Whole30 – Day 20

Today we all went for a long walk around the local country park. It was a lovely way to spend some quality time together as a family and get some exercise.

I’ve been thinking some more about the reintroduction protocol. I think we’re going to go with a different order from the one suggested. Mostly because dairy is the thing that I miss the most so that’ll be the first thing we reintroduce. I miss cheese.

We’ll probably also take more than 10 days over the reintroduction phase – we’re in no hurry.

Today’s food log:

Fruit smoothie with coconut milk.

Leftover paleo chicken nuggets with salad potatoes.

Really tasty Turkey Burgers with spinach and tomatoes.

3 cups black coffee
1 cup peppermint tea
5 glasses of water.

Whole30 – Day 19

I’ve been pretty tired all day today and feeling a bit subdued but I still managed to have a productive day.

I’ve been starting to think about a new fitness routine and I’m thinking about basing it around the Primal Blueprint Fitness Plan. So, lots of low level aerobic activity, lifting heavy things twice a week and one sprint session a week. I started a plan like this earlier in the year but fell away from it over the summer.

My sister and I are going to start swimming and walking together a couple of times a week. My pedometer app already suggests that I move about more on a daily basis than I thought I did so I’m hoping to build on that with more Non Exercise Activity Time. All of that should take care of the low level aerobics. The sprint session could be covered by some cardio interval workouts that I have. So I just need to work out my Lift Heavy Things section.

As we move into the final third of the whole30, I’m looking towards the end of the programme and considering the reintroduction protocol. I’ll have some more thoughts on that tomorrow.

Today’s food log:

2 boiled eggs, mashed with some ghee, salt and pepper.

Leftover Vietnamese lettuce cups.

NomNom Paleo’s chicken nuggets* with salad potatoes

3 cups of black coffee
1 cup of peppermint tea
4 glasses water.

* again, I know this could be considered paleofying junk food but, as far as I am aware, I have never eaten any other chicken nugget. I would never even consider buying processed chicken nuggets. These are not a paleo version of a junk food to me. They’re just a different paleo way to eat chicken.

Whole30 – Day 18

This is a very important day for reasons completely unrelated to my whole30. Today, Scotland votes on whether or not to remain a part of the UK. I’m not going to bore you all with a political lecture – that’s not why you’re reading – but I felt it necessary to at least acknowledge the day.

It’s been a pretty busy day for me. I downloaded a pedometer app for my iPhone called Pacer. It’s been running all day. I wanted to get an idea of how many steps I take on a normal day, without deliberately walking for exercise. So far today I’ve taken 9,021 steps. That’s a lot more than I expected so I’m pleased with that. My average day is probably less though as I had a trip to the dentist etc today.

I’m still feeling even energy levels throughout the day. My quality of sleep has also improved.

I find myself watching the Good Food channel just now and mentally adapting the recipes to be paleo-friendly. Strangely, my viewing has not inspired any cravings at all. Not even for chocolate dessert which I definitely would have wanted before my whole30. Progress!

Today’s food log:

1 paleo Lorne sausage

Courgette fritters

NomNom Paleo’s vietnamese lettuce cups

2.5 cups of black coffee
1 cup of spiced apple and cinnamon tea
7 glasses of water

Still thirsty it seems.

Whole30 – Day 17

Things continue to improve around here, health wise. None of us are back to normal yet but we’re on the way there.

I feel slimmer. I know that I wrote about coming down a notch on my belt but I didn’t feel it then. Today, as I got dressed, I felt slimmer. I think that I could see a difference in the way my top was hanging over my stomach.

Coming this far in the program has given me a bit of a confidence boost. I feel stronger, more capable, than I did at the start, even though I’m not any stronger.

Today’s food log:

2 slices of bacon.

Leftover magic chicken and salad from last night.

This tasty frittata

3 cups black coffee
1cup peppermint tea
5 glasses water.

Hmmm. Looks like I was thirsty today. Something to keep an eye on perhaps?

Whole30 – Day 16

I’ve had another stressful day. My eldest still hasn’t completely recovered and the rest of us are gradually improving.

It has been a bit easier to get out of bed the last few days. I also feel like I’m getting better at listening to my body. I can tell better if I’m actually hungry or if I want food for some other reason; I’m rarely actually hungry.

I’ve gone down another notch on my belt. I’m hopeful for a good reading at my weigh-in on the 1st of October.

Today’s food log:

2 boiled eggs, mashed with a little ghee, salt and pepper.

Curried cream of broccoli soup

NomNom Paleo’s Magic Chicken with salad.

3 cups black coffee
5 glasses of water.

Whole30 – Day 15

Day 15 – I’m halfway there! It feels really good to hit this point. If I can stick to the plan for this long then I can go the whole way :-).

We’re all on the mend, though slowly, and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my energy levels. I think that my sleep has also improved but I can’t be sure because of being unwell.

I was reading about a challenge to walk 10,000 steps a day for 30 days and I’m considering giving it a go. Of course, I’ll have to buy a pedometer. Any recommendations? Have any of you tried such a challenge?

Here’s today’s food log:

1 paleo Lorne sausage (these didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. Something about the texture didn’t work.)

Chicken and vegetable soup.

Baked sweet potato filled with leftovers from Saturday’s courgette boats.

2.5 cups of coffee
1 cup peppermint tea
3 glasses of water.

Whole30 – Day 14

I can smell and taste a bit better than I could yesterday so here’s hoping that means that this virus is starting to move on.

I’ve had heartburn all day. I woke up with it and it got much worse after dinner, which could be because I started sorting and hanging up laundry very quickly after I finished eating. Not quite sure what caused it to start though.

It’s been a day of pottering around the house doing bits and pieces. I made a batch of Lorne sausages for the coming week. For those of you who are not familiar, Lorne sausages are a Scottish recipe, square sausage. I had to adapt the recipe because it usually includes breadcrumbs to bind the meat. I used almond flour instead. I’m hoping they’ll come out well.

My husband made soup using the beef broth that I made up on Friday and it worked out well.

I’m glad to say that my cravings for junk food have receded again. I walked round two shops today without being the slightest bit tempted by the stuff I had to walk passed.

Today’s food log:

Fruit smoothie – 1 banana, handful of frozen berries, coconut milk.

Banana and almond flour pancakes * with fresh figs and sea salt.

Chicken and vegetable soup.

3 cups black coffee
3 glasses water
1 cup peppermint tea.

* I had some lengthy consideration before eating the pancakes. I know that they could fall under the rule of not “paleofying” junk food but I considered that the reason behind that rule is to break bad habits. The idea is not to replace your old bad habits with new, slightly healthier ones. The thing is, pancakes are not a habit for me. I eat them maybe two or three times a year. So they’re not a bad habit that I need to break. I figure in this case, it’s safe enough for me to eat them. Paleo pizza on the other hand… that would be a bad idea!

What do you think about that rule? How do you interpret it?

Whole30 – Day 13

This post is a bit late because I felt rubbish yesterday. I usually write my posts after the kids are in bed but last night I was shattered then and just wanted to watch TV. So.

We’re all still suffering with this virus. Hopefully only a few more days until we turn the corner and start to recover.

Food log:

Fruit salad – 1/2 banana, handful each of raspberries, grapes and blackberries.

Courgette boats (photo above)

Sweet potato enchiladas. We couldn’t quite get the potato slices to work as a wrap so we chopped them up and mixed them in with the mince. Really tasty.

Whole30 – Day 12

Today has been really hard. I’m feeling awful with this virus. I barely want to eat and all I do want is junk. I’ve managed to stay strong so far but it feels like a real fight.

I’ve been thinking about body image and diet culture today. I think I have something to say about that but I feel so unwell today that I’m having trouble pulling my thoughts together so maybe a post for another day.

Here’s my food log for today:

2 boiled eggs mashed with some ghee, salt and pepper.

NomNom Paleo’s chopped liver and bacon with carrot and celery sticks.

2 cups black coffee
3 glasses water.

Whole30 – Day 11

It’s going to be a short post today. I’ve finally been overcome by the virus working its way through my family. I woke up this morning feeling like if been run over and my day has gone downhill since then.

By the time my husband got home from work, I had to lie down for a while and leave him to deal with the girls.

I desperately wanted comfort (read unhealthy) food tonight. I had no willpower at all. The only way I could avoid eating what I wanted was to skip dinner.

Today’s food:

2 apple, bacon and leek sausages.

Leftovers from last night’s egg salad.

Handful of mixed nuts and dried fruit.

2 cups black coffee
1 cup peppermint tea
1 cup peach paradise tea
3 glasses water.