Lenten Whole40 support thread

[TessTurbo]

A patch of unusually rashy, red, dry skin that had been coming and going since November, that the dermatologist thought was contact in nature, has gone and stayed gone within the past week. In fact, it looks like I just had a facial. Which I haven't had in months, due to the recurring, stinging, burning rash.

 

Also, I've had my blood pressure checked by four 2nd-year med students a day, two days a week, for the past three weeks (it's part of their final exam and I'm a lay member of their 'examination squad.') This week it's been hovering steadily around 118/76. Usually it's all over the map. I guess my body really agrees with all those eggs and sweet potatoes.

 

Still can NOT digest kale or other dark leafy greens. I stopped trying long ago, but tried again this week. Got the same results as usual. I'm kale intolerant, and I'm okay with that...no matter what the relatives who send me vegan articles send, including the recent one one about the benefits of green smoothies with kale. I'd have to quit working, grocery shopping, sleeping, and cooking, as my whole life would be spent no more than a few inches away from the nearest loo.

[TDC]

lujo: You might find that after a couple of Whole30s that you don't eat quite so badly or so much during your Halloween-New Year period. I'm not saying you won't overindulge, but you might be surprised that you don't feel like eating in the same quantity. I was surprised throughout December how much more sensible I was: much more mindful in what I was eating. Of course I ate cake and pineapple tarts and all the other amazing Christmas food but I would often stop at two or three rather than a whole handful. One case in point was the chocolate log that Granny made for Christmas Eve: the others all ate most of it before I got home from work and normally I'd have felt sad for only having a small sliver left but it didn't seem to bother me: I enjoyed the sliver loads and that was it. And by the day after boxing day I was gagging for some real food for breakfast - enough pastries!! (BTW I can't remember whether I've said all of this already, I contribute to a couple of threads!) Anyway, point is, you might surprise yourself, and then you know that January is there to get back on track!!

[peahen65]

Enjoyed a couple of "tiger blood" days this week, but today feeling kind of blah. 

 

Tonight I'm making chicken breasts ala the Well Fed method (brining first, then with a rub).  Tomorrow is corned beef with cabbage and carrots.  Last night I made homemade spaghetti sauce... husband and I ate it like chili from bowls  I made pasta for everyone else.  Years ago, my mother married an Italian and one of the few times I've seen him, he made "real" Italian red sauce (aka spaghetti sauce) and I wrote down what he did.  It's made with tons of veg and pork and you sauté the herbs, etc.  I made a modified version last night with my home canned tomatoes, etc., and used 1/2 grass fed ground beef, 1/2 ground pork for the meat.  It was YUMMY.  It had been a long time since I'd done the real thing.  The family loved it too.  I think I will try my best to make this a weekly cook up.  It makes a huge amount and is great for snacks for my perpetually hungry 15 year old son. 

 

Oh, and I had an epic mayo FAIL last night.  After posing the question on the food forum and getting good response and direction, I tried doubling the mayo recipe - total failure  I made a perfect single batch this morning, so from now on, it will be single batches, even if I have to do several in a row at one time.

 

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, everybody!

[TessTurbo]

I had to pick up a stack of pizzas for someone else's event today and came within inches of caving in. I kept saying to myself, these are not the last pizzas on the planet, and this close to 30 days in, it isn't worth a restart. I steered clear of the pizzas (butternut squash & Granny Smith apple soup, anyone?), but my car still smells like a pizzeria, this many hours later.

Had a taco salad for dinner plus some sliced plantains sautéed in coconut oil. Pizza may SOUND good, but right now, I'm full.

[peahen65]

Way to hang in there, Tess!

[peahen65]

Your story reminded me of my barista earlier last week.  He had told me about a wonderful chocolate cheesecake muffin the restaurant down the street had, and how he was eating one every day and needed to break the cycle.  I told him don't talk to me about chocolate cheesecake muffins!  Next time I went in for coffee, I was sitting at a table talking with a friend and I hear my name... repeatedly... I looked up and my barista was WAVING a chocolate cheese cake muffin at me!  With friends like ours, who needs enemies, right Tess?

[mcjule]

Happy Sunday everyone!

 

So I'm still waiting for the increased energy/Tiger Blood.  I know that the bad cold I've had for two weeks is probably holding me back the most but I don't know if I'm also experiencing a delay due to the accidental soy lecithin that I had or the fact that I have a baby and a toddler who are exhausting!  

 

I'm really wishing I could extend this Whole 30 to have 30 fully compliant days, which would mean an extra week or two, but the timing just isn't right.  I keep going back and forth about how I could manage it but a vacation with every meal out and then a visit to a relative's house just isn't good for being 100% compliant.  My plan right now is to reintro gluten grains and then non-gluten grains starting on Day 34 and then try to go back to staying on track during my vacation.  That way I'll know how those things affect me but I can go forward staying on plan until Easter (or beyond) to try to maximize my benefits.  I am not going to stress all vacation about the potential for added sugar or maybe having a glass of wine with dinner, but I will try to stay as close to the plan as possible.  Then I'll reintro legumes/soy once I've been off them for a true month.  I hope this works!

[peahen65]

That sounds like a reasonable plan, mcjule.  I'm still unsure about how I'll go about reintro.  I do know I want to be able to eat whatever I want Easter Sunday at least.  Which for me would only include some chocolate and maybe some cheese.  Reintroducing legumes first won't really work for me, as I haven't been eating them for a while already and not sure I want to.  Maybe some beans and rice every now and then.  I'll probably reintro dairy first, as that was one thing that was big (every day consumption of at least some Greek yogurt or cheese before W40) for me to drop for the Whole40+. 

 

Here's a complaint recipe a friend sent me to try.  I've not tried it yet...

 

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

1 cup finely chopped strawberries 

1/4 cup peeled and finely chopped avocado 

2 tablespoons finely minced red onion 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

1/2 tablespoon lime zest 

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 

2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapeno peppers

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss gently and serve immediately.

[TDC]

Thanks for the recipe peahen65! This would go nicely with the chilli cilantro lime crockpot recipe SharynF mentioned in another thread: http://paleopot.com/2013/01/chili-cilantro-lime-chicken/ Strawberries aren't in season yet so I'll wait a couple of months for that I think...trying to eat local right now. The chicken looks good, though, and I think I'll make that this week sometime as I've got a load of limes that need using up. I love using my slow cooker, although timing wise it's a bit annoying because most recipes say 6-8 hours (especially for chicken!) and since I'm out all day at work (total time out of the house including travel is 10 hours at least; more if I've got something on in the evening!) and sleep for at least 7-8 hours at night I can't always manage this, and my slow cooker doesn't have a timer. I need to get one of those timer plugs.

 

It's weird to think that this is Day 27; normally by this point I'm gearing up to the end but since I'm extending this to 9 April and then doing the Reintro until the day after Easter Saturday there still seems quite a long way to go! However, I haven't really thought about it that much and am cooking and eating much more instinctively now. I hope this continues after Easter -- the instinctiveness I mean. I obviously don't want to live my life doing Whole30 but I would like to think I can stay relatively well on track while still enjoying the good things in life.

[peahen65]

Woohoo!  Day 27!  We're well over halfway!  Yesterday was the 4th Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, and our preacher spoke about how this Sunday is less of a penitential one, more of a reflective one, looking back over Lent so far.  His message was all good, but I especially enjoyed thinking about my Lenten Whole40+ journey so far.  I used my (female) cycle as excuse to indulge in more fruit than I should have last week, so I have purposed to get back on the template and lower my fruit intake from here on out.  Otherwise things are going well. I like your term "eating instinctively", TDC.  That is how it's beginning to go for me.  Having to think a little less hard about what to eat. 

 

Today I had some very happy response to how I am looking. I really think I am getting leaner and I haven't had the "food baby" bloat problem for a while now and a couple ladies noticed today in strength class.  I took the opportunity to tell them about the Whole30 and how I think it's helping me get lean.  One lady, a young mom, seemed very interested.  She already shops at Trader Joe's so does try to consider foods more than your average person.  I think I'm going to go ahead and by a copy of It Starts With Food so that I can loan it out to people when they ask. 

[TessTurbo]

I found sugarless bacon at Whole Foods. Looking around, I see a bunch of other posts about Pederson's Natural Farms bacon, so it's not a new discovery. But it was for me. It's fully compliant and didn't require any special ordering.

First up: BLT salad...

[mcjule]

TessTurbo -- I found that same bacon at Whole Foods!  Very exciting.  Today I found compliant chicken stock (I had almost given up hope) and then hit up my organic market where I saw all this great stuff.  Yay!  I have learned my lesson about reading labels.  A couple weeks ago I ordered sausage from my CSA (they have meat options) and it had sugar in it.  So local, organic, and . . . contains sugar.  ALWAYS read the label!  If I had done this from the get-go I would have had a full compliant Whole 30.

 

Anyhow, the cold is almost gone, I'm feeling a bit more energy although still tired from my kids waking me up too early.  

 

Hope you are all having a great Monday!

[lujo238]

Good morning.  It's been an interesting few days.  We ate out for the first time the other day.  The waitress was wonderfully helpful and the food was all good.  Later that night I felt like I could eat anything in sight so I was scared I ate something that triggered cravings again. Then my period started and I was so relieved.  I kinda forgot it was coming.  The super ferocious emotions I usually get 1-2 gays in advance actually came about a week early and were out of my mind by now.  Sunday was  my usual bear of a day with cramps and bloat but by Monday it was over.  If my 2 days of wacked emotions followed by 3 days of my uterus trying to kill me are reduced to 1 day I will forever be grateful.  Here's hoping the emotional days a week ago were due to the Whole30. 

 

Good news!  My mother was actually talking about doing another Whole30.  And that was without me even mentioning it to her.  She has felt a lot of relief from her rheumatoid and I think she is interested in doing an AI protocol to see if she gets even more relief. 

 

mcjule - You know you, so I say if you feel you need to reintro first then do it.  It can be tough staring down the in-laws across a plate of off plan food.  If you know you will cave then do the reintro first.  That way ypu can tell them "I can't eat whatever because I have a sensitivity that could ruin the rest of our visit.  Last time I ate whatever it took my stomach 3 days to recover." It seems to me it would be easier to present specific facts instead of some "diet" they may suggest you cheat on while on vacation.  Where did you find the compliant chicken stock and what is the brand?

 

TessTurbo - Congrats on the blood pressure and the rash going away.  Those are great results.  As for the kale I can only say congrats on that also. lol

 

TDC - I hope your right about quantities.  My family and friends do a big cookie exchange the first
Sunday in December.  It's nice because then everyone has a large variety of treats on hand for the holidays without having to do all our own baking.  But man oh man the temptations in December. 

 

peahen - I'm a bit jealous of your tiger blood.  I have been waiting for it but nothing yet.  Congrats on the big sauce cook up too.  Thanks for the tip on the mayo.  I was planning to try a double but I'll stick to single batches. That strawberry avocado salsa looks amazing.  I will need to try that.

 

I hope you all have a great day 28.

[peahen65]

Checked out some cookbooks from the library... Warning! Stay AWAY from any Wheat Belly cookbooks!!! Chocked full of SWYPO recipes and he suggests using chemical franken-sweeteners. Cups of them in the recipes!

Another food dream: accidentally ate some potato chips and they were NASTY. I hope after the W40+ is done, I will find that they are nasty in real life too.

My barista told me about a restaurant that sounds like duck fat heaven. Truffle fries drenched in duck fat, anyone? Duck tacos. Hot popcorn with duck fat poured over and garlic sprinkled on top. Gonna check this place out for a special occasion AFTER the W40+ is done

[lujo238]

I have been dreaming of going to the movies.  I think it is the popcorn that is calling out to me.  Post W30 I may see if there is a film I want to see.  We have been talking about permanent changes and one of the things I said was no more popcorn, chips or any junk food at home.  That way the only place I will ever eat popcorn is at the movie theatre.  I usually only go 2-3 times a year so that will keep me away from my nightly salt binge. 

[mcjule]

Thanks for all the support.  I do need to do the reintro pre-vacation -- I think that's the only way to ensure it's done properly.  I'm only reintroing two foods, gluten grains and non-gluten grains.  The dairy reinto will be item by item because I already know I have an intolerance and I'm waiting a couple weeks to reintro legumes/soy.  

 

I think I'm preventing myself from having more energy by not sleeping enough!  Need to go to bed earlier!!

[TessTurbo]

I knew it was too good to be true. The rash is back. Nowhere near as bad as before, but definitely back. Maybe those who insisted it's contact related are right, only now my boosted immune system fights it off better.

It shows up on my forehead, temple, and chin. Usually. Sometimes it migrates around on my face, but nowhere else on my body. Most people can't see it due to the way I wear my hair.

[mcjule]

Lujo -- the compliant chicken broth was by Imagine.  It was at my regular grocery store:  http://www.imaginefoods.com/products/broths-stocks/organic-free-range-chicken-broth

[peahen65]

I had somehow missed about your rash, Tess, so re-read that post.  I've had a prickly red rash that migrates on my face since November too.  Mine is sides of my chin and beside my eyes (outer area, just off corner of my eyes).  I am convinced that mine is autoimmune progesterone dermatitis.  I've been taking natural micronized progesterone pills since August to lengthen my luteal phase because I am one of the perimenopausal women who, instead of skipping periods, started having continual periods and became dangerously anemic.  This progesterone protocol has cured my anemia, but this rash is dreadful.  The only thing that helps it is a very high powered steroid ointment, clobetasol propionate.  I hate having to use a steroid ointment so often; I know that can't be good in the long run.  I was hoping the Whole40+ would help, but mine's unchanged.  Anyway, if yours cycles Tess, it may be hormone related as well.  I hope you are able to get relief though.  You are young, right?  My daughter started having a similar rash to mine and hers did not respond to the steroid cream and she was diagnosed with rosacea.  She takes an antibiotic for it as well as an antibiotic lotion, which has helped tremendously.  Just a thought! 

 

I'm trying to go to bed earlier too, mcjule, but I'm not doing as well as I hoped.  Once I'm asleep, I sleep great (always have slept like the dead), but the past week I am very anxious and wakeful as I lie there waiting for sleep to come.  I don't know why.  I've started taking my Natural Calm again the past few nights to see if it helps, but I still am anxious at bedtime.  I think it helps me fall asleep better though.  Of course the 14 days of the month I take my progesterone (which I have to take right before bed) it knocks me out cold. 

 

Maybe my hormones are changing with the Whole40+.  I  will see my gyn soon.  I'd like to get off the progesterone if possible.  I just don't like being dependent on stuff like that.  And I hate dealing with this face rash. I am on the email list for Dr. Sara Gottfried, the lady who wrote The Hormone Cure.  I've been putting off buying her book because her emails come across like a snake oil salesman and I took a little online hormone cure test and the results were gobbledy-gook.  But a lot of the paleo people I follow and really respect (like Abel James) think she's awesome.  So I'm divided.  But I'd really like some help to healthfully and naturally navigate this menopause stuff. 

 

I ate better today, more on template, less fruit.  Food wise, it was a good day.  Good night everybody.  Tomorrow is Day 29... can you believe it?  I just looked at my calendar and counted... Palm Sunday is Day 40, so Easter will be Day 47, actually.  Wow.  It's been an interesting journey!

[mcjule]

Rashes sound no fun!  I'm so sorry you both are dealing with these Tess and peahen.

 

I'm definitely reaching that "eh" stage toward the end. I accidentally bought the wrong sunbutter (mine has sugar) and my first thought was, "well, I'm close to the end, not that big of a deal."  Don't worry, I am going to go back to the store and get the right one.  

 

I'm also getting nervous about the scale.  When I started I wanted to lose 10 pounds (I'm not overweight, but my weight is higher than I would like).  I knew that probably wasn't going to happen during the Whole 30, but I was hoping to lose some weight.  I fear that I'm not going to have lost anything.  My stomach is noticeably flatter, but my clothes aren't fitting differently.  This all comes back to why I wish I could extend the Whole 30.  I guess I could take a couple weeks off and then go back on, but maybe that's too soon . . . I'm not sure.

[TessTurbo]

Peahen, I'm 47. I'm often asked to prove it, but yeah, I'm really 47. Clobetasol is actually one of the prescriptions my dermatologist -- and a partner in her medical practice -- tried. That, and Promiseb, ketoconazole, Dermasmooth...plus a couple of others. I'm willing to try it again, as I still have the tube. So far this has baffled everyone, but they were fairly certain it was contact in nature. (After a while, I had my own doubts about that.)

No doctor ever suggested hormones, and I don't have any other signs of perimenopause, but who knows? This time it's closer to my hairline, above my eyebrow, and also in the space between my mouth & chin. It gets rashy, then it peels. As I said, this time it wasn't nearly as bad -- it wasn't bright red and angry-looking. But it's still an ongoing annoyance. It's the main reason I started the Whole30, and here we are, with just a couple of days to go, and it's back.

Does anyone else find that they're getting more and more sensitive to smells? I don't mean sensitive to the point where I have to leave the room, I mean tuned in to the smells around them and really being able to pick them out in a way you didn't used to. I sure am. My sense of smell seems much keener now than last month. I can smell two herbal teas or coffees and tell which one has sugar in it.

[peahen65]

Me too, Tess. I've always been sensitive to smells but I've noticed it's ramped up a couple notches.

I feel rotten today. It's day 29 and I woke up and lay around in bed forever. When I got up all I could think about was French toast! Smothered in butter and real maple syrup. Then I thought, no, I could just drink the bottle of maple syrup. But I ate on plan and then during lunch, while eating, I just sank. Kind of a dull hungry headache. Tired. Wonder what's up with this? Skipped workouts this morning because I have a major house project to do. It's afternoon and have I even started? No.

I hope everyone is having a better day than I am. And I hope your rash resolves Tess! Maybe it will just take a while of clean eating. Someone mentioned elsewhere about histamine sensitivity coming out in rashes. MSG and other glutamates apparently have a lot of that in them.

[TDC]

Hello all! I've been struggling with mysef the last few days because I had the WORST thing happen to me the other day (in the Whole30 sense I mean. Obviously there are a lot worse things that could happen). I ordered a dinner while out with colleagues (it looks harmless: a frying pan made up of bacon and chorizo with potatoes and mushrooms. They wouldn't leave out the potatoes but I thought, never mind, I can pick them out). BUT I FORGOT TO SAY NO CHEESE! So it came SMOTHERED, literally, smothered, in cheese. I picked off the worst of it but it turns out the dish was basically potato with a few flecks of bacon (where was the chorizo??) chopped up really small. And a few quarters of mushroom. Well in hindsight I should have just gone and got another meal and given it to a colleague but I don't really have much money and I'd already paid for it so I ate it. It was actually quite nice, if I wasn't doing the Whole30, although the cheese wasn't the greatest (obviously I'd tried to scrape off the worst of it but some of it stuck!). It was Day 27 so I was disappointed because I was looking forward to going all the way to 35 days at least. If only it had at least been after Day 30 because then I could at least have said, never mind, this is part of my Reintro! And the worst of it was that was the day I left my lunch bag at home and I'd been so organised by packing a big lunch for myself and a few chicken wings to eat before going out to stave off any hunger while out so I wouldn't have to order food. I felt like crying when I realised halfway to work that I'd forgotten my lunch bag and all my plans were messed up -- you can imagine how much worse I felt when I was faced with a plateful of food I wasn't supposed to eat. Even worse I had to come home from the night out and chuck out all the lovely food I'd packed that morning because it had been sitting out on the kitchen table all morning.

 

I know this means I should restart but I'm not going to because

(1) I was almost 28 days in so I'm calling it a Whole4Weeks :-P

(2) This is my third Whole30 and I've got what I need out of it already: an absolute instinct with food, knowing how much to eat and what to eat, completely not tempted or interested in sweet food or pastries.

(3) After that one meal I'm back on track at least until next Wednesday.

(4) I'm counting this a reintro into conventional dairy; I didn't feel great after it (nothing major, just felt a bit heavy and a bit of a stomach ache) so I learnt that I don't do too well on normal dairy. If I do a dairy reintro I'm going to do raw, unpasteurised dairy to see how I do with that.

(5) I can't face doing another 30 days straight away so strictly! As I said, I think I've got what I need out of it: breaking mindless eating habits. I feel that I'm in a place where I eat how I want to eat MOST of the time and can be more mindful and sensible about eating off plan. As far as I'm concerned, rice and potatoes are fine on training days, dairy ok on occasion (subject to reintro on raw dairy; I'm not really going to have it in the house much but I'd like to be flexible!). Am planning to do a Whole14 in May before I go away on holiday just to get my body in the right place.

 

For me, the Whole30 is no longer about breaking bad habits and reprogramming my mind as I feel like I've got to that place now. It's about using it as a tool now and then for a quick reset (e.g. before going on holiday) or when bad habits are creeping in too much. I think this is covered in the Riding Your Own Bike sections and also the article Melissa wrote when she went on holiday. It is frustrating, though, as this was going to be the first Whole30 where I was going to do a proper Reintro period, which I'd never managed on my previous two to do properly.

 

So now I would like your opinion on something: I'm planning to stay on the Whole30 track at least until Wednesday (9 April) as that was my scheduled date to start the Reintro. However, should I now continue on through to Easter (i.e. essentially do a Whole14 after the Day of Cheese)? Or should I do a Reintro from Wednesday as if nothing had happened? If I continue through to Easter I WON'T be doing a proper Reintro because I definitely plan to enjoy a hot cross bun or two and some chocolate. In my original plan this was going to be a special treat after doing a proper investigative Reintro. If I go with the former plan, I'll only get a 7 or 8 days to allow my body to detox of the dairy; is that sufficient? I know the principles of Whole30 state that you need AT LEAST 30 days to get your body properly reset.

 

This was going to be my Reintro plan:

Wednesday (9 April): Non gluten grains (rice, oats, corn)

Saturday (12 April): raw dairy (if I can get some, e.g. yoghurt, milk, cheese)

Tuesday (15 April): legumes (peas, hummus)

Friday (18 April): Gluten grains (bread, pasta)

 

I know that schedule doesn't really give me enough time before Easter Sunday to properly evaluate but I know wheat bothers me anyway so there isn't much point doing this thoroughly as I keep them out anyway. I might even decide not to bother about adding these back in because I know I'm only going to eat them very occasionally (e.g. hot cross buns at Easter!).

 

What does everyone think? All advice welcome!

[GFChris]

Hello all! I've been struggling with mysef the last few days because I had the WORST thing happen to me the other day (in the Whole30 sense I mean. Obviously there are a lot worse things that could happen). I ordered a dinner while out with colleagues (it looks harmless: a frying pan made up of bacon and chorizo with potatoes and mushrooms. They wouldn't leave out the potatoes but I thought, never mind, I can pick them out). BUT I FORGOT TO SAY NO CHEESE! So it came SMOTHERED, literally, smothered, in cheese. I picked off the worst of it but it turns out the dish was basically potato with a few flecks of bacon (where was the chorizo??) chopped up really small. And a few quarters of mushroom. Well in hindsight I should have just gone and got another meal and given it to a colleague but I don't really have much money and I'd already paid for it so I ate it. It was actually quite nice, if I wasn't doing the Whole30, although the cheese wasn't the greatest (obviously I'd tried to scrape off the worst of it but some of it stuck!). It was Day 27 so I was disappointed because I was looking forward to going all the way to 35 days at least. If only it had at least been after Day 30 because then I could at least have said, never mind, this is part of my Reintro! And the worst of it was that was the day I left my lunch bag at home and I'd been so organised by packing a big lunch for myself and a few chicken wings to eat before going out to stave off any hunger while out so I wouldn't have to order food. I felt like crying when I realised halfway to work that I'd forgotten my lunch bag and all my plans were messed up -- you can imagine how much worse I felt when I was faced with a plateful of food I wasn't supposed to eat. Even worse I had to come home from the night out and chuck out all the lovely food I'd packed that morning because it had been sitting out on the kitchen table all morning.

 

I know this means I should restart but I'm not going to because

(1) I was almost 28 days in so I'm calling it a Whole4Weeks :-P

(2) This is my third Whole30 and I've got what I need out of it already: an absolute instinct with food, knowing how much to eat and what to eat, completely not tempted or interested in sweet food or pastries.

(3) After that one meal I'm back on track at least until next Wednesday.

(4) I'm counting this a reintro into conventional dairy; I didn't feel great after it (nothing major, just felt a bit heavy and a bit of a stomach ache) so I learnt that I don't do too well on normal dairy. If I do a dairy reintro I'm going to do raw, unpasteurised dairy to see how I do with that.

(5) I can't face doing another 30 days straight away so strictly! As I said, I think I've got what I need out of it: breaking mindless eating habits. I feel that I'm in a place where I eat how I want to eat MOST of the time and can be more mindful and sensible about eating off plan. As far as I'm concerned, rice and potatoes are fine on training days, dairy ok on occasion (subject to reintro on raw dairy; I'm not really going to have it in the house much but I'd like to be flexible!). Am planning to do a Whole14 in May before I go away on holiday just to get my body in the right place.

 

For me, the Whole30 is no longer about breaking bad habits and reprogramming my mind as I feel like I've got to that place now. It's about using it as a tool now and then for a quick reset (e.g. before going on holiday) or when bad habits are creeping in too much. I think this is covered in the Riding Your Own Bike sections and also the article Melissa wrote when she went on holiday. It is frustrating, though, as this was going to be the first Whole30 where I was going to do a proper Reintro period, which I'd never managed on my previous two to do properly.

 

So now I would like your opinion on something: I'm planning to stay on the Whole30 track at least until Wednesday (9 April) as that was my scheduled date to start the Reintro. However, should I now continue on through to Easter (i.e. essentially do a Whole14 after the Day of Cheese)? Or should I do a Reintro from Wednesday as if nothing had happened? If I continue through to Easter I WON'T be doing a proper Reintro because I definitely plan to enjoy a hot cross bun or two and some chocolate. In my original plan this was going to be a special treat after doing a proper investigative Reintro. If I go with the former plan, I'll only get a 7 or 8 days to allow my body to detox of the dairy; is that sufficient? I know the principles of Whole30 state that you need AT LEAST 30 days to get your body properly reset.

 

This was going to be my Reintro plan:

Wednesday (9 April): Non gluten grains (rice, oats, corn)

Saturday (12 April): raw dairy (if I can get some, e.g. yoghurt, milk, cheese)

Tuesday (15 April): legumes (peas, hummus)

Friday (18 April): Gluten grains (bread, pasta)

 

I know that schedule doesn't really give me enough time before Easter Sunday to properly evaluate but I know wheat bothers me anyway so there isn't much point doing this thoroughly as I keep them out anyway. I might even decide not to bother about adding these back in because I know I'm only going to eat them very occasionally (e.g. hot cross buns at Easter!).

 

What does everyone think? All advice welcome!

If you treat this like you did a Whole26, with your restaurant incident as dairy reintro, then your proposal works. This will allow you to do the best you can, at this point, to do a proper, controlled reintroduction for the remaining food groups, which it sounds like you haven't been able to do previously.  You could even begin the remaining reintros a day earlier, so you finish with enough days before Easter.

[amik4]

Hello,

 

I got involved with this form because I did not know what whole40 was. I gather now that it is for lent.

Well, I am Jewish but I did enjoy reading all of these comments.

Thanks to all of you.