To Restart or Not to Restart, That Is the Question

[thewyrdwoman]

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind . . .  ooops sorry, got carried away.

 

My 3rd restart was going well - Day 11 for this round -- until I had an acute infection requiring antibiotics.  I'm contemplating restarting again once current meds are finished.  Getting the "clean control group period" for determining how things affect me in the reintro phase is very important to me.  I'm not sure where antibiotics & antihistamines would fall in the approved/not-approved list, but they definitely impact gut health, soooooo .... 

 

Having been "at it" since August 3rd, some of the logistical hindrances have gotten way easier, so extending a Whole30 definitely has that advantage.  The sugar thing is also seeming easier the last week or so.  The downside is the mental struggle of dealing with  perceived failure -- OMG, I'll never be able to get to 30 days clean!  Need to make up my mind as today is my last day on meds.

 

Feedback is appreciated.

[missmary]

Prescription medication trumps whole30 guidelines, and you can complete your whole30 successfully having taken meds thoughout your 30 days, so relax the part of your mind that feels following drs orders is a failure. You have not failed. Sometimes taking medication is the right thing to do.

 

now. I do see your point about the potential that these meds might impact gut health, and that's when I wonder how you planned to move forward after your whole30 is done. Did you plan to have one shining moment of gut health on day 31 and then go back to eating however you were eating before you started? Or, did you plan to use what you've learned during you whole30 and the reintro process to craft a new way of eating for yourself that leads to long term health including gut health? If it's the former, why bother? If it's the later, don't worry, you've got plenty of time to recover from any damage these meds did to your gut bacteria. I would start incorporating fermented foods now, and consider some reintroductions and testing on a timeline that feels right to you: either right away on day 31, or later if you don't feel ready.

[thewyrdwoman]

I really appreciate the feedback, you've helped me relax a bit.  I've been very actively improving my lifestyle for the last couple of years (losing weight & incorporating exercise).  Discovered paleo/primal a few months ago, but the Whole30 really grabbed my attention. 

 

My reintro plan is to move a bit slower than described in ISWF, so I'll work on the probiotic foods & continue my compliant probiotic supplement.

 

Thanks,

 

Mary Anna

[Psirene]

Like Missmary said, meds trump Whole30. So no need to restart. While your outcome may be different than it would have sans antibiotics, it's not a failure. You said that you've got failure brain weasels (those little mental bastards that try to sabotage you) - so don't restart. Complete this one, you're nearly halfway there. You've got the practice. 

 

Plus, a clean diet will help you recover better from the antibiotics (as will the probiotics). A down in the dumps "I can't finish anything" will not help you recover. So don't not finish.

 

Maybe down the road, you can do another Whole30 and it will be flawless. Or maybe it won't. It'll just be different, just like this one is.

 

So ride it out.

[thewyrdwoman]

Thanks to you both for the encouragement. 

 

@Psirene:  Brain weasels!  Love it!!  Very apt description of the little buggers!! 

[Psirene]

Isn't it? They're plaguing me today, today.