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Older women following Whole30


Chrysalisc

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Terresa, no, that was the strange part. And my period wasn't a big issue in my life up to that point. I was also diagnosed with Hashi's Thyroiditis at that point (it was actually my gyno that found it), and that can cause issues. But even with being on thyroid meds, I still had the bleeding problem. I would ask to have your thyroid antibodies tested. Other than that, I was also having weird headaches. I've always had migraines, not super bad, but they got worse and I actually had these occular migraines, which don't hurt, but are scary because you get this horrible image in your eye that will not go away.

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Starting my 2nd W30 tomorrow. I did my last one in June. I lost about 6 pounds, cleared up my psoriasis and reduced my Prozac. I ate Paleo up until school started at the end of August. I am a teacher among holding down other responsibilities at school. I am 56 and have two girls (17 & 22) still at home. I have been divorced for 7 years. When I did my first W30 I thought I had finally found the answer! I felt and looked better than I had in years.

Then the stress of work. Not planning ahead, not shopping, not cooking. My psoriasis is back, I'm anxious and depressed and angry at myself that I went straight back! I have not gone back to Diet Coke however. One victory.

So what's the problem? Just go back on W30 and all will be well, right? Yes of course, which is why I'm here. I need support and honestly just reading the posts here have motivated me more and more. I know this works. I am proof it does. And I can eat out and survive just fine on W30. I've done it. So here it goes....

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I strayed last night.  Emotional eating at it's worst.  First time I have gone totally off road.  Since I have less than a week left, I will not start over, instead I will pick myself up and get right back on track for the remainder of my W30.  I had such success the first time I did a W30, I'm not going to let one night side track me psychologically (although it certainly side-tracked my health).

 

Lesson - still have emotional eating issues I need to address

Plan - get back on track immediately

 

Hang in there everyone!

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@Bet: I've had thyroid issues pretty much my whole adult life, and no change in my bloodwork for that, so we didn't change my meds either.  Actually, I'm due for testing next week again (semi-annual thyroid monitoring), so maybe something will show this time?

 

@Applegirl: Totally agree with PamH!  Good on you for not beating yourself up, and for recognising it for what it was!  That's half the battle, I believe.  And the recognition comes sooner and sooner, so that eventually (hopefully quickly) you know it before that first bite and can chose not to take it.  I finally got there, even with chocolate.  Still working on alternate coping things, but progress is progress.   :lol:

 

@Krissymac: Isn't feeling so much better a wonderful motivator?  (I have ME and Hypothyroid, and eating this way sure helps with some of those symptoms!)  This time you know all the ins and outs, so it'll mainly be adjusting to your work schedule and that sort of thing.  You can do it!

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Hi Everyone!  I have just a few days left on my W30.  Feeling pretty good about it, even though I had a really bad day last week.  The thing is, because we have W30 as a tool in our toolbox it was easy for me to quickly jump back on board.  

 

Hope everyone is hanging in there.

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Hi I'm almost done with my Whole 30. Have experienced hot flashes -really only at 3 am but enough to be very uncomfortable for the first time ever (I am 59). Other than that I feel great. I think I'm going to continue and do a Whole 45. I have intolerance to wheat so other than the hot flashes this way of eating has really helped me. Has anyone else experienced new hot flashes with the Whole 30?

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Hi I'm almost done with my Whole 30. Have experienced hot flashes -really only at 3 am but enough to be very uncomfortable for the first time ever (I am 59). Other than that I feel great. I think I'm going to continue and do a Whole 45. I have intolerance to wheat so other than the hot flashes this way of eating has really helped me. Has anyone else experienced new hot flashes with the Whole 30?

Congratulations on finishing the Whole30!

 

Unlike you, my hot flashes actually disappeared during my first Whole30 back in March-May (did 60 days).  I was having up to 20 hot flashes a day!  During the first two weeks of Whole30 they went down, and then disappeared. I have had one real hot flash since April 2013 even though I fell back into eating too much sugar the past few months... which is why I am back.  I am 48

 

Personally, I think it often takes months for a body to heal.  Maybe you are having some much needed reorganization of your hormonal cycles and hormone levels that will just take time to settle down?  I don't know; just a guess.  Also, if you are losing weight then that can affect hormones, too.

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Hi I'm almost done with my Whole 30. Have experienced hot flashes -really only at 3 am but enough to be very uncomfortable for the first time ever (I am 59). Other than that I feel great. I think I'm going to continue and do a Whole 45. I have intolerance to wheat so other than the hot flashes this way of eating has really helped me. Has anyone else experienced new hot flashes with the Whole 30?

No new hot flashes for me, thank goodness!  I agree with PamH that your change in diet could be changing your hormones as well.  Hang in there!

 

Today is my last day on my second W30.  I'll report in tomorrow with my overall results.

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Yesterday was my last day! Yippee!

I finished 2 Whole 30's this Summer/Fall, with a week or so break in between.
I lost a total of 10 lbs (plus 12 from my general Primal Journey January-August)
So, a total of 22lbs lost this year - I have 25-30 more to go. 
Hopefully I'll continue to lose a pound or two a month on primal with a low carb emphasis as that seems to be the trick for me for weight loss.
My husband and I are working on climbing all of the high peaks in the Adirondacks, so taking off that extra weight will really help.

I feel great. I have seen an improvement in my morning aches and pains, I no longer am having carb crashes, and my family is also eating healthier as a result. Also no more motion sickness (this was a surprise), and I haven't had a migraine or headache since I started Primal in January.  FABULOUS!!!!

 

I plan to continue on with my Primal Journey - modified by what I've learned during my W30's.

 

Take care everyone. Onward and upward with your W30 Journeys.

Let's have a wonderfully healthy, happy and blessed holiday season. Spend time with those you love.

 

I'm sure I'll be back in January.  Hope to "chat" with you all then, as I'm sure some of you will be back too, if you know what I mean!

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Well, I'm off my thyroid meds for the first time in a few years.  Previously, every so often I'd have a test come back wonky and the doc would take me off, and two weeks later I'd drag my ass into his office, he'd retest, and I'd be back on them again.  This time I'm on day 5 and don't feel any different.  During my 3 back-to-back W30s, my lingering low thyroid symptoms faded away for the first time since I started having them at 14.  I'm still no grain, no legumes, and no nightshades, so maybe?  Just maybe this will be ok?

 

So wonderful to hear about the successes here!  Way to go, ladies!

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Hi all!  I've been lurking on this thread for a few days and thought I would introduce myself.  I'm 52, married with 2 grown boys, one in the Army and one away at college so I'm a first time empty nester.  I am a professor at a local university with a retired husband who does most of the cooking.  I decided to finally dive into the Whole 30 once I discovered I could manage drinking my coffee black.  That was always the deal-breaker for me.  I had been suffering from the beginnings of menopause and I was experiencing brain fog.  My diet wasn't terribly bad, but it wasn't great. Doing this Whole 30 was always somewhere in my brain but I had never pulled the trigger.  I'm currently on day 14 of my first Whole 30 challenge.  So far it hasn't been bad.  I haven't had any cravings and I feel like I have a ton of energy.  The brain fog has lifted!  Reading through your posts I have realized that I no longer itch at night, which used to drive me crazy.  No more night sweats either!  The hardest part for me has been breakfast.  I have never been much of a breakfast eater, but started eating breakfast as part of my Whole 30.  I just "muscled down" breakfast at first, but somewhere around day 9 I started feeling very hungry in the morning.  Now I just need options, I eat sweet potatoes, eggs, sometimes leftover meat from the night before, spinach, avocados, and occasionally nitrite, sugar free bacon.  I feel like I'm getting bored with this, but since I had never been much of a breakfast eater, I can't come up with new and exciting breakfast options!  I look forward to getting to know you all and thanks for letting me ramble!

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Hi, ladies. I'd like to join this fantastic club you've got going!

 

Today is Day One of my second whole30. I'm doing it to boost healing of my autoimmune issues (thyroiditis and ankylosing spondylitis). I also need to lose weight----like 35 lbs.

 

Oh---and I'm 58 years old. How the heck did THAT happen?

 

I live with my overweight, 64-year-old diabetic husband, my 23-year-old autistic son, and the stupidest cat in America, a black cat named Pounce. You can tell that we all need to work on our nutrition! Well, not Pounce. He eats ok. For a cat.

It was just 6 short years ago, I was a lean, mean athletic machine---felt young, looked young, acted young. Long-distance cyclist. Crossfit Queen. etc. But I developed a host of health problems---stress played a big role---3 major operations in 6 years, blah, blah, blah.

 

I know how good I can feel and I am ready to undertake another whole30! So glad to be here...:)

 

Pea

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Hi, ladies. I'd like to join this fantastic club you've got going!

 

Today is Day One of my second whole30. I'm doing it to boost healing of my autoimmune issues (thyroiditis and ankylosing spondylitis). I also need to lose weight----like 35 lbs.

 

Oh---and I'm 58 years old. How the heck did THAT happen?

 

I live with my overweight, 64-year-old diabetic husband, my 23-year-old autistic son, and the stupidest cat in America, a black cat named Pounce. You can tell that we all need to work on our nutrition! Well, not Pounce. He eats ok. For a cat.

It was just 6 short years ago, I was a lean, mean athletic machine---felt young, looked young, acted young. Long-distance cyclist. Crossfit Queen. etc. But I developed a host of health problems---stress played a big role---3 major operations in 6 years, blah, blah, blah.

 

I know how good I can feel and I am ready to undertake another whole30! So glad to be here... :)

 

Pea

Pea,

 

Having a son on a spectrum myself, I understand stress!  He is only 12.

 

I am dealing with losing some athletic ability in the past 12 months.  I just turned 48.  Cross fit, cyclist, runner, etc.  Seems quite similar.  Pretty sure chronic cardio, chronic GI issues and chronic stress took its toll.  I have no diagnosed medical problems except for pelvic organ prolapse (likely brought on by childbirth, constipation and heavy weight lifting) and mild scoliosis and I want to keep it that way!  My mother had a bizarre autoimmune disease in her 50s that I do not want to develop…  it can run familial.  

 

I am on Day Nine of my second Whole30.  I can tell you I immediately see the benefits of cutting out sugar and most grains, but keeping them out of my mouth long term is the unanswered problem!

 

I wish you luck.  Welcome.

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Pea,

 

Having a son on a spectrum myself, I understand stress!  He is only 12.

 

I am dealing with losing some athletic ability in the past 12 months.  I just turned 48.  Cross fit, cyclist, runner, etc.  Seems quite similar.  Pretty sure chronic cardio, chronic GI issues and chronic stress took its toll.  I have no diagnosed medical problems except for pelvic organ prolapse (likely brought on by childbirth, constipation and heavy weight lifting) and mild scoliosis and I want to keep it that way!  My mother had a bizarre autoimmune disease in her 50s that I do not want to develop…  it can run familial.  

 

I am on Day Nine of my second Whole30.  I can tell you I immediately see the benefits of cutting out sugar and most grains, but keeping them out of my mouth long term is the unanswered problem!

 

I wish you luck.  Welcome.

Oh, my....we do share more than one thing in common! My last surgery was for pelvic prolapse (uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse with considerable urinary incontinence. 

I hope you are having an easier time with managing recovery than I did. I first got sick during a period of intense stress (two kids critically ill, custody issues with an ex, etc.) I was still pushing it in the gym, lifting heavy and doing metcons. I noticed that I was not feeling well, and instead of resting, I kept pushing. I developed intense pains in my elbows that made lifting overhead impossible, and also electric shock feelings down all four limbs when deadlifting. That's when I had my spine problems diagnosed and treated surgically----BUT, I had undiagnosed Lyme disease during all of this!!! 

 

Truly, with that second spine surgery with undiagnosed Lyme, it's no wonder I "broke". But I do think, had I listened to my body and backed WAY off the exercise, I might have had a better outcome.

 

I share this just to say that if you are feeling stressed (and who doesn't, with a special needs child and everything else life throws?)---I hope you have the wisdom to listen to your body and not strive so hard to stay on that athlete's edge. Yoga, pilates, walking.....these are other ways to take care of our bodies. I was especially susceptible to that Crossfit mentality that embraces pain and breaking limits. It was very hard for me to leave my Crossfit community, it had become much more than a gym, it was a community, kind of like a church or extended family.

 

Anyway----Day 2 commences. And I am off to do some walking and then yoga class!

 

Pea

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Hello, all.

 

I'm glad I found you ladies. I just read through the posts and I feel like I will fit in here.

 

I did a successful W30 last year in August. I've had several bad starts since then, and I know I would really benefit from another go at it. I cave in too easily to sweets and baked goods.

 

I will compose a proper intro and jump in soon.

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Hello all.

I'm 60 and struggling with staying compliant with W30 or Paleo eating. I cave in to sweets and baked goods (mostly at work). Hubby and I both did a successful W30 last year and he stays on track much easier than I do. I have to make up my mind about the long term benefits and just do it.

Menopause was strange for me. It took a blood test to say I was menopausal; I was having a period every 4 months or so, and they were wild. I had huge fibroids and rampant endometriosis. My surgery had several complications, including a major infection. It was 5 years ago, but I can't get past it mentally. I am thankful that it wasn't worse. I know my issues are realatively minor in the scheme of things, but still...

Prior to my medical issues, I was fit and lean. I was a gym rat with a trainer who was coaching me toward weightlifting competition. I have been deluding myself that I will get back to that place. I know I must accept where I'm at now and move on.

I look forward to getting to know you all.
BTW, I have never dyed my hair. I've been married 38 years; no kids.

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Oh, my....we do share more than one thing in common! My last surgery was for pelvic prolapse (uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse with considerable urinary incontinence. 

I hope you are having an easier time with managing recovery than I did. I first got sick during a period of intense stress (two kids critically ill, custody issues with an ex, etc.) I was still pushing it in the gym, lifting heavy and doing metcons. I noticed that I was not feeling well, and instead of resting, I kept pushing. I developed intense pains in my elbows that made lifting overhead impossible, and also electric shock feelings down all four limbs when deadlifting. That's when I had my spine problems diagnosed and treated surgically----BUT, I had undiagnosed Lyme disease during all of this!!! 

 

Truly, with that second spine surgery with undiagnosed Lyme, it's no wonder I "broke". But I do think, had I listened to my body and backed WAY off the exercise, I might have had a better outcome.

 

I share this just to say that if you are feeling stressed (and who doesn't, with a special needs child and everything else life throws?)---I hope you have the wisdom to listen to your body and not strive so hard to stay on that athlete's edge. Yoga, pilates, walking.....these are other ways to take care of our bodies. I was especially susceptible to that Crossfit mentality that embraces pain and breaking limits. It was very hard for me to leave my Crossfit community, it had become much more than a gym, it was a community, kind of like a church or extended family.

 

Anyway----Day 2 commences. And I am off to do some walking and then yoga class!

 

Pea

Very similar, indeed!  I am avoiding surgery with all of my might which is why I made the choice to leave cross fit entirely.  It was difficult to watch my body lose peak fitness but my health is more important.  I sent a long letter to the gym owner and spoke to him in person about the prolapse and his program's role.  I hope he paid attention and will be more cautious with women in the class.  I, too, miss the friendships.

 

I have read that yoga is also problematic for prolapse, but I've been considering Pilates or yoga.

 

I had a bad night last night.  Back to the program for yet another attempt to not over indulge on a routine basis.  I'm floored my weight is normal after all of my antics.

 

Take care of yourself!

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Hi All!

 

I wanted to check in for accountability reasons.  Had a bit of an over indulgence yesterday - I'm sure I'm not alone.  Going right back to Whole 9 lifestyle today.  I plan to have loads of vegis  with some turkey soup (surprise).  Started the day drinking loads of water.  

 

My goal is to make the holiday season special and guilt free by indulging only on those special days and occasions and not nibbling on unhealthy choices for an entire month or more.

 

I'm going to take a nice long walk with my dogs today - hopefully it will get at least into the 20's.  It sure is cold out there!

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Hi All!

 

I wanted to check in for accountability reasons.  Had a bit of an over indulgence yesterday - I'm sure I'm not alone.  Going right back to Whole 9 lifestyle today.  I plan to have loads of vegis  with some turkey soup (surprise).  Started the day drinking loads of water.  

 

My goal is to make the holiday season special and guilt free by indulging only on those special days and occasions and not nibbling on unhealthy choices for an entire month or more.

 

I'm going to take a nice long walk with my dogs today - hopefully it will get at least into the 20's.  It sure is cold out there!

I did OK, but not perfect.  I ate a lot of turkey and mashed sweet potatoes but not one bite of stuffing.  No dessert.  I guess the cranberry chutney had maple syrup in it but it really is my favorite thing on the table.  So, my goal of not falling face first into desserts was achieved.  Also, I did not carry the eating over into after we got home.  I just ate a big meal around 2PM and left food alone until the following morning.  It helped a ton that we did not host so we did not have leftovers at all.

 

I would LOVE to get to the point where desserts were eaten only on special occasions.  I'd settle for only a few times a month rather than a few times a day.   :huh:

 

Too cold to walk the dogs here!  I worked all day and didn't have the desire to take them out in the early AM when the thermostat read 10 degrees.

 

Glad to see you are not devastated by your holiday performance!  Be accountable, and get back on that Whole9 horse.  

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Hi all...

 

I'm back to work today, after a very nice few days off.

 

It's just husband and me, so Thanksgiving is usually pretty simple. He wanted turkey--which is not special to me--and some of the traditional fixin's. I made cornbread dressing, and we had lots of vegetables with our dinner. For special treats, I made pumpkin pie and pumpkin scones.

 

My goal is to clean up my everyday eating and then really enjoy the non-compliant foods on special occasions. Sadly, my definition of "special occasion" is still too broad. (It's Tuesday, I think I'll have a muffin....)

 

Husband is on the thin side. During W30, he became fat-adapted. I am having a hard time getting him to eat enough protein and fat to put on some muscle. He has some oral surgery coming up soon, and I'm worried he will lose more weight.

 

Me, I could stand to lose quite a bit.... I swear, if I could disable my tastebuds, I'd be golden. I do okay at home, because that's where the compliant food is; but at work, I let myself forget what's important. That another big goal for me.... to eat my lunch that I bring from home--and no extras.

 

Starting today

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Hi Everyone.  I had a good post Thanksgiving food day yesterday.  Today looks like it will be good too.  I did host the meal this year and my sons are home for the weekend, so I do have leftovers challenging me.  Thankfully there are plenty of compliant leftovers. Thanksgiving day I had some pie and cornbread - no stuffing or other bread or white potatoes.   So while I wasn't compliant, I certainly didn't do the damage that I normally do. 

 

PamH - I hear you about the desserts.  I almost didn't have any at all on Thursday, due to the snowball affect, but I seem to have weathered the storm - for now.

 

The next day  bloat and heartburn has also helped me to get back on track with my Whole 9.  

Take care, everyone!  Onward and Upward.

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