Starting 4/7.....nervous but hopeful

[APhi0923]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting the Whole30 program tomorrow, and I am a bundle of excitement and nerves. I had been a pretty active person, but over the last 7 or 8 months, my energy level has plummeted. I am undergoing tests on my thyroid, etc. I have been gluten free for over 3.5 years, due to a wheat allergy, but have always suspected that I have other food intolerances and issues. I feel that the Whole30 plan will help me figure this out, and hopefully, I'll get more energy, and end all of these stomach/digestion issues that I've been having.

The part I'm most anxious about, is no sweets. I'm a sugar addict. I crave sweet things all the time. I eat out a lot, too, since I work so often.

Overall, I'm just a slave to food, and I want my life back. I hope that I'm not setting my expectations too high. I've read a lot of the great results others have had, and I'm hoping mine are similar.

Good luck to all who are participating!

Amanda

[Tina R]

Congratulations! Make sure you eat according to the meal planning template. http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf.  You need to make sure you eat enough to help you through those cravings. Most people don't eat enough on the whole30. You also need to drink 1/2 your body weight in oz of water each day. If you are 128 lbs then you need 8 glasses of water. If you can clean out your cupboards of tempting food then do it. Keep some stuff on had just in case like a jar of sunflower seed butter. If you eat a spoonful of peanut butter you will have to start the whole30 over again, if you eat a spoonful of sunflower seed butter you won't. It isn't the best choice but sometimes you just need to make it through the day. Get a couple of easy to prepare meals. There will be days when you are tempted to order a pizza or just plain quit. http://whole30.com/2014/01/do-you-really-want-to-quit/.  My favorites are ground meat and veggie stir fry. I use ground grass fed beef with zucchini, onions and carrots or ground turkey with peppers and broccoli. I also love sweet potato hash and fried eggs (from Nom Nom Paleo). Also The Clothes Make The Girl blog by Melissa J has some tips for doing a cookup once a week so you have food you can grab and reheat. Good Luck!

[APhi0923]

Thanks Tina!  

 

The one consistently healthy habit I have, is that I drink a ton of water.  At least 80-100oz per day.  That's more than half my body weight.  I've been doing some research on some easy meals, and have some options.  I also cooked a bunch yesterday.  I discovered the Clothes Make the Girl website last week, and have gotten several ideas from it.  

 

It looks like the pre-workout/post workout snack and meal are what I might have real trouble with.  I typically have a banana with almond butter about an hour before working out.  I don't have it in me to eat an extra meal after, since I usually work out in the evenings, before dinner. I could add food to my dinner, though.  Do you have any ideas for a pre workout snack, or know where I could find some suggestions?  

 

Thank you again!

 

Amanda

[Physibeth]

Pre-workout you want to avoid carbs so that your body doesn't keep depending on extra carbs for energy. A good pre-workout meal is a hard boiled egg or a handful of nuts. Something with protein and fat. I would also advice you to save fruit and nut butters as part of your meals. Snacking on these things can have an adverse effect on your results. Post workout food is something I still struggle with too. It is pretty important to get some lean protein and carbs in after your workout if you can. Many people like chicken breast and sweet potato. Doesn't have to be a lot. Eat that within 15-30 minutes of finishing and then have your meal 3 30-60 minutes after that. 

[but what's for dinner]

I'm also starting today and feeling mostly determined but a little bit nervous!  I have been streaky Paleo for about a year and a half now - I do it perfectly for 2 or 3 weeks and then once I go off just a little bit it turns into 2 or 3 weeks of poor decision making.  There are a couple reasons, but mostly it comes down to poor planning/lack of discipline.  Some days I just don't feel like cooking and cleaning up dishes, so I'll tell myself it's okay to get a burrito from Moe's (isn't that mostly healthful?!? haha) ... but then I don't usually get right back into making better choices the next day.  I've also been easily derailed by lack of planning in social situations.  Even something as simple as my roommate ordering pizza - I could easily make my own dinner instead, but I don't resist just eating with him.  My biggest goal with the Whole30 is to make use of the support on here to help me build up my discipline and stay focused, building up real habits of organization and a real routine.  Paleo is a tough thing to do when the people you live with and spend your most time around aren't into it as well.  Tough, but not impossible.  I want to use the Whole30 to get into a routine where it comes naturally to make good food choices. 

 

I also recently read the article about the stages of (Food) Grief ... and I have to realize that that's really what is holding me back.  I haven't completely accepted that truly going Paleo is a lifestyle change...as in, I still want to do the things I've always done, like have friends over to watch football and order pizza and have some drinks.  After the Whole30, I will have to reevaluate exactly how strict I want to be - a lot of people on here say they end up staying pretty strict simply out of how badly non-Paleo food makes them feel.  I guess that's a decision I can't quite make right now, but is something I need to be constantly evaluating over the course of the next 30 days.

 

Just from reading a couple of posts, I can already feel the support and I'm so thankful for this forum!  Good luck to everyone who is doing their Whole30!