Just do the next thing....

[Aberrantatavia]

For any of you who know who Elizabeth Elliott is, you will understand this title. For those of you who don't, google her, you will not be sorry. Her story is nothing short of amazing. If she can do the next thing with the challenges she's faced, I can certainly do it in my life. This is also one of the mantras I used when the (almost entire) male faction of my family was deployed to Afghanistan at the same time. So here I go, at the end of my whole 30, doing the next thing.

Today is day 30 and I don't foresee tomorrow being too different. As I posted in success, I am just walking the path to wellness, and if there are pretty flowers along the way, I can decide when I reach them if they are worth touching or just pretty to look at.

I haven't drank coffee or had much caffiene (except kombucha) in 30 days. I don't think I want to add it back in but I do love coffee. I might try decaf and see. It always seemed like a silly idea before, but I'm seeing the wisdom now. Of course, I'm sitting here drinking caffeinated coffee right now, but maybe as a treat and not every day. I do want to make a creamer of half coconut milk and half raw cream. Just coconut milk isn't working for me forever. Hopefully raw cream and I will get along.

I would like an alcoholic beverage of some sort. I'll probably try a wine or drink that isn't my favorite one n case it doesn't agree with me. I think I might try this at home first, rather than waiting for a special occasion. Then if I do run across a time when it sounds good, I know what I'm I'm for. I probably will not go back to drinking wine on a regular basis, although I don't want to cut alcohol out of my life, it's something that I enjoy.

Other than an occasional ice cream, there isn't much food I would bother with that isn't compliant. And I'm really not anxious to run out and get ice cream. Although after the hike yesterday, Richard really wanted a milkshake. Then he realized I couldn't eat it and went without, even though I told him it wouldn't bother me. I probably would have gotten ice cream to celebrate our accomplishment if I wasn't on day 31 or beyond.

Things I'm unsure of.

Do you slack off when it comes to "minor" things after your whole 30? For instance, bacon with sugar, a little honey in a dressing, soy sauce instead of coconut aminos? How do you gauge how that's effecting you? Im more inclined to stick with what I'm doing, except it can be a little labor intensive and expensive. If I can do fresh local raw butter in place of ghee, I might consider that. I'm just not sure that the lack of violently ill should be my measuring stick.

Weighing myself tomorrow morning. I don't want to. Lol I'm so happy with my results that I don't want to mar it with the facts, if that makes sense. I don't really care if I lost 1 pound or 10. So what's the benefit of the scales at this point? If I go to crossfit in October, I will probably weigh myself before and after the month and see how doing the whole 30 with crossfit training works. But I would also doing an accurate body fat measure a well. I have a handheld machine but I have no idea if it's accurate. I did do it before starting my whole 30 so that would be the only benefit to weighing myself at this point. I also told a couple of my very fit and healthy friends about this ( they are both interested in exploring it and one of them is borrowing my book right now) and when I mentioned that I didn't want to do the weighing they both said they never weigh themselves, it's not a marker that they choose to use for health. And they are both realistic about their diets even though they are very clean eaters. Any thoughts from the audience? Lol what's been your experience with weighing yourselves after the fact? Worth it or not?

Goal setting. By the end of the day, I want realistic goals for the remainder of the month of September. But I am also trying to be more present and I don't want those goals to get complicated or derail me by being more of a focus than just my overall health. So I'm thinking I need to work on goals that I'd like to become habits. Like moving my body at least 30 minutes a day at least 5 days a week, or something like that. Or maybe I make it 15 minutes a day knowing I can do more.

But as the title says, mostly I just want to do the next thing without getting bogged down or going off track. And this sounds easy enough, in theory. But in practice, I don't seem to be able to accomplish it for long. So I'm interested in how your "do the next thing" paths have looked or look right now.

Any thoughts, advice, or general comments welcome!

[LindaLee]

What a wonderful, thoughtful post...I love the advice of "Just do the next thing." I get myself far too worked thinking about "the next 30 days" instead of "the next 30 minutes." Since I haven't yet completed a Whole30, I have no advice for you, other than to say "bravo" and keep doing what works for you.

During my whole30 tries, my two downfalls have been cookies and ice cream. These really are the only two things I crave and end up unable to resist. I am hoping that on this go-round, with some spiritual things in place, I will make it.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[Adagio]

I posted a similar thing in another thread.

I've done two Whole30's.

I have re-introduced meats that are cured with sugar, but the finished products contain 0 grams of sugar. The reason why I have compromised on this is because it is easier/cheaper.

I have also introduced a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream in coffee because I never got used to drinking black coffee, and I won't give it up. Maybe someday, but not now.

As far as condiments go, - nope! I am staying compliant. It is much too easy to mindlessly overindulge in sugary/frankenfood condiments. I still make my own mayo, and use ghee instead of butter, coconut aminos, make my own pesto. As far as wine is concerned, I can take it or leave it, so I'm leaving it. .

I will not eat other dairy products. I will not eat foods that contain sugar. If someone buys me dinner at a fabulous restaurant, I may indulge in a dessert, but only if I think it is really worth it.

Since I am a sugar and grain addict, I see no reason to begin eating those foods again on a regular basis, or even occasionally, unless I want to become addicted again. Those foods have greatly harmed my health. I'm 56 years old. How many more years can I go on eating that stuff and expecting my body not to break down? I'm done with that crap. I'm eating real food.

[Tom Denham]

I maintain Whole30-compliance at home all the time. I order as clean as I can in restaurants, but don't worry about sugar in bacon or dairy in sauces. I eat a little pita bread with babaganoush made with yogurt occasionally and desserts if friends swear they are great.

The only severe symptoms I've ever suffered in 2 years was gastrointestinal distress after eating 2 scoops of mint chocolate ice cream at a concert.

The issue with waiting for symptoms to tell if you have problems with a food is that the symptoms may be subtle - like quality of sleep. My sleep improved by a big margin when I first did a Whole30 and I still don't know what food or foods was responsible for the problem I was having. I'm not willing to work hard at the testing process to figure out what food that makes me less healthy anyway disturbs my sleep. I'm satisfied to feed myself with foods that make me more healthy and leave everything else out as much as I can.

[Aberrantatavia]

Thanks guys! I really feel like that's the approach I want to take too, I am feeling good and have such great results that I just want to keep doing it.

Tom I really like your approach to eating clean at home. I really don't want to contaminate my space with frankenfood. And then I'm much more unlikely to eat something less healthy simply because it's there.

[Renee Kosowan]

I too eat 100% when at home. And I try to prepare as many meals to take with me when I go places. Having been 10 days post whole30 I know those tiny minor slips do have a major impact and I just feel so much better being 100% complaint.

I understand it can be more work and expensive, but once you get in a proper groove it seems easier.

Congrats on finishing and welcome to the Post Whole30 world.

[Laura B]

First off, congratulations! You made it!!

So far, my life has just been a sort of extension of my W30. I went on vacation right after I completed it, and only minorly indulged. I had a few things that had added sugars (some applegate salami and some sausages that had sugar added) and then I had sushi and alcohol. I found that alcohol didn't seriously affect me, but that is probably because I was very careful about pacing myself and limiting myself also. It also helps that I was on vacation and had no reason to wake up for anything...so I probably slept a little longer than normal.

After vacation, the boyfriend immediately jumped into his W30, so it was like a mini blessing for me! I eat W30 probably 98% of the time. I plan to stick to it for the majority of my meals so when I do off-road they are few and far between. I don't want to get to a point where weekends are junk binges and I am going to see how long I can go without grains. Gluten scares me.

Really, I haven't set any hard rules for myself because I think it makes me crazy. Oh except I don't weigh myself anymore! But that's not really a rule. I did weigh myself on day 31, and haven't weighed myself since. I have been curious, but I would rather be blissfully unaware.

[Aberrantatavia]

Yes, I am in the blissfully unaware crowd too! I chose not to weigh myself this morning. I feel good, I feel like I look good, and I'm just in a good place, so I'm going with it! I suppose theres the chance that I've lost a bunch of weight and won't know it, but I'm good with that.

I stayed compliant most of the day, having some cream in my coffee this morning that I didn't care for at all. And now I'm having a small glass of wine and it's definitely good, but I can stop at just a little bit, so that makes me feel good:) I'm getting tired and going to bed with a cup of tea and my kindle in a moment, which will make me feel even better:)

[Bridget]

Sunday morning,I chose not to weigh myself either. Blissfully unaware-I'll take it. No sense in marring all the great things that have happened.

And I did learn that a handful of M&Ms in a stressful time does nothing. I managed 30 days without anything of the sort-and was able to handle everything that came up-without the help of my colorful little ex-friends.