feel myself slipping . . . help!

[nikkianetra]

Hi guys,

 

It's Day 18 for me and I can feel warning signs that I might be slipping. 3 days in a row of fruit smoothies, sweet potato fries at a restaurant, had to fight not to weigh myself this morning, and now a bite of an almond flour paleo muffin.  

 

It feels directly proportional to my mood lately being down. I really want something sweet. I'm hungry. I thought I was past this! I did have a few really good days from about 9 to 16,17 . . . 

 

Any tips??? 

 

THANKS!

[JJB]

This is normal. First, I would suggest that you cut out the smoothies. They are highly discouraged, even when mostly vegetables. Fruit smoothies are giving you a huge sugar hit and keeping that dragon alive. Also...sweet potato fries are probably not W30 compliant. They often use fillers and/or fry them in bad oils.

 

If you're hungry a lot, it's not going to help you make good decisions. You need to take this 30 days to step away from worrying about your weight and focus on eating great food and sticking to the program. I think you need to eat more right now. Add more fats, add a fourth meal, increase protein portions from 1 palm to 2...whatever it takes to feel satisfied again.

 

You can do this!!

[LauraLish]

Day 18 for me too

 

 

Hang in there!  Think about how good it will feel on Day 31. Visualize yourself at the finish line, and beyond!  If you're hungry, eat something compliant.  If you want something sweet, try eating an avocado or maybe some whipped coconut milk.  The fat really squashes the craving.  YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

Embrace the template and follow it to the letter.  Let the restrictions and guidelines give you comfort, they're not here to make your life less enjoyable, but to take away the guesswork of is this or that or this healthy? a good choice? etc., etc., etc.  Protein and fat are key to feeling satisfied.  If you're feeling down though, be sure you are getting good starchy carbs.  Sweet potatoes are a great choice, but steer clear of the restaurant fries.  Pumpkin is also good.  Butternut squash roasted until it carmalizes is very satisfying.  Check for frozen winter squashes to make it easier. 

[GFChris]

If you think you're hungry, ask yourself if you could eat steamed fish and broccoli. If yes, have a mini meal including a protein and fat. If no, do something non-food related: go for a walk, call a friend, listen to your favorite music.
 

Make sure you're staying sufficiently hydrated. Drink water, at least half your weight in ounces, daily.

 

And if you have any of those paleo muffins left, freeze them until after you're done with your Whole30. They're off-limits right now.

[cayenne]

I hate to say this, but I think you have already slipped(oopppps). Not a McDonalds/pizza slip but a slip nontheless. I will defer to others if they think it would benefit you by adding on days to your experience! Probably not what you wanted to hear......Good luck in getting back on the saddle!

[Renee Lee]

Cayenne, the paleo muffin, while strictly forbidden on the Whole30, has no non-compliant ingredients, so there's no need for the OP to start over.

OP, take a minute to remember why you're doing this and all the positive things that you've gained from this this far. Ask yourself why all that other stuff is appealing to you? Is it a craving? Are you bored with what you're making and just want a quick something to eat?

[nikkianetra]

I think I found my problem: I've been bored and tired of cooking, therefore run out of leftovers for lunch, therefore trying to eat lunch out and being tempted into SWYPO foods, which them make me hungry, annoyed and craving sugar. I hit a rough patch with no leftovers this week and no desire to spend what I would need to eat a proper compliant takeout lunch; hence the fruit smoothies and the sweet potato fries. 

 

So my plan is to eat expensive but compliant prepared food today until I get to the weekend (had sashimi for lunch yesterday and that helped alot although it set me back $15), then MEAL PLAN LIKE A MONSTER AND COOK ALL DAY SATURDAY so I do not have to go into the street to seek lunch next week, but I also don't feel like I'm cooking every damn night. I need to make the food both interesting and easy to grab to survive.

 

I've decided I'm not starting over. My paleo muffin was all compliant ingredients but SWYPO; who out there hasn't gorged out on fruit, dried fruit, nuts, ate something probably cooked in a vegetable oil, snacked between meals, or had a meal not according to the macro-nutrient template during this? Cast the first stone, lol. I can and will make my own sweet potato fries as well  

 

I've also decided I can live with being hungry and grumpy. I'm not always hungry and grumpy on this - it's just it seems with this thing, you are only as good as your last meal. Fruit smoothies apparently set off a chain reaction of me wanting sugar all day and being hangry and super-annoyed. They are basically just a glass full of sugar :/

[jillian]

Hate to be the bearer of potentially bad news ... but most sweet potato fries done at restaurants are coated in a light flour-based seasoning - especially if the fries come pre-packaged and frozen. And most restaurants use vegetable oil. Did you by chance ask what type of oil they use and if the fries are fresh cut and free of a flour-coating? I'm not currently on a Whole30 (done 2 in the past) - but I've been eating a primal diet for more than a month now and recently on accident (yep, for real) I had a bite of a biscuit - well 3 days later and I was ready to "kill" for a piece of cake or pastry...

 

If you've done so good for 2 weeks, your brain has likely upregulated to account for a lack of it's "drug" (ie flour, sugar, refined stuff). Which means one small dose of flour (ie, coating on sweet potato fries) could mean crazy cravings for the following few days.

 

The good news... it will pass. Hang in there - take really good care of yourself for the next few days - I'm talking warm baths, lots of long walks, a yoga class, a massage or manicure if you can afford it. Hang in there!