Has anyone NOT done a reintro and kept eating Whole30?

[kittygogo]

I'm on Day 18 of my Whole30 (WOW!) and I've been thinking about what happens when my 30 days are up. Quite frankly, I don't want to eat they way I was before. I had bad sugar issues and I knew what triggered allergies and sugar demons, but I ate it anyway. I am worried that if I go back and try to add some of the stuff back in (like dairy or excessive sugar), I'm doomed. 

 

I feel great eating this way...mentally and physically. I feel more confident, I have more energy and I'm not constantly thinking about food. The best part is the sugar dragon is put away now and I don't want to wake him back up. Before Whole30, that was my biggest struggle. I was stuck in a sugar Hell that I never want to get back into.

 

 I know what works for me and what doesn't because I eliminated foods before in the attempt to figure this out. I know that rice, most grains and beans make me bloated. I know sugar is my demon and I also know that cheese makes me very stuffed up and congested. I don't want to go back to any of that when I'm done. 

 

So my question is, has anyone just kept going with this? No reintro but kept eating what works? There is only one thing I miss right now is my Ezekiel toast with peanut butter. That may be the only thing I add back in or an occasional piece of cheese or treat once in awhile, but other than that, I am done. I've struggled for so long that I don't want to go back to my old ways.

 

[frantastic]

I'm not doing re-intros. I had to start over around day 47 because I didn't notice that the chicken in my salad was breaded (was on a work trip, in a meeting and clearly not paying enough attention! To be fair, the menu didn't say it was fried, breaded, crispy, etc.). I already couldn't eat dairy and gluten, have no business eating sugar (dragons, family history of diabetes), and am allergic to nuts. Right now, I see no compelling reason to change my whole 30 ways.

[Guest WholeStanley]

Yes, I did and I regret it, I wish that I had written a post like yours when i was considering it and warned me off it. I finished  my first whole30 in June and since then I have learnt a lot, and in particular that reintro's are really important and as much as you may want to keep eating like whole30 forever there will be moments when this is not possibly, i.e. a friends wedding where I wanted to try a piece of the wedding cake or other circumstances when you are kinda forced to break the whole 30 rules (i.e. you request a gluten free/protein heavy meal before a very remote trip away and it turns out to be gluten free pasta!) and it is so so important to know in advance the consequences of your food choice - for example it will help you discover whether you should go for the cheese or the peanut butter!

 

I didn't want to do reintro's out of fear of reversing all of the achievements I had  made or going back to my old ways - this is not a good enough reason i promise you, because one day those reasons won't seem so important - for example you come home from the worse day every and you say to yourself 'i don't care about putting all the weight back on or if my energy slumps a bit because I'm never getting back out from under my duvet ever again - now give me the cake!!!!'

 

Once you have equipped yourself with the knowledge you gain from reintro's you can add more logic to these inner arguments, for example you may not care about giving into your cravings but what if you discover dairy means you can't sleep well? or sugar will cause your skin to break out? or gluten will have you very gassy for tomorrow's important meeting at work?? This way you can decide if less-optimal choices are really worth it.

 

 

Im in the middle of another whole30 again now and really looking forward to the intro process - i know diary gives me cold like symptons and gluten is very painful for my stomach, but i know there is much more to learn

[Tom Denham]

My first Whole30 lasted 4 months. I felt too good to stop. I have pretty much continued to eat Whole30 at home all the time, but finally loosened up in restaurants. I wanted the freedom to travel and not avoid Indian buffets. This is easy for me because I don't have any serious problems with food, although it took me several years to figure out that I do not sleep as well after eating dairy and that I sleep better if I eat starchy veggies every day. 

 

The perfection of a Whole30 is not realistic when traveling or eating out more than rarely. However, you can eat well enough if you make the choice, that you can do fine. Last night, I had a business dinner where I simply ordered a steak and grilled asparagus and passed on the round of beers my boss offered to buy. Maybe the meal was Whole30-compliant or maybe it had hidden off-plan ingredients, but it was tasty and overall made me healthier. 

[Guest WholeStanley]

I would just like to add that i think you can definitely keep eating whole30 and that you don't need to reintro things you don't miss but i would still recommend going trhough the process - and then go back to eating compliant once you are done

[frantastic]

I just don't trust myself enough with my food choices to reintro. Maybe I will at some point and will go through the process.

[MeadowLily]

Whole Stanley...good one, as always.

 

I could've written the same words to myself.   I thought I would keep going.   After a W90, I realized a slow reintro was best for me.  I took it at a snail's pace...a 30 day reintro.  I'm so glad that I did.   I didn't go sideways or latch onto sugars, fruit juices, dried fruits, mashed potatoes, white flour....none of those things were worth a blood sugar spike. 

 

The first foods I added back were lentils and wild rice.  Wild rice is a grass but it tastes better than lawn clippings.  If you're not a runner or athlete, I recommend taking it very slowly.   The body is efficient at latching onto everything....especially if you're fighting leptin or insulin resistance.

 

Since the first week of June, I made a promise to myself to throw out those digital scales, not mention weight loss, calories or dieting.  I've kept that promise.   I'm still working on kicking that IR can down the street.   I've learned through the reintro protocol exactly what foods and when they cause a blood sugar spike.   I know when it's best to eat fruits, etc.    I've been experimenting with switching things up so my metabolism does not get into another leptin rut.

 

If I had immediately returned to my old ways, I wouldn't know what I do today.  I see my doctor once a month.  I received my current test results back.

They're good...to the amazement of the doctor.   I've been eating many eggs each week.    I've asked the nurse not to tell me what my scale numbers are because that's standard practice.     I am happy to report, after a month of slow reintro....I didn't add a single you know what  back.

 

I'm keeping my promise...not dwelling on the numbers.    

[ShannonM816]

I just don't trust myself enough with my food choices to reintro. Maybe I will at some point and will go through the process.

 

Can I recommend a couple of articles you might find interesting?  This one about riding your own bike, and this one about a slow reintroduction. I certainly wouldn't say you have to do reintroductions if you don't want to, but I would recommend having a plan in place for if you happen to get invited somewhere and decide there's something non-Whole30 on the menu that you really, really, really want.

 

Obviously, you don't have to eat something non-Whole30, ever, but at some point, you're going to be somewhere and think, would it really hurt to have that? I find that I do best in those situations when I have a plan, and can honestly give myself permission to have whatever that really tempting thing is -- because if I feel like I'm cheating or like I messed up, sometimes there's a feeling of guilt or shame (there shouldn't be, but there is sometimes) and sometimes that feeling is what leads me from just one less healthy thing, to eating all the things. But if I've told myself it's okay, it's easier to avoid that feeling of guilt and just get back on track.

 

Maybe your mind doesn't work like mine, and maybe you don't have the same issues with food that I do -- I hope you don't, I wouldn't wish it on anyone -- so maybe this doesn't resonate, but I thought I'd throw it out there in case it's something you want to consider.

[MeadowLily]

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/14422-failing-at-moderation-and-staying-on-track-post-whole30-help/?hl=%20stop%20%20eating%20%20food%20%20crave

 

"Failing at Moderation and staying on track..."

 

 

 

http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/7877-post-w30-cravings-and-the-psychology-of-all-of-it/?hl=%2Bstop+%2Beating+%2Bfood+%2Bcrave

 

"Cravings and the psychology of all of it"

[MeadowLily]

Dear Melissa, 

I finished my Whole30, and I feel amazing! I lost 12 pounds, my energy is up, I’m sleeping better, and my sugar cravings are gone for the first time in my entire life. I totally got the “tiger blood!” But now I’m nervous to reintroduce anything because I don’t want to go back to where I was. Help me! –Alan, Atlanta, GA 

 

 

I totally understand where you are coming from. After the Whole30, some people know exactly what they’ve been missing and want to dive into reintroduction ASAP, to know whether some of their favorite foods will still be “worth it.” Others aren’t missing any food as much as they are loving how wonderful they feel, and they’re hesitant to change anything for fear it’s going to knock them off their game.

 

This scenario is very common with those battling a chronic illness, where there are serious repercussions for going off-plan. (Think joints swollen and aching, migraines returning, or psoriasis flaring—not something you’d be in a hurry to return to.) It’s also common with someone who has battled a vicious Sugar Dragon, are finally free of the cravings that once ruled their life, and have a really thin margin between “in control” and “sugar-inhaling-autopilot.”

 

 

 

 

 

Fear Not!

Note, there’s a difference between being afraid to change anything, and not feeling the need to change anything. The former (being afraid) is not our intention. The Whole30 is designed to teach you how foods interact with your unique body and brain, so you can take that information out into the real world and apply it in a fully sustainable fashion—riding your own bike, as we call it. To stay on the Whole30 indefinitely out of fear is missing the whole point of our program. Is the idea of eating a small piece of your Mom’s once-a-year holiday dessert (your favorite food ever) giving you anxiety? Do you really want to reintroduce something you’ve been missing (cream in your coffee, hot buttered popcorn on movie night, or a glass of wine on date night) but you just won’t let yourself? Do you feel lost, without a sustainable plan for eating in the real world, because you’re not really on the Whole30, but you won’t really come off it, either? If this is your story, then hold on the rest of this advice and read the above-referenced Ride Your Own Bike article first.You need to get over that fear, because it’s holding up your progress! You’ll never find a healthy, balanced, sustainable way to eat—a way that works for you—if you blindly follow our rules for the rest of your life.

 

- See more at: http://whole30.com/2014/09/dear-melissa-slow-reintroduction-roll/#sthash.VvDVbgxM.dpuf

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Find Your Mind

[MeadowLily]

Yes, I did and I regret it, I wish that I had written a post like yours when i was considering it and warned me off it. I finished  my first whole30 in June and since then I have learnt a lot, and in particular that reintro's are really important and as much as you may want to keep eating like whole30 forever there will be moments when this is not possibly, i.e. a friends wedding where I wanted to try a piece of the wedding cake or other circumstances when you are kinda forced to break the whole 30 rules (i.e. you request a gluten free/protein heavy meal before a very remote trip away and it turns out to be gluten free pasta!) and it is so so important to know in advance the consequences of your food choice - for example it will help you discover whether you should go for the cheese or the peanut butter!

 

I didn't want to do reintro's out of fear of reversing all of the achievements I had  made or going back to my old ways - this is not a good enough reason i promise you, because one day those reasons won't seem so important - for example you come home from the worse day every and you say to yourself 'i don't care about putting all the weight back on or if my energy slumps a bit because I'm never getting back out from under my duvet ever again - now give me the cake!!!!'

 

Once you have equipped yourself with the knowledge you gain from reintro's you can add more logic to these inner arguments, for example you may not care about giving into your cravings but what if you discover dairy means you can't sleep well? or sugar will cause your skin to break out? or gluten will have you very gassy for tomorrow's important meeting at work?? This way you can decide if less-optimal choices are really worth it.

 

 

I'm in the middle of another whole30 again now... but i know there is much more to learn.

Many sail past any kind of a reintro process but there's the risk that old habits will slide back in almost immediately....on Day 31.

 

Dallas and Melissa  say the Whole 30 is a "Springboard" into the rest of your life.

 

Melissa @ Whole9 says

 

July 4, 2010 at 1:41 pm

 

 Nice to hear from you! I’m glad to hear you’ve had such success with the program – your description of the Whole30 as a “springboard” is perfect. That’s exactly how WE think of it – Whole30 first, then Whole-Rest-of-Your-Life (as it’s been described by a few of our readers). Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

Without a Reintro,  it will be  difficult to determine if things like chicory, dairy, nuts, all grains in general or gluten in particular gives you gut disruption or hives.

 

Life after a Whole 30 can be anything you want it to be.    I don't believe that budgeting in regular cheat days works for those who've been struggling for decades with triggers.

 

After a Whole 30, your body is now fat adapted.  It you had several Whole 30 restarts because of  "cheating", or leaning heavily on all natural sugars,   it's likely that metabolic adaptation didn't take place.

 

Going back to budgeted "cheat days"  - your body will quickly adapt once again to taste sensations from foods that are non-Whole 30.  That old temporary thrill will come back.   Once again, you'll lose the satisfaction from eating real whole foods.   Thrill eating is more fun.

 

The cravings for junk food will get stronger and that old song and dance is right back in your life. Everything in moderation doesn't work for those who have strong food addictions or triggers.

 

Trans fats, seed oils, glutens linger in the body for awhile.  So constantly switching back and forth between thrill eating on the junk food trail and then trying to remove those ingredients out of your body...over and over and over.

 

If you keep eating them, they will not completely leave the body.  The triggers will never go away.  Periodic dieting doesn't solve the problem either.

 

A reintro process slows you down from falling back into bowls of pasta, pizza and sugars.  All of the things that put you in a holding pattern.

 

If you do what you've always done - you'll get what you've always gotten.