Starting April 9th! Excited and Nervous!

[whole30gal35]

Hi!

 

I am going to to start the program this Saturday after I go to the grocery store tomorrow and am very excited but nervous.  I am a photographer and I shot a wedding last weekend for a friend of mine.  He was the one who told me about the program.  I didn't think too much about it until I saw some of the photos of myself.  I am not doing this program just to lose weight, in fact it's more about adapting better lifestyle choices for the long haul.  However, I am much more overweight than I would like to be.  I've never had good willpower when it came to food.  I am worried about not being able to stay strong and resist temptations and about my friends not supporting me during this.  They aren't bad friends, but they like to drink and go out and these are going to be temptations for me.  However, I have also read a lot of these are there are so many women on here who are also mothers doing this.  First of all, I want to high five you (through the internet).  I believe being a mother is one of the hardest things, being a father as well, don't mean to leave the dudes out.  I am single with no kids so I don't have to worry about making meals for everyone or be tempted by what others keep in the house.  So I guess I have a leg up on some people there.  But I feel for years I have let my eating and weight get in the way of me enjoying my life, finding happiness, finding a guy to share my life with.  I suffer from mild depression and anxiety and went through some very difficult things in my past that I don't want mention.  I'm just ready to stop living in the past and hurting over those things and start living and enjoying my life and loving myself.  OK, I probably sound like a somewhat annoying motivational speaker or something. 

 

I'd love to make some friends on here that I can have a mutual friendship with!  Help each other, motivate each other, talk about obstacles that get in our way, goals we achieve, etc. 

 

Anyway, I am excited and nervous about this and I look forward to meeting new people and changing my life!

[Emma]

Welcome, welcome!  It will feel good to get started.

[backpackerchik]

Sappy,

I scrolled through the forum to find someone else with my start date, and found you!  Yea!  I also started on Saturday, and now we've finished day 4.

 

I share a similar lifestyle to yours--no kids. I am married, but my husband thinks my diets are all just "fads" and ridiculous because in the end, I go back to eating the things I'm not supposed to be eating, so why bother....  great support he is!

 

Anyway, my main motivation is to drop some weight, look and feel better about myself.  I'm 45 years old and have never been hugely overweight, but when I turned 40 I found it harder and harder to eat and drink what I wanted and it not have some effect on me.    I binge dieted for my wedding 3 years ago when I lost about 8 lbs in 2 weeks by strictly sticking to one fat free yogurt for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and alot of spaghetti squash with tomato sauce for dinner, with the occasional piece of fish for dinner, no cheese and no alcohol!  I was so busy with wedding planning, I didn't have time to think about how hungry I was!  But damn did I look good in my wedding dress at 125 lbs!  

 

Fast forward 3 years and I've been tipping over 140 lbs on the scale, and frankly I'm embarrassed.

 

Drastic measures work for me, and I'm good with willpower when it comes to food.  But I do have my favorite "go to" junk foods/ snacks that are more just satiating.  Chips, cheese and wine are my weaknesses.

 

I'm a pescatarian and I've been gluten free for about 5 years now, so cutting out the bread isn't a big deal (but all baked goods is), and not having tofu or beans as easy alternatives to fish to find my protein also cuts back on variety.

 

Today, I felt pretty good because:

1) last night I fell asleep dreaming about making Whole30 compliant potato salad, and so I did, first thing this am!

2) I worked from home today so I had more "me time" and relax time instead of meetings, office issues and the commute.

3) I ate my potato salad!  Only like a cup maybe, but still.  It made me happy : )

 

Days 3 I struggled with energy levels, and it was my first day to work since I started, and I kind of felt weird (lightheaded) a few times, as well.  So I bought some fresh kombucha.  Like the book says...drinking kombucha can be a good substitute for the glass of wine I am used to drinking after work to relax.  So I've been pouring kombucha in a wine glass and enjoying it!

 

I know after the 30 days that I will go back to enjoying a glass of wine, and probably have some cheese now and then, but I hope I can keep off the weight of whatever I've lost, and retain the feeling that I've been feeling in my gut the last 2 days (feeling less bloated and maybe less acid).

 

How have your first 4 days been?

 

 

 

[coconutbutt]

Hi there!

I also started on April 9th. So far it's been a bit of a challenge just not falling into bad habits. I also have friends who like to drink and go out and I feel I just can't do that anymore. One beer is never one beer anymore and for me that's a problem. I cut out alcohol back in February when I first heard about the Whole30. I knew I couldn't commit to it right then but I thought I'd kinda ease into it. I feel like even the most prepared people are gonna struggle at first. I wish I had planned out my breakfasts and lunches better because right now i just grab a banana because it's all I have time for. Sure, it's better than grabbing a pastry or grazing on the food at work all day  (I work in a restaurant).. but, I feel like I could do better. So don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes it's just taking it one meal at a time. I believe it will get easier and feel more natural in time.

 

I also struggle with depression and anxiety and I ate my feelings away.. a lot. The carton of ice cream was never far from me. But, it only ever felt good initially. I started to gain weight, move slower, forget things.. suddenly it hit me, I was losing myself. Not because of food, but because how I treated food, and myself. Without much thought or care. So I'm here hoping to lose weight, but also gain some perspective on life, health, how to be happy, stay happy, and love myself. At any weight.  Good luck to you! I'm here for ya! We can do this!

[Joni56]

Figure I could drop in here, I'm on day 2 so just a few behind.  I just hit the big 60 this year and am tired of feeling crappy about myself and my eating.  I'm probably 25-40 lbs overweight (depending upon who's scale I'm on), but the bigger picture is I (with my partner) have a 71/2 yo daughter and I want to live long enough to see her become a beautiful adult.  I just know if I don't make some changes, I may not.  I've tried many methods over the years and nothing sticks long term.  I have struggled with depression over the years and think this Whole 30 may really help!  I've never met a loaf of bread or bowl of pasta that I din't fall in love with, so this is going to be a struggle at times......but I'm pretty excited.  So I'm a day and half into this and so far, so good.  I've learned so far that planning is key.  Anyhoo....here I am and looking forward to the journey with others!  We can do this!

[backpackerchik]

Appie,

Thanks for that info on you...  Good for you for making the decision and taking the time to consider it for so long! 

I admire you for cutting out alcohol.  I'm not willing to go cold turkey, though, after the 30 days.  I enjoy alcohol--wine in particular--and overall, it's not unhealthy for you.  The main reason Whole 30 says that you shouldn't drink is because it causes other problems, mostly making you hungrier or more susceptible to eating junk food.  Which I TOTALLY get.  My problem is that due to various life circumstances in my life and where I live (remote place), drinking at home is easier and cheaper than drinking out, and so it's easy to drink 3-4 glasses of wine at home on a Friday night with my husband, and 1 or 2 every night with dinner.  And I need to stop that, or cut back severely.

 

But with my current lifestyle (sedentary) and physique (small boned, short person), I really need to keep my calories to about 1200 a day or else I gain weight.

 

My "go to" for breakfast has always been a single serve fat free yogurt--also not bad for you--but difficult with the whole 30.  I know that breakfast is what's going to kill for me for the day if I don't start right, so I'm staying on top of the frittata making. Last night I made an egg bake that would be for me to start to eat tomorrow, since I knew that I'd be busy tonight, I need to have something ready for Thursday.  I'm a planner though...

 

Have you tried doing a frittata or pre-made egg dish so you can just put it in the microwave for 1:30 and be done with it?  Or even eat it cold.  not great, but not terrible either?  There are a million recipes online, but basically if you just sautée or cook your veggies and/or meat in a cast iron skillet and then put 6-8 eggs (whisk them before you put into the pan) on top, fry for like 10-15 minutes until it starts to firm up on the sides, then put in the oven on broil for like 5-10 minutes and you're done.  I'm guessing on the times...I just eyeball it to determine when it's done.

 

 

25 more days to go!

[coconutbutt]

backpackerchik- Girl,I am so with you on the wine! I had to cut the beer out a long time ago because with beer comes pizza.. and wings, and more beer. It's a vicious cycle. With wine, I could drink a glass and I'd be happy. And it never brings on those same feelings of wanting to binge/drink until passed out and feeling shameful the next day. And wine pairs beautifully with food. Which I also love. And it tastes so good! The day before I started my whole30 I went out to my favorite italian restaurant, had a glass of wine, delicious pasta, roast leg of lamb.. ahh it was a beautiful meal. As a last meal should be, I suppose! But, I had already gone so long not drinking that I just don't think about it anymore. At the end of the day now, I feel more like a cup of tea. Haha.

 

I love the idea of making a pre-made frittata!! I might actually do that tonight. I can load it up with veggies.. tomato, spinach, mushrooms maybe?? What a great idea, thanks!!

 

 

Joni56- Hey! Welcome!

Your goal is so inspiring! I know you'll succeed. All you have to do is look at your daughter to be motivated! I've had a love affair with food since a child. Bread and pasta were staples in my home. And even now the smell of bread fresh out of the oven is the kind of thing that makes me swoon. I still believe you can eat bread in a manner that is healthy. Like naturally fermented sourdough with flour that's milled freshly and not processed in factories! It's important that all those nutrients aren't lost. And the fermentation helps break down the grain so it's easier to digest! But anyways, I shouldn't be advocating eating bread right now! Just know when you get through this there's a light radiating from a hearth at the end of the tunnel.

Best of luck to you! You can do it!

[backpackerchik]

How's everybody doing?  It's been almost a week.

Yesterday I felt really good (day 6/ Thursday).  I ate large portions for lunch and dinner, though, which kind of made me feel "full," which I haven't experienced to date.

Today I feel good too, but for the first time really feel peck-ish....like I want to munch and crunch on things.  Baby carrots it will be !

 

I made a zoodle with homemade tomato sauce last night and it was satisfying, more so than the fish and more fish I've been eating since I don't eat any other meat.

 

I've had a few social "tests" this week--last night was a chamber mixer event after work. Other than fruit, they didn't have anything I could eat.  But I wasn't expecting that they would.  That meant a late dinner (I started cooking at 8:30 pm), and eating, tired at  9pm.  Not ideal, but better than cheating.

 

Tonight we have a dinner party we are going to, and the host is a former caterer, so it's not potluck.  I decided to make and bring the salmon patties.  It can be one of those "oh just thought I'd bring something" offerings, but also some food that I know that I can eat.  I would assume she might have salad, but it could be pre-dressed with dressing that I can't eat.  The good news is that it's a neighbor, so I can eat something right before, and right after, if I'm still hungry.

Also taking some kombucha with me, so I won't be tempted to drink wine...