Contessa

Really impressive, Magritte. Thanks for pointing to that site — looks like a great resource.

Congratulations! That sounds fantastic. I hope you will indeed stick with it and enjoy feeling better and better!

So excited to read all these announcements. Looking forward to supporting everyone. I kicked off my third W30 on Monday. So far, so good. For those who are new to this, you'll want to check out a recent blog post from the Whole 9 Team.... Avoid Empty Plate Syndrome! Free Whole 30 Meal Plans from Around the Web. Tons of good stuff in there!

Good job! You know what they say.... lurking is the first step. (Really, nobody says that. I just made it up.) I'm glad you're de-lurking and swinging into action — may you experience many benefits and discoveries from your Whole 30!

Hmm, perhaps that's a reason for me to start drinking coffee. (I do enjoy it but don't drink it on a daily basis.)

Ahhh, the toilet troubles are back. I'm in my 4th week of my second Whole 30, and am experiencing a rather stunning silence on the poop front. Things that are probably helping: - trying to eat some kind of cooked leafy green every morning (kale or spinach), along with a few ounces of protein and other veggie matter - I get plenty of sweet potatoes (usually eating those at least 1x day, often more) - have been laying off the eggs because I suspected they aren't helping my digestion - Also taking a dose of Natural Calm (calcium/magnesium supplement) in the morning and the evening - Trying to get a few ounces of kombucha in each day, too Things that are probably hurting: - have been under tons of stress at work for the past 1.5 weeks... working 14 hour days and other nonsense - almond butter. There, I said it. The same thing happened last time I did a Whole 30. It really annoys me. I guarantee that if I went off-map and had a few gross Standard American Diet meals, things would start moving again.... I never had digestion problems before the Whole 30. It's a little discouraging to put this much work into my diet and then experience this kind of result. Open to any advice.

Well done, you guys! I hope you get tons of good things out of this experience!

Well done, Colleen. I saw that workout, too — it's a doozy of a workout, part of the once-a-year Crossfit Games. I hope you are as impressed as I am that you did 120 wall balls in 12 minutes! What a great success!

This sounds really good... and I think it's a very divine-sounding recipe name

OhioLovin, I just want to thank you for bringing this question to the surface. It took courage to be transparent in this way. I'm also in the same boat as you. I've been around the sugar-guilt-obsession loop so many times in the past [x] years that it's started to seem almost normal. (I'm generally a healthy, productive adult, but huge parts of my waking life have been spent feeling crappy and guilty about mindless, self-destructive sugar consumption.) Just reading your words helps me relax a little and feel less psychotic. Nice to know it's not just me. Every time I hear about one of those studies explaining that sugar has the same effect on our brain as cocaine, I have to grimace in recognition. Meanwhile, I just love Xandra's reframe... thank you. I am going to carry that thought forward. It's another little weapon in my arsenal against sugar. (Also, I'm bookmarking this page for future reference.)

Thanks for the tip on the movie — will have to check it out. Just love this idea about adding to the body's resources, rather than only eliminating things. Love what you've said here about priming the digestive systems and really stopping to focus on and enjoy what we're eating. Feels like many of us (I'm right at the top of this list) have become disconnected from the idea of eating without distraction. Since moving into my new apartment and trying to build new habits, I've been stepping away from the ubiquitous screen whenever I eat. It's been lovely. I'm also trying to avoid eating in the car whenever possible.... funny how challenging that can be sometimes. (That said... wow, I can't imagine taking 30 minutes to eat! 10 minutes would be a stretch for me...)

A book recommendation for everyone.... The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. A really interesting look at habits, how they're formed, how they're changed, and how we can use them to serve us. It's particularly pertinent to us starting a Whole 30, who are trying to step away from unhelpful eating habits and replace them with better ones.

Yay! I'm kicking off my 2nd Whole 30 today as well. First one happened in January and it was a-ma-zing. Excited to have such good company along the way!

Sounds like you're on the right path, Michele. Looking forward to reading more as your journey unfolds.

Well done, Mary Beth! Glad you didn't hold off on kicking off your Whole 30. We look forward to reading about your journey. I hope you get great things from it!