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Starting today!


Lunarose

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Today is my first day of Whole 30! I am mainly doing this because I'd like to cut out alcohol, but am looking forward to the health benefits in body and mind from all of the nutritious foods. I do like to cook and am excited about getting better at meal planning, cooking ahead, and utilizing leftovers more. Also hoping to lose a few pounds. :) This seems like a really good time of year to do it as farmers markets are open and produce is plentiful. I think cutting out the alcohol and sugar will be the most difficult part for me. Excited and nervous! I had been planning to get back into running daily in my first week but after doing some research it sounds like high intensity exercise isn't a great idea when you are first starting, so might just do a bit of yoga instead. My husband is very supportive and is going to do his best to follow Whole 30 rules as well. Ready, set, go!

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I started yesterday, as well! I did a sugar detox about 2 weeks ago and saw how much better my body felt by the end of it so I am moving forward with the Whole30. So far today, I am experiencing similar feelings to my sugar detox...excited about being healthier (eventually), sad that I can't eat delicious, sugary foods whenever I feel like it,  and grumpy because my tastebuds don't like the food I am eating on the Whole30 so far. How are you doing with food/recipes so far?

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Yeah, I think the no sugar will be the hardest part! If you already did a sugar detox shortly before I'd say that gives you a leg up for the whole 30 (less hangover). I started to cut back on sugar, alcohol, and grains about a week prior to starting just to see what it felt like and I get an idea of what I was in for. :P I'm glad I did it though because on day 2 I'm not really feeling the "hangover" except for grogginess. No headaches (so far). 

As for food and recipes, I ate a ton of fruit yesterday (first day) probably because I couldn't have sugar, and found a few meals I like. For lunch I had mixed greens with canned salmon, green beans, red onion, olives, avocado, cucumber and lemon vinaigrette and it was actually one of the tastiest salads I've ever had! And for dinner a chili that was really, really good. Here is the recipe: http://www.paleonewbie.com/paleo-crockpot-chili-recipe/    I used ground beef but I think it would be delicious with ground bison too.

One of my main concerns right now is I seem to be spending ALL of my time in the kitchen - chopping, prepping, cleaning dishes.:blink: So I'm actually a bit worried about time management, and hoping as things progress I'll get more efficient with it....

Would love to hear how you are doing in the next few days! We can do this!!! 

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I also started on Wednesday so today is Day 3. I've had a headache for the last day and a half that won't go away! Unlike you guys, I actually started right after getting back from a short vacay, so I was eating (and drinking) a lot of bad stuff before starting. However, I've been doing paleo for almost two years, not %100 but for the most part that is the way I eat. I'm wanting to do this to get to a better place with my habits because for me it's great paleo meals at home or fast food because I'm stressed or tired and there is no in between. I also look forward to the benefits of not drinking at all for 30 days. And Yes I agree, It feels like i've been spending all my time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. I got the whole30 cookbook and I love it! but it is fairly labor intensive.

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Alisha, sorry to hear about the headaches. Hopefully they will go away soon! I am kind of like you...even though I went on a sugar detox 2 weeks ago, I spent the last week traveling by car to Ohio (from Kansas City) and had many greasy, carb-loaded meals from fast food restaurants and the amusement park we went to. My body was very unhappy about the choices I made which helped me reiterate to myself the necessity for the Whole30.

 

Just curious, what have you eaten today?

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So, day 4 - one of the hardest days according to the timeline and I am feeling it! I still haven't had any headaches or food cravings, but my anxiety is through the roof :( The anxiety isn't even about food, more just life stuff. I am hoping it passes soon! Also turns out this first week is coinciding with my PMS so, yeah. Trying to stay focused and on track with meals, I am definitely experiencing some loss of appetite, which is probably due to said anxiety.  

I printed out the whole 30 calendar and put it on my fridge, so I can mark it off each day at the end of the day with a large red X. And I signed up for the daily newsletter. These have helped a lot for me with staying motivated!  How are y'all doing?? Feeling the sugar dragon yet??

Even though I'm struggling right now, I still feel determined! :D

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I just read the daily newsletter to get me past my major depression about the foods I cannot eat this morning. Just like you, I have had very little desire to eat the last couple of days as I am certain I will not like the taste of it. With that said, I know I am doing the right thing and that everything we are feeling is just a phase. It is actually very helpful to read your posts as it helps me feel less alone! Also reading that my tiredness is normal is very helpful.

I have got to try some actual recipes from the book in order to increase the probability of actually liking something I eat. So far, all I have had time to cook is either a bland piece of chicken with a side of broccoli or zucchini or some ground hamburger with an avocado and tomato. I really really need to try other things like the chili you made, I just haven't had the energy!!

Today, I am going to my nephew's birthday party where there will be pizza, pop and cake...the only way I am going to get through it is that my sister is going to bring the ingredients for one of the drinks listed in the book...I'll let you know if it tastes good!!

I'll send positive vibes your way...we really can do this.

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@SarahSun yeah, one of my main concerns going into this was actually how it would affect my mind, more than any physical side effects - I've had depression and anxiety throughout my life and without the crutch of food or drink I knew it would be a challenge - and it is! Hoping to find new ways to relax and feel good, like more yoga and going for walks. At this point though, a glass of wine sounds much better! ;) Even though I've made a few meals I really liked, I definitely feel like I am hitting a wall when it comes to ideas for cooking. I made a big batch of tuna salad with homemade mayo and have that with greens, avocado, and whatever vegetables are around for lunch. Breakfast has been mostly eggs with homemade salsa and avocado. One day I did a burger patty with tomato, avocado, homemade mayo and mustard and it was pretty good, a nice alternative if you get sick of eggs! Dinner is the toughest. That chili was my favorite thing I've made so far. Gonna grill some meat and vegetables this evening and looking forward to that! I tried making a chia pudding too with homemade almond milk and banana, something I probably would never have made if it wasn't for the whole 30. It is.... interesting. I think I'll make it again and give it another shot, but the texture will take some getting used to.  Anyways I am rambling a bit but I hope some of these ideas are helpful! :)  If I find any other good recipes I will def let you know, and please do share the drink recipe if it turns out good! I hope your depression eases soon, sending good vibes your way as well! these days are supposed to be the hardest so it should get easier soon!

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@SarahSun I agree it's nice to not feel alone, I think one area I really struggle with is accountability so it's nice to know someone out there is in the same place on this whole30 and I really hope to make it through without quitting.

Also yes, cooking more delicious food makes this way easier! I cook a lot and it can be pretty time consuming but at the end of the day it's key to my staying on track. I also work in a restaurant where we serve things like pizza, nachos ect, and it can be really challenging to be around all that bad food without craving it.

I had a pizza omlette for breakfast, one of my personal creations (probably because i'm always craving pizza) - no cheese of course :( Lunch I made the Asian chicken salad from whole30 cookbook (very good) and dinner I made some lettuce wrap fish tacos with pico de gallo and guacamole. I'm also lucky that my boyfriend is on board and helps me with the cooking and cleaning. I was really craving ice cream or chocolate after dinner... so I had some blackberrries.

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Thanks so much Lunarose and Alisha, it is so helpful to talk to people experiencing the same things. Alisha, I know this is an overused phrase, but if I can make it, you can definitely make it! I have spent my whole life using food as a response to every emotion I have ever felt...I love the taste of food and I really love pop. As a result of this, I am overweight, out of shape, and have zero energy most of the time. BUT I am happily surprised that I am getting through this program and have not given in to any of my cravings! Even though it is hard, I really know I am going to get through all 30 days.

 

Thanks for the food ideas!!! My sister and I survived a birthday party with a million temptations by making the pesto shrimp dish in the book (page 359)...it was good, but not earth shattering. The drink we made from the book (raspberries, seltzer water and lemon juice) was definitely not something my tastebuds liked...way too tart for me...but my sister liked it. For dinner tonight, I am making a version of spaghetti with Zoodles (zucchini noodles) and Whole30 compliant red sauce. I am just proud of myself for locating both of those things at our local Sprouts Health food store which I never thought I would step foot in!!! I even bought some fancy olive oil and some ghee...a week ago, I didn't even know what that was!

 

Have a good today tomorrow!

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Day 5 - the newsletter today said to post one improvement you've noticed on your 5th day, so here's mine: my hair seems healthier, silkier and softer. :) And that's probably the only major improvement I've noticed thus far, but it's something! @Alisha Alexander @SarahSun how about you guys?? Any noticeable improvements on your 5th day? 

Otherwise I am still struggling a bit, doesn't help that I'm having really bad cramps right now!! :( But I think it's good to take a moment to acknowledge the positive too!

@SarahSun happy to hear you survived the birthday party! And awesome your sister was helping you out too, that support is sooo important!!!

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Well, one slightly annoying thing is that even though I am technically on Day 5, I didn't get on the website quick enough so it made me choose the NEXT day as Day 1...that just means that all my emails from the website are one day off. No big deal...just wanted to whine about it for a second.   :D  So on my Day 5 so far, the thing I am noticing the most is actually looking forward to breakfast (leftovers from last night) instead of feeling angry about the food I can't have. I think it really helps that I had success with dinner (the zoodles with compliant spaghetti sauce and hamburger).

 

I am still having cravings for stuff I wasn't even that fond of before the Whole30 like my son's PB&J, but Day 4's email talks a lot about that so I know it is normal!

 

I came across a really really interesting video last night. I'll attach it...you two might like it too. http://nucific.com/3harmfulfoods/?gclid=CjwKEAjw2ZXMBRD2sMWjkdj80DQSJADYdUP4QU2x3h3wwCMs22YmzAIkTYb3-4wfFWCSMTNnRNVz4xoCzO_w_wcB&utm_expid=101999475-8.3FJ_5-g-RmauyZ2uVf-DBQ.0

 

Have a good Whole30 compliant day!

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21 hours ago, Lunarose said:

! I tried making a chia pudding too with homemade almond milk and banana, something I probably would never have made if it wasn't for the whole 30. It is.... interesting. I think I'll make it again and give it another shot, but the texture will take some getting used to. 

These types of concoctions are not recommended... they're very fruit heavy and fat heavy and they don't really fit into the template at all anywhere... seeds and nut products are meant to be consumed in limited amounts... our metric for whole nuts is a closed handful no more than every other day but not really even meant to be eaten every other day....when you do a quick comparison to how much actual chia seeds and almond milk that would be, it's a pretty tiny amount and no one I know eats two tablespoons of chia pudding... 

Good for you for making your own almond milk tho!  Do you use it in your tea and coffee?  I generaly can't stand the taste of warmed almond milk but I wonder if making it myself would make a difference... only one way to find out ;)

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@SugarcubeOD Ooh I did not know this!! Thank you! I like just sipping the almond milk cold - I tried it in coffee but it seemed to curdle??  Just found a recipe for making coconut milk too - is that compliant? Mostly craving nut milks right now because of the warm weather, it is a tasty cooling treat. :) 

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Day 5. As far as noticing anything... I had more energy today than usual, but also had some not so pleasant detox like symptoms in my GI tract... If you know what I mean. I've definitely had some cravings and I'm dreaming of chocolate and beer, but regardless I am feeling strong about staying on track today.

You guys are making me wish I would have signed up for the emails, oh well maybe my next whole 30 lol.

Also one thing I am struggling with, it seems silly, but weighing myself. Before starting this I weighed myself pretty much everyday, and I've had a really hard time stopping( I may have weighed myself once or twice already :wacko:). I don't think I have a unhealthy relationship with the scale or anything. It's more about me wanting to see my hard work reflected on the scale. But I do think the program has a valid reason and that it would be good for me to give it up for a month. 

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1 hour ago, Alisha Alexander said:

Also one thing I am struggling with, it seems silly, but weighing myself. Before starting this I weighed myself pretty much everyday, and I've had a really hard time stopping( I may have weighed myself once or twice already :wacko:). I don't think I have a unhealthy relationship with the scale or anything. It's more about me wanting to see my hard work reflected on the scale. But I do think the program has a valid reason and that it would be good for me to give it up for a month. 

A lot of people find they have to physically remove the scale from their house to make themselves stop using it -- if you have a friend or family member who would stash it in their home or the trunk of their car, maybe try that, or at least move it from wherever it usually is in your house to someplace very inconvenient -- a shelf in the top of a cabinet you can't get to without a stepladder, or in a box in the garage underneath a stack of other boxes, or seal it up in a box taped up with lots of packing tape, and put that box in another box sealed with packing tape -- something so that you have to really stop and think, "Do I really need to weigh myself right now?"  Now might be a good time to start thinking about non-scale victories, even though it's early enough you may not notice many yet -- there's a checklist here you could use. Maybe set aside time once or twice a week to go through the list and check off anything that you've noticed or add anything that isn't already on the list. 

You might also check out these articles: 

https://whole30.com/2016/01/scale/

http://whole9life.com/2012/08/new-health-scale/

https://whole30.com/step-seven/

 

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@SarahSun sorry to hear about the newsletter. :/ Good thing though is it doesn't seem like they are too day-specific. You might be able to contact admin about it resetting it too? 

That's awesome you are finding some recipes you like! I'll have to try zoodles - another thing I would never make if it wasn't for Whole 30 but I am willing to give it a shot! I do miss pasta, mostly because it's such an easy go-to dinner option. And delicious... :) My only real craving thus far is cheese, which I would not have expected! 

I started watching the video, it is really good!!! Didn't have time to finish it so I'll go back and re-watch it today. I love how it presents new information but also explains more about why Whole 30 works! And omg corn syrup is the devil, haha! I guess I already knew it was unhealthy, but didn't realize just how unhealthy and why.

@Alisha Alexander so great you are already feeling the extra energy! In today's newletter (day 6) they talk about how that usually happens days 7-10. I am feeling slightly more energy this morning, but that might be because I got some extra sleep last night too. It seems like days 5-6 are when digestion and metabolism are starting to shift to burn fat rather than carbs/sugar, so makes sense if you are having some GI issues. 

Anyhoo, day 6! -- LET'S DO THIS!!!

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On August 6, 2017 at 8:56 AM, SarahSun said:

Well, one slightly annoying thing is that even though I am technically on Day 5, I didn't get on the website quick enough so it made me choose the NEXT day as Day 1...that just means that all my emails from the website are one day off. No big deal...just wanted to whine about it for a second.   :D  So on my Day 5 so far, the thing I am noticing the most is actually looking forward to breakfast (leftovers from last night) instead of feeling angry about the food I can't have. I think it really helps that I had success with dinner (the zoodles with compliant spaghetti sauce and hamburger).

 

I am still having cravings for stuff I wasn't even that fond of before the Whole30 like my son's PB&J, but Day 4's email talks a lot about that so I know it is normal!

 

I came across a really really interesting video last night. I'll attach it...you two might like it too. http://nucific.com/3harmfulfoods/?gclid=CjwKEAjw2ZXMBRD2sMWjkdj80DQSJADYdUP4QU2x3h3wwCMs22YmzAIkTYb3-4wfFWCSMTNnRNVz4xoCzO_w_wcB&utm_expid=101999475-8.3FJ_5-g-RmauyZ2uVf-DBQ.0

 

Have a good Whole30 compliant day!

Email [email protected] and they can help fix that up for you!

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It is Day 6 for me. I learned a big lesson on the importance of planning today! I left the house in a hurry (forgot about a dentist appointment) and had not eaten yet. The rest of the day was filled with obligations I couldn't get out of so I was not able to eat until 6pm tonight! I found out that gas stations do not have Whole30 compliant cashews...everything has peanut oil. I am very impressed that I survived without eating non-compliant food OR crying!!!   :D   When I got home, I made something so simple from the Whole30 book (page340)...turns out to be the best tasting and most satisfying thing I have eaten so far! I'll try to attach a picture.

 

@Alisha Alexander, the scale thing is hard for me too! I just keep telling myself that I can treat it like a big "reveal" at the end of the 30 days. Also, if anything life altering is mentioned in the daily email, I'll let you know...I wouldn't want you to miss something super important. For the most part, I just really like the way the authors write (in the book and the emails)...they do a great job of saying just what I need to hear so I am glad I have access to both. With that said, getting on the forum and meeting you and Lunarose is super helpful too so at least you have that!

 

@Lunarose, pasta and cheese are sooooo difficult to give up for 30 days!!!! I have always been an Alfredo sauce fanatic! And of course, the kids love pasta so they still want to eat it, BUT we will all survive without it!!! :D

 

Go team!

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@SarahSun wow, good for you!!! I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't find anything to eat til 6 pm... but definitely would have cried! :lol: Yeah the planning really is key, I am blown away on a daily basis by how difficult it can be to find real, compliant food. Still haven't been able to find compliant bacon, and finally found compliant deli turkey but it took some serious investigating. If I ever do Whole 30 again, I am definitely going to take my time first making a bunch of meals in the slow cooker and freezing them before I start. 

And that stir fry looks delish, I don't have the whole 30 recipe book, do you recommend it?

Congrats again on your perseverance! And day 6 is almost done, on to day 7! :)

 

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Thanks @ShannonM816 those are some great tips to deal with my scale. I'm going to get my boyfriend to hide it somewhere and I think that will solve it.

@SarahSun Good for you for making until 6pm! Before I started the whole30 I had been doing some intermittent fasting. I found it really helpful, and it made me realize I wont die if I go more than 4 hours without eating! Especially when my body is in 'fat burning' mode (aka i've been eating fairly low carb for more then a few days). 

@Lunarose I have the whole30 cookbook and I really like it, i've had it for a few months and I use it alot even when i'm not doing a whole30. So i'd definitely recommend it. I have all the books except for the actual 'whole30' book, do you guys recommend that one even though I have the other ones? Also yes it's so tough to find bacon and deli meats that are whole30 compliant! I found some at my local organic market type store and also at the farmers market.

Good job everyone, and i'm really loving this support network :)

 

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I really really like the Whole30 book since I am new to the process. Here is some stuff covered in the book that have been helpful to me so far: Why and how the program works; a timeline of how you will feel on each day and why; quick references to what you can and cannot have (in alphabetical order), commonly asked questions (and answers), and recipes. I love it.

The book mentions the following Whole30 compliant bacon. Due to the cost of these options, I think I'll do without bacon for the next 30 days. :D

https://grasslandbeef.com

http://nakedbaconco.com

https://premadepaleo.com/products/bacon

 

I like Alisha's idea of going to a farmer's market...I'll have to do that.

 

Good night everyone.

 

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@Alisha Alexander the only whole 30 book I've read - or rather, listened to - was the audio book "It Starts With Food" and really enjoyed it. They clearly did a LOT of research in creating this program.  I might look into getting the whole 30 recipe book, if anything it would be nice to have after it's done so I can keep making healthy meals!

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