Starting March 1st

[Leekeetria]

@RabbitFood oh i still want to eat, but now i know it's just me wanting to eat and not my body really needing to eat. i am counting down as well, but really because i told myself that i was going to do it and it looks like that is exactly what's going to happen.  i am going to celebrate making it to the finish line (which will probably include a glass of wine) , but also celebrate my new outlook on food.  like most, i've tried every single diet and eating plan that is out there, but i'm happy to have finally found one that i know works for me and that can be long term!  

@Poetry Saves i can relate a bit.  i'm pretty sensitive so i wouldn't say i have tough skin, but i've actually gotten a kick out of telling people what i'm doing and hearing the "oh there is no way i could give up bread...sugar...alcohol for 30 days"...to which i reply once you see how your body feels without it, you might rethink that statement.  so my friends/family aren't my problem ... my issue is when i dine out.  sometimes the servers act like i'm inconveniencing them by asking for food that i'm paying for to be cooked in a special way.  maybe they get push back from the cooks, who knows.  i've been fortunate in that most of my servers have been very understanding...but this weekend at red robin that was not the case...LOL.  

@alcazn you can do it!  i believe they have a few options that you can choose from...glad you brought your lunch so you're prepared either way.  my office is having a breakfast and an international pot luck all on april 5th.  after we're done, but way too soon to just eat everything in sight LOL.  so i've already decided what i will/won't be eating at the breakfast and i will not be eating at the potluck, but i'm still going to contribute a dessert (but it will probably be store bought ).

@moosegirl sorry to hear you're still waking up every single night.  i'm not at all trying to rub it in, but this has been the most consecutive peaceful/restful nights of sleep i've ever gotten in my entire life!  and i feel like this is the most normal my digestive system has ever been.  what do you usually eat?  maybe it's not the veggies, but the protein or fat?  i've learned that my body doesn't really like red meat...specifically steak or maybe certain kinds of steak...because afterwards i feel bloated and i get a raging headache.

[RabbitFood]

@alcazn If you end up eating your lunch from home, just express how excited you are for your meal and leave it at that.  No one needs to no you are doing a reset   I've found I do best by following Whole30 advice to not advertise this to family and friends and let your results speak for themselves.

@moosegirl Interesting.  I'm not sleeping well either.  Getting 6 to 7 hours and then I'm just awake.  

@Leekeetria Ah, good to know I'm not alone.  Can't wait to celebrate with you (from afar)!

 

Happy Day 22!

[alcazn]

@RabbitFood and @Leekeetria - I made it....whew!  I was able to get a plain baked potato and steamed broccoli, then ate the protein that I brought from my lunch.  It was good and received well by the group.  A few of them commented that I have prompted them to make some better choices, so that was good to hear.  

[seagrey]

It's hard to resist the sweets at times - but I've found that my sense of taste has changed and now apples taste so sweet - bananas are delicious and a few raisins or blueberries in my lunchtime  salad are a real treat. We had a pot-luck at work the other day - I made sure I brought something that I knew I could eat and resisted the treats. I found that tuna fish on Fridays helps with the no-meat days. It fills me up. I'm surprised that I'm not missing bread more - I love to bake as a hobby, my problem is that I also love to eat too much of what I bake....sigh. Hang in there folks!

[Jenny85]

Hey fellows!

 

I am back from my freeletics Training, yesterday I was Nordic Walking again. It's getting better now. No more Feelings of passing out. Now my question: Have you planned a reward at day 31? My plan ist to go to a really nice dinner WITH Dessert with my friends at an 800 degree Restaurant(Steaks) at day 31 and at April 1st I will start the next whole30. Do you think it is okay to have a Dessert at the first day after?! Or should I just pick the Steak and leave the Dessert because it would be a reward for doing it the 30 days? Cause the reason was to learn that Food is not suitable as a reward....

[kirkor]

2 hours ago, Jenny85 said:

Now my question: Have you planned a reward at day 31? My plan ist to go to a really nice dinner WITH Dessert with my friends at an 800 degree Restaurant(Steaks) at day 31 and at April 1st I will start the next whole30. Do you think it is okay to have a Dessert at the first day after?!

Nope, bad idea.  After Day 30 you should do a proper reintro schedule: http://whole30.com/step-two-finished/

2 hours ago, Jenny85 said:

Or should I just pick the Steak and leave the Dessert because it would be a reward for doing it the 30 days? Cause the reason was to learn that Food is not suitable as a reward....

Correct about learning that food is not a reward (or an emotional pick-me-up, or a boredom fix, etc.) but also the 30 days of elimination gives your insides a "clean slate" to determine what potential food irritations/sensitivities/allergies you might have.  Doing a full reintro is what sets you up for a lifetime of customized personally-tailored eating that can support YOUR optimal health.  Skipping a reintro and not learning to ride your own bike (i.e. life after Whole30) is what separates this program from any other "diet" plan.

[Jenny85]

Thanks kirkor! The thing is that I will do the next Whole30 just the next day. I don't wanz to introduce any of the Food I eliminated the last days. I feel good with what I eat now. Why should I change it despite a dessert now and then?

[RabbitFood]

Just in case anyone else on this thread is where I am, I read this post from a moderator in another thread:

" . . . giving in to the cravings never diminishes the stress. . . "

Thought I'd share since we're in the last week and cravings can get strong.  

 

. . . . And I'm over here, stressing about work, thinking about going back to my comfort drug (chocolate).  

[Leekeetria]

@RabbitFood thanks for the repost...that is soooo very true! 

i have to say that i am looking forward to my glass of wine but there isn't anything else that i'm really craving.  however, i am curious to see what happens when i reintroduce certain foods that i may want to enjoy from time to time - like some dairy (cheese and sour cream) or chips (because unfortunately my mind still associates sandwiches with chips....then again i no longer think that sandwiches should include bread so i should be able to also eliminate the correlation to chips...but we shall soon see) or non-compliant bacon.  i'm hoping my discovery is that they all make me feel like crap and i'll leave them out of my diet for good!

and happy friday everyone ... this is our last weekend!  

[Jenny85]

From my Whole30log:

Wohooo it's day 25 already. I am healthier, stronger and better looking than ever! I'm totally into sheperds pie at the moment. I really adore it! I have no cravings except the urgent need to get on the scale... but it's only 5 days away and I know whatever it tells me I love my new self. My friend made pictures of me riding my horse and you can see such an amazing difference! So it doesn't really matter what the scale tells me. I will not do the reintroducing because I don't miss any of the dismissed goods. Why should I reintroduce what my body obviously doesn't need?! So after a dinner at day 31 (without the dessert I ask earlier about) I will start the new Whole30 right away. I will do at least a Whole90 because in July I am back in Afghanistan on Mission and can't continue. Also, as a good advice for others, I write a diary of what I eat and at what time. I will post before/ after pictures on day 31 - that's next Friday. What about you?

[waukjohn]

I started on March 1st and coming up to my last week. I plan to continue, I feel good and now that I know what I'm doing, it's not too hard. I started a little different than other. I tried to start Feb1st, but fell off right away. So instead what I did was use Feb for learning and research Whole30. What I did was go Whole30 for breakfast & lunch during Feb. That way I could spend time learning the food & recipes. Some days I fix dinner as Whole30 so days I didn't. This way i was ready to go in March.  spent Feb buying the shelf items I needed and getting rid of the other stuff. Scouts had a Food Drive so I didn't have to throw out alot of food.

After April, I think I'll add Wild Rice & maybe whole milk

[SugarcubeOD]

7 hours ago, Jenny85 said:

From my Whole30log:

Wohooo it's day 25 already. I am healthier, stronger and better looking than ever! I'm totally into sheperds pie at the moment. I really adore it! I have no cravings except the urgent need to get on the scale... but it's only 5 days away and I know whatever it tells me I love my new self. My friend made pictures of me riding my horse and you can see such an amazing difference! So it doesn't really matter what the scale tells me. I will not do the reintroducing because I don't miss any of the dismissed goods. Why should I reintroduce what my body obviously doesn't need?! So after a dinner at day 31 (without the dessert I ask earlier about) I will start the new Whole30 right away. I will do at least a Whole90 because in July I am back in Afghanistan on Mission and can't continue. Also, as a good advice for others, I write a diary of what I eat and at what time. I will post before/ after pictures on day 31 - that's next Friday. What about you?

If you are going back to Afghanistan, you REALLY need to do reintroductions.  Don't you want to know if dairy gives you gas or a headache or is totally fine?  Shouldn't you know you can eat a bit of bread once a week but anymore and you're achey and uncomfortable?  The whole idea of Whole30 is that you DO the introductions so that you know how your body reacts to certain foods... you don't have to add them back in after re-intros if you don't want to, but you should take the opportunity of a clean and happy gut to do the rest of the experiment so that you are armed with knowledge, especially if you're going to be away from home.

[Jenny85]

1 hour ago, SugarcubeOD said:

If you are going back to Afghanistan, you REALLY need to do reintroductions.  Don't you want to know if dairy gives you gas or a headache or is totally fine?  Shouldn't you know you can eat a bit of bread once a week but anymore and you're achey and uncomfortable?  The whole idea of Whole30 is that you DO the introductions so that you know how your body reacts to certain foods... you don't have to add them back in after re-intros if you don't want to, but you should take the opportunity of a clean and happy gut to do the rest of the experiment so that you are armed with knowledge, especially if you're going to be away from home.

Thanks for your advice. There is enough time to reintroduce the most important things after the whole90 and before the mission. Dairy and bread are two things I don't want to reintroduce because I don't have to eat them during the mission. We get lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and we can choose at a limited buffet what we want to eat. I will reintroduce sugar and noodles in June cause that are the things you can not run away from on mission. (There is sometimes just canned sweetened fruits available and I don't know why but they always have one noodles day a week) milk is only used for cereals and coffee and as a tea-fan I don't need it. 

[SugarcubeOD]

5 hours ago, Jenny85 said:

Thanks for your advice. There is enough time to reintroduce the most important things after the whole90 and before the mission. Dairy and bread are two things I don't want to reintroduce because I don't have to eat them during the mission. We get lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and we can choose at a limited buffet what we want to eat. I will reintroduce sugar and noodles in June cause that are the things you can not run away from on mission. (There is sometimes just canned sweetened fruits available and I don't know why but they always have one noodles day a week) milk is only used for cereals and coffee and as a tea-fan I don't need it. 

Okay that's good you have a re-intro plan.  Don't forget to re-intro soy and other grains you may run into... rice, (rice noodles??), oats, barley etc... 

Is there never a chance you might want to have ice cream?  Or a burger with a bun?  Not necessarily just on mission but in general.  LIke I said, these don't have to be daily things but when something comes up that's worth it (brownies homemade by a bestie for your birthday) you should probably know how that's going to go down... and this is the best opportunity to do it

[hchc]

Well,  I made it through the last weekend outing with no waver to my determination.  Saturday evening was a gathering of approximately thirty people at a pub.  Lots of wine, beer and nacho's greeted me as I entered the establishment.  The group consists of a people I normally see throughout the summer when we congregate at a local lake.  There is always, an abundance of both food and alcohol.  This is the first time I have ever socialized with these people and abstained from wine, and ordered a plan appropriate meal.  I have mentioned that my partner has been a strength for me during this.  He joined for the experience and support.  He has never made any changes to his French Canadian bread and cheese heavy diet in the past.  He has been doing very well, considering this was not his idea in the start.  He did however give in to the call of beer at the function.  Despite his waver, to which I hold no resentment, I felt no pull to step out of the plan.  The people at the gathering were very supportive.  No bugging me about not drinking or my salad order in pub setting.  The question that was most asked of me was what I would eat when I was finished.  I found it hard to answer because I have no strong cravings for any one thing.  I find I am more interested in searching out good quality foods to eat that I would be willing to spend a bit more money on for treats but those are not necessarily pastry and ice cream.  Not everything has changed though, I am certainly going to open a nice bottle of red.   

@SPeffer As for my InstantPot.  I used my slow cooker often so switching to the pressure cooker was easy.  My planning has changed because it takes less time, I like the results so far.  I have even taken it on field trips to a friends cottage.  I purchased the larger pot to use in canning this fall.  One draw back I found before I was in the plan.  I used it for rice but it would sometimes conflict my dinner choice if it was also a pressure cooker recipe.  I have cooked wild meat in it as well as tougher cuts of meat and found everything to come out juicy and tender.  A rosemary chicken recipe in nom nom paleo has become a favourite.  The gravy is delightful.

[appalachiangiraffe]

Wow! We are almost there

Staying compliant has definitely become easier.  I have more energy and motivation.  I was surprised to see a HUGE difference in my anxiety and depression levels.

In the last week I have, unfortunately had upsetting digestive reactions (as in urgent trips to the bathroom) pretty much everyday.  Any moderators or experienced members have ideas as to why that would be happening this late in the program?

Congratulations on making it this far, everyone!

[neelyerin]

I am new to the thread, but started March 1st as well!  My husband and I are doing the program together and are absolutely loving it.  Before Whole30, he was the cook and I tried hard to steer clear of that responsibility (often volunteering for dish duty).  Since we started however, I have loved cooking!  We have found the most delicious new recipes (Curried shepards pie, gumbo, chili, chicken pad thai), and found that cooking together has been such a treat.  We now sit down for a full breakfast and cup of coffee together before each running off to our busy work days.  Around lunch (which is usually left-overs) we often send each other a message commenting on how yummy our lunch is.  Dinner is my favorite.  We turn the music up, and find ourselves singing and dancing our way around the kitchen.  We are seeing so many victories everyday and since we started out Whole30 with my personal label of "chubby but happy", I know we are losing weight.  I've nicknamed my husband "the disappearing man", and I'm seeing benefits too.  My skin is clearer than its ever been, my clothes are fitting better, no more headaches, and my energy is through the roof.  We aren't going to start the reintroduction process until after 90 days.  I have autoimmune issues, and have read that a longer "elimination" time would be beneficial.  My husband is happy to continue with the strict rules too since he is feeling so great! 

Even though I've never posted on this thread before, it has been a wonderful resource to me on this journey.  I have loved reading about shared experiences and gaining the advice of others.  Keep up the good work, everyone!

 

[moosegirl]

SO close! I can see the finish line! Already planning some re-intro meals. I haven't had the greatest amount of success but it will be interesting to see how I feel once I start adding things back into my diet. I know re-intro is going to be tricky so I hope I don't blow it. Anyone else have an mental/physical aversion to leftovers? I thinking seeing food cold in the fridge is so gross and then even after I re-heat it, it never tastes as good warmed over. I can gag just thinking about it. I've been trying to cook a little bit larger meat portions to have leftovers and then just making the vegetables fresh every meal but I know that isn't realistic for most people or for me long term. 

 

 

[RabbitFood]

Hate to admit this: My round ended this weekend.  

1. I ate a couple bites of ramen noodles (so gross!) and five pieces of tofu.  Two hours later a large zit showed up.  I don't know what triggered #don'tskipyourreintro

2. Also, I ate frozen yogurt.  It didn't really appeal to me.  I tasted it and it wasn't that good.  Still ate the whole thing.  Re-read a chapter in FFF about slips and regrets, and have learned from the experience.  Guess what happened?  That clearer (not completely clear, but clearer) skin is breaking out and inflamed. 

What I learned: My skin and I like eating whole, unprocessed foods.

 

Keep up the great work March1st-ers!

 

[jmcbn]

On 26/03/2017 at 11:30 PM, appalachiangiraffe said:

In the last week I have, unfortunately had upsetting digestive reactions (as in urgent trips to the bathroom) pretty much everyday.  Any moderators or experienced members have ideas as to why that would be happening this late in the program?

What has your food looked like this past week? And is it typical of what you have eaten throughout?

[appalachiangiraffe]

16 hours ago, jmcbn said:

What has your food looked like this past week? And is it typical of what you have eaten throughout?

The major differences in recent food would be I totally quit eating white potatoes (still eating sweet), and I have made more of an effort to really eat breakfast.  I guess I have added in a bit more fruit recently too, but always with a meal and usually just one serving per day if that.

My typical meals throughout the program have usually consisted of meat or fish with a ton of roasted veggies (usually 4 or 5 different types per meal) with olive oil, ghee, coconut oil or avocado.  I drink about 2 cups of coffee with a little coconut milk in the morning.

Now that I think of it, I have been exercising more in the second half of the program, since my energy has been higher, but I try to follow the pre/post workout meal plan (though sometimes the post wo meal is not as immediate as recommended).

 

Thanks a ton!

[jmcbn]

7 hours ago, appalachiangiraffe said:

I have added in a bit more fruit recently too, but always with a meal and usually just one serving per day if that.

My typical meals throughout the program have usually consisted of meat or fish with a ton of roasted veggies (usually 4 or 5 different types per meal) with olive oil, ghee, coconut oil or avocado.  I drink about 2 cups of coffee with a little coconut milk in the morning.

Can you be more specific on what types of fruit & veg you are eating?

Avocado, coconut milk & coffee are all from the one problematic food group, but I'd like to see if these correspond with the types of fruit/veg you are eating.

[appalachiangiraffe]

4 hours ago, jmcbn said:

Can you be more specific on what types of fruit & veg you are eating?

Avocado, coconut milk & coffee are all from the one problematic food group, but I'd like to see if these correspond with the types of fruit/veg you are eating.

I tend to go with broccoli and carrots most of the time and then add in different combinations of sweet potato, spaghetti or butternut squash, parsnip, rutabega, spinach, or kale.  I very occasionally add some peppers, tomatoes, or Brussels sprouts.  As for fruits I might have half a grapefruit or a banana with breakfast, or an apple at lunchtime.

I am curious about the problematic food group you reference.  I will do some research.

Thank you, again!

[jmcbn]

15 minutes ago, appalachiangiraffe said:

I tend to go with broccoli and carrots most of the time and then add in different combinations of sweet potato, spaghetti or butternut squash, parsnip, rutabega, spinach, or kale.  I very occasionally add some peppers, tomatoes, or Brussels sprouts.  As for fruits I might have half a grapefruit or a banana with breakfast, or an apple at lunchtime.

I am curious about the problematic food group you reference.  I will do some research.

Thank you, again!

Ok, so I've highlighted all the high FODMAPs in the list you've provided. If you're eating any nut butter alongside the fruit then that's also high FODMAP, as would be any onion or garlic you're adding to meals - plus the coconut milk, the coffee & the avocado I mentioned earlier. The spaghetti & butternut squash are moderate FODMAPs but if you're having intestinal issues then it might be an idea to ease off on them for a while too. There are plenty of other veg to sub with - and, yes, I know this from personal experience.

The problem with FODMAPs is that most of us have a tolerance level, and sometimes when we repeat the same meals over & over we surpass that threshold and our guts struggle to cope, resulting in all kinds of gastrointestinal symptoms from diarrhea to constipation to wind to bloating to cramps & gas.....

Take a look at the traffic light system food list about half way down the screen (you'll need to scroll) on >this page< and try eating only from the green section for a few days to see if your symptoms subside. Have a read at the article which gives a good explanation of malabsorption. Then we can take it from there...

Hope this helps.
 

[appalachiangiraffe]

@jmcbn wow! this is definitely new information for me. thanks so much for taking the time to explain.  I will make some new changes and see how it goes.