Camille P. Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 My husband and I were talking about the Whole 30 me and the me when I eat sugar. He said "You turn into a whole different person." Its true. He and I would have a treat of somekind when we were out. He would be fine and satisfied and I would be obsessing on what we had at home that was sweet so I could get into it when we got home. I would periodically end up raiding the cupboards for every sugary thing I could find. And I would get so consumed with sugar that I wasn't able to be engaged with my family when I was in that mindset. I was totally distracted with what I wanted. I felt so stuck in a cycle of defeat too. Truly I have years of journals that centered around feeling bad about how much I ate. Soooo, this past several years I have done the Zone, learned about paleo and primal, cut out bread and pasta, did the Whole 30 last year...and done a lot of that sugar obsessing and scavenging in between. That is the behavior I want to be done with. I want this to stick. I want to change for good and have a healthy lifestyle. That thing people say, "Everything in moderation." That is not me. It has never been me. I want it to be. It sounds so petite and pretty to be that way. But it has not worked that way for me and I want to stop pretending that it does. Its day 17 for me and I'm feeling fantastic overall. Sleeping better, more energy, feeling the beginnings of slimming down. But the best part is feeling FREE of obsession with sugar, carbs, and guilt. I want this to last. Sooo, I'm thinking I should just keep going after Day 30. How is this decision made of how long to have your Whole 30 last? I want to do it long enough to make a lasting change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 A Whole 30 is only 30 days but you may need longer. Go for it and stick the landing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeanbean Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I think you should keep doing it. Why even have a reintro if that could potentially lead u down a destructive path? I know exactly how u feel about carbs and sugar. I dont want to be on that cycle again. Its hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenD Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I plan on celebrating on day 31 with French toast and after that pizza every Friday, but besides that I plan on continuing to eat like this from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I plan on celebrating on day 31 with French toast and after that pizza every Friday, but besides that I plan on continuing to eat like this from now on. What you do post Whole30 is entirely up to you, but assuming gluten causes you no ill effects during your reintro phase (assuming you'll do one) and you do go down this route just be very aware that gluten is a very slippery slope & even if it doesn't effect your gut, it will likely effect your mood, and in turn your food choices. Forewarned is forearmed and all that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Budgeting the weekends for splurges can take a Whole 30 with stellar results and turn it upside down within 48 hours. After several compliant Whole 30's... I've learned how to be happy without stuffing myself with food. Unwhole foods will fast-track you and catapult you right back to square one. That would get me nowhere good. Moving from a sugar burner to a fat burner made this possible. It did not happen overnight. Becoming fat adapted is the best thing that's ever happened to me. It took my mind off of faux foe false cravings for sugar and highly engineered to be craved foods. I used protein and a fat. STAT. It cured me. It also gave me a Head Reset from turning back to food for self-soothing and comfort. Refined carbs don't comfort me. Highly engineered foods will give you craptacular results. Whole foods are good medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted August 6, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 6, 2015 Some great reads on this topic by Melissa include Guide to Off-Roading, Slow My Re-intro Roll and Taming Your Sugar Dragon Parts 1 and 2. My advice - either do the slow roll reintro or the regular reintro process sans sweets. You WANT to know what affects you so when you do make non-whole30 choices you can know what to expect. You really want to know. So don't do what I did the first time and say "I'm never eating any other way" and then not really doing the reintro. You lose the chance for such valuable information. From personal experience, I can tell you it took me a couple of whole30s to slay the sugar dragon. And it can and will rear its head on occasion. The good news is, the longer you eat Whole30 or even mostly Whole30, the easier it gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SugarcubeOD Posted August 6, 2015 Moderators Share Posted August 6, 2015 "Everything in moderation." That is not me. It has never been me. I want it to be. It sounds so petite and pretty to be that way. But it has not worked that way for me and I want to stop pretending that it does. I am an abstainer. I cannot moderate. At. All. There is no part of me that can have a bit of ice cream or one really delectable truffle. No. It's either none of it or the entire box/pint! I think once we realize that about ourselves it is SO much easier to manage. If I had to say 'I'll have a bite of ice cream every day instead of a pint every two months', that would be impossible and end up as a DISASTER. Knowing how to manage our unique selves in our own context is half the battle. I believe that slaying the sugar dragon can be done for both moderators and abstainers. As an abstainer, I know my sugar dragon is slayed when it is not difficult for me to say no thank you... comes naturally. The SECOND I eat something that is one of my trigger foods, it's an all out war... so I choose not to unless it is VERY worth it because it is exhausting trying to get him back in the cage. I honestly believe no end of Whole30's will cure this, it's a part of my personal make up... but I CAN manage it and Whole 30 has taught me how to do that. Here is a great article on abstaining vs moderating. https://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2012/10/back-by-popular-demand-are-you-an-abstainer-or-a-moderator/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britishgal Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 I'm not even sure what moderation is and I certainly can't do it! I either eat something or I don't...I can't eat a little bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noelle Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Budgeting the weekends for splurges can take a Whole 30 with stellar results and turn it upside down within 48 hours. As always, your mileage may vary, but I've found it takes me about five days of strict Whole30 to regroup from an...off-road biking adventure, shall we say. Five whole days of template-following, questionable-ingredient-eschewing meals to get mood, sleep, energy, and especially cravings back in line. Two days to get the "gunk" out and feel basically OK, but almost a week to get that "better blood" status (ladyshanny's brilliant alternative to Tiger Blood). I would be a mess on a once-a-week splurge schedule. Live your life, make it a WholeYou in a way that feels joyful and sustainable, but don't take those good Whole30 results for granted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Tom Denham Whole9 Moderator/First Whole30 May 2010 Moderators 6441 posts LocationAlpharetta, Georgia, USA Posted 30 October 2012 - 07:55 AM No one does a Whole30 all the time, even Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. You can adopt the basic approach as your lifestyle and go on indefinitely, but even the most dedicated go "off-plan" occasionally. After you have been eating this way for a while, the danger of slipping back to your old habits gets small. Some people need more than 30 days to get there. Personally, I went about 120 days before I relaxed much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeadowLily Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Robin Strathdee Whole9 Director of Communications Administrators 2822 posts LocationSouthwest Missouri Posted 30 October 2012 - 11:40 AM It's important to be aware of your mindset throughout. You can keep going as long as you're consciously making the decision and you don't let it morph into an obsession or allow yourself to be motivated by fear. Melissa wrote an awesome post on recognizing that danger point just the other day: http://whole9life.co...tell-ourselves/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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