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Having to re-commit to "the plan"


cayenne

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Hi all,

It has been a hard year but things are settling down for me and I can concentrate on getting healthy again. I have been hard core then soft core W30 since April of 2013. Did great last year with results I was so proud of. Felt great, slept better, less moody, lost about 20 pounds. Then I lost my beloved dog, got a new puppy in Dec, hubby got sick in Feb spending 8 weeks in the hospital and ended up losing his leg in May. Then I blew my back out with a herniation in May moving furniture to accomdate a ramp so he could get in the house.

 

Now, every thing has stabilized. He has a new leg and is walking. The puppy is 10 months old and doing better-still a crazed puppy but better. I have put myself on the back burner for months and it shows. Gained back the 20 pounds, back hurts and am moody. Now, I have been about 90% compliant this whole time with the occas cheat day/meal about  2-3 times a month. I have stopped gaining but not losing at all.

The off plan things I eat are artifical sweetners in coffee/tea, a piece of cheese/peanut butter and a glass of wine at night. Would that stop weight loss?

 

So, tommorrow I am back to hard core-I know the plan well. No art sweetners, no dairy, no wine and back to veggies, meat and occas fruit. I bought great spices from Penzeys(thanks for the info) and now have time to prep and focus on me.

 

At 55, and a chronic dieter, this plan is hard and very inconvenient. My relationship with food is a troubled one with anorexia, bulemia, binging and every diet known to man from Atkins to Jenny to WW. It takes work to be healthy and I am worth it.

 

I wish that through these tough times that I could find a way to stay focused on my health instead of just throwing myself under the bus. It is temporary, Thank God, but this up and down esp at my age is so disheartening as it is so difficult to resume the positive road. I get tired, as we all do, of fighting my food demons. Is it ever going to get easier? I am old, dammit, an I have other things to worry about other than my relationship with food.

Any hope out there?

 

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I am new to this, so I don't speak with any authority, but I would venture that yes, there is hope.  Every healthy decision you make moves you in the right direction. It might not immediately leave you with the ideal that you are striving for, but it is a step on the right path. You've had a very, very tough year. A little time nurturing your body and spirit is probably just what you need.  Although the Whole30 lifestyle is difficult (only because it requires a behavioral change - eating good food is definitely not difficult), it feeds the body and the spirit. I've noticed a shift in my mindset and attitude since making the choice to take care of myself. I feel more positive, more in control, more like I'm heading the right direction, and that's invaluable.  I have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be, and I might never get there, but I know that every step I take in that direction is a step away from my old path; a path that was not leading me where I wanted to be.

 

Good luck, and I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress!

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The off plan foods you report eating are definitely enough to keep you from losing fat.

 

The Whole30 calls for eliminating all added sweeteners except that fruit juice may be used when cooking to sweeten recipes. When you say you understand using no artificial sweeteners, that makes me think you need the reminder that no honey, agave, etc is allowed. All these sweeteners communicate with your body similarly AND they keep you wanting high levels of sweetness that is not normal. 

 

You can achieve a peaceful relationship with food in your 50s, but you may need to stay relatively close to Whole30-style eating for 3-4 months before it becomes ordinary and comfortable for you. And when I say relatively close, I mean that you can eat out without knowing everything in a marinade at a restaurant, but you can't order pie, cake, cookies or eat yogurt and bagels during that time without spoiling your progress. 

 

Just to be clear, during a Whole30, you can't eat anything off plan, but we don't really think you should do a formal Whole30 for 120 days. However, many people need to stay really close to the plan for long periods before they develop dependable habits of eating well.

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Thanks Tom,

That is exactly what I have done last summer and did well.Wasn't hungry and made decent choices when out for dinner etc.

I did have art sweetners in coffee, Mountain dew(diet) and seltzers. So that is out starting today.

I have struggled with food all my life and this plan was the best fit for me as I could eat all that I wanted of the good real food on the plan.

When under alot of stress as I have been in the last 6 months-it is STILL a default thing to head toward the crap even after many many months of eating clean.

Still a work in progress....even at this age. Dammit!

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You may be new to the Whole 30, but you speak with authority about what's important in life.

Good one on ya, Tuni.   :) 

 

Thanks, MeadowLily! That made my day.  By the way, I love all the pictures and videos you add to your posts!! How in the world do you do that? :huh:

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