Whole 30 starting Jan 1

[Jenny2014]

Hey, everybody!

So my "win" so far is that I'm having a super, super stressful week and typically I would eat the biggest pile of crap. I don't even really feel like it now, to be honest. I've never *not* felt like eating crap when I was stressed out.

It's like some kind of whole30 miracle!!!!!

[Stephanie313131]

Are you guys all able to afford free range meats and eggs and stuff? Ive got a family of five to feed and I don't feel like I can. How important is it? I do what I can, buy free range eggs, some meat but does anyone prioritise free range/organic meats over everything else?

I wish! Grass feed beef by me is $19/#, too rich for my blood. I'll get farm fresh organic eggs if the neighbor farmer has some for sale to treat myself to a special breakfast. I just can't afford it. Starving college student here.

Steph

[Stephanie313131]

DAY 8 & Felling Great! Whoop! Whoop!

 

Anyone here on Instagram? If you use the #Whole30 hashtag, there is an awesome community of people sharing their foods tips & pics there. I thought I'd be here on the forum more often, but I've found that I really like the visuals & up-to-the-minuteness of that community. Here's me & what my Whole30 has looked liked so far... http://instagram.com/joannadevoe

 

I. AM. OBSESSED. WITH. INSTAGRAM.

 

I joined just for the #Whole30, but now I kinda want to keep them both going indefinitely...

I love Instagram too. Come find me! lol! I posted my dinner and a copy of Well Fed2 in my last post.

[Tina R]

Are you guys all able to afford free range meats and eggs and stuff? Ive got a family of five to feed and I don't feel like I can. How important is it? I do what I can, buy free range eggs, some meat but does anyone prioritise free range/organic meats over everything else?

I try to buy cage free eggs and I buy grassfed ground beef at Trader Joe's or Sprouts $6.95 per lb. I also buy grass fed stew meat at Sprouts when they have it. For chicken I buy Rosie's free range. It's not pastured but it is the best I can afford. I want to join a CSA but I am not sure I can eat all the veggies in two weeks.

[helen]

 

I made Well Fed's Paleo Pad Thai last night.  It was really good.  So good, in fact that I could see it being a food without breaks, as it basically is chicken, spaghetti squash, snow peas and onions slathered in Sunshine Sauce, and sprinkled with chopped almonds.  It had a really great mouth feel after eating meat, meat, meat for the past week.  Nice to be shoveling in something noodle-like again.  It wasn't quite spicy enough, but that is the factor of the Sunshine Sauce, which can be made as spicy as one wishes.  I would highly recommend this recipe.  Seems that Well Fed is the Whole30 recipe book.

 

 

I can't seem to find Sunflower butter that doesn't have added sugar.  Where did you find it?

[Annoid]

Day 8. Short on time. Busy time at work. Went well. Ate well. Feel well. Wishing you all great stuff...... Onward....

[drtracyb]

I can't seem to find Sunflower butter that doesn't have added sugar.  Where did you find it?

 

I made my own using roasted sunflower seeds.  Later I read a recipe that said you should use raw and toast them on the stove because the preroasted ones are too dry.  I'm trying out a  Vitamix that I bought myself for Christmas, deciding if I want to keep it.

[justmary]

Maranatha has a compliant sunflower butter. Just seeds and salt. It's really good.

http://www.maranathafoods.com/product/sunflower-seed-butter

[jodea]

I was busy yesterday (cooking for an hour and a half in the evening didn't help!) so have missed a fair few entries on the forum. Will work my way through today. Great to see you all still here!

I'm feeling pretty good. Nasty bloating has gone since I cut coconut milk. Don't feel like I've lost weight really but do feel good inside, which is more important. And my skin is looking good.

The British media has cottoned on to the "sugar is bad for you" message over recent days, which can only be a good thing. There's hope! A colleague said to me when they heard a story about it on the radio "It made me think of you"! I like that

Carolyn - I realised in my first W30 I was using fruit as 'dessert'. I cut it out and have survived okay. And I love fruit, but it's so good to break that after dinner cycle.

Have a good day 9 all.

[annabel]

 

Hearing people talk about the scale makes me anxious to check my progress, but I won't, because I know if I don't see equally big losses I will feel like a failure.  And I like how I feel, physically, right now, so I don't want to stop.  In fact, I kind of want to keep going like this, with the restrictions and everything, for as long as possible...100 days, 365 days, who knows?

 

That's the problem with people even mentioning how they cheated by weighing themselves, it increases the temptation for everyone else.  I don't see any benefit in weighing yourself mid-W30.  Like you said, you'd be disappointed if you didn't see the number go down, but even if you did see the number go down that might cause you to either start eating less fat to see if you could lose more, or ease up on your good template meals because you've already succeeded in weight loss. 

 

Are you guys all able to afford free range meats and eggs and stuff? Ive got a family of five to feed and I don't feel like I can. How important is it? I do what I can, buy free range eggs, some meat but does anyone prioritise free range/organic meats over everything else?

 

I buy free range eggs because they're the cheapest eggs around. I think most of our meat is primarily grass-fed here.  But organics are most definitely not within my budget, with only one income (having gone back to school for re-training) and no job security with that even. 

 

I can't seem to find Sunflower butter that doesn't have added sugar.  Where did you find it?

 

I've made my own in a regular food processor. It takes ages, but does work in the end.  Mine started to overheat a bit in the summer, but not such a problem right now.

 

Day 9 now, we're over 25% of the way there.  I think today and tomorrow will be a bit of a struggle for me.  I have my intensive language class and everyone usually brings in lovely biscuits, cakes, chocolates and whatnot.  At least there's one girl who has coeliac and another who can't have eggs, so I won't be the only one not partaking.

[Semolina]

Annabel -- was going to say the same thing to genifer about the meat here in the UK ... pretty much all grassfed. I try to buy higher welfare chicken and eggs but that's got nothing to do with W30, and organic fruit and veg is just (currently) way out of my budget. I figure that I wash it, and it may not be the best but it's a darn sight better than toast and cheese.

 

And also -- weighing -- no no no no. It was the HARDEST thing for me on my first W30 but really really important in the process of me learning to start to trust the feedback my body was giving me. I really thought I hadn't lost any weight during my first W30 and was GRUMPY about it but stuck to the rules. Others were writing about how their clothes were falling off them and they felt tiger blood and great and blah blah blah and I felt none of those things. In retrospect, though, what I got out of it was a much healthier relationship with food ... I ate when I was hungry and I ate food I liked, and I TRIED not to worry about what it was doing to the scale (those avocados! that mayonnaise!) even though I thought I was probably gaining weight I kept telling myself it was at least healthier. In the end I lost 8 lbs -- over 30 days which is LOADS (though I do carry probably 20 lbs more than I should so it's not THAT difficult to lose - I think weight loss depends on how much extra you have to start with).

 

The biggest thing I learnt was not deciding what I was or wasn't going to eat based on the number on the bathroom scale -- and that has stayed with me, and I wouldn't have learnt that lesson without a 30-day abstinence from the bathroom scale. Since my first W30 (June 2013) I have weighed myself on and off, but the scales are no longer in the bathroom for me to jump on and off every time I go in there, but in a cupboard and I have to get them out to actively decide I want to weigh.

 

Day 9. Going well. Doing really well with lots of stuff in the fridge. Last night couldn't be bothered to cook, but was saved by what was in the fridge. Horray! Onwards all ...

[sailorlawrence]

Day Nine,

Made some chicken with almond flour tonight... It turned out to be the bomb.com

Feeling rather fantastic, not hungry in between meals, skin is smooth and sleeping like a baby.

Work is still stressful but I'm learning to cope with it differently, and not let it bring me down.

I can really see myself eating like this for the long haul, it's very sustainable and I love not being hungry ALL the time, and having a constant rises and drops in blood sugar levels. My dad in the states is also doing paleo, but more of the bulletproof paleo...he loves it too!

All of you are my inspiration to keep on trekking! Thank you and happy Whole30!

"To do, or do not, there is no try"- Yoda, Jedi Master.

[helen]

I made my own using roasted sunflower seeds.  Later I read a recipe that said you should use raw and toast them on the stove because the preroasted ones are too dry.  I'm trying out a  Vitamix that I bought myself for Christmas, deciding if I want to keep it.

Keep the Vitamix!  I love mine.  We make a lot of green smoothies around here (I know frowned upon but still great for my kids to eat spinach every single day).  I am going to the food co-op today and see is they have Sunbutter without added sugar.  The one I bought for the kids because of a peanut allergy does have it added (Sunbutter brand).  

[helen]

Maranatha has a compliant sunflower butter. Just seeds and salt. It's really good.

http://www.maranathafoods.com/product/sunflower-seed-butter

 

Cool!  I have a few places to check for this now!

 

[helen]

I am also chiming in on the DO NOT WEIGH yourself and scale 'cheating.'  It messes with your head and I think promotes an unhealthy Whole30.  I know it is hard but it is part of the package.  If you are tempted put it in the trunk of your partner's car, or send to work with them, or give to a neighbor.  Not cool!**

 

**in the most non-judgmental voice I can use.  I do understand the temptation but it is not promoting a healthy psychological response to food.  From what I have seen is that the people who have the hardest time on the Whole30 are those with the 'restriction' diet conditioning (which I also have and am battling and is a huge part of why this is my Whole30 and I will do more Whole30s etc).

[helen]

 

 

And also -- weighing -- no no no no. It was the HARDEST thing for me on my first W30 but really really important in the process of me learning to start to trust the feedback my body was giving me. I really thought I hadn't lost any weight during my first W30 and was GRUMPY about it but stuck to the rules. Others were writing about how their clothes were falling off them and they felt tiger blood and great and blah blah blah and I felt none of those things. In retrospect, though, what I got out of it was a much healthier relationship with food ... I ate when I was hungry and I ate food I liked, and I TRIED not to worry about what it was doing to the scale (those avocados! that mayonnaise!) even though I thought I was probably gaining weight I kept telling myself it was at least healthier. In the end I lost 8 lbs -- over 30 days which is LOADS (though I do carry probably 20 lbs more than I should so it's not THAT difficult to lose - I think weight loss depends on how much extra you have to start with).

 

The biggest thing I learnt was not deciding what I was or wasn't going to eat based on the number on the bathroom scale -- and that has stayed with me, and I wouldn't have learnt that lesson without a 30-day abstinence from the bathroom scale. Since my first W30 (June 2013) I have weighed myself on and off, but the scales are no longer in the bathroom for me to jump on and off every time I go in there, but in a cupboard and I have to get them out to actively decide I want to weigh.

 

Beautifully said!!  

[Sarah T]

Good morning.

I'm rage-y this morning, but I think it's due to stupid people around me... (really, who blocks someone else's driveway and refuses to move at 8am when everyone is going to work? Grrr!)

 

Anyway, I determined yesterday I wasn't eating enough, so worked at that for today. Added a few almonds to my breakfast, lunch is a beef broccoli stir fry topped with avocado and I measured the veggie to make sure I was getting enough. Dinner... well, we have chicken pieces thawed, so I'll do something with those. 

[Emily Roberts-Springer]

Day 9.  Starting to feel neutral about getting up at 5.45 am (as opposed to bad about it, or hitting snooze), which is a nice side effect of the program.  My commute is killer and I have a stressful job so I'm trying to counter the early rising with early bedtime.  While I haven't been great at getting in bed before 11, I do notice I'm also falling asleep faster. 

 

That's about it as far as changes I've noticed over the past 24 hours.

 

Meals are going ok - I think we're going to eat all we bought and made, which is great for the budget and also future estimations of how much/long to cook on weekends. 

 

Breakfast was Well Fed eggplant strata and then coffee with coconut milk.  Lunch will be another big-ass salad with spinach, veg, and tuna.  Am going to eat some hard boiled eggs and olives before the gym this afternoon.  Will warm up my bone broth (new daily habit?) shortly.  Tonight the kiddo and I will finish off the pureed butternut squash from Well Fed with roast chicken and broccoli.

 

Day by day I am trying to stick with my new habits and also add in healthier behaviors where I can.  I hope this 30 days is a turning point for me.  I think it is.

[ktothev]

I needed to read these posts about weighing yourself this morning. I also started on the 1st, and I'll be honest, I jumped on the scale a couple of days ago, and this morning I battled with myself about getting on again. I asked myself "how is that number going to affect my actions today?" and I realized regardless of what that number was, it would not have any positive impact and could very well have a negative impact on both my actions and my mood. So I stayed off. (My scale is in my basement, on a shelf in my laundry room!).

 

I thought the hardest part of this (my first Whole30) was going to be no wine...but it turns out I am more addicted to the scale. That's an important thing for me to figure out, and says a lot about what personal demons I need to be focused on.

[mykidsteacher]

lizrincon--thanks for the almond milk tip. I haven't tried making it myself yet.  Can you use roasted almonds, or do they have to be raw?

 

Alliath--I'm so sorry you car was too blue and you lost a cool pen.  And that it made you so sad.  I hope today is better for you. Your witty writing style gave many of us a smile and/or a chuckle--thanks for that!

 

I've battled the desire to weigh as well.  I was a twice a day weigher.  So far, I haven't caved, and don't intend to.  I don't see my clothes fitting any differently, but I FEEL better, even lighter, and def less bloated. So if the numbers haven't changed, I know that would become my focus--altering my food choices to get the numbers to change.  Whereas now my food choices are based on what I like, and what keeps me satisfied from one meal to the next. 

 

I didn't sleep as well last night.  Had trouble getting to sleep, had lots of dreams, and then woke up at 5:45 (1/2 hour before alarm) and couldn't sleep anymore. I don't feel exhausted, but I do feel tired.

 

Weird side effect or just coincidence?  Anyone have any eye changes on the whole30?  Seems like since I started this, my eyes are worse. I wear multi focal contacts, but have been wearing low-powered cheap reading glasses to read because up close is blurry. My reading vision was getting a little blurry before I started the whole30, but it seems like it changed quickly after.  Need to make an appt with the eye doc, but was just curious if it could be related or not.

 

[lexes42]

I think it's normal during the w30 to want to check the scale because you want a 'sign' that this is all for the best and the tough moments are worth it.  It's also normal to think every twitch and flutter is w30 related.  I had a psychiatrist who explained that anti-depressants don't work like advil.  You don't know within two hours whether they are working.  Over weeks and weeks a fog lifts super slowly ... or a fuzzy picture comes into focus.... or frost melts off a window.  Hour by hour the change is too subtle to notice much... but then one day you do suddenly notice you're actually seeing the world in color and not black and white.   With me, I know I am doing better when I start to sing to myself... or behave in a silly way (with or without anyone around).  Neither of those things happen when I am in a bad place, but they start happening before I say - wow I'm better!

 

But I think one of the many reasons why the scale should go away is because not only are it's scores not very reliable, but they aren't subtle.  All the other changes are subtle... and you have to kind of be in a quiet place to notice them...not hyper focused and wondering... am I better? how bout now? is this worth it? are there results?  okay, I'll be patient.  How bout now? 

 

funnily enough on day 8 I am annoyed that my hands are still a little achy and I still feel stiff in places.  It's only day 8!  It took the full 30+ for me to really notice much (besides less bloating / water retention) in my first w30.  And considering the fact that I know all of my physical / mental challenges relate to regulating hormones... I should really give this whole 'experiment' months and years.... since I've certainly spent years trying other fixes.

 

One weird but good thing that happens to me during w30 is that I 'feel' more beautiful.  You know how one day you feel pretty confident - good hair day, great outfit, nothing hurts, you're smiley, someone compliments you... and then possibly the very next day you feel like a fat, frumpy, worthless lump?  You know logically that not enough could have changed in 24 hours... so it really is ALL mental.. but it feels so 'real'!?  Well w30 eating makes me feel the first way far more often. It's possibly the 'righteous, smug' effect!

 

keep on keepin on!

[Erin16]

Hi all, just checking in and saying hi!  Day 9, and I'm feeling fine!  I don't feel any better than usual, but I don't feel any worse.  I do feel a bit on the bloated side (sorry if that's TMI).  My husband found a Whole 30 timeline and it says that it's normal to actually gain weight and feel bloated around this time so hopefully that will go away b/c I want to lose weight, not gain it!

 

Also, I am not hungry at all.  I don't have much of an appetite.  Does anyone else feel a loss of appetite?  

[CreatchoClock]

I really like the tough love on not getting on the scale or measuring.  You guys saying you weighed yourselves yesterday tempted me to measure!  To be honest, other than limiting alcohol, the lack of measuring myself or calorie-tracking is what is the hardest.  I really want some of these neuroses to go away over time. 

 

I've been, over the past few days, trying to limit the grazing before and after meals.  I get home from work around 7ish usually, and my husband and I cook together (takes some time!) by the time the meal comes I'm either a ravenous beast or I eat an apple or a couple hard boiled eggs.  Trying to eat more at lunch to avoid the snacks but the 7 or so hours in between meals are rough.  Advice?

 

Woke up today feeling like a bloat-monster and having some stomach pain.  I thought it was the cashew-chicken curry I made last night, but then saw the timeline that today is a bloat day.  That made me feel better!

 

Today I have to lead a work event where we ordered a zillion cake pops.  It's going to be really obvious that I'm not eating them.  Not sure how to hit it off with a pass without making other people feel bad about having them.  What do you guys think?

[Physibeth]

Some amazing things said about the scale no-no already so I won't post a lot. Just adding some "moderator" weight behind it. Please, please, please do what you can not to weigh yourself or measure yourself during your Whole30! This isn't to be mean or to make the end results more dramatic. It is for the sake of your health both physical and mental. 

 

I put off doing a Whole30 for almost 3 months after I went Paleo because I couldn't deal with the no scale and no counting rules yet. But when I did my Whole30 I stuck to the rules and it helped me to see all the other amazing health markers I was missing when I was a slave to those measurements. The three months after my Whole30 I weighed myself on the 1st of the month. Then one month I forgot and I just haven't had the desire since. 

 

Some additional reading:

http://whole9life.com/2012/03/5-reasons-to-break-up-with-your-scale/

http://everydaypaleo.com/attention-scale-addicts/

http://everydaypaleo.com/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/

[annabel]

CreatchoClock- 7 hours is probably at the upward limit of acceptable between meal time for me.  Are you including sweet potatoes or other starchier veg in your breakfast and lunch? Maybe think about what food prep can be done ahead of time to enable dinner to be a bit earlier.