Curious about when to stop w30ing

[Ota]

I'm on day 22. Yesterday, I came very close to stopping the W30 because I craved a glass of wine literally all day. (I didn't stop because my husband didn't let me, and because the wine in the house has sulfites.)

 

So, clearly, I still have cravings even though I'm eight days from the end.

 

I'm wondering if this is a signal that I should maybe make my w30 a whole 45 or more?

 

When, in general, do you think the w30 should be over? Are you a purest that says w30 should be 30 days long, full stop? Or do you believe that there should be a certain milestone (such as a conquering of cravings) that should mark the end?

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[GFChris]

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

It all depends on where you're coming from, food-wise and health-history wise, and what your goals are.  That will drive whether you stop at 30 days or extend.

Not all cravings get resolved in 30 days, so you might want to keep going for as long as you see fit.  In your specific case, if you want to include wine back in your life, then at some point, you'd choose to reintroduce it and see how you physically and psychologically respond.

[ladyshanny]

Just to be clear, we are all "purists" and outside of active eating disorder behaviour, we would never advise/encourage someone to stop before at least 30 days is up.    I'm pretty sure that's not what you were alluding to, but wanted to make sure.  

 

If you'd like, you can post a few days of typical food consumption and we can take a peek and see if there is anything that stands out as to why you might still be experiencing strong cravings.  Sometimes small changes can make a big difference.  if you're going to post your food, make sure you include portion sizes, timing, fluids, sleep, stress and anything else that might be relevant (health conditions, pregnant/nursing etc).

 

Note also that if you are near or experiencing your period you may have an uptick in cravings.  Many women report this and just as many need more starchy veggies and sometimes just more food in general during this time of the month.

[Ota]

Thanks for the replies! 

 

Actually, I think the cravings are more psychological: in my life, sugar and wine are deeply associated with love. And so my question goes more to the psychological effects of the w30. 

 

Doing this has begun to teach me that food is food: that it has a place in nurturing, but is not a replacement for it. It has also taught me to realign my thoughts so that "nurturing" is associated with actual nutrition, and has fundamentally changed the way I think about nurturing myself and my kids. 

 

I'm not surprised that I had this craving, especially because yesterday we were hosting a gathering of friends with whom we typically drink wine. I craved the giggly looseness of my typical interactions with these friends. It felt strange to be outside the fold when everyone else was inside. 

 

So, in sum, even though I have learned so much these past three weeks about myself, food, and love, I wonder if true "food freedom" requires being strict with myself for more than these 30 days.