Starting July 20 - Who's In?

[Radar1963]

Hi, I started on July 20th (my bday) what better way to avoid birthday cake! This is my first Whole30 and I am so excited. On day 4 now with no cravings and not really missing anything.

[Goob]

Days 3 and 4 have been a-ok!

 

Although, I have found my biggest challenge thus far is not mindlessly being my childrens' garbage disposal!

 

I was feeding the baby some Cheerios at a Drs apt yesterday and one fell on to her shirt.  Her mouth was full so I popped it into my mouth without thinking!  Half of it went down before I even realized what I had done!  (half of one Cheerio.  Sorry, flame me if you want but it was an accident and I spit out the other half.  Not starting over for that.  If that is my worst mistake I will consider this a raging success!!)

 

I also licked some of her greek yogurt off my finger without thinking about it... and proceeded to scrub my tongue clean

 

I have been *thisclose* to licking the PB knife when making the big kids sandwiches for camp in the morning fog.  I have caught myself on that one though!  No PB has passed thru these lips!

[arlamore]

Day 5 is beginning...and my energy has been great for the last two days.  Day 4, I finally went public with the Whole30 and left my house (luxury of summer holidays).  It went pretty well, but didn't prep enough.  I should have grabbed a few healthy snacks to have at work, just in case.  I ate my lunch (it wasn't very tasty, though  ) and even hung out with people that afternoon and evening.  I knew dinner was going to be a challenge and wasn't really sure what my options would be (my ability to research ahead and ask questions in Singapore is pretty low)...since we were shopping @ IKEA, that's where we ate.  I couldn't get clear answers on the salmon, so I steered clear and ate a side of broccoli and two bananas.  Not a great meal, I know...BUT it also means I avoided every other non-compliant food there.  As my friends ate their meals and dessert, I felt good and kind of powerful from just making that choice and owning my Whole30, rather than just excusing myself so quickly.  I wasn't hungry when I got home later & was tired, so I had a few almonds and went to bed...I'm proud of resisting temptation, but I know I got a little lucky that I was feeling strong and powerful, rather than moody, discouraged, or craving things.  So, I've GOT to get better at taking this act on the road.

 

I woke up about 3:30AM though with a MASSIVE headache...it was bad (but I'm pretty sure it's more hormonal than anything, though it's worse than normal). But after some meds, water, and EOs, I was still wide awake and ready to take on the day (yay for energy !?!).  SO, I made up my poor dinner by eating bacon (yes, I found sugar-free bacon!!!), eggs with veggies, and some home fries.  Headed to the grocery store later today to stock up on more essentials and meal options...any great suggestions for emergency snacks/foods that I can keep with me?  I can't get a lot of specific brand items where I live, but I have plenty of whole, natural options, just need ideas on what to look for and stock up on.

[macysknits]

Day 5 is beginning...and my energy has been great for the last two days.  Day 4, I finally went public with the Whole30 and left my house (luxury of summer holidays).  It went pretty well, but didn't prep enough.  I should have grabbed a few healthy snacks to have at work, just in case.  I ate my lunch (it wasn't very tasty, though  ) and even hung out with people that afternoon and evening.  I knew dinner was going to be a challenge and wasn't really sure what my options would be (my ability to research ahead and ask questions in Singapore is pretty low)...since we were shopping @ IKEA, that's where we ate.  I couldn't get clear answers on the salmon, so I steered clear and ate a side of broccoli and two bananas.  Not a great meal, I know...BUT it also means I avoided every other non-compliant food there.  As my friends ate their meals and dessert, I felt good and kind of powerful from just making that choice and owning my Whole30, rather than just excusing myself so quickly.  I wasn't hungry when I got home later & was tired, so I had a few almonds and went to bed...I'm proud of resisting temptation, but I know I got a little lucky that I was feeling strong and powerful, rather than moody, discouraged, or craving things.  So, I've GOT to get better at taking this act on the road.

 

I woke up about 3:30AM though with a MASSIVE headache...it was bad (but I'm pretty sure it's more hormonal than anything, though it's worse than normal). But after some meds, water, and EOs, I was still wide awake and ready to take on the day (yay for energy !?!).  SO, I made up my poor dinner by eating bacon (yes, I found sugar-free bacon!!!), eggs with veggies, and some home fries.  Headed to the grocery store later today to stock up on more essentials and meal options...any great suggestions for emergency snacks/foods that I can keep with me?  I can't get a lot of specific brand items where I live, but I have plenty of whole, natural options, just need ideas on what to look for and stock up on.

Two things, when you said "owning my Whole30"-love this!  I had to tell my office mates what was up because they kept inadvertently offering me off topic foods.  I felt a little embarrassed about telling them but everyone has been really nice about it, and we've ended up having some interested conversations about nutrition. I'm glad I spoke up.

 

In terms of snacks, I think bananas and apples are always good in a pinch. I keep some dried fruit and cashews in my purse in case something comes up.  I've seen other people recommend keeping canned tuna on hand but if you're traveling also needing to cart around a can opener would probably be a little weird, ha ha.  Good luck; I'd love to hear what others do for "emergency" meals. 

[sqrlgrl]

Day 4: Rootbeer Floats Day at work. Ugh. I didn't partake in the dairy decadence, but I also didn't walk away quietly :-)

[GFChris]

On the snack thing, the best way to avoid the need for emergency snacks is to build meals that satiate you for 4-5 hours. For best results, compose your meals of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and the appropriate amount of compliant fat.

Until you get to that place, if you find yourself genuinely hungry between meals (litmus test: you could eat something bland like steamed fish and broccoli), the recommendation is to eat a mini meal of protein, veg and fat. Nuts are a fat source. If you choose to have fruit on your Whole30, have it with your main meals only.

[Cheybee]

I don't mean to be rude, and it's entirely possible that I'm missing something here, but I'm starting to think the "avoid snacking if possible" and "eat breakfasts, lunches and dinner that keep you full for 4-5 hours so you don't need to snack" recommendations are playing a little fast and loose with math.

 

I have a pretty normal schedule. I work from 8:30am until 5pm, sometimes later. My work is a 30-minute commute from home. I get up at 7am, so to leave the house by 8am, I have breakfast at 7:30am.

 

Generally, my breakfasts are keeping me nice and full, and I have lunch around 12 or 12:30. So, 4-5 hours between meals.

 

But then. 

 

I don't eat dinner at 5pm, mainly because that would be extremely impractical. I eat dinner around 7pm, sometimes later. To avoid going without a meal for 7 hours (which honestly, makes me a pretty cranky person to be around), I'm going to need to have a snack. Either that, or I'll need to eat a lunch so big that I'm going far beyond the point of beyond full, which seems a little counterintuitive to me.

 

I really don't think that my schedule is that unusual. Is there another way I could be doing things to avoid snacking?

[Bonnielv]

Hello Cheybee, 

 

If it helps, I can share my personal experience. 

I begin at 8:30 AM and finish at 7:30 PM. I have one hour travel to get to work. 

I do not have breakfast, or just a cup of coffee. I have lunch at 12:30, but a huge one which keeps me full untill 8:30PM. 

For example, today, I took with me :

avocato - grapefruit - tuna - cherry tomato salad in a small container,

another container of zucchini - lardons - basilic and eggs,

two bananas (I eat one and keep the other just in case).  

 

I have nearly the same at night (I make a quick huge salad, and I cook something for the next day). 

 

 

 

I think fasting on mornings helps me not to be hungry during the afternoon because when I had breakfast I was systematically hungry aroud 5PM. 

 

After that, nobody is asking for the impossible. If you are about to faint, just have a snack !

[GFChris]

I don't mean to be rude, and it's entirely possible that I'm missing something here, but I'm starting to think the "avoid snacking if possible" and "eat breakfasts, lunches and dinner that keep you full for 4-5 hours so you don't need to snack" recommendations are playing a little fast and loose with math.

 

I have a pretty normal schedule. I work from 8:30am until 5pm, sometimes later. My work is a 30-minute commute from home. I get up at 7am, so to leave the house by 8am, I have breakfast at 7:30am.

 

Generally, my breakfasts are keeping me nice and full, and I have lunch around 12 or 12:30. So, 4-5 hours between meals.

 

But then. 

 

I don't eat dinner at 5pm, mainly because that would be extremely impractical. I eat dinner around 7pm, sometimes later. To avoid going without a meal for 7 hours (which honestly, makes me a pretty cranky person to be around), I'm going to need to have a snack. Either that, or I'll need to eat a lunch so big that I'm going far beyond the point of beyond full, which seems a little counterintuitive to me.

 

I really don't think that my schedule is that unusual. Is there another way I could be doing things to avoid snacking?

Again, the idea is to eat meal 1 within one hour of waking, and build meals that satiate you for 4-5 hours, for optimal hormonal balance. If you have a longer time span between meals and you are genuinely hungry, it's completely ok (and expected) to have another meal or a mini-meal of protein, veg and fat.  We just don't want you grazing or eating hand-to-mouth mindlessly during the day or out of habit.

Note that many first timers have four meals a day when first on a Whole30, until their body gets the hang of this new way of balancing their hormones. 

 

Hello Cheybee, 

 

If it helps, I can share my personal experience. 

I begin at 8:30 AM and finish at 7:30 PM. I have one hour travel to get to work. 

I do not have breakfast, or just a cup of coffee. I have lunch at 12:30, but a huge one which keeps me full untill 8:30PM. 

For example, today, I took with me :

avocato - grapefruit - tuna - cherry tomato salad in a small container,

another container of zucchini - lardons - basilic,

two bananas (I eat one and keep the other just in case).  

 

I have nearly the same at night (I make a quick huge salad, and I cook something for the next day). 

 

I think fasting on mornings helps me not to be hungry during the afternoon because when I had breakfast I was systematically hungry aroud 5PM. 

I would encourage you to experiment with the best practices of a Whole30 to attain optimal hormonal balance: it's only 30 days. That means the following:

- three meals a day, having the first meal within 1 hour of waking. (it's ok to be hungry around 5 pm when you have breakfast around 7 am. In fact, that's normal.  )  

- building meals that meet the recommended meal template of 1-2 palms of protein, 1-3 cups of veggies and a compliant fat 

- have fruit with your main meals only, vs on its own as a snack

[Bonnielv]

Hi GFChris

 

MMM... I thought I was quite ok with the proportions of everything. And I do not eat fruits alone. 

About breakfast, I'm fasting for more than a year now. I must say that I've never felt more energy on mornings than when I don't eat breakfast. It also helps me regulate my weight. And I thought that a 16h fast was quite common on the paleo planet

Is there any reason why we should eat breakfast within the 1 hour of waking ? (hormonaly speaking)

 

Nevertheless, I will try to follow the recommandations during these 30 days. After all, A challenge is a challenge. 

[GFChris]

And I thought that a 16h fast was quite common on the paleo planet

Is there any reason why we should eat breakfast within the 1 hour of waking ? (hormonaly speaking)

 

 

The Whole30 does not recommend intermittent fasting.

 

Yes, as described in It Starts With Food, the recommendation to eat your first meal within 1 hour of waking is because it's been shown to give folks optimal hormonal balance. You're firing up your metabolism to get ready for the day. From ISWF: "Leptin has a daily rhythm tied to your eating schedule. If you start eating too late in the day, your entire leptin pattern can be thrown off. This means that at night, when leptin should be high, it won't be.  And cortisol, correlated with leptin dysfunction, will tend to make you crave more food ...Then you eat, and that causes more hormonal dysfunction."

[macysknits]

Early this morning I was woken up by a really painful leg cramp. Not sure what that is about?  I'm a little amazed at how much my energy has been varying in the mornings. On day 3, I was completely exhausted when I woke up, yesterday I bounced out of bed, and today back to being exhausted.  TGIF!

[Cheybee]

Hi GFChris,

Thanks for your reply - your advice was really helpful. I've been struggling a bit the last day or two with getting the balance right with the timing/size of my meals. I was feeling a bit like a failure because of the afternoon snacking.

I'm going to follow the meal template much more closely when I do next week's meal planning and cooking. And plan out a balanced mini meal in the afternoons if I need one.

[GFChris]

Early this morning I was woken up by a really painful leg cramp. Not sure what that is about?  I'm a little amazed at how much my energy has been varying in the mornings. On day 3, I was completely exhausted when I woke up, yesterday I bounced out of bed, and today back to being exhausted.  TGIF!

 

Leg cramps on a Whole30 has been discussed a lot in the past.

Common culprits are:

- not drinking enough water: aim for consuming 1/2 an ounce of water per pound of body weight, daily

- not enough sodium: be sure you're appropriately salting your food

- not enough magnesium (sources include leafy greens, fish, avocados, bananas)

- not enough potassium (sources include leafy greens, potatoes, acorn squash, fish, avocados, mushrooms and bananas)

[selena76]

I have to say the past 4 days have been really hard. I have had a headache almost every day and been cranky. I knew I loved my junk food, but I think I may actually have been a Sugar Dragon. LoL I love carbs.

But all the recipes have been so delicious, I dont' think I've made anything we haven't liked.

I was planning on going off plan tomorrow, I have two birthday parties to go to. Pizza and cake are my favorite. I actually miss my junk food, how bad is that. It's horrible that I actually miss a food. I probably could go into morning. Maybe that's why I've felt so bad this week, not because I'm not actually eating sugar but because I miss it.

Well I did a little no no.......I weighed. I needed some motivation to stay on plan, and I found it. I am going to do my best to stay on plan tomorrow. My main reason for doing this is to develop a healthier way of eating, and of course losing weight is a great side affect.

I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts. It helps to see how everyone else is doing.

[selena76]

The Whole30 does not recommend intermittent fasting.

 

Yes, as described in It Starts With Food, the recommendation to eat your first meal within 1 hour of waking is because it's been shown to give folks optimal hormonal balance. You're firing up your metabolism to get ready for the day. From ISWF: "Leptin has a daily rhythm tied to your eating schedule. If you start eating too late in the day, your entire leptin pattern can be thrown off. This means that at night, when leptin should be high, it won't be.  And cortisol, correlated with leptin dysfunction, will tend to make you crave more food ...Then you eat, and that causes more hormonal dysfunction.

I have skipped breakfast this week. Thanks for remindingme why it is important not to.

[GFChris]

Well I did a little no no.......I weighed. I needed some motivation to stay on plan, and I found it. I am going to do my best to stay on plan tomorrow. My main reason for doing this is to develop a healthier way of eating, and of course losing weight is a great side affect.

Please please please hide the scale for the rest of your Whole30.  Focus on non-scale victories to keep you motivated to stay on plan.

With that in mind, you may find it helpful to make a list of all the reasons you decided to embark on a Whole30 in the first place, and use that to motivate you and keep you on track.

Pizza and cake are not leaving the planet in the next month - it's only 30 days - you can have all you want, if you choose to, after your Whole30.  In the meantime, you might find this Five Stages of Food Grief article interesting.

[macysknits]

I have to say the past 4 days have been really hard. I have had a headache almost every day and been cranky. I knew I loved my junk food, but I think I may actually have been a Sugar Dragon. LoL I love carbs.

But all the recipes have been so delicious, I dont' think I've made anything we haven't liked.

I was planning on going off plan tomorrow, I have two birthday parties to go to. Pizza and cake are my favorite. I actually miss my junk food, how bad is that. It's horrible that I actually miss a food. I probably could go into morning. Maybe that's why I've felt so bad this week, not because I'm not actually eating sugar but because I miss it.

Well I did a little no no.......I weighed. I needed some motivation to stay on plan, and I found it. I am going to do my best to stay on plan tomorrow. My main reason for doing this is to develop a healthier way of eating, and of course losing weight is a great side affect.

I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts. It helps to see how everyone else is doing.

Hi Selena76!  So I completely get missing junk food; I miss pizza like crazy. Bread and cheese are my absolute favorites and honestly when I think of going 25 more days without them it makes this program feel too hard. So I'm not going to think about 25 days from now, I'm only going to think of today and trying my hardest to make good choices for the day.  

 

I hope you decide to plan for tomorrow and stay on Whole30!  If you do decide to go off plan, I hope that means that the next day you decide to sign up and try a Whole30 again.  Think how good it will feel to keep this commitment to yourself and accomplish your goal.  If I make it through the program, it will be the first food goal I've ever set for myself that I accomplish. That thought is really driving me right now; last night I kept reminding myself that Whole30 isn't asking me to give up bread and cheese forever, just for one month. After that, who knows what I'll feel like, what I'll want, and how I feel as I introduce foods back in, but I want to get to that point so I'm going to try.   Good luck and please eat breakfast!! I would be all kinds of crazy/hangry if I didn't eat in the morning. 

[Radar1963]

DAY 5 AND STILL STOKED!!!

 

I thought I was doing great. Not missing any foods, no cravings! Then yesterday I was a shrew to my husband who basically did nothing wrong. He was like, "Why are you so upset over this? It's nothing". I was convinced he just didn't get it. Fast fwd to last night, me laying in bed reading Whole 30. I'm reading the part where they give you the timeline for the 30 days. Day 1 expect this, Day 2 expect that. To my surprise, my treating my husband like he committed a felony was in there right when it should have been. So this morning I apologized and am still making good food choices. 

 

What I learned from this is I'm not paying attention to mind and body and what is really going on with me. Especially now. Lesson learned. Paying more attention not to just how my clothes fit, I hate to admit it but that is what I am most focused on, but my behaviors and the more subtle aspects of my life overall.

 

I also read how people that go on this are shocked when they follow it to a T, and their clothes start getting tighter or they get more bloated starting out. On day 3 I was thinking, I should weigh myself, I don't think this working, my clothes feel worse not better. After reading about that in the book, I'm OK with waiting. I can understand why they tell you not to weigh or measure again until the end. If I had weighed myself and 'gained' I may have quit. I'm fairly sure I would have showed a gain, but I want to accomplish this goal to make it the 30 days, following it as close as I possibly can and with no weighing myself til day 30.

 

Have a great Friday everyone!

[selena76]

Thanks for the encouragement. I did eat breakfast this morning, and I plan on staying on Whole 30 tomorrow. I have felt so bad this past week, nothing like the timeline. Probably because I AM A Sugar Dragon. I am feeling better today, and I do want to complete the 30 days in 30 days.

My main reason for this is because I want to be a healthier person. I have had stomach problems for about 12 years and joint problems for about 3. I don't have Lupus or Rheumatiod; they have checked me twice. I do have low vitamin D and B12.

My mom has a lot of health problems and is diabetic. I am always getting on to her about what she eats. I was beginning to feel like a hypocrite thinking that certian foods might be hurting me and being a little over weight. Plus when I'm 60 and have grandkids I want to be able to keep up and still enjoy my life and not feel bad all the time.

[selena76]

Please please please hide the scale for the rest of your Whole30.  Focus on non-scale victories to keep you motivated to stay on plan.

With that in mind, you may find it helpful to make a list of all the reasons you decided to embark on a Whole30 in the first place, and use that to motivate you and keep you on track.

Pizza and cake are not leaving the planet in the next month - it's only 30 days - you can have all you want, if you choose to, after your Whole30.  In the meantime, you might find this Five Stages of Food Grief article interesting.

I thought about taking them to the garage. I hardly ever go out there.

[mcki0133]

Day 5! So far things are going OK over here -- I have a trip this weekend, so I'm trying to prep and get a plan in place to stay on track ahead of time. Will most likely not be able to check in so I hope you all do well...we'll see you on Day 8!

[kruddock]

Day 5 - I am just getting over a 2-day headache and I feel like I have a sinus infection but I am starting to feel a lot better now. I have tried to up my protein and fat just to make sure I wasn't lacking in some nutrients. Other than these symptoms though, I feel a lot lighter and my mood has improved greatly (I was pretty cranky a couple days ago too!). I am looking forward to getting some extra sleep on the weekend because I know it will help but I know it will be tougher to stick to the meal plan on the weekend. I feel more in control of my meals when I am at work because I only eat what I bring but when I have more spare time on the weekend, it makes it tougher.  Any tips on how to keep busy?

[MonaJLolitaLucy]

I am also on Day 5 and although, we're not supposed to snack, I find it's the only way to get some fruit in my diet.  I'm more of a savory eater and not much into sweets but I am craving a little bit of sweet since I started Whole 30. I'm usually super busy and don't get to snack much,  but I've been grabbing some snacks during the day or after dinner that include a couple of handfuls of cherries or blueberries or a piece of cantaloupe.  Is this ok?

[mcki0133]

 

I am also on Day 5 and although, we're not supposed to snack, I find it's the only way to get some fruit in my diet.  I'm more of a savory eater and not much into sweets but I am craving a little bit of sweet since I started Whole 30. I'm usually super and don't get to snack much,  but I've been grabbing some snacks during the day or after dinner that include a couple of handfuls of cherries or blueberries or a piece of cantaloupe.  Is this ok?

 

 

On my first Whole30, I was told by a moderator that fruit is completely unnecessary and that veggies offer every single nutrient, vitamin, etc. that fruit offers in a more concentrated form. Fruit isn't to be snacked on and shouldn't push veggies off your plate....