ElizabethG

Yes, I think everyone can say they have experienced something similar. It took me a few tries before making it all the way through 30 days. And good for you for not giving up and starting again! That is something to feel proud about. Life has many ups and downs, so the important thing is to learn from each moment. What could you have done differently instead of running to food after the DMV? Those frustrations aren't going away, the key is finding other things to help you calm down and relax when you need them.

In some ways getting back on track is easy, in others its not, and it's always surprising to me what all of a sudden seems difficult. I got through Day 2, but just barely. I 100% let me stress and emotions at work get to me, and at 3:30 ate my drawer of complaint emergency snacks. This drawer has never bothered me before, but the stress was just so overwhelming I turned to eating. Luckily the food was compliant, and I was able to stop myself before it went too far, however, it's still about the relationship with food that matters the most. On the bright side, I still got myself to the gym. So starting this morning on a clean slate. What's on the menu for today? B: coffee, eggs cooked in olive oil, pre-roasted zucchini and onion, tahini drizzled on top L: Tuna salad (tuna, homemade mayo, diced peaches, sun dried tomato), over lettuce with basil dressing D: Salad with turkey bacon crumbles, peach, hardboiled eggs, basil dressing

Adding on to my own thread here. Day 1 was successful, even with an afterwork commitment that did not get me home until 8:30, and where I had to smell and stare at pizza for 2 hours! Day 2 will be another busy day as well. Trying to figure out what to do for 1.5-2 hours between work and a meeting. It does not make sense to go all the way home first. Does anyone else ever have weeks like this, where is seems like home is only for sleeping and nothing else? It's only Tuesday and I'm already exhausted.

Good morning! I have completed 2 W30s successfully in the past year and a half, and learned some habits that have managed to stick with me. However, summer is always the most difficult season for me to stick with the choices I know make me feel best with all the added social events, travel, and ice cream. I've decided to jump back on the wagon for a little under 2 weeks (based on being realistic with our social obligations) to give my body the reset it's screaming for. Anyone with me? Today is Day 1. I could really use some help in staying accountable, especially with all the work events, family dinners, etc. over the next 13 days. Why 13? My husband and I have dinner reservations with friends on 8/5 to a restaurant we have been wanting to try for years, and I don't want to feel limited with the menu. However, I will be using it as a chance to practice good food freedom. Reasons why I'm returning to W30: - Remind myself that I really do prefer vegetables over sweets - Remind myself its not the end of the world to say "no thanks" to the sweets at work - Give my insides a much needed reset - Return to feeling confident in the choices I know are best for me

Crossword puzzles! I am always trying them online, and are a fast distraction.

Thank you both! It's so interesting that these veggies are bothering me so much this time around, when I did not have an issues last time. I think my larger GI issue is creating the perfect environment for this. Working with my insurance company to get a medication covered that will hopefully help.

Hi All, This is my second W30, completed the first one in April, and did not experience this mid-journey issue, although my food choices are pretty identical. Around Day 5, much of my gas and bloating (the reason for jumping back in the first place), started to improve, and I was excited. However, in the past few days it has all come back...bloating, and terrible gas. I have read through the forum and it appears things like brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc., may be the issue. On the side, my GI doc and I think I may have something called SIBO, so I will be taking some medication for that, which could greatly help. However, it will take a while to get my insurance company to approve it. So here is what I am searching for: 1. Comments on my food log (below) 2. If some of these veggies are the culprit, suggestions on what veggies I should turn to. Both my husband and I love cruciferous veggies roasted in the oven. Day 1: Breakfast - 3 eggs scrambled with bell peppers, onion, arugula, and compliant nutritional yeast + olive oil drizzled on top Lunch - leftover unstuffed cabbage stew (ground beef, cabbage, tomato, veggie stock, garlic, onion) Dinner - 2 palm size baked salmon, roasted carrots and brussles sprouts, 1/2 sweet potato Day 2: Breakfast - same Lunch - Salad with avocado, almonds, apple, egg, tomato, olive oil dressing Dinner - ground turkey tacos (tomato, pepper, onion mixed in), roasted cauliflower, over spinach, 1/3 avocado Thanks for the help!

Hi bjyoung116, I am with you on Thanksgiving. While I am not completing a W30 right now, I still do not want to go overboard during holiday season. I have fallen a little off track recently, and am trying to stick to a W30 plan as much as possible. I have been thinking about a few strategies myself, and here is what I came up with: Plan ahead for Thanksgiving meal and decide what might be "worth it" before sitting down. For me, its homemade rolls and pecan pie. Otherwise, I am going to stick to turkey and veggies. Know what holiday parties you have over the next few weeks, and pick which ones might be special, if any. Often time the food isn't anything special and work parties, especially when compared homemade goodness of holiday meals at home. I just keep reminding myself that nothing is as good as what I will be served Christmas Day. I find being empty handed at a party leads to bad decisions, so I like to have a drink in hand. I happen to do just fine with one glass of wine, which also makes me feel like I am taking part in whatever is going on. Maybe for you, it's having a glass of seltzer with fruit juice in hand. Random treats in the office during this time of year is the hardest, and I don't have a perfect strategy, other than I try to avoid the office lunch room as much as possible. In fact, I even find ways to avoid eating with everyone because I know I have a hard time resisting food in those situations. It may be anti-social, but I have found this line works: "I really want to use my lunch time to take a walk, I just can't sit down any more today" Good luck! And congrats on completing your 2nd W30.

I am glad I found this topic this morning. I completed a W30 in April 2016, and generally have been doing well incorporating things I learned since then, and mostly feeling better. However, the last two weeks have been rough, slipping back into old habits, particularly with sugar and eating past feeling full. I feel gross, the best word I have right now. I wake up each morning committing to getting back to where I want to be, but about 2/3 through the day back away from that commitment. Well today is going to be different, I am going to make it through with eating foods that make me feel good, that make my body stronger.

I need help getting back on the horse today. Had a not great day yesterday and woke up feeling hung over. I am feeling physically gross and mentally frustrated. Some of my old poor body image habits are creeping back into my head today, which is frustrating. I am wanting to get back on the horse today, which for me is a paleo diet + full fat greek yogurt + the occasional glass of wine. I know from trial and error that this works for me, and the small amount of honey and wine do not affect me. However, this is not always as easy to put into practice, as we all well know. I also recently had some labwork done that showed not great cholesterol numbers, so I am also trying to figure out what changes I can make to make myself happy with those numbers without letting go of some of the foods that make this way of eating enjoyable and sustainable, like avocado, coconut oil and eggs. One thing I have realized though is that nuts and I may need to break up...another reason I am feeling down this morning. I have started relying on nuts way too much and they are most definitely causing some GI distress, plus I tend to go overboard with them. Does anyone else sometime feel mentally fatigued from always trying to tweak how they eat? I sure do, which makes it that much more difficult to get back on track. I know I will feel much better in about a week if I can get back to it today and stick with it, but right now, that seems like such a mountain to climb. Looking for some ideas and encouragement today!

Hi All, Re-invigorating this topic. I had my annual exam today, in which we reviewed my blood work from a few days ago. Everything looked great except my cholesterol and triglycerides, and I am looking for some advice. My doctor was not alarmed, however wants to retest in 6 months. I am a little concerned as there is not great heart health history on my dad's side of the family. Here is the important information: - I am 27 and always had good health - I recently completed a Whole30, and did not lose any weight - I did not need to - Total chol: 364 - HDL: 83 - LDL: 236 - Triglycerides: 223 I have been sticking to Whole30 95% of the time, as I feel better eating this way, and have only added things back in on super special occasions. I would really like to be able to fix these numbers while maintaining this lifestyle and am willing to try all suggestions. Tom, in response to your above questions: 1. Lose weight - did not need to, I am already at the lower end of normal 2. Cut sugar - have pretty much cut it out since starting Whole30 in March 3. Eat more veggies - of course I eat tons, especially leafy greens like kale, swiss chard 4. Limit fructose - I eat 1 piece of fruit a day 5. Add omega-3 fatty acids - not sure on this one, what are good sources of omega-3s? 6. Exercise - I walk at least 15,000 steps a day, and do more vigorous work 1-2 times a week 7. Limit alcohol - almost never and when I do, one glass of wine Thanks for the suggestions!

Hi All, Looking for some thoughts/advice about my morning through lunch time routine. I walk about 2.5 miles to work most mornings, which takes 50-60 minutes. Mind you, I am in my work clothes, but do have sneakers on, so it is somewhere between real exercise and leisurely walking. I eat breakfast around 7:15 and lunch between noon and 12:30. The problem is that I often get hungry around 10:30 or 11:00. Eating more breakfast is difficult for me, as it makes me feel weighed down and heavy. Is this a situation where a PWO meal may be appropriate when I get to work? This mid-morning hunger does not always happen, so I am not sure if I want to have anything after the walk if I do not need it. If I get hungry at 11, I usually just suck it up at wait for lunch. Between breakfast and lunch I usually consume 36-48 oz of water. Normal Breakfast: coffee with coconut cream/milk 3 egg scramble with 1-2 cup veggies (usually a mix of peppers, onions and a green such as spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts) 1/4 avocado or homemade mayo Thanks for you input!

Spot on reminding us that Whole30 is not meant to be a Whole365! Kmeyers, it sounds like you are doing a great job. You figured out what bothers you during your Whole30, and now you are working through how to find a good balance in your life...be kind to yourself, you are doing great. What in particular is making you feel like you are "off track"? Maybe you have started incorporating a few things that don't agree with you physically? I often struggle with the same things, and am also trying to find the right balance, but every day I still have to make choices to be kind to my body and stay away from things that will only make me less healthy. When it is just my husband and myself, I cook Whole30 meals (plus make rice/beans for my husband who is not bothered by them at all). I happen to love the ease of the Whole30 template and have greatly enjoyed an entire new menu of recipes to experiment with. When I am not doing the cooking, I do my best to pick Whole30 foods with the information that is available to me, but I don't stress about it if I later find out something had butter in it, etc. Then there are those times when I am faced with delicious things that I know are not nutritious and will only make me feel bad, BUT, still look amazing. This is where the continued work is...no one is perfect. I can say that for me, ice cream is almost always worth it, so I indulge, but I keep working to remind myself that during my Whole30 I did not miss other sweets, so they probably are not worth my time. I hope this all helps.

Thank you jmcbn, you just put many of my own thoughts into simplified language.

Good Morning, Tomorrow was a disaster. I was on Day 18 of my 2nd Whole30 and just broke down. I will not go into details, but have worked hard to move past the guilt since last night, and just needed a place for a final vent this morning. My first Whole30 was very successful, as were the first 17 days. I really enjoy eating the Whole30 template: I generally feel better It has helped my realize that my heart burn issues are beyond what I am eating and need to see a doctor I love not having to worry about calories and other food tracking It gives me a good template/guidelines when eating out with friends that actually makes things less stressful I have not stepped on a scale in over 2 months!!!!! So what to do next? I am going to get back on the wagon today, maybe not for 30 days, but because it is a way of eating that makes me feel better. Over the next week or so I am going to evaluate a long term strategy. I am thinking about just moving to a more Paleo diet/adding back in the one or two things I really miss (the occasional glass of wine). Overall though, I am struggling with how to transition into making this a lifestyle rather than just 30 days. Overall, my relationship with food has greatly improved, but still not perfect, and I still hit bumps in the road (yesterday), where I can not but on the breaks and just want to eat everything. Does anyone else have a similar experience? What has worked for you? I know how I want to eat, and I know what is "worth it" and what things I just do not miss and have no need to add back to my diet, however, sugar can still be a powerful call. Thoughts? Ideas? Motivational tip? Anything would be appreciated.