Jan 2016 Start Date - Calling all over 50 folks!

[Melimuse]

Good morning! The Whole 30 Daily today is about habits. What struck me is that on average it takes 66 days to form a new habit. 30 isn't really enough if you have problems with poor food choices coming back after it is over. I'm definitely in for 90 days this time.

 

I got up to sunshine  today and snow and ice covered roads. We are under a flood warning today. It's just about high tide now and the water is probably a foot higher than normal behind my house. A good day to stay in and batch cook for the upcoming week.

 

jftv22, you salad sounds so good. I'll bet it would be good with a chicken breast cubed in it.

Hi Quilter,

 

I am noticing the same thing in regards to habits.  I had planned on a Whole 45 (but it says things change in clusters of days so 90 is the next level) with two weeks of very, very slow reintroduction, but frankly I'm not really sure what I can reintroduce, because I already know I have allergies to many things that are not compliant.  Yesterday, after shoveling out over here across the river from you in Maryland,    I started reading about reintroduction and realizing that I am going to have to come up with a unique plan.  First of all, I won't be reintroducing gluten or dairy or legumes or coconut because allergies.  So I need to get in touch with some experts either in the forums or direct email, and figure out a schedule for reintroducing grains (corn, oats, rice, buckwheat are the ones I would be interested in, as sometimes they seem to aid in my digestion if I feel I need fiber and can't do legumes); then specific nuts (already seeing that almonds and likely cashews are an issue) so planning on trying pecans and walnuts.  Then it would be nightshades - peppers and potatoes and maybe some chili powder because it seems criminal if I can't even have some tex-mex or Sausage and Pepper Potatoes when my son loves both!, then sugar in the form of not worrying so hard on labels (like, say bbq sauce) or a 75%+ dark chocolate square, or a glass of red wine occasionally.  I haven't defined occasionally yet and am saving this one for last as I feel as though it represents the gateway to "what the heck" eating.  I'm writing this stream of consciousness here but what it seems to bring me around to is that maybe I should put off the sugar reintroduction for longer. 

 

Did you get any science-y information on why the jump from 30 to 90?  I think if I take 2 weeks with the other stuff I can see waiting a full 60 days before trying the occasional sugary item in my life.  The difficulty is that I want to be social and not interrogate servers when I go out with my friends, so 90 days....that's a long time.  I am sure 60 is better than 30......does anyone know?

[wbsgl]

Wendy S:  Hi everyone.  This is my first Whole30 and my husband and I started January 7, 2016.  I am 65, my husband is 67.  I have fibromyalgia and it is always flaring up.  So I started this program to help with inflammation and weight loss.  We are on day 17 with no cravings!  I really thought I would not be able to deny myself chocolate and bread, but it is working.  We have not gone to a restaurant yet.  I am cooking new recipes several times a week, but I didn't follow the 7 days suggested menu.  We don't eat pork, sausage, bacon, etc. so many of the recipes have been changed to lamb, chicken, beef.

[Stegner]

Does anybody else meditate? It's clear to me that eating this way helps me a lot, but I have some issues around eating that are better addressed in another way. Basically, I need to break the habit of dealing with boredom, frustration, disappointment, etc.. with food. Not so rare, I know.

[caedmon22]

Does anybody else meditate? It's clear to me that eating this way helps me a lot, but I have some issues around eating that are better addressed in another way. Basically, I need to break the habit of dealing with boredom, frustration, disappointment, etc.. with food. Not so rare, I know.

 

i do. not consistently. but i do. and since my TIAs my doc has asked me to step it up and meditate daily. so i'm working that in to my routine. i'm finding though that eating this way pretty much takes care of the other kinds of eating because i'm so not hungry until the 4.5/5 hour mark it doesn't occur to me to eat. i'd be way more likely to drink for emotional reasons, but i'm not craving booze either. and now that i'm on these meds even if i were, too bad. no more alcohol for me if i don't want complications (and i don't). 

[caedmon22]

Did you get any science-y information on why the jump from 30 to 90?  I think if I take 2 weeks with the other stuff I can see waiting a full 60 days before trying the occasional sugary item in my life.  The difficulty is that I want to be social and not interrogate servers when I go out with my friends, so 90 days....that's a long time.  I am sure 60 is better than 30......does anyone know?

 

i have the same question/concerns. i know i owe it to my body, after all we've been through in the past year, to keep my nutrition clean and high, and i've been pretty much resolved to doing a w60. i'm finding that hard to imagine, though, as i am up-to-here with all this animal flesh. and the recipes (even the ones on nomnompaleo etc.) seem like a lot of work for not much payoff, tastewise. early on i loved the recipes in the book but i'm finding there are very few i want to repeat. so i'm in a quandary. and i don't enjoy spending all that time cooking. i'm a good, seasoned cook so cooking is not a habit i need to develop, and for me the amount of cooking on this plan is just plain overkill. but my body loves the way of eating, so i plan to just keep experimenting until i can find the right balance. i just got back from trader joe's, with some frozen seafood and veggie items that will help me throw together a meal several times this week with very little prep or fanfare. so hoping for a w60 and maybe after that extend to a w90, but this far in i'm just not sure.

[QuilterInVA]

This was the topic of yesterday's newsletter that we pay for. I don't think it would be allowed for me to repost it for free. These newsletters are so worth the $15.

[Stegner]

i have the same question/concerns. i know i owe it to my body, after all we've been through in the past year, to keep my nutrition clean and high, and i've been pretty much resolved to doing a w60. i'm finding that hard to imagine, though, as i am up-to-here with all this animal flesh. and the recipes (even the ones on nomnompaleo etc.) seem like a lot of work for not much payoff, tastewise. early on i loved the recipes in the book but i'm finding there are very few i want to repeat. so i'm in a quandary. and i don't enjoy spending all that time cooking. i'm a good, seasoned cook so cooking is not a habit i need to develop, and for me the amount of cooking on this plan is just plain overkill. but my body loves the way of eating, so i plan to just keep experimenting until i can find the right balance. i just got back from trader joe's, with some frozen seafood and veggie items that will help me throw together a meal several times this week with very little prep or fanfare. so hoping for a w60 and maybe after that extend to a w90, but this far in i'm just not sure.

I think 30 days was enough for me. I was looking forward to adding back some legumes and fermented dairy - they have never been a problem for me. I love vegetables and swapping out the meat for some beans works for me. You are so highly motivated, Caedmon, I can't imagine you wouldn't do well with 30 days and then some carefully considered modifications that work for you. So many ethnic cuisines are based on a small amount of meat or beans combined with large amounts of vegetables... You don't have to serve it over a bed of rice.

[Stegner]

i do. not consistently. but i do. and since my TIAs my doc has asked me to step it up and meditate daily. so i'm working that in to my routine. i'm finding though that eating this way pretty much takes care of the other kinds of eating because i'm so not hungry until the 4.5/5 hour mark it doesn't occur to me to eat. i'd be way more likely to drink for emotional reasons, but i'm not craving booze either. and now that i'm on these meds even if i were, too bad. no more alcohol for me if i don't want complications (and i don't).

Good work with giving up alcohol... And keeping it simple.

I'm trying to be a little more consistent as to the time I meditate and am aiming for 10 AM - every day.

[SugarcubeOD]

Hi Quilter,

 

I am noticing the same thing in regards to habits.  I had planned on a Whole 45 (but it says things change in clusters of days so 90 is the next level) with two weeks of very, very slow reintroduction, but frankly I'm not really sure what I can reintroduce, because I already know I have allergies to many things that are not compliant.  Yesterday, after shoveling out over here across the river from you in Maryland,    I started reading about reintroduction and realizing that I am going to have to come up with a unique plan.  First of all, I won't be reintroducing gluten or dairy or legumes or coconut because allergies.  So I need to get in touch with some experts either in the forums or direct email, and figure out a schedule for reintroducing grains (corn, oats, rice, buckwheat are the ones I would be interested in, as sometimes they seem to aid in my digestion if I feel I need fiber and can't do legumes); then specific nuts (already seeing that almonds and likely cashews are an issue) so planning on trying pecans and walnuts.  Then it would be nightshades - peppers and potatoes and maybe some chili powder because it seems criminal if I can't even have some tex-mex or Sausage and Pepper Potatoes when my son loves both!, then sugar in the form of not worrying so hard on labels (like, say bbq sauce) or a 75%+ dark chocolate square, or a glass of red wine occasionally.  I haven't defined occasionally yet and am saving this one for last as I feel as though it represents the gateway to "what the heck" eating.  I'm writing this stream of consciousness here but what it seems to bring me around to is that maybe I should put off the sugar reintroduction for longer. 

 

Did you get any science-y information on why the jump from 30 to 90?  I think if I take 2 weeks with the other stuff I can see waiting a full 60 days before trying the occasional sugary item in my life.  The difficulty is that I want to be social and not interrogate servers when I go out with my friends, so 90 days....that's a long time.  I am sure 60 is better than 30......does anyone know?

Your re-introduction plan for things you think you'll want to eat again sounds good.  What did you need help in sorting out?

I will say that alcohol should be introduced separately and not considered a 'sugar'.

 

It's hard to say if 30, 60 or 90 is necessarily better or worse for each person.  It comes down to how comfortable you feel with your new habits, how any medical issues are sorting themselves out and how you feel eating this way.  I've done a Whole30 and a Whole100 in the past, just depending on how I"m feeling and what goals I have for the duration.

[caedmon22]

I think 30 days was enough for me. I was looking forward to adding back some legumes and fermented dairy - they have never been a problem for me. I love vegetables and swapping out the meat for some beans works for me. You are so highly motivated, Caedmon, I can't imagine you wouldn't do well with 30 days and then some carefully considered modifications that work for you. So many ethnic cuisines are based on a small amount of meat or beans combined with large amounts of vegetables... You don't have to serve it over a bed of rice.

 

thanks for this, stegner. excellent counsel. and boy howdy re the bed of rice. i've actually never been a big fan of rice, though i do like brown rice if i absolutely have to eat rice (and of course i don't)...what's so interesting about this way of eating is how radically it diverges from the DASH diet, which i used when i was first diagnosed with high blood pressure, and which is grains heavy, and which also worked beautifully to curb cravings and bring my blood pressure down. i'm wondering, in the absence of actual allergies, if it's more about just not eating the stuff you know is going to send you on a binge. back then i could eat half a bag of oreos in one sitting and couldn't stop myself. but after a few weeks on the dash diet i was just not interested. pineapple is so sweet who needs cookies or candy? i took some weight off (i was also exercising a lot back then, walking or biking 6 miles round trip to work and lifting weights at lunch) and got my bp back down so i didn't need meds. so far i am not seeing any effect on my bp whatsoever from the w30. i'm on meds, and again i want to address the condition also with lifestyle, which means dropping the extra pounds i gathered while undergoing cancer treatment etc. ...just rambling here...there's lots to consider, and i guess the bottom line is the body will let me know. i'll be interested to see if anything has changed w/re the blood pressure when i get to the end of the 30 days.

[hsheffield]

Hello gang, I turned 58 last week and and starting day 26 today. To my knowledge, I haven't eaten anything noncompliant this month.

 

 

good: I'm sleeping much better. 

 

bad: I've had a headache for almost the entire month. There is inflammatory change inside my eyelids (diagnosed by ophthalmologist) and pain in my sinuses (I've never had sinusitis) and the muscles on the left side of my face have been in spasm. Feels like I spend most of the day trying to get those muscles to relax. 

 

I also continue to wake up with swollen hands and feet.

 

I haven't been taking alleve because of worries about leaky gut interfering w/ getting my metabolism back on track. 

 

I can't decide if it takes longer for the body to heal because I'm older or if I'm missing something in my whole 30. I'm considering the AIP for the next month but the thought of doing this program without eggs is daunting. 

 

can anyone help me with some advice? 

 

has anyone noticed that we 50+ folks take longer to reboot?

 

should I take something for the headaches? 

[Stegner]

thanks for this, stegner. excellent counsel. and boy howdy re the bed of rice. i've actually never been a big fan of rice, though i do like brown rice if i absolutely have to eat rice (and of course i don't)...what's so interesting about this way of eating is how radically it diverges from the DASH diet, which i used when i was first diagnosed with high blood pressure, and which is grains heavy, and which also worked beautifully to curb cravings and bring my blood pressure down. i'm wondering, in the absence of actual allergies, if it's more about just not eating the stuff you know is going to send you on a binge. back then i could eat half a bag of oreos in one sitting and couldn't stop myself. but after a few weeks on the dash diet i was just not interested. pineapple is so sweet who needs cookies or candy? i took some weight off (i was also exercising a lot back then, walking or biking 6 miles round trip to work and lifting weights at lunch) and got my bp back down so i didn't need meds. so far i am not seeing any effect on my bp whatsoever from the w30. i'm on meds, and again i want to address the condition also with lifestyle, which means dropping the extra pounds i gathered while undergoing cancer treatment etc. ...just rambling here...there's lots to consider, and i guess the bottom line is the body will let me know. i'll be interested to see if anything has changed w/re the blood pressure when i get to the end of the 30 days.

.

I should check my BP, I suppose. It was edging higher when I was about 50, but it dropped after I lost some weight. This was around the time of my divorce and I dropped a lot of things all at once. I was clearing brush on my property at the time, working like a fiend until I could barely move, then showering and going back out. Best therapy ever.

[Kathikay]

Good Morning!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi!  Sounds like most everyone is on track and heading to the finish line!  I'm a little sad to not be finishing with you.

 

Everything is going as well as expected here....they put off his radiation until Thursday (ugh!).  Sometime I think those docs just mess with us because they can.  At any rate need to get this thing started.  8 weeks, 5 days a week but he is in excellent health and pretty good spirits thanks to his cheerleading wife.  But I'm having a hard time finding a cheer word that rhymes with prostate.  Ra ra ree, kick 'em in the prostate?  What do you think?...doesn't really work does it?

 

I have continued, as promised, with my healthy lifestyle (after my one week pity party, table for one!). I am using the Fitness Pal app to monitor my portions.  It's working well and I am pleased with the results. 

 

@Caedmon - hoping your episodes are behind you.  Super inspired by your tenacity!

 

Best,

Kathi

[Tcarbs]

Hi all,

I'm half way through today!! Can't say I have noticed any major physical changes, but I don't need a mid-morning snack and stayed on the plan at a football playoff party. My husband told everyone I am starving him and was happy to see some junk food!

I have made the delicious sweet potatoe soup twice and even have it for breakfast with a few chunks of chicken - Yummy.

I have never been a good cook, but I'm learning. I find that I prefer to be cooking up a batch of something rather than vegging in front of the TV. My salmon cakes turned out really dry (and I doubled the recipe Any suggestions?

[Stegner]

Good Morning!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi!  Sounds like most everyone is on track and heading to the finish line!  I'm a little sad to not be finishing with you.

 

Everything is going as well as expected here....they put off his radiation until Thursday (ugh!).  Sometime I think those docs just mess with us because they can.  At any rate need to get this thing started.  8 weeks, 5 days a week but he is in excellent health and pretty good spirits thanks to his cheerleading wife.  But I'm having a hard time finding a cheer word that rhymes with prostate.  Ra ra ree, kick 'em in the prostate?  What do you think?...doesn't really work does it?

 

I have continued, as promised, with my healthy lifestyle (after my one week pity party, table for one!). I am using the Fitness Pal app to monitor my portions.  It's working well and I am pleased with the results. 

 

@Caedmon - hoping your episodes are behind you.  Super inspired by your tenacity!

 

Best,

Kathi

Thanks for checking in. Been thinking of prostate sort-of-rhymes all evening, but they don't fit especially well in a cheer... frustrate, bra weight, raw date, nah wait, yah hate, moss gate. These are dumb, but maybe they'll get somebody else started.

[caedmon22]

Good Morning!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi!  Sounds like most everyone is on track and heading to the finish line!  I'm a little sad to not be finishing with you.

 

Everything is going as well as expected here....they put off his radiation until Thursday (ugh!).  Sometime I think those docs just mess with us because they can.  At any rate need to get this thing started.  8 weeks, 5 days a week but he is in excellent health and pretty good spirits thanks to his cheerleading wife.  But I'm having a hard time finding a cheer word that rhymes with prostate.  Ra ra ree, kick 'em in the prostate?  What do you think?...doesn't really work does it?

 

I have continued, as promised, with my healthy lifestyle (after my one week pity party, table for one!). I am using the Fitness Pal app to monitor my portions.  It's working well and I am pleased with the results. 

 

@Caedmon - hoping your episodes are behind you.  Super inspired by your tenacity!

 

Best,

Kathi

 

hey kathi, great to see you! i've been thinking of you guys. you totally get a pass re table-for-one week...and glad to hear you're back on track. just by way of reassurance, my 25 rounds of pelvic radiation were not horrible at all. my skin held up beautifully. i had some nausea and some poo issues, but those are very manageable, and it was only the last week or so that the fatigue really kicked in. given that your hubby is super healthy i imagine he'll have a relatively easy time of it. as for me, i'm hoping my episodes are behind me too i'm being super diligent about my meds. went to the cardiologist today and will have a monitor implanted to diagnose the palpitations. i'm just glad i had MINI strokes and got the wake-up call! anyway...keep visiting...we miss your cheery face

[caedmon22]

.

 I was clearing brush on my property at the time, working like a fiend until I could barely move, then showering and going back out. Best therapy ever.

 

indeed!!!! 

[ShannonM816]

Hello gang, I turned 58 last week and and starting day 26 today. To my knowledge, I haven't eaten anything noncompliant this month.

 

 

good: I'm sleeping much better. 

 

bad: I've had a headache for almost the entire month. There is inflammatory change inside my eyelids (diagnosed by ophthalmologist) and pain in my sinuses (I've never had sinusitis) and the muscles on the left side of my face have been in spasm. Feels like I spend most of the day trying to get those muscles to relax. 

 

I also continue to wake up with swollen hands and feet.

 

I haven't been taking alleve because of worries about leaky gut interfering w/ getting my metabolism back on track. 

 

I can't decide if it takes longer for the body to heal because I'm older or if I'm missing something in my whole 30. I'm considering the AIP for the next month but the thought of doing this program without eggs is daunting. 

 

can anyone help me with some advice? 

 

has anyone noticed that we 50+ folks take longer to reboot?

 

should I take something for the headaches? 

 

You can definitely take something for your headaches if you need to. Tylenol will have less impact on gut health than Aleve, but I know for some people Tylenol is just not terribly effective, so if you need the Aleve, it's okay to take it.

 

Age might have something to do with you not seeing results. Definitely if you came into Whole30 with any pre-existing issues, those can make it take longer to notice changes too.

 

Things that might contribute to headaches and swollen hands and feet could include not drinking enough water (aim for 1/2 oz per pound of body weight so if you weigh 120 lbs, drink at least 60 oz of water a day), a reaction to compliant foods that happen not to agree with you (nightshade vegetables, for instance, cause problems for a lot of people, especially if they're suddenly eating a lot more of them than they used to), salting your food too little/too much (I know, not helpful, but truly, either could cause an issue -- if you're not salting your food at all, try adding some, if you've had a lot more than usual, back off a bit). 

 

If you want to know if there's something you should be doing differently, feel free to post a couple of days' worth of food, water intake, exercise, and sleep either here, or in a new discussion in the Troubleshooting section of the forum.

[caedmon22]

hey folks, just a quick check-in on my day 23. i did a big trader joe's run yesterday, and today for lunch i made a delicious salad of baby power greens, persian cucumbers (oh so sweet and juicy and crunchy), baby beets, sugar snap peas, mandarin sections, and langostino, dressed with kathi's lemon/garlic dressing (which i love). it was beyond delicious. just what i needed after a quick and rather disgusting breakfast this morning involving slow-cooker roast pork from nomnompaleo. the pork came out way better than the roast recipe from the book did, but my girls weren't interested in eating it so i've been eating it for days. and i just...don't...like....eating...animals it seems. not this much anyway. so i'm going to freeze the rest of it and pull it out in a couple of months and do something with it that completely disguises what it is. not doing any more heavy-duty meat roasts. ever again. tonight i'm going to do an egg scramble with tj's frozen wild mushroom combo and grilled asparagus. easy-peasy and yummy. oh dang just realized i'll prolly have to eat pork for breakfast again b/c i don't have any more leftovers. but i'll smother it in salsa and pretend it's something else   . tomorrow i'm planning to make sweet potato soup, which looks super yummy. can't believe i only have one more week until day 30! this has gone really fast. hope you all are charging ahead and feeling good. i have nothing new to report re results, except that i did see my cardiologist today and therefore got weighed and i am VERY pleased with the numbers. because my body is still adjusting to meds, two of which cause drowsiness, dizziness and fatigue, i am not enjoying any bursts of energy at all...i'm just baseline tired all the time. but i imagine if i weren't doing w30 that would prolly be worse than it is. oops. so much for QUICK check-in 

[never2late]

I am glad to hear that your spirits are still positive Kathikay. I have missed your funny posts and wish I was a wittier writer.  As far as needing more time for a re-boot due to entering the "50's"  I say yes.  Things take longer.  I use to miss a couple of meals in my 20's and have a flat stomach for the beach....now, not happening.  The first time I tried a whole 30 I failed at day 15 so I started again a few days later. (it was mom's day with pasta and vino!!) Anyways, I did complete the 30 days, and it took me to the end of it to really feel pain free in my arthritic hands.  So even though I am on day 24, I may extend it to see what will happen.

 

I can't give you advise on the headaches, Hsheffied, but it may take you going on the AIP protocol.  bummer, since I looked at that last night and it just seems even more restrictive.

 

I have learned that I can't eat the same thing 5 days in the row  (like eggs, and nightshades) because I will get pain in my joints.

[hsheffield]

am tapering the nightshades. damn. I love tomatoes and eggplant and peppers.  I LOVE eggs. not giving up on these totally but am going to see if this improves things. if not, will consider strict AIP

 

I just don't get the headaches. It's like I have sinusitis, but I took sinus films and they were negative. will start with tylenol and see if I can break the cycle. 

 

am planning on going for a whole 60 to give this experiment a better chance to work. 

 

went to the Well Fed website yesterday and got more inspiration. I'm very grateful to her and Michelle Tam. these ladies rock!

 

hands a little less swollen today. feet aching because I walked 5 miles yesterday. pilates today-I usually feel better afterwards but the former Russian ballerina is teaching today and she can be, shall we say, demanding...

 

 

thanks for the responses. will stay the course and see where we end up!

[Stegner]

I hope you're able to figure this out. I took an exercise class taught by a Swedish ballerina once. It was.a world of pain but my torso never looked better. She used a lot of Pilates-type core exercises and I remember her counting to 25 over and over and over.

[Stegner]

I forgot to mention in my post that I have been eating some dairy, yogurt and cheese, and thought I was okay with it, but noticed last night that the rash on my neck is coming back. I'm going to eliminate it for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

[whatmeworry]

..... the former Russian ballerina ......

Oh Dear. That sounds really scary when in the same sentence as Pilates. 

 

Breathe!!!

[caedmon22]

hey folks...day 24. already! anyway...i avoided the pork breakfast. i did the TJs wild mushrooms and grilled asparagus again, heated those up in the cast-iron skillet then cooked a deliciously crispy fried egg in the juices and also sauteed some more langostino in it, put the egg on the veggies and the langostino on the egg and dosed it with lemon pepper (i love lemon pepper) and had fresh mango on the side. omg. i thought i died and went to heaven. will definitely make that over and over! tonight will be sea scallops and a lemon spinach recipe i think from nomnompaleo. tomorrow it's going to rain rain rain so i'll make the sweet potato soup tomorrow. this afternoon i was kinda feeling like it would be nice to munch on something forbidden. it wasn't a craving. it was just a thought. interesting that those thoughts have been completely absent, and now that i'm so close to done a little one popped in the old noggin!