Totally understandable! Have you done one before? Just because if it is your first time, they can be emotionally challenging and it seems you have a lot of your plate. I can see where it would be a good distraction, but just want you to be gentle with yourself because you have a very full emotional plate right now. :grouphug:

Day 14 here. I had to go to the calendar and count which day. Tomorrow is the halfway point! Yay! I have been sleeping really well the last few nights. Thursday night I had the best sleep. I woke up feeling really rested, and I didn't get up once in the night (that never happens anymore!). I started my cycle Friday and often have insomnia/restless sleeping in the days leading up, but man Thursday night's sleep was so satisfying. I can tell my middle section is slimmer (hello obliques!) and my skin seems to finally be settling just a bit. Over all pretty good. I have lots of stamina and energy working out (I am giving my FitBit a workout this month!) and just feel stronger overall. I do still have the occasional pangs and cravings, but it usually means I need to eat something. Branching out and trying some new teas. Surprisingly, I have not missed my coffee and half and half as much as I did last time. I mean I would still love a cuppa, but it hasn't been dominating my thoughts. Breakfast: Sausage and peppers, mangoes w/ toasted coconut Lunch: LO buffalo chicken casserole Dinner: Spaghetti (w/ zoodles for me) and meatballs w/ salad

My FitBit tells me I walked 9 miles today. I walked this morning for over an hour while I talked to my mother on the phone, and other quick mile walk after dinner. I went to the grocery store and Target this evening, so I am sure I picked some up waling around there. I am rocking January with steps. I am finally getting back into my weight training and classes at the gym after sporadically hitting those over the holidays. I was on a very regular schedule, but got sick in October and was out for a solid month, so it feels great to be settling back into my rhythm.

We have found it (somewhat) useful to have the computer read the paper as my child follows along to edit. Alternately, I will read it aloud as my child edits. Having someone else doing the reading and reading exactly what is written helps catch some of those scratch your head, how did you miss that edits.

I know! I just saw this and was so saddened. I feel like we should just watch Harry Potter all day.

Thanks all for your thoughts. I have told my child's current teachers, but just wondered if I needed to provide other information. For the record, the teachers have been very grateful for the knowledge. It helped them understand why the kid they were seeing in class wasn't quite matching the kid they were seeing on tests.

:laugh: and :p I was coming in tonight to say, never mind all that "I am a better mom, so I should eat like this forever" nonsense. Everybody go away and leave me alone. Oh, and please be quiet, seriously, why are you all so loud? That may be the kill all things phase or PMS; it's all the same right now. It will pass. You can do it, MelindaVT! It feels really empowering. It isn't just dealing with food sensitivities, Many people do glean valuable food sensitivity knowledge when they do a W30, but it is also about changing your relationship with food. Next week will be like seeing the world in a whole different light, and we all will be talking about rainbows, unicorns and tiger blood.

Day 10. 1/3 f the way through. I had a dream last night that I ate pizza because I was so frustrated, and then I felt terrible because I was going to have to come to this thread and 'fess up. I am really frustrated with my skin. It is not getting better, may even be getting worse. :scared: Unfortunately, it is in a very obvious place on my face and makes me feel quite freaky. I am concerned it could be a nightshade and/or egg allergy. Sigh. It really had me down yesterday because I was hoping to see at least some improvement. Anyway, I did not really eat pizza, I will stick it through these two most difficult days and I will try to have a good attitude about my sucky skin. Breakfast: LO spaghetti squash, tuna cakes and kale salad Lunch: I have not gotten that far Dinner: is supposed to be breakfast, although I will probably have sausage and veggies and maybe some fruit

I am a former Exceptional Children's teacher, so I never used this approach in my classroom, although the school I taught in did. Nobody really cared what I was doing, so I used direct instruction materials (from SRA, I believe) for my struggling readers. I did go to several in-service programs on balanced literacy.

That was the term used when I studying for my degree and working in the classroom in the late 90s. Hope your pursuits go well, Dawn!

The title pretty much says it all, but I am wondering what information I need to give our teachers. Do you give them the accommodations portion of the report? Just mention it to the teacher? We are talking about a kid with low processing speed, poor working memory and classic signs of dyslexia (which is one of the diagnoses), although performance is at grade level/average range (with the exception of spelling and math fact fluency), just lower than expected give IQ. Thanks

Yes, I meant to do that! http://paleomg.com/sneak-peek-recipe-from-juli-bauers-paleo-cookbook-buffalo-chicken-casserole/ It will be perfect for a party. One of my children even said, "This would be good for a potluck." (although said child did not eat it!)

Buffalo chicken casserole last was AWESOME! If you are a buffalo fan, it was so flavorful, like a deconstructed buffalo wing. My DH was sad there weren't going to be leftovers for him, but I am looking forward to lunch. Breakfast: Spicy tuna cakes w/ spaghetti squash, mango and raspberries w/ toasted coconut Lunch: LO buffalo chicken casserole, coleslaw and something else TBD Dinner: Kalua pig, kale salad and roasted red potatoes Day 8 for me. I have definitely lost a significant amount of bloat. Starting to feel clearer headed and just have a better attitude in general. I am more patient with my children, and for that reason alone I should probably always eat like this.

Will he be eating out? If so, I would look up the menu ahead of time to see what compliant foods are available. I think Chipotle's pork carnitas are compliant. Salad w/ olive oil, no cheese should be pretty easy to come by at a restaurant. Burger w/ no bun (check what it is cooked in). It will take a bit of leg work if he is eating out, but it can be done. How long is he gone? Can he take snacks/compliant food? Epic bars have a number of yummy protein options. if he is not opposed to taking along some snack foods, I think he will have a better chance at success.

Day 7 for me too! Feeling pretty good, although fighting a bit of a snuffly nose. I felt better after my morning walk and now that I have some food in my belly. Breakfast: LO shredded, roasted brussels sprouts, butternut squash and cauli-rice w/ some crumbled bacon on top and a sprinkling of magic mushroom powder Lunch: No idea at this point Dinner: Buffalo chicken casserole, salad and celery w/ paleo ranch (yum!) I am roasting spaghetti squash for tonight's dinner and sweet potatoes needed to make tuna cakes for lunches this week. Dh will grill some chicken for lunch and a later meal this week. I have the menu for the week ready to go, just need to finish the veggie shopping at TJ's and some staple shopping at the regular market. We are enjoying the delicious food, discovering some new faves and enjoying some recipes we discovered last year. All in all, pretty good stuff! :thumbup1:

How do you know you haven't lost any weight? If you are weighing yourself, I would just say really, really try not to. Melissa Hartwig has a whole thing on not weighing yourself, and I do think it is pretty spot on. Last year that was the one thing I "cheated" on. I weighed myself around the halfway point b/c I was so curious. I had definitely dropped. I didn't do it again until the end, and I was down to my lowest weight in several years. But the thing is, there is still a great deal of valuable information to be gleaned even if you don't have a dramatic weight loss (not to mention one of the other ain goals, to change your relationship with food). The whole weight thing really messes with your mind b/c you start to feel like, "Is this worth it?" and I think it really messes with you in your weak moments (as in, "Well, I am not losing any weight, so who cares, I am just going to eat ___") Anyway, if you have made a significant shift in your eating habits, I do think you will see some weight loss by the end of the 30 days.

Totally agree w/ the bolded. I think this 2nd round has been tougher b/c it isn't new to me. I know I can do it. I am also stubborn and will stick it out b/c I am like that, but it's as if the shiny, newness isn't there. Tomorrow you are 1/3 of the way through! That's awesome! And lol, knowing days 10-11 are the most likely days to quit just adds to the resolve. I definitely think a W30 is like a roller coaster-it takes a bit to get going, but then the momentum kicks in and all the amazing benefits sort of snowball together toward the end. I think the benefits may get overshadowed by the sheer exhaustion cooking this way requires. Last year I did not eat out once for 30 days, so I literally cooked 30 days straight, three meals a day. I know that's nothing spectacular in the grand scheme, but it was a huge accomplishment for me. Retrospectively, it also really draining, so by the end I was happy to tap out.

One thing I really regret after my first round was not doing the reintroduction protocol. I was so mentally fried and just plain DONE being in the kitchen that first go 'round, that I just could not fathom following the reintro plan. I am hoping I am in a better mental space this go 'round and can be a bit more scientific about it. I did not go hog wild or anything (but oh that cream in my coffee was tasty on day 31 last year!), just sort of half heartedly did the re-entry stuff. If I am going to go to all this trouble to eliminate foods (and I very strictly follow the Whole30 rules), I should really figure out which ones are causing issues, yk? I did feel so much better at the end of thirty days last year, so one of my goals this time is to further my knowledge about exactly which foods make me feel my best and which don't.

Day 6...1/5 of the way through! (well, technically after I finish today, but whatever). I like to think of it in terms of all these mini milestones, so woohoo for making it to this point. I was definitely feeling some cravings today, but I managed just fine with a bit of cashew butter (how I love thee) and green apples slices, lots of bubbly water and lots of walking. Breakfast: I heated up leftover brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash w/ the sauce from last night's Yankee pot roast w/ pork-turkey sausage (sooo good!) Lunch: Kind of weird because I was out running some errands. I had some Epic chicken bites and then came home and had a salad Dinner: Will be magic wings from Nom Nom w/ cole slaw and maybe some cauli-rice b/c I forgot I had planned egg drop soup w/ a dinner earlier this week, not cauli-rice

Breakfast: Salmon frittata w/ green onion sauce and tea Lunch: TJ's grass fed burger w/ caramelized onions and salad Dinner: Crab and avocado temaki rolls (from Nom Nom), probably some cauliflower pineapple "rice" I am going out tonight, so I will plan on taking some bubbly water and maybe toasted cocnut.

Did you like the kalua pork? I love chicken wraps! Several of my kids are huge fans (I don't get it!), but man that is one of my all time favorites! :hurray: Yay for seeing some progress and managing two challenging food situations! That is awesome.

Chicken is my fast go to. Aidell's chicken apple sausages are my super fast go to. Bummer on your instant pot. :(

Day 3. I am fighting a sore throat and most of my children have some variation of a cold/sore throat. Feeling ok. Missing my coffee just a little. I will probably make some almond milk today or tomorrow so I can add it to a cup of coffee. I remember last round coconut milk just did not taste right, so I have just been skipping my morning cuppa. My skin still looks completely awful on my face. I am really hoping to see some improvement in the next few days. Hoping to get some internal inflammation under control with this endeavor because my eczema is displeased and sending my face into a tizzy. Other than that I am feeling fine. Bloating has not gone away, but I know it will come. Same thing with energy level, waiting for it to spike. Right now it is just the early days and making it to the next day while staying compliant is the celebration. I know all the other benefits of the program will come in the next few weeks, but it is hard to be patient. Today: Breakfast: same as day 1 Lunch: Two chicken apple sausages with peppers, onions and fried apples Dinner: will be Salmon, mango-cucumber salsa and roasted broccoli and tomatoes w/ pine nuts I have eaten bigger meals today to quell my snacking urges. I so often just eat because I am bored. I did not have any snacks between breakfast and lunch, just tea and bubbly water. I was hungry at lunch, but not hangry or anything. Overall, just plugging away. :thumbup:

Hoot Owl Hoot, by the above named Peaceable Kingdom, is sweet. At those ages, mine loved Max the Cat, Harvest Time, Round Up and Secret Door, all by Family Pastimes and all cooperative. There is a small amount of strategy involved in all those games, so it isn't just the random, poke your eye out-ness of say Candy Land.

Yes, we thought Master of None was fun and smart. We are doing Empire right now and really digging it. My DH is enjoying Making of a Murderer, but I can't stay up that late to watch another show. :tongue_smilie: