August 4 Start Group

[ragbaby]

It is the percentages and the timeline that are keeping me going :-)

[Tuni]

@ amron I totally understand what you mean about other people's diets.  In my head I can't help but mutter to myself "How in the world do they think they are going to get healthy eating processed food? (or whatever the non-compliant item is)!!  I am also with you that the FIRST thing I'm bringing back is wine! It's the ONLY thing that has made this difficult.  The other changes just took some time and attention and I haven't found that I miss sugar, processed food, breads, etc. at all.  Wine is a totally different story. I am SO looking forward to Day 31 for that! 

 

@ ragbaby My energy level has been up and down this week too.  A couple of days I felt great, went for a (very) short run one day and zumba on another and felt great afterward. I went for a mile long walk this morning and thought I was going to die before it was over.  I will have to check the timeline again, but I think we are at just the beginning of where we might get a glimpse of the tiger blood.  PLEASE let it come soon!

 

@ julzology Thanks for bringing up the reintroduction planning. I admit that I've been thinking that once I reach day 31 I'm "free". It would be a shame to waste the time and effort we put in to clearing out our systems to jump back into everything all at once.  I'm going to start planning my reintroduction so I approach in the most useful way possible.  I think I will stick to this way of eating for the most part. On day 31 though, there will be wine. That's not negotiable .

 

On a good note, my hives are gone. I think it may be the eggs.  I absolutely hate eating eggs so haven't done so in years.  In the spirit of "putting on my big girl panties and dealing with it", I've been eating three eggs most mornings.  I haven't had any in two days and the hives are completely gone.  I will reintroduce them slowly and see what happens. I've also discovered that cilantro and coriander are common allergens and I'd eaten a bit of that too (another thing I don't care for) the day the hives showed up. I will try a reintroduction of that after the eggs just so I know how I react to it.

 

I leave this afternoon for a week long business trip. I think I have a good plan, and lucked out that there is a Whole Foods about 3 miles from where I'm staying. I'm flying so won't be able to take a cooler, but I invested in some of the Nick's Sticks and some baby food veggies (ick) to get me through the actual traveling part. I've requested a fridge for my room. They said they would do their best but couldn't guarantee it. I'm bringing a small cutting board, some small storage containers/ziplock bags, a knife and a small collapsable lunch cooler (in my checked bag of course). I also picked up a couple Epic Bars in case of emergency while at the office. I have a couple dinners out at restaurants that I hope will be ok. One is at a vegan restaurant, so I'll need to plan out my protein for right before or after dinner. The other is a bar/grill sort of place, so I'm counting on them having steak that I can order dry grilled.

 

In spite of all the planning, I'm still nervous.  Historically when I've visited the home office, it's a reason to go out on the town with my co-workers that I rarely see. Temptations abound. I'm taking hope from ragbaby. If she could make it through a raw chocolate class, I can make it through this.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Tuni

[ragbaby]

ho hum, I'm wondering if this Whole 30 thing is for me. I've no allergies to food, I can eat everything without a bad reaction as long as I don't overindulge. I want to lose some weight, sort my sleep out and stop feeling so tired all the time. Am I really going to do that in the 15 days that are left?

 

Whole 30 isn't going to hurt me but I sure as hell am not going to give up anything forever because of it. I want to be able to cook pizza with my son, have a pint with friends and enjoy pudding now and again.

 

I'm going to copy this over to the help board too

[pearly1979]

I am on day five, thought I'd read a thread of those ahead of me, I'm sorry so many of you aren't feeling the love! Or at least feeling still it's quite hard. I am feeling miserable and like I want to quit, I'm discouraged the next 10 days might feel the same.

[ragbaby]

I am on day five, thought I'd read a thread of those ahead of me, I'm sorry so many of you aren't feeling the love! Or at least feeling still it's quite hard. I am feeling miserable and like I want to quit, I'm discouraged the next 10 days might feel the same.

I think we are probably in the worst of it right now, waiting to turn the corner, don't be discouraged at day 5

[amnblack]

Interesting story: we were just at a going away party for a friends kids. There were ribs. I asked the guy that made them what was on them, just to casually find out if they were compliant. He said the word "rub" which to me almost always means sugar. So I passed on everything. My husband came up to me with some ribs and asked if I wanted a bite. I said "no, because the seasoning probably has sugar in it." And he was like, "oh crap I didn't even think of that." He had only had one bite. I looked up the ingredients and it had sugar, soybean oil, corn syrup solids, and maltodextrin. He Gave the rest to the dogs and we left shortly after. On the way out of their neighborhood, we had to stop so he could throw up. Now we are at his work (closed today) so he can use the restroom. One bite!!! That's all it took!

[amnblack]

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[Julzology]

Hang in there ragbaby I think it is going to get better from here if we stay the course.  I have to say that today, I have a ton of energy.  I've been sleeping better too.  Not sleeping through the night mind you but longer than before.  I'm perimenopausal so I'm hot and cold and hot and cold all night long.  

 

I didn't run this morning because we had to leave at 9 am for my husband's brunch gig but I am running tomorrow come hell or high water.  

They had some compliant items on the brunch menu which was nice.  I ended up with grilled salmon over organic mixed baby greens with oil and vinegar dressing.  Nothing to drink but black coffee and water.  

 

Tuni Oh hell yes on day 31 there will be wine.  In fact since I will have gone 30 days without I think I deserve to be treated to something special, not my usual everyday wine.  I am going to have to plan out my meal to go with the wine.  Hmmmm maybe prime rib and a nice cabernet?  

[Beli]

I am currently demoralised by this https://www.facebook.com/Whole30/photos/a.140838295993097.36780.139773609432899/686600151416906/?type=1&theater

She is at the half way mark. She is standing much straighter in the second picture but still that is looking good!

How are you all doing?

 

Yeah, but a bloated belly can become flat in just one day, and become bloated again (speaking from experience.) So I'm not that impressed.

 

I'm with you in the not feeling the love and wondering if I'm on the right track... I'm not feeling terrible, but not great either. Last time around, when I had eliminated caffein, I had more energy than usual. So I've decided to cut out my tea or at least make it decaf and see what happens.

 

As I was saying, I'm thinking of doing a "cleanse" afterwards, so in that case, I wouldn't be reintroducing anything. Tough...

 

I miss wine, above all sharing it over a nice dinner, but I suspect it'll turn out as "not worth it" for me, I feel its effects so strongly: I usually fall asleep on my second glass, and feel totally numb the following day(s). [Did I mention I work as a sommelier? Just a little irony of destiny...]

 

I almost threw in the towel last night (VERY stressful day) but instead I had my dinner and a cup of decaf with coconut cream and a handful of raw almonds. Then I went to sleep. I'm glad I towed the line because I feel better this morning and definitely would have been remorseful about going off plan!

 

Good for you!!!!

 

In spite of all the planning, I'm still nervous.  Historically when I've visited the home office, it's a reason to go out on the town with my co-workers that I rarely see. Temptations abound. I'm taking hope from ragbaby. If she could make it through a raw chocolate class, I can make it through this.

 

I'm sure you will. Come report here.

[Sdubay]

I'm popping in for accountability.

 

We leave tomorrow for a week of camping at the beach. I knew this when I started but figured that I would just keep going as we have done gf/paleo-ish camping before. However, this Whole30 is a completely different beast - in a good way, of course. I just don't think the investment in seperate meals is worth it while living in a pop trailer with 10 people.  Sooo...

 

I am officially ending my Whole30 today.  I have to say it has been so worth everday that I invested in it and I will most definitely start another when we return. While I don't know about any weight loss because I haven't stepped on a scale, I can say that the change in my relationship with food has been incredible. I am no longer a slave to the cravings to "eat it all now!" I can easily go for hours without becoming irritable and short with the children. I passed by tables loaded with bagels, donuts, and muffins with ease. That is amazing. I never had that kind of will power before. Never.

 

As for the pictures on fb, don't be discouraged! I wish I had that kind of results too, but alas, my skirts are just as tight as ever. Maybe when I stick it out to the end next time, I'll have a more physical reward. Even without, I'll do again in a heartbeat!

 

Keep on, keeping on! It's been lovely reading your posts!

 

~Summer

[ragbaby]

 

I miss wine, above all sharing it over a nice dinner, but I suspect it'll turn out as "not worth it" for me, I feel its effects so strongly: I usually fall asleep on my second glass, and feel totally numb the following day(s). [Did I mention I work as a sommelier? Just a little irony of destiny...]

 

oh dear! we used to have a chocolate factory up the road and the workers were allowed to eat as much as they liked, the management discovered that if they let them they would eat so much the first week that they couldn't face chocolate again :-)

[ragbaby]

I'm popping in for accountability.

 

We leave tomorrow for a week of camping at the beach. I knew this when I started but figured that I would just keep going as we have done gf/paleo-ish camping before. However, this Whole30 is a completely different beast - in a good way, of course. I just don't think the investment in seperate meals is worth it while living in a pop trailer with 10 people.  Sooo...

 

I am officially ending my Whole30 today.  I have to say it has been so worth everday that I invested in it and I will most definitely start another when we return. While I don't know about any weight loss because I haven't stepped on a scale, I can say that the change in my relationship with food has been incredible. I am no longer a slave to the cravings to "eat it all now!" I can easily go for hours without becoming irritable and short with the children. I passed by tables loaded with bagels, donuts, and muffins with ease. That is amazing. I never had that kind of will power before. Never.

 

As for the pictures on fb, don't be discouraged! I wish I had that kind of results too, but alas, my skirts are just as tight as ever. Maybe when I stick it out to the end next time, I'll have a more physical reward. Even without, I'll do again in a heartbeat!

 

Keep on, keeping on! It's been lovely reading your posts!

 

~Summer

Summer, I'm sad to see you go! It's great that your relationship with food has changed, will you keep any paleo principles when you go camping?

[ragbaby]

Day 15, half way. 50% !!!! Easy maths today :-)

 

I had the most terrible nights sleep, I ate lots of dried apricots yesterday because I thought the iron might help me with tiredness - what it did was constipate me.

Onwards ever onwards. I posted in the troubleshoot section and they were really helpful, I'm sticking with it.

I had an illegal measure of my waist and I'm down from 34 inches to 32.5 which is probably just lack of alcohol.

It's so cheering that other people on here are missing a drink too, thank you for not making me feel like an alchy. I've been posting on a local Facebook group and the concensus is that I have a problem. I probably do drink too much but I think that all my cravings have been focussed on one thing - alcohol and that is what I miss.

[ragbaby]

Hang in there ragbaby I think it is going to get better from here if we stay the course.  I have to say that today, I have a ton of energy.  I've been sleeping better too.  Not sleeping through the night mind you but longer than before.  I'm perimenopausal so I'm hot and cold and hot and cold all night long.  

 

me too, I have  half a cup of soya milk a day. I've tried without it and my symptoms are much worse.

[Julzology]

Good Morning!  At least it's morning where I am.  

 

Here we are on day 15, you know what that means right?  50%  How cool is that?  I look at it like we've reached the summit and now we're travelling down the other side of the mountain.  Maybe slightly easier but with a different set of challenges.  

 

I made it through Couch to 5K Week 4, Day 1....my app tried to start me on week 7 day 1 which is where I left off but week 7 starts with a 25 minute run.  I'm barely making it through 5 minutes so I think dropping back to week 4 is appropriate.  

 

So I did it and I'm happy and I feel good.  I find that my mood is improved and my energy level is back.  I'm still not eating before workout which I know I need to figure out how to work into my schedule.  And I have to confess that I've weighed myself a couple of times.  I think that's a less significant cheat than a food slip but I suppose I should really hide the scale (or have my husband hide it) until this thing is over. 

 

ragbaby sorry for your bad night's sleep.  Maybe tonight will be better. 

 

sdubay sorry to see you go but pop back in from time to time.  

 

Beli that is a sweet bit of irony with the wine.   I know what you mean about not feeling the love.  I do have moments when I ask myself, "why am I doing this?" but then I remember that I'm supporting and setting an example for my daughter with the added goal of experimenting on myself and testing my mettle.  

 

You all have no idea how many times my participation on this message board has pulled me back from the brink.  Thank you, thank you.  

[amron]

Yay, Halfway there!!!  I have to admit, other than socializing with wine, this hasn't been too difficult for me.  I think yesterday was my first real energy day.  I worked in the kitchen all day prepping for the week.  I'm tired of doing dishes every night!!  I think that's where I get most of my exercise ~ I guess I should work on another plan.  I really haven't been good at exercising.  I'm thinking I also need to cut back on the fats. 

Ragbaby ~ I love the chocolate factory story.  That would be a great rehab program!!!

Amnblack ~ you are a rock!!!  and inspiration!

 

There have been some fears based around trips.  I have been thinking about this since I'm going on vacation in September.  I'm thinking I'm going to bring a boatload of jerky (I made my own with coconut aminos and spices - very good) and zucchini chips, which are very portable and maybe some dried fruit.  I think I hit all the food groups and it can all be eaten from a bag with your hands.  Then I won't feel so bad when I order my first bloody mary from the flight attendant.  Do you think the tomato juice counts as a fruit or veggie???

[deirdrej1tx]

Day 15, half way. 50% !!!! Easy maths today :-)

 

snip  

 

It's so cheering that other people on here are missing a drink too, thank you for not making me feel like an alchy. 

Yes, that's the one thing on my mind:  a nice glass of wine at the end of the day.  I swear every TV show and every movie has folks enjoying a relaxing drink.

[ragbaby]

Day 15, I'm still wondering if it's worth it. I posted about my doubts on the troubleshooting thread and it was suggested I write down a list of what I eat in a day. I have half a cup of soya milk a day because if I don't it seriously messes with my hormones and I get hot flushes that keep me up at night - remember my primary goal here is to sort my sleeping out.

So the reply from the mod on the troubleshooting thread is that I'm going off plan. I'm pissed off, soya is a medicine to me, it works. I've tried going without and it makes my perimenopausal symptoms much much worse. So I feel like I've been written off because I'm doing something off plan.

[the-ames]

@ragbaby - We are definitely not writing you off! We are supporting you. The whole 30 rules are strict, but that's what makes it what it is. Having said that, it seems to me that if 1/2 cup soya is a medicine for you, then keep it. The point of the whole30 is to see how foods interact with our bodies in a negative way. It appears that soya milk helps you out in a positive way, possibly because of the exact hormones in it that caused it to be a "no no" on this regime.

 

I did a search to see if other people have had the same issues, and found this blog post interesting: http://www.janssushibar.com/learned-whole30-3/

 

In short, she points out that Melissa and Dallas, while having researched the hell out of this, have no experience with menopause or perimenopause for the simple reason that they're not at that age yet. (And Dallas, for the other reason of being a dude.)  

 

My completely unofficial opinion is to stick with this. You're probably getting more benefit out of cutting out the alcohol and the other "bad" foods than the half-cup of soy is hurting you, so if you feel you need to drink it to keep the perimenopausal symptoms under control, then so be it. I am curious as to whether you'd tried going off the soy milk before doing the Whole30 - it would be interesting to know if the adverse reactions were present before you were in this "detox". 

 

Again, not a mod, but your post made me sad that you felt written off. :/ 

[ragbaby]

@ragbaby - We are definitely not writing you off! We are supporting you. The whole 30 rules are strict, but that's what makes it what it is. Having said that, it seems to me that if 1/2 cup soya is a medicine for you, then keep it. The point of the whole30 is to see how foods interact with our bodies in a negative way. It appears that soya milk helps you out in a positive way, possibly because of the exact hormones in it that caused it to be a "no no" on this regime.

 

I did a search to see if other people have had the same issues, and found this blog post interesting: http://www.janssushibar.com/learned-whole30-3/

ohhh, that is such a good blog post, thank you. It's really relevant.

 

My diet before was pretty clean primal, with alcohol a few times a week and the occasional pizza or lentil curry. I avoided grains and pulses apart from occasionally and very rarely had anything with sugar in. No processed foods.

 

I've tried going without the soya milk whilst eating different things, every time I stop the symptoms come back fast. I didn't realise that hot flushes would be like this - it feels like I am an octopus changing colour and a wave of heat goes through my whole body. It's quite scary and it wakes me up. It's not something I can live with.

[the-ames]

So, halfway through. I'm sticking with it, don't get me wrong! Definitely not bailing. I'm just really REALLY hoping that my lack of negative side-effects won't mean that I'm going to miss out on the good stuff at the end. 

 

I need to re-evaluate how I'm doing this (which will probably lead to an extension to a Whole45, but that's ok). I have the sense that I'm not quite doing it right. I woke up this morning completely not hungry at all - the kind of not-hungry where even walking through the kitchen made me think "ugh". I don't see the sense in eating when you're not hungry (isn't part of the point of this to listen to our bodies?) so I didn't. I was hungry at lunch time, but not hours before, so I think my body was still working on dinner.

 

I need to plan ahead better. I need to get off my !@#$ and walk again, even if it's ridiculously hatefully disgustingly hot outside. (I really really REALLY hate summer in the South, more than I can express.)  Now that I've kind of got the food thing sorted out, I need to focus on the rest of me. 

 

Self improvement. Yippee?

[AbbyQ17]

 

I've tried going without the soya milk whilst eating different things, every time I stop the symptoms come back fast. I didn't realise that hot flushes would be like this - it feels like I am an octopus changing colour and a wave of heat goes through my whole body. It's quite scary and it wakes me up. It's not something I can live with.

 

@ragbaby, I am by no means an expert on this subject matter, being only 33, but have you ever researched black cohosh? My mother uses it to control her hot flashes and it really seems to help her. And it's herbal. Only you know what is right for your body, but I wanted to offer that in case it might help.

 

Don't take what the moderator said too personally, I've seen her posts in other areas of the forum and she seems to take the "tough love" approach a bit to the extreme (or at least in her tone). The Whole30 is strict, just like what @the-ames said, but you have to decide what is right for you and your health. And know that you've got all of us August 4th people rooting for you to finish with us! We have not written you off!! 

[Julzology]

the-ames I used to live in central Florida so I got used to walking/running at 6:00 am.  The only time of day that it's not ridiculously hot out and it's still extremely humid in the summer.  

 

But there are options.  I have a Leslie Sansone walk at home video where you walk in place.  Now, I detest and loathe exercising in front of the TV so I've only used the video a few times but it would be an air-conditioned alternative.  I have an eliptical machine that I also don't use for that same reason...I like to be outside.  

 

ragbaby You're not being written off but the Whole30 creators have drawn a line in the sand about certain items and I can understand their point of view, and yours too.  I keep hoping the Whole30 will help me sleep the night through.  So far my sleep patterns have greatly improved but I still wake up hot sometimes, dammit, even with the AC set on 69.  If the soy milk works then drink it.  

[amron]

Ragbaby ~ How frustrating!!!  Especially when soy takes away such incredibly difficult symptoms.  I can't imagine that 1/2 cup a day is going to totally destroy all things good about this program, but that's my logical head speaking, not based on fact

[AbbyQ17]

So, halfway through. I'm sticking with it, don't get me wrong! Definitely not bailing. I'm just really REALLY hoping that my lack of negative side-effects won't mean that I'm going to miss out on the good stuff at the end. 

 

@the-ames, I feel almost the same way; other than a headache on Day 1 and general sleepiness late in the day during the first week, I really haven't experience a lot of the Whole30 symptoms everyone talks about. And any changes in my body, mood, or general well-being, for the good, have been very slight so far. So I'm with you on hoping to see that "Tiger Blood" and everything else people rave about during the downhill descent. I'm also thinking of extending my Whole30, I've seen greater results  about two months in to paleo challenges I've done in the past...but then I have this employee whose wife wants to make me her famous banana pudding as a thank-you for helping them with benefits issues, and I'm such a sucker for dessert (and banana pudding is up there on my list of faves)!! So maybe one off-plan dessert, then back on the wagon 

 

I did notice that I was actually motivated and had the energy yesterday afternoon to vacuum the carpets and mop the wood floors in my house; that might not seem like much, but these are two chores that I have been dreading and have definitely slacked on over the past four months, because they always increase my back pain. So far this past week, my back pain has been WAY down, and I attribute it to two factors: the elimination of inflammatory foods from my diet, and the addition of pilates to my exercise routine. I walked out of my first pilates class last Monday night and felt NORMAL for the first time in months, and the feeling continued pretty much throughout the week. My back was a little bit stiff yesterday evening after the chores, but it's feeling a little better today, and I've got another pilates session tonight. I'm really hoping that a month or two of pilates will cure my back pains for good, and I can (slowly) get back to my Crossfit and Olympic lifting routines.