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August 1st Group Thread


JennyF

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Hi, I am Kimberlee. I am in my 40's and I have struggled with weight my whole life.  I have tried the Whole 30 once with great success, but more recently I try and fail after a week or two.  My goal is to complete the 30 days without any cheating and incorporating some run/walk training for a 5k in September.  For me, I hope to lose weight, but just getting off and staying off sugar and sweets and eliminating alcohol will be a great start to future weight loss once I go back to a more gentle 80/20 paleo plan next month.

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Hi, there!  I actually started my Whole30 on Monday, hope that's OK.   :)

My name is Jamie.  I am 29 and live in NJ with my boyfriend of 7 years.  I am a full-time sales representative for a small electronic component distributor.  I spend about 50 hours a week responding to emails and answering phones, all while sitting on my behind.  I love cooking, anime, video games, and have a new passion for weight lifting although I need to find a way to be less shy about it (I’m still intimidated by hard-bodies a bit) and make more time for it.  Working out needs to be a priority for me.

I have about 10 lbs to lose ideally, but I’m not overly worried about the weight.  I want to crush my sugar dragon.  I want to feel balanced throughout the day.  I want my body to feel normal and to finally be able to go off my blood pressure medication (yes, you read that right, 29 and on blood pressure meds).  These are the reasons why I am doing the Whole30. 

My challenges are:

1)      I get lazy and don’t feel like cooking.  It’s so easy to get caught up in everything else going on in my day and order Chinese, or Indian, or any other various kind of takeout I frequent.  I spend far too much money doing this, and my body hasn’t thanked me for it.

a.       My proposed solutions to this are to remind myself daily why I want to stick to this Whole30.  Also, see solution for item 3.

2)      My boyfriend, as much as I love him, doesn’t believe in subscribing to a certain way of eating.  I actually have not told him that I’m doing this Whole 30 in fear that he may try to sabotage me.  As I’m the only “chef” in the house, controlling the meals at home will be easy.  I will have a harder time when it comes to his family outings (they are frequent) and socializing.  There is always alcohol involved when it comes to his family and friends (but not in a bad way).

a.       My proposed solution to this is to bring seltzer and fruit with me to family gatherings, and sneak off to order it when out at the bar.  That way, it looks like I have a drink.  Nobody really ever asks what I’m drinking.

3)      I need to find a way to juggle cooking for the week and going to CrossFit after I finish work for the day.  My box is about 45 minutes from my work (finding another box is NOT AN OPTION.  I love these people).  I get done work at 5:00pm.  My box has classes at 5:30 and 6:30.  So I have to end up hanging around until 6:30, get done at 7:30, and don’t get home until 8.  I do not feel like cooking when I get home that late after leaving at 6:45 in the morning for work.

a.       My proposed solution to this is a weekly cook-up .  I will cook 3-4 meals on Saturday or Sunday and have leftovers to pick from for the week on the nights where I CrossFit. 

 

In August I would like to:

1)      Still cook healthy meals and go to CrossFit regularly

2)      Get in the routine of making and eating breakfast!  This is new for me.

3)      Come up with some new recipes of my own, and maybe start a blog. J

 

Good luck to everybody out there  We’ve GOT THIS!

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Wow, so many people! I've just had breakfast and feeling goid so far LOL.

For those who asked, I bought small containers, around 50mL, and put almond butter in them for eating out of the house, they go well with carrot sticks. Coconut butter bars are what you get when you make homemade coconut butter and pour it into a lined tray to set, then chop it up. I sometimes add nuts, dried coconut or dried fruit, but the dried fruit makes it too sweet for me for whole30, so this batch is plain

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Hi, my name is Sherri. I am 49 years old and a wife, mom and Nana. I am an Registered Nurse and work 12 hour shifts. I suffer from chronic migraines and fibromyalgia. I have started a healthier path to eating in the past but gotten derailed. No good excuses. but I'm not giving up. My husband and daughter are not doing the whole 30.

I definately have an unhealthy relationship with food. I have an eliptical I've started using finally and I joined Anytime fitness . My sister and I both struggle with too many migraines and she told me about whole 30. I've been so busy tang care of everyone else and now I know for my sake and theirs I have to take care of me. I'm very determined and excited.

My goals are to break my unhealthy eating habits and cravings.

To eliminate toxins and foods that may be aggravating or causing migraines and inflammation.

Sleep better. I have always suffered from insomnia.

Lose weight, improve my health so now & later I'll have a better quality of life

Be a better example to my daughters and grandchildren

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Hi everyone,

 

My name is Emily and I am a 29 year old from Colorado.  I have a 2.5 year old son, and just gave birth to a lovely daughter 7 weeks ago.

 

This is my second Whole 30 - I did the first back in February 2013.  I loved the experience, but am looking forward to this time around because 1) I need to do reintroduction better (ended up puking for 2 days straight!) and 2) it's SUMMER and the veggies are in abundance.  Yay!

 

The reasons I'm doing this are:

 

1,  I'm a little bored on my maternity leave and am wanting a challenge (that doesn't involve potty training and negotiating bed time with a toddler)

 

2.  I NEED to tame my sugar dragon.  Geez.

 

3.  I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds.  My post partum body is just about 8 pounds over where I started.  However, I realize weight loss shouldn't be the main goal, so it will not be my focus.

 

The biggest challenge will be cutting sugar.  I do not know why on earth I feel the need to have something sweet after every meal!  I also know from my last experience that cutting back on snacking is challenging.  Since I'm breastfeeding, I need to make sure I'm getting plenty of calories - thus I will probably snack.  But there aren't many Whole 30 "snacky" foods.  My solution to this will be to think of them less as snacks and more of meals.  Perhaps having 4 meals a day would be better for me.  Another challenge will be social situations and going out to eat.  My husband is not doing this with me, and we do like to go out to eat.  Generally I can find Whole 30 foods on a menu, but it's hard to know what kind of oils they use to cook.  Any suggestions? Do you all just ask for your food to be cooked in coconut oil or olive oil?

 

One thing I have going for me is I love to cook and meal plan.  I have absolutely no fears about having healthy meals prepped and ready to go.  I like to do a Sunday prep-day and cook up frittatas, chicken salad, egg salad, chop veggies, cook chicken, etc.  I find this really helps keep the week under control.  

 

Also, as many of you have mentioned, the cook books Well Fed and Well Fed 2 are AWESOME.

 

Last Whole 30 I was such a lurker on this board and never posted.  Id' like to change that this time.  

 

Good luck tomorrow!

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Hi there!  I'm Teresa and I live in Virginia with my husband and 13 year old son.  I am getting in just in time to join you all for the August 1 start date!

 

I am doing this, simply, to feel better.  I will be 52 on August 16 and want to get back into eating healthily and exercising.  I used to be an avid runner and gym rat but the last few years I've been too tired, lazy, disinclined, etc. to really put the effort into taking care of myself properly.  I've always been on the slim side but have gained 15 pounds in the last six months.  Clothes feel tight, I feel sluggish and cranky, don't sleep so well...  does anyone else feel this way?? 

 

I am joining this forum to force myself into some accountability.  I am the world's biggest rationalizer, so if there is a way to weasel out of this, I will try it.  DON'T LET ME!  :)  I am so looking forward to starting this journey wirth all of you, and to seeing where we are and how we feel at the end of these 30 days.  

 

Oh, I am a stay at home mom, and my goals for this Whole 30 are to FINISH IT, to lose some of these extra pounds, and to, hopefully, be of assistance and support to others as well.  I'm excited for all of us, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you!

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Tonight I was at the supermarket looking for clarified butter, but couldn't find it.  I thought I saw a recipe somewhere online that explains how to make it yourself.   Does anyone know how to do this?  What is Ghee made from? I have never tried it.

 

Started prepping today. I had a whole frozen turkey saved from Thanksgiving in my freezer.  I usually buy a few when they go on sale during the holidays.  Right now I have it roasting in my oven. I plan to portion some off for meals.  I also picked up some berries, stone fruits and lots of greens.  I have my fish and chicken breast in the freezer and some grass fed beef. Tomorrow I'm going to chop my veggies and make a few dishes.

 

I also garden.  Right  now I have an over abundance of zucchini that I need to do something with.  I  blanched a huge batch last week and put them in the freezer but I'm looking for some W30 recipes that utilize zucchini and can be frozen. I was thinking of making some zucchini and carrot patties and freezing them for quick meals. Does anyone else have any ideas of what I can do with these things for my 30 day challenge?   I realize zucchini muffins or bread are out of the question even if made with almond flour due to the requirements, so I was thinking of some sort of meat and zucchini dish to freeze.  

 

Any ideas out there?

 

Zucchini noodles!  They are the best.  Check out theclothesmakethegirl.com for a couple recipes

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Hi, my name is Gabi.

 

I live in Kenmore, in the Seattle area, and will be starting Whole30 tomorrow too.

 

This will be my 3rd time in the program in the past year. The first time was September last year, motivated by my group trainer. Then we did it again as a group in February and now I'm doing once again.

 

My biggest challenge always is to plan and cook, especially the proteins. 

 

My main goal this time around is to be in optimal shape in September 19th for a half marathon, which means it will actually be more of a Whole 50 for me...

 

I may also try to drag my husband into the program. He doesn't eat eggs and I guess it will be really hard for him to let go of diary (and maybe rice) but he's willing to change his diet at least a bit, which is the first step anyways. If it doesn't go 100% whole30 for him, but still makes him eat much better, than it's already a gain.

;o)

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Wow this sounds like a great group and I am happy to be doing this with all of you. I am Elizabeth and I am 47. I live in Los Angeles, CA. I was acting but had to take time off for health reasons, taking care of my niece, then my father until he die in 2011,  and now I am taking care of my mother. I do have my brother’s help though which is indispensible. I am a personal assistant right now and I have 5 different clients. I have been dealing with health issues for some time and have not been able to stick to eating the way I need to which is paleo. I have been diagnosed with adrenal failure, leakey gut, and currently pre-menopausal. Let me tell you the hot flashes are killing me. I am currently seeing a Dr who is helping me with all of these things thankfully.

 

I do have a very supportive family luckily but there diet is composed of lots of candy, chips, and cookies, which makes it hard. I do have my own cupboard to put my food and designated shelves in the fridge. Well my brother has 1 shelf and I have 2, plus both crispers. And yes I do fill it up when I shop and he is always amazed that it gets empty at the end of the week.

 

I did the Whole30 successfully in Feb and have not been able to get back to it since. I am an official carboholic and junk food junkie. I know this works and the support I get here is invaluable. My greatest challenge is not letting my stress be an excuse for cheating. Or my famous line “Oh just one more day.” That is the big one. I need to destroy the sugar dragon and just be ok with the fact that I can never have gluten and dairy again. Another challenge is that my diet is much more restrictive: no eggs, chicken, pork, shell fish, night shade veggie, fungi, nuts, caffeine, and possibly garlic & onions. It makes this very hard to do especially since it will take me probably 3 month to cure the leakey gut.

 

Here are my goals for this Whole30 I really need to make it through this time.

1. Nutrition: Break the hold of the sugar dragon by following the Leakey Gut diet, reading daily newsletters, journaling, & food log

2. Sleep: I will get into bed by 9 pm if not 8:30 pm as many nights as I can. I have to at least get 4 in.

3. Stress Management: Look at my stress triggers. When I feel or realized I am stressed I am going to stop and find a way to relax by taking 5 min break, taking deep breaths, taking a short walk, cleaning something up. Do something else, anything else besides obsessing over food you can't have.

4. Exercise: continue to do my morning routine 6/per week and get in 1-2: 20-30 min walks per week.

 

Anyone have any recipes for spices and rubs (I need to make my own) or spaghetti squash (that doesn't include night shades or nuts) please let me know.

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I went to the health food store yesterday looking for coconut oil, sun butter and ghee.  The prices were jaw dropping, to say the least!  A smallish jar of ghee for $14!!!   That's not going to happen with my budget, so I went looking on Pinterest and found a crockpot recipe that looks do-able even for my so-so cooking skills.  Thought I'd share just in case anyone else would be interested...  http://www.healthstartsinthekitchen.com/2013/01/12/make-ghee-in-your-crockpot/

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Hi!  I'm in!

 

This will be my second time in the barrel.  I feel so much more relaxed this time around (not overconfident, mind you ;)  ).  I'm SO ready.  There's been WAAAY too much ice cream in my life lately, and I'm feeling it. 

 

I live in SE Pennsylvania and am psyched, my CSA has been filling my fridge with tons of fab veggies.

 

STILL not looking forward to no cream in my coffee.  That will never change, methinks, no matter how many W30s I do.  :ph34r:  No, it's not hard, it's just not tasty. :P

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I went to the health food store yesterday looking for coconut oil, sun butter and ghee.  The prices were jaw dropping, to say the least!  A smallish jar of ghee for $14!!!   That's not going to happen with my budget, so I went looking on Pinterest and found a crockpot recipe that looks do-able even for my so-so cooking skills.  Thought I'd share just in case anyone else would be interested...  http://www.healthstartsinthekitchen.com/2013/01/12/make-ghee-in-your-crockpot/

 

Making ghee is super easy, and much more economical than buying it. And you don't need 5 hour and a crockpot! You need 10 minutes and a stovetop. For real.

 

Example: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/15235810877/d-i-y-ghee

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Hey all,

 

My name is Marty and my wife and I will be starting whole30 8/1.  We decided to take this challenge as a way to cleanse our bodies and get started on a healthier eating plan.

 

I did south beach several years ago and lost 65 pounds doing that.  Since that time I've kept most of that off and stayed pretty active but have been hesitant to do south beach again as I'm now working out on a regular basis and the calorie deficit is too great to sustain that kind of energy resource.  This program seems to be the way to get me started on the right track.

 

I retired from bmx racing a few years ago as surgery and I were getting too close.  As a result of that I decided to try a new hobby of doing sprint triathlons, I also started doing crossfit a few months ago.

 

I'm looking to achieve with completing the whole30:

Lean down and get in better shape

Learn a better way to eat that will help me keep the weight off and my energy high for my workouts and training

and just overall feel better.

 

With all of us helping each other...we've got this....

 

 

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Hello, my name is Heather and am a single 41 year old mom to three great kids, daughter is 17 and my boys are 15 and 10. I have lost over 100 pounds over two years ago and started CrossFit almost two years ago (love my box). I seem to have hit a very big wall as far as furthering my healthy ways and need to change that.   

 

I have been wanting to try Paleo nutrition for sometime now but never really understood how or even why. Some ladies at my box have been talking about the book, It Starts With Food (just purchased it today myself). With the support and encouragement of a few close friends I decided to start this program on the 1st. Looking forward to changing my life even more!!

 

My goals...

1. To have a healthier, trimmer and stronger body.

2. Learn how to eat for my body.

3. To be the best role model I can for my children

 

 

Excited for this new challenge and to see what the future holds.....

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Hello my name is Lisa.  I will be starting the August 1, 2014 Whole30 with a friend, Pamela.  We both have autoimmune issues and are looking forward to cleaning up our nutrition and the quality of our health/lives.  I have been a part of the Paleo and Whole30 communities for a long time now and believe in them wholeheartedly.  My goals during August are to eat enough high quality protein and fats, lower my fruit intake and up my veggie intake, and move in an effort to heal my gut and support healing my body.  

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My name is Heather. I'm 47 and live in Wyoming. I'm doing the Whole30 to feel better. I am hoping it will help with my IBS, mild depression, anxiety, and sleep problems that I think are related to my diet and peri menopause. I ate paleo two years ago for three months and never felt better. I work at a school and I go back to work in two weeks and right now that would be impossible since I can't fall asleep until about 5:00 a.m, and I have to get up at 6:00. Hopefully my sleep patterns will be better by then. Also, It would be great to lose about 20 pounds, but that isn't my main objective. I am glad to be joining this group.

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Hi Guys,

 My name is Sydnei I am 21 and I am super excited to start this journey tomorrow!! I am from the Midwest and I am about to start my Graduate Studies in School Counseling. I am really ready for a life change and I am nervous because this is the first "diet," I have ever tried and felt so passionate about. I am going to have some barriers in my way so that makes me a bit nervous. I am starting school here in two weeks, and I am also planning a wedding. So hopefully this new life style will help me distress rather than grabbing a sugar loaded Starbucks coffee. My doing this program I am hoping to keep food tasty and interesting, I love to cook so this hopefully will not be too hard. I am also hoping to start meal prep for my busy class and work days. 

By doing this program I am hopefully going to become healthier ( well duh), but there are also several other things I would love to accomplish. I have endometrosis and I am hoping after reading several success stories that the pain might be resolved. I also have several allergies and the list continues to grow ( peanuts, almonds, pecans, latex, shellfish, several make ups, shampoos, and body products) I have done extensive research on the body and its reaction to sugar and I am hoping with Whole30 I am able to grasp these allergies.

 

 

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I am Laura, single mom to 2 boys, 9 & 5.5.  I work part time and parent full time... a bit of a 2 pint bottles into a pint glass scenario ;)  My older buy is allergic to dairy so I have lots of experience with living dairy free.


 


I did my first Whole30 in January 2012 and lived paleo until the Summer of 2013.  I loved the way I felt and how good my GI tract worked.  Alas a house move and strained relations with my ex, along with some negative stuff in my head knocked me off course and I have floundered for a year.  It took me until 5 weeks ago to change the stuff in my head and finally something is different.  I have a desire to feel better.  For the first time in my life it is not about losing weight.  


 


My mother & I were supposed to go to see Garth Brooks in Dublin.  She bought me the ticket for my birthday in February.  The concerts were cancelled so she got me a FitBit instead.


 


I live with two kids who are dairy free and a man who is a dairy nut.  It's not a good combination.  I am also a big Diet Coke and sugar free gum consumer.


 


In August I will...


- Declutter my sitting room shelves


- Walk 70,000 steps a week


- Stabilise my GI tract


 


I am ready to feel better.  I deserve to feel better.


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Hi, I'll be doing the Whole30. I'm a little nervous, since this will be the THIRD time I've tried the Whole30 this summer - and I've failed after a few days each time, because I've rationalized cheats to myself. I'm hoping that the third time is a charm. I don't have four goals: my only goal is to stick to the program and reap the benefits. 

 

I'm feeling really stuffed and gross from cookies and Mac n Cheese this evening. Change needs to happen now. Glad others will be doing it with me!

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Good luck on your first day today, everyone!

 

I'm mid-way through the morning and feeling a little blue.  I think I'm missing my usual morning coffee.  I honestly can't remember the last time I went without a coffee in the morning.  I could make a decaf long black - but honestly, I'd just sooner go without.

 

I'm also kicking the smokes today... so I imagine that will play a big part with my state-of-mind.  

 

Planning my dinner already.

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My name is Denise Passero and I am joining Whole30 because I am very much interested in improving my gut and eating more paleo style and I think this will get me there. I want to be off grains and sugar although I hardly eat much of either anymore anyway. I have been weaning myself for a couple of weeks now in preparation for this challenge. I bought the book, "It Starts With Food" and am reading it (almost done) to help me prepare for this.

 

I plan to start August 1. I am basically going to eat Whole30 approved foods as opposed to following a "menu" or "meal" plan. I have been working toward starting for a few weeks now -- shopping for the right foods and removing the unapproved foods from the house and I am ready to get going. I even finished my last homemade frozen greek yogurt pop today. I love to cook and I eat veggies regularly. I usually cook a lot of veggies for dinner and then scramble up the left overs for breakfast the next day. Love the idea of the good fats. I will eat anything for breakfast, not just the typical breakfast foods. I ordered coconut cream for my coffee so I would have it in the house to start. I was working on finishing up the dairy cream so I would not have it in the house. I even ordered a Fitbit to help me remember to keep moving during the day. So I think I am ready to go and I am looking forward to the results. Obviously, I hope I lose some weight but I really interested in getting to a healthier lifestyle and sticking to it. So here I am!!!

 

Denise

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Hey everyone! I'm Melinda and I live in San Diego. I'm married with 4 kids and 1 grandkid. I'm a Registered Nurse and work 12hr nights on a high risk antepartum unit. I've been on and off paleo for a couple of years. I originally found the paleo way of life while researching recipes for my 3 year old son, who has pretty bad allergies to wheat/gluten, dairy, eggs and beef. I completed my first Whole30 back in Aug 2012 and have attempted a few nore times without success.

 

My reasons:

1. I feel my best when I eat this way, and I need this reset.

2. To set an example for my hubby/kids.

3. To lose weight, for sure!

 

My greatest challenges:

1. Staying prepared

2. Social gatherings (I love my wine)

3. Drinking enough water (I suck at drinking water)

 

My goals:

1. Stick it out this time and complete it!

2. Shed some pounds and get stronger/fit.

3. Work out 3-4x/week, with yoga or walks on off days.

 

Looking forward to starting tomorrow!

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