No More Crunchy Cravings, Please!

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

Hooray-- only six more days!

 

I've been giving reintroductions a lot more thought but haven't come to a point where I'm sure exactly what I want to do. Last time I did alcohol, dairy and glutinous grains, then I was done with reintros as I ate pretty much everything under the sun in several Las Vegas buffets.

 

This time I think I'll start with dairy, then go to glutinous grains, and also do sugar and legumes, though none of those seemed to give me any issues last time. Then try to stick as closely as I can to w30 eating aside from those types of items. I went a little sugar crazy last time a week or so after reintros were done, possibly knowing that I was planning to do another w30 month in July, or possibly because junk food's hold on me is super strong. Then I had awful cravings for the majority of the first two weeks because I'd eaten so much crap in the days and weeks leading up to the start of the month.

 

Anyhow, I hope to achieve a better kind of balance this time around. We shall see, I suppose!

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

Today is my penultimate day on my second whole 30. Going upstate today to the Finger Lakes to visit my father-in-law and attend a wedding reception tomorrow, then back on Sunday, which will be my first day of reintroductions. I'm not too worried about the wedding-- it's in their parents' home, and very casual, so I'm going to stop at Wegmans (my all time favorite grocery store) and pick up something to eat while I'm there... shouldn't be too weird. They're all used to me being vegan for the first decade I knew them so carrying something along for w30 won't be too far from the norm.

 

I think the plan for reintroductions is to have dairy on Sunday. I've been fantasizing about having burrata with black truffles to have with fresh sliced tomato and basil, melty cheddar and pepper jack in my eggs, and ice cream with (before, most likely) dinner. I'm off from work Monday too, and might do a second day of dairy, then finish out the week w30, which will be easy since I have several days of work in a row so I'll be prepping identical meals 1, 2 and 3 in tupperwares to carry along with me.

 

Anyhow, wish me luck!

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

My second whole 30 is officially over. Kind of closed with a bang. I was really planning to try to do the slow-roll type of reintroductions, but that went out the window when we drove up to spend the weekend in the Finger Lakes with my father-in-law who spent the entire day cooking for us, and none of the foots were compliant. He lives on a farm and prepared venison kabobs to grill on the BBQ (basted in sweet BBQ sauce), shrimp pasta salad with tomatoes and cucumbers from his garden, batter-fried zucchini rounds (home grown squash as well), and deviled eggs made with commercially produced mayonnaise. It was all delicious, and I made a conscious decision to eat all that he'd made for us rather than do a reintroduction as was the original plan. I did do a 10-day reintroduction with my last w30 and didn't notice much in the way of reactions to reintroducing anything, other than some gas. This time, I had TONS of gas and gurgling belly to boot, with lots of time spent on the toilet. Anyhow, I'm planning to do another w30 in a few months and will really try to do a proper reintroduction with that one, planning not to put myself in a situation where I can't be compliant with reintros for at least 10-20 days afterwards!

 

So, what I think I'm going to do for now is to spend the next month or two trying to find a good balance between w30-esque eating and integrating foods from the standard American diet. I believe I'm going to eat w30 for every single day that I work, as I found much success with preparing and taking along really hearty healthy meals with me for my long 12-14 hour days. But that's only 13-15 days per month. So my goal for the next 30-60 days is to figure out what will work for me. I'd like to be mostly w30ish, so will try to spend at least one to two meals per day compliant, with minimal snacking, minimizing sugar and sweetened things, and alcohol.

 

I'm pretty sure I'll be going back to do another w30 maybe in the middle of October to the middle of November? I'm looking forward to doing it a third time, too, despite how cranky and moody I was this whole last month. Hope my husband will be just as excited as I am for my third round.

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

So as I'm done doing a consistent 30 days of w30 until October or so, I've moved my log into the post whole 30 section. This is the link: http://forum.whole30.com/topic/38269-nomorecrunchycravings-post-w30-log/

 

I'll be back to this log in the autumn when I'm ready to recommit to another whole 30!

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

I am back, and ready to begin again. This will be my third Whole 30.

 

Today I prepared three breakfasts/lunches/mini-meals/dinners to keep me full and awake during my first two days on plan. I know I tend to get extra hungry mid-afternoon so the mini-meals will help me keep compliant. I'm going to brew herbal tea tonight to have as iced tea to keep me hydrated through my 13-hour work shifts over the next two days, and plan to try to take an extra walk at night after work to get back into the pattern of consciously deciding to exercise daily (at work I get about 5 miles/10K steps by default, but only work 3-4 days/week). I think I've mentally geared up for the month, and am really looking forward to the way it's going to make me feel.

 

Cheers to another w30!

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

Phew! My first two days back on Whole 30 went well. Pre-planning for meals proved to be successful and definitely the way to go, just as I'd remembered.

 

Things I've noticed so far:

1. My acid reflux was really pretty bad after lunch on day 1, all the way until bedtime, as if kind of has been for the last few weeks and months (especially since having gained weight consistently over the last several months). It was noticeably absent on day two (identical foods as day 1) and so far today (day 3). I'm going to keep a good watch on it and on my food choices, but hope that some mild weight loss and different food choices will mean it will be on the way out.

2. Saying no to break room treats at work is not as hard as I thought it would be. Whether I say it out loud to a work friend, or just repeat it as a mantra to myself (over and over and over if needed!), avoiding chocolate and goodies that people bring in to work isn't really that much of a loss. It's just food. And it's not good for me. And having made the choice to eat those foods over the last several months has caused me to feel upset with my body habitus and have symptoms like mid-morning and mid-afternoon droop, weight gain, and acid reflux. So, I will hope saying no to those treats will still not be too difficult, but will continue to say no regardless!

3. I am an even bigger gas-bag than I'd previously thought, have had to become creative in trying to avoid polluting the air around my coworkers, and as such, have gotten more steps and activity in (because I've had to take quick walks to avoid the dreaded cloud of stink right at my workspace or near my coworkers). Win-win for everyone, I suppose!

 

Today is a day off from work with four back-to-back workdays ahead of me. I've already cooked and frozen my four breakfasts, and have made the veggies for lunches. I'm in the planning (procrastinating?) stage of preparing for the protein part of the lunches, along with a big batch of mayo, and then will head onto the dinner prep. I want there to be as little thinking required as possible, since that seems to help me stick to my plan and not skip meals or eat the wrong things. Who would have thunk it?

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

Good news - that acid reflux from last week was just a passing thing, I believe. I haven't noticed it again since then. What I *have* noticed though is that I have much more willpower than I'd previously thought, and as with my last two w30's, I'm much more mindful of my eating - both of my dietary choices, and of how I feel while eating in terms of satiety, etc. And while my food choices (spacing between meals, not eating within an hour of waking) are still not perfect, I'm improving. Progress, not perfection, right?

Two days ago I went into Manhattan to meet a friend and was incredibly successful (albeit sad in a kind of nostalgic way if that makes sense) at keeping away from all of the temptations of the city and it's many food vendors. We walked a lot and shopped at the Bryant Park and Union Square Park winter village shops and then ate at a wonderful local/organic-leaning restaurant where I was able to order a big salad with lots of chopped greens with herbs and olives, and peppercorn crusted lightly seared sushi-grade tuna. dressed simply with olive oil. It was great tasting and a huge relief to be able to eat something on plan that I enjoyed. And to think, I didn't even have to touch my emergency stash of two hard boiled eggs I had been carrying around all afternoon in my handbag!

Yesterday at work one of my coworkers that I hadn't seen in a few weeks asked me if I'd "lost a ton of weight." And while I don't think I have lost a ton (my clothing still pretty much fits the same), I do notice that my face isn't as puffy and I only have two chins instead of three.  Maybe with continued healthy eating I'll only have one chin by the end of this month! LOL

Anyway, I think I might also be officially off coffee. It's been five or six days since I've had any, because although I can tolerate it black, I really don't enjoy it much that way, and my high blood pressure will be thanking me if I continue to avoid the caffeine. Instead I've been drinking more water with lemon rinds (left over from making mayo) and hot and cold brewed herbal teas. Occasionally when I feel like I need a little pick-me-up I have a mug of Bigelow Lemon Lift which has some caffeine in it. But mostly I just drink decaf teas.

I'm working tomorrow so cooking a bit today to prep - made a batch of mayo and baked a bunch of Yukon Gold potatoes, am making a potted chicken dish now in the Dutch oven with olive oil, onions, garlic, carrots, bell peppers and crushed tomato with rosemary, fresh parsley, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and two very large chicken breasts. I'll take some for breakfast and lunch and have some left over still for breakfast the following morning (Friday) while I prep for the day and the weekend. I'm also defrosting some tilapia filets to make almond crusted tilapia to have for dinner tonight and tomorrow night. I've eaten so many eggs in the last two days I feel like I need a little break from them. Good thing I just bought six dozen more today.

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

I had posted this in a response to another forum entry where the original poster was wondering what she could do to help her family member understand that eating in the Whole 30 style was so much better than eating diet bars and drinking artificial protein shakes, etc. What I shared with her was about the Transtheoretical Model for Change which I've studied in nursing school, but wanted to also post here also so that I can remember it when I feel stuck or unable to motivate myself to make a change.

[kirkor]

It seems that there needs to be a step in between Preparation and Action, "Behavior has already been incorporated for at least 6 months".  We see here on the forum that many people cannot even complete 30 days of a desired behavior change.  

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

3 hours ago, kirkor said:

It seems that there needs to be a step in between Preparation and Action, "Behavior has already been incorporated for at least 6 months".  We see here on the forum that many people cannot even complete 30 days of a desired behavior change.  

Yeah, these are just two graphical type illustrations to understand the Transtheoretical Model, but they're not perfect. I feel like the Preparation stage should be more like "having accepted the task at hand and is beginning to do the footwork to get ready to start" which might be reading the Hartwigs' books, or going grocery shopping for w30 ingredients, or joining this forum to get acquainted with the plan and gain support, and that the Action stage is more like "having made a change in behavior and is working to continue the change until the task is completed, so for w30 it might be something like "I've been cooking this way for two weeks so far and it's really going great," or "I completed my w30 and now am living life w30-ish for the last three months and I feel better than I have in years!"

Anyway, not sure if that's also what you were thinking, but interesting to think about nonetheless.

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

I read this thread today about "broken" or disordered eating and why we might not be able to stick with a plan we know works. It was fantastic, and so I wanted to highlight it somewhere where I could find it again to refer back to later on down the road.

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

So I think I have a nut problem. I remember having it the last time two times I did my other w30's and in the beginning used it as a crutch, thinking I'd kick the habit by the end of the month but never quite getting to that point. I've found myself munching on nuts instead of drinking water or eating a mini meal (that is if I'm actually hungry, which often times I'm not) or going to sleep. This is definitely part of my disordered eating - fairly common and I'm aware of it, and yet I still haven't stopped. Like a person who knows they need to quit smoking, but who doesn't. It's definitely a behavior I do more late at night. As the advice I've given others and have sworn by myself in the past, I need to get back to increasing my fluids if I feel I "need" something in the evening hours, and trying to just go to sleep. We'll see where I go from here. Wish me luck!

[MeadowLily]

Oooo, I definitely have a nut problem. I shook my family tree and a bunch of nuts fell out. 

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

How quickly all of one's hard work can come crashing down with just a simple muscle-memory movements of reaching for the communal lunch table cheese doodles. Thank goodness I stopped myself before I touched a single doodle. Those were one of my main weaknesses in my non-Whole 30 life, and I DO NOT want to be eating them right now. So I didn't.

[MeadowLily]

On 12/16/2016 at 3:57 PM, NoMoreCrunchyCravings said:

You know who is out there mixing it all UP. again.  I know it's probably a robot but it sure is consistent. Something is 'glowing' but I'm afraid to look at it.  It wouldn't be prudent.

How's it going? We are so snowed in. All of the roads are closed, too dangerous for travel. I have New Year's optimism and can't fool myself realism.  But this snow has me caught between gung-ho and ho-hum. 

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

I'm on day 29. This was by far the easiest of my three Whole 30s. It really is also the only one where I feel like I can actually continue happily for a significantly longer period of time, given that I'd be home to prep with occasional outings to restaurants smattered here and there. Unfortunately for my eating plan, I'll be out of the country for the majority of the months of January. Fortunately, I'll be on amazing trips seeing amazing things and experiencing so much awesomeness. And also fortunately I'm familiar enough with the w30 guidelines that I feel confident I'll be able to make good choices while I'm gone. I also feel fortunate that at this time, I'm excited about doing another strict w30 on returning from travels on January 29th.

Since I'm so close to the end of the 30 days, I'll start to list here some of my NSVs for the month:

1. I've had a marked reduction in sugar and simple carb cravings. While the cravings haven't gone away completely, I'm not constantly wondering when I can get my next junk food fix the way I did before.

2. I've become adept at batch cooking well balanced w30 meals whereas during my past w30s I think I was overeating fat and protein. This time around I also mindfully chose to make produce a big part of my meals on a regular basis.

3. My energy level is increased. I don't feel like I could go for days, but I no longer have regular dips in energy at 10-11am and 2-4pm. It does happen sometimes, but not every day like it used to. And I've only really felt the need to take naps here and there rather than every day, including on my lunch break at work.

4. My bowel regularity is amazing. 'Nuff said.

5. While my clothing isn't necessarily fitting me better, I feel better in my body, if that makes sense.

6. I've decaffeinated myself for the most part, and have only used caffeine occasionally (less than five times this whole month) when I hadn't slept enough at night, and once when I had a headache.

7. I've saved money not buying prepared foods, ordering lunches for delivery with my coworkers several times a week, and ordering take-out with my husband.

8. I've had less leg swelling from less sodium-containing prepared convenience and restaurant foods.

9. I've only had two headaches this month and one migraine compared to lots of headaches and sporadic migraines.

10. I decided that continuing to eat this way will make me ready to start a family, so I've stopped taking oral contraceptives and feel comfortable to start family planning with my husband sooner than later.

Thursday morning I'll weigh myself and see if I lost any weight. My body doesn't feel like I've lost much, but I also didn't do a lick of exercise this entire month, so I wouldn't expect to lose much. Not so secretly though I'm hoping I haven't gained any weight, because I'm starting off as a morbidly obese person with a BMI about 35. But I'm sure that when I am active combined with eating well and living a healthy lifestyle the weight will come off. So we shall see. Just a few more days to go.