Day 12 and I think I'll just go back to normal at the end

[timeshifter]

Mountain Dew, fast food, Little Debbie, Dairy Queen, Chick-fil-A.  Skyline Chili.  I miss all that fun stuff.  I hate going to the grocery and seeing all the things I can't buy.  What I've been eating seems so boring.  Had carb flu bad for the first day and a half.  Felt pretty normal since.  But I'm starting to wonder if this is really worth it.

[Susanrenee]

Time will tell

[GFChris]

You're not even half way through yet. I encourage you to give the program a solid 30 days.

No need to eat boring food. Many yummy fats, herbs and seasonings out there to add flavor to your protein and veggies.

Try adopting the mindset of the many things you CAN eat. Review recipes on the Recipe Sharing forum here, the Whole30 Instagram page, http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/, and http://nomnompaleo.com/.

Why did you choose to embark on a Whole30?

[MeadowLily]

If you wait until the end, you might find a new kind of normal.  Sending you strength to carry on.  Honor your hunger with 3 excellent meals aday.

I'm not a professional chef or cook but you might play with a few recipes or simply buy all kinds of spices, lemons, limes and hot sauce.  Those few items can change the taste of everything.

[timeshifter]

Why did I choose to embark on a Whole 30?  

 

I'm 51 years old, 6' 1" tall and weighed 204.5 lbs the morning I started my Whole 30.  Not too long ago I weighed around 160.  (Was about to say I was a little under-weight.  But I just look up a chart and that's considered normal for my height and now I'm considered overweight.)  I'm used to being thin.  But weight is not at the top of my why's.  

 

I want better health.  All the testimonials at the opening of each chapter of It Starts With Food is why.  I want what they've got!  I want Tiger blood, focus and energy.  I want to feel the things all those people talk about.  Getting to a more attractive body weight would be nice too.

 

I have also had some problems with heartburn / acid reflux over the past few years that probably coincides with my weight gain.  I can track those symptoms with what I eat.  If I'm careful it's not an issue.  But if I have Skyline Chili and a Mountain Dew I'll feel it later usually.  Since starting the Whole 30 I haven't experienced any symptoms.  I have noticed that my throat feels like cotton-mouth sometimes, kind of dry, mucous-like.  Not a problem but different.  I hope that means it's healing or changing for the better.

[RuthintheDesert]

Why not make your own chili and your own burger? I find that homemade tastes so much better.

[timeshifter]

At Skyline Chili it's not so much about the food, but the experience.  I can take my time there.  The food is served to you.  I have my laptop out and do a little work or surf various favorite web forums and sites.  

 

I do small business and home computer service, on-site.  So my days are spent driving around to different appointments that last an hour up to three or four hours.  I stop for lunch when and where I can and many times eat it in the car.  So a place like Skyline Chili, or some place where I can sit down for a while, is like a sanctuary.  I guess I miss that.  

[EmilyK]

Your perspective on what you miss will change SO much over the next 18 days.  I'm on day 20 now, and when I was at day 12 I COULD NOT WAIT TO EAT ALL THE THINGS.  But now I'm thinking pretty hard about what I'll reintro in 11 days--the only thing I truly miss anymore is dairy. I feel so much better in so many ways, and I'm getting used to the things that felt like a pain in the butt 3 weeks ago that I'm certainly seeing way more positives than negatives from this month where I am now. 

 

This is so much of a psychological game as a physical one.  You're in prime brain-rewiring territory.  Just stick it out, you never know how you'll feel in a week.

[carlycrisp]

I can totally understand using a place like Skyline Chili as a sanctuary in the middle of your busy day. It's hard to do this Whole30 with a schedule like that. It requires so much planning and preparation. Maybe you just need to come up with a new sanctuary. For me, Target, Starbucks (or other coffee house), and Whole Foods are my sanctuaries. If you have somewhere like Whole Foods to stop during your day, you can make a salad, get a cup of coffee, and sit in their café area to eat, surf the web, etc. That way you aren't tempted and you still get your down time. Good luck!

[RuthintheDesert]

At Skyline Chili it's not so much about the food, but the experience. I can take my time there. The food is served to you. I have my laptop out and do a little work or surf various favorite web forums and sites.

I do small business and home computer service, on-site. So my days are spent driving around to different appointments that last an hour up to three or four hours. I stop for lunch when and where I can and many times eat it in the car. So a place like Skyline Chili, or some place where I can sit down for a while, is like a sanctuary. I guess I miss that.

Is there an independent coffee shop in your area? Sometimes they have a really great vibe. That is where I go to work on my laptop and soak up the atmosphere. The frothy sweet drinks are not Whole30, but green tea or an Americano or a pour over or...the options are many.

I recently rediscovered my local library. Wonderful vibe for work (I am a writer), the fragrance of books, and no food smell.

[timeshifter]

Never drank a whole cup of coffee in my life.  

 

Although I like the Starbucks as a place to go suggestion.  I met a client there the other day.  Everyone had their laptops out doing stuff.  Most of the places I go I'm the outlier sitting there with a laptop.  At Starbucks I think you have to have one to gain entry to the store.  

 

Would have to find something to buy at those places, and it's not gonna be coffee for me.

[jent103]

I didn't start drinking coffee till about a year ago, but liked hanging out in coffee shops long before that! Just about all of them should have teas as well, and bottled water or things like that. Whole Foods is also great if you have one, as was suggested above - ours has wifi and tons of options for food and drinks.

 

There are lots of threads here about compliant options at Starbucks - some of the teas aren't compliant, so while you're still on a Whole30, you still have to pay attention. But it's definitely doable! For teas you mostly have to watch out for added sugars (sometimes) and soy lecithin (more often). The indie coffee shops in my area have higher quality teas than Starbucks, so maybe better to look for one of those.

 

Also if you do miss the taste of Skyline chili, there's a recipe in Well Fed 2 for "Cincinnati chili". I've never had Skyline so I don't know how closely it resembles the taste, and it might be better to wait awhile to try it in case it doesn't taste like the "real" thing and just makes you crave it. But here it is just in case!

 

http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2015/02/24/paleo-cincinnati-chili/

[kirkor]

Mountain Dew, fast food, Little Debbie, Dairy Queen, Chick-fil-A.  Skyline Chili.  I miss all that fun stuff.  I hate going to the grocery and seeing all the things I can't buy.  What I've been eating seems so boring.  Had carb flu bad for the first day and a half.  Felt pretty normal since.  But I'm starting to wonder if this is really worth it.

 

Whole30 is not for everybody.  Might be best to go back to your normal routine.

[evaq]

Why did I choose to embark on a Whole 30?  

 

I'm 51 years old, 6' 1" tall and weighed 204.5 lbs the morning I started my Whole 30.  Not too long ago I weighed around 160.  (Was about to say I was a little under-weight.  But I just look up a chart and that's considered normal for my height and now I'm considered overweight.)  I'm used to being thin.  But weight is not at the top of my why's.  

 

I want better health.  All the testimonials at the opening of each chapter of It Starts With Food is why.  I want what they've got!  I want Tiger blood, focus and energy.  I want to feel the things all those people talk about.  Getting to a more attractive body weight would be nice too.

 

Ruthinthedesert, carlycrisp and EmilyK have all given good (and gentle) options and suggestions. I'm going to come from the the other side: tough love.

 

Honestly ask yourself how much do you really want better health? Do you want to choose Skyline (because it's a convenient respite) over improving your health? It's valid to choose Skyline, but be honest with yourself about your choice.

 

Is there anything there (salad) that's compliant? Could you bring a protein to have with a salad and coffee? Obviously, post-whole 30 you can decide how often and what you want to eat at Skyline. But the gist of what I'm hearing is: I like Skyline and I don't want to change my routine. I'm 12 days in and this program is going nowhere.

 

If you want change, you have to let go and be open to what it brings. This program, this nutritional reset, is about fundamental, massive change. But change is HARD on every level: physical, mental, emotional, psychological. We're doing nothing less than rebuilding/rewiring our health. So yes, it requires a lot of resilience to make new habits and routines. It's not easy. But we're lucky enough that our bodies LET US change. That's pretty freakin' amazing. What other relationship do we have that keeps giving us get 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th chances?

If you genuinely want to improve your health, then the whole 30 is a definite game changer and eye-opener. But you have to commit fully to it. No two ways or dipping your toe into it. It doesn't offer easy, quick fixes or any kind of compromises. It asks that for 30 days you put your health first and to be open to all the changes (+ and -) that occur.

 

I truly hope you stick with the program and open yourself to all that you're embracing/committing to vs what you're giving up. I don't think you would have written this post unless you wanted some helpful encouragement.

[ShannonM816]

Whole30 is not for everybody.  Might be best to go back to your normal routine.

 

That's a bit ... flippant, and not very helpful.

 

Whole30 isn't for everyone, but on the other hand, days 10-12 are the days when people are most likely to quit. It's still a little early to really have experienced the benefits yet, and still a time when cravings are strong and the thought of what you're giving up is still overwhelming. 

 

 

I think there are lots of great suggestions here to help get past this, so just hang in there, Timeshifter. It really will get better, it just takes time. You can't expect to change many years' worth of habits in a few days. 

[MeadowLily]

Why did I choose to embark on a Whole 30?  

 

I'm 51 years old, 6' 1" tall and weighed 204.5 lbs the morning I started my Whole 30.  Not too long ago I weighed around 160.  (Was about to say I was a little under-weight.  But I just look up a chart and that's considered normal for my height and now I'm considered overweight.)  I'm used to being thin.  But weight is not at the top of my why's.  

 

I want better health.  All the testimonials at the opening of each chapter of It Starts With Food is why.  I want what they've got!  I want Tiger blood, focus and energy.  I want to feel the things all those people talk about.  Getting to a more attractive body weight would be nice too.

 

I have also had some problems with heartburn / acid reflux over the past few years that probably coincides with my weight gain.  I can track those symptoms with what I eat.  If I'm careful it's not an issue.  But if I have Skyline Chili and a Mountain Dew I'll feel it later usually.  Since starting the Whole 30 I haven't experienced any symptoms.  I have noticed that my throat feels like cotton-mouth sometimes, kind of dry, mucous-like.  Not a problem but different.  I hope that means it's healing or changing for the better.

I celebrate your 12 days. 

 

Do not make plans for the Skyline Chili and Mountain Dew.   Kick heartburn and acid reflux to the curb.   Keep going until Day 21 or Day 22.....wait for that Euphoria Bump.   You deserve it and you want that Tiger Blood, focus and energy.  You want all of the good things.

 

Swing the mountain of momentum the other way....forge on and do it with conviction.  THIS IS FOR YOU.

[timeshifter]

Whole30 is not for everybody.  Might be best to go back to your normal routine.

 

I shouldn't be surprised, but there's one on every Internet forum.

[timeshifter]

I don't feel like I'm ready to quit now.  I'm just missing a lot of the things I used to enjoy.  Skyline Chili is both comforting and destructive.  I realize that, but I still hate to think I'll never go back there.  I definitely not going till my 30 days are up.  

 

I'm probably at the boredom stage now.  And I'm a little tired of running to the grocery every couple of days and learning to make one or two new things.  Eating used to be an afterthought but now it consumes so much mental energy.  

 

In actuality I'm feel like I'm doing OK on the program.  I don't feel hungry and don't miss the running around for snacks and other junk.  I think I've noticed that I feel a little bit calmer than before.  Noticed that a day or two after the carb flu passed.  I think the plan is brilliant.  

 

I've never dieted before.  I don't eat as badly as my original post implies, part of it was meant to be humorous.  But there's a lot of truth in it, mainly the soft drinks.  I was addicted.  But what is brilliant about this program is the rules.  I can see how following some other diet would be difficult... "oh, just one brownie, it won't hurt".  On the Whole 30 it will and you throw away weeks of work.

 

Thanks for the support and suggestions.  You may be seeing more of me here.

[kirkor]

Check my post history -- I'm one of the biggest cheerleaders on here. However, when you come on with a laundry list of all the stuff you miss after only 12 days, it sounds like you want your hand held.

[cinagain]

Check my post history -- I'm one of the biggest cheerleaders on here. However, when you come on with a laundry list of all the stuff you miss after only 12 days, it sounds like you want your hand held.

I want my hand held any time I can get it.  Isn't that what this forum is about?  Yes, tough love sometimes, but also some hand holding.

 

Timeshifter, change your Skyline to "sweet tea" and that's me.  I really like my tea.  I like the smell of it, brewing it, filling my cup with ice, having it near me when I work.  I like going to restaurants that have good sweet tea (strong, bitter, and not too sweet!).  I like baking homemade cookies for my family.  Homemade brownies..

 

My point is that, for MOST of us, we have some "thing" that has been difficult to give up for 30 days.  That's why W30 isn't easy.  But it's a good opportunity to re-evaluate your lifestyle, why you eat what you eat, what you "pay" for eating it, etc...after 30 days, you can make a clearer and more informed decision about what to keep, what to leave out permanently, etc.

 

You might be surprised about what you decide.

[timeshifter]

I've been somewhat distraught this afternoon.  Probably part of getting over the psychological blocks about food and my eating habits.

 

First, I realized that I hadn't been doing this right because I'm not really doing three meals a day.  Two for sure, but not three.  The third, breakfast, has usually been an apple with almond butter.  Before my breakfast was an apple with honey roasted peanut butter.  I don't have a normal schedule.  I'm a night-owl living in a daytime world.  That's always been an issue, but I get by.

 

Second, there's been a few mishaps.  Started on a Sunday.  That Friday we went out to eat with friends, last minute.  Fuji Steak House.  They were getting sushi.  I thought I could get a grilled steak and some veggies.  I took one bite of the salad with ginger-sauce dressing realizing it was probably loaded with sugar.  My steak came cut into little pieces coated with some kind of sauce.  Same with the vegetables.  I wiped the sauces off the best I could.  I had to eat.

 

The next day we're on the run and get Chick-fil-A.  I had a side salad, no dressing and picked off all the cheese.  Ordered their grilled nuggets and a medium fruit cup.  I was leery of the nuggets.  No way they were on the plan.  I ate one or two reluctantly.  Consumed all the salad and fruit.

 

A couple of meals, maybe three or four, had some craisens (cranberry, raisins ??) that my wife bought from the grocery.  They were packed on a display that had a lot of "natural", bulk packaged items.  I thought they were clean.  She had misplaced the top of the container.  Later I looked at the grocery and saw the ingredients:  cranberries, sugar...  argghh.

 

And I've had Chipotle a couple times.  Thought I was being compliant.  But I was having chicken, green pepper and onions, mild salsa and lettuce.  Only the last two are compliant.  The chicken has sugar in some capacity and the veggies are grilled with oil, soy maybe.  

 

I haven't knowingly gone off plan except for a second and third time at Chipotle when I knew the veggies were grilled using oil (didn't know about the chicken until today).  So, my mental commitment is there.  I'm learning.

 

I contemplated making it a Whole 45.  Having one cheat meal and starting over.  Maybe quitting now and trying again later.  I know that I definitely want to complete this at some point.  So, in the end I may as well keep it going right now, at least for my 30 days.  It may not be a perfect Whole 30 but it will be quite an accomplishment for me.  

[RuthintheDesert]

Never drank a whole cup of coffee in my life.

Although I like the Starbucks as a place to go suggestion. I met a client there the other day. Everyone had their laptops out doing stuff. Most of the places I go I'm the outlier sitting there with a laptop. At Starbucks I think you have to have one to gain entry to the store.

Would have to find something to buy at those places, and it's not gonna be coffee for me.

That is why I suggested tea, also. There is always sparkling mineral water too. Some shops will have salads that will work, some won't. I have no idea what Starbucks offers. I like the vibe and the coffee better at local independent shops. I find it an energizing yet soothing environment.

[evaq]

timeshifter I think it's a terrific step forward that you started asking, identifying and recognizing how much added sugar, dairy etc is folded into our food without our full knowledge or consent. So good job! Regardless of how perfect or compliant every meal has been, the steps you've taken (by asking/checking) and the lessons you've learned (natural does not equal no sugar; grilled beef just implies how it's cooked, not what's on or added to it) are exactly what whole 30 is about. Learning about what you're really eating and making the best and most informed choices for you.

[jmcbn]

timeshifter, as evaq says, I think you're doing just great. You're spotting your downfalls, asking the questions, learning from your mistakes...

 

I'm new here, on day13 of 40, but I've been eating 'primal' for quite some time. I made that transition gradually though - first I removed wheat, then all grain, then all processed food, then I limited added sugars to one day a week (for a kind of a cheat/treat meal), cut out legumes, and so on, so this hasn't been a *huge* ask for me so far - although I *do* miss my dairy and I'd have sold me soul to the devil days 3-5 just for one cold glass of milk...!!

 

What I'm trying to say in my long winded way is that to some whole30 is a HUGE change to their normal routine - the shopping, planning, food prep etc... It can feel overwhelming just thinking about what to eat, but you're definitely headed in the right direction, and believe me when I say those cravings will soon go, the brain fog will lift, and you'll wonder how you ate/drank that stuff in the first place when you see how much better you feel - and how much worse you feel when you backslide...!!

Stick with it, for as long as it takes.

[Maggiedoll]

I don't feel like I'm ready to quit now.  I'm just missing a lot of the things I used to enjoy.  Skyline Chili is both comforting and destructive.  I realize that, but I still hate to think I'll never go back there. 

Who said anything about never?