Starting Jan. 2

[Rebecca30]

Good Morning Day 31'ers!! I am pretty pleased with this Whole 30. Things took a bit longer to fall back in line (sleep, bathroom issues, etc.) but I think I have them just about sorted out. The 30 days flew by for me. I am happy to be back on the water drinking wagon. I tend to forget otherwise and then feel crappy. My skin is looking pretty fab and yesterday I put on a pair of pants from the back of my closet that are a size smaller than I usually wear and didn't even realize it until I got home from work! I plan to stick pretty close to whole 30 just because I like it and it is simple. I do plan to add in some exercise starting next week because I need some more upper body strength now that I work in the ER (lots of lifting). Anyway, the only thing I wanted to try this morning was a little sugar in my coffee. I had been telling myself that that was the one thing that I had missed. Well wouldn't you know? I only added a 1/2 tsp and I didn't like it! I poured half of the mug down the drain. Apparently my brain was just telling me I missed it. Lol.

 

Well, I hope all of you post your positives! I can't wait to read them!

[michellet]

Well, 10 pounds are gone, and I seem more energetic.  Not "tiger blood" yet, but I'm hoping to get to that point.  I have started more toning exercises and will add mores as I strengthen.  So I will continue.  I plan to stick pretty close to W30 for at least another 15 days, maybe 30, we'll see. I don't want the "bad" stuff to return.

[Beli]

I didn't have any trouble sleeping before my back injury. I do not have any of the symptoms of a sleep disorder. I am sure my hormones are all out of whack. Maybe someday I will sleep better. Thanks.

 

Tina: What happened to your back? What makes you suspect your hormones are out of whack? 

 

Anyway, the only thing I wanted to try this morning was a little sugar in my coffee. I had been telling myself that that was the one thing that I had missed. Well wouldn't you know? I only added a 1/2 tsp and I didn't like it! I poured half of the mug down the drain. Apparently my brain was just telling me I missed it. Lol.

 

Rebecca, that's the funny thing about eliminating and reintroducing. 

So glad you're satisfied with your Whole30 experience.

I was just thinking I forgot to mention my skin among the changes of this month: it's definitely gotten less dry. Now I can go several days without putting any kind of moisturizer.

 

Hey, Chris24, I saw you "liking" posts, come on out of hiding! How did you do? 

 

So, I was reunited with my beloved tea this morning. And... I just got pretty accelerated. Fortunately I'd had a good night's sleep, otherwise I'd just have curled under my counter. 

[38flamingo]

I planned from the outset to do 60 days, so I have not really focused too much on this as an ending.  Even so, I do find myself with little voices suggesting a taste of this or that - probably that's precisely why I need to continue longer, so that I'm able to remain more in charge, and not so prone to temptation as I can easily be!

 

This W30 has been pretty smooth and easy, and the days have passed quickly.  An array of hypoglycemic symptoms are gone, and I'm hoping that when I get to some routine bloodwork at the end of Feb., my blood glucose level will also have decreased (it hovers at the top of the "normal" range).  My sleep is at the good end of my personal roller coaster right now, but I hesitate to attribute that to food, since it is always so up and down.  We'll see how that goes in the next 30 days.  I feel more mental energy, more initiative to get things done, greater emotional clarity.  My digestion is MUCH improved, although still imperfect.  My sense of internal discipline has been strong, but I feel it weakening a bit at this transition, and calling me to recommit to my resolve.  Will try to do that!

 

Congratulations to all who met their goal of completing the 30, and good wishes as you transition to a broader diet.  And also, greetings to all who will continue.  I am looking forward to your continued company!

[Beli]

Michellet: Good for you!   And it's just the beginning if you stick to it.

 

RLW: I'm sure you'll get to it too. If you have some pounds to lose, there's no way you're not going to lose them by eating this way. By the way, what kind of diet you have before this Whole30?

[Tina R]

 

[Tina R]

Beli - I ruptured a disk in my back and had to have steroid injections to take the edge off my pain, plus menopause sucks! lol.

[Beli]

Flamingo, I'm counting on you to stay on, I'm in here with you, don't let me down.   I'm taking no break either —except for the tea but that was for medical reasons, so to say. I'm going to keep tweaking and experimenting, but within the range of the Whole30 and hopefully doing better. Because, I admit I had trouble sticking to the meal template, my meals hours have been too irregular, I snacked too much, and didn't have proper post workout meals, so I'm focusing on getting these just right. I'm so glad it seems to have done you good so far. Likely all this is going to keep improving as not only your body but also your mind adjust to these subtler but deeper changes. Do you have any plans about sleep, exercise, etc?

[Beli]

Tina: Ouch, the same thing happened to my mother when I was a teenager (that's what taught me to squat to lift things). I remember her pain was awful. Do you still have the steroid injections, or did you never come back to normal after them? Did you do anything else to fix your back: kinesiology, chiropractic...?

So the hormones are a separate issue, but maybe playing in the field.

[michellet]

Beli, hormones always seem like a never ending issue to me.  If PMS wasn't bad enough to deal with, we now get menopause! Yikes  

 

Tina are you taking any HRT or bioidentical hormones?  I know it isn't a popular choice, but the hrt is what keeps me sane.  At least for now.  I am hoping to gradually eliminate them as my dietary intake changes.  

[Tina R]

Tina: Ouch, the same thing happened to my mother when I was a teenager (that's what taught me to squat to lift things). I remember her pain was awful. Do you still have the steroid injections, or did you never come back to normal after them? Did you do anything else to fix your back: kinesiology, chiropractic...?

So the hormones are a separate issue, but maybe playing in the field.

The steroid injections worked for me. I don't need them anymore. I also do chiropractic. Unfortunately I have learned that people with bad lower backs usually have neck and jaw pain. I have also been dealing with TMJ. Don't you wish you were me? I have been on a fun journey these last few years. The problem is before my back injury I felt great, ate whatever I wanted, danced for 10 hours a week and never thought about my weight. Now I have to be careful of everything I eat and everything I do. I was hoping that paleo would help me to feel better, unfortunately that is not the case so I will keep trying.

[38flamingo]

Flamingo, I'm counting on you to stay on, I'm in here with you, don't let me down.   I'm taking no break either —except for the tea but that was for medical reasons, so to say. I'm going to keep tweaking and experimenting, but within the range of the Whole30 and hopefully doing better. Because, I admit I had trouble sticking to the meal template, my meals hours have been too irregular, I snacked too much, and didn't have proper post workout meals, so I'm focusing on getting these just right. I'm so glad it seems to have done you good so far. Likely all this is going to keep improving as not only your body but also your mind adjust to these subtler but deeper changes. Do you have any plans about sleep, exercise, etc?

And I am also counting on you to stay on!  As for my plans about dealing with sleep, nothing new on the horizon, but one of the things I do regularly is see an acupuncturist - so there is always something new to try with the treatment or with herbs.  Otherwise, I try to make sure that I don't stay up too late or push past when I am tired.  I do often take my ipad to bed because listening to music or a talk by a teacher I enjoy usually lulls me to sleep gently, and sometimes if I leave music on it lulls me back to sleep when I wake too soon.  However, this does have a down side with too much checking of email, W30 forum, movie or TV watching, etc.!  So doing without it is something to consider.  I take valerian tincture at bedtime, and also a cortisol balancing supplement.    Regarding exercise - this has been a lifelong issue for me.  I don't seem to have it in my genes to actually feel in my body like I "need" to exercise, but if I do exercise I feel fantastic!  So I keep working slowly at it.  I have gone swimming a couple of times recently, and also for an occasional walk.  Prioritizing time to exercise could be a new goal, but it is also an old goal, and something that I just keep on my agenda in spite of only every once in a while getting into a real routine! 

[Tina R]

I actually slept for 7 hours in a row last night! I have no idea why. I am not doing the whole30 anymore but am reintroducing gluten free grains this week (I decided to do one grain a day until Saturday).

 

1) I ate less protein and more carbs yesterday then I would on a traditional whole30. For breakfast I had 2 eggs, sweet potato hash and a gluten free waffle. For lunch I had salad and ham on gluten free bread. For dinner I had brown rice pasta with meat sauce. I also snacked on fruit.

 

2) I took melatonin for three days in a row but didn't take it last night, maybe it needs to build up in my blood stream like valerian

 

3) It was a fluke.

 

Hopefully the same thing will happen tonight. I'll keep you posted.

[kgt1966]

Woot, I did it. I had a few things that weren't 100% compliant (salad from Panara, sausage with MSG, ham with Nitrates), but not enough for me to think I needed to restart. Yesterday I had a few off plan foods (1 slice of pizza), but today I'm going to go back on plan and reintroduce dairy for the next four days. I lost 9.6 pounds and 8 inches. I feel better both physically and emotionally. I'm sleeping better than I have in years. I'm pleased with this journey and the progress I made. I plan on doing another one this summer when there are more fresh vegetables available.

When I shared my final update on my Facebook page a friend PM'd me and asked me if it thought I would regain the weight since cleanses typically do that. It kind of rubbed me the wrong way in that a cleanse to me is quackery! This is not a cleanse but you do cleanse your system of unclean foods and additives. It's not like I just spent 30 days eating clean and now I'm going back to crappy foods all day every day. Oh well, it's about me, not them! Besides this one person I had a lot of people ask me for the deets on the program I did. Hoping they find something about the program they like.

Happy Sunday!

[Beli]

Tina, I'm glad to hear that!

I think the recommendation for reintroducing foods are one at a time for 2 days, and try to make it quite visible. Like, as you're reintroducing rice, your gluten free waffle and bread should be made with rice and you should be having some rice a little at every meal, so you clearly know if rice agrees with you or not.

 

Flamingo, I've never had an inclination toward physical exertion either. While being an active person who walks everywhere, climbs stairs and carries heavy grocery bags and children, I almost never felt like doing anything more intense. I never liked playing sports, sweating, getting out of breath... The funny thing is, as I come further into paleo, I seem to start wanting it! There are moments from time to time where I just want to sprint, jump and have a lot of fun. That makes me so happy... I guess the more one does, the easiest it gets. And the key might be to do baby steps, not get hurt, recover well, and slowly let exercise come into play with diet and sleep...

[Tina R]

Tina, I'm glad to hear that!

I think the recommendation for reintroducing foods are one at a time for 2 days, and try to make it quite visible. Like, as you're reintroducing rice, your gluten free waffle and bread should be made with rice and you should be having some rice a little at every meal, so you clearly know if rice agrees with you or not.

 

Flamingo, I've never had an inclination toward physical exertion either. While being an active person who walks everywhere, climbs stairs and carries heavy grocery bags and children, I almost never felt like doing anything more intense. I never liked playing sports, sweating, getting out of breath... The funny thing is, as I come further into paleo, I seem to start wanting it! There are moments from time to time where I just want to sprint, jump and have a lot of fun. That makes me so happy... I guess the more one does, the easiest it gets. And the key might be to do baby steps, not get hurt, recover well, and slowly let exercise come into play with diet and sleep...

Thanks Beli. Actually I did my own version of reintro. On Monday I had rice with dinner everything else was compliant. On Tuesday I had some corn chips at lunch everything else compliant. On Wednesday I had home made gluten free bread, everything else compliant. I waited two days without any gluten free grains. So Saturday wasn't really an  introduction day because I ate whatever gluten free grains I wanted. I know from my own experience that I will react to a food when I eat it or within 4 hours (bloated). Also I believe that according to the official reintro for your first day of introducing dairy you are supposed to have dairy at every meal but not the same kind. The example they give is yogurt in the morning, cheese in the afternoon and ice cream at night. Then wait 2 days to see what happens. This doesn't work for me because I know I will react to ice cream so in this case the results would be that I can't have dairy. However I don't seem to have trouble with raw cheddar cheese. Here is the link to the reintro from the website. http://whole30.com/step-two-finished/.

[Physibeth]

To clear up the confusion on introductions.

 

The official recommendation for introductions is to pick something (dairy, non-gluten grain, gluten grain, etc) and have it at each meal for a day while everything else is compliant and then go back to W30 for 2 days. It doesn't matter what order you do your introductions in and you don't have to introduce anything you either know you will react to or don't care to have anymore. You can also pick what you want from the categories you don't have to follow the example in the book...it is just an example.

 

Congrats to everyone on their results. I would ask that further discussions about your reintroductions be moved to the new thread that Selomina started in the post W30 section or your own thread in the reintroduction or post W30 section of the forum. This is to keep new people who are skimming through and are on a W30 from seeing things and thinking they might be able to eat them.

 

Thanks muchly!

[michellet]

Flamingo, Beli, I'm with you on the exercise.  It has never been a huge drive for me.  When I had to, I did okay, like when in the army for  basic training and the regular shape.  I like leisurely exercise, riding bike, walking.  Anything more felt like too much of a chore.  But, I also want to get stronger, so I guess I'll just have to make it a "mind over matter" thing.  

 

I realized another huge benefit from my whole 30.  I don't drag myself out of bed in the morning.  I actually feel pretty good when I wake up and not like I need a cup of coffee to function.  It is a great feeling.  

 

At the last minute my mother in law invited us over for dinner tonight.  She knew I had been grocery shopping for a couple hours and was getting home late.  So we had a nice egg bake with asparagus and fruit.  I passed up the biscuts, but when I was offered the ice cream I did have a little dish.  Man it was so sweet!  I didn't feel like I wanted any more and was fine with a little bit.  That's a nice improvement.  

 

I'm happy that so many of you will be continuing this w30.  Who knows maybe we'll all find our tiger blood and want to run a marathon!

[bamawhitney]

I just finished up day 30 yesterday. Lost several inches and 5 lbs. I am going to continue. I didn't experience any other significant changes. Sleep was already good, already ate low carby/healthy. I was a little bummed about just 5 lbs. I have about 20 total to lose so I know it gets harder as you have less to lose but I would think with my working out: 5 Orange Theory Fitness classes per week and running 15-20 miles outside of the gym I might have had better success. I am going to tweak a few things but keep moving ahead for 30 more days.

[Beli]

Congrats to everyone on their results. I would ask that further discussions about your reintroductions be moved to the new thread that Selomina started in the post W30 section or your own thread in the reintroduction or post W30 section of the forum. This is to keep new people who are skimming through and are on a W30 from seeing things and thinking they might be able to eat them.

 

Thanks muchly!

 

I opened a new thread so we can keep on sharing our progress. It's in the Post Whole30 Logs section and it's called "Jan 2 2014, the story continues".

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/16442-jan-2-2014-the-story-continues/

 

I hope you all join me there!