Driving me to the nuts!

[Oralia Acosta]

I am on day 9 of W30 -- and this time I am doing it right(er).  One big problem I noticed is fruit and nuts.  Obviously, the fruit replaces the sugar, and the nuts replace the need for salt.  These are the two main things I crave -- esp. now since my taste buds are out.  So I probably am not release much weight, which isn't a major concern, and my face is breaking out a bit.  

 

I really like the saltiness of the nuts, I found a delightful super delicious sprouted nut blend at Central Market that is highly addictive.  Sometimes I pop some of them in my mouth b/c I wait too long between meals -- then in the afternoon as a snack and then in the evening before bed.  Oh yes, they are addictive.

 

As for fruit, I find that grapes are even more highly addictive than anything else.  I do my best not to eat them in the morning b/c as someone posted previously, it's downhill from there.

 

I think I am substituting the fruit for the fat and I am coming from a keto (on & off) diet.  Any suggestions on how to avoid the nuts yet get the salt and lower the fruit?

 

Thanks!

[jmcbn]

I am on day 9 of W30 -- and this time I am doing it right(er).  One big problem I noticed is fruit and nuts.  Obviously, the fruit replaces the sugar, and the nuts replace the need for salt.  These are the two main things I crave -- esp. now since my taste buds are out.  So I probably am not release much weight, which isn't a major concern, and my face is breaking out a bit.  

 

I really like the saltiness of the nuts, I found a delightful super delicious sprouted nut blend at Central Market that is highly addictive.  Sometimes I pop some of them in my mouth b/c I wait too long between meals -- then in the afternoon as a snack and then in the evening before bed.  Oh yes, they are addictive.

 

As for fruit, I find that grapes are even more highly addictive than anything else.  I do my best not to eat them in the morning b/c as someone posted previously, it's downhill from there.

 

I think I am substituting the fruit for the fat and I am coming from a keto (on & off) diet.  Any suggestions on how to avoid the nuts yet get the salt and lower the fruit?

 

Thanks!

I'm confused. Why replace the fat with anything other than fat if you're coming from keto? There are lots of options other than nuts - home made mayo, avocado, compliant bacon, coconut oil/milk/cream/butter, tallow, lard, schmaltz, duck/goose fat, ghee, fatty cuts of meat, olives & their oil, nut/seed oils such as macadamia....

It's the lack of fat that's causing those sugar/salt cravings. Fact.

[Tom Denham]

You have a problem with fruit and nuts. You should eliminate them 100 percent from your diet and practice composing proper meals with protein, other fats, and veggies. 

 

We encourage you to salt your food generously. You should be eating salt with potatoes, eggs, ground beef, broccoli, fish... every form of protein and veggies. 

[Oralia Acosta]

Yes Tom, I do eat fish, lamb, chicken, pork and include fat.  I think the issue may lie in the fact that I have been experiencing lack of taste for the past yr and 3 mos. and a constant craving somewhat for salt and sugar.  I am not ready to give up 100% on fruit, when I did keto, I hardly ate any and now I see that I am replacing it for my sugar.  I believe my life should have some sweetness!  And I know it is a matter of balancing all ingredients.  I also think I am not including enough fat in my diet so I will have to look for fat bombs, without sugar of course.

[Oralia Acosta]

jmcbn, nuts are a form of fat!  Although addictive for me b/c they're easier to just grab and eat.  I believe moderation is the key!  I'm getting there!

[jmcbn]

...so I will have to look for fat bombs, without sugar of course....

Sorry, fat bombs are out for your Whole30 (discussed previously >here< ) - there are plenty of other fat options as I mentioned above for you.

 

jmcbn, nuts are a form of fat!  Although addictive for me b/c they're easier to just grab and eat.  I believe moderation is the key!  I'm getting there!

Yes, I'm aware of this, which is why I said to try OTHER forms of fat - nuts are a lot more carb dense than people give them credit for (the worst offenders being cashews), which is why they can become a food without brakes for so many people - yourself included, obviously. They're also an inferior fat source due to their poor omega 3: 6 ratio.

 

[Staggolee41]

Yes Tom, I do eat fish, lamb, chicken, pork and include fat.  I think the issue may lie in the fact that I have been experiencing lack of taste for the past yr and 3 mos. and a constant craving somewhat for salt and sugar.  I am not ready to give up 100% on fruit, when I did keto, I hardly ate any and now I see that I am replacing it for my sugar.  I believe my life should have some sweetness!  And I know it is a matter of balancing all ingredients.  I also think I am not including enough fat in my diet so I will have to look for fat bombs, without sugar of course.

 

One of the biggest points - and benefits - of Whole30 is rehabilitating your approach to food. What they are trying to tell you is that your relationship with food is not as healthy as it could be. While other plans just set a bunch of rules - like "0 carbs!!" - and don't care how you get there, this is not that. In Whole30, the how and the why are every bit as important as the what. You aren't just checking boxes.

 

You've admitted that you are addicted to fruits and nuts. This is an unhealthy relationship with food. In order to work this out, you need to eliminate them completely. Neither is required for a healthy diet, and while the Whole30 rules do not explicitly rule them out, they do indicate that the rules can be subjective - tailored to a specific person's needs - and your statements indicate that you need to tailor your food plan to address the fact that fruits and nuts are playing too big of a role for you.

 

I've been where you are, and once I realized how I was using fruit and nuts (as treats in place of candy, cookies, or snack-y junk food), I ruled them out, and have seen significant NSVs physically, mentally, and emotionally. This does not mean I'll never eat fruit or nuts again, but that I'm taking a break from them so I can have a healthier relationship with my food. I really hope to see you have a lengthy list of NSVs at the end of your Whole30, but if you're missing a major point of the plan, you'll miss out on some of the best things the plan has to offer you now and you in the future.

[Oralia Acosta]

Staggolee41, so no nuts or fruit?  I mean really!  I find this excessive!  What is NSV?  What if I ate less of each?  Would that work?

 

I don't know that I'm "addicted" to either.  I've done w/o them.  I also believe in a rich diet and this seems so limited and lacking along w/all the other lacks and limitations in my life!

 

Thanks!

Oralia

[MeadowLily]

I don't have a problem with fruit and nuts.  I had a problem with dieting and binge eating.  

 

For 30 days,  I ate everything on the approved lists.  I did it exactly the way it was written in the book. Fruit at the end, reasonable amounts and I don't eat nuts by the handfuls.  I used them thrown over my dishes like a decoration.  A mere ingredient and not used for an activity. 

 

I did not dial allowed foods down further into smaller or subset groups.  I'm rolling with it just like I did in 2014.   I still do not have a problem with fruit or nuts.  Nothing has changed in that respect.

 

Understood and appreciated that some may need to eliminate all fruit and nuts for 30 days.  It may be the only way for them to get a handle on a lifetime of sugar cravings.  Eating fruit and nuts in reasonable amounts will not affect your reintro results.  That's all been factored in there.

 

What matters to me more than anything is what happens on Day 31 and beyond.  If Day 31 becomes a full on bender food explosion with everything but the kitchen sink eaten in a day or two...without any thought of a reintro in mind,  then I can't go for that. 

 

If dialing it down causes more binge eating on Day 31,  then time to reassess.  What are your end game goals.

 

Reintro results that accurately reflect food sensitivities.  Getting a handle on sugar cravings and highly engineered to be craved food choices.  Weight releasing.   Finding peace with food.   All of the above?

 

My problems with food were mental and physical but were not caused by fruits and nuts.  I never ate fruit because I was constantly on a diet.  Never gave nuts a thought.  I can take or leave both of them. 

Meals come first.  If fruit and nuts are taking over and are becoming the main attraction,  you need to let them fall back into the background.

 

Meals first.  Fruit as a condiment and nuts as a decoration.  That's what I do.  Dialing everything down further into keto or zero carb would've caused more binge eating and dieting and more of that gerbil wheel relationship with food. 

[Staggolee41]

Bear with me, Oralia... I'm going to be a little blunt here, but I know you can take it, fellow Texan! 

 

Obviously, the fruit replaces the sugar, and the nuts replace the need for salt.  These are the two main things I crave -- esp. now since my taste buds are out.  So I probably am not release much weight, which isn't a major concern, and my face is breaking out a bit.  

 

I really like the saltiness of the nuts, I found a delightful super delicious sprouted nut blend at Central Market that is highly addictive.  Sometimes I pop some of them in my mouth b/c I wait too long between meals -- then in the afternoon as a snack and then in the evening before bed.  Oh yes, they are addictive.

 

As for fruit, I find that grapes are even more highly addictive than anything else.  I do my best not to eat them in the morning b/c as someone posted previously, it's downhill from there.

 

I've highlighted the statements that indicate these things are a problem. You are addicted to them. You are eating them between meals and right before bed. You are using them as a crutch instead of addressing the real problem - if you are hungry between meals, it means that your meals are missing something, and it's likely salt and fat (as the moderators stated above).

 

You should NOT be replacing the sugar you're missing from processed foods. If fruit is doing that for you - and it did that for me too - then you need to eliminate it. If you miss salt, no problem - ADD IT TO YOUR MEAL. This will also help with keeping you hydrated, which has an innumerable number of positive side effects.

 

Staggolee41, so no nuts or fruit?  I mean really!  I find this excessive!  What is NSV?  What if I ate less of each?  Would that work?

 

I don't know that I'm "addicted" to either.  I've done w/o them.  I also believe in a rich diet and this seems so limited and lacking along w/all the other lacks and limitations in my life!

 

Thanks!

Oralia

 

My diet prior to Whole30 was very poor, and I was a big fan of rich foods. You know what? I still am. I can get richness in my food from clarified butter, or a really amazing tomato sauce. Sure, eliminating nuts and fruit was an adjustment at first, but after that short adjustment period, I did not feel like I was limiting myself or that I was lacking anything. Additionally: this is not forever. It's 30 days, and it'll help you hit the reset button for your body and mind. I'm not saying you should never eat nuts or fruit again, but I am saying that it's clear they aren't helping you, when other things would help you so much more. Self-check: if you're fighting eliminating them this much, what does that tell you about your relationship with them?

 

Ultimately, I am not here to compromise with you. If you say "I'll eat half as much as I did before," I'm not going to shake your hand and tell you that solves the problem. This is your life. We want to help you experience your best life. We've been there, and we are making suggestions. I commented on this thread because the moderators are really trying to help you, and the point is getting missed. If you want food freedom, you'll consider eliminating these foods for 30 days and addressing the addictive behavior.

 

NSV = non-scale victory

[ladyshanny]

No nuts? No fruits? Really? ABSOLUTELY!  Yes, they are whole foods but they are, compared with other whole foods, inferior and if you have trouble with them, leave them off.  Spend time thinking about YOU specifically and what these foods are doing for YOU and then make some decisions. Don't blanket them with "they're healthy" because they seem not to be for you.

 

I don't eat fruit or nuts 95% of the time.  Why? Mayo, ghee, avocado, guacamole, tallow, lard, avocado oil, sesame oil, brocoli, green beans, beets, carrots, snow peas, cabbage etc.  To be completely honest, if you eat 3 cups of veggies and a fat source besides nuts with every meal, you won't miss the fruit or nuts (maybe psychologically but that's something that just has to be worked through).

 

Try changing your internal dialogue from "What? No fruit or nuts? This is ridiculous!" to "You know, I am a strong person and I owe it to myself to see if I am under the spell of these foods."

[Oralia Acosta]

Ok everyone, I get it.  When I don't eat them, I don't miss them, but when I eat them, most times, I have an issue stopping.  So today I just ate a few and won't buy anymore.  As for fruit, I ate a little less than 1/2 a peach!  Yay me!

 

I also made Tom's wonderful chili and oh boy!  How satisfying!

 

Thank you everyone for your input!

 

Oralia