Brewer5 Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 I have been down the road of "Paleo" baked goods. I have been down the road of fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and butters of these. I only comment here because I struggled and I really did not understand what was going on with my blood sugar at the time. I just didn't get it and it took me awhile. You may look at these items as "healthier" choices, and that is how it is justified -- I know -- but what is going on in your body is not healthy. Anything that makes you feel out of control is not a good choice for you. I hate to see people struggle with this because I do know the answer to this problem. FAT. Craving sugar -- eat fat. Eat fat. Eat fat. Eat fat. I cannot over-emphasize this point, because it really is like flipping a switch. The difference is night and day. No one here has to listen to me. You all will go along on your journeys, you will do as you wish... but I am here to tell you, when you get really tired of the struggle, when you get really tired of thinking about food all day and feeling out-of-control -- talk to me. I'm here all the time. I can now walk past aisles and aisles and aisles of junk and all it brings me is a twinge of sadness and disappointment with how most people eat. I don't crave, I don't pine... It is truly remarkable. I want this for everyone. That's all. No judgement, no criticism... I just want to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Day 21 M3: 3 Applegate hot dogs, homemade ketchup, spicy brown mustard, homemade coleslaw, 1/2 baked sweet potato with 1 tsp. ghee and cinnamon, at 7pm This evening has been a struggle. After I ate my apple and nuts during my snack, I continued to crave and despite what they say, it lasted longer than 3-5 minutes. I made a plan though. I decided to drink a glass of water, take a long hot shower, and eat a template dinner and watch 'The Polar Express.' After dinner I was full but still wanted nuts or nut butters or something sweet. I decided to not give in, even though it is so hard! I am probably going to brush my teeth soon and go to bed early if the cravings persist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 You may look at these items as "healthier" choices, and that is how it is justified -- I know -- but what is going on in your body is not healthy. Anything that makes you feel out of control is not a good choice for you. I hate to see people struggle with this because I do know the answer to this problem. FAT. Craving sugar -- eat fat. Eat fat. Eat fat. Eat fat. I cannot over-emphasize this point, because it really is like flipping a switch. The difference is night and day. This. As I've said before fat provides the exact same dopamine rush to the brain that sugar does, but without the blood sugar spike. Protein doesn't alter dopamine AT ALL - unless it's been cooked in fat of course As for paleo goods being the so called healthier option - consider those dates etc (or any fruit you're eating for that matter) - I know we are not counting calories here, but matched calorie for calorie with simple glucose (sugar), fructose causes significant weight gain, physical inactivity, and body fat deposition. Consider also that our paleo ancestors wouldn't have had the tools we have today to remove nuts from their shells just so easily, let alone grind them down to make flour - so nuts would have been eaten in limited quantities, and when in season, just like many fruits. Almonds are also high in omega 6, and higher in phytic acid than grains. And considering nuts should be eaten in moderation, consider then that there are about 7 almonds in one tablespoon of almond butter, and 90 almonds in a cup of almond flour..... Coconut flour would be considered the healthier option here, but both are also high FODMAP, & neither should be a staple in your diet. Food for thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30 Certified Coach littleg Posted December 18, 2015 Whole30 Certified Coach Share Posted December 18, 2015 Ok, so what does one eat here? I spoon of coconut oil (not butter)? Bacon? Eggs with mayo? I've had apples for dinner 3 times in the last week so clearly I'm struggling with the same thing :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Ok, so what does one eat here? I spoon of coconut oil (not butter)? Bacon? Eggs with mayo? I've had apples for dinner 3 times in the last week so clearly I'm struggling with the same thing :/ Also macadamia nut oil, avocado oil, olives..... Honestly, for ANY craving, fat is the only way. I keep saying it. People keep doubting me. Then eventually when they are really struggling & they are ready to listen they finally take it on board & see that it really works. For cravings, for energy, for headaches even. And it's not just me quietly rocking in the corner & foaming at the mouth whispering 'fat is your friend' over & over & over again Brewer would agree & says it often, as would/does Tom Denham, Meadowlily, kirkor...... those who've been here long enough & have seen success - they know. Food freedom. I'm not saying you CAN'T eat what you want, but you CAN be in control of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 But not nuts or nut butters as fats during these instances?? Is there a specific type of fat that helps with cravings--monounsaturated vs. polyunsaturated vs. saturated? Or just simply, eat fat and don't put too much thought into the type? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Nuts are not an optimum fat source, period. As I mentioned above they are high in omega 6 (which we really need to limit our intake of), and high in phytic acid which can be harder on the gut than any kind of grain or legume. They are also carby, snacky, and as you can all see for yourselves, they can be a food without brakes.Any other healthy fat source will work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Jmcbn--Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Day 22 (12/18): I am SO glad I stuck with Whole 30 yesterday and didn't give in more than I already did by eating fruit and two servings of nuts as a snack. That could have been a slippery slope. I am so glad that I didn't eat non-Whole 30 too! Whew, that was a close one! Thanks everyone for your advice and support. My work was overstaffed today, so I get the day off (by taking 8 vacation hours, but whatever, I'll take it!) I got 8 hours of sleep last night and woke up at 6am with no alarm clock. I have been getting the daily Whole 30 emails one day late, so today I read the one for Day 21 and it was about not giving into cravings, and focusing on forming healthy habits and associations. This was so appropriate for where I was yesterday! I discovered that there is a phenomenon called 'extinction burst.' This occurs when you are trying to rid yourself of bad habits, and since you are doing such a good job with getting rid of the bad associations and foods, your brain rebels and gives one last huge effort to go back to those old familiar, comfortable habits and behaviors, making it really difficult to stay the course at this point. But, this is a good thing because it means that you are truly getting rid of the behavior. The key is sticking to it and not giving into the brain's last ditch effort to sabotage your hard work. This was totally me yesterday. There were several factors involved and to blame--thinking I may have to restrict my diet even more due to possible FODMAP sensitivities, restricting nut consumption (turns out, moderation works better for me than abstaining from nuts and nut butters because total abstinence leads to binging when I do finally indulge. Who knew?), and the presence of Christmas goodies literally everywhere--at work, in commercials, at parties, and on the radio and on Pandora for goodness sakes!! Anyway, I am so glad to know about extinction burst, because this will cause me to strengthen my efforts to rid my old, bad behaviors even more. Here's my start to the day... M1: 3 cage-free scrambled eggs, 2 tsp. ghee, steamed broccoli, pace salsa, 1 banana, 1 packet of pecan/cashew nut butter, a few cups of crio Bru, at 7-9am (I ate breakfast at 7am, but then enjoyed the heck out of my banana with pecan nut butter and crio Bru because those are foods that should be indulged with glee and reckless abandon. ) Today is my long run for the week--11 miles! I'm going to take a pouch of cinnamon applesauce with me to eat at the 1-hour mark and see what happens. Trial and error, and self-experimentation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30 Certified Coach littleg Posted December 18, 2015 Whole30 Certified Coach Share Posted December 18, 2015 I knew you were off too How exciting it was unexpected! Enjoy your run! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Yay, Ali! Brewer5 & jmcbn - thank you for keeping tabs on us and sharing your hard-won knowledge and insight. It feels a bit like tough love, but that's what this program is known for, and we don't mean to short-sell the "love" part. I really sense that you do want the best for us! And I do realize that it is always my choice to simply stop eating nuts and seeds completely. I do know that a Paleo baked good is a better-than-the-worst but less-than-optimal good choice and should not be regularly part of my meals (but could be if I wanted it to, since it is MY bike). Knowing how problematic nuts and seeds can be, it would be simpler if the Whole30 just banned them outright in the rules. Now that I have been eating fat regularly, I notice that I'm not as obsessed with coconut butter or almond butter as I was at the beginning of the program. Knowing that I can choose to have it makes it less of a temptation than when I was trying to outright ban it. Ali, I'm there with you on the moderation vs. abstinence - thank goodness for single serving packets! And who knows - the longer I go down this road and the more I learn and experience and the better I feel, the less often I may choose to eat it as I start enjoying more and more healthier fats (like chicken thighs vs. chicken breasts). Thanks! -Lauren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Day 22 continued... Pre-WO: 1 hard-boiled egg, at 9:45am (Exercise: Run 11.5 miles total, including warm-up and cool down--11 miles straight in 2 hours! I'm not super fast, but hey, I did it! I ate a single-serving squeeze pouch of organic cinnamon applesauce at the 55 minute mark. I was ok at the 45 minute mark, but started to get hungry at 55 minutes. The 60-calorie/14 g. carbs pack of applesauce carried me through the rest of the 2-hour long run. This worked out well.) Post-WO: 1 large carrot, EPIC Uncured bacon and pork bar, another cup of crio Bru (it soothes me ), at 12pm And now...MORE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING! Then, lunch. What a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Good insights here, Ali, Brewer, jmcbn, littleg and Lauren. Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat. I am listening. I will say that today, I had chicken salad with Primal mayo on lettuce greens for breakfast and I think that the mayo helped me stay satiated longer than the eggs scrambled in coconut oil and bacon that I've been eating. It's hard to say for certain. At lunch, I had a large serving of Tessamae's balsamic dressing with my different type of salad (incidentally, it also had chicken, I just now realized) and avocado and I ate 6 green olives for an appetizer while I was preparing the rest. I am still feeling plenty full now, too. I also had a small baked sweet potato. However, the two times that I have tried eating keto style, I have lost so so so much hair. So going THAT low on carbs doesn't seem to work great for my body. (Also, I used a lot of dairy when I did it this past summer, which I believe contributed to a bout with depression this fall.) But maybe eating higher fat and low-ER carb would be a good balance for me. Not meaning to hijack your log, Ali. P.S. Great job on your 11 mile run today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Way to go, Ali! You're making me miss my marathon training (that was a fun period in my life all around , not just running ). I've been doing a bit of speed work on the treadmill lately and pushed myself to do 4 miles in 30 minutes (mind you, I don't think our treadmills are properly calibrated at my gym, so I don't think I was actually running quite that fast). It may seem that I'm not really absorbing the message about fat, but I truly am. I hope my log reflects that. I went from eating as little as 30g/day to way more than that now. I had to confront some major ingrained fear of far. And I've dropped the apple-coconut bites, the strawberry/coconut bites and the toasted coconut almond butter balls that were all present in the early days or lead up to my Whole30. I even dropped my daily Quest bar habit and cleaned the stash out of my desk, and have been happily munching on squash and chicken pwo. Am I disappointed that I've added a bit of weight/size vs. this summer? Yes. But did I get there in a healthy way? Not really. I'm hopeful that with everything I've learned and getting back to regular workouts, I will slowly but surely get to a desirable physique in a healthy and sustainable way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Good insights here, Ali, Brewer, jmcbn, littleg and Lauren. Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat. I am listening. I will say that today, I had chicken salad with Primal mayo on lettuce greens for breakfast and I think that the mayo helped me stay satiated longer than the eggs scrambled in coconut oil and bacon that I've been eating. It's hard to say for certain. At lunch, I had a large serving of Tessamae's balsamic dressing with my different type of salad (incidentally, it also had chicken, I just now realized) and avocado and I ate 6 green olives for an appetizer while I was preparing the rest. I am still feeling plenty full now, too. I also had a small baked sweet potato. However, the two times that I have tried eating keto style, I have lost so so so much hair. So going THAT low on carbs doesn't seem to work great for my body. (Also, I used a lot of dairy when I did it this past summer, which I believe contributed to a bout with depression this fall.) But maybe eating higher fat and low-ER carb would be a good balance for me. Not meaning to hijack your log, Ali. P.S. Great job on your 11 mile run today! I don't know much about keto...it sounds very difficult to eat that low carb with the amount of veggies we are supposed to eat. And fruit... You can hijack my thread anytime. I enjoy your stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Way to go, Ali! You're making me miss my marathon training (that was a fun period in my life all around , not just running ). I've been doing a bit of speed work on the treadmill lately and pushed myself to do 4 miles in 30 minutes (mind you, I don't think our treadmills are properly calibrated at my gym, so I don't think I was actually running quite that fast). It may seem that I'm not really absorbing the message about fat, but I truly am. I hope my log reflects that. I went from eating as little as 30g/day to way more than that now. I had to confront some major ingrained fear of far. And I've dropped the apple-coconut bites, the strawberry/coconut bites and the toasted coconut almond butter balls that were all present in the early days or lead up to my Whole30. I even dropped my daily Quest bar habit and cleaned the stash out of my desk, and have been happily munching on squash and chicken pwo. Am I disappointed that I've added a bit of weight/size vs. this summer? Yes. But did I get there in a healthy way? Not really. I'm hopeful that with everything I've learned and getting back to regular workouts, I will slowly but surely get to a desirable physique in a healthy and sustainable way. Well, I know that you have been sick and unable to exercise, so that could be part of it. It is hard to feel good about gaining weight when you are making efforts to improve your health, but don't get discouraged! It is so much better to be healthy and a moderate, sustainable size, than to be unhealthy and skinny. When I feel bad about my size I ask myself--would I rather be healthy, feel good, have energy, and be a moderate size, or would I rather be unhealthy, lack energy, have a roller coaster metabolism and blood sugar, have to exercise a lot just to maintain my small size, eat chemical-laden diet food, and be skinny? That's a no-brainer. Give me health and good feelings any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Day 22 finished... M2: (at Whole Foods) 5 compliant well-seasoned chicken wings, garlic roasted green beans, roasted curry mixed vegetables, at 3pm Can I just say how much I love Whole Foods! I was out shopping when I realized I needed to eat some lunch. I was going by Whole Foods anyway to pick up a few specialty items so I thought--I'll just have a salad with some protein. Then I found the hot buffet bar and ohmygoodness! It's so great! Above every food there is a description and list of ingredients! It was SO EASY for me to pick out compliant foods! The chicken wings had compliant ingredients, seasonings, and were cooked in olive oil. The green beans and curried veggies were also roasted in olive oil with all other ingredients compliant! That really gave me piece of mind! And those were some of the best chicken wings I've ever tasted! M3: 1 cup of crio Bru while making dinner, then my fill of homemade Mediterranean tuna salad and roasted mixed vegetables, at 7-8pm After Dinner Snack: 1 oz. of salted mixed nuts, at 8:30pm (I admit, I didn't really need these. I wanted them. So I ate them. They were delicious.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 I shared my favorite Chicken Salad recipe recently, so now it's time to share my Mediterranean Tuna Salad recipe! Just like the chicken salad recipe, it uses homemade mayonnaise, and has a lot of protein and fat. You can eat it as is with a side of extra veggies, or use celery, cucumber chips, jicama, or carrot sticks as dippers! (Who needs chips when you have yummy, crunchy veggies??) First, make your mayo... **Mayonnaise: 1 large whole egg (room temperature) 1 T. fresh lemon juice (I just squeeze 1/2 lemon, and that works for me) 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 c. light-tasting olive oil Immersion Blender Directions for Mayo: Add all ingredients into a jar and allow to settle for 1 minute. Use the immersion blender on high speed until the mixture is the creamy consistency of mayonnaise. I do sometimes have to scrape the sides of the jar and blender to make sure everything is mixed together. This yields about 1 cup of mayo, so you will have some leftovers after making the tuna salad. **Mediterranean Tuna Salad: 2 (5 oz. each) cans of soy-free tuna, drained and flaked 1/4 c. homemade mayo 10 kalmata olives, chopped 1/4 c. artichoke hearts, chopped 1 T. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (check your labels) 1 T. red onion, finely chopped 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried parsley Sea salt, to taste Ground black pepper, to taste Directions for Tuna Salad: In a bowl, mix all ingredients together. (That's it.) This yields about 2 cups of tuna salad, and I think it's super filling! Here is what the final product should look like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 1 oz. now vs. 10 ounces later, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 1 oz. now vs. 10 ounces later, right? Yes!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Yay! So glad I have a use for my artichoke hearts! I have sun-dried tomatoes, too but they have sulfites. Good thing tomorrow is Day31! ( ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 Go GGG!! You made it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Thanks - almost! 2 meals left to go today (Sat( and Sunday is Day31! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 I love Kalamata olives! Your Mediterranean tuna salad sounds yummy! Awesome that you easily found a compliant lunch at Whole Foods. Sometimes they use canola oil to cook, which I know is technically approved so that we can eat outside our own homes, but it makes me made. I guess I feel like Whole Foods ought to know better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 19, 2015 Author Share Posted December 19, 2015 I love Kalamata olives! Your Mediterranean tuna salad sounds yummy! Awesome that you easily found a compliant lunch at Whole Foods. Sometimes they use canola oil to cook, which I know is technically approved so that we can eat outside our own homes, but it makes me made. I guess I feel like Whole Foods ought to know better. Yea! There we so many foods at WF that were compliant, except for the canal oil. I was glad to see that a handful of foods were cooked in olive oil. And those chicken wings were SO good! I sat by myself in WF near the very end of the row of tables and was sucking on the bones. Ha! It was probably gross, but I just didn't care. They were that good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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