Doing Whole 30 during my birthday!

[5giftsfromGod]

Ok... I need some advice and advance planning!  My husband and I are diving into the whole 30 together (starting tomorrow).  The problem is that my birthday and two of my kids birthdays are in July.  How do I get through 3 birthday parties (including my own) and not violate the whole 30?  Any ideas on some alternative deserts that are good enough to replace birthday cake and ice cream?  I really need some help here!  

[GFChris]

Hmm, well there's no Paleo-ifying desserts on a Whole30, so that option is out, if you're going to be compliant at these parties. 

 

You've got the right idea, in that advanced planning is key to W30 success. To stick with it, have a plan for what you will eat and drink. If you decide sticking to a Whole30 is too much of a challenge through these celebrations, maybe you make your day 1 the day after the last celebration?

[kew]

For party food, how about W30-compliant chicken wings, if you like that sort of thing.  I make a version of these which I love:  

 

http://www.eatingforidiots.com/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings/

 

Sweets are hard on the W30, of course.  But if you haven't discovered kombucha yet, maybe now is the time -- tangy/sour/sweet/fizzy.  Yum.

 

And a heaping bowl of gorgeous berries or other seasonal fruit can be pretty luscious, especially with some coconut cream.  If the cake for your birthday were, say, a "deconstructed berry trifle," then some people could have cake, berries, cream, custard, the works, and others could have just berries.

 

Or you could just make it a Your30 instead of a Whole30 and pre-plan 3 specific indulgences -- note that I didn't say three days of indulgence, but three specific instances of off-plan eating -- and then jump into a WholeN afterward.

[5giftsfromGod]

Those are some great ideas!  I will have to give this one some more thought...  I was thinking of doing the "fancypants" meal out of the book,  "It starts with food" as my birthday meal.  Any other ideas on using fruit as a dessert without sugar?  How are bakes apples with spices and no sugar?   

[GFChris]

How about fresh local fruit with nothing on it?  It's summer - you have so many appealing choices.

 

During a W30, you want any fruit you have (1-2 servings per day) to be part of one of your 3 meals or immediately after, and you want those fruit servings to be the size of your fist. Any snacks you may need because of hunger between meals should be a mini-meal including a protein and fat.
 

[MrsStick]

I'm a huge fan of fried apples (in butter/ghee with cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). No sugar needed. I usually serve it as a side when I make it, but it could definitely be a dessert. Use more of the fat than you think you'd need - they need it to keep from sticking too badly to the pan. It'll taste pretty much like apple pie filling, minus the added sugar, corn starch, etc. 

 

Yes, I realize that on an average W30, this is not something you should do. Given these circumstances, it seems to be better than cake. 

[Stacy@Lo3S]

I'm about 95% on board to start Day 1 on Monday, and my birthday is in July, too!  If I do go for it, I will be celebrating my birthday in whatever way my changed self decides to, after my 30 days are done.  For the actual day, I'll just be doing something special that's not food related, for the first time ever.  =)

[PamH]

I celebrated Mother's Day, Father's Day and my daughter's 15th birthday while doing the Whole30.  i just said no to the cake.  The hardest part for me was explaining to my daughter because I didn't want her to view this as a 'diet'.  She already thinks I'm kind of crazy, so I don't think it bothered her as much as it bothered me.  Last thing I want her to take away from the Whole30 is that I'm trying to lose weight (I'm not).

 

I would not even attempt to treat yourself on these celebratory days.  That is just what works for me.  Enjoy some of the food that is made compliant or order as compliant as possible when you go out (I also wouldn't stress about what oil the burger is cooked or things like that) but agree ahead of time that you won't be eating dessert.  

 

Learning to take pleasure out of celebrating without food is hard!  Habits, habits, habits.  

 

Enjoy!

[Jtandi]

I did a whole100 in January so, as you can imagine, there were lots of celebrations during that time - our wedding anniversary, Valentine's, mom's birthday. I'm pretty sure I had fruit during all those events. I would try to do a group celebration and do it all in one night. ISWF has the specific compliant "dessert" recipe for exactly this occasion. every night? no. every week? nope. special occasion? depends on you. whatever you choose make a decision and stick to it whether it be berries and coconut whipped cream, plain berries, or Melissa's recipe in the book. and more importantly ENJOY!

 

the habits I've changed are enormous. it's not even the cake I ate or the ice cream, it was the sneaking into the kitchen to do it. it was the eating 4 or 5 pieces instead of 1 and doing it in secret. it was the obsession I had about the cookies/cakes/ice cream and the planning that was behind it. I made a honest conscious decision to eat cake on four occasions each year and that's what I stick to. and I eat it in public. with no regrets, and I enjoy every bite!

[ultrarunnergirl]

Think of your "reward" to yourself as eating the best food for your body, not something that will (possibly) make you feel bad (physically or guilt/mentally).

 

I know, I know, boring. But part of what the Whole30 is trying to do is to change our long held bad habits of rewarding ourselves with things that are not good for us.

 

Instead, how about you plan an extra special birthday dinner? Splurge on lobster, the best steak available, your favorite sides, and I too highly recommend Kombucha. The Strawberry Serenity is really nice. Serve it in a champagne flute to up the celebration factor.