CCLaymon

Andrea! What a day! I can't believe all the challenges you faced and how you handled them. Kudos to you, my friend! @Hope4Overcomers, I've been reading along about your setback/restart. Are you glad you restarted? That would have been my suggestion, but everyone is on their own path here. You'll feel so great when you hit the 30 day mark! @Michele B. my first Whole30 turned into a Whole 105. I was concerned about reintroductions, and when time came, I just didn't want to do it because I was feeling so good. I think it's good to have a strategy around re-introduction, but if you're feeling good and aren't ready don't force it It's been a busy week for me of getting used to being an empty nester. My son is thriving at college, so that make my life so much better! In addition to that, my husband and I have had a commuter marriage for the last 6 years, and we just moved in together for the first time a few weeks ago. Lots of adjustments all around! My husband has done several Whole 30's with me, and agreed to do this one, too. That lasted about half a day, so I'm going it alone. It's helpful that he is grilling/cooking compliant items, but other than that, I'm on my own! When we leave for the cruise next week I'll be on day 21, so the plan will be to keep it going. I'll give them my food restrictions on day 1 and hope they'll be able to meet my requests. My goal for the weekend is to get a walk in everyday, and to start unpacking those boxes from the move. To the U.S. folks, have a restful Labor Day Weekend!

Hello friends! I've been out of the mix, but following along all week, and have stayed on plan - today is day 7. This week I spent two days shopping for college with my son, one day packing, one day unpacking/settling in and one day leaving/driving home. It's been a crazy, emotional week. I managed stay on track, even at picnics and eating out. It was challenging at times, but completely possible. (My guide - can I have meat and vegetables? I'll be ok.) Yesterday was the hardest, because I'm an emotional eater. I really wanted to jump into an ice cream sundae because I was so sad to leave him at school. However, he is doing great and loving it, which makes it all easier. I slept a lot last night and even took a much needed nap today. I hope everyone had a good weekend! Week 2 tends to be easier for me, and hope it is for you, too!

@LydiaJo thanks for the tip on planning ahead - very smart! @Mandy612 I'm laughing about the wine - it's bound to make a difference! I usually find that I get Tiger blood sometime in week 2 - wait until you get that coursing through you! I purchased the Whole30 Day by Day book today. I like the idea of having an extra shot of motivation each day. My day 2 went well, although I had some snacks cravings in the afternoon. How did everyone else do?

Hello Friends! I started yesterday, too. I've done a few successful Whole 30s, but it's been a couple of years. It's always easier when you have a gang to check in with, so I'd like to join you for the month! It will come with some challenges, my only son goes off to college Friday, and my husband and I are going on a cruise in early September. I figured that should be an easy place to eat well, since they will cater to every food need - we'll see! My latest prompting to do another Whole 30 is that I've had poison oak and poison ivy this summer that will not resolve. Whole30 has really helped with other skin conditions in the past, and I'm hoping this will help me kick it. Have a great day 2!

Hi everyone, a successful Day 1. It always feels easy for me day 1. Day 3 is when it gets challenging for me One word about kids on Whole 30: the whole 30 recipes I make are my son's favorite meals. I don't force him to do Whole 30, but I also don't make multiple meals. There are so many good compliant recipes - I encourage you to try some and the kiddos may love it!

Hi all - I've done a few Whole 30's and had great results. I never did great reintroductions until recently, when I found that milk/cheese is a big culprit in a skin condition I've had for several years. Grateful to know what's causing it and that I can avoid it. Yesterday I stepped off the boat in Amsterdam after a two week vacation to Norway, and today I'm back in the US and super excited to reset. I had some good exercise days on the cruise, but as you can imagine, the food part was terrible. Glad to be along with you for the month!

@Jane3797 welcome to the group and how amazing that you have 30 years under your belt! Whole30 has certainly helped me address my addictive food issues that I've struggled with for decades. I, too, wish I had found this way of eating earlier! I've been trying some new recipes this week from RealPlans. Nothing crazy, but it adds flavor - I tend to cook in a pretty bland way. Last night I made lemon pepper chicken and roasted potatoes. My son was thrilled, and there is no kind of chicken that thrills him Tonight I'm going to make a meatloaf. We're on day 21 folks! Hard to believe. I'm not feeling as thrilled as I do sometimes at this point. Physically I'm feeling pretty good, but being on Whole30 for four months, and then going off the rails for a month...It's always hard for me to get back on. So I'm just choosing the next right thing, and not letting the emotions get the better of me. (Always easier to keep that in check when I'm on Whole 30). Roll call - how is everyone doing?

Hello team! I've been missing you all but I'm still staying the course. My trip to my mom's was harder than I expected. It was hard to really convey the all the rules, and I had to end up skipping a lot. By the last night, she made me three kinds of vegetables, so it all evened out @Brie great news on the eczema. My skin really clears up on the Whole 30. Also, I do not envy you your job! @FitAndFabForever I never noticed it before the Whole30, but cashews give me a similar reaction to what you described. Even though they are compliant, I had to give them up! Hope you are feeling better this week and back on the healthy eating track! @gobebeth congrats on a Whole30 cooking date! @ldmcniel I just made a great meatball recipe last week. My whole family loved it! It was from Real Plans. Maybe try it out and come up with some new things to try? Even without out that, googling Whole30 recipes will bring you a gazillion new things to try! @sweetz149 so sorry about the accident. It sounds like you handled your food as good as could be expected in that situation! I hope the car gets fixed up soon! @altyburger I've heard the moderators say to add 30 days on but call it a Whole45 so you don't feel like you're starting from day 1 I won't be surprised if you get to day 30 and want to keep going anyway! Many people do! @dawn williams my cravings usually go along with my stress levels. I've been trying to walk or do a short bike ride most days, which certainly helps to manage the cravings. Great job everyone! Keep on truckin'!

My conference day went well yesterday. I packed a great salad, and then on lunch break I popped over to the Whole Foods for some Tesserae dressing and fruit. Uneventful. My favorite kind of eating! My husband is coming home from his business trip today. This will be challenging because, while he's supportive, he's not doing Whole 30 with me. When we go out to eat, he orders all the things I'm not eating right now. While that is certainly his prerogative (I did NOT know that was how that word was spelled!), it does make me a little jealous. I'm also going to my mom's for the weekend which will be a challenge. Here's the one good thing: my mom and I have been on diets our whole lives, so she'll make food I can eat if I just call it a diet, LOL! Have a great day!

@ldmcniel it's so great that you stuck it out. I love "never quit on a bad day." Awesome advice for many areas of life! Starting over is much harder than you think. Once you give yourself a way out, it's easier to quit next time. @PSUlion glad to have you here! I'm a originally a PA girl myself One of the best things Whole30 did for me was to give me confidence in a restaurant. There were several times where they didn't bring something as ordered, and I had to send it back. I would NEVER have done that in the past. I felt bad about it in the beginning, but this 30 day journey is about YOU. So be kind to yourself and save yourself the rice the picking next time Congrats on finishing grad school! And, the Whole30 finally got me to kick the Diet Coke habit 2 years ago - I wish the same for you! All Nutpods are Whole 30 approved! @Mary Farkas thanks for joining us for the trip! I can't believe we are 1/3 of the way there already! Today I'm in a continuing ed class all day - not my favorite thing! I'm going to eat a good breakfast this morning - leftover beef stew from last night. I'm packing food for lunch in case there is not an easy place to grab lunch. Class is over at 3:30, so this should not be a big deal. Mostly, I hate sitting for 7 hours. I will be taking the Nutpods with me for a cup of coffee to stay focused!

@sweetz149 great job staying on track at the farmer's market! I'm always encouraged by the successes of others. @ldmcniel what did you have at Red Robin? I usually go for the avocobbo salad, no cheese, no sides. Eating can be a challenge - we should all share our tips here! When the cravings hit (and I'll admit once I'm this far along I don't have them as much) distraction is the key for me. If I get out of the house for a walk or to meet a friend or do some errands that are away from the food, that really helps. @cidyvee I really like the idea of sushi with cauliflower rice. I would not have thought of that. @LBison and @Strictlyspeaking I started eating earlier today, too, and I thought that went very well. Last summer I injured my shoulder wake boarding. I have been rehabbing it since, and today I went for a bike ride for the first time! I couldn't ride before because I couldn't hold my weight on the handlebars without impinging my shoulder. I'm not good as easing into things, and I would usually say it doesn't "count" unless I go at least 20 miles. So my pain-free 6 miles was really a NSV! My one struggle right now is not weighing myself. I feel really good, and my jeans are a little roomier, so that makes me want to jump on the scale. But I did not! For the new folks, I think this is a really important part of the program. If you weigh yourself and the number isn't what you want it to be, it can derail you. So enjoy your month of not weighing yourself! Tomorrow I need to make a plan for Wednesday - I'm going to be in a class all day. I think I will need to pack a lunch! And bring the nutpods for the coffee!

@Pumpkinm I feel like half my life is staying up to pick up my son and his friends from events - I relate! He is taking his driver's test next week - I know I will miss it. @altyburger and @ldmcniel sounds like you are doing great! Last night I made out ok (compliant), but not optimal for food. I took a couple of hard boiled eggs, because my expectation was that I might not have a great choice for protein, but that at a minimum, there would be a salad. Instead, there was plenty of great protein (roasted turkey and pork) but no compliant veg. And a ton of dessert! I only ate protein and made a note to pack better in the future. @gobebeth glad you're feeling good and are all prepared for the week ahead! I have to admit that this week went quickly for me - much better than I expected. I'm very grateful to have some new friends along for the ride with me!

Hello May Team! I'm facing some challenges today, and writing it out seems to help me in the planning. After lunch today, I have a 3 hour drive to a presentation I'm giving tonight. Car time is not the best for me, so I need to pack a snack. After my presentation there is a dinner. I have no idea what is being served. I'm thinking I need to pack a back up meal just in case there's not something for me to put together that's compliant. My husband is meeting me at the workshop (we have a commuter marriage and live 8 hours apart - a story for another day!) and then we are driving 2 hours to spend the night in Philadelphia before he flies out for a business trip tomorrow. So, lots of driving, a day without refrigeration, and a couple of meals that I don't have a lot of control over. I am certainly making up some hard boiled eggs for the trip! I need to think and plan ahead. It's these kind of situations that can easily derail me. I'm headed out for an early morning walk. Everyone get lots of sleep this weekend - you'll need it!

@zealy keep on truckin'! These first couple of weeks will have ups and downs but you can do it! I always feel eating sugar will back me feel better, and it does for approximately 2 minutes. For me, after about 2 weeks I typically feel better all the time, think more clearly, and don't get frustrated so easily. It will be worth it! @gobebeth my feelings of anxiety also improve when I'm eating well. Keep us posted on how the new meds go and expect the best! @Strictlyspeaking I love a good salmon, but you won't be getting liver advice from me! I'm always curious to know how the experiments go, though, so let us know. @AZsunshine you're first Non Scale Victory! (NSV) Welcome @HouseOfAnnaM If you message me your Facebook, I'd love to follow along with you. Today my son has a few events at school, and baking is one of my favorite things to do. I was already to bake last night, and I just realized that I'm not in a solid enough place yet to face that kind of temptation. So I bought some pre-made stuff at the store, which my son was fine with, and was really proud for making a good choice. I am feeling a little tired today and look forward to sleeping in tomorrow!

@zealy glad you're feeling good - that helps in getting your momentum in the beginning! @Avd thanks for the excellent tip on prep work. In my last reintro, I figured out a much better reintro plan. I'll be happy to share when we get closer to the end of the month. @AZsunshine maybe plan something non-food related on the weekend so you don't feel like you're missing out? Like a movie? Welcome to the group @altyburger and @Brie! Get ready to feel better than you have in your life! Also, when I'm on the Whole30, I'm just mentally clearer. Able to weigh options, make good decisions, and take action quickly. A definite bonus! @ldmcniel prepping ahead is so helpful. Maybe eggs in muffin cups with some veggie made in a big a batch so you can start the morning off right? Have a great day everyone - we're rolling now!