Need advice on reintroduction plan, 30th bday, and medical condition

[erieeskimo]

Hi everyone, I know there is a specific thread for reintroduction, but since my question is medical condition related I thought I would start here.

 

I started my first whole 30 on September 1 as a way to treat/heal the chronic tendinitis I have been experiencing for the past year in both of my arms from wrist to shoulder, as well as a few other inflammatory conditions I am dealing with right now. After going through 30 days it is clear to me that I need to continue this for the foreseeable future (whole 60? Whole 90 even?) as I still have a lot of healing to do and progress to make. While I certainly don't feel worse overall, I am not feeling too much of the magic everyone talks about or much relief in terms of my tendinitis symptoms.

 

While I am determined and motivated to continue eating this way for the benefit of my health and the other areas of my life this is affecting, I'm worried it will start to feel too restrictive. Specifically, I am concerned about my 30th birthday on October 12. I had intentionally timed my whole 30 so that I would finish at the end of September and have almost 2 weeks to reintroduce a few select items in preparation for the inevitable celebration. I was thinking alcohol (something gluten-free and lower in sugar) and another treat I would enjoy eating on my birthday (dark chocolate?). I have already postponed my birthday trip to New Orleans that my husband was planning as I knew it would interfere with my reintroduction process and any progress I have made thus far. Now the thought of not even being able to enjoy a glass of red wine to celebrate this milestone birthday is pretty depressing. I know this new lifestyle is best for me in the long run, but it is starting to feel like a punishment (at least in this area).

 

 

So my question is: would allowing myself one or two alcoholic drinks (carefully selected) on day 42 completely derail a whole 60

after an initial 30 days of following the plan to the letter? I understand that technically – if I was going for a squeaky clean eating record – this is a no-no. So I guess my real question is will this small indulgence really impact my health and any progress I have made there (leaky gut, reduced inflammation)?

 

 

I should add that clearly if I feel worse afterwards that will be telling me something. I'm just more concerned about introducing something off-plan before my body is ready – how Melissa and Dallas talk about not making any exceptions or slips during the first 30 days to reap the full benefit. I am hoping that because I followed the plan strictly for the first 30 days and don't plan to officially reintroduce anything else for a while (at least another 30 days) this will not be that big of a deal.

 

Any help, thoughts, advice, or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GFChris]

Once you complete a Whole30, how you choose to eat afterward is your call.  That's part of riding your bike.

 

A possible approach: you could do  reintroductions now with the select items you identified, have wine on your birthday, and then restart another Whole30 after that.