally sweet foods that I would happily eat every day. I have proclaimed my deep love of sweet potatoes before, but it deserves to be repeated. SWEET POTATOES ARE AMAZING. Also…baked plantains, dried mango (it’s like candy…seriously), dates to sweeten recipes…so many options that aren’t cookies and sugar and things that are plain bad for you. That’s not to say I’m not going to have cookies or bake anymore, but I now have healthier options when that sweets craving kicks in.

4. Ghee is awesome. I don’t know why, but scrambled eggs made with ghee are better than scrambled eggs made with butter. Putting some ghee on a sweet potato with a dash of cinnamon is awesome. Ghee is also strange and confusing (why doesn’t it have to go in the fridge?), but I’m a fan.

5. I want to maintain a mostly Paleo diet. Cooking Paleo meals for myself at home, but being more lax when eating out or celebrating events. I made so many yummy recipes that I would have gladly eaten whether or not I was doing Whole 30. And there are so many more out there.

6. Food processors and spiralizers are magic. If you don’t have them in your kitchen supplies- I highly recommend them.

7. I miss baking for my coworkers. I didn’t realize how much I liked baking for others until I was no longer doing it. Looking forward to baking again soon! I might even try some Paleo baking recipes!

8. This was SO WORTH IT for me. Whether or not I lost weight. People keep asking me if I feel different- and I’m honestly not sure. The thing is- my eating habits were overall pretty healthy before my Whole 30 journey. I probably didn’t feel a lot of the major changes that others who eat junk food all the time experience. But I feel accomplished and proud that I stuck with it and accomplished the goal I set out for myself. I’m looking forward to having a cookie and stepping on the scale again, but regardless of what the scale tells me- I am happy that I took these 30 days to regroup and rebuild my eating habits.

So that’s it! I have one day left and then my first Whole 30 comes to an end. In case you are wondering- I would absolutely do it again. Perhaps I will share my before and after photos, but that’s a BIG perhaps…thanks for joining me on this journey, friends! I am far from a pro, but if you have questions or are thinking of doing your own Whole 30- I would be happy to help! Share recipes, offer support, give tough love, etc.

End of week 3

Did you miss me?

I took the week off because life and reasons, but I’m happy to report that I’m still going strong on my Whole 30 journey! I am definitely at the point at which I feel like I haven’t had a cookie in AGES (guys…it’s been 3 weeks), but I’m feeling good. No more anxiety episodes or scary headaches. I’ve had some recipe fails, but I have some new things for this upcoming week and I think they should be delicious!

I wanted to post this weekend to discuss a major success I experienced on Friday. One of the fabulous agents in my office is leaving to become a manager after 17 years with the company. Friday happened to be his birthday, and the office went ALL out. Party games and SO MUCH FOOD. I’m talking full catered lunch of burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, fries, tater tots, and onion rings. Which I helped set up. Because I’m a nice person who likes to help (I also have this awful need to always know everything that is going on…so I like to be involved). There was also a big beautiful cake from Magnolia Bakery. I had whatever the equivalent of FOMO would be when you are actually in the location that the event is taking place. For about five minutes. Then I hung out for a bit, listened to people talk about how great the cake was, and went back to work.

I actually had the opportunity to tell some of my coworkers about my Whole 30 as they commented on the fact that I wasn’t eating cake. I normally bake something yummy to bring in every Monday. I enjoy baking and I enjoy sharing things I bake with others. Someone jokingly said that I only eat things that I bake- not things baked by anyone else. And then I brought up the Whole 30 and was met with only support. And then the piñata came out.

I bring this up as a success because in the past- I would have been first in line for all of that food. I know it’s not healthy, but I love myself some fries and cake and onion rings and cake and tater tots. And cake. I would have had a piece of cake and then sat at my desk debating getting a second slice. I would have snacked on fries throughout the day as there was food EVERYWHERE in the office and my self-control was quite nonexistent. But things have changed. After my five minutes of FOMO, I forgot about the food. I didn’t think about the cake. I didn’t think about the fries. I’m not going to lie- I did have a brief thought of peeling the breading off of an onion ring and just eating the onion, but it was never a serious consideration. It was easy for me to move on and not ruminate on the fact that I wasn’t eating cake and junk food.

I do have one confession to make- I DID stash some candy from the piñata in my desk for when I finish my Whole 30. Moderation is key- I did not set out on this journey to completely cut the things I love out of my diet. I only wanted to get a better handle on my eating. To reassure myself that I don’t NEED that slice of cake, that Friday bagel, that second cookie. I know that I can easily say no and move on.

10 days and counting.

Love and piñatas,

-Jess

End of Week 2

I have disappeared for a bit because life happens, but I’m nearing the end of week two and wanted to check in.

This might be the most important post I make throughout the 30 days.

Yesterday was bad.  Really bad.  Like- leave work early bad.  Like- second major panic attach of my life bad. I’m honestly not sure if it is at all related to Whole 30, but lets say it was for a while.

I had a regular day yesterday- my normal breakfast (eggs with spinach and onions, and a banana) a mid morning hard boiled egg and a few almonds- which I had around 12:30 so I could run out to grab a few things at the grocery store during my lunch hour before actually eating.  When I returned from my errands- I sat down to eat and all of a sudden had this strange feeling.  You know that sensation when you accidentally look towards the sun and then you have this temporary white blind spot in your vision?  I had that without looking into the sun.  And then a throbbing headache began.  And then 2pm came around and I tried to get back to work.

This headache was unlike anything I have ever experienced.  I could not focus on anything.  I could not read or comprehend things.  I would repeatedly reach for my mouse and hit my pencil instead.  I tried to read a script and it was just a bunch of jumbled words.  I started to panic.  Did I have a stroke?  Was I dying?  These are all thoughts that go through an anxious person’s head when not feeling well.  To be fair- I had never experienced something like this before.

Unfortunately, it only got worse.  Have you ever had a panic attack?  They are less than fun.  And different for everyone.  This was only the second full blown attack I had ever had before.  The right side of my body went tingly and numb.  A coworker tried to give me a bottle of water and I could not grasp it to open it.  I tried to put words into sentences and couldn’t.  The words didn’t come to me.  Simple words.  I went and sat out in the lobby of the office for a bit to try to calm myself down, but as soon as I went back inside- I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish out the day.  It had been two hours since we got back from lunch.

I tried to make a list of things that had to get done before the end of the day so that one of my coworkers could help while I was out.  I did not recognize my handwriting.  I misspelled the name “Nick.”  This was not my normal.

So I left- for the first time ever- I left a job in the middle of the day due to illness.  Thankfully I have the best boss and coworkers who were totally understanding. My pride is a bit bruised, but I’m alive and functioning again.

Now- was the headache due to my Whole 30 experience?  Looking back now- its probably the most likely cause. What scared me the most was how quickly it came on and how debilitating it was.  The inability to focus or comprehend things I was reading terrified me.  Also the fact that I was almost through week 2 and everything I had read had put me past the “withdrawal” stages already.  Something had to be seriously wrong- hence the panic attack.

Its important to remember that everyone’s body is different. Perhaps my withdrawal stage just came late.  (Or maybe the headache was completely unrelated- there is no way of knowing, but I’m going to believe it was a withdrawal headache) But it was real and it was scary and my body is changing- which is ultimately a good thing.

Other than yesterday- I have been feeling great. I know that I am eating food that is doing good things for my body.  And have I mentioned how much I love sweet potatoes lately? Tonight I had a baked sweet potato with a little bit of ghee and a dash of cinnamon and it was like heaven.

New recipes to cook up tomorrow.  I truly AM feeling great- other than yesterday’s scare. Thank you to everyone who helped me in the office.  Thank you to my friends who have shared their panic attack experiences on Facebook.

Love and Mental Health,

-Jess

Days 9 and 10

Hi friends!

I skipped writing about day 9 because I really didn’t have anything new to share.

Day 10 was pretty much the same. I had something new for lunch- the Whole 30 book encourages you to always have “protein salad” on hand for emergencies. I made a classic chicken salad with grapes, slivered almonds, onions, celery, and Whole 30 approved avocado mayo. Brought some to work with lettuce leaves and suddenly…a cute, delicious lunch! I threw in the grapes and this is possibly the greenest meal I have ever had.

Okay. I’m kidding. But look at all that green! (And can we take a second to appreciate how cute this Tupperware is?)

I was tested in a MAJOR way today. My office does birthdays really well- and today we celebrated a coworker’s birthday with Insomnia cookies. FUNFETTI Insomnia cookies. I love funfetti. It’s one of my favorite “flavors” to bake (it’s not really a flavor…just sprinkles…but I love sprinkles). And the birthday celebration happened right behind my desk.

Do you SEE that box of funfetti cookies?!

But guess what- it was EASY to resist the cookies. In the past- I probably would have easily had two or three cookies (not proud of that fact…I just really love cookies), but this time I joined everyone to sing happy birthday and then sat back down at my desk and got back to work. First major success of the day!

In case you didn’t know- we had a snowstorm in the city today. It was a bit overhyped here, but was still coming down pretty hard during the day. Sometimes when the weather sucks, the boss orders pizza for everyone. You know that pizza smell that is just…well you know. Yeah- that’s a fun smell when you can’t partake in the pizza party. But again, it was surprisingly easy to just ignore the fact that there were hot, cheesy pizzas sitting on the counter behind me. Another major success. Plus I gave one of the pizzas (it was 7pm and everyone was done) to our lovely cleaning ladies and made their night.

Most of you know this about me, but I am not a big drinker and I don’t really eat out much. My sister pointed out that talking about how easy this journey has been for me thus far is a bit misleading. I imagine it would be much harder if I had to navigate restaurants and deal with going sober. But even in those cases- it’s only 30 days. The book walks you through how to prepare for restaurants. And also has some wise words for folks who don’t think they can give up alcohol.

I have some random thoughts to share, but will wrap this one up for tonight.

Love and funfetti (in 20 short days!),

-Jess

Day 8

New food! New food! New food!

Today was the first day that I questioned my intake of food. It was very quiet on my desk at work and I found myself snacking on almonds throughout the day. No bueno! It was mostly just a case of boredom and not of hunger. I say mostly because of my morning snack. Let me tell you the story of today…

I started my morning with a NEW RECIPE! Another one from Paleo Running Momma. I made my first ever cast iron skillet dish- a sweet potato apple breakfast bake. Sweet potato, apple, eggs, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg. What could be bad about that?

While it was very yummy, I think my body missed that big protein boost I had been getting from my eggs every morning. My stomach started growling around 11am. Normally I would think it was just my morning craving that I thought I had gotten rid of, but this time I was ACTUALLY hungry. So I had a banana and a small handful of almonds to get me through to lunch.

And let’s talk about lunch. Guys. I found my new favorite recipe. This time from 40 Aprons– chicken lettuce wraps. I made some minor changes to the recipe (I don’t like mushrooms so I left them out) and these were SO GOOD. I will definitely make these again- even after my 30 days are up. I’m looking forward to lunch tomorrow so I can have them again.

And then the boredom eating started. Another handful of almonds. The Lara bar I had stashed in my desk (not going to keep these around as I’m still working on self control- but I know I can almost always find them in a CVS or Duane Reade in a pinch). The sumo mandarin I had left in the fridge. Another small handful of almonds. The boredom eating was real and I’m kind of beating myself up about it. But bad days happen. I didn’t actually break any Whole 30 rules. And tomorrow is a new day! More water. Fewer almonds!

Got home and had another new recipe from Paleo Running Momma– Sloppy Joe Stuffed Sweet Potato- another recipe I tweaked a bit to fit my super picky tastes. And another winner. I’m not really a sloppy joe person, but I’m loving the stuffed sweet potato recipes and I wanted to give this one a try. I might be a sloppy joe person now. Dates are magical. I never would have guessed that the sweetness of the sauce in this recipe came from just a few puréed dates. It may not look pretty, but it sure was tasty.

According to the book, days 8 and 9 are the “NOOO! My pants are TIGHTER!” days. Now, I don’t wear pants, but I did find myself looking in the mirror today thinking that I looked a bit bloated and icky. And this was BEFORE I looked in the book to see what can sometimes b expected on day 8. Which has absolutely happened more than once in the past 8 days. I feel a certain way during the day and then come to blog, look at the book, and realize that the way I feel matches EXACTLY with the timeline in the book. Which makes me feel like I am on the right track!

Thanks to everyone who has reached out to me via text or in the office checking in on how my Whole 30 is progressing. Support is super important on this journey and I love hearing from y’all. See you for day 9!

Love and Lettuce Wraps,

-Jess

The First Weekend: Days 6 and 7

I want to start by saying one thing…this is so much easier than I expected it to be. I have done diets in the past that have had similar restrictions as Whole 30 (although Whole 30 is not a diet, but a lifestyle change!!!) and they have been much harder. I think it’s because I am having fun with cooking this time around. I used to just have chicken and broccoli for every meal and it was so boring. But these new recipes are things I would be happy to eat even post Whole 30! I made 4 different things tonight in preparation for the week and I cannot wait to share them with you.

The weekend was easy and I actually had to remind myself to eat because I simply wasn’t hungry. I feel like I can see some changes starting when I look in the mirror, but I am honestly not sure. I’m looking forward to stepping on the scale at the end of my 30 days if only to realize that health and feeling/looking good are so much more than a number.

Tomorrow starts week 2 and I am feeling pretty good about the journey thus far. I know everyone is different, but if you are afraid of doing Whole30 because you think it will be too difficult- let’s chat!

Love and meal prepping,

-Jess

Day 5

Hi friends!

Short post tonight. Day 5 was not very different from day 4. And I still didn’t want to kill all the things.

But guess what I realized today? THIS ISN’T HARD. I am eating yummy food. I am not hungry during the day. Sure- I would love to have a cookie. But that is a self-control thing more than anything else. I don’t NEED the cookie. I just want it.

Fridays at the office are bagel Fridays. We have bagels delivered from an amazing bagel spot and I usually look forward to my bagel every week. Today the bagels were out and I barely even thought about them. I saw them. I walked by. And I didn’t get bummed that I couldn’t have one. Definitely a different mindset on Whole 30 than on true diets I have done in the past.

According to the book, the next couple days are often the “I just want a nap” days. Not looking forward to that (lets be real- I always want a nap…), but ready to push through and grateful that those days will fall on the weekend!

Grocery shopping tomorrow and meal prep for the week on Sunday. Who is ready for some new recipes? Wahoo!

Love and not eating bagels,

-Jess

Day 4

Today I’m not going to talk about the food I ate- since you already know everything I made this week. Instead I thought I’d talk about how I’m feeling and the weird obstacles I am facing along the way. So buckle up and welcome to day 4!

I woke up feeling AMAZING after almost 9 hours of sleep. I’m not sure if it’s because of the changes I’m making in my diet or just the fact that I got a solid 9 hours. Maybe both. But getting that much sleep was wonderful and I showed up to work feeling more awake than usual.

That being said- I still experienced my late afternoon/early evening crash. There was definitely less yawning, but I felt a general sense of lethargy around 5:30pm. Hoping that some day soon I will be able to power through without an energy sag towards the end of the work day. Maybe too much to ask for, but I will let you know.

Today I did notice one major difference. 11am came and went without my realizing it was “snack bar time.” I looked at the clock and it was 11:30 and my brain never told me it was time for sugary goodness! A small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Now for a confession. Something I’m not proud of. I’m addicted to the scale. Almost every day- I get up and weigh myself. Part of the Whole 30 program is NOT WEIGHING YOURSELF. It is to emphasize the non-weight related changes that occur when you are eating more real, healthy foods. I know I should trust the program, but I am terrified that I am eating too much and at the end of my 30 days, my weight will have sky rocketed. I know it is HIGHLY unlikely to happen, but as a scale addict (and someone with anxiety) my brain tells me all sorts of crazy things when I am unable to check that number on the scale. Yes it’s unhealthy. I am well aware. But this is a BIG CHALLENGE for me already and I know it will get harder as I continue through my Whole 30.

And closing out on a more positive note. The Whole 30 book says that days 4 and 5 are when you want to “KILL ALL THE THINGS.” I’m happy to say that so far, I have not felt the urge to kill anything or anyone. At least not more of an urge than usual. Success!

And on a completely unrelated note…day 4 also happened to be FIGMENT’S 4TH BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday to my handsome man. I may not be able to have any treats, but you better believe he got some to celebrate.

Goodnight and see you for day 5!

Love and scale-less mornings,

-Jess

Day 3

Day 3!

Today was definitely better than yesterday.  No headaches and my energy level was mostly back to normal. I’m looking forward to the day I wake up NOT hating mornings.  Will that day come? I sure hope so.

Started my morning with my eggs and banana.  I’m a creature of habit.  What can I say?

I got to work to find that my hard boiled egg got smashed in transit.  So sad.  I happened to have a Whole 30 compliant Lara bar in my desk for emergencies like this.  I think being prepared is one of the most important things while tackling this lifestyle change.  Planning and preparation!

I had a small bite of the cashew cookie bar and put it back in my desk.  I just needed a tiny boost to get me to lunch.  This bar is literally just cashews and dates.  While its not the greatest thing I have ever tasted- it did the trick.  I will have to try some of the other flavors that are allowed on Whole 30.  Looking forward to the apple pie flavor.  But only in emergencies!  It is important to remember that these bars are not a substitute for my morning snack bars.  They are actually made from real food and not chemicals.

Ate my lunch a little bit early as I wanted to run out to the grocery store during my lunch hour.  Today I tried the last of my three recipes for the week.  Glazed sheet pan chicken with butternut squash and apples (remember all that chopping?  My arms sure do).  The chicken was SO YUMMY.  The glaze is made with dates and it has this lovely hint of sweetness. I’m not sure what I thought of the squash and apples.  The pairing didn’t quite work for me, but I didn’t dislike it- just wasn’t the best thing I have had so far.  I think I may experiment with this recipe by making the chicken the same and subbing in different vegetables.  (I threw in some steamed broccoli for more color)

During lunch I ran out to get some breakfast ingredients (don’t worry guys…I only got spinach, onions, and bananas) as well as some almonds to keep in my desk.  PREPARATION.

I had my apple with almond butter at about 5pm. Almond butter will never be as good as peanut butter, but it’s still a good choice.

Left the office on time tonight and got to have my sweet potato with pesto chicken at a normal time from the luxury of my own home! I had every intention of going to the gym and then I faded. Quickly. Instead of taking a nap- I decided to get ready for bed and try to go to sleep around 11pm. Which is in 2 minutes. So I made it!

Seriously looking forward to this energy boost I have heard so much about that is supposed to accompany the Whole 30 experience. I still miss cookies. But I can’t complain about the great food that I AM eating on a daily basis. Looking forward to cooking up some new things over the weekend for next week.

Love and early bedtimes,

-Jess

Day 2

Hello friends and welcome to day two!

The rest of day one went off without a hitch.  Dinner was a delicious veggie and chicken stir fry from Paleo Running Mama. The sauce had dates and coconut aminos and SO MANY NEW THINGS.  It was so delicious that I had it for lunch today as well. (To be fair- I only made three recipes to choose from for the week…so my options were slim)  I’d say thats a check in the recipe win column.

I went to the gym after dinner and had a decent 1 hour workout- 45 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the treadmill.  I like to give myself a TV show I can ONLY watch at the gym.  Right now it is THE FLASH, which is decently entertaining.  Past shows have included BUFFY (duh), SUPERGIRL (when I was catching up), and CHARMED.  I like kickass lady characters that make me want to work harder at the gym so if I get attacked by a vampire, alien, or demon of any kind- I can totally hold my own and FIGHT THAT MONSTER OFF.  Okay- thats not completely true, but shows with badass female characters do make working out go by more quickly…anyone have some recommendations?

One thing Whole 30 encourages is having a mini meal right after working out. This is a problem that I will have to figure out how to navigate. Whole 30 also discourages eating close to when you go to sleep. Since I am a late night gym-goer, these two rules overlap. I have never been one to eat after working out…so I think for now I will let the post workout meal slide and stick to the no eating before bed rule.

DAY TWO!!

I woke up with….a headache! I was not pleased and the headache came and went throughout the day. I checked the Whole 30 book to see what to expect on day two and apparently this is completely normal.

Pushed through and made myself the same breakfast as day one. Scrambled eggs with onions and spinach, cooked in ghee. And a banana. I have a feeling this will be my go to until I get to try out some of the bakes I have found online. Easy and delicious.

My 11am craving hit as it did on day one and I pushed through. I didn’t realize how much of a habit that snack bar was. I am not actually hungry at 11- I’m just used to reaching for that snack. If nothing else- Whole 30 will teach me to recognize when I am actually hungry and when I’m just having a craving or feeding into (no pun intended…sorta) a bad habit.

Since the headache was strengthening- I decided to have my had boiled egg a touch earlier than yesterday. It definitely helped to get me through to lunch. You already know what I had for lunch- luckily it traveled well and was the perfect desk lunch. A keeper for sure.

First. Major. Self-control. Test.

There were cupcakes in the office today. CUPCAKES. Sometimes a client will stop by and drop off goodies for us. Levain cookies, magnolia cupcakes, etc. etc. In the past- I have always enjoyed these delicious treats, but today I had to control that desire. And I have to tell you…it was surprisingly easy. I saw the cupcakes. I walked away from the cupcakes. I had an orange and some almonds. And I survived. SUCCESS.

Around 5pm- the day two exhaustion hit me HARD. I couldn’t stop yawning at my desk. My headache was back. The sugar withdrawals are real, y’all. I somehow made it to 7:30 and headed home- feeling a bit zombie like as I did.

Got home and had a sweet potato with chicken pesto for dinner. While watching last night’s Kid’s Baking Challenge. Masochistic? Yeah. Probably. But those kids are just SO TALENTED. And the finale is next week. So I obviously had to keep up. Nothing like a bunch of kids talking about pate de choux to make you feel ridiculously untalented in the kitchen.

And then I crashed. Took a lovely one hour nap with Figment because the exhaustion was legit and the headache was annoying. I knew a workout was not going to be good for me tonight so I took it easy. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body.

Prepped my meals for tomorrow and now it’s time for bed. Hopefully day 3 has me feeling better than today, but I’m ready for whatever comes at me. The book says this “hangover” can last anywhere from one day to several days. Fingers crossed for a short hangover period!

Love and naps,

Jess