Mike5858

Great to hear from you too! The holidays are tough, but fun aren't they? I like what I've read so far in the Primal Blueprint. It's a lot of common sense really. I just can't face another reset right now with all those restrictions, but I'm SO glad I did the one with you folks back in Sept/Oct. I learned a lot and continue to apply it as best I can. Happy New Year to you and the hubs as well! Mike

Hey Gang! I'm just checking in after a long time away from the forum. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and New Year. I'm doing well. I've made it to the gym almost everyday since the 1st, and i'm seeing some good gains. I was not great over the holidays, but not terrible either (I had a couple of horrible days, mainly overeating or imbibing in a few cocktails too many, but I've forgiven myself and moved on). I put on 7 lbs between Dec 15th and Jan 1st, but I've taken off 6 since then, so I'm almost where I was, and I'm happy with that (I've lost 30 lbs since we started W30 together back in Sept). I continue to read a lot (working on Mark Sisson's "Primal Blueprint" now) and seem to be holding the line. I considered a full reset, but didn't think I needed it at this time. I blamed all my regression on the holidays, but if I see myself backsliding for no apparent reason, then and only then will I do a strict W30 again. I retired from my job as a manufacturing consultant, and I've begun a new life as I'm studying for the Real Estate exam here in MO sometime near the end of this month. It feels good, but I have to make myself move away from the computer more, as I don't walk large factory floors like I used to. The gym doesn't make up for the 5 miles or so a day I used to walk. I hope you are all well and finding happiness. Please stay in touch! Mike

So good to hear from you kirbz! Staying with family or friends at their place has to be about the biggest challenge there is. It's almost impossible to assume people are going to change their eating habits for a guest and it's a very hard conversation to have, so I wouldn't be hard on yourself for Thanksgiving. Having a good time with family is what it's all about anyway! You know how to get back on track, and you know you can do it, because you have! I slip up now and then and then feel crappy from eating or drinking something that's not good for me too. You'd think I'd stop, but I don't, I just keep trying and hope that some day it sticks for good. Years ago I quit smoking, but that took me almost 5 years before I was done for good. Eating habits are the same, I'm finding out. Don't be disappointed with yourself or ashamed. Take it from me, that doesn't help or do any good. Just know you're human like all the rest of us. You have the knowledge of what works for you now, and you'll apply it when you're ready. You'll get there. Enjoy your holiday season, and stay in touch with us! Mike

You've got a great attitude, and success is right around the corner for you. A slip up now and then, is, I believe, a good thing as long as you get back at it. I've found my biggest failures are when I throw myself into something and then just run out of gas and throw it all away. Two steps forward and one step back, still means you're moving forward! People WILL notice the changes in time! there's nothing silly about wanting them to, it's part of the reward of working hard for YOU! You've got this!

I used the Beachbody programs for awhile and they really work. Very good stuff. I found I do better in a gym myself, but I have one right across the street. Sometimes it was easy to not do the program at home (distractions), but when I was good about it, and stuck to it, I saw very good results! Best of luck with that, I'm sure you will enjoy it. I signed up for Mark Sisson's (author of The Primal Blueprint) newsletter about a month ago, and his stuff really speaks to me. Sounds like you have a great plan!

Happy Monday Everyone! Sounds like we are all having some "ups and downs" as we get through the holidays, but the silver lining is that we are all aware and no one is giving up. I got through two holiday parties over the weekend, where I ate ok, with minimal slip ups( we hosted one and I made all W30 compliant snacks and main course that went over very well), but drank more alcohol than I probably should have. It's Monday now and I'm back on the horse, forgiving myself, understanding that I had a great time with great friends, and I'm moving in the right direction. Just a few more holiday hoops to get through, and then it's a new year, and all the knowledge and optimism that it will bring. The bad news right now is that my weight loss has stalled over the past two weeks, the good news is, I haven't gained anything either. I'm calling that a big win! Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories and being so open. It helps more than you'll ever know. Nobody ever said this journey would be easy, and I don't see any quitters in our group! Continue to enjoy the holidays and take the next few weeks "one meal at a time". Stay in touch! Mike

I make scrambled eggs with a bunch of veggies in them. Peppers, onions, spinach, etc. I put a lot of veggies in the scramble and it really seems to fill me up.

CorgiLover, It is good to hear from you. It sounds like you had a nice Thanksgiving and that you're doing well. Glad to hear that. I'm not W30 compliant either, nor 100% Paleo, but like you, I'm doing the best I can. My goal from the beginning was to be "good" 80-90% of the time, and I think I can say I'm there at this point. I think it will be even easier to stay there after the holidays have passed and there's not as much temptation. Like you, I've learned a lot about whole foods, label reading, and what does and doesn't make me feel good. I will forever be a believer in the W30 program and the positive effects it has. I still do a lot of reading about Paleo lifestyles and belong to several groups and websites now, but I always come back here. I hope this group pops in from time to time as we have. I enjoy hearing about everyone's successes and always am available to vent to as well. We are coming up on three months since beginning this journey, and I can honestly say at this point, it's one of the better decisions I've ever made. I still have a long way to go to get to where I'd like to be, but everyday (well, most days) is a step in the right direction for the most part. I hope you continue to have a great holiday season. Mike

I understand. What I need to work on is the fact that we all have those "things" about holidays and events that are triggers for us and they may all be different. To be honest, I find most Christmas cookies (the sugar cookie topped with icing and sprinkles) kind of boring. That's not to say I haven't eaten thousands of them over the years, just that those are easy for me to pass up. Not so with my wife, she loves them, and I have to remember that. It was really hard for me to not have mashed potatoes, and stuffing and gravy at Thanksgiving dinner, but my wife didn't miss those things at all. I think we'll need to learn to communicate with each other better moving forward. I honestly don't care if she eats a cookie in front of me, as long as it was "worth it" to her. I would never judge her for that. We'll get there, it's different for everyone, even if you've been married a long time. I hope to have everything on auto-pilot by next summer, because the idea of not having a brat on a bun with all the fixin's, a big pile of potato salad, and wash it all down with a few cold beers on the 4th of July terrifies me way more than anything about Christmas!

For me, it was feeling bloated and lethargic after eating gluten.

Good Morning Everyone! I hope everyone is doing well. I have good news to report. My back is MUCH better and I've been to the gym three times this week, with no set backs. It feels so good to be back there. It's like an early Christmas present! I did have one very tough day this week though, and thankfully it turned out ok. Yesterday morning, my wife had an emotional meltdown over our healthy eating. She didn't want to eat breakfast. She said she was tired of not having pasta, bread, pizza, etc. She felt like Christmas was being ruined, because she couldn't have Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, candy, etc. She knew I was "all in", but she just couldn't do it anymore. It was tough to sit there and listen to her vent, but I did. She was on the verge of tears and it made me feel awful. What had I done? I had convinced her to go on this journey with me, thinking it would be "what was best" for both of us. Had I added stress to her life instead? Was I really ruining Christmas for her? It was the very last thing I had wanted to do. I told her, we could do anything she wanted. She didn't say much and then left for work. Through the day I began to realize I couldn't make choices for her. I'm the one who had done all the research, read "The Whole 30" book and "Food Freedom Forever". She wasn't interested in reading them, and trusted me to have the answers. I had everything to make a healthy meal for us that night (from a recipe I found in Well Fed 2), but stopped off at the bakery and bought two Christmas cookies to surprise her with. When she came home, I made dinner and she acted as if the morning meltdown had never happened. I made some decaf coffee, and we sat down to watch some TV. I got up at one point and retrieved the cookies, saying with a smile, "these should go good with coffee". She started to cry. She said she was just having a bad morning and she wanted to "stay on the path", and that she was so sorry for unloading on me like that. I told her not to worry about it, and then did the best I could to explain the idea of "is it worth it?" that I learned from reading "Food Freedom Forever". When I was done, I said, "right now I think these cookies are worth it". We both laughed and those might have been the best Christmas cookies I've had in many years. This morning I made oatmeal for breakfast, topped with fresh blueberries. Oatmeal isn't "Whole 30" or "Paleo", but you know what? It's good for you, and won't kill us, and gives my wife a break from all the eggs, etc we've been eating every morning. We talked a lot about how we are going to move forward with our lifestyle change this morning. We are going to be ok, and I'm a lucky guy. Thanks for letting me spill my feelings this morning. I hope all of you have a great day! Mike

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with friends and family. We did well with the meal, and stayed pretty good no stuffing, no gravy, no bread). I did have a slice of cherry pie, that was worth every bite, and some wine. I went for a long walk with the dog after dinner, so that was a little different than years past. Overall, I'm felling well, and continue to move forward. I'm finding that I eat too many potatoes, and my portions are still a little big as my weight loss has slowed some. I'll be working on that moving forward. I'm also having drinks more often (just one or two) as the opportunities arise more this time of year. I'm just doing the best I can, and not worrying about it. All in all, things are going forward and that's all that matters, not the rate. I have to keep reminding myself that it's only been a little over two months since I started on this journey, and that's no time at all really. I hope to hear from you folks again soon, I too am thankful for all of you! Enjoy today! Mike PS: I made an awesome turkey/vegetable soup with leftovers that has me happy. I hope to make variations of this soup to get us through the winter as I think I can eat it at least 2-3 times a week. Just need to change up the meats and veggies!

You're doing great! What helped me on vacation was being very strictly W30 compliant the week before I went (not hard), and going back to being strictly compliant for the first 5 days after (this was harder, but very doable! I let up on myself after a few days). Doing it this way, made the decisions of "is it worth it?" a little easier, because of a feeling I "earned" it. Getting right back to strict eating, as soon as I got back, helped keep me from spinning out of control, and I am SO happy I did. I think, using this mind set, will help me get through vacations in the future. Holidays are easier to plan for too, because you kind of know what you're walking into. It's those "spur of the moment" temptations that will be hardest for me. You've got this Sinead, you know what to do and how to do it. That being said, if you go to Italy and don't eat some pasta, drink some wine and enjoy some gellato, I don't care what Melissa herself would say, they shouldn't let you back in the country!!

Happy Monday everyone. Well, yesterday turned out interesting as we hosted some friends for a house warming get together. I made slow cooker chili from the Whole 30 slow cooker cookbook the day before, and we grilled hamburgers, had cut up veggies, guacamole, and salsa. We had some tortilla chips and hamburger buns available for the guests and lots of wine. The guests brought some various salads, drinks and desserts. I did well, had no bread or chips, just a hamburger patty with onion and tomato, some chili, two glasses of wine, and a very small piece of pie, that I just couldn't turn down. I ended up getting grilled on how the Whole 30 worked, and I'm glad I had read "Food Freedom Forever", because it talks about how to deal with questions, comments, and complaints from friends and family. I didn't get preachy at all, but it was hard since two of the guests were convinced it was some sort of "extreme" diet where you couldn't eat "anything that tasted good". Although I had done the Whole 30 and read the book, I wasn't as good a source as "a girl at work"...LOL. I just sort of went with it, and changed the subject as soon as I could. Later one of the guests came up to me while I was eating pie, and said, "I guess you quit your diet, huh?", with sort of a smug smile on her face. I told her no, "I couldn't eat pie for 30 days, but now it's up to me what and when I eat things that are "worth it" to me. I was trying to explain that to you folks". I then explained that I felt good, have lost over 20 pounds, and I'm drinking wine and eating pie with them. Before the end of the party, I loaned out my Whole 30 book to one of the guests. I hope everyone has a great holiday week! Mike

I would suggest Well Fed Weeknights. Great recipes, and quicker to make. I find myself falling back to that one the most. You have a great holiday too!!