Jim4884

Short Story: does anyone know what’s in Chipotle’s Barbacoa that makes it non-compliant? Their site has their ingredients listed in a general sense, not by dish and I’m not sure if it’s the rice bran oil (thinking - and hoping - it’s this) or potentially soy beans. 
 
Long Story: I was re-introducing GF grains today and thought I’d just get white rice and corn tortillas at Chipotle rather than buying a whole box or bag of those items, knowing I likely wouldn’t use them. Not only did I accidentally order Barbacoa instead of Carnitas (where is the carne asada when you need it, amirite!?!) but I realized halfway through my first tortilla they had given me FLOUR TORTILLAS. ACH. 
Obviously, I stopped eating the tortillas but I finished the bowl without even realizing about the Barbacoa. So now I’m just trying to figure out HOW badly I messed up. 
Overall, it was super disappointing and I am feeling very frustrated, but am planning to take at least three days before I reintroduce dairy and proceed with my reintroduction as planned. Based on what I find with gluten as part of that, I may decide to do GF grains alone on another day as well just to be certain. I do enjoy the occasional white rice. 
Any additional advice is welcome. Thanks for listening!

It's a very, very good habit to always read your labels and to always verify ingredients in a recipe.Don't trust other people to tell you what's okay to put in your body. There are a lot of sites out there that take advantage of the Whole30 brand by claiming to have compliant recipes. Sometimes they are actually compliant and sometimes they aren't. That being said, there are some food bloggers that are more reliable that others. I recommend checking out the @Whole30Recipes Instagram feed. Those bloggers are probably going to reliable when they claim to have a Whole30 recipe. 
Also, here are some of my favorites that are pretty trustworthy (all of which have been featured by Whole30):
Paleo Running Momma: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/diet/whole30-diet/ Mel Joulwan: https://meljoulwan.com/category/recipes/whole30/ Nom Nom Paleo: https://nomnompaleo.com/post/42057515329/the-round-up-30-days-of-whole30-recipes

It really was merry and bright! Now, back to reality! Not that's that's a bad thing but it is definitely a thing today. I got up before my husband every day this long weekend and totally enjoyed the quietude before it was time to get things done. We had a pretty peaceful day yesterday. Brunch was nice but not much I wanted to eat. I had couple of small bites of ribs before realizing that even if I scraped the sauce off of them, they were sugar bombs. Thankfully, about half of the little piece I took was bone. I mostly ate my deviled eggs, some fruit and some almonds. I was almost tempted to try a friend's family recipe mandarin orange cake but when she said it was a doctored up box mix frosted in cool whip, that made it really easy to pass up. We came home, munched on a bunch of almonds and watched a movie while our little pork roast cooked. It came out great but the lobster wound up being a little under done and we had to give it a short, gentle nuking. It was good but not great but I'd do it again with some adjustments. I managed to put breakfasts and lunches together using leftovers so I was able to clean out the fridge a bit while I was at it. That's about all of the housework that's been done for the last few days, too! Keeping the kitchen from descending into chaos was about all I could keep up with.
We were able to take advantage of the fabulous weather and went for a little hike on Christmas eve. It was so nice then we came home and had scallops and green beans for dinner. My husband requested teriyaki-ish for the green beans but he realized that teriyaki sauce is, essentially, syrup. It's nice that he's become more aware of what's in the food he eats but he still eats it no matter what. Freezer to the rescue! I remembered that I had some of Michelle Tam's all-purpose stir fry sauce freezen so I just reduced it and added it to the green beans with some toasted almond slices (his idea again!). It was really good but a little too salty because I over-reduced it- oops but have to remember that!
Nothing like a sharp talon on your nose or lip in the middle of the night, huh? I had to put a spare pillow on my night table when Squeaky was younger to keep him off of it because he loved to chew on my glasses. The other thing he liked to chew on was the power cord for my computer. I had to replace it twice and Apple is pretty proud of those so I opted for a knock-off brand the second time, thinking that I'd probably have to get another one eventually but he's lost interest now that he's an old fart. He still likes to attack the toilet paper and grocery tote bags and boxes are all his if they're on the floor. 
Have you seen the Ken Burns documentary about jazz? That was the background for our scallop dinner- really nice. I think we'll take it easy tonight, watch another episode and have leftover pork roast and roasted vegetables for dinner. 

A pillow on the night stand sounds very wise, I will have to try that. They made it again last night, all the way through to dawn, and then out they went. By then I was awake and got up shortly afterwards. This afternoon at a little antique mall I found the wing back chair of my dreams for next to the tub, and managed to get it inside by myself without the cats escaping. Hazel has had a taste of outside, and is showing great curiosity, so this is something we are being very careful about. Anyway, the chair is grand and comfortable, and burnt orange. It was reupholstered in the 70s and still in mint condition. I'm very pleased.
Your Christmas sounds wonderful, including the hike, and your husband's awareness of food! Our porky menu was good, too, and everything turned out well - I guess the mashed potatoes felt most like a treat as I hardly ever make them, and we both enjoyed it. No leftover potatoes for me, though. I'm back on game today. I had a cauliflower crust pizza with no cheese and loads of vegetables and chicken. Then a mediterranean salad with chicken kabobs and a tahini dressing, and I will fast the rest of the day. Tomorrow, I will roast the pork loins, and freeze some of it, along with half of the ham that also went to the freezer. (Yes! Freezer to the rescue LOL) There are lots of green things to eat, and so I won't have to cook much or shop for...  a week or so.
After my Xmas post I did get outside and do a ton of raking and sweeping. I had laid down a few layers of cardboard on one of the garden beds months ago, before the rains came and I discovered that it is perfect now (bendable like lasagna!) to lay out across the other beds, and easily tears in the shape I want. This was very encouraging. There are 5 beds that are flat and will be easy to sheet mulch in this way, and the leaves I raked up will mostly (I think) cover them. Huh, I thought I saw a black cat out of the corner of my eye...must have been Spooky!!!! I'll hire a local team to come in and help us make sense of our wacky sprinkler system that has so far been a HUGE headache. I might even get some winter planting done this year, and then wait until next fall to do the rest of the gardens. But getting out there gave me great momentum, and a mood boost. If I do some planting, I have from now and April to get the sprinklers sorted out, because even the natives will need a little water, and for sure those coastal redwoods do, also, and the pomegranate tree which really didn't get enough water and hardly produced any fruit. It's been a year, so now we know what we are dealing with! 
We really enjoyed the Ken Burns Jazz documentary! Yay! The interviews and photographs are amazing...of course, Ken Burns style.  Are you watching it from the beginning? Do you think you'll watch the whole thing? It took us several months of weekend viewing to get through all of it, and I think it is worth watching again. Recently the NYT ran a list of the top 50 (?) movies available on Netflix right now and we took note of some we want to see. 
Since it's post Xmas, and  I'm in early-to-bed/early-to-rise mode right now, no more messing around. I'm aiming to get out hiking tomorrow morning. Back to best practices! There's no elevator where we're hiking next year, so I'd better be ready.
How's your foot? Are you getting your mobility and stretching for your shoulder?

Hi there. I’m Liz and I’ve suffered from GI issues and anxiety for as long as I can remember. I’ve always made excuses — it’s just stress, I just ate too much, it must’ve been old food. I even went GF for a year, documenting how much better I felt for it, and now (back to my old ways) still won’t admit the difference because I love ____________. I do. I love to have a glass of wine in the evening or beers with friends on the weekend. I love to bake and enjoy every form of biscuit/bread/cookie/cake under the sun. I love to treat Aunt Flo to a poptart. But I feel like crap. Now I’m (begrudgingly) coming to the realization that it’s time to be a grown-up and stop trading my health and well being for the temporary pleasure of something delicious. I’m committing to the Whole30 to test for food sensitivities on a physical level, but also to heal my relationship with food on a psychological level. I’m scared. I’ve cried wolf many many times, to the point where I don’t want to tell my friends and family for fear of their reactions: “another diet??” And they wouldn’t be unjustified. My motivation lasts approximately 2 weeks and then I decide that things were perfectly fine the way they were and I shouldn’t deprive myself at the family BBQ where my sister-in-law brought her legendary booze-infused cupcakes. I’ve never had anyone to take me by the shoulders and give me a good shake and shout “the cupcakes aren’t worth the (insert nasty GI symptom here)!!” I feel like no one will understand that this isn’t about losing weight, or following a trend. I don’t discuss my issues and prefer to “suffer in silence”. I’m hoping that I will find a community here to support and understand me, because you’ve all done it. You’ve all had your reasons for committing to the Whole30, and even if they weren’t the same as mine are now you know that the struggle is real. I’m hoping that you will be my strength, my tough love, and my victory cheer. Because I certainly applaud all of you who’ve made this incredible sacrifice in the name of health (even if you really loved doughnuts). 

I hope this is encouraging.  I did my first Whole 30 over two years ago now, and I basically just eat Whole 30 95% of the time.  Why?  Because of the amazing health benefits I experienced.  I was 55 and obese when I started, so my results are probably not typical.  But:
I went from pre-diabetic (and a busy Kaiser doctor e-mailing me personally to let me know how serious it was) to completely normal blood sugar I lowered my blood pressure whilst getting off of meds for it My triglycerides dropped 3x My severely arthritic ankle that was so painful I could not run cleared up so that I can run at will I lost 40lbs without increasing exercise or ever feeling hungry Mild lifelong eczema disappeared I kicked my significant diet soda habit I learned to love vegetables I rejuvenated my enjoyment of cooking Modest improvements in sleep and mood (anxiety and depression improved) I've maintained these gains for two years now.  I am among the biggest Whole 30 cheerleaders there is, and I do not work for them or get paid in any way.  It just truly did change my life.
I've gotten pretty comfortable with eating "mostly" Whole 30 all the time, so feel free to ask any questions.  Two things - I cannot emphasize enough to read EVERY label.  I was shocked at some of the things that have sugar in them.  And try to frame it in your mind about what you GET to eat, not what you can't eat.  I've had people over for dinner for Whole 30 compliant meals tell me I should open a restaurant.  With EVOO, ghee, and pretty much every spice on the planet in play, it is possible to eat delicious and compliant food.  But it does take work  (see "rejuvenated enjoyment of cooking" comment above)

Wow Jim4884 thank you! I'm on day 24 of my 2nd whole 30 and honestly my 1st reintroduction I started with non-gluten alcohol which awoke my sugar dragon and I never regained control of it. I am so very committed to honing a successful reintroduction with insights, like you have shared, into my own Food Freedom Forever! 

Here's some of my discoveries from two rounds of re-intro's and maintaining an "almost" Whole 30 diet all the time:
Legumes: any beans in their whole form gave me mild gas (sorry if TMI), but during my second whole 30 I realized I did not miss legumes at all, so never did that re-intro.  Hummus was more benign, and I like it OK, but if I must "dip" into something, I prefer ranch dressing made with homemade mayo, and when I discovered chipotle mayo, wow, there is NOTHING that doesn't make better  So I honestly cannot remember having legumes since my first Whole 30 re-intro - which was August of 2017. Non-gluten grains:  I did not discover any ill effects from non-gluten grain re-intro's, and the second time I tried to go a little overboard to see if I could get some reaction, and didn't notice anything.  However, the cumulative health benefits from doing my first Whole 30 were so dramatic, and by that time I had discovered and gotten pretty good at making different kinds of cauliflower rice, (I always loved real rice), that I just use cauliflower rice anymore.  But if I ever go out to, say, a spanish restaurant, I can order a big dish of paella with impunity   Dairy: Again, mild digestive issues.  I've found cheese in reasonable amounts doesn't really bother me, so a small cheese plate or something like now and then is in my diet, but I try to keep it to a minimum.  And generally speaking, anything that I used to use butter in, ghee works as well so I'm good there.  Gluten: Along with sugar, the main cause of inflammation that made my arthritic ankle impossible to run on (and several other inflammatory issues).  Diet change fixed that/those.  I RARELY eat any gluten now - xmas dinner with my family I had some of my mom's recipe mac and cheese, and maybe it's in my head, but my ankle is more sore than it's been in months.  Still, it was worth it, ONCE   Sugars: I don't have the sweetest of teeth, but I can binge on sweets, so I mostly avoid sugar, especially in the more obvious places like desserts.  I mentioned the jerk seasoning I use, it is SO good, and there is such a small quantity of sugar in it, and it does not trigger any binge tendencies, so I don't worry about those types of added sugars.  Yet I still make my own breakfast sausage, since I only recently found a brand that has no sugar (Pedersen's) and it is kinda pricey.  I've found my balance on putting in the extra effort to eat cleanly, and having a maintainable lifestyle - since I eat my breakfast sausage pretty much every day (along with scrambled eggs, my roasted potatoes (similar to home fries), Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica (no sugar, totally complaint, and oh so good!) and avocado), it's worth the extra effort.  OTOH, I eat ketchup like once every 3-6 months, so I don't make my own.  An occasional paleo dessert is enjoyable, but I find if I don't start eating any sweets, I don't miss them too much.  Soy: I cannot point to specific results from re-intro's, but I somehow feel fairly certain that soy was messing with my body chemistry so I avoid it completely.  It's taken awhile for me to get used to the coconut amino versions of soy sauce - it really doesn't taste the same, but it's good enough since I was never a huge Asian food aficionado anyways - so soy is out for me. Alcohol: This is in the interest of honesty, moderate amounts of alcohol don't seem to have much of a short term negative impact on me.  However, and it's a BIG however, I sometimes have a hard time finding the off switch once I have a drink, so I am mostly abstinent.   I don't wish this on anyone   Sorry for the length, but as I said, I've been experimenting with balancing optimal health and culinary enjoyment and cooking effort for quite some time now, and have found a place I'm comfortable with.   And I am enthusiastic about others experiencing some or all of the benefits I have.
And even after apologizing for length, I'm going to post the cumulative health benefits I've reaped, since I mentioned them, and  I'm pretty sure it's not a repeat for all:
I went from pre-diabetic, (with a busy Kaiser doctor e-mailing me personally to let me know how serious it was), to completely normal blood sugar I reduced my blood pressure whilst getting off of meds for it Triglycerides went from 3x normal range to normal I mentioned the improvement in my inflamed arthritic ankle - the immediate lifestyle improvement of that cannot be overstated I lost 40 pounds without increasing exercise or limiting portion sizes (I never felt hungry) mild lifelong eczema gone modest improvements in mood (specifically: depression, anxiety and anger) and sleep rejuvenated my enjoyment of cooking, and learned to love vegetables.  Veggies used to be (mostly) toppings on pizza and sub sandwiches for me, no lie All of these gains have been maintained for well over a year (16 months) now.  I still occasionally tease my friend who predicted I would start gaining that weight back within a month
 

@jim4884 thanks for the support!  hoping my health improvements happen with these dietary and behavioral changes around food  / nutrition

I've been off-line due to a 32-hour power outage...and, a bit further down the mountain range from @kirbz, it has been very, very, cold here, too!
Hi everyone! Happy New Year!
I love me a December W30! This time around I added plated fat in the form of delicious olives nearly every day, and that is something I want to continue. I'm now keeping back-up jars in the pantry. I learned a couple of new recipes, like roasting duck, a creamy mustard chicken, and breakfast eggroll bowls. Otherwise, I find that during W30 (this is my 3d) I tend to stay close to familiar favorites, that aren't time consuming like new recipes (at least for me) and then play with new recipes in between. So now I'll start looking for some new culinary adventures!
Like Holly, I haven't stepped on a scale in a long time, and it seems I've let go of the number on the scale. At the end of 30 days, I know that inflammation is reduced from feeling slimmer, my clothes fitting better, not needing allergy meds (not since my first round April 2017), and feeling better in my joints, which is a real treasure, that last part. Like @Jim4884 my joints tell me immediately when I am too far astray from optimal ways.
I enjoyed a sip of single malt scotch last night at midnight. Today i will review formal re-intros, and figure out the next steps. I'll have to also take another look at all the vitamins I stopped taking while W30ing, and make some decisions. Soy and dairy are present in some...also I'm having mixed feelings about fish oil re sustainability vs. the great health benefit of taking them. Meanwhile, I feel confident going into the new year, and so grateful for our supportive community here!
Some things I am ready to let go of:
chips (no exceptions)
hard candy (no exceptions)
More to come.
Cheers, all!
 

@hollysmokes and @LadyLisbette I just want to say that I think you ladies are wonderful! Thanks for sharing all of your wisdom, adventures, and mishaps in such an open, honest, and friendly way! 
I'm planning to start my reintroductions this weekend. I'm going with the plan outlined in the book and have specifically identified the foods I care to reintroduce. Though, honestly, I'm starting to think that I just want my diet to be Paleo. I think I'd be pretty fine with that being my 90-95% diet, with an occasional splurge for a burger or pizza. Except for PB&Js. Is it weird that the thing I most want to be able to eat on the regular for the long-term are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? LOL. 
I also have about 20-30 more pounds I want to lose, and then I totally plan to make desserts a part of my life again. I'd like to stick ONLY to the Paleo versions, but I just don't see anything wrong with that. That is, of course, assuming I can learn to control my cravings. But, if I can moderate, I don't see anything at all wrong with making a dessert once a week and enjoying it. I love baking. And I love desserts. And I really just can't convince myself that some of the recipes I'm looking at are inherently bad. 
So, we'll see. Still very much figuring out how this translates into a long-term lifestyle. And while I'm very committed to doing the reintroductions for the data points, I'm honestly  not sure it's going to inform how I eat going forward. I think I'm already shaping that in my mind. Paleo + Paleo desserts + regular PB&J sandwiches + occasional pizza or burgers. :-) 

Though I'm officially done with my Whole30, I'm not sure exactly when I plan to start my reintroductions. I'm feeling good with Whole30 for now, so I plan to continue for at least a few more days. Regardless of the when, I do plan to do the formal, structured reintroduction as outlined in the book. I want to know how different foods affect me as I refine what I want my long-term eating to look like.
Here's what I want to reintroduce to see how they affect me (i.e., these are the foods I'd be most inclined to eat on occasion): 
Legumes: garbanzo beans (because hummus), peanut butter (because PB&J)  Non-Gluten Grains: white rice, gluten-free bread (see above), gluten-free oats (because overnight oats)  Dairy: cheese, yogurt, sour cream  Gluten-Containing Grains: TBD  Sugars: honey, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar (because Paleo desserts)  Anyway, these are really just some thoughts for me for now. :-) 

Welcome Jen!  I have done two official whole 30's, and I eat 95% plus Whole 30 all the time now, 18 months total.  When I started, I was pre-diabetic, and my doctor (at Kaiser, so a fairly busy doc) e-mailed me personally to emphasize that I needed to do something about it.  My first Whole 30 brought my blood sugar into completely normal range, and it has remained normal since.  I too have had to deal with anxiety and depression issues all my life.  I've found various solutions to help with that, but I will add that the Whole 30 brought about modest improvements in mood, and energy levels as well.   I've had many other health benefits from Whole 30, and would never even consider going back to how I used to eat.
I'm happy to share anything that I've learned and experienced, and I can be a cheerleader for you, as I love to hear about others' successes.  The Whole 30 tagline "it will change your life" may sound contrived, but I believe in it.  It truly did change mine.
 

Welcome Jen!  I have done two official whole 30's, and I eat 95% plus Whole 30 all the time now, 18 months total.  When I started, I was pre-diabetic, and my doctor (at Kaiser, so a fairly busy doc) e-mailed me personally to emphasize that I needed to do something about it.  My first Whole 30 brought my blood sugar into completely normal range, and it has remained normal since.  I too have had to deal with anxiety and depression issues all my life.  I've found various solutions to help with that, but I will add that the Whole 30 brought about modest improvements in mood, and energy levels as well.   I've had many other health benefits from Whole 30, and would never even consider going back to how I used to eat.
I'm happy to share anything that I've learned and experienced, and I can be a cheerleader for you, as I love to hear about others' successes.  The Whole 30 tagline "it will change your life" may sound contrived, but I believe in it.  It truly did change mine.
 

Welcome Jen!  I have done two official whole 30's, and I eat 95% plus Whole 30 all the time now, 18 months total.  When I started, I was pre-diabetic, and my doctor (at Kaiser, so a fairly busy doc) e-mailed me personally to emphasize that I needed to do something about it.  My first Whole 30 brought my blood sugar into completely normal range, and it has remained normal since.  I too have had to deal with anxiety and depression issues all my life.  I've found various solutions to help with that, but I will add that the Whole 30 brought about modest improvements in mood, and energy levels as well.   I've had many other health benefits from Whole 30, and would never even consider going back to how I used to eat.
I'm happy to share anything that I've learned and experienced, and I can be a cheerleader for you, as I love to hear about others' successes.  The Whole 30 tagline "it will change your life" may sound contrived, but I believe in it.  It truly did change mine.
 

I have had other aborted attempts at a Whole 30 start. So why not when I will be facing the Holidays as an extra challenge (at least if I stick to plan I can  not gain weight over  the month of December. I am really really finally ready to give an honest go at this Whole 30 beginning December 1st. Today was a test day with one or two items such as hot chocolate and milk in my coffee and herbal teas but I am ready to do whatever it takes to improve my health.
 I have various chronic issues with health -- Cancer Survivor (grateful to be 15 years post - Blood Cancer), hypothyroid, PCOS, and pre-dabetes also Anxiety / Depression. I am active somewhat regularly but just have not been able to get the food right. So the workouts running , mountain bicycling, walking/ hiking occasional swimming and spinning class and yoga class but mostly home yoga over past year also trying Fitocracy (calisthenics) and Barre workout ( a few classes) now home workout (very challenging) and core workouts including a really good workout with Yoga International online with a core yoga sequence about 45 minutes. I also tend towards chronic fatigue even though i push through 40 hour work week and commute and tend to stay on top of the exercise schedule sometimes falling off plan during the weekdays.
So any help would be appreciated. so far I have about four or five how to do the Whole 30 books and a few Paleo cookbooks and just bought Practical Paleo book also. no questions yet. Hopefully tomorrow off to an ambitious start even with the Holidays to navigate through this month.
I am so grateful for all the helpful online tools to get started and this community with experience and practical tips and guidelines. 
 
- Jen
 
 
 

Welcome Jen!  I have done two official whole 30's, and I eat 95% plus Whole 30 all the time now, 18 months total.  When I started, I was pre-diabetic, and my doctor (at Kaiser, so a fairly busy doc) e-mailed me personally to emphasize that I needed to do something about it.  My first Whole 30 brought my blood sugar into completely normal range, and it has remained normal since.  I too have had to deal with anxiety and depression issues all my life.  I've found various solutions to help with that, but I will add that the Whole 30 brought about modest improvements in mood, and energy levels as well.   I've had many other health benefits from Whole 30, and would never even consider going back to how I used to eat.
I'm happy to share anything that I've learned and experienced, and I can be a cheerleader for you, as I love to hear about others' successes.  The Whole 30 tagline "it will change your life" may sound contrived, but I believe in it.  It truly did change mine.
 

@jim4884 that's great news. I just saw my husband die in Kaiser from complications of diabetes and kidney disease. (I don't blame Kaiser.). I'm starting my 2nd whole30 after four years. So let's call it my first. I won't be a statistic.

Welcome Jen!  I have done two official whole 30's, and I eat 95% plus Whole 30 all the time now, 18 months total.  When I started, I was pre-diabetic, and my doctor (at Kaiser, so a fairly busy doc) e-mailed me personally to emphasize that I needed to do something about it.  My first Whole 30 brought my blood sugar into completely normal range, and it has remained normal since.  I too have had to deal with anxiety and depression issues all my life.  I've found various solutions to help with that, but I will add that the Whole 30 brought about modest improvements in mood, and energy levels as well.   I've had many other health benefits from Whole 30, and would never even consider going back to how I used to eat.
I'm happy to share anything that I've learned and experienced, and I can be a cheerleader for you, as I love to hear about others' successes.  The Whole 30 tagline "it will change your life" may sound contrived, but I believe in it.  It truly did change mine.