CaseyD

I started today also! I use Whole30 occasionally as a reset at this point. There is just nothing that comes close to how much better I feel on Whole30. I hope you experience the same! I'd love to join you on this journey! It took me a long, long time to get to a place with sugar where I don't need it anymore. My sugar addiction got very severe at one point. I really credit doing repeat Whole30's for getting me to the place I am. Now, even when I start to derail with it, it is nothing like a binge and I can easily get it under control again by just going back on my reset for a couple of weeks. You should definitely read Food Freedom if you haven't already. It really works if you work it. One day you'll cringe at the thought of having sugar with breakfast. :-) You can do this!!

From one sugar addict to another, let me give you some advice on that end: Do not quit sugar using fruit and sweet potato. Quit it using bacon, avocado, Whole30 mayo, steak, eggs - basically fat and protein. If you are going to eat a little extra of something for a bit to quit sugar, this is what you "overeat". Eating sweet potato and fruit just hits that craving and it is soooo much harder and longer to get through. I know, because I've done it both ways! Yes, it will suck more at first, but the suck will no last as long. It is hard to be 15 days in and STILL be craving sugar like it is day 4 because you're using fruit and starches to feed the dragon instead of telling it to shut up with fat and protein. So, eat your carbs at times when you are most definitely NOT craving. It is really worth the short amount of suck, I promise you. Also, I hope you take the no weighing rule very seriously. It is truly life changing to stop weighing yourself and helps change the way you see both food and your body. I'll be looking forward to your posts!!

I have an alternate opinion. Don't rely on your friend. You two can do it at the same time (or overlap most of it), but don't make when you're ready based off when this person is ready. That leads to needing the other person to succeed so you can succeed. You have to do this for you, so if your person isn't starting on the day you agreed to, it doesn't mean you have to delay. It just means they start a little later. It sounds like you were ready to start, but then life gave you an excuse that your cravings latched on to. And, no, it isn't somehow easier to track if you start on the first. That's just another excuse to keep eating the things your primal brain doesn't want to give up.

Thyroid disorders can be very hard to diagnose. Most doctors don't run a complete lab and miss it as a result. You said she was carb free. So, is she doing low carb or keto? If so, try upping her carbs (but make sure if her fat intake is significantly high that it comes back down to Whole30 recommended levels). Some don't do well with very low carb, and typically it is women who have more trouble with it.

If you're still not convinced, you should read "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz. She heavily researched the science behind the dietary recommendation of lowering fat intake and her book shows how this recommendation not only came to be, but why it is utterly wrong. Remember, our dietary recommendations were born out of politics, not science. It is really worth spending a little time researching this topic. Your health likely depends on it. In the meantime, trust the Whole30 advice and don't cut out fat.

Thanks. Yes, I know you don't have to eat pastured, but I also know that Whole9 has a manifesto on bacon that talks about only sourcing your bacon from pastured sources. So, I didn't know if on this one food, they would only put the stamp on pastured or not? I also personally won't buy factory farmed pork, so I didn't know if this was factory farmed or not.

I've noticed bacon at our Whole Foods that is stamped with a "Whole30 approved" stamp. Is it only because it does not contain sugar, or is it also pastured pork? Just wondering if anyone knew about the bacon(s) that get this stamp if they were both or not!

I just wanted to add to this thread because I have seen paleo work firsthand for a kid. My daughter's friend, who is 9, was obese and diabetic (type 2), and last year was put on a paleo diet with moderated fruit and starches (so she can't just constantly snack on these). She lost 70 pounds and is no longer diabetic. She is now a healthy, happy, normal weight 9 year old. Totally different kid, honestly! No measuring, no counting calories or carbs. They moderated the fruit by only buying a set amount each week and telling her upfront that this is all she has for the week. She learned quickly to moderate her fruit on her own! I don't know how necessary that is for kids, but they were dealing with some scary health issues and this is what their doctor recommended. She does have paleo treats from time to time (they didn't do a Whole30), but she's been eating this way for close to a year now. So, it works and is sustainable for kids. Also, I saw mentioned in this older thread a desire to improve ADHD symptoms. My daughter is ADHD and mildly autistic. We've had her do the Whole30, and then we've tried to do mostly paleo with a little bit of added in things like corn tortillas, cheese, and sometimes sweets like ice cream (no gluten and no food dyes ever). There is a big difference (not to be confused with complete remission) when she is 100% on the program. It doesn't take much "off plan" for her symptoms to come spiraling back.

I worked with a fantastic health coach who sees her personal food freedom as choosing to abstain from certain foods. (She also talked about Rubin's work). I also have a couple of people in my life that can totally pull off the moderation thing and think everyone should, and it does make me question myself from time to time. But, I have worked hard (even once with a coach who is trained in the psychology of eating) to try moderating and I cannot make it work for me. I'm like you, black and white rules work for me, when I let them. The only time I've ever felt real food freedom is when I followed food rules, 100%. So, I like the saying: "99% is a B, 100% is easy." For me, that is very true. The trick is to get over the mind games you play with yourself that convince you there is something wrong with you for needing to abstain. That can be hard to do when someone is telling you over and over that your way isn't the best way for you. You might benefit from looking up books that deal specifically with sugar/food addiction. Learning that there was nothing wrong with me for needing 100% abstinence from certain foods has been really empowering. It also gave me the tools to navigate these less than helpful people in my life. I've learned there isn't one way to food freedom. For some, going through the mental checklist really works. For others, it just doesn't.

Yes, it does mean that the product was made in a facility or even shared equipment with the allergens listed. This is really for those who have severe allergies or Celiacs and cannot risk being in any contact with the food they are allergic too.

Don't worry, you're not crazy starting this with your husband out of town. When my husband goes out of town I find it easier to eat clean! Remember that kids go through the same adjustment phase we do, so if you're changing anyone else's diet, they may complain a lot the first week but it gets better and they do start liking the food. Enjoy the journey!!

I have had this problem many times and coconut water does the trick. I would try coconut water before spending the money to see the doctor, and of course if that doesn't work, see the doctor. I've been told by doctors that "oh, you're just getting older, stuff like that happens." So, I had to figure it out myself. For me, it was potassium and nothing worked faster than coconut water.

If you're concerned about the health impacts of coconut oil, let me first say be careful what you read. Recently, the American Heart Association - an organization that has always had a vegan slant - claimed a bunch of negative things about coconut oil that were, once again, not actually based on science. So, of course, many "health" blogs and news sites are running with this currently as it is a popular news topic. Many times, blogs or articles like this are reprinted or paraphrased without the author actually researching what they are writing about. News sites will often just go off the press release the AHA put out, and some blogs will just go off the news articles they read - no one is working very hard to understand or verify the information. I used to make extra income on top of my journalism job basically rewording press releases into printable news stories. You would be surprised how much of your news is this, particularly news about health topics. However, there is a fantastic book that I think ever single American should read, "The Big Fat Surprise." It explains how we wound up with the policies we have around nutrition and the faulty science that got us there. It also breaks down the real science. If you're confused about what fats you should be eating and why, this is an important read for you.

This is not my first Whole30, so I knew what to expect going into it (tiger blood and clear head ftw). What I didn't expect was to spend most of it with acute illnesses! I went through a pretty bad cold/flu(?) right at the beginning of the Whole30 and survived on meat and veggie soups, broth, some coconut water, and a lot of rest (or as much as you get with two kids who are also sick). But, the illness I'm currently battle truly put my Whole30 to the test. Thanksgiving was a breeze because I basically couldn't eat. I came down with horrible gut pain that landed me at the hospital. It took two visits to figure out I had a stomach infection and an infection of my lymph nodes in my abdomen. For four days I was very hungry but couldn't eat due to the pain (kind of like IBS can get). I found myself snacking on small amounts of soft foods - boiled chicken, baked sweet potato, and what is now my new favorite soup - mushroom, spinach, onion, and salty broth puree. (It actually is kind of amazing). The doc suggested gluten free bread (since I can't eat gluten anyway) or rice, and when I said I don't do grains, he happily suggested many Whole30 approved alternatives. Yes, you can eat soft meats in place of bread on a bland diet. I'm on the mend and was able to reintroduce meals of salmon, zucchini and sweet potato today. Not once did I deviate and here I am, Day 17, with tiger blood giving me the right attitude to get through this hard month of illnesses! I just wanted to share that you can do this even if you fall ill. It is tempting to abandon ship and just "treat yourself" as some form of self care, but real self care is feeding your body real foods.

Yes, we've done the full thyroid panel and many other tests, and biopsy. It is a mystery so far. :-( I have the whole Halloween hangover thing going on and a friend already tried to feed me a processed vegan lunch full of noncompliant stuff! She just made me a plate before I even knew it was happening. I was feeling too tired to explain why I wouldn't eat it so I think that ended up awkward. Oh well! We'll get to other side of this week in no time, I keep reminding myself!