W30 during the week/chill on weekends?

[MeadowLily]

If I ever catch myself taking delight in watching others stuff their pieholes with junk food - Houston, I've exchanged one problem for another.   I watch myself like a hawk for abby normal behaviours...so that I won't go sideways into a branded dieting mode.

 

I don't enjoy watching anyone take part in a Snack Storm or Food Fest. 

 

I ask myself if weight is really the issue behind these negative areas of my past relationship with food and coffee that cannot be ignored.    No rationalizations.

 

I'm working on eliminating all of that diet dirt talk and rubbish out of my head.

[MeadowLily]

Budgeting weekends for the splurge.  It doesn't have to be food, it can be alcohol and lots of it.  I know a man who's lost 150 lbs without a gastric bypass.   His eating window is from 6 am until 12:00 high noon.   He's learned through his experimentation that he can drink in the evenings and not rebound with weight gain.  There cannot be one morsel of food along with the alcohol.   So through trial and error, testing and experimenting with his food and feeding window - he's found another work-around.

 

Houston,  it ain't good but he's budgeted for that.   He's also traded down for alcohol over food.   Many gastric bypass folks do that.   They learn to start drinking for their sugar hit rather than eat food and it can get way out of hand.  

 

He has a tummy that he can't get rid of and his docs have told him that's a symptom and/or the beginning of cirrhosis of the liver.    Consequences...there's always those.

 

There's all kinds of feeding and drinking windows.  There's the drive-thru window,  throw everything in your piehole window and there's the over-restricting through the week with over the top massive amounts of cardio.   At some point,  it's time to get off of all of this merry-go-round and simply eat 3 meals aday for the BIG WIN and BIG HAPPY.  

[WholeMama623]

This is such an interesting thread and I'm glad I found it. I'm on day 75 of a Whole100, and I've been seriously contemplating what I want for my post whole100 life. I thought about eating Whole30 during the week and PLANNING on eating whole30esque (not worried about sugars in meats and such) and if I came across something I really deemed worth it, I would eat it. I would not PLAN on anything, just see how I felt when the situation presented itself. I plan on attempting this and seeing what happens. It's the only thing that seems like a decent compromise to me. I will never have gluten, or soy again. No compromising with that.

 

Like another poster said, the ONLY thing I really miss is coffee with a tad bit of sugar and cream. *sigh*

[BirdyP]

Ok, looking to do the slow roll BUT I am on Day 33. I have not been eating between meals. I ALWAYS did in the past! Im ok with that now! BUT,........take last night for instance. I was STARVING at dinner time. Everything I ate was compliant BUT it was huge portions. Salad greens topped with cod and salsa (compliant) and green beans (TONS!!!!!) topped with coconut oil!! A small green apple on the side. I was just hungry beyond belief. NOT sure where it all went. Mostly the veggies were the big portions! Is this a bad thing? I have been working out pretty hard, feeling good! But today I woke with a headache that lasted for several hours.

[GFChris]

Ok, looking to do the slow roll BUT I am on Day 33. I have not been eating between meals. I ALWAYS did in the past! Im ok with that now! BUT,........take last night for instance. I was STARVING at dinner time. Everything I ate was compliant BUT it was huge portions. Salad greens topped with cod and salsa (compliant) and green beans (TONS!!!!!) topped with coconut oil!! A small green apple on the side. I was just hungry beyond belief. NOT sure where it all went. Mostly the veggies were the big portions! Is this a bad thing? I have been working out pretty hard, feeling good! But today I woke with a headache that lasted for several hours.

 

 

Salad greens aren't very filling.  How big was your piece of cod? How much coconut oil did you have? What else did you eat during the day?

 

You mention you've been working out really hard: have you been having pre and post workout meals, per the meal template?

Have you been drinking 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily?

Have you been having carb-dense vegetables daily?

[Britishgal]

There are individuals who've never had any issues with food. They can gauge what's appropriate and off-road like a pro. They can eat whatever and whenever and it doesn't make them cray cray...ever. I don't know anyone like that but I wish I did. I'd follow them around, take notes and observe them like hawk.

My little sister is like this. She just cannot see my issues with food at all as she has such little interest in eating it, or cooking it even, that she never thinks about portions or moderation...she just eats when she has to and totally sees food just as fuel with no interest whatsoever.

She does smoke and drink though so she's not perfect but even as a child her Easter eggs would go off (then I would eat them in one big easter egg chocolate eating orgy, naturally, even if they had gone white round the edges). She just didn't eat them...couldn't be bothered with them at all!

[BirdyP]

Ok, so here was my day yesterday. Prior to the gym I ate 3 egg whites. I know that is not much but I have a hard time eating at 4:30am and then working out. Then after the gym I drink a cup of tea, some sweet potato hash cooked in coconut oil, maybe 2 pieces of bacon or 1/2 adillea chicken & apple sausage, sautéed spinach and an egg on top. Lunch is usually a big salad with lots of toppings, appx 4 oz of chicken (this is a guess cause I am trying to get rid of the scale in all aspects), 1/2 white sweet potato. After lunch I used to have a HB egg and sm green apple around 3. Ive gotten rid of this to try to get rid of the snacks. I do have a glass of homemade water keifer though each day. Dinner is normally salad greens, some form of protein (cod-last night Id guess it was 5 oz., chicken, turkey, ground beef, salmon), salsa (I do use a lot of salsa), coconut oil or avocado. If I'm still starving I might have a snack after dinner; green apple, tea, san perrion water with lemon, banana). What's your thoughts? I just felt like a bottomless pit!! A little Han-gry actually!! Possibly more emotional or mental hunger even. Oh- I drink a ton of water! No worries there!!

[BirdyP]

Oh I also have 2 coffees with full fat coconut milk at breakfast

[GFChris]

Oh I also have 2 coffees with full fat coconut milk at breakfast

 

 

Ok, so here was my day yesterday. Prior to the gym I ate 3 egg whites. I know that is not much but I have a hard time eating at 4:30am and then working out. Then after the gym I drink a cup of tea, some sweet potato hash cooked in coconut oil, maybe 2 pieces of bacon or 1/2 adillea chicken & apple sausage, sautéed spinach and an egg on top. Lunch is usually a big salad with lots of toppings, appx 4 oz of chicken (this is a guess cause I am trying to get rid of the scale in all aspects), 1/2 white sweet potato. After lunch I used to have a HB egg and sm green apple around 3. Ive gotten rid of this to try to get rid of the snacks. I do have a glass of homemade water keifer though each day. Dinner is normally salad greens, some form of protein (cod-last night Id guess it was 5 oz., chicken, turkey, ground beef, salmon), salsa (I do use a lot of salsa), coconut oil or avocado. If I'm still starving I might have a snack after dinner; green apple, tea, san perrion water with lemon, banana). What's your thoughts? I just felt like a bottomless pit!! A little Han-gry actually!! Possibly more emotional or mental hunger even. Oh- I drink a ton of water! No worries there!!

In short, eat more!!   

Did you have the coffee with the egg whites? Why only the egg whites and not the whole eggs?

Have you tried adding a post workout meal of protein and carb (not fat) within 15-30 minutes after your workout?

 

On what I think is your breakfast (how long after your workout are you having it?), why only 1/2 a sausage and 1 egg for protein?  You're not giving yourself enough protein.  (Bacon is more like a fat on a Whole30.)

On your lunch, 4 oz of chicken is likely not enough: you're aiming for 1-2 palms of protein at every meal.  Why only 1/2 a potato?  Eat the whole thing!

As I previously stated, salad greens, along with salsa, are not very satiating. I'd add at least 1-2 cups worth of cooked vegetables to those meals.

How much of that water kefir are you drinking daily?  Are you drinking any plain water, and if so, how much daily?

[ShannonM816]

Ok, so here was my day yesterday. Prior to the gym I ate 3 egg whites. I know that is not much but I have a hard time eating at 4:30am and then working out. Then after the gym I drink a cup of tea, some sweet potato hash cooked in coconut oil, maybe 2 pieces of bacon or 1/2 adillea chicken & apple sausage, sautéed spinach and an egg on top. Lunch is usually a big salad with lots of toppings, appx 4 oz of chicken (this is a guess cause I am trying to get rid of the scale in all aspects), 1/2 white sweet potato. After lunch I used to have a HB egg and sm green apple around 3. Ive gotten rid of this to try to get rid of the snacks. I do have a glass of homemade water keifer though each day. Dinner is normally salad greens, some form of protein (cod-last night Id guess it was 5 oz., chicken, turkey, ground beef, salmon), salsa (I do use a lot of salsa), coconut oil or avocado. If I'm still starving I might have a snack after dinner; green apple, tea, san perrion water with lemon, banana). What's your thoughts? I just felt like a bottomless pit!! A little Han-gry actually!! Possibly more emotional or mental hunger even. Oh- I drink a ton of water! No worries there!!

 

Pre-workout, you should have protein and fat -- so eat the whole egg. It doesn't have to be much, just something. One or two eggs, or some leftover meat from dinner the night before with a little mayo or avocado. Ideally, you'd have a post-workout of lean protein and starchy vegetables -- again, not a huge serving, but a few bites of chicken and a little sweet potato would work. Those are in addition to your three regular meals.

 

Your breakfast, the sweet potato hash, bacon or sausage, and spinach part is great -- you could probably do more than one egg, or if you prefer, have the whole sausage.

 

For lunch and dinner -- salad greens tend to break down to almost nothing as you eat, and they don't necessarily keep you full for very long. Definitely make sure you have a whole bunch of them, or have a bunch of other vegetables too. If you're really hungry, you can even have the whole sweet potato rather than the half if you want. And you don't mention a fat serving here -- I'm assuming there was some salad dressing, but don't be afraid to go ahead and add avocado or olive, or to add some extra fat to your sweet potato as well.

 

Try having more cooked vegetables rather than salad for both lunch and dinner. If you're truly hungry, it's okay to eat, but have more protein, fat, and vegetables. 

 

The meal template lists a range on both protein and fat, it's okay to eat at the upper end of the template if you need to. And you may just have days where you're more hungry than other days, and that's okay. It's okay to eat lots of food if that's what you need, as long as what you're eating is healthy.

[BirdyP]

Ok! So the general conclusion seems to be more food! More food and not as many salads. So that's my goal for next week! I'll have to admit...makes me VERY nervous!

[BirdyP]

Oh, wanted to add. I usually drink about 1 gallon give or take of plain water. On the water kiefer I usually drink 1-2 glasses. Most days I will have 1 LaCrox or an San Peregrino with lime or lemon. Just to jazz it up!! Thoughts on this?

[Bohemian Bowlturner]

Today is the last day of my first W30 and the main difference I feel is my mood. I've been on two anti-depressants almost continuously for about 6 years and on several different ones over the past 15 - 20 years . I have cut my intake almost in half over the last month and a half, initiated by a failure to get refills of one before I ran out when I started a practice-W10 (eating mostly compliant for 10 days before actually committing and starting the W30).

 

In reading "Why Dallas No Longer Needs the Whole30"  he wrote, "I learned – through the systematic reintroduction process – that wheat makes me sad. Like, actually sad and apathetic for 48 hours or so." which makes me think that may be the ticket out of my antidepressants with careful monitoring and careful food choice reintroductions. If I end up being WLife then so be it. That is far better than having any kind of man-made chemical enter my blood stream.

Hope that all makes sense. While my mental focus has also gotten a little better, but it's too close to bed-time following just a bit too much time out in the heat and humidity earlier today.

[wesb]

I've been meaning to come back to this thread for some time to leave my experience for anyone who might benefit from it.  I was still in the W30 when I posted on pg1, but now 4 monhts later, I've learned alot.  I only lost 5 pounds during the W30 (can't remmeber if that includes the 2 week reintroduction period, but I think it does).

 

First, I didn't have alot of health issues that drove me to this, I just wanted to lose some weight.  However, once on W30, I found my energy to be amazing compared to the energy rollercoaster I used to live with, so I wanted to mostly keep to the diet.  But I also didn't want to swear off things I enjoy.  When testing, I found my body rejected peanut butter pretty quickly.  I also noticed some slight stomach aches with dairy.  All very interesting, but nothing to really change my life over.

 

After reintroduction, I started eating and drinking what I wanted on the weekends and doing strict W30 on the weekdays.  I had no problem doing this as some mention having above and I hope to get back to this, but I stopped losing weight. 

 

So then I decided that I would eat pretty close to W30 with certain exceptions, which are...

1) my wife is cooking with legumes again when she wants to, so probably 2 dinners/week

2) I have 2-4 beers on Friday and Saturday nights each.

3) About once a weekend, we eat out somewhere where I eat whatever looks good (could include bread, cheese, or whatever.)

>>>> I do not eat a bowl of icecream every weekend night the way I used to, so really that's the big sacrfice and it's not been a big deal to me.

 

The other thing I've had to learn to do is to be hungry for about 2-3 hours before lunch and dinner.  I was snacking on compliant stuff (cashews, etc) during the W30 to not be hungry, but I wasn't losing much weight doing that.  Now, I just look at my day like I have two fasting periods each day.

 

COFFEE- My last big tip is to try blending in coconut oil and ghee into your coffee in the mornings.  Good coffee was the biggest thing I missed on W30 and although I missed enjoying beers, if I had to pick one or the other, I would choose to live without beers and have good coffee, so that was the hardest thing for me on W30. 

 

I didn't mention above, but I only eat 2 meals a day on weekends now because I not only have my regular morning coffee (with coconut oil & grass fed butter), but also have one in the afternoon in leiu of a meal. (at work I still drink black coffee during day, oh well).  There's a guy with a video online who is trying to sell his special bulletproof coffee beans and an oil that he says is better than cocunut.  I've never tried them, but I found the video helpful, just using grocery store items (I found I had no issue with grass fed butter, so after going back and forth with ghee, I decided to stick with butter, but they're interchangeable if you're staying W30 compliant.)

 

Before adding the ghee, I started putting coconut oil in my coffee which doesn't improve the taste, but does make you feel amazing!  The ghee/butter, makes it taste good enough that I don't miss the cream and sugar.  I highly recommend this if you're struggling with lack of coffee.

 

All that to say, I've lost another 7 pounds in the last few months and have another 8 to go.  I was about to say I might loosen up on the weekends once I get ot my goal because that's been my plan for a while, but I'm not sure.  I'm actually pretty content with my current eating habits, so maybe I'll stick with this.  Or maybe I'll plateau and have to cut back more. 

 

Hope this is helpful to someone.  I was looking for something like this when I first found the thread, so I wanted to leave my experiences here for anyone who might benefit from it.

[hilarypaige]

Right now I'm much closer to that 99% goal and I feel very much in control.

 

I am just like most people you are describing--when off-roading, needing it to be the whole bag of M&Ms, or since I "blew" the day already just going crazy. I have been 99% W30 for 8 months but feel like it is so all-consuming for me. I care TOO much about what I'm eating. I'm so strict. I'm no fun. I think about my food and my meal planning for the next week on the Thursday of the previous week, spend lots of time looking up recipes, making shopping lists, packing my lunch for work every day. I have a husband and 3 kids who aren't W30 so I am faced with hectic schedules and non-compliant foods on a daily basis, multiple times a day. Don't you ever just want to take the day off from all of the effort it takes to be W30? To just not care about it SO much for a day every now and then? I definitely feel way more in control when I stick to 99% W30, but sometimes I wonder if being so in control should be as important as it is to me.

[jmcbn]

Don't you ever just want to take the day off from all of the effort it takes to be W30? To just not care about it SO much for a day every now and then? I definitely feel way more in control when I stick to 99% W30, but sometimes I wonder if being so in control should be as important as it is to me.

I've been food prepping & batch cooking for so long that's there's really very little effort involved. I don't seek out new recipes unless I'm entertaining, and rely heavily on my crockpot & other basic dishes that require little prep, and/or little or no supervision when cooking.

And I care about it in a way that concerns my health & well being - I like that I have good energy levels, stable moods, that I sleep well, that I don't ever feel hungry - I like that I've found my happy place.

I don't like how gluten, grains & legumes effect me - physically OR mentally. I know how much dairy I can handle, and in what forms - IF I choose to go there. I know that sulphites & carrageenan are bad for my health. And the last time I checked those mass produced sugary candy bars their overly processed chemical 'flavour' turned my stomach.

If I want to spoil myself I'll have a gin & a couple of square of rich, dark, good quality chocolate, or I might push the boat out & opt for the creamy pavlova at the end of a meal out.

I'm not on a Whole30. This is my WholeMe and I don't fret about compliant and non compliant foods because I eat what I choose.

[MeadowLily]

I've been food prepping & batch cooking for so long that's there's really very little effort involved. I don't seek out new recipes unless I'm entertaining, and rely heavily on my crockpot & other basic dishes that require little prep, and/or little or no supervision when cooking.

And I care about it in a way that concerns my health & well being - I like that I have good energy levels, stable moods, that I sleep well, that I don't ever feel hungry - I like that I've found my happy place.

I don't like how gluten, grains & legumes effect me - physically OR mentally. I know how much dairy I can handle, and in what forms - if I choose to go there. I know that sulphites & carrageenan are bad for my health. And the last time I checked those mass produced sugary candy bars their overly processed chemical 'flavour' turned my stomach.

If I want to spoil myself I'll have a gin & a couple of square of rich, dark, good quality chocolate, or I might push the boat out & opt for the creamy pavlova at the end of a meal out.

I'm not on a Whole30. This is my WholeMe and I don't fret about compliant and non compliant foods because I eat what I choose.

But I know you're not talking about full-on food bender blow-outs...ever.   There's really no way to break Paleo down into percentages.   Paleo can mean eating gluten-free SWYPO's or cakes, cookies, protein drinks and bars...it's wide open for interpretation.  Someone can be 85 % Paleo and 15% Dairy Queen.   95% Paleo and 5% gummy bears and licorice.  The sky is not the limit when it comes to Paleo percentages and individual interpretations.

 

You can try to budget for weekend splurges but we know how that one turns out.  "Why can't I just be 95% Paleo and 5%  Eat  All  The  Things?"   Because that's trying to micro manage a binge eating lifestyle.   There are no work arounds or shortcuts to stability - with weight or emotional eating.

[jmcbn]

But I know you're not talking about full-on food bender blow-outs...ever.   There's really no way to break Paleo down into percentages.   Paleo can mean eating gluten-free SWYPO's or cakes, cookies, protein drinks and bars...it's wide open for interpretation.  Someone can be 85 % Paleo and 15% Dairy Queen.   95% Paleo and 5% gummy bears and licorice.  The sky is not the limit when it comes to Paleo percentages and individual interpretations.

 

You can try to budget for weekend splurges but we know how that one turns out.  "Why can't I just be 95% Paleo and 5%  Eat  All  The  Things?"   Because that's trying to micro manage a binge eating lifestyle.   There are no work arounds or shortcuts to stability - with weight or emotional eating.

I don't class myself as Paleo or Primal anymore. Those days are gone. And I don't buy any commercially prepared foods like chips or GF cookies, cakes & breads - those bad boys are a whole different can of worms. If I really want a cake or a cookie I have a friend who is a master at creating SWYPO treats in her home, made from almond &/or coconut flour, dates etc - the last time I bought anything from her was July and half of it ended up in the bin. I'm not a beer drinker so that's not an issue.

I just eat real food. Food that doesn't cause me distress of any kind - be it physical or emotional. Food of my choosing that happens to look a lot like Whole30 99% of the time. And I'm good with that.

 

[MeadowLily]

I don't class myself as Paleo or Primal anymore. Those days are gone. And I don't buy any commercially prepared foods like chips or GF cookies, cakes & breads - those bad boys are a whole different can of worms. If I really want a cake or a cookie I have a friend who is a master at creating SWYPO treats in her home made from almond & coconut flour, dates etc - the last time I bought anything from her was July and half of it ended up in the bin. I'm not a beer drinker so that's not an issue.

I just eat real food. Food that doesn't cause me distress of any kind - be it physical or emotional. Food of my choosing that happens to look a lot like Whole30 99% of the time. And I'm good with that.

 

Me neither.  I hear someone say that in passing and I think,  Oh, brother.   Be quiet.     

Especially when you know they're eating  GF snacks and chips all the live long day.