Start date June 1st

[Ginsky]

@jiffylush, what is in the sausage, hashbrowns, and ketchup that you are reintroducing?  Sugar?  

@Lizzard, I am not sure how many of us there are left here as we near the end but I'm hoping the quietness of the thread is that people are coasting through these last days.  

@Pippin1, I hope you enjoy the eggs!  

Thanks, @Jane3797, I'm glad you got so much out of this journey too.  

So another day is done and I'm feeling pretty good and looking forward to tomorrow, sort of.  I told myself I was going to take it easy tonight on the aerial equipment but of course I didn't and already don't want to get out of bed tomorrow.  Time to have a shower and stretch before I fall asleep right where I'm sitting.  

[Fiddi]

 

@Lizzard  That's great that your husband said your face was thinner!  My aunt asked me if I was losing weight and my husband told me I was hot.  lol  I started laughing because I haven't heard that in a long time.  He was probably just trying to encourage me in his own special way.

@Ginsky I'm sorry about the coconut.  I am nervous about the re-intro because I don't want to find any food sensitivities.  I would hate to find I'm sensitive to one of my favorite foods or flavors.  But, after this Whole30, I do feel more empowered to deal with any eating modifications I might have to make.  And also - chocolate chili?!  That sounds wonderful.  I love Mole sauce.  If you're not familiar, Its a spicy brown sauce made with chilies, peanuts and chocolate.  So good.  I wonder if there's a Whole30 substitute recipe out there...

 

On 6/24/2017 at 4:24 PM, WholeCourtney said:

That does stink!  

With only 6 days to go I think Im going to miss the rules and rigidity of the program. Something I did NOT think I would be saying lol. I am very interested to see what foods I might reintroduce to my diet and what will be no-no's. We're almost there ladies!

@WholeCourtney I am really going to miss the rules and rigidity as well.  I'm in the middle of reading It Starts with Food, and am very anxious to read Food Freedom Forever.  I think that will help me to continue eating in a mindful manner without the rigidity of Whole30.  I do fear going off the deep end.  My focus is on trying to avoid the diseases that run in my family.  I have to keep the end goal in mind.  I've found Whole30 is an easy way to live life, but I know it's not realistic to eat like this forever.  I have to get that knowledge and control.

 

On 6/25/2017 at 6:43 PM, Ginsky said:

Looks like my ninja blender does indeed give a creamier mayo.  The stick blender does a great job but the ninja still beats it.  I will probably use the stick blender much of the time since it's a faster process plus easier clean up.  

For the life of me, I cannot make mayo!!!  I have a vitamix.  The first time I tried, I think it was coming out perfectly on a low speed.  Then I decided to up the speed and the mayo "broke".  The second time was with coconut oil and was an expensive, complete disaster.  That was on a lower speed without raising the speed.  Today I tried again.  I googled what speed I should use and Vitamix said to put in the initial ingredients, raise the speed to 10, lower to 8, and then pour in the rest of the oil.  Liquid.  This last one is in the refrigerator because I'm going to try to fix it tomorrow, probably in vain.  Every time I waited for the eggs to come to room temp.  I have no idea what I'm doing wrong.  Ugh!

 

On 6/25/2017 at 9:52 PM, Jim4884 said:

I feel your pain.  I wish I had better words of wisdom than to lower your expectations - but I've learned, and accepted this.

I have also learned to bring my own salad dressing to restaurants and use that on meat when necessary.  I've gotten used to the looks   

@Jim4884 I haven't gotten my act together enough to take my  own salad dressing, but now that you mention using it on meats, that something I will definitely look into.  Genious!

 

On 6/25/2017 at 9:58 PM, SugarcubeOD said:

Ya, so this is absolutely related to your not eating enough... and if you did that for an entire week where you didn't eat template meals, your body is going to start to conserve energy for vital functions.  Tiger blood week is not guaranteed regardless of what you eat.. if you eat low volume, lots of fruit and nuts on their own (not saying you did, just giving all the info for others reading), skip meals etc... you absolutely will not feel good. 'Tiger Blood' is actually the result of fat adaptation... you can't acheive this if you spend a week undereating... 

@SugarcubeOD You are right.  I've now planned heartier meals and my energy is back.  I've always loved cooking and generally have a decent diet, but I have always had trouble with balance.  I would always concentrate on the main protein, rarely the sides.  Now, with my Whole30 experience, I have found myself seeking out vegetables to include.  Vegetables were so far out of my mind before it wasn't even funny.  Now, I have eaten a plate full of broccoli without even thinking about it.  NEVER before has that happened.  I think an issue I'm having is too much fat or not enough fat with every meal.  Overall, balance is still a problem, but I'm working on it and it's moving in the right direction.

 

Re-introduction - it surprises me to say that I'm not feeling the need to reintroduce anything except one thing.  I really want to reintroduce the social aspect of having wine or a cocktail with my husband or friends.  We became empty-nesters three years ago.  We have rediscovered our dating life, and in this area the wine bars and draught houses are wonderful.  Plus, once a week my husband and I would have an at-home date night with a cocktail.  Luckily, I've still been able to go to these venues and enjoy a club soda with lime.  In reality, the lack of an alcoholic beverage didn't really make that much of a difference when I think about it, but it will be nice when I'm able to have what everyone else is having.  Again - I don't want to mindlessly fall into this aspect of my life either.  I'll have to take each situation one by one, but who knows, maybe I won't like cocktails as much after all.  I doubt it, but maybe.

I think some very interesting times are coming up with reintroduction.  I'm trying not to be leery of it.

 

[Kaylee1]

Hi everyone

I had a food dream last night ! More like a nightmare. I had eaten some cookies that a friend offered me, and I couldn't believe it. I was saying to myself, it's day 28, couldn't I have waited. Boy was I glad to wake up

So I'm nervous about reintroduction- still not sure how to start. One thing I think I will start with is using ingredients that have some added sugar- for some reason, in my area it's really hard to find tomato sauce or paste without added sugar. So instead of running around to different stores, I'll just use what's available. 

My husband really apreciated having fresh cooked meals every day, so I definitely think we'll be keeping on with those.

I've discovered two things that don't agree with me - hard boiled eggs (I've had either scrambled, or frittatas and that's fine) , and cabbage.

good luck with day 29!

[Pippin1]

All is well with me and I'm eating from the freezer which is great, having made extra portions.  I'm thinking I'll go another couple of weeks before re-intro and will then start with gluten-free grain.  It seems the coconut amino slip-up may not be a deal breaker after all but even if I'm in the clear I think the extra 2 weeks will do me and my joints some good.  I'm also going to take a bit longer between re-intro days to assess the changes as I sometimes get delayed reactions.

So it will be a month or so before I release myself into the wild - with the intention of keeping the paleo faith 90% of the time.  A big plus for me is the lack of cravings - and when I get an urge to overeat it's just so much easier to ignore.

@ginsky

[Pippin1]

Whoops, premature button pressing....

@Ginsky How are your muscles today?  Life without coconut doesn't seem to be affecting your aerial ways.  I've still got to get out and buy spinach for those green eggs, so will enjoy that one at the weekend.

@Fiddi I like the idea of reintroducing a social aspect to your life.  My chap is also enjoying all the different foods; which is a bit of a shame in terms of leftovers for my breakfast.  Shame about your mayo - my regular food processor did the trick and I make sure all ingredients are the same temperature and oil is drizzed super slow but I imagine you're doing all of that.

@Kaylee1 Well if there's something that doesn't agree with you, cabbage has to be a good one Assuming, of course, it's not one of your all time favourite 'go to' foods.  Hope you get better dreams tonight.

 

[HopingtoHeal]

I've been pretty wiped out the last 2 days between cramps and headaches and lower back ache. I slept off the headache this morning so breakfast was more like brunch which has made lunch just some apple and cashew butter (at 3.30pm) as I don't really feel I need a meal before dinner, having eaten so late this morning. We'll see how that pans out! I'm a bit gutted to have lost the joy and excitement of the last two days and the end-in-sight feeling of accomplishment, I have literally just been surviving the last couple of days. That said I have done well with meals other than my odd timings today. I had a work away day and a BBQ with friends in the evening so I had 2 meals in social settings and both went fine. Feeling ready for reintroduction now although I do think I will stick paleo at least 80% of the time under normal circumstances. I have seen too much progress in my symptoms to just go back to old habits... just got to get through a week of camp first!

[Srini]

One more day to go..... feeling strong and good. Cannot wait to weigh myself - i know i have lost some weight. Perfect timing ..... have vacations coming up in July and mid August. Thinking of doing the second Whole 30 round starting October 1..... any takers ????

[Jane3797]

@HopingtoHeal I am sorry you are suffering so badly, but you made me realize that I can be too accepting of a difficult time.  I have been in dire straits the last few days.  Maybe a delayed carb flu?  Anyway I am happy for your stamina and agree that we will take many good lessons with us for keeps.

@Srini Yes October 1 sounds good to me now, if not sooner.  I have yet to do a full-compliant because of the adrenal burnout but have felt in the last weeks better without the protein shake.  In fact I found a hemp shake which was acceptable as far as ingredients go (not the one with second ingredient listing as 'divers vegetable products') and noticed a big difference from chewing a breakfast of eggs, avocado, bacon and a few scoops of zucchini soup.  Meaning that I am doing well without it.  Keep in touch if you'd like as to how you're doing over the summer:  [email protected]

[Shawnni]

Hi all. I weighed in this morning. I'm pleased with the results but this trip has me concerned. Only three heads of cos lettuce for the next 10 days ☹️ I'm down 7.5lbs 

 

[HopingtoHeal]

Great news on the weight loss @Shawnni and congrats on reaching your day30!!!!

It is scary to be taking a trip right at reintroduction time, I'm in the same boat. Have you much of a plan in place?

[Jane3797]

@Pippin1 There is an adrenal burn-out protocol.  In a nutshell one must take in 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking every day.  This kicks in muscular energy as opposed to hormonal energy that has over time created the burnout.  It takes a long time to reverse.  There is a lot of guidance available on the internet and a great book available from the library, called The Adrenal Protocol, I believe.  The Whole30 is also excellent in that without sugar n the diet and a good amount of fat at each meal we learn to burn fat for energy as opposed to sugar.  I was not able to eat 30 grams of protein first thing in the morning.  I experienced esophageal stricture every time I tried!  This is not new for me but certainly was at that time.  I now can eat a good breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon or sausage, avocado, and a vegetable, usually broccoli or stringbeans or cauliflower, and cooked in ghee with some ghee on top.  I have lost some weight and lost a nasty acid reflux I suffered from for many years.   The protein shake I found most pure and in compliance despite not being a chewed meal is the hemp shake from GNC.  Unfortunately for Manitoba Harvest they did not respond to my inquiry about the ingredients in their hemp shake, so I have to assume it is pea protein or something else I can't have.

[HopingtoHeal]

We made it to Day 30!!! Hope your days are all going well. I stuck with my favourite omelette for breakfast and lunch was broccoli and cauliflower soup with a wee plate of avocado, tomato, raspberries and nectarine, it's lacking in protein I know, I know! Dinner will be a jacket potato with tuna mayo, salad and homemade coleslaw. Definitely feeling intrigues about what the number on my measuring tape with be in the morning. We don't own scales so I won't know weight loss and I only took one measurement, I don't think I anticipated the scale of change that would happen in my body! Hope everyone is feeling good!

[Pippin1]

12 hours ago, Jane3797 said:

@Pippin1 There is an adrenal burn-out protocol.  In a nutshell one must take in 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking every day.  This kicks in muscular energy as opposed to hormonal energy that has over time created the burnout.  It takes a long time to reverse.  There is a lot of guidance available on the internet and a great book available from the library, called The Adrenal Protocol, I believe.  The Whole30 is also excellent in that without sugar n the diet and a good amount of fat at each meal we learn to burn fat for energy as opposed to sugar.  I was not able to eat 30 grams of protein first thing in the morning.  I experienced esophageal stricture every time I tried!  This is not new for me but certainly was at that time.  I now can eat a good breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon or sausage, avocado, and a vegetable, usually broccoli or stringbeans or cauliflower, and cooked in ghee with some ghee on top.  I have lost some weight and lost a nasty acid reflux I suffered from for many years.   The protein shake I found most pure and in compliance despite not being a chewed meal is the hemp shake from GNC.  Unfortunately for Manitoba Harvest they did not respond to my inquiry about the ingredients in their hemp shake, so I have to assume it is pea protein or something else I can't have.

@Jane3797 thanks so much for taking the time to put this together.  I'm forwarding to my friend who will, I know, be very grateful.

@Srini and @Jane3797 - I think I'll join you in October.  I plan to spend the next month reintroducing, then will go freestyle August and September - seeing if I can retain a paleo approach for the majority of the time.

@HopingtoHeal That's not nice having bad back and head, but you made it to the 30 and it sounds like your tape measure is about to tell you some good news.  I too don't weigh myself - and didn't measure anything - and don't wear tight clothes!  So I'm going to go with the mirror and the fact that my pyjames seem to be hanging a bit looser.  Simple pleasures.  Just dinner to go and Day 30 is in the bag.

@Shawnni Thoughts will be with you as you hit the road.  It would be great to hear how you get on.  7.5 lbs is a nice result.

I'

[Pippin1]

What is it with me and sending messages too soon?  I'm interested to see that I now have 3 dots and am showing as an advanced member.  Does anyone know how that works?  I thought the 2 dots meant it was my second whole 30 and that's where it would stay.  But apparently not.

[SugarcubeOD]

7 minutes ago, Pippin1 said:

What is it with me and sending messages too soon?  I'm interested to see that I now have 3 dots and am showing as an advanced member.  Does anyone know how that works?  I thought the 2 dots meant it was my second whole 30 and that's where it would stay.  But apparently not.

Haha... nope, you become an advanced member after a certain number of posts... I wish our forum was smart enough to know how many Whole30's you've done...

You can put that in your signature if you wanted tho

[WholeCourtney]

Day 30!! I'm so proud I could burst. I've planned out my structured reintroduction and will stick to a Paleo-centric diet moving forward. 

I actually had an appointment with a nutritionist the other day (appointment scheduled pre-Whole30 through my reproductive endocrinologists office) and she was super impressed with my diet and loved that I will be sticking with no gluten and little to no dairy, something she recommends to all of her patients. It was nice to get in person feedback from an expert and some guidance on a post Whole30 diet. 

I can't wait for my weigh in and measurements tomorrow morning....and Im REALLY looking forward to floating in the pool with an alcoholic beverage and reveling in my awesomeness

[Ginsky]

@Fiddi, I've come to appreciate the challenges to discover and create new recipes and even new foods and ingredients I never would have if I hadn't been pushed.  You seem to have a good attitude to deal with whatever you discover.  There's no point in missing something that has actually been taking health, joy, and comfort away from your life.  I've made mole sauce before, improvised on my own but I bet there are recipes out there for it.  

@Kaylee1, good luck with your reintroduction process, whichever order you decide to do it.  Your dream made me smile, it's funny how we think about what we're doing in dreams.  

@Pippin1, thanks for asking.  Aerial was fun as usual.  I have been stretching extra ever since.  My muscles, unfortunately, are tense but that's from something that happened yesterday morning that left me stressed.  

@HopingtoHeal, I'm happy to read that you have experienced good benefits from the past 30 days and are inspired and empowered to move forward to hang onto your good feelings.  

@Srini, congratulations and have a wonderful vacation time!  

@Jane3797, I'm sorry about the shake issues and hope you can find something that works for you.  It's been really wonderful having you here so I'm glad you stayed with us through these 30 days.  

@WholeCourtney, enjoy your poolside drinks tomorrow, or in-pool drinks!  That's great that the nutritionist is so happy about your diet and I do hope you have continuing success toward your ultimate goal.  

I'm still around, also been pulling things from the freezer from past meals a lot and making simple things like eggs, steak, soup, salads, etc.  I had a rough morning yesterday, stumbled into something terribly violent while out running errands and kind of got caught in the middle of other people's ill behavior.  One of those innocent bystander things.  It left me so tense  and shaken.  I went to acupuncture and am still just trying to break the tension in my neck and shoulders and killer headache that goes with it.  I kind of hate people right now.  I stayed true to my Whole30 even though i still want to cry over a series of non-compliant items I won't name.  I am rethinking my original plan to reintro sweeteners tomorrow since I'm not sure I will be as controlled as i should be about it.  

 

[Ginsky]

And day 30 is essentially done!  Congrats to us all; we made it.  

I've had no appetite today but I did manage to have 3 template meals, salmon burger/mixed salad at breakfast, egg-drop w/spinach soup midday, ending my 30th day with shrimp scampi and green beans/kalamata olives for dinner.  

In the famous words of Rocky Balboa:
"Yo, Adrian, I did it!"  

[HopingtoHeal]

So I measured this mornin and my middle has shrunk by 12centimetres!!! (That's 4.7 inches). I am thrilled! The list of victories is of course much longer than that too. What an overwhelmingly positive experience! Glad to have shared it with you all! I'm on my way to camp now so we'all see how that goes, I trust the cook though and I think she gets where I'm at so hopefully it won't be too far off a good reintro plan!

[Pippin1]

14 hours ago, Ginsky said:

I'm still around, also been pulling things from the freezer from past meals a lot and making simple things like eggs, steak, soup, salads, etc.  I had a rough morning yesterday, stumbled into something terribly violent while out running errands and kind of got caught in the middle of other people's ill behavior.  One of those innocent bystander things.  It left me so tense  and shaken.  I went to acupuncture and am still just trying to break the tension in my neck and shoulders and killer headache that goes with it.  I kind of hate people right now.  I stayed true to my Whole30 even though i still want to cry over a series of non-compliant items I won't name.  I am rethinking my original plan to reintro sweeteners tomorrow since I'm not sure I will be as controlled as i should be about it.  

 

@Ginsky.  That's awful that you went through that experience; that sort of thing can leave us feeling really vulnerable and wobbly.  You did so well to stay aware and on track as I'm unsurprised your appetite left you.

@WholeCourtney I'll think of you laying back with your glass.  It's been great to be part of your whole 30

@HopingtoHeal Congrats on your shrinkage and happy camping. 

Well Day 31 and it will be strange not to see all the posts here.  I'm going to check  back in from time to time for my own sake as I start to reintroduce things.  Just logging it here will keep me connected I think.  Hopefully there will be a smattering of posts as I'm interested to know how all you lovelies are getting on.

 

 

[Trev]

Hey guys me again. Sorry I haven't been around for everyones journey. I can however confirm that I have successfully completed Whole30. I made the decision to do it "off the forum" as I needed to concentrate all of my energy in order to be successful. My plan worked. I hope everyone has been successful also and I wish you all the best for the future!

I lost 9lbs, and considering I did virtually no exercise, Im happy with that! I have a few NSVs as well, such as now needing a belt for my jeans, clearer skin, slower resting heart rate, much healthier relationship with food, more confidence in the kitchen etc etc etc. 

At this stage I don't know if I would do it again. My initial reason for doing Whole30 was due to my back pain. In this area there has been no noticeable improvement unfortunately. But If i'm honest I wasn't expecting there to be. I am aware however, that things do happen in the background, and there could be small changes occurring that would be indirectly helping with my aches and pains. So I am going to keep on trying to eat in a Whole30 "style" while allowing myself the odd slip up such as a burger or bag of chips. I do not plan on starting to eat sugary treats again though, and if I do it will be very infrequently indeed.

I would definitely recommend this program. 

[SugarcubeOD]

1 hour ago, Trev said:

Hey guys me again. Sorry I haven't been around for everyones journey. I can however confirm that I have successfully completed Whole30. I made the decision to do it "off the forum" as I needed to concentrate all of my energy in order to be successful. My plan worked. I hope everyone has been successful also and I wish you all the best for the future!

I lost 9lbs, and considering I did virtually no exercise, Im happy with that! I have a few NSVs as well, such as now needing a belt for my jeans, clearer skin, slower resting heart rate, much healthier relationship with food, more confidence in the kitchen etc etc etc. 

At this stage I don't know if I would do it again. My initial reason for doing Whole30 was due to my back pain. In this area there has been no noticeable improvement unfortunately. But If i'm honest I wasn't expecting there to be. I am aware however, that things do happen in the background, and there could be small changes occurring that would be indirectly helping with my aches and pains. So I am going to keep on trying to eat in a Whole30 "style" while allowing myself the odd slip up such as a burger or bag of chips. I do not plan on starting to eat sugary treats again though, and if I do it will be very infrequently indeed.

I would definitely recommend this program. 

Congratulations!  If I have any final advice, it's to PLEASE do the reintroduction protocol. It's 100% the entire point of the Whole30... don't waste the 30 days you got through by not using your clean and healthy gut to test how food affects you... then you can be sure if you need to have a bunless burger, or cheeseless or if you can go whole hog and have a bunny, cheesy burger! wait... no, don't eat the bunny!!! :'( 

[Jane3797]

@SugarcubeOD  Yes!  Even having 'scamped through' a bit I immediately see the reintro issues and know so much more about what my personal physiology sensitivities are.  This program is amazing and should be subtitled "How to identify your personal food allergies".

And I also agree....don't eat the bunnies!  Dr. Gundry, the Plant Protocol guy, found a 'Barely Bread' he advocates made from almond meal.  You can buy mail order buns, sliced loaf, etc. that I am pretty sure is a yeast bread so wouldn't have that rock heavy effect on your stomach that almond meal can have...but I would bet @Ginsky could devise a recipe for us.  Ahem....

[Kaylee1]

congrats everyone! too many to list right now, but so happy for you guys that you made it all through. I'm very proud of myself.

And I'm down 12 pounds

I definitely look thinner, didn't do a waist measurement yet, 

BMI is down from obese to overweight.

I  haven't started the reintro yet- though I did have a bit of non compliant mayo in my tuna.

planning on tomorrow, going to start with some corn and legumes.

I want to stay off dairy for now.

[Lizzard]

We made through the 30 days - Yeah!  I lost 11 pounds and can fit into my shorts and pants that I couldn't fit into in the spring.  My before and after pictures are definitely different.  I'm very happy I did this - proud of myself too.  Thanks again to everyone for their support.