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Staying on track


snailytrail

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I did a Whole 30 back in July. I won't lie, I found it tough but I felt good for doing it and it was amazing seeing the changes in my body. I have about 2 stone to lose, I have M.E and chronic pain. My pain definitely improved, it was great, no change in the M.E sadly.

 

Since then I have done my very best to stick to it. Initially I went on a sugar binge and put on the 6 pounds I lost during the Whole 30, which felt absolutely terrible. I had a binge eating disorder 12 years ago and  have been absolutely fine since, so it really scared me. However, I got things back under control and in the last month have stuck to the programme about 95% of the time and have been enjoying this way of life. The food is so great! Unfortunately for me, that 5% not complying has meant my weight has stayed the same - or rather I've lost a couple of pounds one week and put them back on the next. I'm very sedentary and can't really exercise so it is harder for me. Plus I've been battling pain so I want to give myself a better chance of being free of that.

 

I don't want to go back into a Whole 30 - it really is too strict for me and I think it would push me back into binging again. So I'm going to just cut most of the snacking I've been doing. Basically formulate my own plan.

 

In general, my 3 meals a day need to be Whole 30 approved. I am allowing myself a little dairy though as I have no issues with it. So a thumb sized portion of cheese occasionally, 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt with berries if I want it (but not every day).  Other than that I will allow myself dates, banana 'ice cream', Paleo pancakes once a week (or Paleo cauliflower bread) if I want it, and 2 squares of dark chocolate in a day if I need them. I tend to find that having an allowed list of treats does help me a lot, as I know I'm not restricting myself. But obviously in a month's time if I haven't lost much weight I will need to re-evaluate. I would like to say I won't eat sugar ever, but I just don't think that's realistic. I'm in a very hard position in that I'm mostly housebound and mostly alone and my days are very, very long and often lonely. If I'm feeling really bad on top of that, it's almost impossible to not eat something sweet to give myself a boost. But if anyone has ideas beyond that for getting through the days I'm open to hearing it. I do try to reward myself with things other than food, and I'm trying to pick up playing the piano as it's fun and fills the time and makes me feel good. But in all honesty some days are pretty bleak and dark chocolate, say, is a boost.

 

Hoping to check in here for accountability. I'm trying to get out a bit more at present and I will need to be particularly careful I'm not saying 'oh it's just one glass of wine, it won't make a difference,' or 'everyone else is eating dessert, it's too hard to deny myself' on a regular basis.

 

So - Day 1 - boiled eggs with butter and salt and a tomato salad with olive oil for my breakfast. Yum. Have some venison and cabbage cooked in the fridge for my supper. Think sardines and salad for lunch. Have olives in the house for a teatime snack.

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I made a fig coulee a few weeks back and was amazed.  I'd never had figs before and was delightfully surprised at how delicious they were.  Welcome to this Post Whole 30 Forum!  I do a lot better when I'm checking in and reflecting daily, but I too, don't wish to be super strict - specifically this month.  I'm hoping I can learn to just eat well most of the time and most of the time, these days - if I steer clear of the real junk - I do okay.  Congrats on your first day back.

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Hi EandK Family, figs are so scrumptious aren't they? I think you're right, checking in somewhere is very motivating.  Good luck to you.

 

I feel really inspired on Day 2. It's such a nice feeling when you're resisting cravings and making healthy choices. I really enjoyed my venison last night and I do think turning away from junk food makes you more creative in the kitchen. I'm craving a homemade coconut and prawn curry right now. There are a few people coming over tonight to watch a baking show and I have dates in the cupboard to munch on and am thinking of mulling some apple juice  as a nice drink which I can have a small glass of. Had just one square of dark chocolate yesterday and I savoured it so much more knowing that was all I was having. I'm thinking a lot too of where I might be weight wise by Christmas and that's a nice thought, it is such a boost losing weight.

 

Breakfast today - boiled eggs in butter, tomatoes

Lunch will probably be sardines and veg

Supper, I have leftover roast pork, small glass of apple juice and small handful of dates.

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Thanks, it was fun! I really enjoyed my supper too. I had one bite of some sweet potato brownie which has refined sugar in it, but I think that I will forgive myself that. Had the most amazing omelette this morning with a bit of feta cheese and a splash of double cream in it. It was lovely. Feeling a bit uninspired about lunch, I have a few tins of sardines to get through and while I love sardines I'm a bit sick of them for now, but will be ordering more food soon so will go for something different. I do miss just being able to heat up a bowl of pasta or porridge, or grabbing a sandwich. It's the one negative about this lifestyle.

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Day 4, doing really well!

It was a bit strange today, I just wasn't hungry. So I didn't eat breakfast, had an omelette with feta in it for lunch, with an apple, handful of olives at tea and some mince and cabbage for supper. I really would like to add intermittent fasting to my lifestyle for the many health benefits, but when I tried it a year ago (when eating a high carb, low fat lifestyle) it was awful. I was so ill after one day of fasting. But maybe now I'm fat adapted my body can cope. I will be thrilled if that is the case, even if like today I still eat a reasonable amount but just have longer stretches without food. Will see how I feel tomorrow.

 

I'm finding it so much easier already to have an allotted list of treats. I feel calm in that I'm not depriving myself, so no need to think of having a big binge, and I am really savouring my treats. Even 2 squares of dark chocolate go a long way if you let them melt in your mouth.

 

So really pleased! Hope things carry on this way. Going out for a meal tomorrow night but so far I'm not phased as I know there will be some nice roasted meat on the menu for me to savour.

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Things are going well. Staying on track. Still finding it so much easier over the course of the day to stick to approved foods because I know that there will be a treat of some sort.  About to go and have some blended frozen banana.

 

Had a really nice potter round the farmer's market, I find buying nice food helps so much with all this. Had crab for lunch, sausages for breakfast and think there will be sardines for supper. Also got venison and lamb. Buying the cheap stewing cuts helps with budgeting. And they have such beautiful vegetables there, it's a pleasure to buy and eat them.

 

Hope other people are doing ok.

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  • 1 month later...

So it's been a while since I updated this but I'm doing great.

 

I realised, you know what, I can't eat cheese and lots of dairy and dark chocolate every day and be ok. I stopped losing weight, I got hungry. It's weird how even upping the carbs a bit made me more hungry, and I don't want to be that hungry because I'll make the wrong choices and god knows what my blood sugar levels were doing.

 

I realised that actually, I still eat a lot for comfort. I didn't think I did, because I wasn't binging, but that last thing before bed was for comfort, the grazing was for comfort. And I want to knock that on the head so that I can have a healthy life. Snacking is not good!  I don't want to have heart disease or diabetes or joint issues because of the remaining excess weight I carry.

 

So for the last 2 weeks I've been back to being strict. I'm NOT saying no to ever cheating; that isn't realistic for me. In the last week I swapped one meal for some paleo banana and egg pancakes, I had some dark chocolate one day, and I had one glass of wine. But otherwise I was Whole30 compliant every day. And I've lost 3lb in 2 weeks. I know this isn't all about weight for some, but I have 20lbs still to lose, so for me it is. I have to get this weight off. I've lost 5 stones already in the last 10 years. And since last January, 2 stones, which feels absolutely amazing. I want 2014 to be about getting off the last few pounds and feeling fantastic.

 

So that's where I'm at. It's a relief, really. I have proven to myself that I can do this. It is hard every day; I find from 3pm onwards my sugar dragon wakes up and some days I'm thinking a lot about snacking. But I have a big glass of water or a herbal tea. At 4pm I have a handful of nuts. And I'm just going to tick off a day at a time, so that this lifestyle is a habit. Already it's easier this week than last.

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