June 1 Reset Start - Let's do this (again)!!

[iteach]

Day 14

I'm still hanging in there with eating and drinking on plan. Right now it's mind over matter and the fact that it's taken me 14 days to wake up, get out of bed, and not feel like I need to go back to sleep. Fatigue feels like it's basically gone. I'm ready for bed by 9:00 but still, I'm not feeling like I'm walking around in a dazed and confused state of mind. 

My mood's shifting toward the happy side but I still overthink things. 

My stomach doesn't feel as bloated. I wear workout clothes all day long, even if I have to go to the store. I don't have a self-conscious issue when I'm not worried about what others think of me or what I look like in public. But, I do dress up for work. My 18s fit without sucking it in. I have size 16s pants for work ordered and on their way. I'm like a kid getting ready for back-to-school already, even though summer break just started. If I don't get the things I need now, I won't have time later. 

I've been drinking about 96 ounces of water a day. I'm aiming for a gallon, but my brain's not making it happen. I take my water bottle every where I go, pee just about every restroom I can find if we go any where, and drink as much as I can....and I still can't get in a gallon. I think once the weather heats up, maybe that'll happen. I'm probably just as hydrated enough as it is. No constipation here!

The $20 table is looking AMAZING (If I do say so myself). So far I've spent almost $20 in supplies to refinish it. I just need two more coats of polyurethane and curing time to allow for the hardening to happen. I'm hoping the weather will warm up to help the process. 

@JTCarlson I haven't been "good" at refinishing much in my life, unless it's a cake, then I'm all about just finishing it.  I've needed a hobby this summer, one that would keep me out of trouble. I'm not sure this one has... LOL

 

Sounds like everyone's working on their goals and making plans. It's awesome to hear! I hope there's more of us still hanging in the June Whole30. I'm most positive I'll be extending into July without adding the foods I've been without. 

[Jmb369]

Great job, @iteach, especially with the water consumption! I seldom drink more than 64-70 ounces a day, even when it's hot. 

BTW, I am back 100% on Whole 30, but I restarted on Monday, the 12th, so I am not officially on the same schedule as the rest of you who started on June 1.

I don't remember what grade you teach. Are you also teaching summer school?

[JTCarlson]

@iteach I hear you on the water issue! I truly struggle with that one. If I had a dollar for every time I have left my *full* water bottle sitting on the counter when I head off to work, well I'd have enough money to buy hundreds of water bottles - and still forget to drink enough water! I'm going to chose to be inspired by you and make a point of remembering my water when I head to work tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!

[iteach]

Day 15---HALF WAY There!

The $20 table is officially curing and done from being refinished. My husband's going to widen the holes under the base to put in new adjustable pads so it will sit level.

Food's going well. Water's going well. Exercise is going...well. I'm basically warn out at the end of the day from keeping busy. So sleep is going great too. I started feeling a little cramping in my legs yesterday and had a small pickle. Leg cramps left almost immediately.

I'm currently making a shopping list of things to pack for our camping trip next week. I'm not completely nervous about going camping while on Whole30, I've done it before, but I've also had issues. I'm trying to pack food for fuel and keeping in mind that we'll get to hike, fish, and see beautiful scenery; so it's not all about the food, but more about just enjoying the time away from the busy/crazy life we lead. 

I hope everyone's enjoying their day!

@Jmb369 Water is that essential part we all need....and I'm really good at not drinking enough. It's great to hear you started on the 12th! Glad you're still with us too! You've got this! This will be my 9th year teaching 3rd grade. No summer school teaching for me. I've spent the past 5 years taking classes during the summer. This is the first summer I don't have to take anything. And I'm loving it!

@JTCarlson Yay on making a plan for getting your water in! I hear ya. It's the same for coffee for me during the school year. I cringe when I get to my classroom wondering what I did with my coffee. Water seems to help me this Whole30. I'm not so focused on food. I hope you get your water in today!

[iteach]

day 17

It's a bit quiet here. I hope everyone's out enjoy the sunshine and busy with life. Am I the only one left here? Hmm....hope not. 

[Jmb369]

I'm still here -- well, sort of. Am I on Day 17 or am I on Day 6? I have a mixed-up identity here!

Doing well on food choices, getting 7 !/2 plus hours of actual sleep every night, and drinking 8-9 glasses of water every day. I am not doing so well on getting daily exercise and sunshine. Meditation is an off again on again activity.

I did have several nights when I just did not feel like cooking -- ended up with a hamburger, "baked" sweet potato (think microwave), and leftover stir-fried veggies several nights in a row, but at least I did not cave! Today I moved the unsalted mixed nuts to DH's desk because they are simply too accessible in the pantry and I turn to them too often when hunger strikes. I have managed to eat, as snacks, leftover roast beef and a hard boiled egg. My toughest temptation was a bad night's sleep that left me tired in the morning. I ended up taking a morning nap from 11-12, a first for me, but it kept me from snacking when the real reason for flagging energy was fatigue, not hunger. Little by little, I am learning new ways of coping with life, but they are not automatic yet!

How are you feeling? Has the elimination of gluten had a noticeable effects yet? By the way, here is the link to a great article on paleo foods. I realize not all paleo foods are Whole 30 compliant, but this is a good list. Go to phoenixhelix.com. The home page should have a link to an article called 10 Superfoods.... I originally had posted the link here, but when I tested it, I got an error message

Keep going. Less than two weeks to go! 

[iteach]

@Jmb369 Glad to hear you're still here! Sleep and water are definitely the keys that have helped this time around for me too. Good for you! No matter what number of day it is for you, I'm glad you're still going strong!

Life without gluten, corn, and grains has been difficult but amazing at the same time. Thanks for the link! I'll read through it.

Energy, on the other hand, is still...meh. I get up in the morning and get things done, but naps are getting to be required in the afternoon. That might be because I've been sleep deprived and under a lot of stress over the past school year-----I was teaching AND finishing my masters degree. But the basic bloating, fatigue, and just feeling like crap all day long seems to be dissipating. 

I'm thinking it'll take 30 days to try to detox my body and brain, and then another 30 days to find my energy.

[Jmb369]

I like your 30-30 plan! I had that kind of exhaustion a few years ago, and there's no question that it can take a few months to recover. In addition to eating nutrient dense foods, I really focused on getting more sleep, more exercise, and more sunshine.

According to my Fitbit, I now average 7 1/2 hours of actual sleep, but for me, that requires being in bed for 8 hours or more.  My exercise is gentle- a 30-minute walk 3x a week, yoga 2-3x a week, and the occasional swim or strength DVD. And it was my doctir who suggested 20 minutes of direct sun exposure daily. She has observed that we are all so fearful of skin cancer, that we either avoid getting any sun at all, or we use sun block 100% of the time. My DH is better about this than Inam, but there is no question that we have both had fewer illnesses since we started doing it. It's the best way to help our bodies manufacture Vitamin D.

i think you might be camping or leaving tiday. Have a wonderful time. I love being out in nature like that, and some of my best memories from my younger years are from camping trips.

by the way, thanks for returning to post. The support is really helpful!

[iteach]

@Jmb369 Thanks for your thoughts! It sounds like you were getting in an excellent night's rest! I wish I could say the same during my vacation. LOL We enjoyed our trip, but it was exhausting too. We did a LOT of hiking!

It looks like this thread is officially done for. It was great to start with everyone...kept me going. 

And....I can honestly say, I hung in there with all things Whole30 while on vacation until about last Tuesday when I had cheese and sour cream. We had taco salads and cheese potatoes cooked over the open fire. From that point on, it was a dairy fest. 

I did notice that I lost 4 pounds (Even with being on vacation) and 11 inches. I also learned that gluten is not for me, and possibly even all grains. So, it's a win-win, even though I didn't complete a Whole30. Maybe more like a Whole20. 

I'm doing another Whole30 starting July 1st, but I'm also starting team training. I have my evaluation tomorrow with a personal trainer to help me with nutrition and other stats. I'm anxious to find out what the PT has to offer. 

Best wishes to all!

[i heart my body]

hi friends - hope everyone is doing fabulously in day 28 ! I"m feeling great personally. Anticipating the reintroduction phase with mild trepidation. Anyone else feel like staying off alcohol is something they might want to continue. I just cannot for the life of me imagine drinking again after this - am i alone? 

[iteach]

3 hours ago, i heart my body said:

hi friends - hope everyone is doing fabulously in day 28 ! I"m feeling great personally. Anticipating the reintroduction phase with mild trepidation. Anyone else feel like staying off alcohol is something they might want to continue. I just cannot for the life of me imagine drinking again after this - am i alone? 

I'm so glad to hear you're staying strong on day 28! 

Alcohol has been one of the items I haven't missed entirely. I miss the wineries, but not the ill feeling I get a little while after or even the next day. My body's probably had way to much gluten/sugar in it to really enjoy wine any more. I'm continuing another whole30 though. Best wishes on your reintroduction.

[Jmb369]

Hi @iteach and @i heart my body. Congratulations to both of you, and good luck with your next steps. I will wait a few months to try again for a Whole 30, but in the meantime, I am back to eating 90% compliant foods. @i heart my body Ever since my first Whole 30 in 2015, I seldom drink alcohol, and when I do, it's one glass of wine or one bottle of micro-brewed beer, probably no more than once or twice a month. I also have pretty much cut out cheese and dairy, maybe having a sprinkle of parmesan on my spaghetti or some yogurt with raspberries.  I do like gluten free bread, but will eventually cut that out, too.

I was doing okay until my dog got sick and then DH got an abscessed tooth. I have been cooking 3 separate meals, 3x a day. (DH had dental surgery this past Monday and is has been on a liquid/soft diet since last Thursday.) Partly it is the challenge of doing the extra cooking, and partly it was my inappropriate response to the stress. At least I know I did a good job of cleaning up the freezer and the pantry. There was NOTHING to be found that was not Whole Foods compliant!

@iteach it sounds as if your vacation was fun, and all that hiking is awesome! Do you have a place to hike near where you live? When I lived in Pennsylvania, I lived about a half hour from a state park and hiked there every weekend. That is one activity I really miss since I moved to Mexico ten years ago. The area where we live is very mountainous, and the paths are steep and quite slippery because of loose gravel. I could walk the bike path that parallels the highway, but it's just not as pleasant as getting out into nature.

So adios, and again congratulations to you both and I wish you good health.

 

[iteach]

@Jmb369 Oh, I hope alls well in your home again with your dog and husband. Family first is definitely something difficult to choose sometimes. Good for you keeping up with it all! It was truly a wonderful recharge vacation! We have so many hiking places that are about over an hour away. The problem is that they're over an hour drive away---some even 2 hours away. I know, it's a lazy thought. We actually took our bikes along a greenbelt yesterday and rode 5 miles along a really nice/hot/semi-shaded path with about a few hundred others. It wasn't too crowded. I'm looking in to getting a few things to put on my mountain bike so I can ride it more this summer. Whole30 has definitely helped me free myself from the bondage of gluten. 

Best wishes on your journey!