SimpleNotEasy Posted December 21, 2015 Author Share Posted December 21, 2015 Day 21 I handled another Christmas party last night ("cookies and cocoa" was the title on the invitation, oy!) with the request to bring a batch of cookies for a contest) with no problem. I drew the line at baking. My daughter was going to make the cookies, then she ended up going to another party and ran out of time. My husband was out and called to ask if I could get the batter started & I let him know that I could not. First, I had made homemade pizza dough the night before and faced chocolate cupcakes and ice cream pie with homemade fudge sauce. Now, I did not even consider eating any of those things (thank you, Whole 30, for taking the issue away from my executive function), so I was truly ok, but seriously. If he still wanted to take cookies, he could bake them. So he did. This was a good experience for me to stand on my own two feet and to let him know what I need to do for myself. Second, I was already in the middle of making a curry, so my hands were occupied with something else. I really could not have stopped that and started the cookies for him. Better get going. As I just read elsewhere, only 4 more sleeps until Christmas! I'll check back in later to see how y'all are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Good for you! Baking cookies, or being in the kitchen for any reason really, will definitely increase cravings and put your thoughts on foods! I have baked a lot of cookies lately, and it has definitely made me think more about baked goods. Tis the season, but it does make it hard. I do it to myself, I know, but once Christmas is over, my non-Paleo cooking and baking will way slow down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Glad you are doing well! Good job baking without enjoying! I am so excited for Christmas this year. My 18 month old is really interested in her presents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Sara, you have inspired me! I am making the chocolate chili for Christmas Eve!! Do you top it with anything special?--onions, olives, tomatoes, avocado, special mayo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Joanna, a gentle (or not-so-gentle) reminder that if you choose to consume coconut milk with non-compliant additives, then you are NOT doing a Whole30. You are doing a very close to Whole30. Still better than the way you were eating before, but still not a Whole30. The program is very clear on this. Sorry to be tough on this (maybe I'm just bitter because I had to give up coconut milk for 30 days, too). It's only 30 days. Why set yourself up for anything less than optimal, if you're giving up everything else anyway? FYI - I'm on day 2, post-Whole30 and I just put coconut milk in my coffee, to see how the sulfites impact me. Cheers, -Lauren (GGG) Agreed. Whole 30 is very specific, and you have to do it to a T. There are not guidelines to follow here, there are rules. And if you knowingly break them, you're not doing a Whole 30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Sara, you have inspired me! I am making the chocolate chili for Christmas Eve!! Do you top it with anything special?--onions, olives, tomatoes, avocado, special mayo? Ali - I like to use diced avocado or guacamole on top. If you like onion, that would be great as would tomato. Not sure about olives - but whatever sounds good to you would likely work. I posted this elsewhere, but if you or any of my other Whole 30 friends have a favorite meat dish to serve for Christmas dinner, I am looking for something simple and guaranteed delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Also - off topic - but can I vent a moment here? Someone skimmed our credit card (we assume bc we still have our cards) and spent around $40,000 between December 2 and this morning!!!!!!!! Wowza. It sure took the credit card company a long time to recognize that I wasn't just out spending $600 at Nordstrom several days a week! Seems like their algorithm must have been messed up or something for it to take such a long time to alert me. I am a bit flabbergasted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Oh no! What in the world? I don't understand why people can't just work a job and make their own money! And spend their own money! Geez! I'm sorry for your troubles! Did the credit card company fix everything, so that you are not paying the bill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 We are not liable for the fraudulent charges, thanks be to God! I'm truly grateful for that. There were more charges this month from the thieves than from us. i am about to call them with my complete list of fraudulent charges. I need to email it to them, because it would take forever for me to go over the list on the phone. My understanding is that most of the time, the credit card companies don't even go after these people. It's just "the cost of doing business." I would think jail time would be a stiff deterrent rather than allowing this to continue happening and thieves to get away with living a lavish life on someone else's dime, but what do I know?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegoldengrahamgirl Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Ali - I like to use diced avocado or guacamole on top. If you like onion, that would be great as would tomato. Not sure about olives - but whatever sounds good to you would likely work. I posted this elsewhere, but if you or any of my other Whole 30 friends have a favorite meat dish to serve for Christmas dinner, I am looking for something simple and guaranteed delicious. Roast turkey? Actually, a favourite in our family (since I'm from the Maritimes in Canada), is boiled lobster. You could dip it in ghee with garlic. MMMMM - lobster. HAS to be Atlantic lobster, though. Preferably Newfoundland lobster. Better than Maine lobster! Also - off topic - but can I vent a moment here? Someone skimmed our credit card (we assume bc we still have our cards) and spent around $40,000 between December 2 and this morning!!!!!!!! Wowza. It sure took the credit card company a long time to recognize that I wasn't just out spending $600 at Nordstrom several days a week! Seems like their algorithm must have been messed up or something for it to take such a long time to alert me. I am a bit flabbergasted! Wow, so sorry to hear that, but grateful to hear you're not on the hook. My husband was reviewing our statement and we identified close to $2,800 in charges that we didn't spend ourselves, so the credit card company is doing a fraud investigation ($2,700 in Japan and $100 in Canada). Hard to pick up since we live in Asia but are from Canada. Hopefully we will get a refund/credit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 I have more thoughts on this. In addition to the Whole9 articles I posted here yesterday, I would like to add my own personal experience. A few years ago I decided to eat 'healthy' (which now I know was not healthy at all, but was healthy according to conventional wisdom, like cereal with milk and a banana for breakfast), but I still wanted to eat splurge items. I had gotten to the point with baking where I was eating dessert 4-5 nights a week. (I'm a really good baker! It's a gift and a curse!) And then I would feel bad and regretful the following day. I would sometimes be good during the week and have the weekend be my splurge weekend (really dumb, because you can get into a lot of trouble in two days!), but then I would feel TERRIBLE on Monday and it would take me at least two days to get back to normal. I did that week in and week out. Be good for 5 days, be bad for 2, feel terrible on Monday and Tuesday, then feel better on Wednesday, only to start the whole cycle over on Saturday morning, and sometimes Friday night. After going through that cycle for more than 1/2 a year, I decided that I didn't want to feel bad about splurging, but that I needed to get myself under control too. I decided to allow two splurge meals per week, where I could eat whatever I wanted, including a meal and dessert and a drink. Well, this was nice because I got to eat high calorie, fatty, indulgent, sugary foods without guilt. Win win, right? Not so much. The hangover from those meals was awful. And I imagine that they would be even worse now that I have a clean system. I was literally putting toxins into my body twice a week, and dealing with the aftermath. I told myself that since I was eating this way for only two meals, it was better than a whole weekend of eating whatever I wanted. But, like we have discussed and like the articles say, planning to splurge or cheat sets you up for the mentality that you must cheat (whether you really want to or not), and that you must eat every possibly food that you want to eat because after that one or two meals per week, it's back to eating normal and healthy again and they are forbidden. Fail. And this idea of forbidden food except for a certain number of meals per week, causes me to put them on a pedestal and make them something special that they are not. Like GGG, I would focus so much on thinking about what I was going to eat and drink during those cheat meals that once the meals finally came, I would be so ravenous for whatever crappy food I had planned to eat that I would want to eat them earlier and earlier and maybe even eat foods I didn't want to eat, just because I could at that meal. Instead of eating dinner at 7pm like normal, I would start to graze during mid-afternoon, saying that this was part of dinner. Slippery slope. Well, after a few months of trying this but still not feeling great, I decided that nothing was more important to me than dessert. So, instead of splurge meals I would have splurge desserts. I did this with fairly similar results, but then even more foods were forbidden, meaning that I missed even more foods, felt restricted, and had a hard time not thinking of all of the yummy foods I was not allowing myself to eat. Another fail. I just think that cheat meals are better as meals or foods that come up as a surprise, and that it should be something that you deem is worth it at the time. I don't think planning a cheat is a good idea for all of the reasons listed in the articles, as well as based on my personal experience. And it sounds like GGG can back me up on that with her personal experience. I also don't know if I would tell myself that I can splurge 4 times this week. For one, it is setting you up for failure four times that week. You know that you are planning to eat less good for four meals, whether the foods are really worth it or not. Secondly, what if you don't want to eat four cheat meals that week? Will you eat that way anyway, just because you can? Third, what if there is a fifth or even sixth meal that you really think is worth it to eat? Will you feel bad about eating those two meals, even though they are worth it and special to you? And finally, fourth, Whole 30 talks a lot about making things easy for your brain. By saying that you are allowing a certain number of splurge meals per week, your brain is now taxed with the task of figuring out which meals are worth it. You will have to evaluate every meal, every day to determine whether today is the day. How exhausting! If you, instead, continue with your healthy eating habits and occasionally off-road when worth it and then get back to your healthy eating habits immediately following the splurge, I think that would be so much easier for your brain. But, before you do indulge or splurge, I would have an HONEST heart to heart with yourself, make sure you really want to eat the food, make sure it's not just a craving you should ride out, and if the food is worth it and special and you want to consume it, then make a pact with yourself to be ok with it, indulge and feel good about your decision, and do not regret what you eat. My two cents. Ali & Lauren - I didn't process this very much until now. You are so right. Having a cheat day did not work for me in the past. Having a few cheat meals did not work for me in the past. I'm not sure why I was considering that maybe they would work for me now. Doh. As I consider what my post-Whole 30 plans are, I just don't know. What I DO know is that when I am running on the firm, secure rails of the Whole 30, I feel really good. Time to list a few observations of such... Today is Day 22. -My moods have been stable. -I feel "more like myself." An example would be that I am enjoying some social time during this "Christmas break." (It's the kids' school break.) Yesterday I chose to visit with some neighbors in two different contexts which is what I consider to be normal for me. But in the past months, I have gone out of my way to avoid these types of conversations. This may or may not have to do with Whole 30 (since it is school break, I'm not running around driving kids to school and sports and so I have a bit more emotional space, so there is that), but I think the internal feeling is affected by Whole 30. -Flatter tummy -Better regularity (enough said - no potty details needed here) Ok - I have got to get myself moving. I like journaling here maybe a little too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 No such thing as journaling too much. No one has to read it if they don't want to. Citibank put a hold on one of our cards when a suspicious charge showed up for $3.70. . Sorry to hear of what you are going through. It's a violating feeling, for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Sara, sounds like lots of good insights! Maybe the reason for your wanting to continue cheat days or permissible binges is that your brain is resisting the change. Maybe it's your brain's last ditch effort to continue cheating with permission. Sometimes brains just don't know what's best. And I agree that journaling is a good thing! First, it allows you to ponder and process your own thoughts and feelings. Second, it allows us to give you an outsider's perspective and some encouragement! I like journaling in here too and always invite outsider's perspectives on my progress...unless someone tells me to give up my coveted cup of crio Bru. Then we'll have some words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Alison, your post-Whole-30 log title needs to be "Don't Tell Me to Give Up My Crio Bru". I still don't even know what that is... I have been meaning to google. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Citibank put a hold on one of our cards when a suspicious charge showed up for $3.70. . Ok, your bank may be a little too secure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Ok, your bank may be a little too secure. Lol. Whoever does this stuff -- they will try to run through a really small charge like that, to see if it will get through. If it does -- then they will use the card for bigger stuff. I had already heard of this, but the lady on the phone explained it all to me again. Their system recognized it somehow -- and glad they did, because it wasn't us. So they froze the account until I called in, and then they closed it out altogether -- immediately. So I am reading this story and thinking -- how in the world does a cc company let it get to $40,000?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Ok, that makes sense! I agree--how would a company let $40k slips past their radar? Mind me asking what company? I might be avoiding doing business with them in the future... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Alison, your post-Whole-30 log title needs to be "Don't Tell Me to Give Up My Crio Bru". I still don't even know what that is... I have been meaning to google. It's good and very comforting to me.I like it because it's my coffee substitute. I don't drink coffee for religious reasons but have in the past and I love it. Like LOVE it! I have tried Teecino as a coffee alternative. It's awful. Terrible. Don't even try it. Ew. But crio Bru is yummy, warm, and doesn't contain caffeine so it's supposed to be non-addictive in that manner, although it does contain a stimulant so it provides that extra jolt that we sometimes need. In fact, I'm drinking a hot cup right now. Here's a visual...sideways, but you get the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Ah, I see... roasted cacao beans. From their site: A study completed in 1993 (The Biochemist, April/May, 1993, pg. 15), definitively showed that chocolate contained 1.3% theobromine, by weight, up to 5.82% serotonin (an organic compound that enhances mood and energy, provides better mental focus, improved sleep patterns, less anxiety and decreases body fat), by weight, and no detectable caffeine. Theobromine clearly has stimulant properties, so perhaps people reflexively attribute those effects to caffeine—even though many of the effects are fundamentally different from caffeine. Perhaps when referring to caffeine, they intend to reference an entire class of chemicals called xanthines, of which caffeine is but one example. The amount of xanthines present in cacao is highly dependent on the variety of cacao bean that is used. There are three main varieties of cacao: criollo, trinatario and forastero. Criollo beans account for 1-2% of the world’s cacao, trinatario beans for around 10-20% and the rest are forastero. Criollo beans have the highest amount of theobromine but also contain trace amounts of caffeine whereas trinatario and forastero, typically, have little to no caffeine. Theobromine and caffeine are similarly constructed types of pharmacologically active chemicals but with noticeably different effects. Theobromine is gentle, mild, has a slow onset, is long lasting and non-addictive whereas caffeine is intense, strong, fast acting, short lived and addictive. Crio Brü is 100% pure cacao. A typical sample of cacao beans will yield anywhere from zero caffeine to 1,000 parts per million of caffeine (less than 1/20thof the caffeine present in coffee). Crio Brü provides long lasting energy and promotes whole body wellness without the negative effects found in other drinks. ------------ I wanted to bold some things, but my computer is not cooperating. I find it hilarious that they say repeatedly that it's "non-addictive" -- when clearly, it is. Read all the benefits of how good it makes you feel, etc -- and then tell me that people won't want to keep drinking it. It's no wonder you love it so much. Not drinking coffee for religious reasons -- this is the first time I have ever heard this before. Do you care to explain that any further, just to add to my own personal knowledge of things -- or not really? No big deal... just curious about the reasoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Lol. Whoever does this stuff -- they will try to run through a really small charge like that, to see if it will get through. If it does -- then they will use the card for bigger stuff. I had already heard of this, but the lady on the phone explained it all to me again. Their system recognized it somehow -- and glad they did, because it wasn't us. So they froze the account until I called in, and then they closed it out altogether -- immediately. So I am reading this story and thinking -- how in the world does a cc company let it get to $40,000?! I know, right? Multiple charges in one day to places like Nordstrom, Dillards, CVS Pharmacy and the like for many hundreds of dollars. Wouldn't you think it would flag my account earlier than 3 weeks into this type of spending? I can assure you we don't spend anything near this amount EVER. I really don't understand it. My husband said maybe they change their algorithms to allow for holiday spending in December. I don't know - it seems weird to me! Ok, that makes sense! I agree--how would a company let $40k slips past their radar? Mind me asking what company? I might be avoiding doing business with them in the future... It was Chase. Today is going fine. I've been working on getting gifts together ( I had purchased most things, but needed to gather everything & put it in boxes to start wrapping) and I went to a Christmas coffee this morning at a friend's house. I ate a packet of coconut butter on the way bc my tummy was growling and I did not want to be surrounded by treats that I would not choose to eat while I was hungry. That was a good plan. I really enjoyed having time to chat with several friends. When I left, I realized that I had stayed about an hour and a half - it seemed like a long time. I guess that speaks to how busy life typically is, that we don't often take an hour and a half out to just spend time with friends. The weather is unseasonably warm today, even for Texas. I think it's around 75 or 80 degrees. I've been sweating in my long sleeved tshirt and jeans. Wearing sandals around the house. It's not usually super cold here at Christmas, but this is a bit extreme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Brewer-- Oh yea, for sure. I am Mormon, and in addition to all of the other Christan commandments, we believe in a few extra. One is called the Word of Wisdom, which basically states that there are foods that are not to be for consumption, specifically drugs, alcohol, cigarettes/smoking, tea (besides herbal), and coffee. Some of the reasons for not eating those foods are obvious, but the tea and coffee I just take on faith and follow it because it's a commandment. I know it's sneaky wording, semantics, and technicalities, but I'll take the 'non-addictive' advertisements of crio Bru! Makes me feel better about drinking so much! Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alisonlcarver Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Sara-- The predicted high for where I live in North Carolina on Christmas Day: 74!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 So no more decaf in the evenings. Gee whiz - I'm exhausted. I was trying to post a pic of my Fitbit sleep log, but it didn't work. Basically, I tossed and turned all night long and woke up too early with anxiety about Christmas dinner. Ugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleNotEasy Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Day 23 Yesterday I bought some salted almonds & overindulged in them. Hm. I think I was feeling a little deprived while at the store and rationalized that this purchase would be an ok treat. If I could eat 1 serving of salted almonds, that would be true. But I already know that I'm not able to eat only 1 serving of salted nuts. I just need to stay honest with myself. I'm taking my delicious salad with avocado, pomegranate seeds, toasted pecans & Tessamae's balsamic dressing to a dinner tonight. And some chicken to dump on mine in case I need it. My friend who is hosting knows I'm doing the Whole 30, so it will be ok with her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whole30 Certified Coach littleg Posted December 23, 2015 Whole30 Certified Coach Share Posted December 23, 2015 70 in UPSNY. Now that is re-donk-u-lus. If I wanted 70s on Christmas I'd move to Texas - I hear Austin is a cool town Ali - my Crio Bru shipped yesterday - usually Amazon stuff gets here practically overnight - I hope it makes it before Christmas! Sara - have you tried magnesium at night? I find it helps A TON. Even my husband, mister no-meds-supplements-etc-shall-pass-these-lips drinks a cup every night. Why anxiety about Christmas dinner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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