Jump to content

When to start?


Turnip

Recommended Posts

I have just read the book and am itching to get started. I would like hubby to join in too. However, he has a significant birthday coming up on the 18th Nov. My first thought was to start after that date and fit in the 30 days before Christmas. However, having now read the whole book, that would mean a precarious start to our post Whole 30 lifestyle, with many Christmas food and drink traditions impacting on the good we would have done and making it nigh on impossible to determine which foods are our problem foods. I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that we should wait until January. Any thoughts?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

If he does want to do this with you, but you both agree you don't want to fully commit right now, you could start eating mostly Whole30 now -- making your meals mostly meet the meal template, finding recipes, replacing pantry staples as they run out with compliant versions, etc., but not worrying about being too strict for now. You'll be more prepared in January this way.

Or, if hubby isn't necessarily committed to doing this, you could go ahead and start without him and just plan ahead for his birthday. Nothing says you have to have cake or wine or whatever to celebrate with him. He can, if he wants, even if you don't. With planning, you can keep going on your whole30, but if you did decide you just couldn't live without something, the worst that could happen is you end up back where you are now, debating whether to start after his birthday or wait until January.  I realize it's probably easier if you both do it at the same time, but there are plenty of people on the forum whose spouses are not doing Whole30 with them. Just have some kind of agreement -- like, if you do the cooking, maybe he'll be eating Whole30 dinners by default because that's what you're cooking, but he's a grown up and can add bread or something if he wants, and of course if he's eating lunch out at work, he'll be deciding what he eats then. Maybe ask him not to bring items that you tend to crave most into the house, or to keep them put away where you don't see them every time you walk in the kitchen.

You are right that doing this right before Christmas when you don't have time for reintroductions is probably not the best idea, but there are people who manage it. You'd just have to commit to following through with reintroductions, which might mean not partaking in all the Christmas stuff you normally would -- but you'd be surprised how much you may not really want that stuff by the end of your Whole30.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Shannon. I think hubby will come on board. I would like him to read the book and he will have more time to do this over Christmas. He will be more committed if he understands the whys.

I have been following a predominantly low carb lifestyle for some time. My problem areas are red wine, regularly and my homemade bread from time to time. I cook all our meals from scratch and I am a competent home cook. We have a half acre allotment on which we grow most of our fruit and vegetable needs. I already use only the oils and fats recommended for Whole 30. I have already ditched pasta and grains apart from the odd homemade slice of bread and the odd savoury pie, or savoury suet pudding. I drink spring water, green tea, vegetable smoothies from our own produce, and I am afraid red wine. Hubby still has milk, cheese, oats, bread, pasta and fruit juice in sparkling water, tea, oh and whisky. I am hoping based on this our  withdrawal symptoms may not be too bad?

I am increasingly noticing joint and tendon issues, sleep issues and we both have allergies. We both need to lose weight and reduce our alcohol consumption. Hence the need to embrace Whole30 and make sure we succeed at it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...