Cheryl J. Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 Hi, everyone! I'm brand-new to this site and forum -- I discovered it only a couple days ago via Mark Sisson's www.marksdailyapple.com. I've been on and off the Paleo/Primal/low-carb bandwagon for almost two years now: I began with Dr. Barry Sears's Zone Diet, then moved on to Tim Ferriss's Slow-Carb Diet, and then Sisson's Primal Diet, and finally I hit upon Rob Wolff and the Paleo gang about nine months ago. I did well during the first year or so of low-carb dieting (lost 37 lbs. in about 9 months), but have certainly hit some rough patches since then. When I started doing low-carb for the very first time, I remember eating a large, colorful salad topped with shredded deli-style ham and feeling absolute bliss and contentment, as if I didn't need or want to eat anything else for the rest of my life -- that's the feeling I hope to recapture with The Whole30. However, one thing I have not yet done is go "hard-core," or strict, with the Paleo diet, meaning (for me) no red wine or other booze, no dark chocolate, no stevia in my green tea, no sweetner or creamer in my coffee -- all those "little cheats" that add up over time. In regard to Robb Wolf's 30-day Paleo challenge, I have always thought to myself, "What?! No stevia?! How will I live?" So right now, I'm wondering if it really is possible for me to lose the craving for any sort of sweetness over the next 30 days, for even a mild sweetner in tea. Surely, a life without sweetness is not worth living. With that in mind, I plan to cautiously reintroduce one verboten food at a time into my diet after The Whole30, in tiny amounts, as a kind of experiment to see how badly such small amounts will make me feel after 30 days of eating very clean: one slice of Kerrygold extra sharp cheddar cheese (I used to absolutely love this stuff, and so it's a pity to have to say good-bye to it), 1 scoop of ice cream, 1 glass of red wine, 1 bite of pie, 1 handful of Emerald Island dry roasted almonds, etc. If I do everything right, I should feel the way I did when I had my first weekly "cheat day" on Tim Ferriss's Slow-Carb Diet: I bought a large banana split sundae with the works, forced myself to eat all of it, and then put my head down on my desk and stayed absolutely still for many minutes, feeling so horrible that I was literally unable to move. That was also the first day of my menstrual cycle, when I often feel a little worse than usual, but even on the first day of my cycle I never feel as bad as I did then, so I knew the crap food was the main culprit in my malaise. Hopefully (or, er, not), I will have a similar experience after The Whole30, which will let me know how cleanly my body has been operating until a bomb of crap food hits it. I've also been struggling with insomnia and waking up feeling groggy for at least two years now, and I'm hoping The W30 will help alleviate those problems. In any case, I finished off all my "bad" foods over the last couple of days, or just threw them away (like dark chocolate and honey), began eating this afternoon according to The W30, and am just about to have my first unsweetened cup of green tea in a long time... Let the games begin! Talk to you all later... Bests, Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted July 18, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 18, 2012 There is lots of sweetness in real food after your taste buds heal from roller coastering on supernormally sweet foods. I ate a papaya the other night and was amazed at the sweet flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl J. Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 There is lots of sweetness in real food after your taste buds heal from roller coastering on supernormally sweet foods. I ate a papaya the other night and was amazed at the sweet flavor. Thanks! I've come to think that I have really weak taste buds, because I usually wolf down my food without stopping to appreciate the flavors (that is, if the dish has appreciable flavors), unless I force myself to eat slowly. I also think my taste buds may be weak because I've mixed in too much bad food with the Paleo food too many times, and because I have a bad habit of sipping coffee and tea when it is still really hot, and often burn my tongue. I'm really looking forward to reawakening my taste buds with The W30! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 That's a great project to work on Cheryl, you can set up fun blindfold testing & everything! I do find now that my tastebuds seem more physically sensitive than before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm22 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I started yesterday as well! I am not used to eating this much in each meal, but usually 5 to 6 small meals during the day. Also, I think it is going to take me a while to slay the sugar dragon! I find myself reaching for fruit after every meal. I really want to lose 15 pounds on this diet and I am used to dropping water weight immediately....like first day immediately. Yeah yeah yeah, I know it is not about the scale, but when my clothes are tighter than yesterday, I am not very motivated. What a Debbie Downer I am! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derval Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Don't be grim Grimm22! It will happen, just not in 24 hours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SustainablyFit Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I'm on Day 4 and I'm not feeling too bad. I've done my share of sugar detoxing in the past so I think my body is handling things pretty well. I am however struggling with: A. consuming enough food in a day (I'm constantly hungry, and therefore constantly snacking on veggies, fruits and nuts) and B. being satisfied -- I can't figure out what it is that I'm craving! Maybe it's sugar? carbs? starbucks soy lattes? not enough protein? I don't know! This is the first time I've ever cut legumes and grains out of my diet completely and I can't seem to find any paleo recipes that actually sound good to me. I'm usually pretty aware of what my body wants, but I just can't figure her out right now! Anyone else having similar issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl J. Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I started yesterday as well! I am not used to eating this much in each meal, but usually 5 to 6 small meals during the day. Also, I think it is going to take me a while to slay the sugar dragon! I find myself reaching for fruit after every meal. I really want to lose 15 pounds on this diet and I am used to dropping water weight immediately....like first day immediately. Yeah yeah yeah, I know it is not about the scale, but when my clothes are tighter than yesterday, I am not very motivated. What a Debbie Downer I am! Grimm22, maybe reading this (if you haven't already) will help: http://whole9life.com/2012/03/5-reasons-to-break-up-with-your-scale/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl J. Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I'm on Day 4 and I'm not feeling too bad. I've done my share of sugar detoxing in the past so I think my body is handling things pretty well. I am however struggling with: A. consuming enough food in a day (I'm constantly hungry, and therefore constantly snacking on veggies, fruits and nuts) and B. being satisfied -- I can't figure out what it is that I'm craving! Maybe it's sugar? carbs? starbucks soy lattes? not enough protein? I don't know! This is the first time I've ever cut legumes and grains out of my diet completely and I can't seem to find any paleo recipes that actually sound good to me. I'm usually pretty aware of what my body wants, but I just can't figure her out right now! Anyone else having similar issues? I think I've had the feeling you're talking about, especially when I'm stressed: I get this strange empty feeling in my core, not quite hunger, which feels as if my body "needs" something, and I've usually answered that call with red wine, chocolate, coffee with cream and sweetner, or just outright junk. Maybe your body still thinks it "needs" grains or legumes, and that's why you still don't quite feel "satisfied" -- perhaps more on a psychological than a phsyiological level. Of course, you can eat however much you want, as long as you stick to the right foods. If you stay the course, I think your body will get the message that what it is signalling is "want," not an actual "need," and it will become habituated to the foods you feed it. Last night I really wanted ice cream. If you're craving non-Whole30 foods, just say you "want" it, but you don't really need it. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheryl J. Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 SustainablyFit, I just thought of something else that exemplifies this want/need issue: after a long jog, I would always get a craving for a soft drink, and sometimes I would down a can of Coke (gross, right?). I solved that issue by having club soda flavored with lime and stevia (except now, for The W30, I leave out the stevia). My body needed sodium after all that sweating, and that need got translated psychologically as a desire for a soft drink. The brain is a glucose (sugar) whore, which causes you to satisfy it with unhealthy food and drink, but if you're smart, you can give it what it really needs by recognizing the essential nutrient deficit that actually triggered the desire -- you can, uh, outsmart your own brain. Later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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