Starting March 12

[elaes]

Day 18 is about done. Last night for a class at church and they brought lemon cake with cream frosting to celebrate. Ugh. I'll chalk it up to another opportunity to spread the word about W30, since I had to give a little explanation when I declined a slice. I do love lemon and I love cream frosting, though...

My seasonal allergies are starting to show up more. Spring usually does a number on me; I still think I'm better than this time last year. I feel like I'm making the same old thing over and over again, which is not uncommon for me (actually it's pretty normal...remember the same healthy protein shake I've had just about every morning for around 3 years?) I've eaten a LOT of eggs over the past 18 days, and I still love them. I guess the good thing is that there are now habits/routines in place that support good health rather than those that constantly feed my sugar dragon.

My parents are coming over on Saturday night for dinner. Country style ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans, roasted green bean fries (esp. for me), green salad, and chocolate cake with white icing for dessert (Dad's birthday was on Friday, it's his favorite). So ribs sans BBQ sauce, green bean fries, and salad for me. Maybe some berries or a banana for dessert. Making a plan makes it doable for me, and much easier to flex those willpower muscles.

12 days to go!

[KYputerlady]

Day 19 is history! I ate lunch with a friend who completed Whole30 in January and has already slipped back into her bad habits. She really struggled doing the Whole30. She knows she needs to do it again but doesn't want to give up everything. I'm reading Food Freedom Forever and shared some of the insights I've gained from reading it. According to the book you can do partial Whole30s just giving up the things that make you feel bad after you slip if you don't want to eliminate everything. Sounds like a good thing especially when we find ourself slipping which according to Melissa happens to everyone. Only 11 days to go to the Re-Introduction phase. Hope everyone had a fantastic day 19!

[alexd8]

On 3/29/2017 at 10:56 PM, elaes said:

I've eaten a LOT of eggs over the past 18 days, and I still love them. I guess the good thing is that there are now habits/routines in place that support good health rather than those that constantly feed my sugar dragon.

Making a plan makes it doable for me, and much easier to flex those willpower muscles.

@elaes Just finished Day 19 and I've had eggs every morning for the past 19 days....I'll never get over them. Just too yummy and so many ways to make them! (my fave is sautéing spinach with coconut oil then scrambling the eggs) Also, making a plan has definitely helped me with the Whole30 too. Thursdays are my busiest days being out the door by noon and coming home at midnight after classes and work so meal prepping and knowing what I'll be eating in advance helps me not stop for a coffee or something along the way. 

I've been moody/cranky/and craving chocolate this week so ya know what time of the week it was, but I'm glad it's over. I didn't put two and two together, but that could have (& definitely was) affecting my acne. Still hoping it clears up a little more this next week! 

I was proud of myself for reaching Day 7 doing my first Whole30 and used to read other forums about people's day 20s wondering how amazing that was. Can't believe tomorrow is Day 20 for me. I feel so accomplished in addition to the other benefits I've seen so far. Can't wait to push through one more week!  

[alexd8]

getting to that point where i just want pizza dammit

[elaes]

Day 20 here, and I am so tired of eating W30. The restrictions are grating on me, and I just want to eat a piece of toast with real butter. However...

The best thing so far about W30 is that my left knee, which has grown increasingly painful over the past year+, is almost pain free. There really isn't any other reason I can point to, other than I have been doing Classical Stretch, which is known to help with reducing pain in both joints and muscles. So that is just about rocking my world; and I wonder what I've been eating previously that contributed to the inflammation in my knee. And then I worry about the culprit being something that I really, really enjoy eating. BUT the real question ends up being, which do I prefer? The virtually pain free knee joint, or the food that causes inflammation and pain in my body? Good grief...I don't think I'm going to choose the food.

Sooo...as a Dave Ramsey fan I'm applying one of his well-known sayings to my W30 journey (btw, he's a finance expert). He says something like, "Boys have their toys, but grown men sacrifice for the good of their family." (Speaking of men having discipline with their finances in order to reach the long term needs of their family.) The child in me wants her chocolate (or whatever the craving may be), but as an adult I can sacrifice those cravings for the good of my physical body. Maybe that doesn't make any sense to anyone else here, but it speaks volumes to me today....'cause inside I really want to binge on just about anything. Hey, but I'm a grown-up so I get to make the better choice.

Sticking to it, but a little less joyfully today.

[Karib52]

1 hour ago, alexd8 said:

getting to that point where i just want pizza dammit

I hear ya! So, true story... yesterday, I didn't feel like cooking the chicken I was supposed to for dinner, and I just wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so I told him to fend for himself. He opted for pizza.  One of my preferred pizza joints, even! So it arrives, and I can smell it, and honestly, three weeks ago I would've dug in, even knowing that I would probably have a horrible migraine the next day. Instead, I sat there, looking at it, and almost felt sickened by the smell, knowing that if I ate it, I would immediately have intestinal distress and bloat, etc. There was a small part of me that wanted it, mostly out of habit, but the majority of me said, "no thanks." (Now, if it were chocolate cake, I may not have had the same resolve... )

@elaes, that goes with what you are talking about, too. I have found, through my paleo/gluten free journey, that gluten specifically causes lots of inflammation in my system. Its a huge trigger, and if I eat too much, or eat when I am also particularly stressed out (hello, stress eating junk food addict here ), I get migraines that start in my super tight shoulders and neck muscles, and they shoot up the back of my head and wrap around to the front. Yuck! But, if I avoid inflammatory foods - especially gluten, I don't get them. It took me so many years to figure this out, but now it's always a choice - delicious food for a few minutes, or migraine for a few days? It's rough, for sure. I have a feeling you may be in the same boat. Paleo is an anti-inflammatory diet, and that's awesome that you have found such relief!

[KYputerlady]

Day 20 down with 10 to go way to go everybody! I made a fruit salad today with frozen fruit, fresh strawberries, cantaloupe, mango, unsweetened coconut and almond slices. Tried my first almond butter today, not to bad. Fixed shrimp, and brocolli for supper. Polished off some leftovers for lunch. Going to make some more sausage tomorrow morning with ground pork. 

@elaes

[KYputerlady]

I totally agree with you and can identify with the Dave Ramsey quote too, thanks for sharing it @elaes. So far, I've been able to resist all the tempting things my family has brought home to eat so I can relate to Karib52. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend we are nearing the end of our journey so hang tough!

[TBjorke]

Frequent headaches, dizziness, no appetite, restless sleep, and moodiness are affecting me this week. I no longer desire sweets, including fruit. On the upside, my body fat is shrinking and my clothes are getting too big, my skin is clear, my flatulence is gone, and i just "feel better" internally. My boyfriend has lost so much weight that his ACU's are literally falling off him. 

This has really been the hardest challenge I've ever done. Not a single morning goes by that my brain doesn't say ENOUGH and my body isn't screaming for carbs for its energy source. But I am stronger than I believe to be and we carry on with whole30 one day at a time. 

Anyone else can relate to how I'm feeling? Please share. 

[ShannonM816]

4 minutes ago, TBjorke said:

Frequent headaches, dizziness, no appetite, restless sleep, and moodiness are affecting me this week. I no longer desire sweets, including fruit. On the upside, my body fat is shrinking and my clothes are getting too big, my skin is clear, my flatulence is gone, and i just "feel better" internally. My boyfriend has lost so much weight that his ACU's are literally falling off him. 

This has really been the hardest challenge I've ever done. Not a single morning goes by that my brain doesn't say ENOUGH and my body isn't screaming for carbs for its energy source. But I am stronger than I believe to be and we carry on with whole30 one day at a time. 

Anyone else can relate to how I'm feeling? Please share. 

You really shouldn't still be having those symptoms, they're typically mostly gone by week two of your Whole30. Are you eating enough? Adding fat to every meal in addition to the fat you cook in? Salting your food? Having at least one fist-sized serving of starchy vegetable each day? If you want any feedback on your meals, head over to the Troubleshooting section of the forum and start a new discussion, and list a day or two of your typical meals, including approximate serving sizes as they relate to the meal template. Also list what types of workouts you're doing, if any, and what pre- and post-WO foods you're having. 

If you aren't already, try having a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetable at your final meal of the day -- many people find this helps them to sleep better, plus this can help moodiness as well. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, any of the winter squashes (butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc.), any root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, rutabagas, etc.), and plantains. 

Also be sure you're drinking plenty of water -- aim for about 1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so a 120-lb person needs about 60 oz per day.

[TBjorke]

2 minutes ago, ShannonM816 said:

You really shouldn't still be having those symptoms, they're typically mostly gone by week two of your Whole30. Are you eating enough? Adding fat to every meal in addition to the fat you cook in? Salting your food? Having at least one fist-sized serving of starchy vegetable each day? If you want any feedback on your meals, head over to the Troubleshooting section of the forum and start a new discussion, and list a day or two of your typical meals, including approximate serving sizes as they relate to the meal template. Also list what types of workouts you're doing, if any, and what pre- and post-WO foods you're having. 

If you aren't already, try having a fist-sized serving of starchy vegetable at your final meal of the day -- many people find this helps them to sleep better, plus this can help moodiness as well. Starchy vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, any of the winter squashes (butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc.), any root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, rutabagas, etc.), and plantains. 

Also be sure you're drinking plenty of water -- aim for about 1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so a 120-lb person needs about 60 oz per day.

I have been eating plenty. I make sure to add enough vegetables and I don't pass on the potatoes. I've increased my water intake but headaches remain. I think the dizziness is coming from the decrease in fruit I'm eating giving me low blood sugar. I am probably not eating enough fats. I'll add more this weekend and see if that helps.  Thank you for replying

[GoMommaGo]

FINALLY....energy levels are back to normal - completed masters swim this morning and never felt better.  I even led my lane...a week ago I was barely able to keep up with people I know are slower than I am.  Phew!

I still get the occasional craving (wine), and am getting tired of planning/prepping/cooking/storing.  So I have declared that tomorrow the family is taking me out to lunch.  Fortunately we have several options in my hometown that are easily Whole30 compliant - one restaurant doesn't even STOCK any kind of sweetener, even for coffee or tea.  Can't wait!

 

[nanners]

Day 21 and 9 to go! My husband that agreed to try just 7 days has stuck with it, peaked at the scale, 14 lbs gone. That gave him a big boost because he is under the three number now. So pround of him. I am doing good but not as good as him. We still have sugar issues and this is my second round. We bought dates for one of the recipes and the package barely made it home. Thats not good, but we are learning. We talked about reintroduction. He definitely does not want to eat like he did before. He had alot of intestinal and digestion issues and those are virtually gone. No tiger blood for either of us hmmmhhh. But also virtually have had no sun so I think that isnt helping either. But its all good. I still need more water.

On Dave Ramsey LOVE him. When DH and I got married in 2002 we both had too much debt and our rating was in the 400s with help from our exes. Now we are credit card free and rating is over 800. It does work, especially if you both can get on board and work together

[River30]

Hi all! Haven't posted in a while but just wanted to check in as I've just completed Day 20. However, this W30 will officially not be "perfect" compliance

During the work event I had to go to, I was good until dessert -- a chocolatey thing came around, and as everyone else, including my bosses, started eating, I took one bite. It tasted bad to me, and I put the spoon down and didn't have any more. Then during the drinks portion of the night, I had half a cocktail, and put it down and drank club soda the rest of the night. It was interesting... what motivated me to cheat was (1) my plan from the beginning that I would allow myself one off-road during this event, and (2) social pressure, which I thought I was totally OVER, but turns out I'm not. 

Today was perfect compliance, and I'm planning to stay strong through the end and even add on a few more weeks because of my off-roading -- but I have to offer a warning to all...

Although it was a small slip/cheat whatever you want to call it -- it's true that just doing it once makes it even harder to stay compliant afterwards. The "all or nothing" sense of the program has been altered for me, and it is even more of a mental struggle to not give in to "what the hell, I'm almost done" and "well, that cheat didn't kill me, so what's another tiny bite of ___". If any of you are planning to off-road as part of your program, I would advise against it for this reason. 

HOWEVER -- it was also so liberating to take a tiny bite of the dessert, realize it was not worth it, and stop, when everyone around me was clearing their plates. It was nice to take a sip of the cocktail, think "I don't need this" and put it down halfway and move on. It was such a fancy event, I felt the need to take advantage of the decadence in some way -- but it really opened my eyes  to the fact that those things do not really make me feel better or happier. 

I feel a bit like a failure but hope you can all learn from me!

[MtnGoat]

@River30 - it's great that you are able to be completely honest with our group here and to warn us about the dangers of off roading. Keep soldiering on!! I find it incredible that I can just walk past the chocs at work and not even feel tempted but I just started reading about the reintroduction phase last night as I'm keen on having a glass of wine at some point. 

At the weekend I did a 7km obstacle course. I didn't eat for a couple of hours afterwards and didn't feel famished, so I'm happy that I am eating enough. But get this - I am really sweating, particularly during the night and sometimes after a meal. I looked it up in the forum and some suggest that this is a detox phase, possibly my hormones starting to reset. If that's the case, then I am more determined than ever to stay on course because maybe this is my body starting to adjust big time - after all, we were told it would take 3 weeks.  I don't know how long the sweats are gonna continue but I am seriously increasing my water intake to compensate 

Keep posting everyone! The finish line is in sight.

[elaes]

It's day 22 here. My folks came over last night, and everything went according to plan. The past couple of days were kind of rough, not in a specific way but generally I just wanted to be done with W30. I've just been lazy on my own food and doing the same old thing. Last night I chose to make the same food I made for everyone else W30 compliant for me...so satisfying and yummy! I bought a plantain yesterday; it helps to have something tasty to look forward to.

 

[asbren13]

Day 21 here. I have been suffering from crazy chocolate cravings. It got so bad I started looking up swypo brownie recipes, but distracted myself for long enough that the craving eventually diminished to a much easier level. My energy levels have been great. I have been sleeping so well and so much. I feel like most of my clothes are much looser on me which has been great. I didn't do this to lose weight but I think I'll be disappointed if I didn't lose much. I also think my skin is looking much better. I'm not sure I've hit tiger blood status yet, but there is still time. I am also getting so proud of willpower. I went on a double date last night and everyone had a drink besides me, but I didn't really care? The only thing I cared about was that my friend got fries that smelled amazing and my date's dinner looked phenomenal, but other than that it was totally manageable. Oh actually there was one part that was difficult. The waiter ignored my note about the perfectly plain hamburger, so I had to scrape everything off. I basically sliced off the top of my burger so that any remnants of the cheese and bacon were completely gone. Otherwise dinner went really well and I was able to handle asking for substitutions (since usually I hate being that person in the restaurant). Overall it was a good night

On another (maybe TMI note), I got my IUD removed earlier this week since I had such terrible symptoms on it and I was supposed to get my period yesterday. As of now, I still haven't gotten it, but I feel like I read that it's definitely possible for your cycle to change during the whole30? I am not sure, but I'm personally thrilled since my period was always coming slightly early. It's nice for it to come a bit later.

[Dannelle]

Happy day.... 21? I have sort of lost count which is amazing!!!! This no longer feels like "How many more days to I have to keep this up?" and more like " I Never want to eat food that makes me feel like crap again!" 

I'm not going to lie I really wanted to cheat and have a beer last night. A gorgeous day of yard work, followed with a relaxing and much deserved bonfire. A beer would have gone hand in hand, but then my husband asked me how many days I have left and if it was really worth it. THAT WAS ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR! We have come so far! I hope everyone is feeling great and sticking with it! 

NSV: I no longer feel like someone who lives to eat, but someone who eats to LIVE! 

NSV: Rocking a pair of skinny jeans I haven't worn in almost 3 years!

NSV: Other People are starting to notice the changes and complimenting me (feels pretty good!)

NSV: BUT MOSTLY I FEEL GREAT! I think I am a life long advocate for the whole 30!!!

I am a little nervous about what happens after day 30.  

[alexd8]

Day 22 complete! 

I've been eating lots of fruit, but not because I have the sugar dragon I just really love fruit. Also, a big fan of lightly salted almonds! I think I'm going to try and cut my fruit intake to the recommended 1-2 servings because I think eating so much could be contributing to my acne??? Not sure though. I know I say this in every post, but it's still there and I'm still hoping it clears up this week. Also I've been bloating a lot the past couple of days. Once again thinking it is the amount of fruit I am eating? Does anyone know if too much fruit can cause that? Otherwise, I am feeling great! Yesterday was a dance marathon at my university. I stood for 12 hours, packed some eggs, apples, and my friend brought me a contained with my lunch in it (chicken, carrots, tomatoes) so I could eat while there since the food they served was non-compliant. We raised over 1 million for children with cancer!!! Just wanted to share the little story, it was incredible! 

Happy so many people are still on-board! Almost there! Also, I am too a Whole30 advocate. I've never felt more confident and better inside and out. 

[SugarcubeOD]

36 minutes ago, alexd8 said:

Day 22 complete! 

I've been eating lots of fruit, but not because I have the sugar dragon I just really love fruit. Also, a big fan of lightly salted almonds! I think I'm going to try and cut my fruit intake to the recommended 1-2 servings because I think eating so much could be contributing to my acne??? Not sure though. I know I say this in every post, but it's still there and I'm still hoping it clears up this week. Also I've been bloating a lot the past couple of days. Once again thinking it is the amount of fruit I am eating? Does anyone know if too much fruit can cause that? Otherwise, I am feeling great! Yesterday was a dance marathon at my university. I stood for 12 hours, packed some eggs, apples, and my friend brought me a contained with my lunch in it (chicken, carrots, tomatoes) so I could eat while there since the food they served was non-compliant. We raised over 1 million for children with cancer!!! Just wanted to share the little story, it was incredible! 

Happy so many people are still on-board! Almost there! Also, I am too a Whole30 advocate. I've never felt more confident and better inside and out. 

Fruit AND nuts can be contributing to your bloating and skin issues... we recommend nuts are kept to a closed handful every second day at most.. a closed handful is about 8 almonds... Fruit should be 1-2 servings and only eaten WITH meals, not on it's own or as a 'dessert' replacement.  Try and change both those things and I think you'll feel better.

[alexd8]

5 minutes ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Fruit AND nuts can be contributing to your bloating and skin issues... we recommend nuts are kept to a closed handful every second day at most.. a closed handful is about 8 almonds... Fruit should be 1-2 servings and only eaten WITH meals, not on it's own or as a 'dessert' replacement.  Try and change both those things and I think you'll feel better.

Will definitely try and monitor how I feel!  Thank you!!!

[Dannelle]

22 hours ago, asbren13 said:

9 hours ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Fruit AND nuts can be contributing to your bloating and skin issues... we recommend nuts are kept to a closed handful every second day at most.. a closed handful is about 8 almonds... Fruit should be 1-2 servings and only eaten WITH meals, not on it's own or as a 'dessert' replacement.  Try and change both those things and I think you'll feel better.

Thank you for sharing this insight! I have not been enjoying my fruit correctly!

[andorya]

Day 23!  Still hanging in here. Reading through the posts I see that I am eating too many nuts!!  I don't think I have "tiger's blood" yet, but I am sleeping great and waking up rested and alert every day. Two things I hoped for with whole 30: less fatigue and better memory. I have obtained the first one. The second one not so much...maybe it is just age (but I'm only 40!).

I get the Whole 30 Digest and I ordered a book that was suggested: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything

Based on the reviews I think it will be both entertaining and useful. Sometimes, I think that I forget things more than I did in my twenties not because my brain is older, but because we live in the information age. I hate to admit it, but I don't even know my son's cell # and he doesn't know mine either. We don't need to recall the numbers, because they are programmed into our phones. 

Starting to think about the reintroduction phase. I need to look into the forums. I think there are a lot of resources here that I haven't yet accessed. Are you all planning to do a slow or more rapid re-intro? Any thoughts on which is better? 

Hang in there everyone! Glad to see so many of you are still here. 

[KYputerlady]

Day 22 Took a hike on our farm with my 7 year old grand daughter - it was fun.  Got a Wendy's hamburger with mustard & pickle - I threw the bun away. 

Day 23 Had a lamb roast for dinner with asparagus and baked potato. I understand now why they fixed the whole lamb at Passover there is not a lot of meat on a lamb. I have a lot of NSVs but improved sleep is not one of them.  Clothes are definitely not as tight as they were when I started and I have way more energy. So far I have been able to talk myself out of any cravings and my daughter taunting me to go off track. Still looking forward to the re-intro stage and I plan on doing a slow re-intro so I can figure out which foods are bogging me down.  Thanks for the input about the nuts I'll definitely slow down on them. I bought some almond butter at Sam's the other day, it is okay but I can't say I'm a fan. I do on occasion eat a couple of Brazil nuts in the afternoon if I get hungry especially if I'm going out on a service call and think I'll be gone for a while and may be late getting dinner ready.

I hope we all stay strong the last 7 days! I know a couple from church who made it to day 28 then decided to bail since it was only two more days.  For me it is more of a conquest to know I CAN do the full 30 days.

[MtnGoat]

I've noticed that the posts have dropped off significantly these past few days. I hope everyone is hanging in there...

So I made a huge pan of pulled pork carnitas at the weekend (a recipe from the W30 book). I'm not a fan of cinnamon but it adds an interesting layer of flavour and this is such a great dish that it's gonna keep ms going for a few days. I'm noticing how sweet some of the veggies taste, particularly pumpkin and turnip. 

At work today we had fruity Tuesday. Up to now I've been avoiding dates as I love them so much that I can eat a tonne. But i allowed myself a few from the fruit bowl, together with some melon and passion fruit. I consider this to be a slight transgression, so here I am owning up 

Looking forward to your posts. Just say hi if you're still with us.