Starting January 4!!!!

[Stegner]

Looks perfect, ArtFossil. I used my Instant Pot to cook some sweet potatoes today, 24 minutes in a steamer basket. The IP is my favorite appliance, a real time and energy saver.  

I was hit by a strong and unexpected desire for a glass of wine tonight, after my daughter left the house to meet friends for "an adult beverage." it just sounded so good to me - and I'm an adult, after all, and I'm not having enough fun lately. wah wah wah...  So I walked into the kitchen intending to pour myself a glass, thought, "you're going to regret blowing off your commitment to yourself" and walked back out, sans vino.  The cravings come up, the cravings go down. They are not irresistable. They are temporary.  They are not the boss of me.  

[Bluetrav]

Way to go Stegner! Stay strong! The wine devil has been visiting me as well, but I'm not giving up on this program for it. I can wait. So happy it's day 15. For some reason it feels like a big milestone to me. I'm spending the next 4 days with my sister, who's also doing whole30. We're planning on looking for new recipes and getting in as much exercise and dog walking as the weather will allow. Hope everyone else is doing well!

[jrzyjane]

Yes! We need to stay strong! Day 15 is a milestone as we are halfway to goal.

I am loving this and I am so happy that I have started this venture. I love the way my body feels; strong and energetic and my restless leg syndrome is gone! It usually kicks in when I am relaxing in the evening, after 9pm and I have to go to bed to calm them down. No more. Wonder if it was the dairy, the gluten or the wine. Guess I might find out next month.

keep up the good work January whole30 peeps!

 

[ArtFossil]

4 hours ago, jrzyjane said:

Yes! We need to stay strong! Day 15 is a milestone as we are halfway to goal.

I am loving this and I am so happy that I have started this venture. I love the way my body feels; strong and energetic and my restless leg syndrome is gone! It usually kicks in when I am relaxing in the evening, after 9pm and I have to go to bed to calm them down. No more. Wonder if it was the dairy, the gluten or the wine. Guess I might find out next month.

keep up the good work January whole30 peeps!

 

Wow! That's great! Good on you!

[Stegner]

So I've been traveling for a few days and sadly, traveled away from my W30 plans just a bit.  Oh well, I'm back at it today.  I hope the rest of you are going strong. Although W30 Is basically how I eat most of the time, I still plan to do another strict 30 days. This just wasn't the right time.  But I'll keep checking in. Group support is good.  

[Bluetrav]

Happy day 21, my fellow January 4 people! Tomorrow is the fourth row of the calendar, and I can see a faint light at the end of the tunnel. I'm doing fine with food. We've settled into a routine with our meals, and the main thing I'm missing is sweetener in my coffee in the morning. I don't think I'll ever really be a black coffee person. For the final 10 days I'm setting exercise goals for myself, to get the most out of this that I can, and also to take advantage of my increased energy. I finally started sleeping better, so no real complaints right now. I noticed some other people dropping out around this timeframe, so I hope you guys are all still engaged and pushing through. Have a great week!

[Christine_]

I started with you all (January 3rd) and have been reading some posts but mostly trying to get a routine and stick with it the entire 30 days this time! I kept trying (and failing) last year... seemed like it was never good timing, but January has been a great time for me to cook at home ALL the time and conquer some bad habits.... such as wine, which I've replaced with herbal tea.  Every night...  lots of it.  I miss wine a little on the weekends, especially when I see people in the grocery line buying several bottles of wine, but otherwise I enjoy my warm drink and really love the great sleep I've been getting (except having to get up because I drank too much tea).  I'm doing a little more of a restrictive diet (AIP) than W30 requires, but I'm discovering new ingredients and trying new recipes.  Congratulations all for making it this far!  

[jrzyjane]

Still hanging strong here although I do have quite a challenge coming up this weekend. My husband and I are going to philadelphia to see one of our favorite bands, we will be staying overnight. I think that I may do a bit of drinking, not a lot but some. We very rarely get to take time off and for me to worry about my whole30 seems like I might be cheating myself. I plan on sticking to the eating portion of the plan but a girls got to have some fun!  After all of these days I believe that I may be changing my lifestyle permanently. I really don't miss the gluten, dairy, sugar or legumes at all. I would like to follow a Paleo diet indefinitely. So here's to changes and life being damned good.  Have a good night all!

 

[ArtFossil]

Hello all! I'm still here and on day 20 of the world's most boring Whole30. 

I feel like a million . . . (fill in the blanks) and I'm grateful that I'm doing this Whole30 this month as it's such a good support for my physical therapy, demanding teaching schedule and time-consuming studio work.

I made chili on Sunday in my Instant Pot (a/k/a my new best friend) and that means that tonight is that most wonderful of evenings: leftovers!

I haven't decided yet what my plan will be post-Whole30. I don't have to do reintros as I did a thorough reintroduction the first time but I'm considering some simple rules for the spring--again, to support my physical therapy, teaching and studio work.

One thing's for sure: I still don't have the water-drinking at a sufficient level so I'm going to try to concentrate on that for the last ten days.

I hope all of you are benefiting, whether you're still Whole30 or not.

[Bluetrav]

Day 22. This is turning out to be the toughest day of my Whole30. My schedule is packed with things I don't want to do (ugh), and I'll need to go about 7 hours between breakfast and lunch. I've read so many stories lately of people "cheating" or going off plan in the 3rd or 4th week and that's just not an option for me. This is my third Whole30, and I've made it through my previous two staying 100% compliant. My sister is three days ahead of me, and my daughter is a week behind. If I chose to have something non-compliant, I would be telling myself that I'm quitting. That's it for me. There's no cheating or giving myself a little reward at this stage. It's a matter of continuing on my Whole30 or quitting. I've been dreading today since the weekend, and I just need to get through it. I keep thinking about my day 30 mood, and how happy I was and proud of my accomplishment. I really want to experience that feeling again, so that is keeping my head in the game today. Tomorrow will be so much easier, and the end is in sight. Hang in there everybody!!

[ArtFossil]

1 hour ago, Bluetrav said:

Day 22. This is turning out to be the toughest day of my Whole30. My schedule is packed with things I don't want to do (ugh), and I'll need to go about 7 hours between breakfast and lunch. I've read so many stories lately of people "cheating" or going off plan in the 3rd or 4th week and that's just not an option for me. This is my third Whole30, and I've made it through my previous two staying 100% compliant. My sister is three days ahead of me, and my daughter is a week behind. If I chose to have something non-compliant, I would be telling myself that I'm quitting. That's it for me. There's no cheating or giving myself a little reward at this stage. It's a matter of continuing on my Whole30 or quitting. I've been dreading today since the weekend, and I just need to get through it. I keep thinking about my day 30 mood, and how happy I was and proud of my accomplishment. I really want to experience that feeling again, so that is keeping my head in the game today. Tomorrow will be so much easier, and the end is in sight. Hang in there everybody!!

While the recommendation would be a mini meal (or at least protein + one of the others) I've found that 6 almonds serves me well in this type of situation (and I usually don't have trouble going 6 or 7 hours to lunch IF I've eaten a good Meal 1.

It IS a terrific accomplishment to do 30 days and you CAN do this!

[MeadowLily]

Just now, ArtFossil said:

While the recommendation would be a mini meal (or at least protein + one of the others) I've found that 6 almonds serves me well in this type of situation (and I usually don't have trouble going 6 or 7 hours to lunch IF I've eaten a good Meal 1.

ArtFossil, I want to bounce something off your head. Like you, I do not have any gut issues with nuts. I'm part squirrel, I know that. What percentage of people have Nut Gut? I have this burning question because I believe Food Freedom Forever is about expanding our relationship with food. Thinking broadly and not narrowly.  You're a scientist.  Narrowing our food choices can actually work in reverse and cause more gut issues and food allergies for children. They're now giving peanut butter to tiny tikes under a doctor's care to avoid a lifelong allergy, AIP and so on.

There's actually nothing on the Whole 30 shopping list that I cannot have.  Nothing. I can have it all. At what point can our personal bias affect someone else's relationship with food. Lop this off, lop that off and you're basically right back  in a narrow way of eating.  When their Whole 30 is over, our personal bias could affect someone. Mentally. Physically.  They become ever more fearful of food.

I never touched fruit before Whole 30 or even nuts.  Those were out but multi-crap was always in. Real in.  When I got off of the merry-go-round and I gave myself permission to eat everything on the Whole 30 shopping list, everything changed for me.  It made me happy, so happy to know that eating all of the whole foods and I mean all, could open up real freedom.

Full disclosure.  I have ISWF,FFF right here by my side. I look back to the books when I have a question because they allow me to have a much broader relationship with food.  This is the strategy that's worked for me.  I cannot narrow it down to 10 foods or less.  

I really believed I could change my life in unexpected ways and I really believed that all is available to me. We should give them the books and then let them decide if lopping off more of this and lopping off more that is going to actually work when Day 31 hits.

Fear of food can actually trigger binge eating and disorder.  Let freedom ring. Ring the Liberty Bell. Give them the reins without more restriction. If it doesn't work, they'll know. Not everyone has Nut Gut or Fruit Funny Farm issues.  Food Freedom Forever.  Thanks for listening, ArtFossil. 

[ArtFossil]

2 hours ago, MeadowLily said:

ArtFossil, I want to bounce something off your head. Like you, I do not have any gut issues with nuts. I'm part squirrel, I know that. What percentage of people have Nut Gut? I have this burning question because I believe Food Freedom Forever is about expanding our relationship with food. Thinking broadly and not narrowly.  You're a scientist.  Narrowing our food choices can actually work in reverse and cause more gut issues and food allergies for children. They're now giving peanut butter to tiny tikes under a doctor's care to avoid a lifelong allergy, AIP and so on.

There's actually nothing on the Whole 30 shopping list that I cannot have.  Nothing. I can have it all. At what point can our personal bias affect someone else's relationship with food. Lop this off, lop that off and you're basically right back  in a narrow way of eating.  When their Whole 30 is over, our personal bias could affect someone. Mentally. Physically.  They become ever more fearful of food.

I never touched fruit before Whole 30 or even nuts.  Those were out but multi-crap was always in. Real in.  When I got off of the merry-go-round and I gave myself permission to eat everything on the Whole 30 shopping list, everything changed for me.  It made me happy, so happy to know that eating all of the whole foods and I mean all, could open up real freedom.

Full disclosure.  I have ISWF,FFF right here by my side. I look back to the books when I have a question because they allow me to have a much broader relationship with food.  This is the strategy that's worked for me.  I cannot narrow it down to 10 foods or less.  

I really believed I could change my life in unexpected ways and I really believed that all is available to me. We should give them the books and then let them decide if lopping off more of this and lopping off more that is going to actually work when Day 31 hits.

Fear of food can actually trigger binge eating and disorder.  Let freedom ring. Ring the Liberty Bell. Give them the reins without more restriction. If it doesn't work, they'll know. Not everyone has Nut Gut or Fruit Funny Farm issues.  Food Freedom Forever.  Thanks for listening, ArtFossil. 

Hee--I'm not a scientist, just a techy artist dilettante. Although, in the interests of full disclosure, I DO have a National Science Foundation grant and I work with computer scientists and educational psychologists to design courses that will help students integrate computational thinking (logical, linear) with creative thinking (divergent, intuitive) in order to become more effective problem solvers in any discipline.

That's a wordy way of saying, I'm all about balance, and I think balance is also a tenet of the Whole9 lifestyle. And, to me, achieving balance requires mindfulness.

So, I'm trying to get more mindfulness and balance in all areas of my life--food, movement, work, relationships . . . .

I DO believe, without any evidence whatsoever (and when has that ever stopped me? ) that we need as much DIVERSITY as possible, including diversity in the foods we eat. And that goes back to my Kentucky grandmother . . . . 

There's really nothing Whole or non-Whole 30 I "can't" eat. That leaves me with a lot of choices and that's good for me because I want choice. (My only reaction post Whole30 was to a Chinese food meal and I thought it was the soy but on further investigation, soy doesn't bother me in reasonable amounts. In retrospect it was probably the soy sauce overload PLUS--gasp--MSG which I would never have thought that restaurant would use.)

Acknowledging that I choose what I eat or don't eat and that I "can" eat ANYTHING is what got me off the dieting "wheel" and all the suffering and ill health dieting caused for decades (gaining, losing, gaining, losing; RESTRICTION triggering binges; etc, etc) and I used a book on intuitive eating to help myself understand that I could get back to listening to my body's signals and to what you would call a "reset to the original factory settings" and how a child approaches food before his/her eating has a chance to get disordered.

Back to nuts: I love them AND I don't eat handfuls or cans or bags of them because I don't want to . . . . I laughed when I decided to do this Whole30 that I still have the same bags of nuts in my studio from my Whole30 in November 2015. But/and, when I'm at the beach for a week with my daughter, which I was a month ago, we LOVE eating nuts and might have some most of the days we're there. They are just another food. No big deal. 

I've read many things by Melissa Hartwig where she's talking about reintroductions and riding your own bike and food freedom and it seems to me she always comes back to mindfulness and intentionality. So, I'm trying with my meals to be conscious of what I'm going to eat and why and how it's going to nourish me (or not!) and what my intention is and understanding what the CONSEQUENCES of eating this meal might be.

This semester (because I think in semesters) I knew that I really want to support my hip rehab (which INTENTIONALLY had a back seat this fall while I put most of my energy into just trying to deal with the demands of returning to full time teaching after my hip replacement). I was pretty sure (correctly, as it happens) that having thirty days of "structured" eating (but without any sense of deprivation) would give me a good nutritional foundation to continue to eat well and get stronger and get more fit while I also work my XXX off in my studio. In the next 10 days I'll figure out what I want the next three months of food/nutrition to look like.

But overall, I'd consider that I'm in training for my 90's and so I am SLOWLY developing the habits I need to be healthy and productive for what I hope will be a long time.

[MeadowLily]

Thanks for blowing my bangs back and my toasty socks off my feet.  I'm with you. 

I don't eat nut butters or nuts by the whopping boatloads. They don't trip my triggers. I cannot eat more than one piece of fruit in a sitting.  They don't motivate me to fall back into anything that I used to do to myself.

I believe the broader the eating and thinking - the healthier we are.  Our memory is selective about what sticks and what falls away.  My new cognitive behaviors are steering me towards dense memories. The who, what, when, where and why.  These are 5 X more likely to be retained than disconnected thinking that comes from too many diets and all of those fragments left behind like a trail of crumbs.   

Broader thinking and broader eating creates a new storm of neurons that leads us to a greater sense of self and our life narrative.  I had to start thinking that nothing could be denied me.  It's changed everything.  Thanks a million, ArtFossil.  

If it is in the books, experience it in the way it was originally created.  I don't have to rewrite anything but I don't want it limited or dialed down.  Let's give it to them in the way it was intended. By narrowing it for others, it doesn't seem to halt turning Day 31 into a free for all, free wheeling event back into old trigger foods.  By blowing the doors off of limitations within the perimeter of the shopping list, almost everything..it's a bigger picture and the broader view that might make all of the difference. More instead of less = Freedom. 

[MeadowLily]

I can't remember very much from my binge eating years. It's pretty much a blur like I was knocked out for surgery.  I was living in that unconcious eating mode and I don't ever want to feel that way again.  I would order a large pizza, eat the whole thing and pass out on the bed. Knocked out until morning, then drink a pot of coffee to wake up. Looney tunes. 

[Bluetrav]

I love your comments ArtFossil & MeadowLily! I also don't have an issue with nuts and was surprised to see on another board that nuts are actually discouraged on Whole30, even though they're allowed. I've been eating them everyday (like 4-5 with lunch) because the other fat sources don't appeal to me as much. After my last Whole30, I continued a paleo diet but drank alcohol (because I'm in Austin and it's Booze City here). As long as I exercised regularly, I felt great and continue to lose weight. I like the discipline of Whole30 and the 30-day reset gives me a sense of control as well as accomplishment. There were so many times in my life where I did not control food, and I know now how to stay out of that pattern. I believe Whole30 has given me that, and as a testament to me keeping weight off for 3 years, several friends and family members have done Whole30s because they saw firsthand what I got out of it. I know where we'll go for a glass of wine on day 31, but other than that there's nothing much else I crave at this point.

[MeadowLily]

I've been in food addiction recovery for quite awhile now. I followed ISWF.  FFF is about being in control of the food you eat instead of food controlling you.  FFF talks about coming out of shame spirals with food.  I live that.

There are those with delicate health who may want to dial it down further but for the rest of us without gut issues, the broader view works. I've observed what the narrow way of eating does. It doesn't change things on Day 31.  It can make someone so excited about eating all the things that they do it in one or two days time, blowing off the reintro and immediately restarting another Whole 30 to counteract a food bender.

During my Whole 30, I asked myself....What would Melissa do?  If she's eating it, I'm eating it. If it's in the book and it's on that shopping list, I gave myself permission to have that.  I followed the rules and recs but I think we have to be cautious about  making blanket statements for everyone. It is discouraging for the big picture.  The further dialing- it- down becomes the new culture.  It's hard to shake it off for impressionable lifelong dieters and those who want to really break free from food addiction and disorder.

I think I've read all of the manifestos and Whole 9 articles and those older comments. I did that in my spare time. I gleaned what I needed to hear because I am always looking for the answers, answers, answers and the secret keys that solve these issues with food.  I have an actual doctor, I do. 

So in tandem with a recovery program and broadening my horizons, I am coming out of food addiction.  Free at last...free at last.  

Everything within my being cannot go back to the narrow way of eating.  I've lived it. Binge eating and dieting. Two vicious cycles that won't get you anywhere good.  

[ArtFossil]

For me, I love having food choices. That way, I can satisfy my hunger and my aesthetic sense and feel nourished emotionally as well as physically. 

That's reason why I'd never consider a "Whole365" even if that were possible, which it is not. 

I do agree with you @MeadowLily about the mental clarity. I love the clarity my first Whole30 brought and that hasn't gone away and I've felt at the top of my game mentally since then. 

With this second Whole30, one of the biggest benefits is that I can observe is how much calmer I am and how much more equanimity I have in stressful situations . . . like faculty meetings with colleagues who are . . . well, let's just say "difficult." 

[MeadowLily]

Kudos to you, ArtFossil. Thank you for encouraging me along the way over this time.  It seems like you've been here a million years already.  I am fruit loose and fancy free. That may seem like such a small thing but if you've traveled and I think you have, europeans don't struggle with all of these food issues.   They value food and connection with others.  They're not ordering economy sized pizzas or lasagna/spaghetti take out and eating for a family of 4.  They don't run down to the candy shop and eat entire boxes of homemade chocolate covered cherries in one sitting.  

People would come up to me and ask me if I'd been eating candy again. Nope. Nuh huh.  I'd get in my car, look in the mirror and have chocolate all over my lips, sides of my mouth.  A total junkie.  I couldn't get away with anything.  Maybe you have to actually know what all of this feels like to relate to it.  Then I would throw myself across the bed and cry myself to sleep.  

[ArtFossil]

I know it's been a long journey @MeadowLily but you are free at last. <heart> 

Right beside  you, sister. 

[Stegner]

I really like the recent posts - so much interesting reading here!  Here's a quote from an interview with Gary Taubes.  I think he's describing the experiment we're all engaged in.  

G.T.: Clearly, the best approach is to learn to live without the obvious sources of sugar, in the sugary beverages, the candies and treats. But you have to do it long enough so that you can really know how you feel without it.

What’s it like to enjoy a meal without a dessert, or to drink water instead of juice or soda, to have a snack of nuts rather than a candy bar? When we try, and we can all do this as an experiment, we have to do it for long enough that we get over the initial cravings and get to the point where we can really experience what life is like without it. Only then can we decide if a healthy life without sugar is worth the apparent sacrifice.

[MeadowLily]

Stegner, I like that alot.  We all want to be free range humans.  

[MeadowLily]

I'm going to leave you to your Whole 30 and making peace with food.   I remember driving down the street one day, feeling wide, wide awake.  Clarity.  We can see clearly now, the rain is gone...and I'll leave you with this song. 

 

 

 

[ArtFossil]

Locked my studio, walked to my car, drove home, fed the cats, cooked dinner (rib eye steak with a spice rub, steamed yellow squash, cut up orange bell pepper, purple and yellow carrots and celery with dump ranch) and did most of the kitchen cleanup in 42 minutes: a new personal best. 

Hooray for day 22 (day 23 for the rest of you?)

i think my 30 day reward will be fabric from Carolyn Friedlander. She has an exuberant palette coupled with elegant designs: 

http://carolynfriedlander.com/

[Bluetrav]

Day 24 now, and one more weekend to get through. We should have beautiful weather, so hopefully a long hike tomorrow.

MeadowLily: Thanks so much for the link! That song is perfect for my last week. I've been listening to it each day.

ArtFossil: Wow love that fabric! So unusual. What do you make with it?

I don't really have a reward in mind. We have a couple of weekend trips coming up, so basically looking forward to those, being in control of my life and feeling good. I've reached the kale saturation point. I bought 3 cauliflowers yesterday, dragged out the food processer and riced it all up. I'm trying to find brand-new recipes for vegetables to try over the next week. I love nomnompaleo's roasted curry cauliflower, but I've already made it twice so I'm putting the recipe on hold.

I'm so grateful for the truly helpful and inspiring comments from my fellow Jan 4-5 people. It's a real treat to come here and get a little therapy every few days. Stay strong everyone!