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Januray 2 Repeat for November "Graduates"


Jmb369

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@Jmb369 I like the two- to three-veggie strategy you're using, as well as the limited a.m. fruit.  I had a fruit mess up yesterday, eating some after lunch and just craving sweet all afternoon and evening.  The sugar dragon is not yet tamed, apparently. 

I have been compliant food-wise but not meal-template-wise.  Been very haphazard over the past 48 hours.  Not enough planning, just making meals of grab-and-go eggs and veggie sticks.  Yesterday I gave in to my fruit dragon (the sugar dragon's compliant baby cousin?) after dinner.  Lacking nourishment of seated meals, I guess. 

@NatalieCatalie_ Go clear skin!

@drtracyb hard to not mention what I'm but easier at the end of the day. 

@Mallorca I like it - neutral as the new normal

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Hi guys it's day 5 already! Have felt very sleepy but not sleeping v well at night. 

Question - did I make it up or are we not recommended to have nuts more than every other day? Anyone else remember that? I'm sorting cravings with a Brazil nut or 2 (literally) but that has to be better than the stollen mince pies and Christmas cake I've been serving to guests and visitors this week so I'm proud of myself for not caving in! And as someone said last time that's ok for this week as we transition. I'll toughen up on my snacks next week. 

How are you all doing? Some of the Nov crew haven't appeared yet.  You out there inspirational wedding grape eating lady??

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Good morning - its day 6 and I'm doing ok.  Not great but not bad.  @britgirl way to go, passing on pies and cake!  And being the one to serve them... I remember nuts as compliant, within the closed handful recommendation, but not as a snack.  Does this sound familiar?   

I passed on some breads this week.  Hard but not crazy-hard.  I also passed on a trip to a casino for this weekend.  That made me a little sad.  But how could I stay compliant in such a place, cocktails and party people everywhere?  Maybe it could be done, but I'm conditioned to follow my husband's lead and let loose when we do something like this.  So now I'm home with the kids and snow in the forecast, and not much to do.  It's early in the day and I feel positive though.  In another thread about the weekend someone mentioned that "January is for cleaning house," and I'm glad to be staying home where I can be compliant.  I'll schedule some (black decaf) coffee dates with some friends, weather permitting.    

Anyone else have weekend plans? 

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Hi Everyone! I started the 1st so today is Day 7, somehow that milestone feels really exciting. I am feeling pretty good, energy slowly returning. Sleep improving, headache almost gone, puffiness gone. Joints are better but still some pain. Im about halfway through Food Freedom Forever and really enjoying it, anyone else read it? I also am realizing I dont really know what the meal "rules" are. I eat 3-4 meals and usually a snack or two(just up'ed my thyroid meds so I have an big appetite right now). I have also come to the conclusion that I really have to give up eating while watching TV (bah). I have only been doing it in the evening and am eating when hungry but still feel that it is a really bad habit and a slippery slope as it is mindless and numbing. Have any of you kicked that habit? 

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@Nira81 Did your snow arrive? Are your kids old enough to go sledding? That's the only thing I miss about living in Mexico!

@Nurse Tiffany I've read Fat Freedom Forever, and I should probably reread it. I think that's what inspired me to keep repeating the Whole 30 and the reintroduction until I can totally shift my way of approaching food. I'm getting there. In December I could actually feel myself sometimes deciding that something was or was not 'worth it." For me, that meant, is it worth feeling lousy for 1-4 days?! And my indulgences were often in the nature of experiments. What will happen if I have a beer? What will happen if I have feta cheese on my Greek salad?  

It's been years since I ate in the evening, and I don't nibble while watching TV. My personal challenge is late afternoon. We tend to eat dinner at 6:30 or even 7:00, so maybe I'm just not hungry in the evening. I had a friend who basically asked her husband to take care of putting away leftovers and cleaning up the kitchen, and then she told herself, the kitchen is closed. That worked for her -- doubt it would work for me!

@britgirl The nuts onlyevery other day sounds familiar. That used to be my go-to afternoon snack EVERY day. Now I am experimenting with a 1/2 cup serving of hearty soup or leftover casserole. That seems to work well.

And yes, I am less tired and less cranky, and I smile more! My worst mood day was Day 4! I have substituted an ounce or two of meat for my fruit at breakfast. I have that with 2-3 eggs and usually a green vegetable. 

In addition to starting Whole 30 on Monday, I began teaching yoga (out of my home) this week. I also made a day trip to the city (Guadalajara) with two friends on Thursday, and DH and I were out for one dinner and one lunch. So my quiet weekend is blissful! I did some laundry, but otherwise it's been a day of chatting with friends and family Online or by phone, working on a jigsaw puzzle, listening to quiet music.

I am looking forward to better sleep at night. I am still waking up at 5:00, and I prefer 6:00 or even 6:30. Today I made a 2-lb. meat loaf (using onions, grated apple and grated potato plus herbs. it was great. (my recollection of a recipe from a cookbook I no longer have!) We had that with baked potato, broccoli, and carrot ginger soup. Tomorrow I will roast a chicken and a panful of vegetables.. That will give us enough leftovers for another meal or two. Someone on here has said it before, planning, planning planning. I now have almost a week of leftovers in the freezer, so I feel prepared. 

Question...what;s the story on RX bars? I can't get them here, but I do need something to keep in my purse or in the car for those unpredictable times when I am out longer than I anticipate. I have a recipe for bars that are like Lara bars, but I am afraid that with dates or other dried fruit and nuts, they might be addictive.

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@Jmb369 Yes, it did snow.  We got about eight inches!  I think my older girl will sled; the baby is learning to walk in snow boots.  Mexico sounds lovely.  As does teaching yoga from home - does teaching and yoga in general help you on the Whole30 path? 

So, Happy Day 7 everyone, anything interesting to report?   I did pretty well for being snowed-in yesterday, but I fell into the nuts-as-a-snack trap.  Things feel boring and lonely when I'm snowed in, so yes, I snacked (compliantly but still).  So I'm a little bummed out with myself but focusing on the big picture.  Today's goal is to avoid nuts.  Also caffeine after noon time.  Sleep has not been great.  My skin is looking better.  My joints, especially my hands, feel good.  I am a massage therapist and I really need to focus on the joint inflammation results of this for the sake of my work.  

In general I'm still feeling pretty neutral about this process overall, which is great. 

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On 8/1/2017 at 0:35 AM, Jmb369 said:

Question...what;s the story on RX bars? I can't get them here, but I do need something to keep in my purse or in the car for those unpredictable times when I am out longer than I anticipate. I have a recipe for bars that are like Lara bars, but I am afraid that with dates or other dried fruit and nuts, they might be addictive.

I have RawBite bars, and recently I came up onto a new spanish brand called PaeloBull... all good ingredients! They are really good (rawbite specially), but since they are quite filling, I would not worry much about them being addictive. Only if dates are FWNB for you.

How are you all doing? This thread is silent lately...

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I'm still here! Finally got news from the doctor that I do have sleep apnea. It's mild (I stop breathing about 4-5 times an hour) but he said that severity of apnea doesn't necessarily correlate with severity of symptoms - my symptoms are severe. I am tired all the time, late for work most mornings, low energy on the weekends, and don't like driving much because I'm so tired. However, I'm still sticking with Whole30! I should be getting a CPAP in about two weeks so I'm really excited to see how I'll feel after a good night's sleep. I'm coming for you, Tiger Blood! 

Hope everyone had a pleasant weekend and are feeling strong going into our second week of Whole30. 

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On 1/6/2017 at 1:36 AM, britgirl said:

Hi guys it's day 5 already! Have felt very sleepy but not sleeping v well at night. 

On 1/7/2017 at 1:17 PM, Nira81 said:

@Nurse Tiffany I kicked the evening eating habit in my 1st Whole 30... I wish I remember tricks though.  It seemed to happen naturally, like the urge just went away.  Does that sound familiar to anyone?  Right now I have the evening urges.  Happy Day 7 to you!   

 

 

Today is day 9 for me. I'm feeling pretty bloated today but the last few days have been tough with the entire family sick. Ready for a couple more days to pass so everyone will be healthy.

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I'm also a sleepy one... I've been sleeping light and waking up not-fully-rested. Otherwise, it's all good: energy (afternoons and evenings are great), clear mind, letting go of all the bloat... eating like a queen and feeling lighter!

Also, this round I've finally gotten rid of my concern for portions, and my plates are quite full. I seem to have found a nice spot in quantities, where I feel full but not stuffed, and without hunger for most of the day. I'm attaching some photos. The dish is a big one! @ShannonM816 would you say this meals are ok?

First one: I already had eaten some hen I remembered to take the photo. Leftover chicken and ground pork, potato, pepper, onion, shiitake mushroom hash.

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Sweet potato "toast", 1 avocado, 1 boiled egg, smoked salmon (4 slices)

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Brussel sprouts, crackling chicken, and a small bowl (about 1/2 cup) of homemade mayo (not int the photo)

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And I'm seeing more clearly the importance of a nice, big breakfast. On November whole30 I was bored with breakfasts and having to eat so much so early on the day, but then december came along and the first thing I went back to in terms of habits was a poor (little) breakfast, when any. And this almost always led to hungry afternoons, and not-so-logical decisions for lunch and dinner. Back to a filling breakfast in january, it feels soooo much better and sustainable.

Any of you had any other discoveries on this second round?

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Well, I'm going to stay with this group, but I will be restarting tomorrow, January 13 (I'm not superstitious, but maybe I should wait until the 14th!)

It's been a tough week emotionally. I was feeling great by Monday, and doing well with my Whole 30 eating. but last weekend I learned that a friend's husband had died Friday. They had moved here from Alaska in 2007. Long story made shorter, in 2013 she left him after 44 years of marriage (he was an alcoholic.) In 2015 she moved back to the U.S., but not back  to Alaska! She arrived here Monday with her two adult children to handle the arrangements, file legal documents, etc. I offered to chauffeur them around on Tuesday and yesterday. it was a privelge, but the combination of the break in my routine and the emotional fallout, left me vulnerable. Tuesday I did not eat any vegetables, and did not drink enough water. Yesterday I succumbed to bread at lunch, and did not pick the cheese out of my salad. DH and I went out for dinner, which was nice, but I ate tortilla chips and salsa, and the sea bass veracruz that I ordered obviously had breading on the fish and thickener in the spicy sauce. I did okay at breakfast today, and ate a healthy and compliant lunch, but then ate a package of gluten-free ginger cookies that were a gift for someone I did not see over the holidays. I literally untied the ribbon, took off the bell, cut through the twine, and then ate all 5 cookies.

What did I learn? I learned that I MUST eat my vegetables and drink my water. I learned that any wheat at all can set off a binge. I learned that I must always ask how food has been cooked when I eat in a restaurant.  I learned that I cannot have ANY non compliant foods in the house when I am doing a Whole 30.  I learned that even if I am side-swiped by an emotional situation, I must pay conscious attention to how it is affecting me.. And I learned that just because I ate non-compliant food once or twice or even more, it's not a good idea to continue doing the same behavior.

Was it worth it? Definitely not for the pleasure factor, but maybe because of what I learned. But did I learn enough to prevent a repeat in the future? I hope so.

 

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@Jmb369 so sorry to hear about your friend and the emotional storm cloud. I say don't let this derail you. I know they want you to start over, and if you do, that's fine, but I will not personally hold it against you if you go right ahead with day 12. Either way, it's good you were able to learn from this experience. I have noticed several times this past week that I have wanted to cave and have sweets in order to soothe my emotions. I have been battling depression and anxiety for years and I've had a flare up the past month or so. It would be so easy to give in and say "oh well, I give up, I'll feel better after I eat some Ben and Jerry's" but I know that it will only feel good in the moment. Afterwards, I'll feel the effects of the sugar. Doing Whole30 is teaching me that I have to find other ways to soothe myself when I am feeling negative emotions. This is why I love this group, I am able to have a community of others who struggle with many of the same things. Realizing we are not alone in our struggles makes such a difference. *hugs*

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@Jmb369

That sucks and I'm sorry. You've acknowledged where you'd have a trouble spot in future. I'm sorry you've had a rough week. 

 @NatalieCatalie_

I've been suffering similar issues off and on. I find I do better with a B12 supplement in addition to whole30-ing. 

Last week I had a tough time but I powered through. Maybe not the squeaky clean whole30, but good enough. This week Mel Joulwan's recipes have been saving my butt and getting me out of food funk. 

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@Jmb369 Hey, it's like you said, take what you learned from these 2 days. It's a valuable experience! You learned what triggers a binge (not many people do that!). You also learned that the pleasure we obtain when eating these foods is not really what we expected, more like a "numb the pain" one, right? Not an "oh I'm so happy eating this".

However, if it was me, I'd start again, right away, today is day 1 already. The 30 days aren't only to see how long you can maintain the restrictions, but a way of completely resetting you hormones, triggers and body responses to certain foods. You already know that from November whole30, but nonetheless it's a great opportunity to start over in January. Or, if you read Food Freedom Forever, just turn this into a Reintroducion phase, and keep introducing elements slowly every couple of days.

Anyways, we love having you in this thread!!

On another news... today I received my LuckyVitamin order of many items sold only on the US... Tessemae's dressings, Epic bars, and collagen peptides. I'll start testing with the collagen today and inform you of any difference I may / may not feel ;)

Next week I have a business trip, and for a day I stressed out on what my food options might be, if I should stop at a Whole15 and just let it be... but then I decided that I would think about it on that moment. I will stock up on compliant food and snacks, and have some restaurants pre-checked, but if I feel like enjoying the day and going to a delicious restaurant with no compliant options, I'll enjoy that as well. I've been reading Food Freedom Forever, and considering how I'm feeling already, reintroduction phase sounds okay. But, I also want to keep on whole30-ing all January... we'll just wait and see hahaha.

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Thanks, everyone for your support and ideas. I reread Section 4 of Food Freedom Forever this morning. It's the section on various ways to approach resetting, whether it's resetting after a slip-up, a long slow side, or months of noncompliant eating and a return of symptoms.

I decided that I am treating the two days this week as a blip. Having done two entire Whole 30s, a reintroduction in December, and 13 days in January, I feel as if I can do this and simply move forward from here. I can still complete two and a half weeks more in January. At that point, I'll decide whether to continue Whole 30 type eating or do a reintroduction. I'll make that decision based on whether my body feels as if it's done a full reset or not.

The other helpful idea from FFF was to start the reset one meal at a time instead of approaching it as a commitment to a chunk of time. That resonated with me. My dinner last night was 100% compliant (homemade hamburgers: green beans with mushrooms, onions, peppers and chard' stems; and Spanish torte , which is onions, potatoes, eggs). Breakfast today was salsa chicken with poached eggs and half a banana.

Soooo....on to some active housework, a compliant lunch, a massage, a quiet afternoon, and a compliant dinner!

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Hi all I lost this thread! Glad to find you again. 

@Jmb369 so sorry life's been tough. Sounds like you have moved on so well done you for sticking with it. And for bing a great friend even though it cost you. And for admitting the ginger biscuit story. Impressive! I love this thread and our similar struggles around food. 

Confession time......I had to have a neck biopsy ( precautionary) on day 6 and was plied with lattes afterwards as they watched I didn't keel over (which I drank feeling like I'd "earned"). 2 lattes then led into a cake fest day of all the stuff off plan I miss. And none of it really hit the spot. Disappointing. So I went through all the restart qs too but I'm thinking that with a strict intro ( which I'm really keen to do this time) we're doing enough days so I chalked that up to experience and will try and remember that the stuff you crave doesn't live up to the memory of it after so much good nutritious food. 

@NatalieCatalie_ Yeah! Finally that sleep study!! Hope you get some answers that help you. My mum in law has the gadget( we call it her Darth Vader) and it dramatically helps her. Good luck! 

Lot less posting this time - but much more familiar this time too. Will need support thru reintro just so you know.........

How are you all doing??

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

January 30, 8:30 p.m. where I live and the end of what turned out to be more of a reintroduction month than a Whole 30. I did lots of experimenting, interspersed with days of Whole 30. I am sleeping better, although not as long or as well as I'd like. My body has shifted shape a lot, even though my weight has not, so there is evidence of internal changes. I have been eating what I call "Primarily Paleo" for nearly three years, and primarily Whole 30 for seven months.

My plan going forward is to find a forum for FFF and continue to eat this way indefinitely. I plan to do a 14-day reset in February, probably the 6th to the 19th. (We have a friend's 800th birthday party to attend on the 5th, and I want to be able to eat whatever I decide is worth it. I have learned that bread is totally out, but many other "noncompliant" foods are okay in small quantites and infrequently.

How has the rest of the month gone for everyone else? What are you all doing to improve your health? does it include Whole 30?

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Seems I'm not the only one who has let this forum fall by the wayside. About two weeks ago I gave up on this round of Whole30. I was just feeling so discouraged with having no energy and not feeling much better after hitting about day 15 or 16. However, good news, I got a CPAP this morning! Finally! After months of waiting. My plan is to give myself a few days to get used to it then on Monday I will start a fresh new Whole30.

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1 hour ago, NatalieCatalie_ said:

Seems I'm not the only one who has let this forum fall by the wayside. About two weeks ago I gave up on this round of Whole30. I was just feeling so discouraged with having no energy and not feeling much better after hitting about day 15 or 16. However, good news, I got a CPAP this morning! Finally! After months of waiting. My plan is to give myself a few days to get used to it then on Monday I will start a fresh new Whole30.

So glad you got the CPAP. I bet it will make a huge difference. I've done Sarah Ballantyne's "Go To Bed" challenge several times, and when I conscientiously implement all of her suggestions, I sleep so much better. And when I sleep better, the rest of my life falls into place, from eating right and getting enough exercise to checking items off my To Do list and improving my relationships!

let us know how you do!

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