Figuring out post-whole30

[sydnei]

Hi - my daughter and I have just finished the reintroduction phase and were pleased to find that no one food group screamed at our bodies (except maybe milk for her). I noticed subtle effects of some foods, but nothing that in and of itself would make me eliminate it completely. In fact, I just read on the facebook page that someone had a severe reaction to trying M&Ms post whole30. So I'm wondering why the square of Lindt chocolate that I enjoyed had no negative effect on my body (that I could notice) and tasted just as delicious as it had tasted before. I'd also appreciate any thoughts on how to incorporate some of the healthier non whole30 foods (like organic granola for example) into my diet. Finally, both my daughter and I feel like the post-whole30 "high" has faded and we would like to recapture it without being on a whole365. Any thoughts?? Thank you so much!   

[pjena]

Congrats on finishing your W30s!

 

IMO, continuing on this path won't work unless you know why you're doing it.  Whatever benefits or feelings you got from W30, even if they are subtle, should be your motivation to keep eating this way.

 

That said, for me, there wasn't anything I took out for W30 that I needed to bring back regularily.  I now like eggs and kale better than oatmeal, so I'm all good.   What I found stressful about W30 was having to be super diligent about reading every label (even those you read before because formulas change) and stressing about eating at a friend's house or restaurant.  So, I eat mostly W30 at home and don't worry about it when away from home.  I still try to make good choices for me, but I don't worry about hidden ingredients or stress about it if the only choice at a friend's house is lasagna.  I don't have strong reactions to anything so being able to enjoy the company of others when eating away from home is more important to me than what I am eating.  Luckily, I don't eat out often.  I still struggle with the sugar dragon, so I try to avoid desserts/sweets completely, unless it's super special and worth it.  I make exceptions like that occasionally - sweet corn in August, fish tacos at the beach, the occasional glass of wine with friends. 90% of my meals are cooked at home and those are almost all W30.  The 10% that is away from home is still mostly W30 unless totally worth it or no other options.  I have found that this works for me.  I may not have all of the benefits of W30, but I still feel good and my goal is calm eating and not stressing about my food is a huge part of that. 

 

Good luck finding what works for you!  It takes some time and experimentation and you may hit pitfalls.  Be patient and keep tweaking to find what works.

[sydnei]

Thank you so much for your input! It sounds like you have found your post-whole30 place and are managing very well! I guess it will take some experimentation, and like you pointed out, letting the good feelings found on whole30 be our guide to finding the right path. 

[MeadowLily]

Have you checked out the Hartwig's post/chapter about the Slow Roll Reintroduction.

Wheat, soy, dairy..whey, chocolate react differently for everyone.  You don't have to add anything back that you don't like or want to.

[sydnei]

Thanks MeadowLily    Actually I DO want to add or at least allow some of those foods back in. I don't really react to them. What I'm looking for I guess is a good balance that still allows me to feel that whole30 "high" without sticking to strict whole30, if that is even possible.

[ShannonM816]

Have you read the Life After Your Whole30 information? And I'd especially recommend reading the three articles titled Dear Melissa: How Do You Eat? (the first one, the second one, the third one) -- You don't necessarily have to eat exactly the same way, since the foods that are worth it for you, and your reactions to them, will be personal to you, but maybe you can get some ideas about how it might work for you.

 

 

[kirkor]

Also, the "high" may not ever feel as high when it becomes the "new normal".  Just like we talk about all the background inflammation that one can accumulate over the years and accept as normal, and it takes the elimination/clearing out aspects of the W30 to realize it's *not* normal, so too can we become accustomed to high performance. 

Like someone with mold allergies that moves from Washington to Nevada: when they first move to town they are amazed at how clear their sinuses are, how easily they're breathing.  But eventually they become accustomed to breathing well, etc.  They might even take a vacation back to Washington and not have their head get clogged.  However, if they were to move back to WA, perhaps they would start to feel the negative effects of being stuffed up.

[MeadowLily]

Excellent analysis, Kirkor.  Youth is part of that equation, too.  If you're under 33, you probably feel great no  matter what you do.

Stay up late, dancing the night away....bounce right back in time for work at 8:00 AM.   Youth is a gift.   You can eat from all of the food groups and not be bothered.   You can run and jump, pound the pavement, leap over tall buildings and nothing gives you a pinch.  If you fall in love, you don't need bulletproof coffee...you're floating around in a cloud and eating anything you want to.

 

If you overdo anything, it starts to give you a big pinch....that includes constant pounding of the pavement with your body's shock absorbers.   We all have to lay back in the weeds sometime and observe what's really going on.

 

Building a healthy relationship with food and exercise is a gift, too.   Sustainability.

[sydnei]

Thank you to everyone who has provided input! And a special thank you to Shannon and Kirkor for some ON POINT guidance! I read the Dear Melissa installments and found them to give me a sigh of relief! I think I get it. And the part about the "new normal" makes complete sense! Since pre-whole30 I already ate fairly healthy, almost always had tons of energy and no strong emotional issues with food, I guess the subtle improvements and overall high I referred to might lose their standout specialness in time. I also guess that when I really miss those feelings too much I can always do another whole30