Started Whole 30 yesterday - anyone want to join me?

[BerylStreep]

I saw someone mentioned it on a thread recently, and it is basically clean eating for 30 days. I have quite a lot of weight to lose, but also have asthma which I think could be improved if I reduced the inflammation in my body.

Anyone else doing it?

[grumpygertie]

Not doing whole 30 as such but Dr prescribed orlistat on Monday so my first day on it yesterday. I can't eat fat or I face nasty consequences

So lots of plain simple low fat food for me and fruit and veg.

Happy to keep you company if you like?

I am having problems with lower limbs, severe joint pain in ankles and feet so hoping some weight loss will help whilst I await a hospital appointment to have my feet looked at. I have about 3.5/4 stone to lose to get to top end of healthy BMI.

[helenahandbag]

I tried it about a year ago but I was struck down by a really bad cold a few days in, ended up off work for three days and stuffed my face. I never went back to it but I keep saying I will.

I read It Starts With Food and really enjoyed it, I might give it another read and consider it for October.

[BerylStreep]

Grumpy happy for some company . I have about the same amount to lose as you, and I am also really suffering with joint pain.

[BerylStreep]

Helen I have just ordered The Whole 30 book - couldn't decide whether to order it or It Starts With Food.

If you fancy starting in October come and join us then!

[grumpygertie]

How have you got on Beryl? You had a good day? Just got back from Aquafit, not my favourite class to be honest but couldn't make my usual LBT class tonight. Better than doing nothing I guess. Food wise - done well, three main meals and one snack mid aft. Gonna have a cup of tea now then bed, my youngest is full of cold so doubting I will get much sleep tonight!

[BerylStreep]

Gertie I feel quite good. I've been having cups of boiling water with freshly squeezed lemon or lime which are really refreshing. Whole30 is paleo based, so no dairy, sugar, alcohol, grains of any kind or legumes. It sounds very restrictive, but actually there is loads you can have. I had a sweet potato & kale rosti with egg for lunch, and leftover chicken with steamed purple sprouted broccoli & sweet potato oven baked wedges for dinner.

One of the most difficult things for me is that you aren't to weigh yourself for the whole 30, and as a daily weigher, it is a hard habit to break. I might have to go and hide the scales in a high cupboard.

Does Orlistat get a good write up? Can you have any fat at all, for example in eggs? I hope your DD feels better soon.

[grumpygertie]

I can relate to the daily weighing thing as I do it too. Scales are being kind so far showing a 2.2lb loss after just 2 days.

I can have some fat - food is to be low fat to begin with, less than 5g per 100g and I can eat up to 15g of fat per meal. Fat is fat though with these tablets so cant eat things like avocado or nuts. Anything more than the recommended amount of fat will apparently be passed through as an orange oil that's enough to keep me on track! So yes I can have eggs and think they will be a go to food most days as they are easy

I did a lot of reading on day 1 - massive difference of opinion as to wether or not these work and some pretty awful stories of people soiling themselves on them. But I am feeling confident I can do it without too many mishaps.

I am feeling different in myself this morning. Lighter and motivated and feeling like I can really do it this time. I am a serial dieter whose tried most of the plans, though never whole 30, this one seems simpler and I do like the fact I just simply can't eat certain foods.

I had done three months on WW but never got anywhere due to being able to still eat the wrong things!

I am hoping these tablets will not only help me lose the weight but help me change the way I eat long term.

Your plan sounds super healthy Beryl! Are you doing any exercise at all? I do three classes a week as I suffer with depression and they help with that.

[BerylStreep]

Hi Gertie, how are you getting on?

I'm on day 7 of the Whole30 and I'm feeling really good. I can already see that my tummy has gone down, and I think my face looks a bit thinner. Still finding the most difficult bit is not to weigh myself.

I thought it would be difficult not to have wine, as I am very partial to white wine, but I haven't missed it at all. I'm drinking squeezed lemon or lime in boiling water, or mint tea. I have a load of herbal teas in the cupboard that I have always found too earthy tasting - Camomile, nettle, redbush, green, white etc, but I might give them a try again.

I ordered the Whole30 book, and it arrived yesterday, so I'm planning to sit down and have a really good read today.

I used to do cycling & pilates, but I am having major problems with my neck at the moment (so bad I am off work) so haven't been able to do much, other that a few exercises the physio has set me. I know I should walk more, but it seems like so much effort given my various aches & pains. I'm hoping this plan will sort out some of the inflammation in my body and help with joint pain.

Still early days, but feeling positive. How have you been keeping?

[Katnipp]

Hi I'm just at the end of week one of whole 30. Second time I've done this. First time went very well - lost over 1st in the 30 days and then I continued with a more paleo diet for another month (allowing 2 days pw of being more relaxed) and lost a further 1/2 st. Best thing was the inches lost - 2 dress sizes.

But being pregnant and the breast feeding (which never causes weight loss for me) means I'm the heaviest I've been for years.

Hoping for a good loss and dropping a dress size as I feel awful about myself.

So far gone well. On meal that wasn't strictly within diet (Japanese meal out) but did best I could with no rice or noodles and meat and stir fry veg.

Energy levels good - despite dealing with a teething baby up a lot at night.

How are you doing beryl and gertie?

[BerylStreep]

Hi Katnipp lovely to see a fellow Whole30er. Teething babies are a distant memory for me now, but I can vividly remember the lack of sleep! When are you due?

I'm doing great, today is day 13 for me. I haven't really had any cravings, although there were biscuits aplenty in our house yesterday, and I just had to put them out of sight. I think I might have been a bit cranky (probably an understatement). There was Mushroomgate this morning when I had a bit of an irrational strop because my DH forgot to do mushrooms when he was making breakfast.

I saw my Mum and sisters yesterday, and they said they noticed a massive difference in me, which is really encouraging. I suspect it is giving up dairy which has made such a huge difference in such a short space of time.

Gertie I hope all is going well for you.

[TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief]

I keep meaning to start this but it just seems so daunting to me.
Can I join if I do this but include grains and pulses?
I want to exclude wheat but want to be able to eat porridge, rice and lentils/beans.

[BerylStreep]

Hi Woodenspoon you are very welcome to come and join the thread!

Even cutting out alcohol, dairy, MSG and wheat is bound to be healthier. I've been reading the Whole30 book, and they really emphasise that although weight loss is great, the main goal is to be healthy.

[Katnipp]

Should have proof read first! Baby is 9 months old and was same weight when started as I was when I had baby! Admittedly had a small baby but still would have expected to have lost some weight post birth and over 9 months of breast feeding. Clearly too much cake!

It is a good feeling when people start to notice weight loss. Always helps spur me on.

I'm planning to keep going for closer to 40 days (big even at end of October and have lots of lovely clothes to choose from if I can fit them - mat pay finished now so can't afford to buy something new). Ideally I'd like to loose 1.5 st by then.

I know not meant to weigh until 30 days is up but will do tomorrow to keep motivation up. Have measured and I'm losing inches already. So that feels good.

[TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief]

Great! I just want to eat clean at this stage. Nothing processed and no sugar or wheat. I also want to cut down on meat.
I keep reading how bone broth is meant to be really good for you. As well as nutritional benefits, it's meant to help balance your stomach bacteria too.
I like broths with veg and beans in them so I'm going to be eating a lot of that.
I don't eat eggs so breakfasts can be a bit difficult without dairy or eggs but I love porridge made with water and coconut milk.

[Katnipp]

I'm having hard boiled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast. But getting a little fed up. May make some sweet potato rosti or pancakes to give myself a change.

I made lots of stock the week before I started. Chicken, lamb and beef. Helps give extra flavour to homemade soups and add richness to dishes where I'd normally add wine or something like Worcestershire sauce.

Porridge with coconut milk sounds nice. Will try once relax a little post 30 days.

[BerylStreep]

I have the James Duigan Clean & Lean books, and they are great for inspiration too. To be properly Whole 30 you need to adapt some of the recipes a bit - for example I made beetroot salad the other day, but replaced the lentils & goats cheese with some sliced peaches. Nigella was doing Clean & Lean when she lost all that weight a few years ago.

I might have poached egg and mashed avocado for breakfast this morning. Porridge with coconut milk sounds good, I'll give it a try once the first 30 are finished!

[TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief]

I think clean and lean sounds right for me if it includes lentils!
Id rather include a bit of carbs like brown rice, potato and oats as I don't want to regain weight or stall weight loss if I exclude them and then reintroduce them after 30 days.
I also know that I would be utterly miserable without some carbs.

Today I've had porridge with grated apple and cinnamon made with water.
I've got rice, chicken and veg for lunch.
Lamb and bean stew for dinner.
Fruit for snacks.

[Katnipp]

How have you both done today? One week in and I'm feeling good. Plus noticing appetite is shifting. Having 3 good meals but finding need a much smaller snack in between. Last week was a large handful of nuts, today was a few nuts.

Today had hard boiled eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast, home made soup for lunch and then home made shepherd's pie with sweet potato mash and veg for tea.

Had someone ask if I've lost weight already which was a lovely boost.

[TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief]

I did ok today but got a bit jittery about an hour ago so had a yeo valley fruit yoghurt.
I didn't want to give in so quick but I'm feeling a bit anxious about ds1 who is on a school residential trip for the week and my nerves couldn't handle it!
I guess it's not the worst thing I could've had and I stuck to my plan for the rest of the day.

It's fab when people start to notice your weight loss! Well done.

[Katnipp]

Had a bad day later week - killer headache after 3 hrs of screaming baby and tantruming toddler! Just wanted chocolate so took myself off to bed instead (which helped clear the headache too).

Don't worry about the yogurt. Just focus on each day at a time.

[BerylStreep]

Katnipp I went to bed early last night too and spent some time reading the Whole30 book. Today is the start of week 3 for me! After seeing really significant losses the first week or so, I haven't noticed as much difference in the last few days, which I suppose is to be expected. I need to keep reminding myself that this isn't just about weightloss, it's about health benefits, and I need to quiet the voice inside my head which keeps asking 'how much do you think you have lost?'

I made a really good Cambodian beef salad last night, and am having the same tonight. Tomorrow is pork belly with roasted squash with cumin and pumpkin seeds.

WoodenSpoon Clean & Lean doesn't cut out diary, so don't beat yourself up over a yoghurt. Whatever works for you. Although I have to say, seeing and feeling the difference from cutting out dairy for me has been quite an eye opener, which is a bit gutting as I love cheese, cream in coffee, lattes, butter et al. I am therefore surprised that I haven't missed it doing the Whole30.

I hope you both have a good day.

[TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief]

Hi. It wasn't so much the dairy that I didn't want but the sugar in a fruit yoghurt.
I'm trying to cut it out but I think I got the jittery withdrawal symptoms. Let's see how I get on today.
I've done the harcombe diet before and I think that dairy is off limits except natural live yoghurt which is meant to have health benefits.
So far so good today.
I've had oats for breakfast, kentil and veg soup for lunch and dinner will be a butternut squash, mushroom and leafy green concoction with some fish.

Katnipp hope you feel better today.
Wow Beryl. I'm impressed you're already in week three. The weight loss may seem slow but I get you'll have an excellent result by day 30.
The health benefits are definitely worth it. Imagine how much better our bodies do running on 'clean' fuel!

[Katnipp]

How are things going? Had a good day. Lunch out and managed salad and resisted the bread sticks which I kept on the order as DD loves them.

Had an early dinner with children so hoping don't snack tonight while DH isn't here to distract me!

As each day passes it's feeling easier and more normal. Which is good. Hoping this can encourage some longer term changes. Although I couldn't give up alcohol and chocolate forever!!

[BerylStreep]

Katnipp I'm very impressed you managed lunch out. I have stayed at home for all meals, haven't wanted to navigate menus.

It's feeling normal for me too, and I am really enjoying my food. Poached egg & smoked salmon for brunch, and pork belly & roasted squash for dinner tonight. I'm not even missing wine, which I used to really enjoy having in the evening. Sitting with a cup of camomile tea at the moment.

What are you having tomorrow? Do you feel like you have more energy? I think I might have to make yet another new hole in my belt!

[Katnipp]

Has a boso salad at pizza express with no mozorella or dressing. Had a balsamic glaze - probably not perfect but as ordinary balsamic was ok decided it wouldn't be too bad.

Am sticking with soups and salad for lunch and eggs and salmon for breakfast. Think roast chicken and sweet potatoe wedges for dinner tonight.

Good news on shrinking waist line.