Reintros and Support

[Ravin]

Reintroducing dairy today. Breakfast I just had half and half with my coffee. For lunch I can't think of anything to add. Dinner will feature loaded mash potatoes with sour cream and cheese.

I went and donated plasma today, and they weighed me in. Before W30, I was at the cusp of donation rates, and usually weighed in just over 175 without emptying my pockets of wallet etc.

Today it was 163 similarly encumbered. So I'll get less $$ at my second donation this week, but it's a significant enough change that I don't mind. My BP was a little lower than before, too.

[Melissa Urban]

To all,

 

Weight loss is a difficult, emotionally charged topic. First, I am so happy and proud to see you all discussing your feelings in such a positive, mature, encouraging manner. (And please, we don't want anyone to leave! Stick around and you'll see this is the best, most supportive, non-judgmental community on the web, I'm convinced of that.)

 

Renee's post was just a gentle reminder not to let the scale (or your dress size, or thigh measurement) dictate your self-worth. Nothing more, nothing less. And while the rules of the Whole30 say no scale while you are doing the program, different people need different measurements of progress and different motivations after their Whole30 is over.

 

For some, a weekly weigh-in is a helpful sign of progress (or a reminder to tighten things up). For others, every time you step on the scale, you come away feeling less happy with yourself, and less in charge of your own self-esteem. The important thing is that you know which camp you fall into, and you're honest with yourself about whether or not you need the scale (or measurements) to be a part of your health and fitness journey.

 

As we said in this article, there is nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, or making that part of your health goals! We want that for you too. We just want you to do it healthfully, and be kind to yourself in the process. So please, keep supporting each other, and keep moving forward into your new, healthy lifestyle - whether that includes the scale or not. 

 

Best,

Melissa

[SanguineAspect]

Reintroducing dairy tomorrow and I'm a little nervous! I had a celebratory dinner our to have sushi on Saturday. I meant to bring coconut aminos with me and forgot, and walked away after soy sauce with a headache and feeling a bit blah (with an unhappy gut the next morning). 

 

So no soy, which is fine, I didn't really want to reintroduce it anyway! But now that I have, I know. I've been eating W30 since and I'm feeling level again, so dairying it up tomorrow will be telling. I really want it to be okay. I've done the no dairy thing before and don't remember it effecting me (but I also don't know how closely I was paying attention before). SO, here's hoping.

 

Thanks to Melissa for hopping on and saying your peace. Honestly, I went from feeling a lot like I should just disappear into the ether to feeling like I should stick around with the group after I read everyone's reactions. 

[Jomyke]

I was out of town yesterday and part of today. I chose to just enjoy the trip and not think about food. Earlier this year I actually passed up a vacation opportunity because I was so stressed out about what food would be available. So I think I've definitely made some improvements!

I also want to appoligize for over reacting to some of the things said here. I was getting quite cranky the last few days of my whole30. I think I figured out that I went too low carb for a few days and it effected my mood. I hadn't eaten any fruit or sweet potatoes and I think I need it. Has that happened to anyone else? I think after this week is over I may go ahead and do another 30 days and try to figure out a balance that can work for me for the long term.

[Ravin]

Unlike the half and half at breakfast, the potatoes seem to have left me rather bloated. I think I'll back off it for a few days and try just cheese, and yogurt. No more sour cream for me!

Not just my imagination. I haven't been this gassy in some time, and had to let my belt out a notch this morning.

[SanguineAspect]

Dairy day was a success, I think! Well, sort of.

 

I didn't have a physical reaction to the dairy -- I had cheese with breakfast, frozen yogurt with lunch, and then cheese with dinner. Thing is -- I really didn't love the taste/texture of cheese the way I used to. There are two flavors of Cabot that I LOVED. Once a week my boyfriend and I would have cheese, crackers, fruit, and wine for dinner. I ate this cheese straight up all the time. Last night, I didn't love it. I had a few pieces before I went to the kitchen to heat up a TURKEY BURGER and GREEN BEANS for myself, because it was more appealing. I think I must be a pod person.

 

I'm glad I don't have a physical reaction to the cheese; I'd like to make cauliflower pizza, and I like to have cheese on my faux pizzas. But honestly, I think dairy's going to be mostly a thing of my past anyway. And believe me, this is HUGE. I'm a person who had NO idea how she was going to survive without cheese for a month. Huh.

[Bojibelle]

I started reintroducing foods yesterday.  Dairy was the first and dairy is not my friend.  Not ever.  Oh well.

[SanguineAspect]

Oh, something I forgot to mention before:

 

I'm on my 4th string clothes right now (desperately need to hit the laundromat), and out of desperation and curiosity, decided to dig deep into a drawer where I keep those clothes that "I'll fit into again eventually." 

 

Well. I wore a pair of jeans today that I haven't been able to even button for a year (!!!). They're snug, but I can wear them. And I got many compliments today--so yay!

[Casswoman]

I reintroduced sugar in the form of chocolate a few days ago thinking it would be a very minor blip on the trail, and have been off-roading with it ever since. It is definitely food with no brakes for me, which is interesting since I didn't eat that much chocolate before the Whole30! Also learned that there is a trace of gluten in the brand of chocolate I was eating, so I'm not entirely sure if the sugar or the gluten is the issue. I'm going to get back to basics again tomorrow and test again in a month or so with a gluten-free brand of chocolate to see if it is the chocolate/sugar, or the trace of gluten that was the issue.

My reaction has been interesting-the rash on the back of my head had gone away through the course of the Whole30, and came back after the chocolate, and has come and gone over the last few days. It'll be interesting to see how long it takes to clear up now that I'm done with chocolate for a while.

In a few days I'm going to test out eggs. I really hope I'm okay with them!

[Jomyke]

I've had bacon a few times and that seems to be fine for me...yay! But the homemade Lara bars aren't working out so well. Even though I didn't add any kind of sweetener, I still wanted to eat the whole batch. So I think I just need to stick to fruit as my treat for a while. So basically I'll be doing whole30 with the addition of bacon. I just feel like I haven't seen the health benefits yet so I need to stick to it longer. I really want that energy that everyone talks about!

[Mj Slazak Courchesne]

Thanks for posting about your reintros. I, too, have found myself sticking to very clean, W30-ish eating, though now I'm not as worried if I have something that's slightly "off-plan." My favorite coconut bars by Oskri, for example, are back in the menu as a treat, although I am debating a more definitive "test" with them because they have rice syrup in them (just coconuts and rice syrup). I have had a glass of wine every other day and I do note that my digestion seems a bit off the next day (rumbly and a little "loose").

 

I think I just have to decide when it's worth it for the wine, as I do really enjoy a nice glass now and again. I, too, have had no real desire for cheese. Had some in an omelet on the weekend and I didn't think it tasted that wonderful as I remember.

 

So even though I've not really done a full reintroduction because I don't have the yen for certain things, I think these instances are pointing to my need to really determine what's worth it or not. 

[SanguineAspect]

Well, I have to take it back. After taco salad last night (greens, onions, peppers, gf beef, cheese, and sour cream), my guts are in agony today. Gassy, running to the bathroom, and I slept like crap for the first time in weeks last night.I guess this means dairy is actually a no-go.

Honestly, I'm thinking about eating W30, but with the ability to have bacon, chocolate, and wine maybe once a week or so. I don't think I need the legumes or rice right now, and I'd like to climb back onto the Tiger Blood train.

[Ravin]

I put butter in my cake. It was yummy, but I'm thinking more than one small serving of dairy a day is a no go for me.

I'm going to have more cake with lunch tomorrow to see if I crash. I know sugar is my no go as a general thing, though. This weekend I'm going to reintro non-gluten grains and see how that goes.

[Miriam]

I had goat cheese as part of a salad in a restaurant yesterday.  I can't tell for sure but I think I had more body aches and pains yesterday evening. I got really hungry yesterday afternoon and had trail mix with dried fruit, so it could be either of those.  Anything sugary, like dried fruit, seems to have no brakes for me, which I already suspected.  Sigh.

 

I'm going slow with all this.  I need to eat paleo and keep healing.  I know I am on the right path. 

 

Although I haven't lost any more weight, I have lost inches and wore pants yesterday that I had bought and not been able to fit into, about a year ago.  People have commented on the weight loss.

 

The other thing that really boggled my mind is that other people around me are thinking about trying this! 

 

My goals for September, aside from keeping on going in a less perfectionistic way, is to drink more water and sleep more. 

[Jomyke]

I put butter in my cake. It was yummy, but I'm thinking more than one small serving of dairy a day is a no go for me..

DAiry is out for me as well. But I have been able to cook with butter a few times and that seems to be fine for me. I adore coconut oil, but it's nice to be able to switch up the flavor once in a while with butter.

[Ravin]

Sugar reintro told me mostly that sweets are food without brakes for me, which I already knew. Going to eat a piece of cake as an afternoon snack today to see how it affects my blood sugar. Hard to tell that when I eat it in the evening. I'm going to freese the rest in single portions to bring out for chocolate cravings or as an alternative to DD's cake (her birthday is coming up).

[Casswoman]

I reintroduced soy yesterday to see how I did with it, and ended up with a drippy nose all afternoon, and a weird sensation of feeling like I had a small medicine ball in my belly. Not painful, not uncomfortable, just.... there. So soy is going away for a few months to see if I can clear it, and may go away forever.

Bought eggs to try in a few days. Fingers crossed they are okay! That would make my life easier.

Tonight, spatchcocked chicken, roasted beets, and.... Something green.

[mariegray]

Hey all.

My name is Marie and I'm addicted to carbs and other miscellaneous items that are detrimental to my health.

I haven't been posting because I have been embarassed, I have crashed big time.

 

I went on a whiskey bender one night this week, and since day 31 I have ingested all of the following:

muffins

pizza

hamburger bun

potato chips

chocolate bar

splenda sweeteed iced tea/lemonade (this stuff is highly addictive and I can suck down 3 20oz bottles of it without a 2nd thought)

ice cream (this was part of my legit dairy reintro day)

grocery store cookies

cold cereal

wheat toast

crackers

breaded chicken tenders

some chemically stuff that looks like coffee creamer

equal packets in said coffee.

 

I.Feel.Like.Poop. ABSOLUTE poop. (and I can't poop very well or very often either, sorry if that's TMI)

 

So.

 

Now that that is all out of my system, here is my plan.  I'm hoping that one, or some, or all of you will tell me if you have other thoughts/ideas/things to throw at me.

 

I have a wedding to go to tomorrow, my schedule is going to be erratic and It's a backyard bbq.  I'm not going to jump into another Whole ## tomorrow.

 

Sunday I am going to embark on a Whole 7 at minimum until my gut feels better. (when it stops looking like I ate 10 lbs of marshmallows)

 

I plan to re-evaluate on day 8.  I am expecting my copy of Well Fed + a Paleo Slow cooker book in the mail shortly.

 

The good things that have come from my Whole 30 and my post train wreck, are that my cravings for sugar are MUCH less severe than normal, though still present.  It's the other stuff i can't seem to do without lately.

 

It's been a tough week for me emotionally speaking, and I think the issues came with wanting comfort food....and the whiskey.

 

So, there they are, my demons, laid out on the table.

 

Be gentle with me.  i'm a bit weepy just now.

 

Marie

[Bojibelle]

I am still eating Whole30 which I consider normal eating now.  I will add in gluten tomorrow.  Dairy was so immediate, it will be interesting to see how gluten interacts with me.

[Casswoman]

Hey all.

My name is Marie and I'm addicted to carbs and other miscellaneous items that are detrimental to my health.

I haven't been posting because I have been embarassed, I have crashed big time.

 

I went on a whiskey bender one night this week, and since day 31 I have ingested all of the following:

muffins

pizza

hamburger bun

potato chips

chocolate bar

splenda sweeteed iced tea/lemonade (this stuff is highly addictive and I can suck down 3 20oz bottles of it without a 2nd thought)

ice cream (this was part of my legit dairy reintro day)

grocery store cookies

cold cereal

wheat toast

crackers

breaded chicken tenders

some chemically stuff that looks like coffee creamer

equal packets in said coffee.

 

I.Feel.Like.Poop. ABSOLUTE poop. (and I can't poop very well or very often either, sorry if that's TMI)

 

So.

 

Now that that is all out of my system, here is my plan.  I'm hoping that one, or some, or all of you will tell me if you have other thoughts/ideas/things to throw at me.

 

I have a wedding to go to tomorrow, my schedule is going to be erratic and It's a backyard bbq.  I'm not going to jump into another Whole ## tomorrow.

 

Sunday I am going to embark on a Whole 7 at minimum until my gut feels better. (when it stops looking like I ate 10 lbs of marshmallows)

 

I plan to re-evaluate on day 8.  I am expecting my copy of Well Fed + a Paleo Slow cooker book in the mail shortly.

 

The good things that have come from my Whole 30 and my post train wreck, are that my cravings for sugar are MUCH less severe than normal, though still present.  It's the other stuff i can't seem to do without lately.

 

It's been a tough week for me emotionally speaking, and I think the issues came with wanting comfort food....and the whiskey.

 

So, there they are, my demons, laid out on the table.

 

Be gentle with me.  i'm a bit weepy just now.

 

Marie

Marie,

I hear you about it being a tough week emotionally. It can be a challenge to eat this way even when our emotions are in balance! Please don't see this as a failure. It isn't one. You have learned a LOT about what doesn't work for your body this week! And that is a very, very valuable lesson. I think your plan st start again with a Whole7 on Sunday is a good one, and I would add avoiding whiskey or other triggers in the meantime.

Have some good protein tonight and maybe a nice salad to try to bring yourself back into some semblance of balance? And be gentle with yourself. Nurture yourself - take a bath, read a book, go for a walk, etc.

All the best,

Cassandra

[Jomyke]

Marie, my only advise is to go easy on yourself! The guilt and shame don't help at all....I know from lots of experience. I used to beat myself up all the time. I'm certainly far from perfect now, but with recent events I was able to just accept what I had done (eaten) and moved on. I've been thinking about my husbands Cheetos for about an hour now. The bag is sitting right there and it would be so easy to eat some. But I'm going to go eat some roasted carrots and beets instead! Hopefully that will satisfy my carb craving.

[jmh]

Marie, I totally hear you. I did some off roading after my first whole 30 as well. After I did I thought about how I felt physically and I felt the same way you did. Not good. I just told myself I made the decision to eat what I did and now I am making the decision to not continue that pattern. I missed feeling good and having energy. I liked putting something on and saying "wow, this used to fit and now it is a little big".

 

I decided to work out my own rules. Every month I come up with eating/fitness/life goals. My goals for September were to eat clean for 25 days this month, work out at least 4 days a week and to not snack after dinner. I figured if I set a certain number of days that I wanted to eat clean then I would save my days for something special, and if nothing special came along then great! It has worked well for me so far.

 

One of the other things I did for myself and my mental view of food is take pics for my blog and put some food side by side. On one side the "not so healthy" food and the other side was the healthier choice. I have done donuts and pizza so far and let me tell you there is no comparison anymore for me. The junk food does not look as good in person as it does on TV. I think a lot of us take pictures of our food now because it looks ssooo good.

 

Anyway, my point is to never beat yourself up about food and feel bad. Just find what works for you and things will go really well. Hope you are doing better!!!

[mariegray]

Thanks all...I am my own worst enemy sometimes....

onward and upward!

[Ravin]

So...as the dairy worked its way through, I experienced the worst hemorrhoid flare up of my life. Either the dairy or the sugar brought a flare up of canker sores.

Today is non-gluten grains. I had pancakes made with eggs, flax meal, ripe plantain, and cornmeal, with sausage in them. I dunked them in unsweetened applesauce, eating half the fruit I usually do with pancakes.

[Bojibelle]

Hey all.

My name is Marie and I'm addicted to carbs and other miscellaneous items that are detrimental to my health.

I haven't been posting because I have been embarassed, I have crashed big time.

 

I went on a whiskey bender one night this week, and since day 31 I have ingested all of the following:

muffins

pizza

hamburger bun

potato chips

chocolate bar

splenda sweeteed iced tea/lemonade (this stuff is highly addictive and I can suck down 3 20oz bottles of it without a 2nd thought)

ice cream (this was part of my legit dairy reintro day)

grocery store cookies

cold cereal

wheat toast

crackers

breaded chicken tenders

some chemically stuff that looks like coffee creamer

equal packets in said coffee.

 

I.Feel.Like.Poop. ABSOLUTE poop. (and I can't poop very well or very often either, sorry if that's TMI)

 

So.

 

Now that that is all out of my system, here is my plan.  I'm hoping that one, or some, or all of you will tell me if you have other thoughts/ideas/things to throw at me.

 

I have a wedding to go to tomorrow, my schedule is going to be erratic and It's a backyard bbq.  I'm not going to jump into another Whole ## tomorrow.

 

Sunday I am going to embark on a Whole 7 at minimum until my gut feels better. (when it stops looking like I ate 10 lbs of marshmallows)

 

I plan to re-evaluate on day 8.  I am expecting my copy of Well Fed + a Paleo Slow cooker book in the mail shortly.

 

The good things that have come from my Whole 30 and my post train wreck, are that my cravings for sugar are MUCH less severe than normal, though still present.  It's the other stuff i can't seem to do without lately.

 

It's been a tough week for me emotionally speaking, and I think the issues came with wanting comfort food....and the whiskey.

 

So, there they are, my demons, laid out on the table.

 

Be gentle with me.  i'm a bit weepy just now.

 

Marie

Marie,

 

Bless your heart.  This is not an easy path we take to eat clean. Be kind to yourself and start after the wedding.  But give yourself some goals for the wedding - only one piece of cake, no bread for the meat, one glass of champagne, whatever will work for you. I like the idea of doing Whole7 and then deciding whether you need to do another 7 and so on.  I have been working on Paleo for a year and I have had my ups and downs and that is when I decided to do the Whole30.  It takes some of us longer than others to get the whole picture of the Whole30.  Let it happen as it does.  If you feel better eating this way, you won't stay away long.  Good luck and keep us posted on how you are doing.

 

Ciao.

 

Deb