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Guest bfree11

Day 16

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hot dog, onions, 1 cup broccoli, 3 strawberries

Lunch: salad: chicken, greens, cauli, broc, carrots, scoop of guac, tiny scoop of almonds and pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Dinner: Grass-fed burger with avocado and a sweet potato bun, grilled cauliflower (frozen from trader joes) with a garlic compound ghee

Exercise: Spent about 4 hours doing physical labor at work (lifting boxes mostly)

 

I woke up an hour before my alarm and decided to go to work early and reorganize our office! I rearranged EVERYTHING! I picked up tons of boxes and moved things around. Now the office is sparkling clean, no clutter, and everything has a logical place that it belongs. My coworkers watched me doing this all morning and they just kept asking me, "What are you on?" My response was automatic. I told them, "I'm on healthy food!" Eating clean has truly given me the energy to be more active and motivated. They looked at me like I was crazy, and I loved it! I felt so confident and proud of my hard work. Not only am I adding structure to my diet, but now also in my workspace!

 

Two Netflix documentaries that I highly recommend: Fed Up and Hungry for Change. They both share a lot of scientific evidence to support Whole 30 eating. What I've realized is that I'm not really on a "diet," I'm just eating healthy. I'm only eating foods that are healthy/nutrient-dense. When I think about it like that, it sounds pretty logical, like why wouldn't I do that?! If eating junk food made me feel fine physically and emotionally, then I'd eat it, but that's just not the case for me.

 

I'm still SO curious what my life after Whole 30 will look like. I know Whole 30 is an elimination diet, so reintroduction is part of the plan, but I can't help but feel like I never want to reintroduce foods that I'm addicted to ever again! I didn't eliminate these foods because I wanted to test if I feel better without them. I already knew I'd feel way better without them. So then why should I go back to them afterward? I'm afraid that once slice of pizza will get me right back where I started. I might be right... Sugars are addictive, right? So if I eat sugar again, I'm going to have to deal with fighting through the addiction. That doesn't sound very fun. But, does that mean that I'll NEVER have pasta or cake or ice cream or mozzarella sticks again, ever in my life? That seems really extreme, but at the same time, those foods are so bad for the body, emotionally/chemically/physically/mentally. Why put my body through that? What do you guys think?

 

Rebecca

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Guest bfree11

Day 16

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hot dog, onions, 1 cup broccoli, 3 strawberries

Lunch: salad: chicken, greens, cauli, broc, carrots, scoop of guac, tiny scoop of almonds and pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Dinner: Grass-fed burger with avocado and a sweet potato bun, grilled cauliflower (frozen from trader joes) with a garlic compound ghee

Exercise: Spent about 4 hours doing physical labor at work (lifting boxes mostly)

 

I woke up an hour before my alarm and decided to go to work early and reorganize our office! I rearranged EVERYTHING! I picked up tons of boxes and moved things around. Now the office is sparkling clean, no clutter, and everything has a logical place that it belongs. My coworkers watched me doing this all morning and they just kept asking me, "What are you on?" My response was automatic. I told them, "I'm on healthy food!" Eating clean has truly given me the energy to be more active and motivated. They looked at me like I was crazy, and I loved it! I felt so confident and proud of my hard work. Not only am I adding structure to my diet, but now also in my workspace!

 

Two Netflix documentaries that I highly recommend: Fed Up and Hungry for Change. They both share a lot of scientific evidence to support Whole 30 eating. What I've realized is that I'm not really on a "diet," I'm just eating healthy. I'm only eating foods that are healthy/nutrient-dense. When I think about it like that, it sounds pretty logical, like why wouldn't I do that?! If eating junk food made me feel fine physically and emotionally, then I'd eat it, but that's just not the case for me. 

 

I'm still SO curious what my life after Whole 30 will look like. I know Whole 30 is an elimination diet, so reintroduction is part of the plan, but I can't help but feel like I never want to reintroduce foods that I'm addicted to ever again! I didn't eliminate these foods because I wanted to test if I feel better without them. I already knew I'd feel way better without them. So then why should I go back to them afterward? I'm afraid that once slice of pizza will get me right back where I started. I might be right... Sugars are addictive, right? So if I eat sugar again, I'm going to have to deal with fighting through the addiction. That doesn't sound very fun. But, does that mean that I'll NEVER have pasta or cake or ice cream or mozzarella sticks again, ever in my life? That seems really extreme, but at the same time, those foods are so bad for the body, emotionally/chemically/physically/mentally. Why put my body through that? What do you guys think?

 

Rebecca

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Today I ran a 5k without stopping. Seems like a small feat but I felt soooo good doing it. I've been out of running for a while now so it was a mini accomplishment. My lightheadedness that I experienced Friday is gone. I am leaning towards low blood sugar. I know it's not supposed to happen on the program but I was doing some reading and it looks like it can occur when you're not getting sugar but your body hasn't converted to burning fat yet. It can also be worsened by not eating enough of the healthy fats, which i definitely wasn't doing consistently every meal. Now i'm paying more attention to the template and am feeling much better. Also testing my sugars and they were low on Friday but have bounced back and have been very normal throughout the day since.

 

Since we are after day 15 i've been thinking about the whole "halfway point" and today something shifted in my thinking where I thought "wait....this is not ending in 15 days but life long" I can't go back to binging on unhealthy foods and carbs like before. I had noooo stopping point. That has been my struggle, not that I ate unhealthy every single meal, but that I would binge out big time when I broke down. No good.

 

Today I hit a little wall at lunch. I just couldn't stand the thought of eating my spaghetti squash and meat sauce. It's one of my fav's but after too many leftovers the thought of it just made me sick. I really believe you should enjoy food as well as it be fuel and so I ventured out for an alternative. Nothing in my work cafeteria so I went to whole foods (aka whole paycheck). The hot bar was disappointing. Nothing but lots of casseroles and rice or pasta based. One a mini win the carbs didn't even look appetizing or tempt me. On a last ditch effort I perused the frozen foods and found these Grandcestors meals. They had a whole paleo section and it even has a "whole 30 approved" label on it! I was in heaven. Ok ok they are pricey. But it was chicken tikka masala with sweet potatoes and cauliflower rice. I loooove tikka masala and haven't been able to make it myself as good as dining out. I will say this was pretty good. I might pick up some more to have in a super pinch. I've justified some of the more expensive items I've bought by comparing how little we eat out now and that I'm not wasting money on snacks. Another win is that my whole foods has the paleo mayo that's comliant and epic bars for emergencies. I have tried making mayo myself and my blender just won't work. No matter how slow I pour the oil :( I just haven't invested in an immersion blender yet. On the upside I think the premade stuff lasts a little longer and with no preservatives. What can I say....one of those things that I pay for the convenience.

 

Happy day 16 everyone!

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Day 16

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 hot dog, onions, 1 cup broccoli, 3 strawberries

Lunch: salad: chicken, greens, cauli, broc, carrots, scoop of guac, tiny scoop of almonds and pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Dinner: Grass-fed burger with avocado and a sweet potato bun, grilled cauliflower (frozen from trader joes) with a garlic compound ghee

Exercise: Spent about 4 hours doing physical labor at work (lifting boxes mostly)

 

I woke up an hour before my alarm and decided to go to work early and reorganize our office! I rearranged EVERYTHING! I picked up tons of boxes and moved things around. Now the office is sparkling clean, no clutter, and everything has a logical place that it belongs. My coworkers watched me doing this all morning and they just kept asking me, "What are you on?" My response was automatic. I told them, "I'm on healthy food!" Eating clean has truly given me the energy to be more active and motivated. They looked at me like I was crazy, and I loved it! I felt so confident and proud of my hard work. Not only am I adding structure to my diet, but now also in my workspace!

 

Two Netflix documentaries that I highly recommend: Fed Up and Hungry for Change. They both share a lot of scientific evidence to support Whole 30 eating. What I've realized is that I'm not really on a "diet," I'm just eating healthy. I'm only eating foods that are healthy/nutrient-dense. When I think about it like that, it sounds pretty logical, like why wouldn't I do that?! If eating junk food made me feel fine physically and emotionally, then I'd eat it, but that's just not the case for me.

 

I'm still SO curious what my life after Whole 30 will look like. I know Whole 30 is an elimination diet, so reintroduction is part of the plan, but I can't help but feel like I never want to reintroduce foods that I'm addicted to ever again! I didn't eliminate these foods because I wanted to test if I feel better without them. I already knew I'd feel way better without them. So then why should I go back to them afterward? I'm afraid that once slice of pizza will get me right back where I started. I might be right... Sugars are addictive, right? So if I eat sugar again, I'm going to have to deal with fighting through the addiction. That doesn't sound very fun. But, does that mean that I'll NEVER have pasta or cake or ice cream or mozzarella sticks again, ever in my life? That seems really extreme, but at the same time, those foods are so bad for the body, emotionally/chemically/physically/mentally. Why put my body through that? What do you guys think?

 

Rebecca

mmmm mozzerall sticks......I digress! Rebecca I nerd out on food documentaries on netflix! It's what pushed me to do whole 30 again. I love food inc. vegucated and fat sick and nearly dead. All different but a common theme of eating whole foods and a more plant based diet. I find them motivating and may revisit. I looooooved fed up!

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I'm still SO curious what my life after Whole 30 will look like. I know Whole 30 is an elimination diet, so reintroduction is part of the plan, but I can't help but feel like I never want to reintroduce foods that I'm addicted to ever again! I didn't eliminate these foods because I wanted to test if I feel better without them. I already knew I'd feel way better without them. So then why should I go back to them afterward? I'm afraid that once slice of pizza will get me right back where I started. I might be right... Sugars are addictive, right? So if I eat sugar again, I'm going to have to deal with fighting through the addiction. That doesn't sound very fun. But, does that mean that I'll NEVER have pasta or cake or ice cream or mozzarella sticks again, ever in my life? That seems really extreme, but at the same time, those foods are so bad for the body, emotionally/chemically/physically/mentally. Why put my body through that? What do you guys think?

 

Rebecca

 

Here are my thoughts on reintroduction... I didn't do it on my last attempt and I wished I had. First, don't reintroduce foods you never want to eat again. I'm not going to reintroduce soy. I'm sure i'll have it through one way or another, but I don't plan on purposefully having it. However, I would introduce things that you may eat again, even if its a one off time. For example, I don't really care about rice, I don't need it as a side dish and I don't plan on doing much with it in the future. However... I like sushi. And there is always the chance that I'll be somewhere  and maybe there is a dish that sounds really good but there is rice in it... I want to know how its going to make me react before I'm eating it out in public. If I know that rice doesn't make my tummy feel good, I'm less likely to be like, oh I'll eat it just this one time...  

 

Also, if you think a slice of pizza will set you back, absolutely don't reintroduce it, pizza isn't a part of reintro. Sugar isn't a part of reintro (at least I'm pretty sure its not). I totally understand your concerns though, which is why I plan on doing a slow-roll. Instead of introducing legumes in one day I'm breaking down the food groups a bit more, so I'll introduce beans, and then take 2 days off, and then lentils, and then 2 days and so on. I'm doing this because I think there are certain items that may give me trouble more than others and if I don't separate them I won't know. For example, non-gluten grains, I have a hunch quinoa treats me bad, but I don't think I have an issue with corn... but if I eat them together I won't know. This also is a way to extend out the principles of your 30 without going off the wagon. When you do the reintro of a food its only for one day and its out again, and there is no reason to introduce things like sugar. In reality, my reintro will take about 30 days so its almost like a Whole 60 based on the principles of what we're doing.

 

I've also been thinking about how best to reintroduce these foods and I was asking on some of the other boards. What my plan was the first round was make a main dish incorporating these foods... so for rice, I would make a rice casserole, for beans I was going ot make a chili, etc etc. However, I decided that I will keep my meal plan EXACTLY as it is right now, but I will add a small side dish of these foods, so a scoop of beans, or rice, or lentils, etc. First, it won't mess up with my meal planning in this way and it will continue to be routine. But also, if I'm not jazzing up a dish, it won't glorify that food for me. If I associate rice with a creamy casserole and then I make something similar, I may be more likely to be like oh right I like rice. But if its a scoop on the side of whatever I'm eating just to get it in my system, that's not fun or sexy, that's boring. But I'll still get the same effects from it!

 

I didn't mean to get on a soapbox here, but I've been thinking a lot about the right way to do a reintro. I think its important to know what foods will effect you and in what ways, and it may help your willpower later on knowing they don't have as great a feeling as you remember. But don't try to reintroduce grains or dairy with things like a pizza. As for what happens when you have your first bite of sugar... I don't know. I think a lot of people battle a sugar dragon for a long time and I don't think 30 days is enough time, but its a great start.

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Heather,

 

That is awesome about your 5K! This has been my first week getting back into exercise and its been a bit frustrating wishing I was at a more advanced level, so good for you for getting out there. I'm also jealous that you were able to find a compliant convenience meal, there aren't a lot of easy options here in Germany but luckily I've been switching up the meals a lot to prevent boredom. I actually have a really good compliant quasi-masala recipe, I'll have to find it and post it for you.

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Here are my thoughts on reintroduction... I didn't do it on my last attempt and I wished I had. First, don't reintroduce foods you never want to eat again. I'm not going to reintroduce soy. I'm sure i'll have it through one way or another, but I don't plan on purposefully having it. However, I would introduce things that you may eat again, even if its a one off time. For example, I don't really care about rice, I don't need it as a side dish and I don't plan on doing much with it in the future. However... I like sushi. And there is always the chance that I'll be somewhere  and maybe there is a dish that sounds really good but there is rice in it... I want to know how its going to make me react before I'm eating it out in public. If I know that rice doesn't make my tummy feel good, I'm less likely to be like, oh I'll eat it just this one time...  

 

Also, if you think a slice of pizza will set you back, absolutely don't reintroduce it, pizza isn't a part of reintro. Sugar isn't a part of reintro (at least I'm pretty sure its not). I totally understand your concerns though, which is why I plan on doing a slow-roll. Instead of introducing legumes in one day I'm breaking down the food groups a bit more, so I'll introduce beans, and then take 2 days off, and then lentils, and then 2 days and so on. I'm doing this because I think there are certain items that may give me trouble more than others and if I don't separate them I won't know. For example, non-gluten grains, I have a hunch quinoa treats me bad, but I don't think I have an issue with corn... but if I eat them together I won't know. This also is a way to extend out the principles of your 30 without going off the wagon. When you do the reintro of a food its only for one day and its out again, and there is no reason to introduce things like sugar. In reality, my reintro will take about 30 days so its almost like a Whole 60 based on the principles of what we're doing.

 

I've also been thinking about how best to reintroduce these foods and I was asking on some of the other boards. What my plan was the first round was make a main dish incorporating these foods... so for rice, I would make a rice casserole, for beans I was going ot make a chili, etc etc. However, I decided that I will keep my meal plan EXACTLY as it is right now, but I will add a small side dish of these foods, so a scoop of beans, or rice, or lentils, etc. First, it won't mess up with my meal planning in this way and it will continue to be routine. But also, if I'm not jazzing up a dish, it won't glorify that food for me. If I associate rice with a creamy casserole and then I make something similar, I may be more likely to be like oh right I like rice. But if its a scoop on the side of whatever I'm eating just to get it in my system, that's not fun or sexy, that's boring. But I'll still get the same effects from it!

 

I didn't mean to get on a soapbox here, but I've been thinking a lot about the right way to do a reintro. I think its important to know what foods will effect you and in what ways, and it may help your willpower later on knowing they don't have as great a feeling as you remember. But don't try to reintroduce grains or dairy with things like a pizza. As for what happens when you have your first bite of sugar... I don't know. I think a lot of people battle a sugar dragon for a long time and I don't think 30 days is enough time, but its a great start.

Thank you so much!

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Day 17

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, onions, 1/2 avocado, 3 strawberries, 1 cup broccoli

Lunch: burger, onions, guac, lettuce bun, 2 cups cauliflower, kombucha

Dinner: Chicken, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 roasted sweet potato

 

It's been 17 days and I still haven't been to a restaurant. My mom is coming to visit me this weekend and there's so many awesome restaurants and beach bars that I would love to take her to. Normally, I'd be so excited to go to these restaurants and indulge. I've had quick thoughts about cheating this weekend and how much I'd love to eat whatever I want. But, they were just thoughts, and I am NOT my thoughts. Don't worry, I'm going to stick to my plan. I've already looked at menus at a few places I think my mom would like to find something that works for me. I think I want unhealthy food, but when I really really thing about it, there's a lot of aspects of unhealthy food that I absolutely don't want. The bad outweighs the good.

 

I have a friend at work who struggles with emotional eating. I watch her eating habits and they look just like the way I used to eat. If I was bored, tired, depressed, lonely, frustrated, I'd eat my feelings. Once you eat one cupcake, a little while later, you want another little fix because it felt kinda good, and then another, and another. I used to order this roast beef panini for lunch at work and it was so greasy and heavy. I'd feel sick halfway through every time I ate it, but I'd still eat the whole thing! Then, I'd think about how I really shouldn't order it ever again, but the next time I was having a rough day, I'd order it again. It gets to the point where you use overeating unhealthy food to help make you feel better when you're upset about how much unhealthy food you're eating. I'm watching my coworker go through this vicious cycle right now and I'm so thankful that I'm on the other side of it now. If you just take the leap into healthy eating and have a support system to keep you on track, then you can escape that dark place. 

 

I have been having a lot of thoughts about missing eating certain foods. Not to the extent that I'll sabotage this for myself, thankfully. But it has made me think about what I can do to help food be more "exciting." My plan is to make some sauces. I've checked everywhere for Tessamae's and I haven't had any luck. I'm definitely going to make some pesto and some of the sauces in the book. A lot of times I cook something kind of boring for breakfast or dinner because I don't feel like putting a ton of effort into cooking, but it's time to spice it up!

 

Rebecca

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Day 17

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, onions, 1/2 avocado, 3 strawberries, 1 cup broccoli

Lunch: burger, onions, guac, lettuce bun, 2 cups cauliflower, kombucha

Dinner: Chicken, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 roasted sweet potato

 

It's been 17 days and I still haven't been to a restaurant. My mom is coming to visit me this weekend and there's so many awesome restaurants and beach bars that I would love to take her to. Normally, I'd be so excited to go to these restaurants and indulge. I've had quick thoughts about cheating this weekend and how much I'd love to eat whatever I want. But, they were just thoughts, and I am NOT my thoughts. Don't worry, I'm going to stick to my plan. I've already looked at menus at a few places I think my mom would like to find something that works for me. I think I want unhealthy food, but when I really really thing about it, there's a lot of aspects of unhealthy food that I absolutely don't want. The bad outweighs the good.

 

I have a friend at work who struggles with emotional eating. I watch her eating habits and they look just like the way I used to eat. If I was bored, tired, depressed, lonely, frustrated, I'd eat my feelings. Once you eat one cupcake, a little while later, you want another little fix because it felt kinda good, and then another, and another. I used to order this roast beef panini for lunch at work and it was so greasy and heavy. I'd feel sick halfway through every time I ate it, but I'd still eat the whole thing! Then, I'd think about how I really shouldn't order it ever again, but the next time I was having a rough day, I'd order it again. It gets to the point where you use overeating unhealthy food to help make you feel better when you're upset about how much unhealthy food you're eating. I'm watching my coworker go through this vicious cycle right now and I'm so thankful that I'm on the other side of it now. If you just take the leap into healthy eating and have a support system to keep you on track, then you can escape that dark place. 

 

I have been having a lot of thoughts about missing eating certain foods. Not to the extent that I'll sabotage this for myself, thankfully. But it has made me think about what I can do to help food be more "exciting." My plan is to make some sauces. I've checked everywhere for Tessamae's and I haven't had any luck. I'm definitely going to make some pesto and some of the sauces in the book. A lot of times I cook something kind of boring for breakfast or dinner because I don't feel like putting a ton of effort into cooking, but it's time to spice it up!

 

Rebecca

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Hi everyone, so I've finished day 17 and I still continue to feel really good. Today I went for a 15 mile bike ride and it felt great to be out on a beautiful summer day.

I love reading how everyone is doing, you are all such an inspiration to me.

Bring on day 18!

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I have to eat out a lot because of my job. I've found it super helpful to check out the menu beforehand and decide what I'm ordering. Last night I was at an event where the dinner was buffet. Fortunately, I'd packed a HUGE salad with chicken and a whole avocado for lunch, so I just ordered a club soda and decided that I could wait until I got home to have dinner. I was very hungry by the time I got home, but felt good because I had made a decision and maintained control over what I put in my mouth.

 

Good luck and have fun with your mom!

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Darcy here - today I am have way through day 18 and I have to say I'm pretty pumped! Last week at this time I thought I was going to go stir crazy. I've changed up my meals some to give variety and have added meatloaf, grapefruit, cilantro lime cauliflower, homemade curry chicken, and other things. It's been nice that work isn't slow either because I find that I like to snack when I'm bored. I am not constantly thinking about food either, which is awesome! I haven' worked out as much as I'd like lately, but i need to find a motivator as I'm not motivated in any way. Ha! It's fun to see how everyone is doing and I really appreciate the post on reintroduction - very helpful!

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 Then I get myself in this spiral where healthy eating feels like this far away island that would be waaaay too difficult to paddle back to. I feel this relief that I'm finally back on the island and I never want to get off. I'm afraid that if I even put my feet into the water, I'll get sucked back into cravings and shame. I haven't read the reintroduction chapter yet because I felt like there was so much other stuff to absorb at the beginning and I wanted to stay in the present and not obsess about the future. 

 

 

It is possible that if you have very strong emotional and addictive attachments to things like pizza, sugar, alcohol etc that you might do best not to reintroduce those things.  Coming from a person who has a strong addiction to sugar, my best life is lived when sugar is not a part of it.  Don't feel like you are doing it wrong if you feel like you can't go back to those foods.  For some of us there is no such thing as moderation.

 

https://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/

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Bfree11, I also like that they changed some of their partnerships. However, technically the fruit and nut bars are still compliant as emergency food, and I keep using them as more than that. I wish that they outright said, its against the rules to eat them! And then I wouldn't, but I made excuses as to how to justify it in my diet. I finished the larabars that were in my drawer at work and I don't plan on buying any more. I used them as a crutch to get between M2 and M3 and I need to readjust my food schedule instead.

Dear Higgles.  It is against the HigglesWhole30 rules for you to eat Larabars. 

 

There.  Does that help?  ;)

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I started the day after you and just felt "worthy" of commenting as I am now on Day 17, soon to be 18!

I miss my wine on the weekends, but little else.  I've survived two restaurant outings with less-than-supportive folks ('what crazy thing are you doing now?' "You're not gonna have one drink?"  "Just taste this!") and I am no longer prowling the kitchen around 9 pm for Pop Tarts or icecream!  Best of all I am sleeping!  For the first time in forever.  Its so wonderful!!

Anyway, just thought I'd say hi since you all seem to be around my start date.

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It is possible that if you have very strong emotional and addictive attachments to things like pizza, sugar, alcohol etc that you might do best not to reintroduce those things.  Coming from a person who has a strong addiction to sugar, my best life is lived when sugar is not a part of it.  Don't feel like you are doing it wrong if you feel like you can't go back to those foods.  For some of us there is no such thing as moderation.

 

https://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/

 

Okay, so here's where I get confused. Isn't sugar addictive? Shouldn't we all be abstainers so that we don't torture ourselves, or are some people just less sensitive to the addictive nature of sugar? Like, if I decide that for my birthday, I want to splurge and eat ice cream, aren't I going to start getting sugar cravings because my body will run on sugar, not fat? I just don't want to go through a spiral of unhealthy eating because one bite activates the "sugar dragon!" It just doesn't seem worth it to me. 

 

Also, I read Melissa's article about taking off the training wheels ( http://whole30.com/2012/01/ride-your-own-bike-2/) and she says " The program isn’t meant to continue forever – it’s a tool to give you the knowledge and confidence to make good choices on your own. Think of the Whole30 like your dietary training wheels, giving you the support and structure you need while learning. And despite the fact that it’s scary to lose the structure and comfort of our “rules” and take on the big, bad, sugar-laden world all on your own – at some point for each of you, it’s simply gotta happen."

 

But, my question is WHY? Why should we eat foods that we are being told are not nutrient-dense and cause digestive issues and inflammation? Why should I ever eat something that's bad for my body? I don't get it! At some point, this isn't about the behaviors or overeating and emotional stuff, it's simply about health. Now that I'm well-informed of the health risks of eating non-compliant foods, why on Earth would I want to ever put that stuff into my body again?! (I'm sort of just playing devil's advocate here and being a little extreme in order to provoke a meaningful explanation for this...) You could argue that we should all have treats because of the importance our quality of life, but isn't our quality of life technically decreasing when we put garbage in our system? Help!

 

Thank you :)

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I have to eat out a lot because of my job. I've found it super helpful to check out the menu beforehand and decide what I'm ordering. Last night I was at an event where the dinner was buffet. Fortunately, I'd packed a HUGE salad with chicken and a whole avocado for lunch, so I just ordered a club soda and decided that I could wait until I got home to have dinner. I was very hungry by the time I got home, but felt good because I had made a decision and maintained control over what I put in my mouth.

 

Good luck and have fun with your mom!

 

Thank you Karen!!!

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Day 18

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, onions, 2 cups of kale, 1/2 bell pepper, 2 strawberries, 5 rainer cherries 

Lunch: steak, green beans with olive oil, kombucha

Dinner: green juice, almond crusted chicken, kale slaw, sweet potato noodles, brussels sprouts, 1/2 avocado

 

Wow. I actually had to check my Whole 30 calendar to see what number today was, which I think is a good sign! Whole30 is just becoming the norm for me.

 

Okay, something cool happened today. I went to my first restaurant! It's called Fresh Kitchen and it's super healthy with tons of Paleo food, they even advertise it. I live directly across the street from it and in my pre-whole 30 life, I ate there all the time. The way it works is that you go up to a counter and choose bases, veggies, proteins, sauce, and add-ons, like guac. I started ordering the same thing I always get, and then I stopped myself. I said, "WAIT! I can't have that broccoli, it has parmesan on it!" So I picked the brussels sprouts, easy, no problem. Then I got to the sauces. I asked what the ingredients were in the Holy Kale sauce. Every ingredient she listed sounded fine, until the very last one, agave. I had this moment where I was like, ehhh it's probably only a tiny bit, it's not going to make or break me... but then I said NO! I told her that I didn't want any sauce and a scoop of guac would be enough of a topping for me. She felt badly and asked if I was sure I didn't want a sauce. I told her I was on a special diet, and she was like, "Oh that's awesome! Good for you!" That felt really, really good to hear.

 

If you haven't read this article about life after Whole 30, you should. http://whole30.com/2012/01/ride-your-own-bike-2/

 

It has given me a lot to think about. It sounds like there are a lot of options and it's all about taking your own journey, even if it involves some trial and error. The one part that confuses me though is why we need to get off of the Whole 30 at all. I know it's an elimination/reintroduction diet, but the foods that we are told to eliminate are foods that have been found to have very little nutrients and cause digestive/inflammatory issues. So why do I have to go back to eating those foods? Shouldn't we steer clear? Aren't we being mean to our bodies if we eat junk? Isn't it kind of silly to celebrate another year of life on your birthday with a cake that will actually negatively affect your health?I Seems ironic or counterintuitive. I understand that one slice isn't going to make or break you, but I thought sugar was addictive and when we eat it, our bodies start running on sugar? If I eat one piece of cake, won't that initiate the "Sugar Dragon" and put me on a downward spiral? Shouldn't we just eat healthy foods forever?! 

 

Thoughts?

 

Rebecca

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Guest bfree11

Day 18

 

Breakfast: 2 eggs, onions, 2 cups of kale, 1/2 bell pepper, 2 strawberries, 5 rainer cherries 

Lunch: steak, green beans with olive oil, kombucha

Dinner: green juice, almond crusted chicken, kale slaw, sweet potato noodles, brussels sprouts, 1/2 avocado

 

Wow. I actually had to check my Whole 30 calendar to see what number today was, which I think is a good sign! Whole30 is just becoming the norm for me.

 

Okay, something cool happened today. I went to my first restaurant! It's called Fresh Kitchen and it's super healthy with tons of Paleo food, they even advertise it. I live directly across the street from it and in my pre-whole 30 life, I ate there all the time. The way it works is that you go up to a counter and choose bases, veggies, proteins, sauce, and add-ons, like guac. I started ordering the same thing I always get, and then I stopped myself. I said, "WAIT! I can't have that broccoli, it has parmesan on it!" So I picked the brussels sprouts, easy, no problem. Then I got to the sauces. I asked what the ingredients were in the Holy Kale sauce. Every ingredient she listed sounded fine, until the very last one, agave. I had this moment where I was like, ehhh it's probably only a tiny bit, it's not going to make or break me... but then I said NO! I told her that I didn't want any sauce and a scoop of guac would be enough of a topping for me. She felt badly and asked if I was sure I didn't want a sauce. I told her I was on a special diet, and she was like, "Oh that's awesome! Good for you!" That felt really, really good to hear.

 

If you haven't read this article about life after Whole 30, you should. http://whole30.com/2...our-own-bike-2/

 

It has given me a lot to think about. It sounds like there are a lot of options and it's all about taking your own journey, even if it involves some trial and error. The one part that confuses me though is why we need to get off of the Whole 30 at all. I know it's an elimination/reintroduction diet, but the foods that we are told to eliminate are foods that have been found to have very little nutrients and cause digestive/inflammatory issues. So why do I have to go back to eating those foods? Shouldn't we steer clear? Aren't we being mean to our bodies if we eat junk? Isn't it kind of silly to celebrate another year of life on your birthday with a cake that will actually negatively affect your health?I Seems ironic or counterintuitive. I understand that one slice isn't going to make or break you, but I thought sugar was addictive and when we eat it, our bodies start running on sugar? If I eat one piece of cake, won't that initiate the "Sugar Dragon" and put me on a downward spiral? Shouldn't we just eat healthy foods forever?! 

 

Thoughts?

 

Rebecca

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Today is day 19! I'm very happy to report that for the first time in over 30 years I slept through the entire night, yep that would be 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep....oh what a feeling!

Heading out hiking tomorrow and was wondering if you have suggestions for portable protein that does not require refrigeration? Just incase I need a little something since I'll be doing lots of activity. I just want to be prepared.

Rebecca you bring up some good points regarding reintroduction. I feel that reintroduction is very personal because every person reacts differently to foods. We have been educated and learned what foods work best for us, so it is up to an individual to make the decisions as to what they will continue or discontinue eating. Personally for me I know that sugar is very difficult for me to control so it will be best if I leave it behind (good bye). I feel empowered to make good food choices and I now know the internal ramifications of eating certain foods so I'll make food choices in the future based on my new found knowledge of food.

Hope everyone has a great day!

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Okay, so here's where I get confused. Isn't sugar addictive? Shouldn't we all be abstainers so that we don't torture ourselves, or are some people just less sensitive to the addictive nature of sugar? Like, if I decide that for my birthday, I want to splurge and eat ice cream, aren't I going to start getting sugar cravings because my body will run on sugar, not fat? I just don't want to go through a spiral of unhealthy eating because one bite activates the "sugar dragon!" It just doesn't seem worth it to me. 

 

Also, I read Melissa's article about taking off the training wheels ( http://whole30.com/2012/01/ride-your-own-bike-2/) and she says " The program isn’t meant to continue forever – it’s a tool to give you the knowledge and confidence to make good choices on your own. Think of the Whole30 like your dietary training wheels, giving you the support and structure you need while learning. And despite the fact that it’s scary to lose the structure and comfort of our “rules” and take on the big, bad, sugar-laden world all on your own – at some point for each of you, it’s simply gotta happen."

 

But, my question is WHY? Why should we eat foods that we are being told are not nutrient-dense and cause digestive issues and inflammation? Why should I ever eat something that's bad for my body? I don't get it! At some point, this isn't about the behaviors or overeating and emotional stuff, it's simply about health. Now that I'm well-informed of the health risks of eating non-compliant foods, why on Earth would I want to ever put that stuff into my body again?! (I'm sort of just playing devil's advocate here and being a little extreme in order to provoke a meaningful explanation for this...) You could argue that we should all have treats because of the importance our quality of life, but isn't our quality of life technically decreasing when we put garbage in our system? Help!

 

Thank you 

 

 

I do not personally understand how a person can have a piece of chocolate or one cupcake out of a half dozen and not be compelled to eat the rest.  Sugar definitely is addictive but yes, there are people who can deal with it in small amounts and not have that reaction.  I don't know why it is.  Maybe genetics? Maybe personal history and how that sugar reacts in our brains and how it is directly linked to certain feelings?  I know that if I abstain for months on sugar and then have anything, I do not go back to having a little and then a little more, I go back to exactly where I was when I broke the cycle the last time.  For me this means that every time I end up back in the clutches of sugar, it is more and more damaging to me.

 

As far as staying on Whole30 forever vs using it as training wheels.  I think what they are getting at is that things do come up.  They just do.  Someone is going to bake you a pie for your birthday or bring ice cream bars into the office on a hot day when the air conditioner has died.  They just are and you get to choose how to handle that.  You don't get to "I'm on Whole30" forever, you have to make your own decisions.  If you choose to forgo the ice cream, that's fine but that is YOUR choice, not the Hartwig's choice.  

 

This is the most biologically appropriate way for us to eat and it is reasonable to expect to continue on in this manner for the rest of your life. It is not reasonable to think you will never eat french fries or ketchup or a cupcake for the rest of your life.  The great thing about the body is that from a health perspective, it has systems in place in order to mitigate the damage caused by a less healthy food.  And once those systems are no longer being taxed, it can deal with it quite effectively.

 

That's my take.

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I do not personally understand how a person can have a piece of chocolate or one cupcake out of a half dozen and not be compelled to eat the rest.  Sugar definitely is addictive but yes, there are people who can deal with it in small amounts and not have that reaction.  I don't know why it is.  Maybe genetics? Maybe personal history and how that sugar reacts in our brains and how it is directly linked to certain feelings?  I know that if I abstain for months on sugar and then have anything, I do not go back to having a little and then a little more, I go back to exactly where I was when I broke the cycle the last time.  For me this means that every time I end up back in the clutches of sugar, it is more and more damaging to me.

 

As far as staying on Whole30 forever vs using it as training wheels.  I think what they are getting at is that things do come up.  They just do.  Someone is going to bake you a pie for your birthday or bring ice cream bars into the office on a hot day when the air conditioner has died.  They just are and you get to choose how to handle that.  You don't get to "I'm on Whole30" forever, you have to make your own decisions.  If you choose to forgo the ice cream, that's fine but that is YOUR choice, not the Hartwig's choice.  

 

This is the most biologically appropriate way for us to eat and it is reasonable to expect to continue on in this manner for the rest of your life. It is not reasonable to think you will never eat french fries or ketchup or a cupcake for the rest of your life.  The great thing about the body is that from a health perspective, it has systems in place in order to mitigate the damage caused by a less healthy food.  And once those systems are no longer being taxed, it can deal with it quite effectively.

 

That's my take.

 

This was SOOOOO helpful, thank you! I think I finally get it! As long as I'm making my OWN choices and staying true to myself, I should be alright! Thanks again!

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Today is day 19! I'm very happy to report that for the first time in over 30 years I slept through the entire night, yep that would be 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep....oh what a feeling!

Heading out hiking tomorrow and was wondering if you have suggestions for portable protein that does not require refrigeration? Just incase I need a little something since I'll be doing lots of activity. I just want to be prepared.

Rebecca you bring up some good points regarding reintroduction. I feel that reintroduction is very personal because every person reacts differently to foods. We have been educated and learned what foods work best for us, so it is up to an individual to make the decisions as to what they will continue or discontinue eating. Personally for me I know that sugar is very difficult for me to control so it will be best if I leave it behind (good bye). I feel empowered to make good food choices and I now know the internal ramifications of eating certain foods so I'll make food choices in the future based on my new found knowledge of food.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Thanks Jean! Jerky or those Epic Bars are the only thing I can think of for portable protein. Enjoy your hike! And thanks for your two cents regarding life after Whole 30!

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I have the same questions.

:)

I will tune in tomorrow to find out more.

 

 

Here's what LadyShanny, one of the moderators said in response. You may find it helpful:

 

Okay, so here's where I get confused. Isn't sugar addictive? Shouldn't we all be abstainers so that we don't torture ourselves, or are some people just less sensitive to the addictive nature of sugar? Like, if I decide that for my birthday, I want to splurge and eat ice cream, aren't I going to start getting sugar cravings because my body will run on sugar, not fat? I just don't want to go through a spiral of unhealthy eating because one bite activates the "sugar dragon!" It just doesn't seem worth it to me. 

 

Also, I read Melissa's article about taking off the training wheels ( http://whole30.com/2...our-own-bike-2/) and she says " The program isn’t meant to continue forever – it’s a tool to give you the knowledge and confidence to make good choices on your own. Think of the Whole30 like your dietary training wheels, giving you the support and structure you need while learning. And despite the fact that it’s scary to lose the structure and comfort of our “rules” and take on the big, bad, sugar-laden world all on your own – at some point for each of you, it’s simply gotta happen."

 

But, my question is WHY? Why should we eat foods that we are being told are not nutrient-dense and cause digestive issues and inflammation? Why should I ever eat something that's bad for my body? I don't get it! At some point, this isn't about the behaviors or overeating and emotional stuff, it's simply about health. Now that I'm well-informed of the health risks of eating non-compliant foods, why on Earth would I want to ever put that stuff into my body again?! (I'm sort of just playing devil's advocate here and being a little extreme in order to provoke a meaningful explanation for this...) You could argue that we should all have treats because of the importance our quality of life, but isn't our quality of life technically decreasing when we put garbage in our system? Help!

 

Thank you 

 

 

I do not personally understand how a person can have a piece of chocolate or one cupcake out of a half dozen and not be compelled to eat the rest.  Sugar definitely is addictive but yes, there are people who can deal with it in small amounts and not have that reaction.  I don't know why it is.  Maybe genetics? Maybe personal history and how that sugar reacts in our brains and how it is directly linked to certain feelings?  I know that if I abstain for months on sugar and then have anything, I do not go back to having a little and then a little more, I go back to exactly where I was when I broke the cycle the last time.  For me this means that every time I end up back in the clutches of sugar, it is more and more damaging to me.

 

As far as staying on Whole30 forever vs using it as training wheels.  I think what they are getting at is that things do come up.  They just do.  Someone is going to bake you a pie for your birthday or bring ice cream bars into the office on a hot day when the air conditioner has died.  They just are and you get to choose how to handle that.  You don't get to "I'm on Whole30" forever, you have to make your own decisions.  If you choose to forgo the ice cream, that's fine but that is YOUR choice, not the Hartwig's choice.  

 

This is the most biologically appropriate way for us to eat and it is reasonable to expect to continue on in this manner for the rest of your life. It is not reasonable to think you will never eat french fries or ketchup or a cupcake for the rest of your life.  The great thing about the body is that from a health perspective, it has systems in place in order to mitigate the damage caused by a less healthy food.  And once those systems are no longer being taxed, it can deal with it quite effectively.

 

That's my take.

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