September 18 start date

[Lauraloveskale]

6 minutes ago, tayrex03 said:

@Mike5858 @Nancy61 @dmrob2009 That's awesome! Way to go both of you  I did my first night out with some of the girls last night. Thankfully, I did 90 days sober last fall (gave myself a bit of a reset and focused a lot on goals that seemed to always get pushed to the wayside when people asked me to go out); so when one friend said "You're not drinking again??" I simply responded with "No." The harder part for me was the giant bowl of popcorn in the middle of the table at the bar. 

Congrats on day 7 to everyone else. Anyone else having food dreams? I used to get these in college when all I ate was fruits, veggies, energy bars and granola, mainly about ice cream. Last night it was sweet potato fries, first dream I've had about food. Thing is, I woke up and thought... I don't even want sweet potato fries. Instead we finished off the leftover crab stuffed cucumbers we made for dinner last night. Now what I really want is to chew a piece of gum while I go for a run this morning. Which isn't all that bad of a craving, that's just a habit I've had for 8 years!   

Good job! I used to eat excessive amounts of gum everyday so I can relate! Was thinking of carbs yesterday but no food dreams yet. Luckily my willpower is super strong on this whole30 mission. Next weekend will be my big challenge. Taking the bus from dc to NYC to visit my brother for the weekend. 

[kirbz]

@Lauraloveskale @dmrob2009 @Tj V Thank you for the responses and insights. I will definitely look at those programs but I'm not sure I want to live a program for the rest of my life. I guess I just want to understand what healthy looks like for me and try to live that 90% of the time. So, I guess I'll be living a Paleo lifestyle from here on out but I don't think I want to eliminate sweet things altogether. Hopefully, the Whole30 will help me change my relationship with food so that I don't crave them as much and so that I can be satisfied by healthier variants of the things I love (i.e., chocolate ice cream). 

As for my motivation... The main thing I want is to be 70-years old one day and still be able to do all the things I love (i.e. hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, etc.) because my body is still strong and healthy. 

My mom is probably the most unhealthy person I know. I love her with all my heart and she is the kindest soul, but she eats nothing but garbage and has every medical diagnosis under the sun. She has diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, and the list goes on and on. She takes dozens of prescriptions every day. I don't want to be like her. I want to be healthy and active and happy for my whole life... 

My fiance is super supportive, eats Whole30 meals with me and even cooks them for me but he isn't doing the program. I'm the only person in my life doing it and really the only one who actually believes that the way you eat impacts the way you feel. My mom and dad truly do not believe one has anything to do with the other and my fiance really believes that eating well or not well has to do with weight. 

So yeah, not sure where this is going but I appreciate the responses and the support of this forum! 

[tayrex03]

56 minutes ago, kirbz said:

@Lauraloveskale @dmrob2009 @Tj V Thank you for the responses and insights. I will definitely look at those programs but I'm not sure I want to live a program for the rest of my life. I guess I just want to understand what healthy looks like for me and try to live that 90% of the time. So, I guess I'll be living a Paleo lifestyle from here on out but I don't think I want to eliminate sweet things altogether. Hopefully, the Whole30 will help me change my relationship with food so that I don't crave them as much and so that I can be satisfied by healthier variants of the things I love (i.e., chocolate ice cream). 

As for my motivation... The main thing I want is to be 70-years old one day and still be able to do all the things I love (i.e. hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, etc.) because my body is still strong and healthy. 

My mom is probably the most unhealthy person I know. I love her with all my heart and she is the kindest soul, but she eats nothing but garbage and has every medical diagnosis under the sun. She has diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, and the list goes on and on. She takes dozens of prescriptions every day. I don't want to be like her. I want to be healthy and active and happy for my whole life... 

My fiance is super supportive, eats Whole30 meals with me and even cooks them for me but he isn't doing the program. I'm the only person in my life doing it and really the only one who actually believes that the way you eat impacts the way you feel. My mom and dad truly do not believe one has anything to do with the other and my fiance really believes that eating well or not well has to do with weight. 

So yeah, not sure where this is going but I appreciate the responses and the support of this forum! 

I'm a little late to the game on this thread @kirbz but I thought it'd be helpful to give you a little bit insight. My mother is one of the most unhealthy people I know, the first being my stepdad and the others being my extended family. The last Thanksgiving I spent with them (now 2 years ago).. I told my mom I never wanted to join them again because I thought I was going to throw up from watching him eat. I seriously stopped eating the idea of it made me so sick, and I had already had a decent amount of Thanksgiving goodies at this point. Growing up, my dad was always the advocate for knowing how much food you needed at a meal, you had better eat all of it, and treats were in small portions. After that divorce, my mom, my brother and I gained a bunch of weight. I was 14 when I decided enough was enough, and decided to refuse the food my stepdad would bring home. It was all too unhealthy. When I moved to California it made me appreciate fresh food and all of the outdoor activities even more, and that's all I would spend my money on in college. I'm the only one who regularly works out and constantly trying to analyze the way my lifestyle is affecting my moods/well-being. 

It's not easy, telling people that you won't eat certain things because of the way that it affects your own body. It takes a lot of practice, and some thick skin when it's your own family doing it. I clearly fell off the wagon the last few years (career life + being over 21 = more money = more opportunities = slippery slope), and am trying to get back on it. At this point, I've learned that my happiness and how I feel is way more important than feeling my food habits are accepted by them. In the end, my health and strength makes me happier than their support on the matter. But like I said - that's not easy. 

Following programs is not easy either. It gets really tiring. Especially because cookies, and ice cream, and chocolate. The way I see it, eat a small dessert here and there when this is over. Eating vegetables and protein and fruit should be the main priority though, and I'll all those crappy additives in most food that are totally unnecessary. Try using the healthier recipes that don't include them. And if you're at a family dinner and you know they added a lot of stuff, eat a really small portion of the bad and more of the good so as not to totally insult them; if necessary make sure you have some veggies stashed away. Seriously, I've eaten carrots and granola in my room while living with my aunt and uncle because I couldn't stomach the dinner they made. 

[AthenaC]

15 hours ago, kirbz said:

So, maybe this is way too early to be thinking about this (and please do feel free to tell me so), but have you guys thought about what you want your long-term eating habits to look like after this? I'm a planner. This has literally been in the works for over a year. I've read all the books, bought all the cookbooks, read the forum, and generally just prepared for this for a long time. But, somehow, I never really thought about what I wanted for the long term. I know I want to finish this. I know I want to do a careful and structured reintroduction so I understand what foods bother me. But then what? I never thought about it and I don't know what the answer is... This lifestyle is very, very expensive and very time-consuming. I'm not sure it's sustainable for me. And I'm not sure I want to live a life without Rocky Road ice cream and chocolate with almonds. But maybe I just haven't been doing this long enough to no longer want those?

I've kinda strolled through my first week with no significant struggles, but have been having more cravings the last day or two and am starting to waver a tiny bit in my commitment. Anyway, I'd appreciate any insights you have! Thanks for all the support and kindness offered in this group!

@kirbz I don't think it's too early to think about it...but honestly you will have more to base it on after 30 days...because after 30 days you will know how you feel...and what you've lost then you may feel differently! I have stayed on this for one year.... ... because in the last year I must say staying away from grains and dairy is a breeze...the reason why is there are so many other choices...I cook with almond and coconut flour. You can even get grain free bread...the dairy is no problem...(my husband is lactose intolerant) so we make our own almond milk...takes 5 minutes.....better than anything out there in the stores. If we want ice cream there is coconut milk almond milk. ..i can make dairy free ..grain free chocolate chip cookies ...I use coconut sugar in them...I have kept my weight off and feel wonderful for one year...I made the choice for my health. The reason why I'm doing it strict now..is the last month I started wanting something sweet every night.(my sugar dragon)..but I can correct myself by just getting back to being strict... But even whole 30 says if you stayed on it strict forever you would miss the joy of life at times.....I have picked and chosen at what times I wanted to indulge on special events..I am so happy someone told me about this way of eating...because I eat to live....not live to eat. Only you can determine what's best for you...I hope what I've gone through helps a little.

[Nancy61]

I am a planner as well. Since this is my second round I know that by day 30 I will look and feel so much better. I did the reintroduction and thankfully I had no side effects. However, I know what is good for me and what is not. I have to be more mindful!  I only gained 5 lbs back since the last time I worked the plan (March).  Since then, I cooked basically the same and prepped about the same, maybe not as strict. My issue are  those darn snacks at work!! Ugh! I found that to be the most challenging. 

[Tj V]

3 hours ago, Lauraloveskale said:

 

@kirbz

I have been thinking about the long term, too, and the reintroduction phase. What helps me the most is asking myself, why am I doing this, and really come up with those reasons and read the success stories. For me, I am 28, and my husband is 34, and we are trying to start a family. We had a miscarriage and a partial molar pregnancy so for me changing my lifestyle and eating to see if it will help us have a baby sooner is a no brainer. Have you read the success stories section? People have really good results when they plan to change their lifestyle. I agree it is very time consuming but I'm planning on doing the reintroduction phase, too. Already I feel my relationship with food and my body has changed and I'm viewing all this food as more nourishing for my body and long term health. Do you have anyone in your family going through something even harder? That always inspires me. My uncle is in his 50s and battling stage 4 colon cancer... I figure that changing what I put in my body now will only do me good down the road. Don't know if this is helpful at all, but hope so! Hang in there and celebrate the small wins and master your WHY! You can do this! The sweet withdrawal will pass 

I'm with you, @Lauraloveskale! Just went to church this morning to find out my pastor has stage 4 cancer. They've given him a year. He's going for it with a complete change in diet and lifestyle. He's following the chrisbeatcancer.com guy, who had stage 3 colon cancer and beat it with nutrition, going on 12 years now. I'm seriously considering going on Eat To Live or even the protocol he's going through just to "walk alongside" him in faith and support. Haven't decided for sure yet, but so many people I know and love are sick and there has to be a better way! Don't know that I could give up meat for the long term, but I think I might be able to do it in the short term. God will have to help me there! But, as you said, it sure makes you look at what you put in your mouth differently. Godspeed on the pregnancy pursuit!

[Tj V]

@Mike5858, great job!!! Way to go!!!!

[Tj V]

4 minutes ago, Nancy61 said:

I am a planner as well. Since this is my second round I know that by day 30 I will look and feel so much better. I did the reintroduction and thankfully I had no side effects. However, I know what is good for me and what is not. I have to be more mindful!  I only gained 5 lbs back since the last time I worked the plan (March).  Since then, I cooked basically the same and prepped about the same, maybe not as strict. My issue are  those darn snacks at work!! Ugh! I found that to be the most challenging. 

Wow, @Nancy61, that's impressive. Only gained back 5 lbs? You go!

[Nancy61]

Thanks!  I failed to mention I'm 4'11 ... if I eat a cookie you see it right away  I just love this plan and how it makes me feel. 

[GavinD]

16 hours ago, kirbz said:

have you guys thought about what you want your long-term eating habits to look like after this?

Hey @kirbz this has been life changing for me already. I miss my IPA after work, but have also noticed my stomach is not grumpy in the morning. Hmmm, hope I don't have to give up beer for life. As for the future, it starts with food, right? I plan on hitting as many farmer's markets as possible. I'm 47, recently divorced, and ready to bloom late. No kids, no property, so it is just me. I did not take pictures or weigh in prior to starting last week. Not considered with the before and after cause I was in the dumps when I started, and my outlook has already done a 180 degree turn. Doing it for me and my future. I'm on day 8 (17th I started) and not looking back! I've made more meals myself in this past week than I did in the past year! I've started to exercise again (biking and power yoga). My plan is to travel the world and be able to climb to the peaks of any mountain!

Good luck to everyone! This is my second attempt. I made it to day 24 in February, but got the flu and ate comfort food which derailed me. 

Insomnia is one of my life's enemies. I recommend the Natural Calm product (which is activated Mg) if it troubles you too. 

Went to a baseball game yesterday... it wasn't THAT hard, but damn those dogs and suds looked tempting.

Stay strong!

[_AJP_]

Hey Gang - today is the end of Day5 at my house. Doing surprisingly well!! I've eaten more veggies this week than I usually eat in a whole month, and I've tried new recipes I would never have tried. The hardest part was going to a cafe today with my cousin. I ordered an iced coffee - but would have LOVED a caramel latte with a peanut butter cup cookie. On day3 I wasn't sure how long I would keep doing this thing, but for today I'm feeling much stronger and confident that I can see it through all 30 days. 

I saw the recipe for the 'fried chicken' and the recommendation of the recipe book - thanks for sharing! Does anyone else have any favorite recipes they're using right now? Especially looking for recipes that are quick and simple.

@jldavid11 how are you holding up?? 

[Tj V]

I'm lucky, @_AJP_, my 81 year old Mom lives with me and adores cooking. I don't make much myself. Tonight we had meat sauce from the recipe in The Whole 30 and put it over Zoodles (Zucchini noodles) and it rocked! 
Good luck and keep up the good work!

[GavinD]

Shopping was really fun today. And so much cheaper than my previous lifestyle. Making your own meals can be a true cost saver! I can't believe how much I used to spend on the morning Starbucks, lunch with my friends at work somewhere, and take out for dinner... A cart full of about a dozen fruits and veggies, cost less than $30!  And just in case anyone is checking, already had all the protein at home.

Hope all are staying strong! 

[Tj V]

Happy Day 8 everyone!

[dmrob2009]

11 hours ago, _AJP_ said:

Hey Gang - today is the end of Day5 at my house. Doing surprisingly well!! I've eaten more veggies this week than I usually eat in a whole month, and I've tried new recipes I would never have tried. The hardest part was going to a cafe today with my cousin. I ordered an iced coffee - but would have LOVED a caramel latte with a peanut butter cup cookie. On day3 I wasn't sure how long I would keep doing this thing, but for today I'm feeling much stronger and confident that I can see it through all 30 days. 

I saw the recipe for the 'fried chicken' and the recommendation of the recipe book - thanks for sharing! Does anyone else have any favorite recipes they're using right now? Especially looking for recipes that are quick and simple.

@jldavid11 how are you holding up?? 

Good job, _AJP_!  Here is a recipe for you...

I take 1 to 2 sweet potatoes, depending upon how many servings I need, and chop them into small chunks.  Drizzle with EVOO, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt, then mix until potatoes are coated and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Delish!

[dmrob2009]

Good morning, all!  Officially starting week 2 today.  Feeling a little bloated (to be expected about this time) and experiencing a little gastro-intestinal upset, also to be expected.  Aside from that, I feel pretty good.  I never really experienced the "I just need a nap" phase, which I'm thankful for.  Having said that, I could definitely use a little more energy, so I'm looking forward to that here in the next few days.  

Congratulations to everyone for making it all the way to wherever you are on the program currently!  Keep up the good work!

 

[Mike5858]

8 minutes ago, dmrob2009 said:

Good job, _AJP_!  Here is a recipe for you...

I take 1 to 2 sweet potatoes, depending upon how many servings I need, and chop them into small chunks.  Drizzle with EVOO, pumpkin pie spice and sea salt, then mix until potatoes are coated and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Delish!

I do something similar with sweet potatoes dmrob2009.  I bought a spice pack from "Cave Gourmet" which is in the list of Whole30 approved products (I use the four different spices on meat, and veggies and a little goes a long way).  I cut the sweet potatoes in chunks, throw them in a big ziplock bag, mix some spice with EVOO, and pour it in the bag to coat the sweet potatoes.  I put them on a baking sheet and then turn on the broiler.  They're done in 12 minutes that way.  I've got to get some sea salt, I've never used that.

[Mike5858]

Happy "Day 8" everyone!  Week two of the journey begins today.  I had a "just need a nap moment" yesterday and took one for about an hour.  I'm not a "nap person" (they leave me groggy for hours), so I hope that was a one time thing.  I feel pretty good this morning.  Not full of Tiger Blood yet, but better.  From browsing the book over the weekend (something I seem to do daily now ), this looks like a tough week ahead.  I firmly believe this group will make it through!  Let's do it.  Have a great day all!

Mike

[Tj V]

@_AJP_ and @Mike5858, I also have a recipe that's similar. I use a couple sweet potatoes (not the ones they try to pass off as sweet potatoes, but which are really yams! Hint: Orange flesh=yams...used to work in produce!) Anyway, I cut them in cubes, put them in a ziploc, sprinkle in some cayenne (to taste and a little goes a long way) and then Garam Masala. It's an Indian spice and it's super yummy. It has multiple spices in it such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and several others. It's so good! Bake at 400 until they start to turn golden on the edges. I find if I cook them too long, they don't hold up as well. 
Also my sister found a recipe on Pinterest for Pumpkin/Apple breakfast bake and we tried it today. It has no flour or sugar. Pretty tasty as a side for brekkie. 
http://www.wholesomelicious.com/pumpkin-apple-breakfast-bake-paleo-whole30/

[dmrob2009]

58 minutes ago, Mike5858 said:

 

[Svmomma]

On 9/24/2017 at 7:31 AM, Mike5858 said:

Happy Day 7 everyone!  Well, I got through the first opportunity to socialize last night.  My wife and I went to a BBQ with about 12 people she used to work with.  Lots of landmines (non-compliant foods) everywhere, but we got through it without cheating!  We brought some stuff we knew we could eat, and there was smoked brisket and turkey there with the BBQ sauce on the side (thank goodness), so we didn't go hungry.  The hardest parts were when we first got there and were offered a drink, and asked for water. That was weird, and before eating we sort of split up "boy/girl" and all the guys were having a beer.  Luckily (or easier) for me, these are the husbands of my wife's old work friends.  I knew them, and we are friendly, but it's much different than hanging around with MY friends or OUR mutual friends and trying not to have a beer.  I take my hat off to my wife Joanne who did not have anything but water, while her old work friends were drinking wine and margaritas.  She did great!  The other big test, was when desert was put out (I won't torture you with the list of goodies, but there were many).  Joanne and I did not waver, and passed.  Thankfully, no one asked about why.  We were at this party from 5-9:30pm, and after we said our goodbyes, we "high fived" each other in the car for sticking to the program.  I won't lie, it was tough, but we know we can do it.   I hope everyone has a great day7!  Just think, we get through today and we've completed a week!  Good for us!

Mike

Congrats @Mike5858 and for your wife!  Changing these social exchanges are huge.    

[Svmomma]

23 hours ago, Nancy61 said:

Saturday was a tough day for me and my husband but we made it through.  We decided since the weather was perfect to take a drive to the beach (Jersey Shore).  What to pack instead of our usual Pringles, Twizzlers and Sandwich from Wawa?  I went to our local butcher, order 1/2 lb of turkey breast (compliant), brought a small tupperware container of whole30 Pesto recipe and some olives and that's what our cooler consisted of.  We dipped our turkey breast in the pesto and munched on some olives.. all i can say is it really helps when your partner is with you 100%!  Have a great Day 6 everyone

Glad you have a partner in it with you!

[Svmomma]

23 hours ago, tayrex03 said:

@Mike5858 @Nancy61 @dmrob2009 That's awesome! Way to go both of you  I did my first night out with some of the girls last night. Thankfully, I did 90 days sober last fall (gave myself a bit of a reset and focused a lot on goals that seemed to always get pushed to the wayside when people asked me to go out); so when one friend said "You're not drinking again??" I simply responded with "No." The harder part for me was the giant bowl of popcorn in the middle of the table at the bar. 

Congrats on day 7 to everyone else. Anyone else having food dreams? I used to get these in college when all I ate was fruits, veggies, energy bars and granola, mainly about ice cream. Last night it was sweet potato fries, first dream I've had about food. Thing is, I woke up and thought... I don't even want sweet potato fries. Instead we finished off the leftover crab stuffed cucumbers we made for dinner last night. Now what I really want is to chew a piece of gum while I go for a run this morning. Which isn't all that bad of a craving, that's just a habit I've had for 8 years!   

Had a vivid dream of grabbing a handful of chocolate chips, downing them and going for the cookies next before realizing oh shit I'm screwing up the whole30.  Next thought in the dream was to just move on and then I remembered I'd just drank a latte.  In my dream totally threw in the towel. Can you say "super thankful" when I woke this morning and realized I was still on plan!  

[GavinD]

Hey all, 9th day for me. Last night was rough  In college (decades ago), I tried to become a vegan. I was doing great, eating lots of whole foods and getting proteins from rice and beans and lots of tofu. Then one day, I popped an Altoid in my mouth and decided to check the ingredients. WAH?? Altoids have gelatin (animal product). It was on of those, "is this worth it" moments. I enjoyed that minty moment and decided, no. Gradually gave up my vegan goal. Last night, I had another one of those moments. I've been good, really good. Geez, I just ate curried ground beef with veggies for BREAKFAST! But I'm also in the process of quitting weed smoking (live in WA). My throat has been sore, so I have been using some chloraseptic spray to dull the sore throat I've been having... And there it was in the inactive ingredients, sucralose! Dang it!

It IS worth it. Not giving up this time.

Stay strong!

[Mike5858]

1 hour ago, GavinD said:

Hey all, 9th day for me. Last night was rough  In college (decades ago), I tried to become a vegan. I was doing great, eating lots of whole foods and getting proteins from rice and beans and lots of tofu. Then one day, I popped an Altoid in my mouth and decided to check the ingredients. WAH?? Altoids have gelatin (animal product). It was on of those, "is this worth it" moments. I enjoyed that minty moment and decided, no. Gradually gave up my vegan goal. Last night, I had another one of those moments. I've been good, really good. Geez, I just ate curried ground beef with veggies for BREAKFAST! But I'm also in the process of quitting weed smoking (live in WA). My throat has been sore, so I have been using some chloraseptic spray to dull the sore throat I've been having... And there it was in the inactive ingredients, sucralose! Dang it!

It IS worth it. Not giving up this time.

Stay strong!

I'm not a mod or a coach or anything, but my unsolicited advice is, don't beat yourself up over that Gavin.  Keep driving on!

Mike