Attemptig a whole 30

[Cassie001]

First day on my Whole 30

 

 

I've been gluten free and dairy free for years, but I cheat.

Last week I was traveling for buisness and was not able to eat clean. I am suffering the consequences this week (stomach pain for 7 consecutive days and an ear/throat infection).

 

I've done a period of modified Whole30 with some 85% dark chocolate and lost of stevia. But never for 30 days. Not even close. 

 

This time, I want to eliminate the dark chocolate, and stop using stevia (expect in my morning coconut flour pancake and in my mid-morning snack bread, in which I will allow just a little bit of stevia, but not enough for it to really taste sweet). I will also limit fruit to 3 servings a day.

 

I plan on enjoying 1 drink at holiday parties and tasting the treats moderatly, while staying mindfull. In between holiday parties, I plan to stay on my Whole 30 plan.

 

I believe in making small changes, and being consistant. This is why I don't want to stress about being ''perfect'' at parties. Perhaps in January, after the holidays madness, I will do a real Whole 30.

 

I am also starting a fitness challenge with my dance school. The challenge is 30 days of 30 min of flexibility work a day. Since I am already pretty active (going to the gym, dance classes, 55 hr work weeks, ...), this will take some commitment. I am participating in the challenge, but adjusting so that it is feasible for me. I plan on doing 30 min of flex 4 times a week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday). I am doing this until the end of december. Hoping to improve my splits!

 

I also want to post regularly (every 2-3 days), even for short updates, with longer posts on the weekend.

 

Hoping to find support in this Forum.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

[PamH]

It sounds like you just want to live a balanced life!  I wish you well…

 

Do you know why you feel so horrible when you eat gluten/casein?  Ever ruled out celiac disease?  

 

Those coconut flour pancakes are dense!  Are you talking about the one from Nom-Nom Paleo or PaleOMG?  That kind of breakfast sets me up for a challenging day of avoiding 'cheats'.  I don't do well with paleo subs for old favorite conventional foods.  

 

I'm also doing a Modified Whole30 since the restrictions on a compliant Whole30 are just beyond my grasp.  I am working to make processed sugar a rare treat and not a daily staple.  Going gluten/casein free, like you, is pretty much how I live anyway for the past several years.  I have been Paleo since mid 2012 but I feel into the trap of recreating desserts to Paleo and wound up in the same old place of (dark) chocolate and Paleo treats making up the majority of my daily calorie intake.   I am not going to stress over having a little heavy cream or cheese in my meals I eat outside of the home, but I try to stay compliant as much as possible in my cooking.  I don't drink much, if any, so that is not an issue.

 

TMI.  This is about you.  Enjoy your fitness challenge, too!

[Cassie001]

Do you know why you feel so horrible when you eat gluten/casein?  Ever ruled out celiac disease?  

I am not celiac because I don't have the celiac reaction to gluten. I do have a delayed effect though. I can feel hung over, depressed, moody over the next days. If I consume gluten or dairy on more than just one occasion (eg like last week when I was away), I will develop random cramping in my stomach and might get some sort of infection.

 

Those coconut flour pancakes are dense!  Are you talking about the one from Nom-Nom Paleo or PaleOMG?  That kind of breakfast sets me up for a challenging day of avoiding 'cheats'.  I don't do well with paleo subs for old favorite conventional foods.  

What do you mean by dense?

I am not following any recipe (I mix coconut flour with 2 eggs and almond milk, sometimes I will  add either a protein powder or some phylum husks)

I find it satisfying and gives me a good dose of fiber in the morning (can't imagine eating a huge bowl of veg in the morning to get my fiber in)

 

 

I'm also doing a Modified Whole30 since the restrictions on a compliant Whole30 are just beyond my grasp.  I am working to make processed sugar a rare treat and not a daily staple.  Going gluten/casein free, like you, is pretty much how I live anyway for the past several years.  I have been Paleo since mid 2012 but I feel into the trap of recreating desserts to Paleo and wound up in the same old place of (dark) chocolate and Paleo treats making up the majority of my daily calorie intake.  

Not sure I understand what is a real Whole 30... Other than the exception for holiday parties, the only thing not Whole 30 in my plan is the little stevia in my morning pancake, right?

 

 

Thanks for your comments!

[GFChris]

To do a real Whole30, you need to follow it 100%.

 

Among other things, that means no sweetener of any kind, no alcohol, no Paleo pancakes, breads or treats for 30 consecutive days.

[Cassie001]

Ok. I understand that it is not a Whole 30. Also just saw a post that it should be 3 meals a day, no snacking. That is the scariest part.

 

For now, I will stick to my plan (explained above). If I can stick to that till January, I will be extremely proud of myself. Once this becomes easy, I might attempt a real Whole 30.

 

(I should mention I have a history of binge eating. The full on eating disorder)

[GFChris]

Are you getting professional help for your binge eating?

[amberino21]

Ok. I understand that it is not a Whole 30. Also just saw a post that it should be 3 meals a day, no snacking. That is the scariest part.

For now, I will stick to my plan (explained above). If I can stick to that till January, I will be extremely proud of myself. Once this becomes easy, I might attempt a real Whole 30.

(I should mention I have a history of binge eating. The full on eating disorder)

I went straight in to 3 meals a day from about 5 years of 6-7 meals a day. It was surprisingly easy! I made sure to include plenty of protein and lots of fat (upper limit of the template) - this will provide satisfaction for hours! Once you listen to your body you'll realise you probably aren't hungry most of the time, just eating out of boredom, habit, emotion etc

[PamH]

Ok. I understand that it is not a Whole 30. Also just saw a post that it should be 3 meals a day, no snacking. That is the scariest part.

 

For now, I will stick to my plan (explained above). If I can stick to that till January, I will be extremely proud of myself. Once this becomes easy, I might attempt a real Whole 30.

 

(I should mention I have a history of binge eating. The full on eating disorder)

Eating disorder girl here, too.  Started in the 1980s and carried over, in one form or another, until I guess today.  I think my long standing unhealthy relationship with food is why the restrictive Whole30 approach doesn't work for me.  I want to get away from extremes; not embrace them.  I do find the cold turkey approach to quitting sugar works to end my cravings so I work hard to avoid trigger foods and behaviors.  

 

Oh, and by "dense" I mean the coconut flour pancakes I've made are heavy and filling and sometimes just sit in my stomach.  I am sadly suspecting that coconut in excess is not my friend.

 

Not snacking has been my biggest hurdle.  Eating large meals (or large enough) makes me feel like I've 'blown it' and tends to lead me to overeating/grazing; especially if I am alone.  Oh, to find that satiety button consistently would be awesome!

 

That brings me to this:  I've read that zinc deficiency can be an underlying cause of binge eating.  Ever heard that?  Same with anorexia.  Zinc is an interesting mineral…

[JJB]

Personally I don't see anything wrong with making improvements in stages. Hopefully you will be ready next year to do a full/real W30 to experience the benefits. I jumped in with mine right after reading ISWF, but it took me almost a year to prepare myself to not eat bread/cookies/graham crackers etc. If the scariest part for you is only 3 meals a day, I wouldn't stress over that at first. If you're not doing a full-on W30 right now, I think the main thing is for you to focus on eating good food. Maybe in a couple of weeks you could start weening yourself off snacks. No snacking is not a hard and fast rule anyway; it's just a recommendation. Some of us need snacks because we have to go too long between meals due to work or family schedules. You just want them to be the right kinds of snacks...a mini-meal that includes vegetables, protein, and fat. And yes, veg at breakfast sounds weird at first. Give it a try though, you can get used to it!

[Cassie001]

Are you getting professional help for your binge eating?

It's been 9 years. It still creaps up sometimes (when I try to diet), but it is mosty resolved. I am scared of loosing wait because of it though. It shows up after I lose even just a few pounds. This s why I want to focus on health, energy levels, mood,... not on weight.

 

 I want to get away from extremes; not embrace them. I do find the cold turkey approach to quitting sugar works to end my cravings so I work hard to avoid trigger foods and behaviors.

 You get me PamH! Getting away from extremes is necessary in order to get through an eating disorder.

 

I will look into the zinc thing (I do take a multivitamin that has some in it, maybe not enough?)

[Cassie001]

Personally I don't see anything wrong with making improvements in stages. Hopefully you will be ready next year to do a full/real W30 to experience the benefits. I jumped in with mine right after reading ISWF, but it took me almost a year to prepare myself to not eat bread/cookies/graham crackers etc. If the scariest part for you is only 3 meals a day, I wouldn't stress over that at first. If you're not doing a full-on W30 right now, I think the main thing is for you to focus on eating good food. Maybe in a couple of weeks you could start weening yourself off snacks. No snacking is not a hard and fast rule anyway; it's just a recommendation. Some of us need snacks because we have to go too long between meals due to work or family schedules. You just want them to be the right kinds of snacks...a mini-meal that includes vegetables, protein, and fat. And yes, veg at breakfast sounds weird at first. Give it a try though, you can get used to it!

Thanks for your comments JJB

[GonnaMakeIt!!]

Hi, Cassie001. I'm on Day 23 of my first whole30 and have not had a healthy relationship with food in the past. I am totally amazed how this has freed me up. The science-y stuff that the Hartwigs explain in their book makes total sense, and I am experiencing my brain changing. In the beginning the mental part of this was hard, but my body and brain are catching up to my choice to do whole30. I travel some, and though it is difficult, you can learn to find good choices when on the road. The book is very helpful. Best wishes!

[Cassie001]

@GonnaMakeIt! : Thanks. That's encouraging. Might get the book to read over the holidays.

[Cassie001]

I actually want to be able to enjoy the great thigs in life, wether it be fine cuisine or wilderness adventures. I guess this is my long term goal. To be able to enjoys treats without them setting me of into uncontrolable binging.

(I usually start binging as soon as my weight decreases even just a little)

[Emily T]

Cassie, I put off doing a real whole30 for over a year because I was scared I would fail. I was scared I would not be able to give up small things (Diet Coke, hummus, yogurt, chocolate, and snacking). But I decided to do it and I did it! I think its great you are doing this to make positive changes in your life. I would encourage you to try to do the whole30 - you may be surprised by your ability and stamina, and it will give you fantastic benefits!

 

The argument against stevia is that, like any artificial sweetener, your brain still sees it as sugar and will react to it the way it reacts to sugar, which means you may crave sugar later on. In other words, you cannot beat sugar cravings without giving up ALL sweeteners. I would encourage you to give it up for a week and see what happens! 

 

Good luck and don't get too crazy during the holidays - its not worth the stress!!!

[Cassie001]

Thanks Emily. I definitely want to try a Whole30 after the holidays.

 

And for the stevia, it's only been a few days and it's already helping reduce my cravings.

[Cassie001]

Little update:

 

I've been following my plan, except for the fruit. I've been having 4 a day and not 3. But all and all I feel pretty happy about myself.

 

Today I feel amazing.

The only thing is... I think I might start losing a pound or 2 (I feel it right away, it's weird, don't know how to describe). And if I start loosing weigh, that is scary because that means binge eating my creep up. It has been my experience that loose control without notice as soon as I start losing (even just 1 or 2 pounds).
Need to saty zen and make sure I eat enough food.

 

I have a party on friday night (office chrismas party). I am driving there so I will not be tempted to drink more than 1 or 2 glasses of wine.

I need to be prepared for a challenge in self control when I get back home though. This is typically where I have had my worst binge eating episodes (after a party, comming home late, after drinking). Scary.

 

I want to be able to do it though. I want to be able to take part in parties and be fine when I come home.

[Cassie001]

After lunch, I was needing something bad. I went out and got 4 bananas and a jar of almond butter and you know what, I don't even regret it. It's been 3 hours since I ate that and I still feel good. My mood is better. I am calmer, feel more in control. This morning I had a lot of nervous energy. Felt on the edge. Now I am good for a few days  Might not be the Whole30 way, but for me, this was a success. I don't feel like binging anymore. I didn't eat till I felt sick. I am not tired or irritable. I feel good. satisfied.

[amberino21]

Are you trying to stick to the template , and just have three meals a day?

http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Meal-Planning-Template.pdf

Even doing a modified whole 30, it would be a good idea to try and stop unnecessary snacking. If you're starving and need to eat something, protein, fat and vegies would be more satisfying for your body than fruit and nuts.

When you start making healthier choices, it's likely that you'll drop water weight initially. It's not fat loss, just excess water your body is holding on to.

[PamH]

After lunch, I was needing something bad. I went out and got 4 bananas and a jar of almond butter and you know what, I don't even regret it. It's been 3 hours since I ate that and I still feel good. My mood is better. I am calmer, feel more in control. This morning I had a lot of nervous energy. Felt on the edge. Now I am good for a few days  Might not be the Whole30 way, but for me, this was a success. I don't feel like binging anymore. I didn't eat till I felt sick. I am not tired or irritable. I feel good. satisfied.

did you eat it all?  I have that same restlessness on the days I usually struggle the most.  If they happen only 1-2 times a month I'll be good with that…

[Cassie001]

No I didn't eat the whole jar! lol (..just a 1/4 of it)

But that is not a binge. I did not over do it. It was just perfect.

 

It really calmed me down and I was able to stop before feeling sick, so I say it's a success. Plus, these are foods that I can easily digest so no harm there.

[Cassie001]

I've been eating way to much bananas... Next week, I will try to not eat bananas at all (just to make sure I don't develop new cravings for bananas). I will replace with apples and berries.

I haven't cheated at all since I've set up my plan last thursday. Will have a couple drinks tonight though (christmas party)