mdamarante Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I just finished reading It Starts With Food. I'm very excited about getting started! I suffer from hypothyroidism, IBS, and general joint and muscle aches and pains that have never been explained, as well as fatigue which would appear to be unrelated to the thyroid as my THS test is normal on meds. My concerns, are 1. Being required /having to eat breakfast. The thought and smell of food in the morning is nauseating to me. Does anyone else have this problem? My stomach is generally unsettled until around 9:30 and 10:30. The book recommends eating as soon as 30 minutes after you get up. 2. The thought of not having a glass of wine when I get home from work is unnerving. 3. I need to quit smoking. I'm not sure if I should attempt both at the same time? As in better to kill 2 birds with one stone, or try to stop the smoking first. FWIW I really want to quit the cigarettes, I hate them!Other than that I think I can do this, even though I love my yogurt and cheese, I'm not a big milk drinker. And I'll have to give up coffee for at least a while, because I cannot stand the taste of coffee with no sugar or cream. I'll just switch to tea in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted July 12, 2015 Moderators Share Posted July 12, 2015 Many people struggle to eat breakfast soon after waking. However, it is critically important to shifting your hormonal rhythms so that they help you rather than fight against you. It is normal to wake up hungry. It is a negative sign to not be hungry for several hours after waking. You may not be able to eat a full meal soon after waking, but it is important to push yourself and work towards taking a few bites and then working up day by day until you can eat a full meal. You will need to establish a new ritual for when you come home that does not include wine. Something that is nurturing. Maybe taking a bath with some nice bath salts. Maybe taking a walk around the block. Maybe calling a friend and chatting for 15 minutes. I was not a fan of the idea that you should quit smoking as you begin a Whole30. However, a fair number of people report that doing both at the same time is actually easier. Doing the Whole30 actually helps some people let go of cigarettes. Based upon those reports, I would now suggest going for smoke free and excellent eating at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Hi there & welcome to Whole30 Just in response to your concerns:Eating within an hour of wakening is key to getting your hormones back into check. If you're not used to doing this & don't feel hungry until some time after wakening then all the more reason to try as that's a fairly good indicator that you need the hormone reset.What we suggest is to prepare a template meal and eat as much of it as possible (being sure to eat protein, fat & veggies) then pack up the rest to eat as a mini meal as soon as you feel able. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll be able to eat a full meal, and even waken with an appetite.Alcohol is a big issue for most folk and the best I can suggest is that you find some new habit to replace that glass of wine. You do not NEED the alcohol, it is just a habit, and habits can be broken, or at least improved upon. Start having a mug of herbal tea, having a shower, or meditating for ten minutes - anything that distracts the mind (& hands).The cigarette thing is up to you. I'm not a smoker, nor have I ever been one so its easy for me to say you should stop for the good of your health. Some would say it's easier to give up one thing at a time. My opinion would be that you're going to be going through a withdrawal process anyway so why not just go cold turkey & avoid dragging the process out further.... There are quite a few here who have successfully managed nicotine & sugar withdrawal in one fell swoop & they're not looking back.You CAN do this - and we're all here to support you on your journey...Good luck!ETA: multi-tasking & slow typing - Tom beat me to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmeyers Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 I've been reading the book and prepping for a little while. For me, I started weaning myself off things gradually to prepare- using less cream and sugar in my coffee, cutting down on cheese and sour cream, using different fats to cook instead of butter. I've tried other diets like South Beach and cutting out things I've grown accustomed to cold turkey has backfired for me every time. I've been trying to "say goodbye" to things over time so it's not so hard once they're gone for good. Just my 2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 13, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 13, 2015 Hi mdamarante, Don't be scared of breakfast. I think more of us than not have been where you are right now, nauseated by the thought of food in the morning let alone food that isn't sweet or carby/bready. As others have said, this is the number one sign that your hormones are out of whack. It is normal to wake hungry and to want to eat food. Besides just pushing through and trusting the recommendations and training your body to accept breakfast, the other best thing you can do is to stop eating after dinner. NO night snacking. NO kitchen surfing, grazing etc. Simplified: your hormones should be telling your body to start winding down after dinner and leading into sleep time. Your body doesn't want or need food in the evening/night when all is balanced. Eat a proper dinner and then close the kitchen. The other thing you can do is get to bed on time and get a good sleep. Do you sleep well now? How many hours? Do you find you get a second wind at night and then stay up much later than you really wanted to? If so, affecting change here with some good sleep hygiene practices will go a long way towards helping you with all your goals (ie, you can't smoke or eat when you're in bed sleeping). (I'll post the sleep hygiene links when I get to work) As far as quitting smoking, I did it while I was losing weight. Not at first, honestly, 6 months in. And it was hard. Really, really hard. It sounds to me like the Whole30 best practices are going to be a pretty big adjustment for you. As much as I would not counsel someone to go have a cigarette, I think you need to take the Whole30 in hand, get your hormones and general health in order and then the quitting smoking should seem like a natural health progression. Some people do really well with full scale change and some don't. I do, I would rather change my whole life than change one habit. Some people need a bit of familiarity when they are going through big change. It comes down to the kind of person you are when it comes to change. Keep us posted though, we're here for you and we KNOW that you can do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted July 13, 2015 Administrators Share Posted July 13, 2015 Here are the links on sleep hygiene: http://whole9life.com/2014/09/improve-your-sleep/ http://whole9life.com/2014/09/improve-sleep-quality/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marthab Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 If you take your thyroid meds in the morning, as I do, it is recommended (for Synthroid) to take it on an empty stomach. I woudl check with your medical person regarding this becasue it affects the levels. I am not a doctor but have been on syntroid for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marthab Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I just checked my tuna labels and my beef broth labels and well dont cha know they both have soy bean products in them. I guess it is back to the label reading! and the super market. thanks for the heads up. this is all quite an education! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdamarante Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Thanks to all of you for the encouragement and advice. I did go Pescatarian for an entire year about 2 years ago, and I lost more than 20lbs. A slice of bacon was my downfall. And since then the pounds have come back on. So I know I can do this. The quitting smoking and eating breakfast are my biggest concerns, and like marthab said I have to take my thyroid medication on an empty stomach an hour before eating. I may have to eat in the car on the way to work, or get up an hour earlier in the morning. As it is now I'm so exhausted at the end of the day that I'm usually in bed by 8:30- 9PM and sleep until 6AM. I don't sleep well and find myself crawling out of bed needing a good hour to wake up before hand. I'm optimistic that this is going to be the lifestyle change that turns my health around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdamarante Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 Also I just purchased the Whole30 book for Kindle as well as Nom Nom Paleo. I'm looking forward to trying out the recipes! I love to cook! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lalexa15 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Similar to you, Newbie, I went pescatarian a few years ago and lost a ton of weight. It helped my hypothyroidism levels come into balance as well. The challenge if you're hypo, like I am, is that you can't eat for an hour after taking your meds. The earliest I could possibly eat is an hour after I wake up. I hope Whole 30 goes well for you! I'm very new too ... just signed up and am really not sure how doable this actually is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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