Starting Monday, 10/24- looking for support group

[snowflower]

18 hours ago, FightingHashi said:

We'll have a house full of 20 people. Yikes...what was I thinking? LOL

Good Luck!  So smart of you to send the message in advance!

Are you doing it potluck style or are you cooking everything???

[maggie_h]

I can't believe Thanksgiving (and first, Day 30)  is almost here!

I had a very social sports weekend (Friendsgiving on Friday, brunch and football on Saturday and the Detroit Lions game today) and feel like I did really well except for snacking/timing/eating too much too late on Saturday. Definitely had to think and eat ahead of time all weekend, so my schedule was a little off. In most respects, social events with food have gotten a lot easier for me to approach and handle. Total NSV.

Something I've noticed that I wanted to comment on: I spend a LOT of time in groups of people who are eating and drinking. When I don't have a plate piled high like theirs and a drink in my hand, it seeems like everyone notices and then goes out of their way to offer me said food/drink. Of course, I politely decline... but the offers are sometimes really persistent. I guess maybe I've never really said no to offers in the past - even when I don't want/need them (one of my reasons for doing Whole30). But a surprising observation in these interactions is that some people seem almost uncomfortable with my choice. I don't think they intend to make me feel bad about saying no for the 10th time, but most people in these situations don't know about my commitment to Whole30 and so they seem flustered when I decline non-compliant (amazing looking and tasting) food. I wonder if sometimes their reaction to my choices is a reflection of their own food insecurities, ya know?

 

 

[FightingHashi]

On 11/20/2016 at 10:28 AM, snowflower said:

Good Luck!  So smart of you to send the message in advance!

Are you doing it potluck style or are you cooking everything???

 

I'm cooking most of the main dishes; Turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing and a pies. The rest of the family is helping out with bringing a couple side dishes, rolls, etc.  I actually prefer to do all the cooking, especially now being on my health journey so I know what's put in my food. 

 

16 hours ago, maggie_h said:

But a surprising observation in these interactions is that some people seem almost uncomfortable with my choice. I don't think they intend to make me feel bad about saying no for the 10th time, but most people in these situations don't know about my commitment to Whole30 and so they seem flustered when I decline non-compliant (amazing looking and tasting) food. I wonder if sometimes their reaction to my choices is a reflection of their own food insecurities, ya know?

 

Maggie, I totally agree with this. I don't have a ton of social interactions with eating, but with the few work celebrations we've had since I started, people do almost seem offended or as you said, maybe just insecure about them eating a big piece of cake while I sit and watch. I don't actually sit and watch them, but I don't partake and they probably feel like "oh Miss Healthy over there not eating". BUT what I have found is that if I say something more like "I wish I could, but I can't for health reasons", they seem to be okay with that more than just declining. They then almost seem empathetic that I can't have the cake or whatever they're enjoying. And I'm not lying, I am choosing to not have those foods for my health. I may not be diabetic or lactose intolerant, but I feel as though my body is telling me some foods are just not okay for my body at this point. 
 

[snowflower]

Done with overnight #1.  Ate Meal 3 at 2am and was SO hungry at 7:30 am this morning on my drive home, I inhaled an apple and handful of almonds and then ate my egg muffins with veggies when I got home.  It wasn't a perfectly compliant template time wise, but it got me through the morning.  Then slept a heavenly 7 hours.  Now I'm back to it.

DAY 29!! WooHOO!

 

[maggie_h]

Tomorrow is 29 for me.  I can't believe how fast it's gone... in the middle it seemed kind of slow, but now it's hard to believe.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but I've kept a journal throughout these 30 days.  Each day I list my meals, significant events of the day, and then usually a little bit about how I felt or what I noticed.  It's been super helpful and I spent some time tonight looking through it.  Then I made a long list of all of the NSVs over the past 30 days.  I didn't feel all of them every day, but if I did at one point or another, I wrote them down!  I ended up with several long pages!  

Among them were: almost clear skin, less dimples in places on my body, less bloated at the end of the day, less back pain, more optimistic and WAY more patient in tough moments at work, disappearance of mid-day slump, personal bests/records in workouts, habitually reading labels, less afraid of dietary fat, learned how to meal prep efficiently and cook a lot of new meals, no more post-work binge eating, found a stronger desire to shop locally/seasonally and to learn more about nutrition, control over my food (NOT the other way around), ability to say "no" to food I don't want/need, flatter stomach and pants fitting looser. 

I'm a little afraid for Day 31 + beyond... but I feel like I've created some really good habits that I can stick to.  I know the difference between hunger and craving and feel more confident in my choices.  I plan to slowly reintroduce while still keeping a lot of the principles on this 30 day plan in place.  Truthfully, most of my eating (I hope) will stay the same with some added sugars (condiments, dressings, etc) and WINE.  Wine is happening.   

I'm also cognizant of what I can improve for my next Whole 30. I'm already planning on starting shortly after Christmas!  I am making a list of what I want to improve for next time.

WAY TO GO - everyone who has posted here.  Whether it was a total breeze, or you struggled daily, or you wish you had done it differently, or you hated every moment... WE ARE ALMOST THERE!

[maggie_h]

7 hours ago, FightingHashi said:

Maggie, I totally agree with this. I don't have a ton of social interactions with eating, but with the few work celebrations we've had since I started, people do almost seem offended or as you said, maybe just insecure about them eating a big piece of cake while I sit and watch. I don't actually sit and watch them, but I don't partake and they probably feel like "oh Miss Healthy over there not eating". BUT what I have found is that if I say something more like "I wish I could, but I can't for health reasons", they seem to be okay with that more than just declining. They then almost seem empathetic that I can't have the cake or whatever they're enjoying. And I'm not lying, I am choosing to not have those foods for my health. I may not be diabetic or lactose intolerant, but I feel as though my body is telling me some foods are just not okay for my body at this point. 
 

@FightingHashi That's a good strategy!  I also don't want to come off as a "victim" and have people feel sorry for me... because this is just as much a choice for me NOT to eat the cake as it is for them to EAT the cake.  Know what I mean?  I'm proud of my decisions (most of the time... one day I did stare at pizza longingly.... ).  At the same time, it definitely took a program like this for me to get to this point where I'm proud of saying no and ACTUALLY feel good about it.  Maybe next Whole 30 I can work on my elevator pitch and do a little education... without coming off preachy or "Miss Healthy."  I totally see your point there, too!

[PaulaWala]

Today is Day 30 for me and many more of you too.  It wasn't that bad.  I have missed having a craft beer with my friends on a Friday evening but other than that I haven't been craving certain foods.  I feel better, less bloated for sure, moods are still variable so now I can't blame it on the food (it's just me).  I don't think I've lost much weight but I feel like I'm on the edge of starting to if that makes sense.  I have a plan for tomorrow and it's to continue eating whole 30ish, I will add in beer or glass of wine tomorrow night when my family arrives from out of town.  At Thanksgiving I'll have the turkey and mashed potatoes (probably with added milk and butter) but I'm skipping the dressing  and the rolls and the pie.  I might need to bring a green salad with compliant dressing but that's been underwhelming to my relatives in the past.   Thank you all for sharing your struggles and your accomplishments, not to mention the recipes.  I'm already planning a whole 30 to 45 starting on January 1st. 

Best of luck to you all!

[FightingHashi]

Wow, Day 30 for some of you!!!! Congratulations, Everyone!!! Even for those who couldn't make it all the way, at least you tried and it's easy to start again, and may even be better with a second try since you know what to expect. I do plan to try again after the first of the year (I only made it to day 20). @PaulaWala maybe we can start again together.  I'm only waiting because I have more testing with my doctors that will take a few weeks to get results back. I'm hoping to detect some food sensitivities, which may also limit or change my diet as well.  In the mean-time, I've been eating mostly W30, but still trying out a few foods I'd like to reintroduce. Oddly enough, fruit seems to be giving me a hard time lately, even though I was having it with my W30. I'm noticing if I have like an apple WITH almond butter, it's not bad, but if I just eat fruit with no fats, my stomach gets upset. So...again I'm learning to listen to my body and will continue eating as healthy as possible. I plan to do the same at Thanksgiving. Turkey, potatoes and skipping the pie. 

[Eruiel]

Day 31 here. I'm planning to keep going a little bit, maybe a week, maybe two, as I'm not quite there yet. I think my bowels are finally starting to sort themselves out which is great. This morning was the first normal movement I've had since day 3 so very happy about that! It's been weeks of almost diarrhea here but I have a long history of gut issues so was not surprised.

Otherwise waiting to be done with my period and this nasty, lingering cold before evaluating where I'm at. I think those factors are contributing to me not feeling 100% and not giving me a clear picture of where I am at post Whole30. 

I've appreciated doing this with you all! Thank you for sharing, for your support, and for the comraderie. I'll be hanging around a bit but wish those who are heading out much beauty and ease in their quests for health and happiness. Congrats!

[snowflower]

Day 31!  WooHoo.  

I'm holding off on reintros until tomorrow.  I'm planning on going out of order a bit and will reintroduce wine and a couple of things with added sugar (cranberry sauce) tomorrow, while keeping everything else Whole30 compliant.   I'll have turkey, roasted brussels sprouts with chestnuts, mashed potatoes (I'm going to try them with coconut milk & ghee), sweet potato casserole, and cranberry sauce. 

My 3 overnight shifts went remarkably well.  I was way too busy to be tempted by any food in the break room and politely declined offers of candy when they arose.  No questions asked.  Just a simple "no thank you" did the trick.  I realize it's harder during a social event when everyone is eating.   Anyway...I slept well, wasn't tired, was alert and able to focus.  I wonder how much of this is due to the fact that I was eating so well before, during, and after my shifts?  So now I'm off for 8 days before I work again.  No PTO necessary.....that's a wonderful perk of self-scheduling. 

[Kyoung123]

It's day 29 for me. However, I decided back when I started Whole30 that I would be done for Thanksgiving. So, at 2:00 tomorrow my day 30 will flip to done.  We will be at a big family feast and I am not going to pass up everything.  I will try not to go crazy, but so much of the food is cooked by others. There will be butter on everything, milk and cheese throughout, stuffing, and wine. I'm only going to eat those things that are my favorites. And Friday we will see how I feel.  Like a lot of you, I am also planning on doing another Whole30 in January. But more than that, I hope to use the lessons and habits I have developed to eat healthier. 

Congratulations to all of you and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Maggieb123]

Day 31 WHOO HOOOO!!

I'm feeling great and practically jumped out of bed this morning because I knew I could get on the scale--I've always dreaded weighing myself so I can't believe that I wanted to thaaat bad! I'm down another 10 lbs from my first whole 30 back in september (-10 lbs then) so this makes it 20 total! 

You all really helped out with the recipe shares and I felt like you held me accountable and I could vent to someone other than my hubby!

Thanks everybody and have a great turkey day!!! I'm gonna crush a glass of wine tomorrow.
 

Maggie

[FightingHashi]

Hello Ladies,

Is anyone still here? I'm just curious how your reintros went.  As you know, I fell off on day 20 and never fully got back on the wagon. However, I've kept eating many of the recipes, but just over the past few days really went downhill with eating crap again and guess how I feel??....like Crap!!! Now that I've "hit bottom" again, I'm ready to get back to the Whole30 and am going to do some sort of shorter 10 day or longer plans. Low pressure, just however long I can go with my meal planning until a holiday gathering pops up. I know they say not to bother attempting a Whole30 during the holidays. I already planned out my meals for this week to start.

Soon after I went back to eating sugar, my face broke out with acne again and this week it's been really bad. I know now that I was truly seeing clear skin for almost the first time because of my diet. I had initially lost about 4lbs on the W30, which is good for me to start. I hadn't been able to lose a single pound in 2yrs. I have about 20 that I've gained over the past 2+ yrs because of my Hashimotos disease that I'd love to get off my body, but I also have been working out doing crossfit 5x a week for the past 6 months, so I know some of my weight now is muscle I never had before. 

Anyways, I'd love to see how you're all doing and hope to see you back on here. I do plan to do a full-on W30 starting on January 1st. Anyone else doing another soon?

[snowflower]

I'm still here, @FightingHashi

I've reintroduced:

wine (red gave me a headache, white was fine).

sugar in things like salad dressing and bbq sauce.

rice

beans

dairy in the form of butter, cream and cheese.  (I tend to have clearer skin when I avoid dairy, so this is only an occasional treat for me.)

I haven't introduced any of the other grains, because I have confirmed allergies to oats, wheat, barley, corn and rye.  I know that if I eat those items I'll need benedryl.

Things are going well, and I'm feeling strong and confident and in control.  I've had one dessert during reintro....only one time did I think something was worth it....It was a dark chocolate "bag" filled with vanilla mousse and fresh berries.  It was AMAZING and SO worth it.  And I shared it with 3 other people.  

I may do another Whole30 starting January 2nd with the big crowd, but if I'm still feeling great and not falling into old habits I may pass.  

Post Whole30 I'm on half my regular dose of high BP meds, off omeprazole, and off benedryl.  I didn't weigh myself before I started, but everything fits better and I'm definitely leaner than I was.

Hang in there through the holidays, @FightingHashi.  I agree it's not a great time to try 30 straight days, but you can have 5-6 days on and then be flexible for parties and events.

 

[lala3214]

On 11/7/2016 at 9:34 AM, Eruiel said:

What are your symptoms exactly? Is your cough dry or productive? Any congestion? Sinus or chest?  I may be able to offer some herbal remedies with that info.

Do you have access to fresh lemon balm? A hot infusion of that can be good for a sore throat. Dry lemon balm will also work. Cold marshmallow root infusions can be good for a sore throats, too. Marshmallow root steeped in cold water overnight. Marshmallow the plant not the sugar and gelatin cloud...

Is lemon balm compliant? I found a bottle that says it contains "certified organic cane alcohol." That doesn't seem okay to me. Oh and it also has vegetable glycerin. Help! This sore throat is killing me!

[ShannonM816]

1 hour ago, lala3214 said:

Is lemon balm compliant? I found a bottle that says it contains "certified organic cane alcohol." That doesn't seem okay to me. Oh and it also has vegetable glycerin. Help! This sore throat is killing me!

If it contains alcohol, it's not compliant. There are throat coat teas -- you might check those. I know I've found compliant versions of them before. Other hot teas in general may be soothing to drink, or warm cups of broth. If it's sinus or allergy related, something like a neti pot or other sinus rinse might help as well.

If the sore throat continues or gets worse or you have any thought that it might be strep, pleas go to the doctor. Strep throat doesn't generally go away on its own and can get really bad.