Slipped/All or Nothing Thinking

[Heather Hansen]

Yesterday we went to a Christmas party and ended up staying so much longer than anticipated; there wasn't much Whole 30 compliant that I could eat, so I had some of the spiral ham. Afterwards we went out to a restaurant and there wasn't much to order, so I ordered pork belly with chipotle-agave glaze and jicama slaw, and a salad with pesto, green beans and a fried egg. 

 

My intent was to start a Whole 30 the day after Thanksgiving and to see how far into the holidays I could go, but I wanted to have a glass of wine here or there while visiting. So I went into it with the goal of not completing a full 30 days, but as close to it as possible. I was doing really great, minus having champagne vinegar in salad dressing one night. But after last night,  I'm struggling with all-or-nothing thinking, i.e. well I'm already off, so 1. I might as well indulge in something further and go back to the previous way I was eating (GF, mostly dairy free, too much peanut butter, wine and GF treats). 

 

But I'm feeling pretty great the way I'm eating when I'm on the Whole 30. I'm trying to figure out what to do. Eat as close to Whole 30 as possible? Is there a way to eat this way with any kind of moderation? It seems like such a slippery slope; once I start I'm falling face first into the jar of peanut butter. Ugh. Help please. 

[GFChris]

Moderation doesn't work for a lot of people.  In those cases, it helps to create your own rules of what you choose to eat/drink and not eat/drink and in what situations. The Whole30 guide to nutritional off-roading can be a helpful resource.

 

If peanut butter is a slippery slope for you, maybe you keep it out of the house for a while? Same for GF treats.  

 

Wine (speaking as a fellow wine lover): choose how much you'll consume each week and/or at holiday parties. After doing my Whole30 last year, I've since cut down the amount of wine I consume (pre-W30, would frequently have wine most nights with dinner). My wine consumption picks up a bit more this time of year re: parties, but I know I'll go back to my new normal of no more than 1-2 glasses a week (and some weeks I have no wine) come January.

[AmyS]

I usually try to do a strict WholeSomething between Thanksgiving and some date near the Christmas holiday. This year it's a Whole19, for instance.  Sometimes it's a Whole7 or a Whole14.  That idea might help.

 

Also, if you're still pregnant (great pic   ) you might need to plan to take food with you regardless of your intent. You're just gonna get hungry. Plan to eat!

[Heather Hansen]

Thanks you guys! I'm not pregnant anymore my son was born a few weeks after Melissa and Dallas' son. I was planning on doing a whole 21ish, but I think you're right, I'll just pick up where I left off. BTW, I bought and tried peanut butter today and it wasn't nearly as awesome as I remember. Woohooo! I had some with an apple, then switched to homemade almond butter instead. Way tastier. This feels like an accomplishment in and of itself. 

[Annie89]

This is such a small trick but worked so well for me. I made sure to hang up a calendar in my room and every night that I had an on track day I would make a big X on the calendar. I really got so much satisfaction by seeing the X's add up and knowing that I was sticking to the plan. After the first two weeks I couldn't wait to cross that X off after every day. i still use this to get myself back on track after the holidays. Hopefully this helps!