Older women following Whole30

[mommyrocks]

Hi. I also am new to the thread. 

 

 I am on day 14.  Feeling great except for moodiness (primarily toward husband).  Have gained tons of energy.  I am excited about the other benefits of doing whole30 that I have read about.  I am 53 years old with 4 kids.  2 in college and 2 in high school.  I work part time as a companion to an 86 year old woman.  Working with the elderly brings me great joy as they have years of stories and wisdom to share.  Yet having seen/experienced the decline of my own parents makes me want to fight and own a better "quality of life" as I age.  I strongly believe that this life style will help. 

 

I was diagnosed with crohns disease at age 12.  After a lifetime on meds and a major surgery, I am happy to announce that I am medication free/symptom free.  This was as a result of eating clean and eliminating processed foods.  The Whole 30 is helping me to take it to another level.  I want to be healthy enough to enjoy the second phase of my life. 

 

My one and only complaint is the moodiness.  I know this is probably a combo of whole30 and menopause, but I hope that it will dissipate.  My husband is sooo extremely supportive and patient and I hate when I am nasty toward him.  I am weaning myself off an antidepressant (prescribed off label  for menopausal/stress symptoms rather than depression) .  Any thoughts?  Insight?  Would be easy for me to stay on the med but it goes against everything that I am trying to achieve ie a wholistic, natural, clean approach to life.   I have experimented with many herbal supplements. 

 

My family's favorite theme song is by Green Day, "Good Riddance"...   With the closing line of  "...I hope you have the time of your life..."  I share this with all of YOU:  my sister Whole30,  "over a certain age" peeps. 

[PainterB]

I'm glad to find this group, since I DEFINITELY do not fit in the multiple Whole30's, CrossFit training, high-achieving beautiful (MUCH) younger people I see pictures of!  I'm 56, just starting this (today) and am hoping for the health benefits primarily (some medical diagnoses that may benefit) but weight loss would be a happy side-effect!

[evaq]

PainterB, I read your intro post earlier this afternoon and wanted to reply but I needed to scoot before I managed to jot a quick note. And it was easier to find you here...so a belated Hi!

 

Hi everybody else! Sorry for temporarily hijacking the thread.

 

The community at whole 30 is incredibly supportive and helpful. When I started my whole 30 on Feb 6, there were no obvious threads/groups for me to join either so I just sort of fumbled along solo; posting questions, insights and comments along the way. I felt like a new puppy: ADD attention span, eager to learn/absorb as much as possible, curious, chatty. But even if I didn't quite ever "fit" a group or thread, I soon realised that no matter where we each started or our circumstances, we're all undertaking the same journey. It's *this* that brings us here and it's that spirit that permeates the forum, moderators and other whole 30ers.

 

I'm glad you found a thread you feel comfortable posting in, but I hope you feel comfortable posting in *any* forum or thread. Because even if on the surface I might not seem like someone you'd chat with (y'know since I sort of sound like one of those 30-something, fit CFers), I've certainly struggled with weight, health, fitness and confidence. AND I like to garden. AND I've also been interested in leptin resistance, insulin resistance, weight set points, metabolic syndrome, carbohydrate restricted diets. So we have more in common than you'd think.

 

Best of luck on your whole 30!

[ladyshanny]

+1 to what evaq says, you fit in here because you are doing a Whole30. Age, fitness level or multiple Whole30's....that stuff doesn't matter. YOU matter because you are here trying to better your health and relationship with food.

Welcome! Take a peek around and chat as you see fit!

[PainterB]

Thanks for the replies!

It's funny...I feel like it's gonna be easier to follow the W30 guidelines than it is to do this online part.

Day 1 went okay, except the desire for dessert after supper, which went away after 1/2 c organic blueberries and some coconut cream (unsweetened, of course), something I would not otherwise have tried. Yummy.

Caffeine withdrawal is gonna be a bear, though...woke at 3 a.m. with one of those headaches. I'll survive.

[ladyshanny]

Thanks for the replies!

It's funny...I feel like it's gonna be easier to follow the W30 guidelines than it is to do this online part.

Day 1 went okay, except the desire for dessert after supper, which went away after 1/2 c organic blueberries and some coconut cream (unsweetened, of course), something I would not otherwise have tried. Yummy.

Caffeine withdrawal is gonna be a bear, though...woke at 3 a.m. with one of those headaches. I'll survive.

We tend to call that "desire for dessert" a Sugar Dragon (cravings, need for sweets etc). The only way to starve out a sugar dragon is to not feed it sweets....even fresh fruits like blueberries and coconut cream. The Whole30 is as much about a list of foods to avoid as it is about changing your relationship with food. That "dessert" drive that so many people have is one thing that we encourage people to work on.

Eat enough at your meals that you are satisfied. Include fruit if you want, WITH your main meal but avoid having it like dessert, both in practice and in mental framing.

[AmyS]

Hi. I also am new to the thread. 

 

 I am on day 14.  Feeling great except for moodiness (primarily toward husband).  Have gained tons of energy.  I am excited about the other benefits of doing whole30 that I have read about.  I am 53 years old with 4 kids.  2 in college and 2 in high school.  I work part time as a companion to an 86 year old woman.  Working with the elderly brings me great joy as they have years of stories and wisdom to share.  Yet having seen/experienced the decline of my own parents makes me want to fight and own a better "quality of life" as I age.  I strongly believe that this life style will help. 

 

I was diagnosed with crohns disease at age 12.  After a lifetime on meds and a major surgery, I am happy to announce that I am medication free/symptom free.  This was as a result of eating clean and eliminating processed foods.  The Whole 30 is helping me to take it to another level.  I want to be healthy enough to enjoy the second phase of my life. 

 

My one and only complaint is the moodiness.  I know this is probably a combo of whole30 and menopause, but I hope that it will dissipate.  My husband is sooo extremely supportive and patient and I hate when I am nasty toward him.  I am weaning myself off an antidepressant (prescribed off label  for menopausal/stress symptoms rather than depression) .  Any thoughts?  Insight?  Would be easy for me to stay on the med but it goes against everything that I am trying to achieve ie a wholistic, natural, clean approach to life.   I have experimented with many herbal supplements. 

 

My family's favorite theme song is by Green Day, "Good Riddance"...   With the closing line of  "...I hope you have the time of your life..."  I share this with all of YOU:  my sister Whole30,  "over a certain age" peeps. 

I'd reconsider weaning yourself off of the antidepressant while you're adjusting to Whole30 eating. If you're convinced it's the best path for you, go for it, of course, but take your time. Whole30 eating may lead the way to not needing the antidepressant, or to changing its dose, or to some other solution - but 14 days of Whole30 eating might not, all alone, remove the entire need for the medication - particularly if you've benefited greatly from it.

 

Welcome to the forums and happy Whole30ing!

[Res0718]

I'd reconsider weaning yourself off of the antidepressant while you're adjusting to Whole30 eating. If you're convinced it's the best path for you, go for it, of course, but take your time. Whole30 eating may lead the way to not needing the antidepressant, or to changing its dose, or to some other solution - but 14 days of Whole30 eating might not, all alone, remove the entire need for the medication - particularly if you've benefited greatly from it.

 

Welcome to the forums and happy Whole30ing!

I am going to second this suggestion.  I went on an antidepressant when I was in the peri-menopause stage.  I was not able to control my emotions around the time of my period.  It was a life saver.  I am back to my normal self and in some ways better.  The hard part was that I have gained 15-20 pounds in the process.  It's hard to know what the weight gain is from (meds, lack of exercise, menopause). I am now working towards my Whole90 and making it a way of life.  I haven't lost much weight but I have gained a lot of other things!  

[PainterB]

I'm only Day 2 here, but it seems to me that this program is a MAJOR change for a lot of us.  When I have undergone major changes in my life, I have had better results if I only focus on one thing at a time, when possible.  Plus, when I change that one thing, the results are more clearly from it, not from any or all of the other changes.

[Lisafern]

I am glad to find a forum where everyone is not 30 with a heavy exercise schedule and 10 lbs to loose. I am on day 24 of my first Whole 30.  I am 51 years old and fully into menopause.  I never was really thin or heavy until I had my kids. I gained 50 lbs with my first and lost about 25 of it after he was born. Then couldn't seem to lose any more.  I only gained 25 with my daughter, but after she was born I didn't lose anything. They are almost 16 and 13 and I have gained some more in that time.

 

Last May I started using Plexus slim because I heard how a lot of people not only lost weight on it, but got rid of migraines and joint and muscle pain. They also talked about better sleep and mood changes.  I used it for 4 months before I lost any weight (about 7 lbs total) but I did get rid of most of my migraines and had more energy, but I also never really slept better.  I kept using it but never really got any more benefits during the next few months, so I stopped using it in February 2015. 

 

Back in September I started having a lot of plantar fashiatis (sp) pain, I bought new shoes and did the exercises, bought the shoe inserts and nothing helped in fact it got worse. I finally read some where to treat it as a sprain or break and just stay off of it and ice it several times a day. Doing that helped, but it took months. During that time my kids did the cooking or my husband brought home fast food,and you can imagine what we ate-- pizza, tortellini, hamburgers and fries, chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, etc...  I gained back the 7 lbs I had lost plus a couple more. I started this year feeling depressed, and in pain.  

 

In March a friend showed me the book--  It Starts With food.  She told me she was going to start her Whole 30 in April 1, and ask if I would be a support person, because no one else that she knew was going to do this with her. I said I would read the book, and would be glad to support her, but I thought I might also do it with her. While reading the book I became convicted that I needed to do this not for her, but for me.

 

When I told my husband what I was going to do  and ask for his support, by eating the same supper with me. He said that if I thought I needed this then he did too, so he is doing it with me. I actually started on March 30, because it was a Monday and I thought starting on a Monday made sense.  

 

I don't know how much weight I have lost, and believe me I want to weigh and see.  I do know that yesterday I put on a pair of pants that I had worn when I lost that 7 lbs but had not been able to wear comfortably since about October. I do feel better-- more energy, more patience, happier, and for the first time in my life when the alarm went off this morning I was happy and ready to get up and didn't whine about it.

 

I am at the stage where I am thinking about day 31, and wondering if I should have that burrito with chips and salsa that I have been wanting and then start another Whole 30. I do know that I need to keep going until I am at a healthier weight and that will take a while, but Mexican food is my favorite thing. I do know that I want to do the slow reintroduction, but struggle with how slow. I have had less cravings for sweets than I expected, but I do really want chips and salsa. I even made some compliant salsa (it is really yummy) that I put on roast beef or chicken just to get some of that flavor. It has helped a lot to have the flavor of the spicy salsa, but I miss the chips.

 

One thing I have realized is that when I do reintroduce things, I only want to reintroduce the things I love, and that I hope I will not need as much as I used to.  I am particularly thinking of cheese this way. I used to really cover all of my Mexican food in cheese. 

 

Good luck to all of you in your journey to health.

[knottsuz]

Hi - I am new to the Forum and on Day 5, I am 55 years old, and feel great so far! I have been scouring the forum with interest regarding weight gain and weight loss results, and those who have been ecstatic versus those who have been disappointed with results related to weight.

 

I have a theory I wanted to share and see what some of you experts out there think. I understand and agree that for many people, loosing weight isn't necessarily their primary goal of the program, but is a really nice potential benefit. I also think the Program's emphasis of not measuring or weighing is extremely healthy and good for people not to overly focus on.

 

So, statistically, 93% of people reporting results of the program have lost weight - which is pretty darn amazing. What I am curious and wondering about, is if that 7 percent that gained weight are women of middle age or more? There is an unfortunate fact of human physiology that the metabolism in particular of older women slows down so that the daily required caloric intake needed to maintain wait is a lot less than even in our 30s or 40s! So that is my theory... curious about others thoughts.

 

I have been completely compliant for all of a minuscule 5 days so far, but every meal has me feeling pretty full, and I think I might be wise to stay on the very lower end of all portions allowed by the Program in order to maintain current weight or loose a couple pounds. I strongly suspect that my demographic makes up a significant portion of that 7%.

[Tonibme]

There is not as much activity on this board as I hoped!  I'm 60, have several autoimmune disorders.  Was plagued last year with numerous sinus infections and allergies.  I tried Whole 30 to feel better, have more energy and lose weight.  I felt awful and exhausted for at least the first 10 days - just miserable - but found support (from my younger counterparts) who reminded me that it ws my body releasing toxins and healing.  It just made sense.  The food I was eating made sense (i had much difficulty - mentally & physically -adding fats like avocado, coconut butter, almond butter - butter! back into my diet).  We were traveling the last 10 days of my Whole 30.  The hotel breakfast bar, supplemented by a local Trader Joe's and salads got me through most days.  Dinner was always a huge problem - at one restaurant I sent my order back 3 times and ended up eating a salad of iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato.  On Day 28 I weighed myself and had not lost any weight, so I gave up.  After a few days, I noticed I began sniffling.  My joints felt sore.  I made the connection.  At my age, I never lose weight quickly, but I expected at least a 2-3 pound loss.  I instinctively knew eliminating dairy, gluten, sugar and alcohol would help me heal and lose weight, but wanted something more structured - providing me with guidelines as to portion size.  I found the 10-day blood sugar detox - which included lots of self care and stress management.  I lost 8 pounds, 1.5 inches off my waist.  I found it amazing.  The hardest part was giving up coffee - the headache/detox from that took 4 days!  I'm still following that plan, because to me it's like "Whole 30 for Dummies".  The re-introduction of foods is much more detailed.  I bought the first book (10 Day detox) and it led me, step by step, to being so much more aware of what is going on with my body and how I'm feeling.  A really big deal from someone who unconsciously stuffed down a box of oreos in one sitting.  Never would have found this without Whole 30 - and basically, I'm following Whole 30 - but with a little bit more structure/support.  Post menopausal women CAN lose weight!  During the first 10 days - I started walking every day for 30 minutes.  I'm on Day 18 now, and started a 3X week boot camp.  I'm waking up at 5 am (instead of hitting the snooze until the last possible minute).  I'm sore - but smiling and feeling younger.

[tinman57]

Isn't it a wonder?   I grew up just knocked out by allergies every single summer/fall.  In addition, I tested for a bunch of other allergies.  I often wonder what my Mom and Dad would have thought if they'd known that I now only suffer from allergies when I eat the very foods they raised me on.  

 

It just goes to show you --- we don't always know everything we think we do!

[MeGA"gardener"]

There's a point! I've checked in a few times before

There's not much activity here. You are right. I'm in my late 50 s post menopausal and keeping the course Day 8 only and seeing results amazing for me I'm trying my hardest to stick to the timeline and stop when I'm full. Sometimes I'm not

Hungry yet it's 4/5 hours so I'm eating my next

Meal ..seems to be working

I have experienced no cravings even though I miss certain things I can look forward to reintroducing them slowly post W30.

Keep trying your best people!

[annc3333]

I'm 59 and would love to know how older women do on this plan.  For me as well, not measuring portions, and eating so much more fat makes me anxious.  I am not willing to go a month only to find that I've gained another five pounds or something.  So after a week, I weighed and found I am down about 4.5 pounds or so. I am shocked.  Since I plan my meals for the day on Myfitpal, I know I've been eating about 1700 to 2300 calories which is a lot for me.  However, about half those calories are from fat, coconut milk especially, and none of them are from sugar or grains or simple carbs.

 

 I'm finding it a very easy plan to stay on, a treat even, as I usually don't eat sweet potatoes or white potatoes or all that fat.  Before Whole 30 I had been not been eating big meals, but lots of little bits of meals/treat/snacks which had me eating pretty much all day and evening.  There was very little time between infusions of sugar/carbs and I think I never let my body use up what was already in my blood stream before adding more.  My gas tank was perpetually overflowing.   Now that I am eating bigger meals but only three times a day maybe my body is dealing with the calories better--that's the only thing I can think of as to why I might have lost so much so quickly.  Last summer I spent three months eating about 1200 a day, walking twice a day and barely lost 9 pounds.  It was incredibly demoralizing and I just will not put myself through that again.  I even think about being that hungry again and I feel overwhelmed and victimized.  So, for me the Whole 30 seems like a diet of riches, I am fine without the sugar if I can eat some other carbs or fruit now and again.

 

We'll see, even if I don't lose another pound I'll be ahead of where I was on my 1200 calorie diet!  

[AmyS]

I'm 59 and would love to know how older women do on this plan.  For me as well, not measuring portions, and eating so much more fat makes me anxious.  I am not willing to go a month only to find that I've gained another five pounds or something.  So after a week, I weighed and found I am down about 4.5 pounds or so. I am shocked.  Since I plan my meals for the day on Myfitpal, I know I've been eating about 1700 to 2300 calories which is a lot for me.  However, about half those calories are from fat, coconut milk especially, and none of them are from sugar or grains or simple carbs.

 

 I'm finding it a very easy plan to stay on, a treat even, as I usually don't eat sweet potatoes or white potatoes or all that fat.  Before Whole 30 I had been not been eating big meals, but lots of little bits of meals/treat/snacks which had me eating pretty much all day and evening.  There was very little time between infusions of sugar/carbs and I think I never let my body use up what was already in my blood stream before adding more.  My gas tank was perpetually overflowing.   Now that I am eating bigger meals but only three times a day maybe my body is dealing with the calories better--that's the only thing I can think of as to why I might have lost so much so quickly.  Last summer I spent three months eating about 1200 a day, walking twice a day and barely lost 9 pounds.  It was incredibly demoralizing and I just will not put myself through that again.  I even think about being that hungry again and I feel overwhelmed and victimized.  So, for me the Whole 30 seems like a diet of riches, I am fine without the sugar if I can eat some other carbs or fruit now and again.

 

We'll see, even if I don't lose another pound I'll be ahead of where I was on my 1200 calorie diet!  

Hi Ann and welcome to Whole30! This particular thread was very active for a time, as a group of women went through a Whole30 together. Now folks occasionally check in here, and the thread provides a resource of information for new folks who join up.

 

Whole30 does provide a huge change in perspective on nutrition and health from how most women have been taught to eat and to think about eating. Most of us (of any age, really) eat very little at meals, and then keep our flagging energy up with frequent sugary snacks of one kind or another. Even when we restrict calories, we are still tied to those quick energy fixes because we simply have not consumed enough nutrition to fuel our bodies. Coming off of this kind of eating to Whole30 can be a very startling change. I remember thinking that feeling a little bit hungry all the time made me kind of virtuous, in a way. If I was a little light-headed from hunger, BONUS - willpower, baby! Imagine my surprise to discover that Whole30 has us eat and feel energetic throughout the day. So weird!

 

As you are thinking about your food, keep in mind how we want you to compose your meals in Whole30:

1. 1-2 palm-size portions of protein. That's the length, width, and depth of your palm. Where eggs are your protein, eat whole eggs, and eat as many as you can hold in your hand - for most women, that's 3-4.

 

2. 1-2 OR MORE thumb-size portions of fat. Note that nuts are a fat source, not a protein source, on Whole30. Half of an avocado counts as a fat portion. These are MINIMUM recommendations - eat enough fat to keep you satiated for 4-5 hours between meals.

 

3. 1-3 cups veggies. If you are eating salad, that's like a bucketful, because you're mentally imagining how much that would all be when wilted down.

 

We ask that you do that three times a day, the first time within 1 hour of waking.

 

There are two huge mental/practical shifts we also ask you to make:

1. Ditch your scale. When you weigh yourself during your Whole30, you are actually breaking the rules (I know, right?! So weird.) You can weigh yourself when you are done. I'll take this a step further and ask you to imagine your life without a scale in it. Scales are not our friends. They tell you a tiny bit of information about your current relationship with gravity, and exactly NOTHING else.

 

2. Think about measuring, portions, meal sizes, and meal composition based on your body size, rather than by ANY external means of measuring. There is absolutely no calorie counting, macro counting, or MyFitnessPal-ing in Whole30. These things are antithetical to the program. We ask that you measure your food, compose your meals, and count your portion sizes very very specifically according to your body and no one else's. We ask that you put away all apps for calorie, macro, and other counting for the 30 days. MyFitnessPal is particularly disastrous for Whole30ers, so please silence it and look at yourself for measurement.

 

Also, if you are dropping weight that drastically that quickly, one of two things may be happening: you may have a great deal of inflammation, and eating anti-inflammatory foods may be helping you release that; or, you may be severely undereating. 4.5 pounds in a week is really extreme and not something we want to see happen to you. Your bone density, if nothing else, depends upon your body being strong and sturdy.

 

Last, we ask you to consider that women have been sold a lie. Particularly as we continue on through life and count the years in a series of decades rather than as a series of seasons, we women need sturdy, strong bodies with a healthy layer of (hang on I'm gonna say it) fat. I'm not suggesting that we aim to be larger than our bodies want us to be; I am instead saying that there is no one on the planet who looks like women are told we need to look (even the models who show us those looks are photoshopped).

 

So - welcome to Whole30, continue eating and enjoying all of this wonderful food, and look to yourself for all measurements. You rock. If you'd like, you can chime in on any other threads, start a food log in our Logs section, or just hang around and browse. We're always here for support and encouragement. Happy Whole30ing!

[MeGA"gardener"]

Hi Annc333

Welcome here finally some activity

I mostly hang around the Whole dirty 30 gang!

I'm also in my late 50s and after meno things started to get worse

May 4 th was my W30 start date very first time doing this program I jumped in with both feet after a fried of mine lost 40 lbs on a Paleo

I don't diet well without exercise

This time I'm eating so much! I ditched my Fitbit and scale for the duration I'm on Day 11

And my clothes are loose my husband says

I look like I'm losing weight too a perk!

I don't consider this a diet like WW

I love the way it agrees with me and I haven't

Snacked or cheated off stayed inthe shopping list

I'm comfortable and it's easy I always cook and in large batches good healthy food so the transition wasn't bad I don't miss too much else

Good luck!

Our monitors are here anytime you need help!

[annc3333]

Thanks AmyS and MeGA, for the warm welcome!   About the 4.5 pound weight loss, I know I'm eating 2000 calories a day of quality food and I'm salting my food, and I haven't been a bit weak or dizzy like I get on a low carb diet so the pounds are puzzling other than like you said inflammation, I figure most of it is water weight but that's still good for me.   

 

I haven't actually started my first Whole 30, per say, I'm checking all this out, following the guidelines, experimenting to make sure this is right for me and learning.  I've jumped onto tooooo many diet bandwagons over the years only to find my health worse and my weight rebounding like crazy.  At this point I don't take anyone's rules 100% without my thinking it all through.  I'll read the book and hang out some more, find my way around.  However, after trying it out for a week, I am feeling very hopeful because I can see that this will really work for me as it is addresses a lot of the issues I've got with food.  (And, boy, does my husband need this.  He's going to be very excited….lol, poor guy)

 

As far as Myfitnesspal…I promise I will give it up along with my scale when I officially start.  Then I'll really need some support.  Ha ha,  

Thanks again for helping me.

AnnC.

[AmyS]

You know, I totally missed that you were in a prep phase, Ann! I'm sorry I wrote you as if you were in the midst of a Whole30 already! You're doing great - I admire that level of preparation. Enjoy your prep and your Whole30!

[annc3333]

Well, I lost another half pound.  Really.  I'm shocked, that is 5 pounds in 7 days.  I"m eating a LOT of food, 150 gms of carbs yesterday, including potatoes and a banana.  I am not undereating, 2000 calories.  Not exercising other than a walk yesterday.  Feel great.  Wow, I am fast becoming a true believer.  I have been so messed up with trying to figure out what to eat and how much to eat of what kinds of foods.  I've got Interstitial cystitis along with pelvic pain issues and I've had almost no symptoms.  Like I said, I'm shocked.  

 

Amys, you wrote this above and it really touched me,

 

Last, we ask you to consider that women have been sold a lie. Particularly as we continue on through life and count the years in a series of decades rather than as a series of seasons, we women need sturdy, strong bodies with a healthy layer of (hang on I'm gonna say it) fat. I'm not suggesting that we aim to be larger than our bodies want us to be; I am instead saying that there is no one on the planet who looks like women are told we need to look (even the models who show us those looks are photoshopped)

 

I agree so much.  I am most happy being a sturdy size 16, not happy outgrowing my size 18s, feeling sluggish and low energy, which is where this last year of dieting has left me.  

(sorry for going on so much here, but like I said, I'm in shock.)

[MommaJewelz]

Good morning ladies! I have been a member here for probably a couple years and get thsee posts in email but haven't actually been over here to help keep the group moving. I'd love to keep it more active!

I'm Julie, a 49 y.o. homeschooling mom of 6 and part time RN; 1 in college, 1 graduating h.s. next year, the rest are 5-14. I had a hysterectomy 3 months ago and will have another pelvic surgery in the Fall related to birthing so many kids I went into menopause over a year ago, got to experience all the lovely symptoms, and just happy to be on the other side.

I found Whole30 a little while after discovering I had food intolerances. Conventional dairy, wheat, onions, and garlic all bloat me to high heaven. I also get bad eczema from wheat. My digestion is crap LOL, literally, as I am constipated most of the time. I can consume raw dairy which I buy at an organic dairy over an hour from my home. It seems to be my one treat I can have.

I've recently, however, lost 5 of the 15 pounds I wanted to lose but it is slow-going. I'm ready for another Whole 30 and looking for a few others that are doing it as well. Having others to go along with me is sooo helpful! I'm going to get my mom to do this too...she's 73 and wanting to get her health in check. She has lupus, though, and has had a difficult time losing wt. since her diagnosis 20 yrs ago. I also seem to have a problem with inflammation, joint pain, etc. but autoimmune tests always came back neg. I think I need this Whole30 to reset my system.

Who wants to join me in this? Get this board a little more active!

[ladyshanny]

Well, I lost another half pound.  Really.  I'm shocked, that is 5 pounds in 7 days.  I"m eating a LOT of food, 150 gms of carbs yesterday, including potatoes and a banana.  I am not undereating, 2000 calories.  Not exercising other than a walk yesterday.  Feel great.  Wow, I am fast becoming a true believer.  I have been so messed up with trying to figure out what to eat and how much to eat of what kinds of foods.  I've got Interstitial cystitis along with pelvic pain issues and I've had almost no symptoms.  Like I said, I'm shocked.  

Please stay off the scale. This is actually one of the rules of Whole30 so if you are repeatedly getting on the scale, you are not doing a Whole30. It is not uncommon for people to lose a lot of inflammation in their first couple weeks of Whole30 and depending on your personal context prior to coming on Whole30, this could be the case for you.

Further, it is unnecessary and highly discouraged to be logging your calories or macros while doing Whole30. We encourage you to put the trackers aside and concentrate on how your body is feeling, your energy, mood, sleep etc. Using a tracker in the way that you are discounts you as a human being with individual and unique experiences and feelings. If you are extra hungry one day but the tracker says you should be done eating, it can cause you to discount what you are feeling.

[MeadowLily]

Do the good work without attachment to the outcome.  It will free your mind, body and soul. This is something I am embracing today.   

 

It doesn't mean to just float through a Whole 30 or go through the motions but if you'll detach from the gadgets, scales, handy dandy measuring devices, trackers...you'll be free to work through your Whole 30 without formulas.

 

Without formulas, and leaving all of the dieting talk behind,  something happens inside that will catapult you to Victory.  I'm not kidding.  

[SuAnn]

I am glad to see more activity here.

I have done 1 Whole 30 without too much trouble. However, I am not sure I have received the total benefit that I should and

wanted to. Because first I tried to just continue my Whole 30 into a Whole 60 and just didn't succeed. And when I don't

succeed I do it in a big way! I find myself eating everything and anything. Yesterday and today were such days - I was about 2

weeks into another attempt.

So, I am thinking I need more help and more vision for what I am really trying to achieve. I was intrigued by a couple of

things posted above: (I am really not sure how to work this forum - how to quote etc. so I'm going to do my best here - hope

it turns out readable).

Whole30 does provide a huge change in perspective on nutrition and health from how most women have been taught to eat and to think about eating. Most of us (of any age, really) eat very little at meals, and then keep our flagging energy up with frequent sugary snacks of one kind or another. Even when we restrict calories, we are still tied to those quick energy fixes because we simply have not consumed enough nutrition to fuel our bodies. Coming off of this kind of eating to Whole30 can be a very startling change. I remember thinking that feeling a little bit hungry all the time made me kind of virtuous, in a way. If I was a little light-headed from hunger, BONUS - willpower, baby! Imagine my surprise to discover that Whole30 has us eat and feel energetic throughout the day. So weird!

 

As you are thinking about your food, keep in mind how we want you to compose your meals in Whole30:

1. 1-2 palm-size portions of protein. That's the length, width, and depth of your palm. Where eggs are your protein, eat whole eggs, and eat as many as you can hold in your hand - for most women, that's 3-4.

 

2. 1-2 OR MORE thumb-size portions of fat. Note that nuts are a fat source, not a protein source, on Whole30. Half of an avocado counts as a fat portion. These are MINIMUM recommendations - eat enough fat to keep you satiated for 4-5 hours between meals.

 

3. 1-3 cups veggies. If you are eating salad, that's like a bucketful, because you're mentally imagining how much that would all be when wilted down.

 

We ask that you do that three times a day, the first time within 1 hour of waking.

I think I am still snacking too much. I have a lot of 'cues' during my day tha say - eat.

Also, I want to ask about my normal favorite breakfast:

Usually 1 nice big crispy apple cut up

a sprinkling of frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries

1 spoonful of unsweetened cocount, ground flax seeds, whole flaxseeds and a handful of pecans ground up.

Then I have a salad with stir fried veggies and either chicken, beef or fish for lunch and for dinner some meat, and cooked

veggies.

And another quote:

Good morning ladies! I have been a member here for probably a couple years and get thsee posts in email but haven't actually been over here to help keep the group moving. I'd love to keep it more active!

I'm Julie, a 49 y.o. homeschooling mom of 6 and part time RN; 1 in college, 1 graduating h.s. next year, the rest are 5-14. I had a hysterectomy 3 months ago and will have another pelvic surgery in the Fall related to birthing so many kids I went into menopause over a year ago, got to experience all the lovely symptoms, and just happy to be on the other side.

I found Whole30 a little while after discovering I had food intolerances. Conventional dairy, wheat, onions, and garlic all bloat me to high heaven. I also get bad eczema from wheat. My digestion is crap LOL, literally, as I am constipated most of the time. I can consume raw dairy which I buy at an organic dairy over an hour from my home. It seems to be my one treat I can have.

I've recently, however, lost 5 of the 15 pounds I wanted to lose but it is slow-going. I'm ready for another Whole 30 and looking for a few others that are doing it as well. Having others to go along with me is sooo helpful! I'm going to get my mom to do this too...she's 73 and wanting to get her health in check. She has lupus, though, and has had a difficult time losing wt. since her diagnosis 20 yrs ago. I also seem to have a problem with inflammation, joint pain, etc. but autoimmune tests always came back neg. I think I need this Whole30 to reset my system.

Who wants to join me in this? Get this board a little more active!

MommaJewelz - I am a bit older than you, but also have and am homeschooling 6 children (ages 29-17). I too have about 15 pounds I would love

to lose so I can wear most of the clothes in my closet - which I could wear 2 years ago after having lost about 45 pounds. I lost that

under the supervision of a natural doc - just trying to get healthy - the weight loss was only 1 aspect of that. But, since

I regained some and have just been off track generally. I was looking for something when I found Whole 30. The first time

through I lost about 8 pounds. But, I don't really feel tremendously better.

So, all in all I am ready to start again but this time working not so much on what I eat, but food cues, snacking, -- the mental

things so I can forget about food, enjoy my body and be more healthy.

Open to all suggestions. Oh, I have also reserved the book It Starts with Food at our library.

Thanks!

 

[SuAnn]

OK, quoting didn't work exactly right.

What I posted is inside the quotes I tried to quote. Here's what I said without the quotes:

I think I am still snacking too much. I have a lot of 'cues' during my day tha say - eat.

Also, I want to ask about my normal favorite breakfast:

Usually 1 nice big crispy apple cut up

a sprinkling of frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries

1 spoonful of unsweetened cocount, ground flax seeds, whole flaxseeds and a handful of pecans ground up.

Then I have a salad with stir fried veggies and either chicken, beef or fish for lunch and for dinner some meat, and cooked

veggies.

MommaJewelz - I am a bit older than you, but also have and am homeschooling 6 children (ages 29-17). I too have about 15 pounds I would love

to lose so I can wear most of the clothes in my closet - which I could wear 2 years ago after having lost about 45 pounds. I lost that

under the supervision of a natural doc - just trying to get healthy - the weight loss was only 1 aspect of that. But, since

I regained some and have just been off track generally. I was looking for something when I found Whole 30. The first time

through I lost about 8 pounds. But, I don't really feel tremendously better.

So, all in all I am ready to start again but this time working not so much on what I eat, but food cues, snacking, -- the mental

things so I can forget about food, enjoy my body and be more healthy.

Open to all suggestions. Oh, I have also reserved the book It Starts with Food at our library.

Thanks!