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Whole30 Round Two, Attempt Four


Treva Dean

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Hi there everyone!

First let me say how excited I am that this forum is up and running. I stalk the Whole9 blog nearly every day and I'm thrilled this venue is available.

I completed my first Whole30 as a part of a community group at the end of February. Since then I wasn't satisfied that I'd conquered my demons so I've restarted...three times! I have no idea why the second go around is so much more difficult. I faced a few challenges the first time (like out of town travel on more than one occasion) and didn't cheat at all. This time (or times) has been much worse. I'll start, go a couple of days, then cave.

Anyway, I'm back on again starting tomorrow morning for my fourth attempt at my second go around. Would love to hear from folks who have completed more than one Whole30 to compare stories about your feelings the first time vs. subsequent times.

Here's hoping for success this time.

Treva

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Treva, you can do this! I did 2 back to back so I didn't really notice a difference with the second...I basically took off valentine's day for dinner out and some drinks so it was otherwise a whole60 really. Now that easter and some work trips have passed, I'm doing a third one and today is day 1! it already feels harder and I can't tell you why. I'm sitting here craaaaaving something really sweet and my brain is doing that subconscious negotiation thing where it tries to talk me into caving but I won't. For me the whole thing is really just about planning and being prepared. I love cooking and trying new recipes so If I have clean food handy I will gladly eat it instead of something that's not approved. I spent today making 4 lbs of beef stew and 4lbs of pulled pork and paleo bbq sauce. They're all packed up so I have food for the next few days. Stay strong, remember how good you feel through your whole30, and check in for support here! It gets easier after a few days.

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Ah yes...I hate to cook. I'm lucky that my gym owner started a second company and cooks paleo, whole30 approved food. I buy two weeks worth at a time and it makes the food management super easy...so I really have no excuse. This latest effort I noticed that food didn't taste right though. Food that I learned to LOVE in the first Whole30 just didn't do it for me this time. In fact, nothing on plan worked. I found myself having to force food down. I'm sure it's mental. Anyway, tomorrow is another day one and we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the encouragement.

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Treva, I'm right there with you. This is day 8 for me of what I intend to be my second full W30. Did great in January and then have had several stops and starts since then. I found it very surprising that the second one is so much harder to stick to, but alas, there you have it.

I'd say you're super lucky to have those pre-cooked W30 approved meals! :) I wonder if during your non-W30 your tastes changed back to prefering more SAD fare and it'll just take a few days to adjust?

When you cave, have you figured out why? How many days do you typically stick to it before you do? Is it a certian type of food or is it a certain stress situation? How have you been feeling this time, even in light of feeling like you're not digging the food provided to you?

So far on this go around I'm doing well, though I did have some Lara bars the other night. I know they are ingredient-approved but I also know that I use them to sub for sugar, so it's not good that I did that. I don't keep them in the house though - I stopped at the store on my way home. I was craving the texture more than the sugar though, actually. The first few days I did have some pretty mad sugar cravings after having gone nutso on Easter but I resisted them. Trying to re-train my body to stick to decent-sized meals for B,L,D and not snack in between. It's all a learning process and that's bascially the best part. :)

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I love cooking and trying new recipes so If I have clean food handy I will gladly eat it instead of something that's not approved. I spent today making 4 lbs of beef stew and 4lbs of pulled pork and paleo bbq sauce. They're all packed up so I have food for the next few days. Stay strong, remember how good you feel through your whole30, and check in for support here! It gets easier after a few days.

I need this bbq sauce recipe!

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This is my issue too. Like Jess says, I'm paying close attention to why I cave and what I cave on to maybe help understand what is going on, and figure out better ways to manage it. I'm definitely an emotional eater, but I've made big steps in resolving this over the last few months. I'm also a sugar junkie, so sometimes I think it is just a craving that I decide to cave on.

I found that paying close attention to when you cave helps. I notice exactly what I'm thinking about and what's going on, what I am craving (or what I end up caving on), and then how it makes me feel over the next few hours or day. The more you are aware, the more deliberate the caving is. I wish I had a better answer for you, but I'm still trying to understand this in myself as well!

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I think my failures this time have been mental. I've had a lot of external stress (family...work) and I tend to cave in the evenings. Breakfast is easy, lunch is no trouble...but by the time 5:00 hits I'm getting moody and non-compliance hits once I put the kids to bed at 8:30. Today is day one...again...the kids are in bed...normally I'd stay up an extra hour but I'm taking the advice from the change of habits part 2 post and removing myself from the temptation. I'm going to bed early so I'm not tempted to cheat.

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For me it's the first 5-7 days that are the hardest... once I get some days under my belt and my habits re-established then I feel like I have too much to lose to cave.

I do a fair amount of mental prep (and real prep, buying foods and getting the bad stuff out of the house) before I start a W30. I really psych myself up that sugar, etc, are simply things I do not eat this month. No exceptions, they are just out the realm of what eat... the same way that I don't eat paper or crayons although they are often in front of me.

I hear you about family and work stress... for me, the more I can plan ahead and prepare (and get the bad stuff out of the house!) the better off I am during that initial period.

You can do this!

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Today finishes day four and I'm feeling much better. I'm not having terrible cravings and my energy levels are restoring. Can't wait for my acne to get better though. I had a serious re-occurrence after my first Whole30 and I'm looking forward to clear skin again. Seems like today it's actually gotten much worse though. Stupid, painful cysts. It's amazing what bad food does to our bodies.

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Hang in there, Treva. I truly find that each additional Whole30 brings more and more benefits and healing!

Have you cleaned out the pantry and fridge? It's way too hard to keep treats around! Banish them from your life for the 30. You don't want to waste valuable willpower at home!

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Thanks Jeanye...unfortunately I can't ban all the junk. My husband does not follow my nutritional plans. My children do, for the most part, because I'm largely in control of what they eat since I cook it. But the hubby keeps his sodas and cookies on hand. Thankfully I'm not really tempted by them. My weakest moment comes when I drive by the local ice cream shop...I've learned to take a different path home to avoid temptation. Today is day eight and all is well. Acne slowing getting better.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Finished! Tuesday was day 30. The awesome part? NO ACNE. Not one new blemish. I also got a 25 lb pr on my back squat this past weekend and other significant training improvements at the end of the month. Very nice. I feel fantastic. The best part? I didn't nose dive into bad food. I had a cheat meal Wednesday night that contained brown rice and a little cheese and sour cream (among other things that are ok) with some frozen yogurt for dessert, but that's it. No major temptations and I'm enjoying continuing to eat clean. Last night I walked through the baking section of the grocery store and picked up a box of chocolate chip cookie mix...then thought, "What are you doing?! You've proven you don't need these!" I put it back and bought some avocados. Love my new resolve and commitment to health.

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  • 3 years later...

Hang in there, Treva. I truly find that each additional Whole30 brings more and more benefits and healing!

Have you cleaned out the pantry and fridge? It's way too hard to keep treats around! Banish them from your life for the 30. You don't want to waste valuable willpower at home!

 

Simple but profound.   

 

Overeaters have different reactions to triggers than undereaters do. Undereaters can take take a tiny micro bite and walk away. That's something they may have been doing for years.

 

 

Overeaters usually throw the the towel in and Eat. All. The. Things. 

Trigger foods affect them in such a way that none is better than some. I know my triggers and I bet you do, too.  If you bring a loaf of bread home and you can't stop at 2 pieces of toast...want to eat at least 8 or 10 until you blow up like a balloon--don't bring the bread into the house or the jelly or the peanut butter or the jam or that hazelnut choco spread.  

 

Leave it at the store.  Like.  For real. 

 

Years ago, I had a BFF.  We would spend Friday and/or Saturday nights watching movies.  We would split a box of cereal and a loaf of bread for toast.  We ate toast and cereal all night long.  It was a replacement for a SO but it ended up in a crying fest because I now know that both of us were hooked on grains. We enabled each other. BFF's do that sometimes. 

 

We kept that toaster hot, butter being slathered, jam and jelly and cereal. Those were not the good old days.

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