jenmidge Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 We are in agreement on this, Wendy. The thing that bothered me about this incident was the diet mentality aspect. It's much less than it used to be, but it still comes back to haunt me. What I want and intend to do is eat what I really want at a special occasion and leave it at that - without the "I'm off the diet until midnight" foolishness. I didn't specify in my post because it embarrasses me, but what I actually did on this occasion was to drive to a store after the potluck, buy a pint of gelato, and eat it while watching TV - because of an irrational but very strong feeling that I was in a "free zone" after eating cake. I remember feeling this way for the first time when I went on my first diet, during the summer before I went to high school, 45 years ago. I hope you don't mind my intrusion in your conversation but this rang loud bells with me and probably does with lots of people. I recently completed a W60 followed by carefully planned reintro's but when this came to an end this week I somehow rationalized to myself that after stopping by KFC for a late lunch because I'd not packed a salad for work, it was okay to stop for ice cream about 1 hour later because I was having a 'normal' eating day. Thing is, I felt so bloated after KFC that I shouldn't have been able to eat anything at all. Where did all my self control from the last 2 months go.? When I got home from work I had a healthy protein salad then without thinking devoured a larabar, even though I was feeling full and bloated still. Sugar, refined carbs and the other crap they put in processed foods does very sneaky things to your thought processes.. actually, I think the bad stuff stops you thinking at all. The whole 'food without brakes' thing has really just sunk in for me. How did you feel after Gelato? I couldn't sleep, which I'm assuming was all the sugar flowing around my blood steam. What worries me also, is that I didn't feel ill or have any headache after the ice cream despite abstaining from sugar for so long. My sugar dragon welcomed me back with open arms. The lesson I learned is that I am definitely an abstainer, not a moderator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuilterInVA Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Melissa Hartwig has a new book coming out October 4 called "Food Freedom: Letting go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food". I've pre-ordered it on Amazon. This will address life after the W30 if I remember correctly from her blog post. I'm definitely an Abstainer. I have never been able to just eat 1 cookie or 1 scoop of ice cream or 1 handful of chips, etc. One I have the first one, it becomes a free-for-all. My Sugar Dragon is always waiting in the wings to jump back in and take over. I limit myself to a serving of fruit with lunch and stick mostly to berries and melon since they have less fructose. Fortunately dairy doesn't bother me. I love whole milk Greek Yogurt and only buy plain. Then I can add fruit or veggies to it and have no sugar in it but it feels like a treat. I plan my meals around the meal template for that keeps me feeling my best with optimum energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 All are welcome, Jenmidge. You asked how I felt after the gelato and the answer is - too full to sleep well. But like you, I don't have any serious problems after eating sugar - other than self-recrimination. I've always thought that the on or off the diet thinking is an old habit that came out of crash dieting when I was younger, but I definitely agree with your point that the bad stuff does sneaky things to your thought process. I sometimes wonder if I'm going to have to treat sugar as a substance that I tend to abuse. Quilter, I think I'm an abstainer who really really wants to be a moderator. I learned a long time ago that I can't keep dragon food around the house. I love the idea of baking cookies and having a couple of them with a little gelato, for dessert, once a day- but it just never works. Never has, never will. Oh well. I take myself as I am and persevere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh Anne Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I'll jump in here, too. I finished my first W30 on 6/7 and have so far reintroduced legumes (no obvious problems) and today, dairy. I had a cup of plain, whole milk yogurt for breakfast. Then I started sneezing, and my head felt stuffy for a couple of hours. Yes, it's pollen season, but I haven't had anything like that before. I'm having cheese later, and ice cream (2 birthday parties today!) so I'll give myself a good dose of dairy. I'll get cleaned up from this one and try grains next. Does anyone know the best way to clear out your system after eating something that makes you feel gross? I know to go back to Whole30 eating until I feel normal again, but does anything speed up the action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenmidge Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 All are welcome, Jenmidge. You asked how I felt after the gelato and the answer is - too full to sleep well. But like you, I don't have any serious problems after eating sugar - other than self-recrimination. I've always thought that the on or off the diet thinking is an old habit that came out of crash dieting when I was younger, but I definitely agree with your point that the bad stuff does sneaky things to your thought process. I sometimes wonder if I'm going to have to treat sugar as a substance that I tend to abuse. Quilter, I think I'm an abstainer who really really wants to be a moderator. I learned a long time ago that I can't keep dragon food around the house. I love the idea of baking cookies and having a couple of them with a little gelato, for dessert, once a day- but it just never works. Never has, never will. Oh well. I take myself as I am and persevere. This is a useful way of thinking about sugar that I might try to adopt. During my reintro's I discovered that corn makes me feel very bloated and uncomfortable and now I have no problem avoiding it but sugar is so different that it's appropriate to think of it more as a drug than a food. I would also like to be a moderator and enjoy the occasional ice cream on a hot day, but sadly, I'm not. At some point, I may experiment with honey and maple syrup and make some gluten free baked goods but for now, I'm just relieved to be back on track...well if I ignore the 2 larabars I've had today. I have two boxes in the cupboard which I'm trying to eat up as quickly as possible so I can be truly sugar free again (that's what I told myself anyway). Leigh Anne, I'm afraid I don't know of any quick way of getting over side effects from reintro's. Cheese made me feel tired and moody so good luck with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenmidge Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 p.s; I have had a reaction to all the sugar yesterday. While out shopping today I felt very light headed as though I hadn't eaten for a long time, so I think my blood sugar levels must have crashed after being raised so high yesterday. I actually thought I might faint so ate a banana which helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy and Frankie Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 One of my friends from the another thread in this forum suggested I read about abstainers vs. moderators, and it was very enlightening. Apparently, I'm an abstainer. I can do a Whole 30 successfully without sugar, dairy, grains,or alcohol, but cannot moderate those successfully without the framework of Whole 30. I can never just have "one glass of wine with dinner," it becomes 2 or 3. We just had a graduation party for my son about a week ago. I told myself I would reward myself with "one piece of cake," since I had just completed my 2nd W30. However, it became a daily piece of cake until all the leftovers were gone. QuilterInVa, I think I will pre-order Melissa's new book as well. Thanks for reminding me about that. I am currently reading "It Starts with Food," as I wanted to understand the science behind the Whole 30, so the next time someone asks me, "Why can't you have beans or legumes, or brown rice?", I can give them an intelligent answer, instead of just saying, "They're not on the Whole 30 list of compliant foods." Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuilterInVA Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Wendy, I find I'm like you...I can do the W30 but when it's over I try to stick to what I learned but one bite of cake, one cookie, an ice cream and I'm off the rails. Dairy and legumes are okay for me, but all grains are out. I knew this before the W30 for I have celiac disease and when it didn't improve enough with the removal of wheat, rye and barley the doc did more testing and found I am allergic to the protein in all grains. I'm hoping Melissa's new book will give me insight in how to go forward after my W30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 I'll jump in here, too. I finished my first W30 on 6/7 and have so far reintroduced legumes (no obvious problems) and today, dairy. I had a cup of plain, whole milk yogurt for breakfast. Then I started sneezing, and my head felt stuffy for a couple of hours. Yes, it's pollen season, but I haven't had anything like that before. I'm having cheese later, and ice cream (2 birthday parties today!) so I'll give myself a good dose of dairy. I'll get cleaned up from this one and try grains next. Does anyone know the best way to clear out your system after eating something that makes you feel gross? I know to go back to Whole30 eating until I feel normal again, but does anything speed up the action? I eat template meals with plenty of fat and no starchy carbs for a few days. I doubt there's any science behind that, but it feels like it gets me back to normal. Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 Jenmidge - Dairy makes me feel tired and moody too - my "cheese hangover" is waking up with the feeling that it's definitely not going to be a good day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Time for another course correction. Again, the problem was cake. I baked a home made fancy cake for a friend, put it in a box, handed it to her, and she thanked me, gave me a hug, and drove away with it, exactly as planned. I felt great about doing this for her, but that night, I started to feel, irrationally, that I had been cheated - so I had a big bowl of caramel corn for supper. Not good, but that was the extent of it. This time I didn't drive to the store to buy gelato and eat it before the clock struck 12! I'm counting that as an improvement. I did not sleep well after the caramel corn, and I didn't feel great the next morning, but I'm thinking, writing, paying attention, eating template meals and accepting that as good enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKS Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Hello everyone! This is my first post to your thread. I started my first Whole30 yesterday (6.23.16). I'm in my 60's and want to feel good...and look good! My husband and I golf a lot and are very social. That's the hard part for me...social activities become centered around tempting foods and cocktails! So I'm committed to being clean for these 30 days. My friends are watching me and I hope I can inspire some of them with my success. I appreciate all the tips you may have as you are on this journey too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 24, 2016 Author Share Posted June 24, 2016 Welcome, SKS. I think it will help that your friends know you are doing this - if they join you, it will make the social occasions much easier. Cocktails are out, sadly, but I think you will find W30 food to be very tempting indeed. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy and Frankie Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Good luck, SKS! I'm 50, and I've done 2 W30's since February. At first, many of my friends and extended family were skeptical of the W30, but after they saw how good it made me feel, and noticed my weight loss, they all became wonderfully curious about it. Good luck, and let us know how your are doing. Wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebe_J Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Hello I'd like to join in here. I'm 63 and have completed two successful W30s. I I have also started and stopped several times.) The first successful one was in 2012, so I've been around for a while. Husband and I have settled into a mostly W30 nutrition plan with occasional splurges. (That's the intention, anyway--he's at home in a mostly compliant house and I'm at work with daily assaults by baked goods and other non-compliant foods.) I need to shed some (a lot of) excess weight. The older I get, the harder it is on my old joints. Yesterday, DH suggested Weight Watchers. (I'm a recovering WW Lifetime Member) I am not interested in their diet, but I admit I do miss the fellowship of the meetings. I need the interaction with like-minded people, but my friends, family and co-workers are happy with the typical SADs and lifestyle. I have an appointment with a new doctor next month for a thorough evaluation. I expect he will have some painful admonitions for me and I want to be able to show I've taken steps in the right direction. I have enjoyed reading through this thread and would like to get to know you. I have lots of recipes and cooking techniques that I'm happy to share and I love trying new recipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 27, 2016 Author Share Posted June 27, 2016 Hello I'd like to join in here. I'm 63 and have completed two successful W30s. I I have also started and stopped several times.) The first successful one was in 2012, so I've been around for a while. Husband and I have settled into a mostly W30 nutrition plan with occasional splurges. (That's the intention, anyway--he's at home in a mostly compliant house and I'm at work with daily assaults by baked goods and other non-compliant foods.) I need to shed some (a lot of) excess weight. The older I get, the harder it is on my old joints. Yesterday, DH suggested Weight Watchers. (I'm a recovering WW Lifetime Member) I am not interested in their diet, but I admit I do miss the fellowship of the meetings. I need the interaction with like-minded people, but my friends, family and co-workers are happy with the typical SADs and lifestyle. I have an appointment with a new doctor next month for a thorough evaluation. I expect he will have some painful admonitions for me and I want to be able to show I've taken steps in the right direction. I have enjoyed reading through this thread and would like to get to know you. I have lots of recipes and cooking techniques that I'm happy to share and I love trying new recipes. Glad to have you aboard, Rebe. I'm always interested in new recipes and cooking techniques, so please share. I made strawberry salsa from frozen berries a few days ago and love it. I scoop it up with jicama slices and have a plop as a side for my breakfast eggs. I agree that interaction with like-minded people really helps - it's the key to WW's success, but the weigh-ins and food tracking are no longer right for me either. Are you planning to do another W30? I retired this spring but I sympathize with the workplace food issue. It's hard to ignore, but I have noticed that lots of coworkers were saying "no" to the nasty birthday cakes by the time I left. And I worked with lawyers - smart people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebe_J Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Thanks for the welcome. Strawberry salsa sounds wonderful with jicama slices. Or eggs. I eat eggs every day and don't get tired of them. I don't have plans for another W30 anytime soon. My reintroduction didn't point out any serious food sensitivities. Dairy messes with my sinuses. Sugar and wheat make me want more sugar and wheat. Our meals at home are mostly compliant and we rarely eat out unless we're traveling. I make all my condiments and do a big cook-up every week. We like eating what DH calls, "food without labels." We have to make a special effort to have a splurge. I work in a big hotel/resort/casino with a world-class bakery and a dozen restaurants. Even the employee lunchroom is full of gooey baked goods waiting to ambush me. I take my lunch most days and that helps. Sometimes. I've been on vacation for two weeks and I've been saying I'm practicing for retirement. We put the finishing touches on our kitchen remodel today and I'm very pleased. It was a long complicated and often frustrating project. Why oh why did I pick the kitchen as our first big home improvement project? Much of my cooking is done with my pressure cooker. I love it. I "steam bake" potatoes in it, and they are easy to heat up at meal time--either baked or made into home fries or hash browns. I read that the starch doesn't have the same effect if the potato has been cooked then chilled before eating. Maybe that's just wishful thinking. DH is quite thin, so he eats most of the white potatoes. I prefer roasted sweet potatoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairwayflunkie Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I'll join if I may...I'm 58 and will be starting my whole30 on August 1st, hubby will be away for five weeks then and I don't need to worry about him any... I'm mainly compliant now for the last 8 days as I'm trying to clear a bout of diverticulitis...just got a phone call today scheduling blood work mid July and colonoscopy...at least I'll be starting with nice empty bowels...LOL No grains, legumes, alcohol (don't drink anyway so no loss there) ...the only dairy I'm having is homemade Greek yogurt/Tbsp maple syrup....will miss that the most I think Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 Rebe, I also use a pressure cooker, most recently an instant pot, but I've never steam baked potatoes in it. How exactly do you do this? Whole potatoes with a little bit of water? I also heard that thing about cooked chilled potatoes and thought, well wouldn't that be nice? Right now, I am getting lots of garden grown kohlrabi and radishes and am enjoying them chopped and cooked. Cooking tones down the strong flavor and they have a texture similar to a starchy vegetable. Wow, I don't envy the job "perks" you mentioned. Have you seen people at work just saying no to the flour/sugar bombs? My hope is that you can find some comrades on the job and establish your own lunch group. Making condiments is fun - what are your favorites? Welcome Nancy. Too bad about that colonoscopy, but you will certainly be starting fresh. Congratulations on your decision to try a whole30. About the yogurt - there are other sources of probiotics allowed on whole 30, fermented foods like sauerkraut and Kombucha. I hope all goes well for you. Some people find that eliminating dairy helps with intestinal issues, so it's well worth testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairwayflunkie Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 No worries Stegner...in Canada they send you for a colonoscopy in you fifties for screening purposes...the diverticulitis is my own fault since I've been eating crapiola for a while it was bound to catch up with me sooner or later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebe_J Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Stegner- Mmmm, radishes. I would like to try them roasted and served on a bed of radish greens. I have an Instant Pot, too. For potatoes, I try to use like-sized potatoes. Scrub them and poke them a few times, as you would for baking. Then place them on the rack with about 1/2 cup water. For fist-sized potatoes, I cook at high pressure for 12 minutes--the guideline is 11-15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Some might split, but they will be cooked through. Once they are cooled, I put them in an open container in the refrigerator. They keep for several days--or they would if we didn't eat them. It's nice having an already-cooked potato for some recipes. Like the Cinnamon Beef Stew from Well Fed. It doesn't call for potato, but I like to add some when I'm reheating the stew at mealtime. The potatoes hold their shape and add some bulk. Condiments: I regularly make mayo with avocado/olive oil. Kickass Ketchup, Sunshine Sauce, Ranch Dressing and Green Goddess Dressing are some of my frequent flyers. Speaking of probiotics, I do miss my homemade yogurt. I've been eating Bubbie's sauerkraut lately. I like it with eggs. I warm it up just enough to take the chill off, but not enough to kill the good bugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKS Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Update...today is day 7. I like the program on Whole30. There's lots to eat! I like the protein and veggies. Yes, I miss sugar and wine with my friends, but I am determined to feel better and look better. I've shared my plans with those who matter and everyone is supportive. Planning ahead is so important when we have plans away from home. The RX bars have saved me from reaching for sugary treats. Looking forward to the 2nd week. Hoping the energy thing kicks in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stegner Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 I'm going to be involved in a potato salad for a crowd project, and I'll try out the pressure cooker method, thanks. And I need to make some ketchup - I wonder if I can make it out of plums? I have some in my freezer and they are delicious. I do better eating this way if I can be creative. Lots of people are pressed for time and don't like to come up with new food ideas, but I love it. If I don't have an outlet for my creativity with healthy whole foods, I start going over to the dark side... thinking about all the things I could bake. Nancy, they have the same recommendation in the US - it's a good test and saves a lot of lives. Congratulations on the week, SKS. Sugar is a hard habit to break, but really worth it in many ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebe_J Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 I like looking for new recipes and techniques, too. I can't resist tweaking most recipes, though. Before I bought my Instant Pot, I came across a pressure cooker potato salad method where you cook the potatoes and eggs at the same time. I'll have to see if I can find it. I like the efficiency angle. Edit to add: Here it is. The ingredients need a little adjusting, but the method looks promising. http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/quick-potato-salad-in-the-pressure-cooker/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairwayflunkie Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 I see she uses an instantpot which I have but I don't have the steamer basket...I will have to investigate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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