Starting July 4 - Declaring Independence from the Sugar demons

[Tracetown]

Hi Tracetown, if you are wanting to destroy a sugar dragon and turn your sweet teeth into regular teeth, having that fig after your meals is the wrong direction, sorry.  The sugar craving issues are as much psychological as they are physiological and breaking that habit of wrapping up a meal with a sweet thing (even a fruit based one) is really critical to making change.  If you continue to wrap up your meals with the sweetest thing you can find (figs, dates etc), when you are no longer on Whole30 you will still have the habit of sweets after meals and the slope to chocolate, candy, cookies etc is pretty slippery.  If you can put the brakes on that now and develop different habits, you will be in a better position to actually slay that dragon.

 

 

I have taken into account that you know know nothing about me or my journey prior to taking my whole30 challenge.  You could not know that my reference to a mouth full of sweet teeth was past tense and, though it will always be a struggle, that it was not my reason for taking on the challenge.  You have no way of knowing that for the past several years figs have been my dessert of choice not because they were the "sweetest thing I could find" but because they are organic, loaded with fiber and satisfying enough that I have no problem stopping at one.  I can't help but wonder if you you would have judged so sternly if I had said that I incorporated them into my meal as many do with squash, sweet potatoes and other high fiber, sweeter foods.  Would you be more accepting if I ate my fig before my meal?  

This forum is chocked full of people struggling with food in some fashion or another.  Some are looking for acceptance and others are looking for shared experiences; but ALL of them are looking for encouragement.  As a moderator you need to choose your words wisely.  I have a very strong sense of self and self worth.  Yet I was a little shocked at how stung I felt by your response to my post.  I can only imagine how someone who is less confident or struggling with the challenge could feel defeated or worse.  I know that the "rules" are in place to be followed and that we all take on this challenge knowing that following the rules lead to success.  However, it is also stated that we are individuals whose bodies have different needs and different responses to the changes facilitated by the whole30 experience.  This is not a "cookie cutter" program and to truly moderate your responses should not be so pat.  This is a forum.  Forums are for sharing, discussing and truth seeking.  Ask some questions.  Learn some history on the people you are trying to help/encourage.  Spitting out the mantra of the program is not moderating...it's passing judgement.

[SydneyLeonard]

Started Whole30 on the 5th. So far, so good! Interesting thing... If I don't do my walk in the morning I am really draggy and crabby. The walking keeps my energy and mood up!

[ladyshanny]

I have taken into account that you know know nothing about me or my journey prior to taking my whole30 challenge.  You could not know that my reference to a mouth full of sweet teeth was past tense and, though it will always be a struggle, that it was not my reason for taking on the challenge.  You have no way of knowing that for the past several years figs have been my dessert of choice not because they were the "sweetest thing I could find" but because they are organic, loaded with fiber and satisfying enough that I have no problem stopping at one.  I can't help but wonder if you you would have judged so sternly if I had said that I incorporated them into my meal as many do with squash, sweet potatoes and other high fiber, sweeter foods.  Would you be more accepting if I ate my fig before my meal?  

This forum is chocked full of people struggling with food in some fashion or another.  Some are looking for acceptance and others are looking for shared experiences; but ALL of them are looking for encouragement.  As a moderator you need to choose your words wisely.  I have a very strong sense of self and self worth.  Yet I was a little shocked at how stung I felt by your response to my post.  I can only imagine how someone who is less confident or struggling with the challenge could feel defeated or worse.  I know that the "rules" are in place to be followed and that we all take on this challenge knowing that following the rules lead to success.  However, it is also stated that we are individuals whose bodies have different needs and different responses to the changes facilitated by the whole30 experience.  This is not a "cookie cutter" program and to truly moderate your responses should not be so pat.  This is a forum.  Forums are for sharing, discussing and truth seeking.  Ask some questions.  Learn some history on the people you are trying to help/encourage.  Spitting out the mantra of the program is not moderating...it's passing judgement.

I'm sorry that you perceived my comments as a personal attack, that certainly was not my intent. As you were/are posting in a thread titled "declaring independence from a sugar dragon" and you commented as to having sweet teeth and you were referencing a habit that many, many people use to feed their sugar cravings with compliant foods, I don't think that my comments were out of line at all.  

 

I appreciate you taking the time to critique how I choose to do this volunteer job but it's not possible for me (or any of the moderators) to 1) change our personality to suite people's specific needs or 2) make sure that members only ever get the exact sort of coaching or tough love or suggestions that they feel open to receiving or 3) interview every person who makes a post as to their entire food-based history. There's a certain amount of guesswork/assumption that goes into moderating hundreds of forum users every day and yes, sometimes we type the same ideas over and over again because they come up over and over again. It's not "spitting out the mantra" and it's certainly not passing judgement because here, foods aren't good or bad and people aren't good or bad for what they choose to eat.  It was just a suggestion and one that we make hoardes of times in a week.  You take what you need and leave the rest.

 

Finally, you're right, this is a forum and as such we get to all read and communicate with all sorts of people that may have styles of communication that are not exactly like our own.  The written word is hard to judge tone but please know that my comments were specifically about how the habit of eating sweet things following every meal can be detrimental to someone who may want to revise that habit.  It had nothing to do with you as a person.

[Tracetown]

I'm sorry that you perceived my comments as a personal attack, that certainly was not my intent. As you were/are posting in a thread titled "declaring independence from a sugar dragon" and you commented as to having sweet teeth and you were referencing a habit that many, many people use to feed their sugar cravings with compliant foods, I don't think that my comments were out of line at all.  

 

I appreciate you taking the time to critique how I choose to do this volunteer job but it's not possible for me (or any of the moderators) to 1) change our personality to suite people's specific needs or 2) make sure that members only ever get the exact sort of coaching or tough love or suggestions that they feel open to receiving or 3) interview every person who makes a post as to their entire food-based history. There's a certain amount of guesswork/assumption that goes into moderating hundreds of forum users every day and yes, sometimes we type the same ideas over and over again because they come up over and over again. It's not "spitting out the mantra" and it's certainly not passing judgement because here, foods aren't good or bad and people aren't good or bad for what they choose to eat.  It was just a suggestion and one that we make hoardes of times in a week.  You take what you need and leave the rest.

 

Finally, you're right, this is a forum and as such we get to all read and communicate with all sorts of people that may have styles of communication that are not exactly like our own.  The written word is hard to judge tone but please know that my comments were specifically about how the habit of eating sweet things following every meal can be detrimental to someone who may want to revise that habit.  It had nothing to do with you as a person.

 

My comments weren't intended as a critique of your volunteer work.  I work in the emergency room of a small community hospital requiring me to channel a great deal of empathy both at work and the community in which I live.  I suppose my awareness of those around me skews my perception of how others respond to people they come in contact with.  Also, I likely have a different definition of "moderator" than many other people.  I am truly sorry to have offended you.  I did not view your comments as a personal attack; although, I feel that others may.  Try to remember that even though you have addressed the same issue a dozen times today the person you're responding to has only brought up the issue once...you are responding to them; not the 11 others you already addressed. 

[hmg1993]

My two cents are that these forums are intended to create communities and support for people hoping to get healthier and pursue better eating habits.  We're all so different and at very different places so no one journey is ever the same.  I get a lot out of the forums but also try hard to define my own truth and filter the very good lessons that apply to me and pay less attention to the ones that do not.  I appreciate all of the members and moderators for making this such an engaging and helpful place to connect.

[hmg1993]

Checking in to see how everyone is doing?  Day 31 for me and I have decided to keep going as not ready to declare total independence from sugar demons yet but know I am well on the road.  Did a 30-day after action review yesterday.  What worked for me was 1) less fruit/more fat 2) planning out meals and cooking at weekends and 3) trying new recipes and particularly new sauces so I don't get bored.  What I can improve is a little less nuts.  I have been pretty good about this but when tired/stressed often find a handful of almonds magically appear in my paw.  I am usually not hungry when this happens, so need to work on that more. Decided not to get on scale but NSVs are definitely looser clothes, feeling calmer and less moodiness, clearer skin and generally a more positive outlook.  Onward.