River30

Hi Lucy! Joining in on this too. Not sure why I picked today either, but it seemed as good a day as any. Why wait until a Sunday or a Monday to start something anyway?? This is my THIRD W30, and it gets better every time. Haven't done one of these in over a year, and my body is craving it. Keep posting on this forum and I will be your buddy

Made giant batch of Kahlua pork today. Looking forward to going back to W30 tomorrow. Feel bloated and a little nauseous after today's gluten re-intro. A more intense reaction than last time. And also a little... angry?... not quite, but it's a strange emotion that does not in any way match my satisfied, happy W30 self. Yuck. On Thurs I think I'll reintro non-gluten grains. This reintro phase has been a little haphazard -- the sequencing hasn't been perfect... but def better than last time, when I barely even understood what reintro was! We used to say this all the time during the W30 and I think it deserves to be said here as well -- you all rock! Stay strong.

@alexd8 I'm with you there with the food guilt .. and then feeling guilty about feeling guilty!!! However, Melissa has a GREAT video out there on YouTube I watched the other day on reintroduction. The whole point -- the W30 shouldn't create fear or guilt -- just recognition and awareness about what different foods do to our bodies, how we react emotionally and physically. There's no reason to feel bad about having bread if your body tolerates it, for example. I have to remind myself that there's no guilt, there's just choices! And everyone's choices will be different. Interestingly, I never feel guilt about a glass of wine, or any alcohol really -- I've never had a problem with drinking so it's not a "weakness" of mine, doesn't make me feel "out of control". But I do feel guilt about things like bread and butter, ice cream, certain desserts, cheese!... why? Because at times, I feel "out of control", like I'm consuming just out of habit, or impulse, or addiction... so it's a struggle! After this W30 I feel much more in control of these impulses, and so far am also more aware of the particular foods (like dairy) that also make me feel physically ill. Even so -- if I was to decide I wanted to have cows milk ice cream at a cookout on the Fourth of July, I would try to fully enjoy it in the moment and then move on.

Day two with family down, and stayed on plan except for a glass of wine tonight. More wine tomorrow as well. No ill effects so far. I have noticed my allergies have returned very slightly (I sneezed once or twice today, and at one point itched my eyes)... I attribute this to the bit of off plan food and drink -- but I'm also out in the burbs where there's much more pollen, so hard to tell. Easter tomorrow! Have a great day everyone!

@MtnGoat this is probably not the real, scientific answer -- but when people ever ask me things like that (grains v seeds, etc) I say something along the lines of -- if it has to be cooked or processed in order to be edible, or to remove some dangerous compounds, then we remove it. So, we couldn't physically eat beans raw (uncooked / soaked), or wheat raw, but we could eat a potato raw, or meat / fish raw, or sunflower seeds raw. I think this goes back to evolutionary health bc our ancestors ate and survived on what they didn't necessarily have to cook. Certain grains like corn are also never even properly processed / digested by our bodies! You will recognize this visually if you ever give a diaper-wearing toddler corn (TMI?), yet seeds are digested and used by our body. I think I'm at least 50% accurate here, though some helpful mod might shoot me down!

@alexd8 yes! Based on my reintroduction so far, I'm also planning to stay off dairy now. The bloating, stomach pain and General discomfort were crazy! So not worth it.

First day home with with family down. Only off-roading was a small piece of incredible homemade bread, which was definitely worth it, and didn't make me feel bad. I know we're supposed to save gluten re-intro for the end, but the "worth it" moment came and I took it. However, I didn't have any other gluten at all today ... so I'm thinking that's not a proper re-intro? Are you "supposed" to be having more servings to tell if it really affects you? I'd rather not, honestly... even before this W30 I was 99% gluten free except for rare special occasions.

So interesting -- from what I can tell, it looks like I now have HORRIBLE response to dairy! Crazy, since that wasn't my experience during my first re-intro at all. So today, I am 100% back on W30 to try to get back to normal. Even cut the butter. This weekend with family for Easter will be difficult. I'm planning to re-intro wine on Sunday but will avoid dairy and other off-plan things as much as possible (as in, I'm not going to ask my mother in law to remove all butter from her dishes, but will avoid a side dish if it's baked in cream). There is a cheesecake though that I only have once a year on Easter that will be a little sad to turn down!

HI there all! Glad to keep this community going! I'm on Day 31 and started to add in a little dairy, but already feel a little off -- noooooo, I can't imagine life w/o wine and cheese! As far as my results from W30 -- I didn't lose any weight -- in fact, it looks like I gained a pound or two, which is disappointing. I struggled with keeping my breastmilk supply up throughout the W30 and was advised by the mods to add extra "meals", plus added fat to my diet, which felt like a lot at times, but definitely did the trick of reestablishing my milk supply. So we do what we can, I guess! I wasn't overweight (was around 125 when I started, and this AM was 127 -- which interestingly enough was the exact weight I ended on after my last W30), but still, it was one of those fun fringe benefits from last time. This time, I don't feel crazy, ridiculously amazing -- more like a steady, good, solid hum. My clothes fit about the same too. Meh. However, there are many NSVs... first being that my seasonal allergies have completely disappeared! This is HUGE for me, since I can't take Claritin D while breastfeeding! .... The sugar dragon is gone, and I can resist sugar so much more easily now .... The quality of my sleep is so much better, I feel alert and rested in the morning ... I have great energy for my workouts... and I'm cooking more, and better - thereby saving money on takeout and feeding my family more wholesome food. Also, I got promoted at work! Hah. Don't think I can attribute that one to W30 -- but in general I was feeling more focused and driven at work this past month. After re-intro, I'd love to keep this up, at least through the rest of allergy season, and hope to continue trolling these boards for inspiration and motivation!

Hi there! @MtnGoat I know, ive been one of those people who have stopped posting regularly! Sorry! But still going strong here on Day 28... and planning to continue longer than the 30 days (with a one-day break for Easter). Today we had a brunch out with friends and then dinner out with another group of friends -- both times it was so easy to resist the wine and drinks, and I actually find it easier to eat out than at someone's house, or even at home -- because, menus! The number one reason I went on the W30 again (and at this specific time) was my seasonal allergies, which are worst in the springtime. Last w30 was like a miracle -- my reactions completely disappeared, at a time when normally I am shackled to my Claritin D. I'm thrilled to say that it's working again this time!! On Friday, I walked right through a literal gauntlet of lawnmowers, grass blowers, tree trimmers, etc, in front of my building, and not a single sneeze or tingle in my eye. AMAZING. I am so curious to know what the actual culprit is... some of my research has suggested it could be the histamines in fermented foods like cheese and wine ... but other sources have said gluten is the trigger. Either way -- I'm dreading the reintroduction phase and don't want my symptoms to come back, but still would love to know for sure what the connection is for me. Anyone else in the same (allergy) boat?

Hi all! Haven't posted in a while but just wanted to check in as I've just completed Day 20. However, this W30 will officially not be "perfect" compliance During the work event I had to go to, I was good until dessert -- a chocolatey thing came around, and as everyone else, including my bosses, started eating, I took one bite. It tasted bad to me, and I put the spoon down and didn't have any more. Then during the drinks portion of the night, I had half a cocktail, and put it down and drank club soda the rest of the night. It was interesting... what motivated me to cheat was (1) my plan from the beginning that I would allow myself one off-road during this event, and (2) social pressure, which I thought I was totally OVER, but turns out I'm not. Today was perfect compliance, and I'm planning to stay strong through the end and even add on a few more weeks because of my off-roading -- but I have to offer a warning to all... Although it was a small slip/cheat whatever you want to call it -- it's true that just doing it once makes it even harder to stay compliant afterwards. The "all or nothing" sense of the program has been altered for me, and it is even more of a mental struggle to not give in to "what the hell, I'm almost done" and "well, that cheat didn't kill me, so what's another tiny bite of ___". If any of you are planning to off-road as part of your program, I would advise against it for this reason. HOWEVER -- it was also so liberating to take a tiny bite of the dessert, realize it was not worth it, and stop, when everyone around me was clearing their plates. It was nice to take a sip of the cocktail, think "I don't need this" and put it down halfway and move on. It was such a fancy event, I felt the need to take advantage of the decadence in some way -- but it really opened my eyes to the fact that those things do not really make me feel better or happier. I feel a bit like a failure but hope you can all learn from me!

@ShannonM816 thank you so much for the guidance for nursing moms!! That all makes me feel so much better. I do think I've been using more fat than the standard meal template because I've felt the need to do so -- some extra avocado here and there, etc -- and will continue to do so. I'm about 125lbs but will def add more H2O and meals as well. I just successfully navigated a vacation weekend, complete with multiple restaurants and family obligations -- and it's SUPER inspiring to see all of you doing the same as staying strong (esp you @elaes at your dinner party!). I thought I'd face challenges or weird looks bringing it up to people -- but everyone has been so accommodating, kind, and genuinely interested in learning about the W30 and paleo. This weekend I have a fancy work event that pretty much revolves around drinking expensive booze. Since I started this W30, I was always planning on "off roading" for this event by allowing myself just one drink -- but now, I barely have the desire to do so. It will be tough to forego the unlimited champagne and fancy cocktails -- but I'm going to take a lesson from this past weekend and just be totally open about what I'm doing, without shame (which can sometimes come from saying you're on a "diet", which this is not). THEN, I'll have both instant accountability from everyone around me (like you, @elaes) and an easy way to avoid the peer pressure.

Hey there! I had been feeling this same way -- and also ridiculously TIRED all the time. I didn't know what the problem was (I knew I wasn't having the best sleep, but this was next level)... and then, at my mother in laws house, I ate a sweet potato -- I'm embarrassed to say it was only the second time I had eaten a starchy carb while on this program. I think I thought I was being disciplined but it really is crucial!! It was seriously like a miracle drug. Within the course of the meal, I could feel myself getting my energy back, getting happier, a headache going away, I was even funnier at the dinner table. Aaah. Eat some starchy carbs! Add some fat and salt! See if that helps -- def helped me, and I'll now be incorporating root veggies more in my daily diet. In other news -- I've been traveling the past few days -- it's been a little rough, but here are some travel hacks I've used so far: - I was without a pan one day but was able to get some eggs -- so microwaved them for less than a minute. Instant omelette! - At a restaurant -- I noticed the server was not the best (even messing up drink orders). So instead of going with complicated orders like "hold the sauce", change out the sides, etc -- I just went with a steak with a side of steamed veggies, and a salad with olive oil and vinegar on the side. I used a little of the olive oil to top off the steak and veggies too. - while with family, I made myself very present in the kitchen while cooking was going on, and cooked a few of the dishes myself, so I knew what was in everything. Voila, the entire dinner ended up being W30 friendly, and the host was so grateful for the kitchen help keep it going, friends! Everyone's doing great.

Hello friends -- Day 8 ended yesterday! My meals were not as balanced yesterday -- dinner was cauliflower fried rice and I think could have used more protein ... but it was SO delicious. Big fan of cauliflower. I wish I could say that longer sleep is one of my NSVs so far, my kids are sabotaging this. I've been going to bed earlier and earlier, but now one or both of them will wake up in the middle of the night crying for various reasons -- which they never do. So I've been having horrible sleep for two past few days, despite my best efforts :/ I think my baby is going through a growth spurt -- she seems to be nursing soooo much more than usual (And in middle of the night) ... and part of me is wondering if W30 is affecting my milk supply. I'm pretty sure I'm eating enough fat though --which is the big thing they always tell you, and drinking about 60oz of water a day. Other NSVs -- I feel sharper at work, have more energy with the kids, and typically don't feel the need to snack between meals. I had a chocolate-eating W30 dream last night that felt so real -- in fact, I even thought about THIS discussion board during the dream, once I realized what I was doing. I thought -- oh no, now I'm going to have to tell everyone on that board that I cheated!

Hi everyone! It's the evening of Day 7, and feel so much better than any other day this week. I feel like my energy level is starting to rise, and I'm not as sluggish or cranky. @MtnGoat, I just picked up a few of these "RXbars" -- kinda like Larabars, but they also include egg whites. While not a meal replacement, they would be helpful and better than nothing for those times post-workout when you need to refuel. I'm no moderator (side note -- why don't we have any moderator love on this board??!!) but you might need at least a snack post-workout -- Especially if you are feeling hungry when going to bed. I always have poor/restless sleep when I'm noticeably hungry, so just a thought! Or, have you ever tried Epic Bars? I personally am not a fan, but they are just meat bars (bison, turkey, etc), and w30 compliant. Both are easier to carry around than an avocado! @nanners, welcome to the board! So great that you got your hubby to join, and amazing that he's seen results already! ... that was honestly my original motivation for doing this -- in the hopes that my hubs would do this too, or at least some of what I was doing would inspire him to change some habits. He's not doing the program with me, but I do think that over the years he's learned some things by osmosis @Dannelle stay strong!!! Today I was just reheating pizza and chicken parm for the fam, and definitely felt the lure of melty cheese and crispy edges. Ugh. Then, I made some fantastic scrambled eggs with spinach, plus these thyme and garlic-sautéed mushrooms that were EVERYTHING, topped it off with a lil hot sauce -- and was so much more satisfied that I would have been if I caved. Eye on the prize!