Starting July 1st

[StinaBomb]

I certainly appreciate all the encouragement and support that I have received in the forums. Maybe my issue is that for the past 14 years, WW HAS worked for me. I have NEVER returned to my starting weight or even close except during my three pregnancies, and I used WW to lose the weight after each child was born and was back to goal within 6 months. Without starving myself or feeling deprived (most of the time). When I follow the program, I lose weight.

BUT....The Whole30 appeals to me because the more I learn about nutrition and our food supply (thank you, numerous Netflix documentaries) I am finding out that the "conventional wisdom" that I have grown up with isn't accurate as people are led to believe. A lot of it is spun by our own government and powerful corporations (yep, I'm a big time conspiracy theorist). I want to eat foods that are safe and nourishing, but allow some wiggle room for the not-so-good. I just got terribly overwhelmed in dishes and cleanup, fear of eating more than I needed or not eating enough and feeling awful, and I felt like I was LIVING in my kitchen. It was a lot all at once. I don't know how those of you with a full-time job make it work. Pointers, tips, advice????

With homeschool starting next month, it is a full time job even though I'm at home. Plus I have two other *little* jobs.

I chose to do a W30 during the summer because I'm a teacher with 2 kids. I haven't felt too stressed about the meal prep- the kids are eating what we are but I throw in reg pasta or bread into their meals instead of sweet potato buns or zucchini. I don't feel much difference in my food prep than normal. For me the trick was to not jump to too 'out there' menus. We are pretty simple eaters- baked chicken, meatloaf, spaghetti, etc. when I started eating 'clean' last year I started making all these crazy recipes that took so much extra effort. I burned out quickly. Maybe try tweaking your favorites...? I haven't fallen off the wagon but am seriously considering what's the point.

[MeadowLily]

Fmr Sailor....you're a  really good sport.   I think you have to do what works for you and you've found that.

It's not easy with young children but I think you're very organized and capable.  That's why you get chosen for leadership roles. 

[StinaBomb]

@JenX - my feelings can best be summed up as "meh". I appreciate the habit changing that is happening but I am not feeling any of the positive things others are. I am not sleeping well in general, I feel super fat, and I don't have any extra energy. I will say I am pleased with my food choices, love the emphasis on the extra veggies. I talked with a friend who's done several W30's & she was surprised I'm not feeling better - energy or clothes fitting wise. Even she asked me why I was continuing. I figure it's day 17, I'll keep trying to see this through to the end but I don't really have much hope for a turn around.

I'm glad you are feeling great! I wish this was working for me in that way!! I am really happy to hear about your success and hope you're healing up well.

[jmcbn]

I'm a single mum to two boys both of whom have extra curricular activites, I work full time, I study, and I train on average six times a week. I make whole30 work for me by batch cooking tried & tested recipes on a Sunday, and by having convenient protein sources like tinned fish, salad veg & the likes of olives which don't require much in the way of cooking so I can throw a meal together at the drop of a hat. I do plain and simple cooking, excpet for when I'm (rarely) entertaining when I'll push the boat out a little.

I've been batch cooking for some time and have picked up a few short cuts along the way - I no longer seal my whole chickens in a pan now before putting in my slow cooker, I don't bother peeling my root veg, and cook in bulk so I can have *a littlle* extra on top of what should last the week to throw in my freezer for emergencies.

Every sunday I use my slow cooker, at least two burners on the stove top, and every shelf in my oven.

Here I am on vacation and I've brought everything I need with me for breakfasts and picnic lunches (and have sourced some great food locally), and am quite easily finding compliant meals when we eat out each night and technically I'm not even currently on a strict Whole30 - I just couldn't eat any other way.

I think the longer you eat this way the more it becomes second nature, and the less inclined you are to want to eat any differently.

[JenX]

@JenX - my feelings can best be summed up as "meh". I appreciate the habit changing that is happening but I am not feeling any of the positive things others are. I am not sleeping well in general, I feel super fat, and I don't have any extra energy. I will say I am pleased with my food choices, love the emphasis on the extra veggies. I talked with a friend who's done several W30's & she was surprised I'm not feeling better - energy or clothes fitting wise. Even she asked me why I was continuing. I figure it's day 17, I'll keep trying to see this through to the end but I don't really have much hope for a turn around.

I'm glad you are feeling great! I wish this was working for me in that way!! I am really happy to hear about your success and hope you're healing up well.

Thanks! And I'm sorry you're not yet feeling benefits, but hope you do soon, I'm glad you're determined to stick it out. Please consider posting a couple days of your meals either here or in Troubleshooting and have one of the Moderators take a look. There may be some easy tweaks that will increase your energy and help with the sleep.  I'm still feeling bloated and fat myself this go round but since I've done it before I know that's going to change just a bit down the road.

[Bojibelle]

So after 16 days of going strong without all of the normal detox challenges - headachy, muscle aches, I have a migraine today. Because I have to be capable and responsible for my job today, I took my meds.  It really is frustrating to get a headache when I am eating as clean as I am. I could understand if I were eating dairy, sugar and chocolate but I am not.  I reviewed everything I ate but couldn't find anything that wasn't compliant even with eating out.  granted there could be oils that I don't normally eat but that hasn't bothered me in the past.  What I really think is going on is stress from work.  I had a rather nasty "breakup" with a direct report and when I reached out to work at mending fences, it was pretty much rebuffed.  Glad I have decided it is time for me to try something new but that still doesn't take away the sting. 

 

So what else am I doing to relieve the stress and the migraine besides take my Axert at $40 a pill (which is very effective and worth it when I need it):

1. Joined up with the Oprah/Depok free 21 day meditation and doing that first thing in the morning - thinking about grace and how much it is related to forgiveness

2. Breathing deeply

3. Going Frozen and letting it go.

4. Looking for that next opportunity which I may have found.  I have a phone interview next week.

5. Spending time with friends this weekend - book group (Reading The Crane's Wife / Patrick Ness - interestingly enough all about forgiveness) and yoga.

6. Ordained as a Universal Life Minister and helping some friends with their vows this weekend so I can officiate at their ceremony in September.

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

7. Life is good!

[fmr_sailor]

I haven't fallen off the wagon but am seriously considering what's the point.

Might not mean much coming from me, lol, but I'm sorry you feel that way.

[fmr_sailor]

Fmr Sailor....you're a really good sport. I think you have to do what works for you and you've found that.

It's not easy with young children but I think you're very organized and capable. That's why you get chosen for leadership roles.

Thank you! And I am delivering the scale to my mother this afternoon for her to store in her shop for a while so I can work on some "reframing." I mean, I felt thin when following the Whole30 (probably the "no wheat"), so it doesn't exactly make sense for me to let a number change that.

I'd lost quite a bit of weight (not unhealthy) and gained some back over the past year or more due to making too many unhealthy choices and overeating poor foods. However, I also haven't taken into consideration the amount of muscle I may have put on lifting over the past 10 months. So much to think about. And, again, I TRULY appreciate this community!!

[eliz991]

Fmr Sailor - as a previous "weigh every day" (and prior to that "weigh every time I walk past the bathroom scale") person, getting off the scale for 30 days on my first W30 made the biggest difference in the world for me.  I actually made my husband hide it because I didn't think I could resist.  At the end of the 30 days I had, indeed, lost weight.  This time around I stuck the scale in the little space next to the washing machine and haven't even been tempted to peek.  I don't feel like I've lost weight yet (I'm on day 12 after the restart) but either way, at least I'm feeling good and eating good food and my headaches are better.  And for me the very best thing is that I can sit and work and not be CONSTANTLY looking for something to eat.  Seriously I was a chain-snacker.  And now I'm (mostly) ok with 3 meals a day (not 100% off snacks yet but getting there).

 

Anyway - the day after my long runs I'm up 3-5 pounds, especially in the summer - you're in the south too, right?  I live in Texas and this time of year I puff up like a balloon for 24-48 hours after any run over 6 miles.  Like I can't even wear my wedding rings.

[leaC]

Thanks JenX for your support and understanding!

Fmr_Sailor, I hear you re: the overwhelming kitchen prep being a deterrent at times! I too felt like I was living in the kitchen which was actually depressing, especially if I hadn't had time to prep meals and would come home from work - late, and then think about what I could cook myself (& family) for dinner AND make it happen AND clean up. By this stage we'd be eating at 8.30pm. Mentally a huge challenge that I'm glad I gave into this time around so I could focus on other areas which right this minute are more "pressing"!

I know W30 eating/living works, so when I can commit to myself 100%, I'll be getting back on that horse - no regrets,

You're all going great guys!

[rdallas05]

I think the longer you eat this way the more it becomes second nature, and the less inclined you are to want to eat any differently.

Is this true for recognizing how much your body needs/ doesn't need?

I read one of your comments on another thread where you said you trusted yourself enough to eat the right amount of food for you activity level. I want that more than anything! I am a binge eater! I will eat and eat and eat. I was doing so well in the beginning with my 3 meals a day and no snacking, but this week has been very different. I'm following the food template, but I wants carbs! I've been eating sweet potatoes, plantains, carrots you name it. My cycle ended last week and I didn't have this problem even then.

I feel pretty good, but I know I shouldn't be eating so many starchy veggies/ fruits a day. Any advice? Up my fat intake? Protein? Idk...

[MeadowLily]

Is this true for recognizing how much your body needs/ doesn't need?

I read one of your comments on another thread where you said you trusted yourself enough to eat the right amount of food for you activity level. I want that more than anything! I am a binge eater! I will eat and eat and eat. I was doing so well in the beginning with my 3 meals a day and no snacking, but this week has been very different. I'm following the food template, but I wants carbs! I've been eating sweet potatoes, plantains, carrots you name it. My cycle ended last week and I didn't have this problem even then.

I feel pretty good, but I know I shouldn't be eating so many starchy veggies/ fruits a day. Any advice? Up my fat intake? Protein? Idk...

As Melissa and Dallas say...Eat a fat and protein.  

 

"If you’re craving sugar, don’t give your body sugar! Eat high fat instead, with a little bit of protein, and tough it out. Break those cravings once and for all. "

Best,

Melissa

 

Dallas @ Whole9 says

 

August 4, 2010 at 8:02 pm

 

 

If you’re craving carbs   (read: SUGAR!),    eat fat and protein.   Giving yourself sugar is NOT the route to go.

 

Melissa @ Whole9 says

 

April 6, 2011 at 2:09 pm

 

It may take a week or two… it may take a month or two. Depends on how bad your sugar demons are, and how you treat them during your Whole30. Dallas likes to say you can’t kill the sugar dragon with willpower, you have to STARVE it. So don’t give in to those cravings during your Whole30 by using fruit as a crutch… stick it out and it will get better.

Best of luck to you!

Melissa

 

 

[MeadowLily]

• Don’t use nuts, seeds, and nut butters as your primary fat source

[fmr_sailor]

Question: When I look at a profile, there's a green box on the right that has a number and the word "excellent" next to it. What does it mean??

[JenX]

I think it just means that person is relatively active in the forum. The number equates to the number of posts that person has made. Yours says Excellent and 148.

[jmcbn]

Is this true for recognizing how much your body needs/ doesn't need?

I read one of your comments on another thread where you said you trusted yourself enough to eat the right amount of food for you activity level. I want that more than anything! I am a binge eater! I will eat and eat and eat. I was doing so well in the beginning with my 3 meals a day and no snacking, but this week has been very different. I'm following the food template, but I wants carbs! I've been eating sweet potatoes, plantains, carrots you name it. My cycle ended last week and I didn't have this problem even then.

I feel pretty good, but I know I shouldn't be eating so many starchy veggies/ fruits a day. Any advice? Up my fat intake? Protein? Idk...

Yep, I'd say I know instinctively when dishing out a meal how much I'll need to last me 4-5hrs (or more if I need it to - I often go six hrs between meal one & meal two)

As meadow has said above those carb cravings you're having will not be stopped with carbs - the cravings are just your mind tricking you & you should respond with fats & protein. Don't ditch the starchy carbs as you do need them, but do ditch the fruit and up the fat & protein content of your meals and you'll see those cravings go.

If you're hungry eat more at each meal & avoid the snacks - your appetite will fluctuate over the course of the month, so you will probably need to tweak as you go but things will settle... 

[Britishgal]

I talk about the scales as someone who has experienced disordered eating off and on for so many years...and as someone who has come to realise over a year of doing on and off whole30 that a number does not define you or your health...there are so many other factors at play and I have learnt to love my curvy healthier body as I never did the conventionally perfect one I lived in in the teens, twenties and very early thirties (aka skinny...I did a lot of modelling in my youth).

But as usual I am a little different in my whole30 approach. I run 2 small businesses (one with a friend) and I'm a single mother who is (or was until yesterday when I resigned for reasons you know) very involved in his school and various organisations in our village.

But I do not batch cook. Can't bear it.

If I batch cook for the week I am totally uninterested in my fridge when I open the door and eating becomes a chore.

I fancy chicken for dinner tonight so ill roast a whole one ...but I've no idea year what I'll do with the rest over the next few days, I know I'll use it but I won't know until tomorrow how I'll want it, or the next day. That's as much batch type cooking as I do.

I also tend to shop every couple of days.

This morning I woke up wanting red meat so I chopped 2 papers, two red onions and 6 mushrooms, soaked them in oil, garlic and herbs, roasted them and stuck them in the oven for 20 mins. Then my son and I ate them with steak I cut up and fried quickly dipped home made Mayo.

That said I don't tend to look online or in books for new recipes that may take hours. I cook my family recipes and ones I've cooked all my life but I adapt them. Instead of the complicated, ingredient filled and time consuming chocolate chilli, for example, I make my mother's, the one I love and grew up with, minus the beans and sweet corn.

It is a trial and error process making whole30 work for you and your family..but it is so worth it if you can xx

[fmr_sailor]

I talk about the scales as someone who has experienced disordered eating off and on for so many years...and as someone who has come to realise over a year of doing on and off whole30 that a number does not define you or your health...there are so many other factors at play and I have learnt to love my curvy healthier body as I never did the conventionally perfect one I lived in in the teens, twenties and very early thirties (aka skinny...I did a lot of modelling in my youth).

But as usual I am a little different in my whole30 approach. I run 2 small businesses (one with a friend) and I'm a single mother who is (or was until yesterday when I resigned for reasons you know) very involved in his school and various organisations in our village.

But I do not batch cook. Can't bear it.

If I batch cook for the week I am totally uninterested in my fridge when I open the door and eating becomes a chore.

I fancy chicken for dinner tonight so ill roast a whole one ...but I've no idea year what I'll do with the rest over the next few days, I know I'll use it but I won't know until tomorrow how I'll want it, or the next day. That's as much batch type cooking as I do.

I also tend to shop every couple of days.

This morning I woke up wanting red meat so I chopped 2 papers, two red onions and 6 mushrooms, soaked them in oil, garlic and herbs, roasted them and stuck them in the oven for 20 mins. Then my son and I ate them with steak I cut up and fried quickly dipped home made Mayo.

That said I don't tend to look online or in books for new recipes that may take hours. I cook my family recipes and ones I've cooked all my life but I adapt them. Instead of the complicated, ingredient filled and time consuming chocolate chilli, for example, I make my mother's, the one I love and grew up with, minus the beans and sweet corn.

It is a trial and error process making whole30 work for you and your family..but it is so worth it if you can xx

I'm probably more like this. I am still batch cooking chicken breast and hard boiled eggs to keep in the fridge for *emergencies*, and I'm probably going to start batch cooking sweet potatoes to keep for the same reason. But I like to shop every couple of days, and I usually only mentally plan my meals a few days in advance. I'm definitely not done with the Whole30, and I returned all my rice, corn, lentils, beans, etc to the store yesterday for a refund. :-) The more I learn about these foods, the more I realize that I don't NEED them in my diet, as I once thought they were really good choices. I will probably revisit the Whole30 formally in August (prob the 2nd), but for now I'm keeping some of the changes, many of the changes that have come about in my diet as a result of my Whole30 experiences and knowledge that I've gained this month.

Again, thanks to ALL OF YOU here for making me feel comfortable continuing to participate despite my setbacks so far. Y'all are great!!

[fmr_sailor]

Oh, and the scale is officially out of the house. And I actually am experiencing a TINY bit of anxiety over it. Like "how will I know if I'm doing ok?" But for now, I'm just gonna wait for it to pass, as I'm sure it will. I was not an everyday weigher, but once a week for sure. It's a big change. :-)

[MeGA"gardener"]

.

[GFChris]

Question: When I look at a profile, there's a green box on the right that has a number and the word "excellent" next to it. What does it mean??

The number is how many "likes" the person has received on their forum posts. I think the "excellent" appears after a certain number of likes.

[Britishgal]

Good luck sailor and go by how your clothes fit, how bright your skin is and any other measures that make you feel good about yourself. It doesn't all come down to the number you weigh

I'll be doing reintros in a couple of weeks to test the gluten but I fully intend to do another whole30 after that in August too as I feel better eating like this xx

[Bojibelle]

@fmr_sailor - Your honesty is so refreshing. Each one of us has our own way of working through the W30 and for someone coming from the WW mindset, I know that has its own challenges.  I am a former WW too and not using a scale is a tough change.  Except that WW tells you to only weigh once a week so it isn't all that foreign. For my life, eating Paleo has become a life style for me.  I batch cook often but not always.  Summer is so easy because I can throw some protein and veggies on the grill and have dinner in about 20 minutes.  In the winter, I batch cook a lot because when I get home after work I want something hot and substantial and there it is, almost like magic and I don't have to cook. That saves the snacking until dinner is done. And my focus this time has been to deal with all the other lifestyle challenges since the food is pretty much under my belt. Those are the more difficult for me right now. I am sure you will find your stride when it is the right time in your life and not before.  Good luck.

[rdallas05]

Yep, I'd say I know instinctively when dishing out a meal how much I'll need to last me 4-5hrs (or more if I need it to - I often go six hrs between meal one & meal two)

As meadow has said above those carb cravings you're having will not be stopped with carbs - the cravings are just your mind tricking you & you should respond with fats & protein. Don't ditch the starchy carbs as you do need them, but do ditch the fruit and up the fat & protein content of your meals and you'll see those cravings go.

If you're hungry eat more at each meal & avoid the snacks - your appetite will fluctuate over the course of the month, so you will probably need to tweak as you go but things will settle...

Thank you for your feedback! I'll do this and hopefully those cravings will go away very soon.

@meadowlily

Thanks for your feedback as well. It's been 2 years since I've read "It Starts With Food" so I'm going to start reading it again today. Thanks again!

[JenX]

Good morning all! I just finished a very satisfying breakfast of sauteed mushrooms with onion and bell pepper, leftover roated potatoes, leftover steak and an egg. All I can say is I wish i could afford to eat steak every morning. I absolutely love it!  Off to the store in a bit to restock - i'm out of just about everything so if I dont get there soon it'll have to be canned tuna for lunch.

 

Bojibelle - i hope your migraine is a thing of the past.

 

Frm_sailor - everything we do in life is am opportunity to learn. We learn about ourselves and about the world around us all of our lives - it's what keeps life interesting. I'm glad you took those things back to the store and have come with such a good take-away from your time on Whole 30. I honestly think it was your exercise that was tanking your energy and mood so if you can find the right balance there, you'll sail through in August if you decide to try again. And good for you for dumping that scale! 

BritishGal - i guess my style of cooking would be about half your way and half batch.  Basically I do some prep on Sundays to make sure i have quick things i can grab for lunches at work. But every time I do turn that oven on to cook something for dinner I either double what it is, or add in something else. If nothing else to save on gas and to keep heating the kitchen up to a minimum. I try to not go to the store more than 1-2x a week though.

 

 Weird weather here for Southern California - super humid and thunder. Not sure what's coming next today. everything feels very unsettled and expectant. Oh my goodness, it's raining! it never rains in July!!  And we need it so badly it couldn't come at a better time.

 

To everyone above and everyone else, i hope you have a wonderful day!