staceylc_w30

Hi @Monkey19, My heart goes out to you. Lots of people struggle; you are not alone. You will find a great deal of support here in the forum. If at all possible, shift into a mindset of doing the program to take care of yourself, instead of beating yourself up when you decide to eat something off-plan. There is no shame in asking for support, and no need to feel embarrassed for using food to try to comfort yourself while you're under stress. It might not feel like it now, but once you complete a round of Whole30, you will have much more control over your cravings and you should generally feel better overall. First, know that there is no such thing as a "perfect" Whole30 (http://whole30.com/2014/01/perfect-whole30/). That said, the "Do I really have to start over" article has the famous Whole30 tough love http://whole30.com/2014/06/really-start-whole30/ as well as a link to some of the free resources the program offers. If you haven't, check out http://whole30.com/new. There is also some good info about stress, loneliness, and anxiety in this article: http://whole30.com/2015/11/home-alone/ In terms of tips, the biggest one for me was Plan and Prepare. I plan out several meals ahead of time, then I grocery shop, and then I prep as much as I can ahead of time (chop, cook, freeze). Getting caught with nothing compliant to eat will derail you very quickly, so avoid that at all costs. Another good tip is to make sure you are eating enough food at each meal. Use the template (http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf) to help make sure you're getting adequate protein, fats, and veggies to feel satisfied. Baking would be tough for me. If you decide to eat some of what you've baked, enjoy it, and then just start your Whole30 after the work event. The program is not always easy, but it is worthwhile. There will be lots of people here to support you. You can do this!

Golden Star is one brand of canned coconut milk that contains only coconut milk and water. It is less expensive than some of the other name brands, and it seems to have a good amount of coconut cream in it as well. Hope this helps!

This is a marvelous post! Have you thought about submitting it as a Whole30 Success Story (like the ones that appear on the front pages of the site)? I think it would help a lot of others who are doing (or not doing) the program. Thank you for sharing your experience!

@Bellatrixie That is great news! I'm on Day 15 (third round), and I know the good stuff is coming, but it's not all here yet. Sleep, digestion, energy - still waiting on the "magic light switch" for those. My moods are better, and my pants aren't so tight, so those are wins. If you haven't seen Melissa Hartwig's article (http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-tough-love/) it might help. It's something I go back and read every so often for the tough love and the reminders, whenever I find myself wondering if it's worth it. My experience has been similar to @Karen Twin-Cities in that I really started feeling much better near the end of the 30 days. Keep going, and hang in there! You're doing great.