SWYPO? Or permissible, chaste hand-holding?

[prairieportia]

Hi, all!

 

I am on Day 13.  I feel well, and my clothes are fitting better.  I haven't noticed dramatic changes, but my diet was not awful before, and I had already eliminated grains.

 

Clearly, my biggest issue is sugar.  I have not eaten anything off-plan, but I have definitely been eating plenty of fruit, including dates.  I usually eat a few dates in the evening after dinner, when I used to raid the dark chocolate stash.  Now a couple of times I have dipped a date in coconut oil, thinking "I need fat--fat is good and will keep me sated overnight."  But that's an awful lot like candy (fat plus sugar).  I also have a couple of times mixed 100% cocoa powder with a little coconut oil, making a bitter but very chocolatey paste. 

 

It's also important to note that I am a breastfeeding mom.  So I feel it's right to get a few extra calories in the evening to get me and baby through.  That also means that I never get more than five hours of sleep in a row.  I suspect being tired just feeds my sugar cravings.

 

So, do these things count as SWYPO, requiring me to start over, or am I ok?  Thanks for your thoughts.

 

PP

[little mighty]

I'm not a Moderator, not even close, but my understanding is that 1) your date-coconut oil-cacao snack is definitely SWYPO, but 2) it does not require a re-start. These foods, while clearly a "dessert", are still compliant. I wouldn't continue to consume them in the form of a sweet snack, though; the fact that you went from dates --> dates with coconut oil and cacao says to me that this is a slippery slope for you. As they say, the best way to slay your sugar dragon is to starve it! If you find you're actually hungry in the evening, what about eating a sweet potato with coconut oil, or dinner leftovers?

[prairieportia]

Thanks!  To be clear, I've never combined all three (date, oil, cocoa), which I knew would be off-limits.  Just date/oil or oil/cocoa.  But I appreciate your response and support, and the good suggestions about sweet potato with oil or leftovers (I've done both before and clearly have to get back to that).  Thanks again!

[Tom Denham]

little mighty is spot on in her thinking.

 

You will do better over time if you ditch the dates and eat meat, veggies, and fat when you want something to help get you through the night. Or my latest creation that I enjoyed at 4 AM today - Octopus Salad. 

[prairieportia]

Thanks so much, Tom.  My gut feeling was that this was right on the edge.  I appreciate the reality check.  Octopus salad sounds fantastic!  I'm happy not to have to start over, though I intend to do more than one Whole30, and to generally go mostly paleo the rest of the time.  Good stuff and so nice to have the support!

[Brewer5]

It's also important to note that I am a breastfeeding mom.  So I feel it's right to get a few extra calories in the evening to get me and baby through.  That also means that I never get more than five hours of sleep in a row.  I suspect being tired just feeds my sugar cravings.

I say have yourself a meal or mini-meal (protein+fat+veggies) in the evening if you need the extra calories.  Go for it!  FAT -- yep, you're right, you need fat!  ...But you don't need dates.  Ever.  

 

I've been through a long journey since starting Paleo...  if I look back along my path, I see many things laying along the roadside -- slain-- that I once thought were good for me, or that I at least had some way of justifying.  Now they are just a distant memory.  Dried fruit is among them, as is dark chocolate.  A little further down the path were my nuts, seeds, and butters of these.  These are tricky little devils and can appear so harmless!  Be careful.  For some folks, they can be evil.