Mike79 Starting today 12/11/2016

[Mike79]

I seem genetically predisposed to press a reset button in December.  I think I look forward to making a new year's resolution, and am too impatient to wait to get it started, or I want to cheat and get a head start.  Have eaten well in the past, and remember how great it felt and how easy it was.  Need this to get off the rails of some consistently bad eating habits that I haven't been able to avoid even for a day.  Reading Food Freedom Forever to arm myself with the tools to break these habits.  Hope to identify the triggers, and overcome the drive for immediate gratification, with a long view, and a long term goal of a pristine 30 days.  Time to get to work planning and educating and preparing menus.  I've got breakfast nailed.  I've also strategized for snacks and lunch, and compliant forms of caffeine.  Any strategies for identifying and avoiding night time food binging?  I've got one.  Go to bed.  Perhaps I should record what I watch at night, and get up early to watch it in the morning.  I won't eat in the morning.  Probably won't care to watch the show if I'm not eating while watching.  I'd probably go to the gym instead.  All I really need to do is fix the hours of 6pm through bedtime, and I'll have a successful day one.  I've got to give up the night life, and become an early riser.  Give up the night life and become an early riser.  It's hard to make good decisions when I'm tired.  Anybody have any ideas on how to put one's self to bed?  Perhaps preparing for bed and getting in bed with a good book before I am too tired to make good decisions.  Reading Food Freedom Forever, and re-reading at bed time is a good way to wind down, and settle into a happy place.  Checking out the forum in the AM would also be a good way to start the day.  As the title states, I am starting today, and I know you are all watching.  Today I will be successful, because you are watching.  Would love to get a partner, or mini-team together if anyone else is starting today, or even if you are a December warrior. 

Mike

[NoMoreCrunchyCravings]

Mike, good luck- you sounds like you are ready for a strong start! An idea about how I get through those munchy evening hours- I drink. Water with lemon, hot caffeine free herbal tea, flavored seltzers, whatever. Sometimes when I'm feeling munchy I'm really just dry. Sometimes it truly is a craving, often brought on by the suggestive nature of television advertising. Those times I change the channel. If it gets really bad sometimes I'll go outside and take a little walk for five minutes, which is usually just enough time for it to pass. And sometimes, like you've suggested, I just go to sleep.

You can do this. Keep us posted.

[Mike79]

Bought some Chamomile tea.  Would you recommend any other mild herbal tea?  Read a post here about FODMAP, and combining their 'what to eat' and 'when to eat', sleep management, stress management, and 'me time' guidance in my first Whole30 days.  Thanks for the tips about not eating at night.  I'm going to opt for reading the Whole30 books and other books in the evening, just to get away from the TV and laptop in the evenings, and to reinforce my commitment to the 30 days daily. 

[ShannonM816]

2 hours ago, Mike79 said:

Bought some Chamomile tea.  Would you recommend any other mild herbal tea? 

Chamomile didn't do a lot for me when I tried it. I like Tazo's Wild Sweet Orange, Good Earth's Sweet & Spicy (be sure you double check this one, it comes a decaf/herbal version, and a caffeinated version with black tea, both good, but caffeine isn't always great right before bed), and peppermint tea (I don't have a favorite brand, they all taste pretty similar to me, even my grocery store's cheap brand). Do read all your labels -- these were Whole30 compliant last time I bought them, but companies sometimes change their recipes over time, or even in different parts of the country.

If you've never done a Whole30 before, we wouldn't necessarily recommend you do the low-FODMAP version, unless you know you have issues with FODMAPS. Often, if Whole30 is a pretty big change from how you haven been eating, it's enough to make a big difference in symptoms, without the further restrictions about FODMAPS. It's up to you, obviously, but before you commit to an even more restrictive version of the program, you just want to really think about if that's the right thing for you right now.

This article has some good sleep hygiene tips, if you haven't read it yet.

[mbg17]

Hi Mike,  and congrats on day 2!  I'm on Day 1 today.

I had a super successful W30 a few years ago -- a key was BRUSHING MY TEETH immediately following dinner.  I'm typically an evening sweets eater...cookies, ice cream, you name it, purely out of stress, boredom, etc.  Not because I was hungry.  Brushing my teeth was a non-negotiable....sometimes I would have a cup of Licorice Mint tea or Ginger tea before brushing, but nothing else.  Reading a book helps me unwind at night, but also love binging on Netflix.  Give it a day or two and you'll get in your rhythm.  Morning workouts are the best way to start the day if you're able.  GOOD LUCK.

[IGAmom]

I am on day 1... also a December warrior trying to get a head start on New Years' Resolutions!  

[mbg17]

1 hour ago, IGAmom said:

I am on day 1... also a December warrior trying to get a head start on New Years' Resolutions!  

Happy to see another mom on Day 1 today!  Let's start off the New Year feeling GREAT!

[CarolineatMyCasaCaoba]

Day 1 on December 12th!  So Day 3 today.  We've got a little support group here!

 

Yeah for the nighttime thing, I just go to bed.  It's hard.  I do it because my kid who nurses to sleep cosleeping gets cranky and I kind of have to.  Also my husband gets tired and wants me to go to bed.  If i didn't have those two constraints, I'd totally be up late.  But I will say that I never ever regret going to bed early!

 

Go team!