Starting 28 August, join me!

[francsois]

I am also confused with this because I NEVER wake up with any sort of hunger. Do I eat a small meal and wait to get hunger or do I force a decent amount of food in my stomach until I'm balanced enough to feel hunger? 

Good question. Seems weird to eat if you dont feel hungry. I wake up hungry (but i always feel like eating).

 

Cheers

 

F.

[Deb Floyd]

Hi guys! I've had a rough couple days. Not with food or any Whole30 stuff but with life and apparently I don't handle it well.  I hoped that my emotional eating was gone but I found out its really not.  After a guy that I really liked totally dissed me I wanted to crawl into a vat of vodka with a body bag filled with chocolate raisins.  Instead I pouted at the beach for a couple hours then went for a Zombie run. I felt better after that but for that day and the day after I didn't have much of an appetite so today I felt kinda lousy. I think I learned my lesson. Eating is good for me and should be done consistently. Moving on now. 

[Deb Floyd]

Good question. Seems weird to eat if you dont feel hungry. I wake up hungry (but i always feel like eating).

 

Cheers

 

F.

I KNOW! After losing so much weight, eating when I'm not hungry just feels wrong......

[amberino21]

I am also confused with this because I NEVER wake up with any sort of hunger. Do I eat a small meal and wait to get hunger or do I force a decent amount of food in my stomach until I'm balanced enough to feel hunger?

I suggested to Ashley to make a full sized meal first thing but only eat as much as you can - try to eat a little of everything to get some protein, fat and vegies. Eat the rest a little later, between meal 1 and 2. You're likely to find that your hunger/appetite will increase as your body balances out, and eventually you'll probably feel hungry and want a full meal

[francsois]

Hi guys! I've had a rough couple days. Not with food or any Whole30 stuff but with life and apparently I don't handle it well.  I hoped that my emotional eating was gone but I found out its really not.  After a guy that I really liked totally dissed me I wanted to crawl into a vat of vodka with a body bag filled with chocolate raisins.  Instead I pouted at the beach for a couple hours then went for a Zombie run. I felt better after that but for that day and the day after I didn't have much of an appetite so today I felt kinda lousy. I think I learned my lesson. Eating is good for me and should be done consistently. Moving on now. 

Guys are all bastards! Not really, there are some good ones out there, hard to tell beforehand Deb. You did well. Imagine how crap you would have felt of you dived into that vat of vodka! I am proud of you!  

 

Cheers

 

Francsois

[pepper]

Good question. Seems weird to eat if you dont feel hungry. I wake up hungry (but i always feel like eating).

 

Cheers

 

F.

 

I ALWAYS wake up hungry. Some mornings are more ravenous than others, but I never have problems wolfing down a huge breakfast. When I first started, I thought, "there's no way I can eat all this food every morning," but now my body wants and needs it, and it keeps me going until lunch time - and sometimes I take lunch much later than I typically would.

[pepper]

So, one of the recent daily emails mentioned that late in the program is when our sugar dragons might come back to life, and I just have to say, I think that ALL of my dragons have come back to life, and all with a vengeance! I have become quite the dragon slayer! haha.

 

Work has been putting me through the ringer lately, so that's caused elevated stress. On top of that, there was one day last week that my hunger was out of control. As much as I tried to envision steamed fish and broccoli and think, "am I really hungry?" I still ate way more than I typically have been. Thankfully I always pack enough healthy, Whole30 compliant food with me every day (seriously, if I suddenly got stranded on an island, I'd have plenty of food to survive for a while), but that day I ate every last morsel of it - and then ate a large dinner too! The following day my carb loaded/salty and crunchy food dragon awoke. I really wanted to eat tortilla chips or just something that had a crisp and crunch to it, and no crunchy vegetable was satisfying that need (I tried, I really did!). Don't worry though, I have not failed or strayed from the course! It's just been tougher.

 

Last week I was really drained though, and I think it was more of an emotional drain due to my work, but I found myself feeling as if I'd been run over by a truck, and that was the first time that's happened since beginning the Whole30. I even got a fever blister (which is not abnormal for me - they usually appear to indicate major stress or a warning that I'm about to get sick), so I listened to my body and one day went to bed at 7:30! I woke up the next day feeling better, but was surprised my energy levels had dropped so low. And no, I didn't cheat!

 

While I'm feeling better, and my clothes are slightly looser, I haven't had any mind blowing moments of amazement. That's okay though. I was thinking about it this morning while sitting in traffic, and have to wonder if it's because I'd already omitted gluten, most grains and dairy from my diet. Over a year ago when I first went GF it was a pretty dramatic change, and when I later cut out dairy my body started liking me again.

 

I'm working today, and someone walked in with two dozen chocolate covered donuts, but they don't even look good. Being GF I couldn't eat them, even if I wasn't doing the Whole30, but unlike the past, the desire isn't even there. In fact, they kind of looked gross to me.

 

We're so close to the finish line! I've been thinking a lot about the next steps. I'm about 3/4 through the book, and honestly don't have the desire to hit the bottle of wine on day 31, or inhale a chocolate bar or any of the other things that at the beginning of the program I thought of as rewards to myself for completing the program. I've found so many wonderful compliant recipes, have a stronger love for coconut and sweet potatoes for my "sweets" (as well as fruits, obviously), but I don't have any more desire to jump off the deep end and into a vat of sugar anymore.

 

What about you guys? Have your post Whole30 rewards morphed into healthier options?

 

Okay, well this has turned into a novel! I guess that's what happens when I decide to check on the forum rather than do the work I'm supposed to be doing right now.

[pepper]

Hi guys! I've had a rough couple days. Not with food or any Whole30 stuff but with life and apparently I don't handle it well.  I hoped that my emotional eating was gone but I found out its really not.  After a guy that I really liked totally dissed me I wanted to crawl into a vat of vodka with a body bag filled with chocolate raisins.  Instead I pouted at the beach for a couple hours then went for a Zombie run. I felt better after that but for that day and the day after I didn't have much of an appetite so today I felt kinda lousy. I think I learned my lesson. Eating is good for me and should be done consistently. Moving on now. 

 

How could a Zombie run not make you feel better?!

 

A vat of vodka and any form of chocolate   is   was my favorite stress/unwind/weekend/whoneedsanexcuse turn to too.

 

I'm glad you were able to resist. I'm jealous you have a beach to go to, even if it's a place to pout! Screw him. You've accomplished a great feat by completing the Whole30, and ya know, sometimes when we go through big changes in one area of our lives, we start to notice other things that are causing just as much "systemic inflammation" in our lives. Who knows, maybe there's a Whole30 or Paleo Meetup group in your city where you could meet new guys who share the interest of healthy living.

 

Keep your chin up, keep chasing those Zombies and move the vodka to the cabinet under the kitchen sink!

[francsois]

So, one of the recent daily emails mentioned that late in the program is when our sugar dragons might come back to life, and I just have to say, I think that ALL of my dragons have come back to life, and all with a vengeance! I have become quite the dragon slayer! haha.

 

Work has been putting me through the ringer lately, so that's caused elevated stress. On top of that, there was one day last week that my hunger was out of control. As much as I tried to envision steamed fish and broccoli and think, "am I really hungry?" I still ate way more than I typically have been. Thankfully I always pack enough healthy, Whole30 compliant food with me every day (seriously, if I suddenly got stranded on an island, I'd have plenty of food to survive for a while), but that day I ate every last morsel of it - and then ate a large dinner too! The following day my carb loaded/salty and crunchy food dragon awoke. I really wanted to eat tortilla chips or just something that had a crisp and crunch to it, and no crunchy vegetable was satisfying that need (I tried, I really did!). Don't worry though, I have not failed or strayed from the course! It's just been tougher.

 

Last week I was really drained though, and I think it was more of an emotional drain due to my work, but I found myself feeling as if I'd been run over by a truck, and that was the first time that's happened since beginning the Whole30. I even got a fever blister (which is not abnormal for me - they usually appear to indicate major stress or a warning that I'm about to get sick), so I listened to my body and one day went to bed at 7:30! I woke up the next day feeling better, but was surprised my energy levels had dropped so low. And no, I didn't cheat!

 

While I'm feeling better, and my clothes are slightly looser, I haven't had any mind blowing moments of amazement. That's okay though. I was thinking about it this morning while sitting in traffic, and have to wonder if it's because I'd already omitted gluten, most grains and dairy from my diet. Over a year ago when I first went GF it was a pretty dramatic change, and when I later cut out dairy my body started liking me again.

 

I'm working today, and someone walked in with two dozen chocolate covered donuts, but they don't even look good. Being GF I couldn't eat them, even if I wasn't doing the Whole30, but unlike the past, the desire isn't even there. In fact, they kind of looked gross to me.

 

We're so close to the finish line! I've been thinking a lot about the next steps. I'm about 3/4 through the book, and honestly don't have the desire to hit the bottle of wine on day 31, or inhale a chocolate bar or any of the other things that at the beginning of the program I thought of as rewards to myself for completing the program. I've found so many wonderful compliant recipes, have a stronger love for coconut and sweet potatoes for my "sweets" (as well as fruits, obviously), but I don't have any more desire to jump off the deep end and into a vat of sugar anymore.

 

What about you guys? Have your post Whole30 rewards morphed into healthier options?

 

Okay, well this has turned into a novel! I guess that's what happens when I decide to check on the forum rather than do the work I'm supposed to be doing right now.

I had a similar hungry day recently; where I ended up eating three 40g paleo-jerky in one go! I believe there is nothing wrong with that, it was an anomaly. Sometimes you are just hungrier than other times, stress, exercise etc.  Well done Pepper! Only a few days to go and we will have achieved something significant.

With regards to your plans post Whole30: I have wondered how I will approach the day 31. Here is what I have resolved:

1. I will not have whole cheat days, except: holidays I will do and at whatever I feel like, and have a Whole14 or whatever afterwards, but which I decide beforehand
2. Otherwise I will have one or so special “off-road†meal with my wife once a week perhaps. A bit severe, but I dont do moderation so well. Otherwise I will eat paleo type meals, but not as strict as whole30.
3. I will stick this on my fridge to help me decide if off-roading is worth it http://whole9life.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Whole9's-Guide-to-Nutritional-Off-Roading.pdf
4. I will limit booze to those special meals, and holidays, but I will aim to not go ape- shit, when I do, perhaps 2 glasses of red, etc.

What are you guys going to do? Does my plan sound reasonable?

 

Cheers

 

 

Francsois

[pepper]

Francsois, that's pretty similar to my off-roading plan. Since I'm going to Portugal at the end of next month, I plan to have a few mini off-roads, just because I don't want my very first reintroduction of foods to be when I'm thousands of miles away on vacation! Drinking is my biggie. I too am going to try my best not to go ape shit when I do allow myself to splurge. I think having a non-compliant dinner once a week will keep me sane, and in all honesty, even then I'm sure I'll choose much healthier options than I would have in the past. 

 

I admit, those Chocolate Mole Brownies in the pdf you linked to look pretty darn tasty though!

 

I'm need to do more research on off roading so I can be fully prepared to stay on track, so feel free to share any other great links you have found! 

[Carolinagirl]

The last weekend! Holy smokes,I can't believe it! Tonight we made tacos with ground turkey. My "shell" was iceberg lettuce leaves. Had tomatoes, cilantro, chopped onion, compliant guacamole on top and it was yum diggity yum. I'm not sure if I broke the rules (I know you're not supposed to "paleo-fy" junk foods), but I really don't care. It was the best meal I've had the past 26 days.

I am planning on eating as paleo as possible, but I will be adding Stevia to my coffee the second I get out of bed on day 31. Does this mean my sugar dragon is alive and well? LOL. Pepper, I've been tempted by no-no's lately too. Not sure what that means... I thought about extending beyond 30 days. I am going to give myself the freedom to "off road" a few days a week and see how it goes. If I lose all self control, I'll tighten things back up again.

Can't believe the finish line is so close! Onward to victory!

[Deb Floyd]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the kind words.  Deep down I know I blow these things out of proportion but indulging in a good pout just feels good. 

Pepper - I'm glad that you brought up the resurgence of the sugar demon! omg. I have had the worst cravings this week and I couldn't figure out why. The girls have all their treats and goodies piled up in the breakroom and I've been looking at them so forlornly! I compensate with squash and that's helped a whole lot. Just today I have noticed how sweet other things are becoming, like coconut milk and nuts. Last night I had a peach and was enraptured. 

Day 31 I'm not sure if I'll treat myself or not but I sure do miss me some cookies and margaritas.

Carolinagirl- you crack me up! Creamer in my coffee is another one of my long lost loves. I have been experimenting with spices and coconut milk and have had some tremendous success.

I'm looking forward to being done and worrying about "riding my own bike."  A few of the girls at work have noticed my weight loss and have showed some interest in doing a Whole30 themselves. So, I may have a Whole60ish on my hands, which may not be the worst thing. I've even been thinking about keeping on a Wholewhenever until I'm at my goal weight. We'll see how it goes.

[francsois]

The last weekend! Holy smokes,I can't believe it! Tonight we made tacos with ground turkey. My "shell" was iceberg lettuce leaves. Had tomatoes, cilantro, chopped onion, compliant guacamole on top and it was yum diggity yum. I'm not sure if I broke the rules (I know you're not supposed to "paleo-fy" junk foods), but I really don't care. It was the best meal I've had the past 26 days.

I am planning on eating as paleo as possible, but I will be adding Stevia to my coffee the second I get out of bed on day 31. Does this mean my sugar dragon is alive and well? LOL. Pepper, I've been tempted by no-no's lately too. Not sure what that means... I thought about extending beyond 30 days. I am going to give myself the freedom to "off road" a few days a week and see how it goes. If I lose all self control, I'll tighten things back up again.

Can't believe the finish line is so close! Onward to victory!

Hi Carolinagirl

 

i believe that old habits might very well take longer than 30 days to beat. took decades to get our bad habits! I am increasingly convinced that one should do a few months of whole30, it would be easy to fall right back into your old habits after only 4 weeks of clean living. Dont take stevia, you will get sugar-hooked again!

 

Cheers

 

F.

 

 

[francsois]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the kind words.  Deep down I know I blow these things out of proportion but indulging in a good pout just feels good. 

Pepper - I'm glad that you brought up the resurgence of the sugar demon! omg. I have had the worst cravings this week and I couldn't figure out why. The girls have all their treats and goodies piled up in the breakroom and I've been looking at them so forlornly! I compensate with squash and that's helped a whole lot. Just today I have noticed how sweet other things are becoming, like coconut milk and nuts. Last night I had a peach and was enraptured. 

Day 31 I'm not sure if I'll treat myself or not but I sure do miss me some cookies and margaritas.

Carolinagirl- you crack me up! Creamer in my coffee is another one of my long lost loves. I have been experimenting with spices and coconut milk and have had some tremendous success.

I'm looking forward to being done and worrying about "riding my own bike."  A few of the girls at work have noticed my weight loss and have showed some interest in doing a Whole30 themselves. So, I may have a Whole60ish on my hands, which may not be the worst thing. I've even been thinking about keeping on a Wholewhenever until I'm at my goal weight. We'll see how it goes.

My wife said she wants to do one shortly, so I can see myself continuing down this line too. I read about people doing a Whole100, http://whole9life.com/2012/10/lisas-whole100/

 

That seems to be a good way to really ingrain new good habits.

 

Cheers

 

F.

[Tracythomp]

My wife said she wants to do one shortly, so I can see myself continuing down this line too. I read about people doing a Whole100, http://whole9life.com/2012/10/lisas-whole100/

 

That seems to be a good way to really ingrain new good habits.

 

Cheers

 

F.

I'm thinking about doing a whole 100.

[Tracythomp]

Hi guys!!

I've been off the boards but still on the Whole 30!

This has been the easiest eating plan for me thus far in my quest for health and fitness. I came to this plan from a vegan lifestyle, and it felt strange at first to begin eating so much meat. Who knew that chicken, steak, and hamburgers on the grill could taste so good! I haven't had any real problems thus far. It seems to be very easy to eat this way, and I seldom get very hungry although I did cheat twice, once while on vacation at a college football game I had a few fries, and another time while at another football game I mindlessly took a bite of my sons pizza.

However, I really do not feel as if I've lost any weight. At one point I tlhought I may be eating too many calories at each meal. I have not resorted to weighing or measuring food, or counting calories, but I am mindful of my portions.

There are some areas that I can improve in however, I need to drink more water, and I also need to sleep more. I have been very consistent with weight training and in getting in about 30 minutes of cardio on most days, and I can feel that my body is a lot fitter than it has been. I am not really concerned about the scale weight whether I lose any or not is irrelevant.

I plan to continue with another whole 30. I'm not really craving anything at all, and I don't feel as though I'm missing anything in my diet. My goal is to continue with this eating plan for the months of October November and December. Let's see how it goes!

I hope everyone is meeting their goals and feeling great!

[Deb Floyd]

I'm thinking about doing a whole 100.

Me too.  I don't think I'm all balanced yet. My aversion to breakfast seems like a symptom more than the real issue. And I have only been feeling really great for the past week.  So far I feel like the past few weeks are a warm up. Losing weight is important to me but I'm a little curious about what else I can change by eating clean for a longer time. 

[francsois]

Hi guys!!

I've been off the boards but still on the Whole 30!

This has been the easiest eating plan for me thus far in my quest for health and fitness. I came to this plan from a vegan lifestyle, and it felt strange at first to begin eating so much meat. Who knew that chicken, steak, and hamburgers on the grill could taste so good! I haven't had any real problems thus far. It seems to be very easy to eat this way, and I seldom get very hungry although I did cheat twice, once while on vacation at a college football game I had a few fries, and another time while at another football game I mindlessly took a bite of my sons pizza.

However, I really do not feel as if I've lost any weight. At one point I tlhought I may be eating too many calories at each meal. I have not resorted to weighing or measuring food, or counting calories, but I am mindful of my portions.

There are some areas that I can improve in however, I need to drink more water, and I also need to sleep more. I have been very consistent with weight training and in getting in about 30 minutes of cardio on most days, and I can feel that my body is a lot fitter than it has been. I am not really concerned about the scale weight whether I lose any or not is irrelevant.

I plan to continue with another whole 30. I'm not really craving anything at all, and I don't feel as though I'm missing anything in my diet. My goal is to continue with this eating plan for the months of October November and December. Let's see how it goes!

I hope everyone is meeting their goals and feeling great!

Hi Tracy

 

Like you have realized that I need more than 30 days to reset my brain. I can revert back to my old habits in minutes, without skipping a beat! My mind is still stuck in my old way of thinking, although my body has responded well to the Whole30. One moderator said a Whole100 is a bad idea, but I think this is a nonsense opinion. Some on this forum tried it with very good results, especially drastically reduced need to "off-road" with poor nutritonal choices. but I wont start just yet, will see how I go. Might start early next year.

 

Cheers

 

F.

 

[pepper]

You guys are very brave for even considering a Whole100! Not that the Whole30 was as hard as I'd originally imagined, but 100 days seems daunting.

 

Francsois, I agree with you though - 30 days has not been enough days to reset my bad habits. Last night I was reading ISWF and I still think I've been using fruit as my sugar crutch, and that worries me. I'm worried what's going to happen that first time I detour and eat one small something sweet and then slide right back down the slippery, sugary slope and into an entire tray of GF/DF cookies!

 

Deb, I miss margaritas too. They also crossed my mind last night (more light floated across my mind like beautiful, dancing sugar plums and margarita drinking fairies). I'm curious if they'll be too sweet for me now, and I admit I'm kind of hoping they are so I won't drink large quantities of them anymore.

 

I keep reading all these posts about body transformations, mega weight loss, etc., and I'm just not there. I haven't cheated once, I don't snack often, I've been exercising and while I'm sure the things inside my body are leaps and bounds better than when I started, physically there's no change - or at least not that I can see. I'm curious to step back on the scale on day 31, but also terrified. I'm afraid if the number didn't change that I'll be devastated, get depressed and fall back into my old habits even faster. My clothes are slightly more loose - mainly my pants - but they don't' fall off me or anything. I attribute that mostly to being less bloated from all the crap I was eating before.

 

I plan to stick super close to the Whole30 plan once I pass day 31. I'll splurge a little when we go to Portugal next month, because I don't want my vacation (and my first time there) to revolve around what I'm eating, nor do I want to feel guilty about what I eat or drink there. I'll more than likely do another Whole30 when I return to help get me back on track.

 

I like the idea of doing intermittent Whole30's to keep me on track. Slightly venture off-road for a few months, then reign it all back in. Again, even when not following it strictly, I plan to follow it as often and closely as possible.

[Leavesofgrass]

Hi everyone...been lurking here lately, but def compliant with my whole30.  Did a guys weekend at a lake house with old high school buddies which was challenging on the food front and lack of drinks, but the other guys were supportive.

Hang in there everyone for the final stretch!

[francsois]

You guys are very brave for even considering a Whole100! Not that the Whole30 was as hard as I'd originally imagined, but 100 days seems daunting.

 

Francsois, I agree with you though - 30 days has not been enough days to reset my bad habits. Last night I was reading ISWF and I still think I've been using fruit as my sugar crutch, and that worries me. I'm worried what's going to happen that first time I detour and eat one small something sweet and then slide right back down the slippery, sugary slope and into an entire tray of GF/DF cookies!

 

Deb, I miss margaritas too. They also crossed my mind last night (more light floated across my mind like beautiful, dancing sugar plums and margarita drinking fairies). I'm curious if they'll be too sweet for me now, and I admit I'm kind of hoping they are so I won't drink large quantities of them anymore.

 

I keep reading all these posts about body transformations, mega weight loss, etc., and I'm just not there. I haven't cheated once, I don't snack often, I've been exercising and while I'm sure the things inside my body are leaps and bounds better than when I started, physically there's no change - or at least not that I can see. I'm curious to step back on the scale on day 31, but also terrified. I'm afraid if the number didn't change that I'll be devastated, get depressed and fall back into my old habits even faster. My clothes are slightly more loose - mainly my pants - but they don't' fall off me or anything. I attribute that mostly to being less bloated from all the crap I was eating before.

 

I plan to stick super close to the Whole30 plan once I pass day 31. I'll splurge a little when we go to Portugal next month, because I don't want my vacation (and my first time there) to revolve around what I'm eating, nor do I want to feel guilty about what I eat or drink there. I'll more than likely do another Whole30 when I return to help get me back on track.

 

I like the idea of doing intermittent Whole30's to keep me on track. Slightly venture off-road for a few months, then reign it all back in. Again, even when not following it strictly, I plan to follow it as often and closely as possible.

I feel your pain Pepper! I am worried too. I think treats should be rare exception for me (and it sounds like for you too, as you might be a little like me!). I will do a Whole 30 at leat once a year! It served to raise my awareness, I realize that i am not where I need to be just yet. Good luck! Tommorow is day 30 for me!

 

Cheers

 

F.

[Tracythomp]

I feel your pain Pepper! I am worried too. I think treats should be rare exception for me (and it sounds like for you too, as you might be a little like me!). I will do a Whole 30 at leat once a year! It served to raise my awareness, I realize that i am not where I need to be just yet. Good luck! Tommorow is day 30 for me!

 

Cheers

 

F.

I started on the 28th so Thursday is day 30 for me.

[AshleyAnth]

So excited for you guys!! I'm on day 9 of the start over. I feel like I didn't miss a beat though, and feel like it's been a whole 30! I've been watching what everyone is posting... I think it'd be awesome to do a Whole100! I'd want to join, but I know I will cheat around Halloween, and Thanksgiving. And I'm seriously dying for a pumpkin muffin. lol Just one! Either way, I will join you all in eating like this for the most part. I've never felt so good in my life! 

[pepper]

Hi everyone...been lurking here lately, but def compliant with my whole30.  Did a guys weekend at a lake house with old high school buddies which was challenging on the food front and lack of drinks, but the other guys were supportive.

Hang in there everyone for the final stretch!

 

Wow, that had to be tough. I can only imagine the temptations that would have been easily available to you at a guy's weekend - or any weekend getaway for that matter. Good job staying strong! Equally great that your friends supported you instead of giving you grief about it.

[pepper]

Day 29. One more day to go!