CFDubbs

Go Team! I can't believe it's day 30. My plan is to have a glass of wine on Friday with dinner, then keep on keepin' on. I want to continue with my no-coffee experiment and see if that helps my sleep and stress levels, and cut out nuts to see if that helps with weight loss. Please everyone do stick around! I have loved the support of this group. It's inspiring to hear about everyone's successes as well as the hurdles and challenges. Hurrah to everyone! It's delightful to hear about people experiencing body changes, looser clothes, dropped pounds, etc. I hopped on the scale yesterday and am precisely the same weight I was at the beginning of this Whole30! I'm not trying to lose a lot of weight, but I have gained around 10 lbs in the past year and would very much like those to go away. I guess I hadn't realized how much! I admit it, I was disappointed initially, but I vented elsewhere on this forum and got some helpful feedback. Everyone seems to have had success in this arena, but in case some of you are feeling discouraged or that you haven't gotten the results you've wanted, this might be a helpful thread: http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/13426-day-29-disappointed/. I was especially intrigued to read this post on Everyday Paleo about a timeline/template for fat loss: http://everydaypaleo.com/fat-loss-template/. I also know I need to ditch the scale. This program has helped so much with that, though. Before Whole30 I would have been miserable all day if the scale gave me bad news... Now, I think about all the other positive changes I've seen and have resolved to keep feeding my body good stuff. So I'm going to keep going, but not fret if some canola oil passes my lips. Mostly, I just feel really good on this diet. I don't need to eat every 3 hours, I really enjoy my meals, and I have a ton of energy. Why stop?! There's nothing in particular I want to add back in right now, but I will be traveling in CA and Asia for the next month or so, and there is no way I'll be able to stick to the rigorous Whole30 template. I think I'll try to make the best choices I can when I'm traveling, without missing out on new and exciting food experiences. Whole30 will always be here for me when I get back! Kudos to everyone, day 30ers, day 20ers, and Whole30 4 Lifers alike. Woo!

@Revived: WOW - thanks so much! This helps SO MUCH and makes me feel like I'm just on a longer journey than I previously thought, rather than someone for whom paleo eating just doesn't work. I will take your advice and NOT embark on a "3 month food binge," although I was totally on the verge of something similar. The fat loss template you linked to makes total sense. My Whole30 has been basically "Month 1" to a T: focus on eating perfectly paleo, walk, sleep. That's about all I've done. Now I'll cut back on starches and fruits and add in strength training and see what happens. Sprinting sounds fun too. @Renee: I think I'll try to incorporate some meditation or other stress-reducing techniques as well. I could certainly use it! Cutting out coffee has been a revelation I could not have predicted, so maybe more are in store! Thanks everyone for all the responses. I feel much better now about continuing.

Thanks so much for all your responses. @Jenna, I think you are right that I need to stop thinking about the scale and about what weight I "should" be at. It's very hard to do though! Hearing your feedback helps me understand that it's a vanity thing more than anything else. @almcc thanks for the encouragement. I want to keep going but was feeling very discouraged. I think going back to my old ways will make me feel poorly too. I had a cup of coffee yesterday after 5 days without and felt SO SICK. Made me realize that these dietary changes have more effects than I thought. @amberino, you're right, this whole time I've been saying, this isn't a weight loss program, it's a health choice you are making. I guess I had been hoping that weight would magically disappear like it does for other people--didn't realize how much I was hoping for that until I got on the scale this morning and was so disappointed! Maybe I need to read the post on ditching the scale again... As for meals, I usually have 2-3 eggs every morning. I was eating a couple of handfuls of cashews or macadamia nuts every day, but realized that might be a problem and have cut out nuts the past 3 or 4 days (an plan to continue nut-free for a couple of weeks to see if that helps). But I would definitely supplement a meal here and there with nuts when I didn't feel "satisfied." I also have a bad habit of lots of tasting while I'm cooking--may be consuming more there than I think. For what it's worth, I wake up hungry every morning. Sunday: M1: peppers, onions, and tomatoes sauteed in ghee + 2 fried eggs + 1/2 avocado/lime/cilantro relish M2: 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs + steamed brussels sprouts, collards, and green beans (probs 2 cups of veg) + 2-3 Tbsp Moroccan dipping sauce from Well Fed + nectarine and a small plum snack: 1/2 c. beef stew and a couple of bites of cooked ground beef while I was cooking, couple of bites of squash M3: roast chicken drumstick, 1/2 breast + wing (with skin) + roasted Delicata squash (tossed in melted ghee before roasting) (maybe 1.5 cup) + kale sauteed in ghee Saturday: M1: 3 egg omelette with onions and peppers, 1-2 Tbsp paleo pesto M2: salad w/ prosciutto and olives and lots of veggies Kombucha M3: beef stew (beef, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions) + cauliflower puree (steamed cauliflower with ghee and coconut milk + steamed green beans + nectarine

Hi guys, I stepped on the scale this morning, and am exactly the same weight I was when I started (5' 9", 149.6 lbs; I am usually around 140). My waist went down an inch, but otherwise all my measurements are the same, and my clothes don't fit any differently. I am also experiencing worse acne than I was before I started, and have fairly frequent digestive issues. I find this all very disappointing. Where is the magic everyone is talking about? I read the post, 6 Reasons Why the Whole30 Didn't Work (http://whole9life.com/2012/10/six-reasons-why-the-whole30-didnt-work-for-you/), and it may be that I'm one of those people for whom a "perfect paleo protocol" does nothing. But that really sucks. I've been following the program very closely--no slip ups or whatever--and getting between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night. I haven't been doing any formal exercise, but average about 10,000 steps a day (about 5 miles--walk to and from work, etc.). I have always eaten fairly healthily, but not really paleo (ate sprouted grain toast and PB for breakfast, for example), and before I started this was drinking with great frequency and eating sugar every day. How can it be that after a month with no sugar, no alcohol, no bread, and no cheese I have not changed size at all? I lead a pretty high-stress life (lawyer, moving cities, changing jobs, relationship stress, etc.), which may be the "lifestyle problem" they are talking about (but seriously, does that stuff make you fat for real?). I stopped drinking coffee a couple of days ago which has significantly improved my sleep. I am thinking about continuing this for another 2 weeks and seeing how it goes without coffee, with more exercise, and with less stress (going on vacation!). Still, it's hard to motivate myself to be so rigorous about my diet when I'm not seeing benefits proportional to how much effort it takes. On the upside, my moods are fairly consistent, I have plenty of energy, and I haven't had any hypoglycemic attacks like I did before. I also have really enjoyed NOT being hung over on the weekends and being productive and active. So that's good. But frankly, I wanted my acne to go away and I wanted to lose the 10 lbs I've gained in the past year. Is that so much to ask?! What would you do if you were me? I kinda feel like throwing in the towel.

I'm with you Lizzie! Last night's dinner was totally uninspired and boring and I was so unsatisfied I ate a handful of macadamia nuts. Make that two handfuls. Urgh. It was so exciting in the beginning when I remembered how yucky I felt before. Now this is the new normal, routine as you say, which makes it harder to maintain. I'm going to do a cook-up this weekend too and hope for the best. In other news, I stopped drinking coffee: today marks my second day without. I have been drinking some black and green teas, so I'm not off caffeine, but the change has been PROFOUND. I am shocked. For the first 3 weeks of the Whole30 I was sleeping 7 hours a night, less than my usual 8, waking up early and unable to go back to sleep. The past two nights, I have slept a full 8 and could easily have slept more. How is this possible?! I was drinking 2-3 large cups of coffee a day, but never after 10 or so. Who knew morning coffee could have such an impact on your sleep? I've been reading up on it and it seems like this diet decreases inflammation generally, making your body more sensitive to what you put in it. That would explain why I was unable to sleep as much for the first few weeks of this diet even though I didn't change my coffee consumption. Not drinking coffee is incredibly difficult. If I had tried to give it up at the beginning, not sure I would have made it! I'm going to shoot for a 30 day caffeine holiday to see how I feel. Is anyone else off caffeine entirely?

I don't know what day we're on either! I only know that I'm "pausing" this Whole30 on Friday September 13 (note that I say pause and not stop--kinda want to keep eating like this forever!). My boyfriend and I are celebrating our 3 year anniversary and my new job on that day, so I plan on going out to a lovely dinner and having a little wine, not fretting about what oil my dinner is cooked with, but otherwise sticking to a paleo meal. I'd like to see how the wine makes me feel the next day, so I don't want to throw too much else in the mix. I'm extending my Whole30 a couple of days because I didn't stumble onto this site until day 2 of a different 30-day paleo challenge, so I was still having a little cream in my coffee. Then what to do on September 14th? I feel so great now, and I don't want that to end, but this isn't really a sustainable 365 day a year plan, at least not the nit-picky parts (no seed oils ever, no sugar in your bacon (even if it's negligible), etc.). It has been an amazing wake up call though, and I want to preserve this way of eating as much as possible. I baked some cookie dough I had in the freezer for my boyfriend last night, and he was worried I was torturing myself by not being able to eat any. But it wasn't torture! Not a single fiber in my being wanted that cookie. SO STRANGE. (Though when this is over, I will be interested to see whether these cookies are worth it. They are seriously the best cookies I have ever eatin in my life, or so I thought pre-Whole30: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html). I WAS eyeing his bourbon on the rocks with envy, but even that wasn't a full-blown craving. So interesting. @carrot_flowers: that is so interesting that you felt ok the next day after drinking some wine. I think that's great--you know how it affects you, and in terms of derailing, that is really not bad, given your body's response. Gives me hope that wine can have a healthy place in my life post-whole30! It sounds like you're a little disappointed in yourself, but also like you're not being too hard on yourself, which is a really healthy response I think. Yeah, you didn't do the whole thing, but you still have all kinds of data on how clean eating makes you feel, and there's no reason not to continue for as long as you want. Looks like a bunch of us are! I think I want to do another 10-14 days after my wine experiment on the 13th, and start reintroducing things slowly (which sounds like a long and slow process in and of itself). @kellie: I struggle with exercise too! I can focus on exercise, or focus on diet, but I work so much that it has been really hard to focus on both at the same time AND still have some semblance of a social life/romantic relationship. I am ashamed to say I have done no formal exercise since starting this Whole30. I walk between 10,000 - 15,000 steps a day, just going about my business, and my bf and I take long walks and bike rides on the weekends, but have done no sweaty cardio and no strength training. I'm going to start adding that in soon, though--hope I see some nice results! Have a great day everyone!

Speaking of fat, is anyone cooking with a refined coconut oil? To cook, I use either an unrefined virgin cooking oil or ghee. I find that at the temperatures I use to sautee and roast, I get a lot of smoke. I used to work as a chef, and I always used canola for really high temp cooking to avoid the smoke thing. Does the non-virgin coconut oil smoke less? I'd pick up a jar now, but I'm trying to conserve my meager funds, and as you all can probably guess, I already have about 15 kinds of fats in my fridge and pantry...

Thank you everyone for your posts, strugglers and tiger blood-ers alike. Reading about your experiences this Sunday morning is making me feel a million times better. It's good to know that I'm not the only one who is having some stomach issues and it is inspiring to read about your triumphs! I seriously don't know how I'd keep on keeping on without this thread! @kelliem, thanks for the shout out! I do love fat. A lot. I'm not feeling the tiger's blood either, unfortunately. I hope it will come! I have been sleeping like a rock, though, which is delightful. I hope your pork chops were delicious. @EricaV: living by the rules is easier for me too. I spent the past two days moving, and while everything went off without a hitch, I find moving very stressful. I would absolutely have had a glass or three of wine at night had I not been on this program. It was so much easier to resist the urge knowing that I had this no-drinking rule in place. It also then forced me to examine the reason why I felt like having a drink so badly, an inquiry that never would have happened had I had a bottle of wine at hand. @Amy, as you have read, you are not the only one! I haven't had GI distress, per se, but haven't felt amazing the past few days. Still working through times of feeling bloated, low energy, foggy, etc., and unlike everyone else I'm not really seeing any physical changes. I'm hiding the macadamia nuts and going to see if that helps. Have you seen this site? http://chriskresser.com/paleo-diet-challenges-solutions-ii-its-all-about-the-gut It's a whole series of articles for people who aren't experiencing the glowing benefits of paleo immediately. I think the guy wants to sell supplements, but the information could be helpful, for what it's worth. I think these struggles are made worthwhile by the subsequent victories. Go you! Lizzie--I have also had to commit to not eating in front of the TV! (Easier now that all my earthly possessions are in storage.) You know what helps? I put on NPR or This American Life. I get the companionship that I want from the TV, but am still able to focus on what I'm eating, be mindful, present, etc., all the things that eating in front of the TV interferes with. Also it keeps be abreast of what's happening in the world. Not too shabby. Trine--love that bit in one of your previous posts: "the rock solid Trine that is me." Yeah! Get it girl! Love that. Going to keep thinking that all day about myself. Keep on keeping on! Tried to make a Bulletproof coffee today--woah, that is intense. My cat is into it though--he has been trying to fit both his head and his paw in the mug the whole time I've been writing this post. Hilarious. Happy Sunday my friends! Caroline

I do something very similar to EricaV. Last time, I used about 1/2 c. raw almonds (I know they are not the preferred nut on Whole30 but I love the way they taste). Threw those in my Cuisinart miniprep with about 3 cloves of raw garlic, chopped, some red pepper flakes, salt, and lemon zest (just a touch!). Whiz that up until everything is ground. Then I threw in three large handfuls of basil--the more the better. It was all the leaves from one large bunch. Whiz again! As I was processing the basil, I drizzled in about 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. I like to add acid as I use the pesto so that it stays a bright green color in the fridge. Whisking a dollop of pesto with a little lemon juice or vinegar makes a great salad dressing. Last night I tossed some steamed green beans with that and it was delectable. Delectable! Oh, so happy that everyone is as enthused about fat as I am. (TOTALLY not above licking a mayo-covered spoon.)

Yeah Lizzie! Yeah Trine! Yeah Kellie! Yeah all you international partners in crime! Everyone is kicking butt. I love it. I agree that I've hit the point where I just want to keep doing this forever. I feel great! Why would I ever want to change? I feel the same way re: wine and not being able to toss some chickpeas in my salad, but I think that I'll be able to keep eating more or less just like this for the foreseeable future. Chickpeas are not Whole30, but that's a different kind of nutritional off-roading than eating a Snickers bar. I also check in first thing in the morning and I can't tell you how nice it's been to know you are all on this journey too! I have to say, Day 16 is feeling pretty good. My weekend energy slump has passed, and I have gotten so used to having an even energy level that I've forgotten how it used to be: I'd get ravenous mid-morning and mid-afternoon, had a hypoglycemic episode at least 2x a week, and could not stop myself from raiding the office candy bowl. That candy bowl holds no temptation for me any longer, which is wild. I've noticed I'm a lot nicer these days, friendlier with strangers, generally chattier and happier. It's fun! Three cheers for us. Have a great Tuesday everyone (or Wednesday as the case may be!) Caroline

Isn't it great? I've made the mayo, sunshine sauce, pad Thai, and baba ganoush. All excellent. Also made her mayo-based salad dressing, and have been "steam-sauteing" veggies as soon as I get them so that they are ready to toss into my dinner! This diet is all about planning and prep, isn't it? Thanks for the cookbook rec! I've been wanting to get another book and am happy to have your stamp of approval. I can't BELIEVE you got NMH tickets!! So jealous. I could listen to In the Aeroplane over and over forever. Considering forking over for the NYC dates on Stub Hub right now....

Woah, day 15. I struggled this weekend with low energy and haven't been able to sleep in--up at 6 on Saturday AND Sunday! What is going on with me? I also don't feel like my clothes fit any differently... kind of hitting a lull here and hoping things turn the corner soon and I start feeling this tiger's blood everyone keeps talking about! Trying to keep my eyes on the prize, but it's hard! @ EricaV: I'm so sorry. I'm so inspired by the way you're moving through this difficult situation with grace. @lizzie_s: totally feel you re: enormo goblet of wine. Keep fighting the good fight! I am moving this weekend and feel the same kind of trepidation about meals out, etc. It's hard to stay on plan when you're not in your own kitchen but after seeing so many of you succeed, I know I have no excuses!! @carrot_flowers: omg that pad thai is my jam. Love it. Love Well Fed in general. Everything I've made so far has been super delicious. also is your name a Neutral Milk Hotel reference? @Amy: I'm not feeling that hungry either and thought something was wrong with me! I don't get the emails so it's nice to know I'm not the only one with weirdly decreased appetite. I have been taking it easy on exercise too. I used to do Crossfit, and the gym was really welcoming to newcomers. You didn't have to have any experience with weightlifting and the atmosphere was very inclusive. I recommend just going to your nearest gym and giving it a shot! It can be a little $$ though.

Yeah ladies! Go Team Fat. I think we should make t-shirts. Yeah @SaraP! Pesto + eggs = who knew? Delicious. Just had some this morning. I made chicken sausage/egg muffins (saute onion, peppers, tomato, diced chicken sausage, and whatever leftover veg you have, let cool a bit, mix with 10-12 whisked eggs, and scoop with a 1/4 c. measuring cup into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 18-20 mins et voila! Portable omelette!), and put a dollop of pesto on top of each one. Scrumptious. Yay fat.

@JustClaudia: I know this is an old post, but I was wondering how you are feeling now. I am on day 14 (woot!) of my first Whole30, and over the past week have been having the same sleep problems you describe. I fall asleep fine, but I can't stay asleep. I wake up without an alarm, but still tired! I have been getting between 7 and 7.5 hours (I know I shouldn't complain), but feel best on 8-9 (which I had no problem getting pre-Whole30). So I feel groggy and run-down all day. I wasn't eating much fruit or starchy veg for the first 11 days or so; I've added some fruit at breakfast and sweet potato/spaghetti squash at dinner. Hoping that helps. Also, when I wake up, it's usually cause I'm STARVING, even though I've been eating plenty (and haven't noticed any body comp changes). The hunger prevents me from falling back to sleep, so I just get up and eat (a very early) breakfast. I also find that taking a 5-HTP supplement at night, along with a melatonin and some Natural Calm, helps me get to sleep, but doesn't help me sleep in. Would love to know if your symptoms subsided and what helped!

Dear Fat, I remember the 90s. I remember Susan Powter and the fat-free craze. I remember Snackwells. I remember dry toast, plain baked potatoes, and screaming at my mom for cooking onions in a tablespoon of olive oil. I remember fat-free yogurt, pretzels, cheese (what?), ice cream. I remember thinking Red Vines were a health food because they were fat free. I know you remember it too. Thank god those days are over. Fat, I'm sorry you had to spend any time in exile. I'm on day 11 of my first Whole30, and before today I used to hide my love for mayo like a dirty little secret. Folks, today I'm coming out of the closet. Fat, I am in love with you. I love you in all your glorious forms (except partially hydrogenated and massively processed; also, sorry canola, but we're through; butter, see you in 20 days, if you're lucky). I am obsessed with Melissa Joulwan's mayo. http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/06/03/the-secret-to-homemade-mayo-patience/ I dream about my homemade, nutty-smelling, definition-of-savory ghee. I could eat an avocado with a spoon, and do. A dollop of pesto in my morning omelette delights me like nothing else. Sweet potatoes, diced and roasted in coconut oil, rock my world. Sunshine sauce is my jam ("jam" like "rad thing I love," but I suppose "jam" like "jelly" too). Fat, how did I live without you for so long? Talk about insanity. As far as I'm concerned, you make the world go round, make life worth living, and may be the key to world peace. Well, maybe not. But you get my point. Fat, I'll never hide my love for you again. See you soon. Sincerely, Caroline