First Time Doing Whole 30-starting April 24th!

[Zoniegirl]

Hi everyone, this is my first w30 and I started on Saturday, 4/22.  My experience so far has been different from how it is described in the book.  Days 1 and 2, I might have had some minor aches and pains and felt energetic but drained.  Overall, my side effects have not been as extreme as described or as severe as I anticipated.  

I've consistently had lots of energy and no cravings so far.  I've actually experienced the opposite...no interest in food whatsoever and I am a foodie.  I've had to force myself to eat 3 meals a day.  Day 2, I couldn't bear eating dinner and the only thing that sounded remotely appetizing was celery, carrots and a thumb of almond butter.  Last night, I split my dinner with a friend and could have gone without it completely.  I read the book about this issue and it says to keep eating 3 meals a day per the template as that is the minimum required.  Very bizarre.  

I am a little concerned because I am exercising and want to make sure I am getting enough calories.  I'm not doing anything strenuous, just walking 3.2 miles a day.  I've thought about adding a gym workout (elliptical and bike), but haven't done that yet.  Bottom line is, I feel great eating like this and I have so far cured my binging/cravings.  If the rest of the time goes like this, I think I'll keep doing it as I've got a lot of extra weight/fat to lose.

i enjoyed reading all of the posts and look forward to supporting all of you, as well as sharing my journey with you.  Let's keep at it!

[melatx]

Hello everyone! I just started my first Whole 30 yesterday (4/24). So far, so good. No surprise to you all, but a lot of time on food planning and preparation, which I can handle at the moment because work is slow, but I can understand how people can't keep up with it all. I hope to learn enough over this process to understand my preferred meals/ ingredients, which will make future planning and preparation easier. I am keeping a food diary of sorts to track meals and my comments to the recipe. I'm proud I've eaten breakfast and brought lunch to work both days! Those were two very bad habits of mine - not eating breakfast and/ or pushing lunch; and when hungry always going for something fast and unhealthy. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner all "planned" for the most part, so that alleviates some daily stress and that age old question of "what are we going to eat?".  Good luck to all!

[JustJudy]

Hi all!

I started on April 21 so i am 5 days in, but haven't found a support group. I've had great luck and dont feel much withdrawl symptoms. Could be because I've done the Dukan diet before which is similar but doesn't allow for fruits or starchy veggies like potatoes. Do find that i kind of want to be a recluse. I don't work outside the home and it seems easier to stay in and cook my own food. I wrnt on a 3 mike hike today and afterwards my friends wanted to get ice cream, i watched her eat and drank a water  Tomorrow i have dinner plans but dining with a friend who is also doing the challenge so i should have some support.

Sleep well tonight all. ❤

[brittanyxo]

19 hours ago, Zoniegirl said:

 Overall, my side effects have not been as extreme as described or as severe as I anticipated.  

If you were in good shape before you started your Whole 30, that would be why your "hangover" isn't so severe. She mentions in the book that your hangover "badness" will be directly correlated with how poorly you ate before your Whole 30.

For example, I started my first Whole 30 after Halloween in 2015, and I had been eating like absolute garbage. I couldn't even get out of bed on day 2. But if you have a relatively healthy/active lifestyle, your hangover wouldn't be so bad.

[JustJ]

Hi everyone! I started Tuesday after recovering from the flu Monday morning... is it weird to be anxiously awaiting this "hangover"? It hasn't come yet and I'm nervous!! 

This week I'm sticking to simple foods (chicken, eggs, turkey burgers and veggies). I did attempt my first homemade guacamole last night and it was not terrible! I'm hoping this weekend I'll expand my culinary skills..

I'm wondering "what is too much fruit"? I have cut up a few oranges and have grapes packed to go with lunch and a pre-dinner snack. Is this what is delaying a headache? Am I over thinking this??

feeling great thus far... bring on Day 3! 

Im looking forward to staying in touch on this new journey! 

[Potion One]

I hope I'm doing it all correctly!  I'm not finding it too difficult as I'm used to cooking a lot, and like I said, the only real issued for me is alcohol  -so far, so good on that particular front.  I absolutely adore the home made mayonnaise, ketchup and ghee!  The mayonnaise is so easy to make!  I haven't eaten mayo in years, so it's a real treat.  I'm also enjoying the chocolate,coconut Larabars, but I am not stocking up on those, because it seems like it can become a crutch or an addiction - they are delicious!!

You guys doing multiple Whole30s are awesome indeed.  I'd like to hear about your results, especially weight loss.  My quest is is weight loss without starvation.  Also trying to clear up some unusual itches and bumps on my arms and legs.  The dermatologist called it some long name and gave me some cream, but I'm wondering the underlying cause - she said the cause is not known.  I am an IIN grad, a certified holistic Health Coach, and I feel I've really gotten out of balance with my food, and need to get back on track.  

So today I went to yoga class - the first time in 2 week since I was away.  People commented on my weight loss! Yay! I can't really discern, but they don't even know I'm trying, so something must be showing.  

In response to Shan 79  I'm not feeling an emotional roller coaster.  I'm feeling great. Hungry right now, so off to the kitchen to make Easy Balsamic Roasted Chicken, I'm trying the recipe on Real Food with Dana website.  I'm not counting the days particularly, I know this first stint ends May 21 - that's all I need.

[JessTaylor]

Hi all!

I started Saturday, April 22nd but couldn't find another thread with that start date so I'm joining here! I just couldn't wait until Monday. Hope you don't mind.  

So I'm on Day 5 here and super excited! I've been pouring over forums and basically been glued to my laptop these past few days researching all of the dos and don'ts, recipes and what others have experienced! My husband and I also watched the Documentary "Fed Up" on Netflix which was GREAT motivation and just super informative - and super emotional if you relate to being a "fat kid" in school. 

I read about Whole30 and got into the grainfree/paleo world a few years ago, since then I went completely gluten free (I have celiac) and organic and cut out all artificial foods and high fructose corn syrup - I slowly started replacing my cane sugar with coconut sugar, maple syrup, honey. I've been in the pastry business for a few years and then chef at a couple of places so to say my life has always revolved around food is an understatement. For as long as I can remember it was an addiction. I do blame this on my mom... but then the government/food industry for tricking her into feeding me yoohoos, McDonalds, Taco Bell and frozen crap for every meal. I definitely became addicted to sugar very young.

Anyway, even though I switched to an almost paleo diet, all organic, and switched to more "natural, mineral rich, low glycemic" sugars, I've found that I've GAINED weight and my acne still has not completely gone away that I've struggled with since middle school. I've also increased my fruit intake a lot, as I Manage a Project Juice in SF (gluten free, dairy free, cane sugar free, soy free, peanut free juice/smoothie/snack bar) and have a lot of smoothies/ acai bowls. I'm having a hard time figuring out what to drink/eat at work as that has made up 1-2 of my meals everyday for the past few months (untill the 22nd obviously).

So anyway - I've always wanted to do a Whole30 but was was never ready to commit until now! I know that being 25 it's time for me to really take control into my own hands and stop blaming it on the way I was raised - I have to figure out how to have healthy relationship with food.

I am so excited to "slay my sugar dragon". It's actually almost bringing me to tears today because I AM SO PROUD OF US. Food has always had control over me, especially sweets. I'm on day 5 and I have been so happy since day 1, it just feels so good to take care of myself in this way. I have experienced soreness/aches and pains, mild headaches and fatigue. I've had great energy since day 3 though - At least after my bulletproof coffee kicks in (which I now get excited for every night before bed, ha). 

Sorry for the long introduction!! I've been bottling this up for a few days! I'm excited to get to know you all a bit and continue this awesome journey with you all!

Cheers!

Jessica 

[JessTaylor]

21 hours ago, Zoniegirl said:

Hi everyone, this is my first w30 and I started on Saturday, 4/22.  My experience so far has been different from how it is described in the book.  Days 1 and 2, I might have had some minor aches and pains and felt energetic but drained.  Overall, my side effects have not been as extreme as described or as severe as I anticipated.  

I've consistently had lots of energy and no cravings so far.  I've actually experienced the opposite...no interest in food whatsoever and I am a foodie.  I've had to force myself to eat 3 meals a day.  Day 2, I couldn't bear eating dinner and the only thing that sounded remotely appetizing was celery, carrots and a thumb of almond butter.  Last night, I split my dinner with a friend and could have gone without it completely.  I read the book about this issue and it says to keep eating 3 meals a day per the template as that is the minimum required.  Very bizarre.  

I am a little concerned because I am exercising and want to make sure I am getting enough calories.  I'm not doing anything strenuous, just walking 3.2 miles a day.  I've thought about adding a gym workout (elliptical and bike), but haven't done that yet.  Bottom line is, I feel great eating like this and I have so far cured my binging/cravings.  If the rest of the time goes like this, I think I'll keep doing it as I've got a lot of extra weight/fat to lose.

i enjoyed reading all of the posts and look forward to supporting all of you, as well as sharing my journey with you.  Let's keep at it!

Hi Zoniegirl! I started the 22nd too, yay! Wow, I can't imagine not being hungry! I have been soooo hungry. (But of course we are all different). I wonder if it has something to do with our cycles/hormones. As I know that for me, certain times of the month I don't have much of an appetite. I'm kind of nervous to see what kind of ups and downs my PMDD puts me through during this month. 

Hope your appetite comes back soon! Always annoying have to force yourself to eat something that doesn't sound exciting. 

[brittanyxo]

2 hours ago, Potion One said:

 I'd like to hear about your results, especially weight loss.  My quest is is weight loss without starvation.  

Hey! Congrats on your fabulous start! One of my favourite parts of Whole30 is knowing I'm doing my body SO good, and NEVER feeling hungry. However, I know many moderators comment that they strongly discourage talking about/focusing on weight loss. Yes, it's inevitable for a lot of Whole30'ers, but if you are focusing on weight loss, it will take away from your non-scale victories! Maybe check out my post from my first Whole 30, and try and watch out for some of those other things too throughout your journey! I know when I started I was doing it purely for weight loss, but that doesn't help with long term changes and focus. Good luck!

 

[85MotherOf4AK]

25 minutes ago, brittanyxo said:

 I'd like to hear about your results, especially weight loss.  My quest is is weight loss without starvation.  

This is my fifth whole 30. My very first one I lost 15.5 lbs and 15.5 inches! 

My second one I lost 9lbs. 

After that I didn't track weight but focused on NSV! My third time was right before my getaway anniversary and my fourth one was during this last pregnancy. Both had great results for me.

now on to round Five. I will add that I snacked a lot during 1st, 4th and now 5th due to breastfeeding and pregnancy, and still had great results!

[Zoie]

Hi All! I'm starting my second round of Whole30 today! This was the closest forum that fit my start date. The first time I did Whole30 I lost almost 15 pounds and felt amazing. I have been making some bad food and drink choices lately so I'm excited to get back into the Whole30. I have gained 5 pounds back but am still happy with the other 10 off! Good luck to everybody! 

[Zoniegirl]

3 hours ago, JessTaylor said:

Hi Zoniegirl! I started the 22nd too, yay! Wow, I can't imagine not being hungry! I have been soooo hungry. (But of course we are all different). I wonder if it has something to do with our cycles/hormones. As I know that for me, certain times of the month I don't have much of an appetite. I'm kind of nervous to see what kind of ups and downs my PMDD puts me through during this month. 

Hope your appetite comes back soon! Always annoying have to force yourself to eat something that doesn't sound exciting. 

Hi Jess, thanks for your comments and input!  It seems to be a little better today, appetite, that is.  I think you are right that it is hormone related.  The book says it may take a bit to get regulated properly.  I'm just not used to not being hungry because ordinarily, I've got the appetite of a bear.  Hope you and everyone else have great results on this plan.

Day 5 is good so far.  I walked 3.2 miles this morning and had veggies and eggs for breakfast, canned chicken/mayo and salad with veggies for lunch, and dinner is steak with guacamole, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.  It is so freeing to eat only 3 times a day and to not have the cravings.  I used to eat 6 small meals a day and was hungry all of the time.

Greetings and support to all!  Let's keep at it!

 

 

[Zoniegirl]

6 hours ago, brittanyxo said:

If you were in good shape before you started your Whole 30, that would be why your "hangover" isn't so severe. She mentions in the book that your hangover "badness" will be directly correlated with how poorly you ate before your Whole 30.

For example, I started my first Whole 30 after Halloween in 2015, and I had been eating like absolute garbage. I couldn't even get out of bed on day 2. But if you have a relatively healthy/active lifestyle, your hangover wouldn't be so bad.

Thanks for your input!  Over the last year, I've  been alternating between dieting (with lots of protein bars, powders, veggies and meat and dairy, but no fruit or carbs) and binging and losing and gaining the same 15 pounds; hence, my desire for "food freedom".  I wish you lots of success!

[Potion One]

1 hour ago, brittanyxo said:

but if you are focusing on weight loss, it will take away from your non-scale victories! 

Thanks, Brittany, yes I have read enough on the boards that I realize this part.  I should give you a little more information.  I am post menopausal (I hate to say for how long - teehee).  Obesity has been an issue in my family.  When I was thirty and pregnant with my 3rd child, I gained about 60 lbs.  After that pregnancy, I starved myself and took the weight off.  I managed to maintain for about 25 years, crash dieting as the weight would creep up.  However, during menopause I gained about 50 lbs.  No matter what I had done in the past to lose weight, after menopause, the game changes, and none of my tried and true methods worked.  At that time I went on the Weight Watchers original points program, and it took me 2.5 years to lose that weight.  But I did lose it, and I felt a lot better, but it was not clean eating, and I was hungry a lot of the time, and guess what? the weight kept  creeping back up.

My husband passed almost 7 years ago, when he passed I was grief stricken and my body weight melted away.  I got down to a size 6 - where I had never been before, and I was eating whatever pleased me, and drinking as much wine as I wanted,  because I felt as though I deserved it.  Now here it is 7 years later and I am no longer in a state of acute grief.  Unfortunately I'm back in size 12, some size  10s still fit, but snug.  I've been trying for a couple of years to get motivated to take the weight off, but I could not consider "depriving" myself of anything.  I even tried joining a gym;  I found out I am so not a gym person.  I like yoga and meditation, and "clean" thinking.  The upside is that at the gym, I met a woman who was doing Whole30.  I thought it sounded like deprivation and did not think about it again until I purchased an Instant Pot and started searching for recipes on the web, which led me to Paleo websites and eventually to the Whole30 program.  So, I decided to give Whole30 a whirl.  I have been breaking out on my arms with all sorts of weird itchy stuff, and even though in the past the extra pounds would go right into my hips and backside, now I have developed a belly.  OMG I never had a belly before. I know I'm out of balance. I should confess that I'm 72 years old.  I don't take any meds, I love eating lots of vegetables, I'm into essential oils and natural healing techniques.  The trouble is that for most of my life, food has been a "reward".  So even though I want to lose weight, realigning, and shifting my relationship with food is  is my goal here.  I'm looking forward to many NSV's,  but for now, If I appear to others as though have lost weight,  I'll take it as a big YAY.

Thanks for pointing me to your post, it's inspiring.  I need all the inspiration and support I can get at this point, and I appreciate your interest and your effort to point me in the correct direction.    

[brittanyxo]

@Potion One The fact that you've never given up on yourself is a huge win on it's own! I completely understand where you're coming from, where it's not necessarily how much you weigh, but how you feel at that weight. I have a similar issue with unexplained bumps and redness on my upper arms, they only appeared when I started getting heavier, I think it is a physical manifestation of the chronic inflammation happening inside my body. I hope the Whole 30 provides some relief/answers for both of us!

I think the greatest thing about Whole 30 is the "never being deprived" feeling. Because once you're done, you know that you never have to count calories or your portions to succeed, just choose the right food!

Good luck on your journey!!

[Potion One]

20 hours ago, JustJudy said:

started on April 21 so i am 5 days

Hey girl, I am right at the same point as you are as I started on the 21st as well.   My name is Judy, too!  I would not relish drinking water while my friend enjoyed ice cream, so good for you that you have enough determination to enable you to do that.  And how nice for you that you have a friend on the journey as well.  Like you, I was eating healthy (kind of) before starting the challenge, so I haven't felt any side effects either.    Good luck to both of us.

[DomProf]

Hey everyone. Hope all of my new best friends are doing well. It is a little late to post but I still have 15 min in the day for my update.

Today is Day 3 for me and has been (mostly) another success - food and exercise wise. It was tricky because I really felt hungry for the middle part of the day. In a low moment I found and ate a mini twix bar in my desk... the moment of weakness really bugs me so I wanted to own up here.  Either way, I rallied this evening. Great dinner & super long walk. Am making sure tomorrow goes more smoothly: making a crockpot full of carrot / ginger soup, got some compliant sausages, and better waters to drink (unsweetened seltzers).

Good luck tomorrow!

Even if it does not get easier, we are all getting stonger.

[britgirl]

On 25 April 2017 at 9:09 PM, OSU_EMM said:

Oh wow! Kudos to you! I am on my second Whole 30. When I got to day 30, I honestly wouldn't have had a problem continuing. At day 10, you can't wait for day 30 but by about day 20, you realize you couldn't totally handle longer. I am not sure I could go 120 days though. That is pretty awesome. I wish you the best of luck! Especially considering this isn't your first Whole30, I am confident you can do it. 

Hi all

yep @OSU_EMM you're so right - you get into coast mode as you go thru and feel massively better, and get familiar with a few complient meals and how much you need and "treat food " desire sort of falls away so it really does get easier. 

And it's worth clocking in your head about now that the reintro takes 10 days at its shortest, and is the most brilliantly useful bit. I've blown this before by only allowing 30 days pre an event and we really need to allow for 40. Don't want to depress anyone but it's good to have a clear plan so you don't miss the best bit after all the hard work. 

But.......if we ignore what I just said.......were already 10% through!!

Have a good day all. After skipping through 3 days I've woken up with Thor's hammer. I'm supposed to be killing all the things!! Always was a late developer. I love the timeline! 

[jmcbn]

4 hours ago, DomProf said:

In a low moment I found and ate a mini twix bar in my desk...

Oh no! That covers just about every off plan food...!! What's your plan? Are you starting over? 

[DomProf]

@jmcbn- I am not sure about starting over. I think points 1-3 say yes but #4 really resonates.  In that moment I really learned a lot and took proactive steps to ensure it can't & won't happen again.

By bringing it up on the forum I wanted to acknowledge I am not Facebook or Instagram perfect all the time but I am still really trying to learn something new.

Not sure if it this will cause me to be shunned here but I am going to talk it over with my Whole30 partner, decide, accept, and move on.

[jmcbn]

No one will (or should!) shun you here because of your decision @DomProf - just be aware that by ingesting gluten, soy, dairy and possibly HFCS & vanilla extract , but definitely sugar, your re-set will have been re-set. Unfortunately the gut can not distinguish between an accidental or a purposeful ingestion, or a large or small amount. And since gluten, soy & dairy in particular are known to be disruptive to the gut at the very least you should consider adding some days on...

Hope this helps 

[OSU_EMM]

On to day 5...

I have been having a rough week. I feel like I have no energy and struggle to get up in the morning which is not normal for me. I also have been having a lot of headaches. Nothing too severe but I rarely ever get them. Hopefully my body is just adjusting and it will all pass soon. I did all my meal planning for next week and will be heading to the store today. Trying some new recipes which I am excited about. 

Hope you all are doing well.

[brittanyrmhf]

Hi everyone!  I wanted to introduce myself quick as I also started my first round of Whole30 on Monday the 24th!  One of my main goals in doing W30 is to find out what is triggering my adult acne.  I am 25yrs old and breaking out worse now than I did when I was a teenager (its not terrible, but when you are a 25yr old professional it defiantly bothers you).  In addition, I tend to have some digestive issues and have a sensitive stomach so I am curios to take away all the known inflammatory foods and see what happens.  

 

I am on day and have to say that I am doing pretty darn well!  I was a healthy eater before starting Whole30 but wanted to kick it up a notch (I think that really helped).  One thing that I have noticed is I am slightly more irritable than normal.  Generally, I am a pretty patient person and it takes a lot to get under my skin - this week..... thats a little different haha 

 

Now the real challenge....the weekend!! 

[brittanyxo]

On 4/27/2017 at 1:03 AM, britgirl said:

you get into coast mode as you go thru and feel massively better,

This is what I'm hoping for! (I'm the one trying to do 120). I always felt in my previous Whole 30's that is was easy enough to 'force' my way through it because it was 'just 30 days'. Then I just slipped right back into old habits when it was over. On my second round, it was Valentine's Day about a week later, and on Day 32 I went and picked up a box of chocolates... DOH! I really feel that 120 days will not only amplify every single amazing feeling/non-scale victory, but it will help permanently adjust my food habits! Also, I bought the Whole 30 Cookbook, so I'm going to try a few new recipes I wouldn't normally go for, because I have so much more time to fill! The more I try, the less I will have an excuse to go off track because the food is too repetitive.

[brittanyxo]

22 minutes ago, brittanyrmhf said:

One thing that I have noticed is I am slightly more irritable than normal.  

Hahahaha. Hi Brittany, Brittany here, it's so on point for day 4. I was you the past two days, everyone annoyed me and my poor boyfriend got the brunt end of it. I am normally the softy, easy-going one, but the first week of Whole 30, I'm a irritated mini-monster!

Don't worry... It goes away!!!