scoakley13

I may be banned after this but that's a risk I'm willing to take:
I joined this forum over a month ago when I first started Whole30 so that I could get quick answers to questions without having to pull out my book. I haven't posted anything because I've been able to find everything I need by searching the forum and google. I will say that 75% of the people that are active on this forum couldn't find their way out of a paper bag. "Can we have corn?" No, it's in the book. "Is this processed jug of liquid compliant (even though it clearly states cane sugar on the label that I attached a picture of)?" No, it has sugar, which is clearly stated on the label that you attached a picture of. "I didn't lose any weight. I only cheated 8 times. I'm sad." It's not for weight loss. "I'm going to quit this diet because you're mean to me." You're an idiot (I also think you're the "oversensitive" poster who threatened to quit the "diet" when SugarcubeOD moved your non-Whole30 Whole30 log to another section but that's just me being hopeful that there's not two of you). 
These moderators are saints. I would be cussing people left and right (I've actually done it in my head a few times). So, to the moderators - you don't have to apologize for anything. I want to apologize on behalf of the people that are lazy, don't like to find out answers on their own and expect you to spoon feed them. Some of us really do appreciate you and your straight forward answers.  

I would have probably bought a pizza and eaten the whole thing and said "forget about it". HAHAHA.  Glad you caught it!

A year ago today, I was physically miserable and fed up with myself.   My feet, hips, back and shoulders ached nearly constantly. I had no real desire to exercise and was wiped out at the end of most days. I weighed nearly 255 pounds - probably the heaviest I have ever been in my life.    It also was the day I took the first step toward trying to get control of my weight and health by jumping into the Whole 30 pool.   Privately, I set a lofty goal of losing 50 pounds in a year, thinking I would be thrilled if I managed to lose half that - especially since I had set the same goal the previous year and lost 1 pound in 12 months.   This morning, I weighed in at just under 195 pounds. I feel - and look - better than I have since I was in college.    I am a professional communicator and words are my stock in trade, but in this case I fear that that my words won't do justice to the sense of accomplishment, pride, appreciation and gratitude I feel for what has happened to me over the past 365 days.  Still, I'm going to give it a shot.   For context, I am a 55-year-old man who has battled weight issues most of his life. For the better part of two decades I have consistently carried 30-40 pounds more than is healthy. It has contributed, I'm sure, to a laundry list of joint issues that have required surgery.   I have launched more "get healthy" attempts than I care to admit, and my New Year's resolution for every year that I can remember has been to "lose (fill in the blank with some large number) pounds this year."   To be honest, I'm not sure what was different about last year. Maybe it was the fact that I was approaching 55 and realized that I didn't have unlimited time to make lasting change. Mostly, I think it was that I finally got sick and tired and feeling kinda sick and tired.   Whatever the motivation, I'm certain of the role Whole 30 played in helping me stick to a plan for once. I've detailed my progress at various times throughout the year, so you can read earlier posts for more, but the nearly immediate positive feedback my body provide to my new eating habits became infections.   My joint inflammation receded to background noise within a couple of weeks. My energy level spiked. I dropped a meaningful amount of weight in the first month. And, most weirdly, I even had a fatty cyst at the base of my neck that was scheduled to be removed disappear about three weeks into my first month.   My first Whole 30 month went so well that I actually had to force myself to do the food reintroductions (but do them - it's important to know what works and doesn't work for your body). And I can't stress this enough: If weight loss is an motivating factor for joining Whole 30, changing your eating habits isn't enough.   I was lucky: my body felt so much better from Whole 30 that I wanted to be more active. The more I exercised, the more weight I lost and the more I wanted to exercise and eat right. It became a virtuous circle of healthy behaviors.   Armed with knowledge about my body, food and exercise - and buoyed by the support of family and friends - I have seen my weight drop steadily, my body composition change dramatically and my health "stats" improve sharply.    I am a few days away from finishing my third Whole 30 month and have completely changed my relationship with food.   As important, I have fallen in love with being active. I'm at the gym three days a week, in the yoga studio another day or two each week. I have enjoyed challenging day hikes in the mountains of North and South Carolina and early this month began training for my first 5K race. My only regret, if I were to have one, would be that I didn't do this 10 or 15 years earlier. That said, I easily feel 10 or 15 years younger than I am, so I have truly just started looking at age as a number, not a statement on where I am in life.    My challenge now is to figure out where to go from here. I still would like to lose another 10 pounds or so, but honestly I'd be fine to stay where I am as long as my fitness level stays high. Besides, while this started out as a way to lose weight it has become so much more.   In many ways, this has been one of the most rewarding years of my life. To honor that experience, and to ensure that the past 12 months haven't just been a happy blip, I feel the need to find another big mountain to scale (probably not literally in my case).   That's the challenge I have set for myself. If I figure it out, I'll be back to share with all of you who have been supportive of my efforts this year.   For today, though, I am going to enjoy the moment. I've already said thanks to those closest to me, without whose support and love this doesn't happen.   The same goes for everyone traveling their own journey to improve their health and their lives. I know as well as anyone that progress is rarely a straight line, but that fact that we're all out here trying has to count for something, right?   Keep fighting the good fight - and thanks to all for helping me win this round.   With appreciation,   ML        

I've said this on the forum a few times now, but he honestly just needs to suck it up (man to man here/tough love).  I drank a minimum of 60 oz of soda per day.  It went down something like this: 44oz soda from the corner store in the morning to get me to lunch.  Water or a 20oz soda at lunch.  One or two 12 oz sodas at home in the evening. 
I took to Spindrift my first Whole30 and also found a compliant Spearmint Hot Tea to give me a bit of caffeine help.  I had horrible headaches for a few days but then the SpinDrift and Water alone were fine.  By the end of my first Whole30 I could no longer stand the tasted of diet soda.  Now when I absolutely feel like I want one I'll oblige myself with one regular sugar soda but otherwise it's water, sparkling water or SpinDrift.   During my current Whole30 I have had tea once or twice a week and drink at least 80 oz of regular water and (2) 12oz Sparkling Waters of various types a day.  
Yes it sucks, but it will likely change his perspective on those drinks.  This is still one of my biggest NSVs of Whole30 and it has lasted over 6 months!

You can do!! I started Whole30 11/1/18 and finished yesterday.  The first 3 days was challenging, but I got through it. I am happy to say I feel terrific, eating healthy and more wholesome meals. I weighed today and 13 lbs vanished.  Thanks for the awesome program and support. I looking forward to maintaining healthier eating options.

I feel great for the first time in over a decade. No other fad diet worked. I've been trying to lose the weight I put on with comfort food after my wife passed away in '04'. So 14 years of a diet roller coaster. Then a new doctor that I decided to try said that my stomach condition sounded like an intolerance to something and she recommended the W30 plan. I went out that day and purchased the Whole30 Book, which I refer to as my "food bible". I'm telling every one about it. Now starts soon, the reintroduction phase. I don't know that I'm even going change that much from the whole30 plan, what I will do though is now take the time to try some of the recipes. It was so hard for me to do this at first that I just stuck to basics but now I feel as if a whole new world of food has opened up for me . 4 more days. I actually feel better for the way my self control was so easy to manage once I realized the benefits of living pain free. Thanks every one for all that you do. 

It’s day 11! That means we October 8 folks are more than 1/3 done!
I hit a bit of a wall this afternoon. Not a 20 foot brick wall—more like a stone wall on a ramble through the English countryside. 
But, I did some cooking that made me feel happy. Two days ago I made “Basque Chicken” in the clay pot. Ginormous chicken breasts with bones and skin, lots of mushrooms, bell peppers and onions, garlic and cayenne. I’d forgotten how the clay pot transforms chicken. It becomes so tender and flavorful, but with crisp skin. 
Tonight, I took the leftovers from that, plus more onions, peppers and mushrooms, plus leftover broccoli and spinach, plus leftover coconut milk and chicken broth and some Mae Ploy Thai Red Curry paste, and now I have delicious soup!
Woman does not live by George Forman alone  

After dinner used to get me too.  This is silly, but worked for me, and that was to make some tea.  I don't even really like herbal tea, but the process of messing with it was enough to make me feel like something had happened.  And I'm talking old school (not keurig) - teapot, boil the water, get out the teabag and cup (pretty cup :)), then steep the tea, etc.  I even recommend getting some sort of assortment of tea because it takes a little bit of brainpower to choose which one you "want".
More than once the tea sat on the counter and got cold because I'd forgotten about it entirely after getting re-involved with tv or whatever.  Just going into the kitchen and doing something that took 10 minutes or so was enough for my brain to feel like "okay, we went into the kitchen and got something" and/or to get past the reflexive feeling that that was supposed to happen.  If you actually drink it then that takes even longer.  Sometimes I still wanted something but it was easier to say no to after that.  It took that a long time to go away for me (and may never fully go away).
Hope this helps!

In late January, I set an ambitious weight-loss goal for myself. It was the same one I had set the previous January, and at which I had failed miserably (which pretty much describes almost every weight-loss effort I have made over the past three decades).
The goal: lose 55 pounds in a year, which would bring me under 200 pounds for the first time since shortly after I graduated from college in the mid-1980s.
Eight months later, I've reset my goals - but for all the right reasons. Last week, I officially hit the 55-pound mark.
I still don't believe it, to be honest. I carry an irrational fear that a couple of days off the food "wagon" or away from the gym or yoga studio will result in 20 pounds reappearing around my mid-section overnight.
At this point, the mental hurdles are much greater than the physical ones (probably always were), but that fear is dissipating the longer I stick to the plan and the more evidence I compile that this isn't a just happy phase in my life, but a new way of eating and living.
The last eight months have included two strict W30 months (February and August) and a half-year of living by the principles to the greatest extent possible. For me that means, as little added sugar as possible, significant limits on grains (and alcohol) and moderation in all other food types on the W30 "no" list.  It also means fully embracing an active lifestyle that includes 4-5 formal workout days a week, and more movement in general.
When people ask me "what have you done?" here's the short answer: Move more and eat less stuff that my body doesn't need or want. Simple, right?
We all know it's a lot more complicated than that, but some days it has helped me to keep it that simple. Focus on what makes me feel better, physically and emotionally, enjoy the success I have had and try not to beat myself up when I'm not "perfect."
My next goal is more modest in some ways, but still a challenge given how far I have come: Lose 10 more pounds by the end of this year. After that, another five by late January 2019. That would make 70 pounds in a year and put me at a point where maintenance is a worthy long-term goal.
Honestly, I never thought I would be writing this type of post given my history, my age (55) and the fact that I've never taken to forming lifestyle habits (good or bad) much throughout my life.
To the extent that any part of my journey is helpful to someone else, I hope it's this: I'm the last guy who expected to be able to take control of his weight, health and relationship with food as I have over the past eight months. If I can do this, there is no reason others who have struggled mightily can't do the same.
Thanks, as always, for the continued support from those on this thread, and from the inspirational successes of others in the Whole 30 community. 
With appreciation,
 
ML
 
 

I was so adamant about it but couldn't get anyone to confirm until you!
Side note - I really enjoy reading your responses on the forums. You are so knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I appreciate you!

Alright ladies- here’s what I learned:
1. I’ve been using my immersion blender incorrectly. Now I’m double excited to use this tool!
2. Light tasting olive oil is an actual thing AND it’s amazing. 
3. This forum is awesome. I’m so glad I wrote in. Everyone has been super supportive and helpful which is great because...
4. I CAN MAKE HOMEMADE MAYO AND IT’S DELICIOUS. 
I’m so excited. Thank you all so much for your help!!!

@wp3 That's great to hear you're feeling stronger and experience improve endurance! That's a huge NSV! 
How is everyone else doing?
I almost gave up yesterday. It was my birthday and while I had always planned to push through Whole30 for that day, I actually went to the store and bought my favorite cake, fully planning on eating it! But I didn't! My commitment to the program definitely wanes as I get hungry. And, since I hadn't eaten by 12:00 pm after doing a 6.5 mile hike, I was hungry! But, even after buying the cake, I told myself I needed to eat a good Whole30 meal before eating it. After I did that, I didn't really need the cake anymore so I put it away. 
I definitely need to get my meal planning together. I'm skipping way to many meals due to poor planning, lack of appetite, and feelings of being overwhelmed. 

Good luck! I started round two at the beginning of the month and this time my wife joined me. 
I was surprised to see that the weight loss picked right back up and it’s been fun to have a partner in W30 this time around. We’re shopping together, cooking together and eating more fruit than we thought possible. I’ve crossed the 50 pounds lost mark from my heaviest recorded weight and have taken up yoga, of all things, in the past two weeks. 
Hard to put into words how much better I feel.
Hope round two goes well for you - keep crushing it!
 
- ML

I heard a saying once that I repeat to myself in such situations: Extra food is already wasted, whether you eat it or not.
And another: you are not a garbage disposal.

I'm on day 11 and had the same worry for a bit!  I plan my meals out on paper and noticed I had potatoes in every meal.  Personally, I didn't want to replace the bread in my meals with something else that I could be dependent on.  I made sure to only allow sweet potatoes for one meal per day at most which helped me look at other recipes/sides for my meals.  For example, I was going to do roasted potato wedges with my lunch, but I replaced it with mashed cauliflower seasoned up really well with mushrooms and spinach.  It was really good and filling with my protein.  I also worried I was eating too much, but I decided to focus on feeling full at my meals instead of did I eat too much or too little (which has been a whole other journey).  The whole30 doesn't seem to be about limiting yourself like other plans but more about exploring a different way of nutrition and habits.

26 Days is as good as 30 right?  We had Cracker Barrel breakfast catered in at work today.  It sure was a struggle to only eat eggs and fruit with all the other great things there.  But, I resisted the urge because 26 isn't as good as 30.  

Finished my first ever successful Whole30! I am down 18 pounds and a pant size. More importantly, I am in control of my food for the first time ever, my mood is improved, my energy is SO much higher, and my skin is cleared up. I learned a few things too - my body loves fats and carbs in the morning! I'm full for the first 6 hours of my day instead of starving by 10 am. Counting calories (clearly) isn't as important as I thought it was. Fat is not the enemy, in fact, I think it's the secret weapon  Brushing my teeth feels fresher than chewing gum. People don't notice or comment nearly as much as I thought they would about me not eating or eating my own food, and they are pretty respectful when I say "no thank you" (with the exception of my mother haha). Most importantly; the scale isn't the only measure of success. 

JodiLou... Don't beat yourself too bad... your writings are evident that you "get it."  Because you have dabbled in the eating concept you at least have an idea of what it is like.  Life can throw the best of us curve balls... the key is to keep striving until you get that sweet one right down the middle of the plate ...(note to self, 'prolly not the best baseball allusion when it relates to sweets and plates)
Emotions will get so much better when you get on the routing of a healthier eating lifestyle. 
Last night I came home from work and when I entered the house there was a funky smell.  More humid acridity than I am used to in my dry climate.  I searched it out and found that I had a pretty major water.  After shutting down the whole-house water, diagnosing the problem and shop vacuuming for several hours the soak that permeated the carpet I finally went to bed... without even the luxury of a cold shower... talk about a clammy feeling...Uhg!  When I was finally able to relax and start to nod, I self reflected as to how I handled my immediate situation:   years ago I would have most likely reacted in a different way.  It would have involved swearing in such a way that would have made a sailor blush.  It might have included rash choices that would have needed more repair work than necessary on the next day. 
I looked back last night as to how I methodically took care of the immediate circumstances and how I put those in action.  I left a message for my office letting them know I would be late and took care of the plumbing repairs this morning.  Interesting as to how I slept no differently than as if nothing happened!  Moreover, I woke up this morning and still followed my morning routine of PT stretching and grinding the beans for coffee, all the same except for the ritual shower.  In the past I would have been so worried about how to get repairs finished as soon as possible and would have slept poorly.  There is a time for repairs and a time for me.  Sometime the "me" part still needs to come first in order to get other requirements done in good order.
Emotions (good or bad) are so much better for me since I am more at peace with how I treat my body and subsequently how my body is treating me.  
Keep focused on how the next emotional challenge that is thrown at you and how it will seem so much less significant when your person is in better shape because there might be many more situations that what you describe still down the road.  Commit to being your at your best so that when others come along they will be nothing more than an annoyance in terms of how you handle it.   Keep your chine up.  You get the concept and you can do it!
-frank.

Wanted to share because I had a major win with dinner tonight!
I wasn't sure if sweet potato nachos would be in the spirit of the Whole30, but since I was just looking for a vehicle for all my taco fillings, not trying to recreate tortilla chips, I decided it was ok.
I made baked sweet potato chips and topped them with seasoned ground beef, homemade guac, amazing fresh salsa from Trader Joe's, olives, and lettuce. Soooo good! A little more labor-intensive than I'd do again on a weeknight, but worth it!

Day 4.    Hangin' in there.
Meal 1:
Leftover Thai Basil Beef again, but this time I put it over spinach instead of spaghetti squash.     Because I am a total wild woman - you just can't tell what kinds of crazy vegetables I might impulsively throw in my breakfast!   WHOOOOO!  
Meal 2:
Dirty Rice over spinach.   
Snack:
I was craving sweetness and really wanting to have some of the Ritz peanut butter crackers that our office keeps in the kitchenette area, but instead I ate about four strawberries, some blueberries, and also a handful of pistachio nuts.    Then I had some macadamia nuts because I have a bag of them in my office and they satisfied my craving to crunch on things.   Then I put the nuts away and went and got another giant glass of water.    I'm counting this as a victory.  
Meal 3:
Chicken with duxelles and roasted brussels sprouts.   Duxelles is a mushroom paste from Nom Nom Paleo that is made with mushrooms, chives, shallots, garlic, thyme, and a little red wine vinegar - I whipped up a batch on Sunday.    It is just insanely good and greatly jazzed up my ordinary roasted chicken.    I am trying to think of other things I can do with it, besides put it in my breakfast omelets, and of course eat it by the giant heaping spoonful.
Observations:
Thinking about incorporating my slow cooker into menu planning for next week.   I like cooking but I really don't want to have to do it every single night.  
We got cucumbers in the CSA box and i made NNP pickles with them.   I have not yet tried them so I don't know how they taste, but they are chilling in the fridge for the next time I'm craving crunch.
Finally, I don't know what the Things might have told you, but the fact is that they needed to be killed and they were asking for it;  it wasn't me, it was them.   I am fine.   (twitches) 
 

I didn’t even know there was a legit recipe for that!  Now I have to consider...do I try that for “burger night” or invent something new?!  

I think you need to tone it back a couple notches with your daughter. 
Does your daughter ever talk to her pediatrician without you there? Her doc might be able to have that conversation about better food choices and keeping an eye on how clothes are fitting (because strictly focusing on weight with growing teens sets them up for a future life of being obsessed with the number on the scale) without sounding like a nagging mom. 
If she thinks she needs to be tested for ADD, don't push off a potential mental disorder as "she's just eating poorly". Maybe the symptoms are related to her food choices, but maybe they're not. Mental illness has enough of a stigma that she doesn't need her mom downplaying it. And if the test comes back and she doesn't have ADD, then maybe that doctor can approach the topic of how food affects focus and whatnot. 
I don't know if you're exaggerating that ice cream is limited to only celebrations or that there is a strict 2 doughnut per year cutoff that you mentioned, but maybe you just need to chill a bit. Teens love to do the things that drive their parents up a wall right? Well, if you're not on her case as much about what she's eating, maybe it'll be less of a big deal. 

Michelle, I hope you'll hear from a moderator or an advanced member, but I'd like to offer some encouragement from a newbie. I can relate to your frustration and discouragement because I felt it also around Day 30. On the other hand, I also felt that I was just starting to get the hang of MY Whole30 by the end, so I hung in for another 15 days at full compliance and am still fully compliant on most days at something north of Day 60. My average weight loss over that period is about half a pound a week. Nothing dramatic, but I've reached a point where I can trust that it will continue at that rate. I'm weighing myself every 10 days or so, a big change from when it was daily.
I'm not an expert or even an advanced member, but here are a few comments on your daily menu. My go-to breakfast is also 2 eggs. I eat mine over a heap of sauteed spinach. I find that when I add about half a sausage patty (I use the recipe that's paired with sweet potato mash in the Pork section of the cookbook), a quarter of a baked potato plus ghee, and maybe some roasted or sauteed butternut squash I'm more satisfied (sometimes kind of stuffed) and I can more easily go 4 or 5 hours until lunch.
I've read enough troubleshooting posts to know that the problem with your snack is that it doesn't include any protein.  Maybe add a sausage patty or the other half of your tuna can, or maybe add the apple, cashew butter and a bit of sausage to your breakfast and skip the snack. I've learned from personal experience that snacks (mine are usually in the afternoon if I need one) are useless without the protein. For some reason I was resistant to that reality for a really long time. Maybe you are too.
My impression of your lunch is that it's not nearly big enough. Eat the whole can! Or add a hard-boiled egg. I like the recipe for no-fuss salmon cakes; one or two of those make a really satisfying protein dish. I make the batch of 8 and reheat them in a microwave as needed. I would also add half a baked potato, white or sweet, to the meal. I discovered that potatoes are really my friends after being very wary of them initially. They're very satisfying, and the ghee ensures you're getting enough fat.
Dinner sounds good to me. Maybe add another half turkey burger or another veggie if it doesn't feel satisfying.
Ever since Weight Watchers about 30 years ago I've been religious about 64 oz of water a day. 
At some point when I was feeling very down about Whole30 I read a post in which the writer remarked something to the effect that the more she ate, the more weight she lost. I was very bitter about that at the time, sure that it didn't apply to me, but it stayed in my head and I've come to think it's true. As I've added more foods and sometimes larger portions I feel more satisfied after my meals, I have more energy, and I obsess less about weight loss.
You don't say how many total hours of sleep you're getting. If it's sufficient, I guess you could go to bed later if you want to wake up later. For me, sleep has been the last frontier of the program. I've had various forms of insomnia for close to 20 years. Only around Day 60 did my sleep start to normalize. For a while it was worse on Whole30 than before I started the program. Now it's better. I still wake up during the night but usually am able to fall back to sleep quickly.
I hope some of this is helpful to you. I spent lots of time trolling around the Troubleshooting section when I was feeling confused and discouraged. I picked up some good tips and sometimes I felt better just knowing that others were struggling too. Oh, and I also recently bought myself a copy of It Starts with Food. I find it helps my motivation to read about what I'm doing and remind myself of why. I do think Whole30 is the best program out there, and I hope you find a way to make it work for you.

Day 31 May 1, 2018 – Tueday - Conclusion.
Tuesday morning ending weight: 198-200 lbs. (depending on how I stood on my janky scale... feet firmly planted it was 198). That's a ~16lb loss! I' surprised and delighted as I wasn't expeccting to crack through the 200lb mark. I suppose I shouldn't be though, and I'm half way to my goal weight (doctor suggested) from where I was at the beginning of my 1st whole 30 last year. 
Going forward I am going to endeavor to nurture my healthier eating habits. I am going to mostyle stay away from dairy, breads and added sugars. I am going to limit my alcohol consumption (that will be the hard one).

Haha I've just realised that I've tried to reply to individual posts but haven't managed to add the quotes in the last few so I look like I'm talking to myself! Oh technology! **facepalm**