Whole30 September 1 2013

[Christina_K]

I just started my bone broth. I used a combination of marrow and ox tails. I'm excited to try it and hope it turns out and is as delicious as everyone says it is!

[alexasaurusrex]

@Christina I'm going to see them tonight so I'm going to ask. And bone broth is the best you're going to love it!

 

I have a really weird stomach right now. I think it's from too much gazpacho...I had a ladle full for breakfast and lunch yesterday and today. After the lunch dose my belly started to have striating pain. I think maybe too much acid? 

 

I've been having a back and forth with my brain about after W30. I keep trying to imagine foods and see how my mind reacts to them. I'm totally surprised I haven't had any crap and have made it this far feeling totally fine instead of craving everything and feeling deprived. I read a few blog posts about how paleo treats are still treats, but I want to try them. I just don't know how to deal with not being super strict yet. I don't want to always feel like I can't have something because it will just be a slippery slope back to where I was. 

[Marjan]

Do you actually add something to the bones and water and maybe Vinegar. I used a recipe with Onion and stuff but it turns out really bitter. Maybe I let it sit in the crockpot for too long.

[alexasaurusrex]

I actually didn't add vinegar because I didn't have any but I added the two stalks of celery I had and a handful of carrots and the three smashed garlics I had used inside the chicken when I roasted it. I won't use the carrots again because it made it taste like carrots and I'm not a fan of that flavor. I think basic chicken soup veggies would make it taste great. 

[Shalla]

Is it weird that reading about everyone's problem with cravings is helpful? Like, oh, it's not just me. I feel better. I had weird cravings over the weekend for a few recipes my mom used to make when I was a kid. I actually ended up making a compliant version of one of them and that helped.

 

Anyway, Day 24 and I'm at the "I'm over it" stage right now. All I want in life is a cookie. I was sick all last week and slipped up a couple of times (canned veggie soup that had corn and did you know Tylenol Cold has sugar-ish stuff in the coating?). Decided not to restart, especially since around Day 15 I kinda had a mini anxiety attack that omg, this is the rest of my life, I can't do this. My doctor's recommended not just gluten free but grain and dairy free as a forever kinda thing and I kind of lost it on day 15. Never got Tiger Blood, probably because I had a ragging head cold last week. Blech. 

 

Made bone broth for the first time, haven't tried it yet. I think I'm gonna make some soup with it, I feel like soup.

[alexasaurusrex]

@Shalla don't worry. You didn't know about the soup until you ate it and it didn't affect you negatively right? Also I think you're fine with the Tylenol cold. My allergy meds have lactose in them but I've taken one every day. It's not a lot of lactose and it's not a lot of sugar in the tylenols so I think it's okay. Plus I think most OTC pain relievers have sugar in them. If this is the rest of your life I'm sure you can work around it. I want a cookie too and have found a ton of paleo cookie recipes that look awesome and aren't a ridiculous treat. Just know that if you eat this way and your body feels better than you can find certain paleo hacks to make life more enjoyable. And if you find new recipes to make each week it'll be more fun. Plus I think everyone goes through this and then they have their aha moment. Different food lifestyles work for different people. I've always had stomach issues and don't right now I know that the grain and dairy free are right for me. I don't have gluten intolerance but I think that it kind of goes hand in hand with the grain. There is a way to do this and not be overwhelmed and unhappy, especially if it makes your body feel better. I just try and remember what @Angela said this too shall pass, because that phrase really helped turn around my entire experience with this challenge. 

[Shalla]

@alexasaurausrex Thanks  I figured the soup was the best I could do feeling the way I was and the Tylenol helped so I was kinda like "eh, whatever."

 

I've been gluten free for a little over three years (two of those were dairy free as well) and it helped my whole life so much to be gluten free and I've felt some progress from going back to dairy free and the grain free thing as well. I'm actually supposed to be slowly but surely working my way to an autoimmune protocol for my Hashi's, but I think I'm gonna take my time with that so I don't freak myself out too much.

 

I'm looking forward to Paleo-fied things so much. I actually love, love paleo pizza and I'm looking forward to experimenting with various baking recipes. I think post whole 30 I'll be able to do recipes with far less sugar as well, which is exciting.

[Christina_K]

Is it weird that reading about everyone's problem with cravings is helpful? Like, oh, it's not just me. I feel better. I had weird cravings over the weekend for a few recipes my mom used to make when I was a kid. I actually ended up making a compliant version of one of them and that helped.

 

Anyway, Day 24 and I'm at the "I'm over it" stage right now. All I want in life is a cookie. I was sick all last week and slipped up a couple of times (canned veggie soup that had corn and did you know Tylenol Cold has sugar-ish stuff in the coating?). Decided not to restart, especially since around Day 15 I kinda had a mini anxiety attack that omg, this is the rest of my life, I can't do this. My doctor's recommended not just gluten free but grain and dairy free as a forever kinda thing and I kind of lost it on day 15. Never got Tiger Blood, probably because I had a ragging head cold last week. Blech. 

 

Made bone broth for the first time, haven't tried it yet. I think I'm gonna make some soup with it, I feel like soup.

I'm with you on the Day 24 "I'm over it". I just want a piece of chocolate and I don't even care if it is dark or milk chocolate. Just give me a piece of chocolate already! And a beer!

[raptah]

Hi everyone, I've been away from the thread.  It's been such a stressful few days because my husband is out of town and without boring you with too much detail, I've been going non stop from 5:30 am to night time since Sunday.  Shoot it's only Tuesday but it feels like it must be Friday!  I'm so so tired.  But I have to say, despite being tired and stressed tonight, I was able to prepare grilled chicken and some ground beef and veggie stir fry so I'll have food for tomorrow.  Part of the problem today was I had no food prepped, so I ended up having three hard boiled eggs for breakfast (and no veg.  wah!) while driving my step daughter to school, and then i had scrapped together a pitiful salad for lunch with some chicken I had in the freezer.  I tried.  But I was hungry most of the day today.

 

I feel really bad but I can't respond to any of your posts right now.  I did try to read everything, and as always it's so helpful.  We're on the home stretch.  I'm really interested in talking about how to eat post W30 too.  But not tonight.  Must. Sleep. Now.

[alexasaurusrex]

@TDC I spoke to my friend's husband last night about rhabdo and he said that yes it does happen but would only happen if you had an incredibly irresponsible coach or athlete. He completely agreed with me that you have to listen to your body and that something like that would only happen if you were working in an e-centric nature. I'm not really sure what that meant but he tried to explain that it occurs if you do something repeatedly while fighting against gravity. Like if you fight against coming down from a pull up. His wife and I are both a little anxious for the class but excited at the same time. 

 

@cclarkthirty you're a super mom!!

 

I had kind of an epiphany yesterday that treats aren't something that normal healthy people need. And neither do I. This whole time I've been panicking about how to incorporate treats or after whole 30 foods into my life and feeling wholly overwhelmed. But the truth is I don't need the treats. I'm completely satisfied with what I'm eating. I don't drink all that much and if I do it's sulfite free wine from Trader Joes. I like that I don't have to think about snacks and when I'll be hungry next. I think my relationship with food has finally changed. I'm not doing any reintroductions because I know that they hurt me. So my aha moment was that I'll be continuing with this way of eating. Special occasions I won't have to beat myself up because it's just that, a special occasion. I think I'm finally able to see how my brain and mind have changed in the last thirty days. Last night I doled out M&Ms to these two kids and normally I'd feel like I NEEDED one. I wouldn't be able to shake that feeling all night and I'd cheat. But I didn't. I didn't feel like I needed them. I didn't think about them all night. I didn't crave them. I ate my dinner and watched my show and went home and slept. There was no pull. The dad ate chocolate in front of me and I didn't want it. 

 

I'm amazed at the Whole 30 and very thankful. Day 26 rocks so far...after the 30th I think I'll stop counting haha

[misshannah]

Well, we were going strong, but my sister has arrived in my town unexpectedly with her two sons, leaving a "relationship" that has gone up in flames, almost literally. Even though we are staying compliant at home in terms of our everyday, I can no longer say we're doing our second whole 30. We started August 2, and ended September 24. That's 54 days. I think after my sister goes (or settles here, whichever), I'll do a W7 to round out my experience. I hope I can use this week as a sort of gradual reintro (meaning, using whatever group or social meals to do my reintroductions but staying compliant at home). 

 

I feel ok about my decision because I'm stopping so that I can take care of my nephews to give their mom a break and I don't want to add to her stress levels with my requirements when we do social stuff with family. And there's a history of bad feelings in my family about stuff like this (food choices), so I just don't even want that drama. It will cause me to eat my feelings more than anything else. I need to take care of myself, and that means "go along to get along" for now. 

 

My husband and I are committed to this way of self-care for the long haul. I guess I'll see how I do off-roading; it's the thing that scares me most and is why we jumped right into our second 30 days immediately. I didn't want to be without the outside parameters. But maybe 54 days is long enough to at least start feeling like this is normal, and donuts and power sodas aren't. 

[TDC]

@alexasaurusrex: thanks for the update. I spoke to one of the interns who was doing the WOD yesterday and she said the same thing -- that it happens mostly when you do 'negatives', i.e. like you said, coming down from pullups. She also essentially suggested you have to be a bit of a maniac. She said it's good to be aware of it so you know what it is but it's very rare and shouldn't happen. So I feel much better, especially hearing your friend's husband's similar words. Good luck on Saturday, looking forward to hearing how it goes!

[jpketz]

I'd also like to try and make kimchi. Kombucha is a completely alien thing to me, I'd never heard of it until I started reading the forums; I don't think it's available anywhere in the UK. Although I would be surprised if Whole Foods doesn't have it. Can someone tell me what it is really like, why have it over anything else and if it's worth me trying it out?

 

TDC. I'll just offer up a quick plug for Kombucha. My hippie daughter introduced me to it a few years ago. I happened to be driving at the time and got curious about what she was drinking. She handed me the bottle, I took a sip and almost drove into oncoming traffic. Ack. Koolaid flavored with vinegar? Not a fan at first. But then I tried some other flavors, experimented a bit more and badda boom...now I'm making about 3-4 gallons/month and my wife and I drink our homemade Kombucha every day. It's a welcome departure from sparkling water and lime juice during W30, too. 

 

Kombucha has been around for about 2,000 years and while lots of health claims, including cancer prevention, have been attached to it, very few have been studied in any serious way. Among those, the detoxification benefits do seem to hold up the best, but either way...I just like it. Oh...and since it's made from tea, it does have a bit of caffeine in it, about 50mg per 8 oz, the same as green or black tea. So I often drink before cycling as a pre-workout "fizzy lifting drink".  

 

I worried at first about the tiny bit of alcohol in it (average .5%) since I'm a non-drinker but it ends up being about as much a orange juice left in the sun for a few days, so I'm not concerned. And even though you make it with sugar, the wee beasties in the "mother" or SCOBY, eat up the sugar quite nicely, depending on how long you let it ferment, so by the time it's bottled and ready to consume, it no longer has "added sugar". Brilliant. 

 

Before I started making it at home, Whole Foods and a few off-the-beaten-path health food stores were the only places to buy the commercial brands. I'd be amazed if WF didn't carry it worldwide. Some makers add extra carbonation to make it more "soda-like", I much prefer a more natural and slightly fizzy variety—GT Synergy is a good brand and comes in a lot of flavors. 

 

Hope that helps. Cheers. 

[helen]

TDC. I'll just offer up a quick plug for Kombucha. My hippie daughter introduced me to it a few years ago. I happened to be driving at the time and got curious about what she was drinking. She handed me the bottle, I took a sip and almost drove into oncoming traffic. Ack. Koolaid flavored with vinegar? Not a fan at first. But then I tried some other flavors, experimented a bit more and badda boom...now I'm making about 3-4 gallons/month and my wife and I drink our homemade Kombucha every day. It's a welcome departure from sparkling water and lime juice during W30, too. 

 

Kombucha has been around for about 2,000 years and while lots of health claims, including cancer prevention, have been attached to it, very few have been studied in any serious way. Among those, the detoxification benefits do seem to hold up the best, but either way...I just like it. Oh...and since it's made from tea, it does have a bit of caffeine in it, about 50mg per 8 oz, the same as green or black tea. So I often drink before cycling as a pre-workout "fizzy lifting drink".  

 

I worried at first about the tiny bit of alcohol in it (average .5%) since I'm a non-drinker but it ends up being about as much a orange juice left in the sun for a few days, so I'm not concerned. And even though you make it with sugar, the wee beasties in the "mother" or SCOBY, eat up the sugar quite nicely, depending on how long you let it ferment, so by the time it's bottled and ready to consume, it no longer has "added sugar". Brilliant. 

 

Before I started making it at home, Whole Foods and a few off-the-beaten-path health food stores were the only places to buy the commercial brands. I'd be amazed if WF didn't carry it worldwide. Some makers add extra carbonation to make it more "soda-like", I much prefer a more natural and slightly fizzy variety—GT Synergy is a good brand and comes in a lot of flavors. 

 

Hope that helps. Cheers. 

I'm been making Kombucha for about 6 months with decent success (I usually toss in a few berries at the end for a day and then refrigerate).  A few times mine has gone to vinegar which was a bummer.  How long do you ferment?  I live in the SE so pretty warm here.  Do you use black tea?  I think the GT ones carbonate theirs.  I mix mine with a little sparkling water when I want that extra fizz.

[jpketz]

jpkets - the GOTh reference was from me, Angela.  It's the second time you misidentified me, and, although I'm not sensitive about, I thought you'd prefer to know who you're referencing!  

 

 Angela Call me dense...what's GOTh? And whatever it is, I'm sorry I misidentified you. 

 

TDC I don't do Crossfit regularly per se, but have tried a few classes and it impressed me as being pretty much like any other gym I've belonged to in that there are the endorphin addicts in one corner making all the grunting noises and then the rest of us.

 

I have a nephew who is completely addicted to Crossfit, can bench a family of four, takes supplements, the whole 9 yards, and I'm pretty convinced he's harming himself. On the other hand, most practitioners seem to really benefit and while the group dynamic can be very motivating, it's also a highly personalized approach to fitness. The classes I've taken have been 75% women, all shapes, sizes and fitness levels and the vibe has been non-competitive and the coaching really encouraging and supportive. I guess it depends on where you go. 

 

Re: bone broth...I've been making it in a pressure cooker with beef shanks (cheap) a la NomNom's recipe and it only takes about an hour and is SO tasty. 

 

Good work everyone on making it to Day 25. 

[Marjan]

I have been reading up about Kombucha, but now I am confused, it seems like there is quite a bit of sugar in it and that it is not all fermented? Is that true? Is Kombucha Whole30 approved? Sorry, this might sound like a Newbie question but I have no idea...

[helen]

Marjan~~you have to read your labels and make sure sugar not added after the fermentation.  This has the explanation.  Sadly, I just realized vanilla is not allowed.  I haven't used it this Whole30 but I did a few times last time.   This is a good reference list regardless !

 

http://whole9life.com/2013/06/the-official-can-i-have-guide-to-the-whole30/

[Christina_K]

It's HUMP DAY!

 

I volunteer at my youngest daughters school on Wednesdays and then have lunch with her. I have packed her a lunch everyday and today I feel justified in my effort. They had HUGE pieces of cake. It was like cake with a side of what ever the main entreé was. It was ridiculous. At the beginning of the year (we started at the beginning of August), I felt really good about providing her with a nutritious lunch (minus the bread for her sandwich, we're working on that) and then kind of started to feel like I was depriving her of chips and juice when she started to tell me about her friends' lunches. I felt immediately better when she told me that she likes having olives, fruit, cucumbers, water, etc. in her lunch. And then today hit me like a ton of bricks that I'm doing the right thing. I don't have the guilt of "depriving" my kid of that crap in a lunch. I am helping her develop a healthy relationship with food (I hope) and that it's okay to not follow the sheep and to be different. And the fact that she loves to put olives on her fingers at lunchtime at school gives me great satisfaction!

 

So, I made my bone broth. I haven't tried it yet because I haven't had time to scrape off the tallow, but it does smell delicious. About the tallow, how long will it last in the refrigerator? 

 

I am also doing a challenge through my CF affiliate (that I'm no longer a paying member of, HA!) in conjunction with Whole30 and to be honest, I'm scared for both to end. Although I have until November before the other one ends.

[sdoucette]

How timely! I just purchase my first kombucha drink yesterday and I am in love!

 

JP, what is your process? The few I've found online have me adding sugar.... Love the fizz!

[awg828]

Well, it was an incredibly stressful morning.  I had to wake up early, manage cranky, whiny kids, drive downtown (which is almost entirely under construction), find a parking spot, and arrive at a place I've never been to provide training on a software I don't know that well to eight people I've never met before.  I was late - technical issues abounded.  I was late leaving the house and didn't drink coffee or eat anything but a lara bar.  At the training someone brought in kolaches and danishes.  I was anxious, nervous, tired, hungry and.................................................I DID NOT GIVE IN!!!!!

 

Unbelievable. All I kept thinking was that I have 20 days under my belt and I'm not going out like that.  So thankful for this program and for you lovely September Whole-30ers (btw, we need a catchier name for the group).

 

All this discussion about bone broth and kombucha - you guys are tempting me!  I almost bought some GTs yesterday but looked online and it seems there are mixed reviews on the safety of drinking it while breastfeeding (specifically if you've never had it before) so I'm going to wait until Little Miss is done with me for good. To be honest, I'm pretty sure she's done but I'm having a hard time ending it - she's my last baby and....I don't know - it just makes me sad.

 

I've been thinking about the end of my whole 30 lately (who am I kidding? I've been thinking about the end since Day 0).  I can't find anything on the Whole 9 site referencing specifics about the reintroduction phase.  It says to reintroduce via the protocol outlined in ISWF.  Sadly, I believe I've returned my copy to the library or (sadder) I've lost it.  Anyone have insight into what the reintroduction process?  Any recommended order?  (And yes, I realize the recommendation is probably going to be not to reintroduce any of it).

[awg828]

and I forgot to mention the best part - I think one of the trainees thought I was pregnant!  My fault for wearing an empire waist dress but still....

[helen]

Here are the simple guidelines from ISWF:

 

Day 1:  Reintroduce and evaulate dairy products.

 

Day 4:  Reintroduce and evaulate gluten containing grains.

 

Day 7:  Reintroduce and evaulate non-gluten grains.

 

Day 10: Reintroduce and evaulate legumes.

 

They have info under each of these but end each paragraph with something along the lines of:  Pay attention to your reactions, see how you feel, etc. and then decide how often and how much to incorporate each group into your diet~ ~ if at all of course

[sdoucette]

and the timeline looks like this: Day one eat some dairy at every meal  then be compliant for the next two days. Do this with each of the above.

 

There is a good thread in the life after whole30 thread We do need a better name.

[Ana Tavares]

Hi all! 

 

It is too bad that I haven't been able to read everything, or even post my accomplishments daily. This is such a supportive group. 

 

But today I have to tell you guys what happened! 

 

I received a last minute invitarion to go to a lunch event in a restaurant. I confess I didn't even think about the menu of this specific lunch because I did a quick overview on their website and it had some WHOLE30 dishes on their regular menu. 

 

When I arrived there, I realized they had a special menu for the event, with non compliant meals and no other options. I have to tell you, my heart started to bump a little faster as I started thinking on the consequences of giving up, starting over, etc etc, just because I did not think ahead with this! 

 

 

The starter was a salad. No cheese, no fuss, just green leaves and a nice dressing (compliant), really simple. 

 

Main course was the bad guy because the two options I had were risotto or pasta! Oh god.... 

 

Dessert was a nice pie with chocolate, cream and everything forbidden, but that's ok, people refuse desserts, no problem! 

 

So I had to tell the waiter I was lactose intolerant and he promptly suggested me to change my meal to grilled fish and vegetables! Brilliant. 

 

I will always use that from now on. Food allergies can make miracles in restaurants. I was the only one in maybe 30 people that had a different order   

 

And of course, refused the dessert! 

 

Ok, I am a little hungry now, because their portion of vegetables is not really WHOLE30 style, but at least I stayed compliant and I am really happy with this, because I never put such an real effort in changing my diet like this before, and I want to stick with it untill the end! 

 

Happy Whole30 for everybody! 

[alexasaurusrex]

@Ana nice job! 

 

I am dying to make kombucha but it seems super overwhelming. I need to just make a day of it and do it. 

 

Today I had a horrible bout of acid reflux/heart burn after lunch. I've been having it since I stopped my prilosec but it only happens if I lie horizontal after eating or if I wear jeans - pushes into my belly. Today I wore jeans but they were lose so it was weird. It went away as usual within twenty minutes but it's really uncomfortable. And it doesn't happen every day, but most days. I also noticed that my KP is almost all gone and my eczema on my hands hasn't flared up and completely dissipated during the first week of W30. I'm keeping a running tab of everything that's getting better and I'll post it on day thirty. Tomorrow morning I start a new project. I absolutely hate the scale so I'm going to mark a box on my mirror for my face and take a picture every day of my Whole 60 of my face. That way I can see week to week how much my face changed. We'll see how far it goes before I get lazy and forget. I'm also planning on making kale soup tomorrow and that's making me super happy. I have a personal training session tomorrow and I'm not too excited about it. I used to be really close to my trainer but recently he's gotten a bit weird and he asked if I could work out one session with the female trainer because he had an interview. So I did and then she sort of kept me and I haven't seen him all this month because I haven't worked out like I used to. He's really against cross fit and the paleo diet so I don't know if that's his problem. I never got the chance to tell him about it though so I don't know why he'd be upset. I have four sessions left over the next eight weeks. I'm excited to start crossfit because I think it will be a good social thing for me to do while also making me stronger.