jillian Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 I finished up my second Whole30. It was rather easy once I got past that initial crappy phase and "kill all things" day. I rarely had cravings. I didn't feel deprived - mostly because I felt so good and had restored some dignity because I wasn't being controlled by cravings and erratically unhealthy eating that would leave me on an emotional rollercoaster or in a total headfog. My life is good, stable and happy when I avoid grains, dairy and sugar. It feels really good. This psychological reaction to grains, dairy and sugar (especially refined grains or combos of these 3 foods) leads to trouble when I attempt to "off-road". I wish I could have that special treat on that special occasion - but when I do, I inevitably slide right back into eating a lot of junk a few days later. It is extremely difficult for me to "off-road" for something special and to not have extreme cravings for the next several days - if not weeks. And the cravings seem 10 times stronger after having my first post-Whole30 treat. I believe this is known as upregulation - my brain is more sensitive to the dopamine/endorphin boost of these hyperpalatable foods after not having them for 30 days which then leads to stronger cravings for these foods then when I was having them every day (and my system had downregulated). When I've finished a Whole30, I'm not fearful of "off-roading" - I want to be able to off-road. But I don't like returning to these feelings of extreme cravings, emotional ups and downs and lack of impulse control with food. How do I off-road when this is how I respond to special occasion treats? Or do I conclude that based on this pyschological/physical response I need to just avoid these trigger foods my whole life - in the same way someone with celiac avoids gluten? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Tom Denham Posted November 21, 2012 Moderators Share Posted November 21, 2012 It sounds like your life would be better if you just avoided the "special occasion treats." When you describe these trigger foods as special occasion treats, I imagine baked goods. Have you found that a little wheat as a coating on some meat or a little dairy and sugar as an ingredient in sauces is a trigger for you too? Maybe you could off-road with foods that are basically healthy, but have some unhealthy ingredients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted November 21, 2012 Author Share Posted November 21, 2012 Thanks for your reply, Tom. It's actually really nice to hear that it's okay to just avoid the treats. I felt like I was supposed to be able to have them on occasion and then just tough through many many days of cravings and residual headfog without landing in a pan of brownies. It just doesn't seem to work this way for me. Butter and dairy don't seem to be much of a trigger -unless they are combined with sugar. Even sugar alone - as in fruits, dried fruits or 100% fruit sorbet isn't much of a trigger so long as I'm eating enough real food. Wheat and refined grains cause the headfog - and interestingly enough it's almost the only thing I'll crave when doing a Whole30 - bread, cookies, pastries, etc - these things and chocolate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandra Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 ^^ This! ^^ This!! This is me. I haven't been able to put it into words, so thank you for doing it for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLC1968 Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Thanks for your reply, Tom. It's actually really nice to hear that it's okay to just avoid the treats. I felt like I was supposed to be able to have them on occasion and then just tough through many many days of cravings and residual headfog without landing in a pan of brownies. It just doesn't seem to work this way for me. Butter and dairy don't seem to be much of a trigger -unless they are combined with sugar. Even sugar alone - as in fruits, dried fruits or 100% fruit sorbet isn't much of a trigger so long as I'm eating enough real food. Wheat and refined grains cause the headfog - and interestingly enough it's almost the only thing I'll crave when doing a Whole30 - bread, cookies, pastries, etc - these things and chocolate. Get out of my head. You just described my situation better than I've ever been able to! One thing I have discovered is that if I am going to eat something completely off-road (like a brownie, for example), then I can handle it better both physically and psychologically if I have it with (or immediately following) a full, healthy meal. If I were to eat one on an empty stomach (like when I get home from work) it opens the gateway to my demons! Knowing this, I find that I can be more selective about my choices. Appetizers must be clean/compliant. Deserts can stray a bit (but I still try to keep grains to a minimum). Alcohol only after I've eaten. If I want to make an exception for my mothers bread based stuffing at Christmas, I must eat my turkey and veggies first. These are the little rules I've made for myself when it comes to special occasions. Oh, and no more than one per month! (I hate how they can pile up this time of year!!) But yeah, most of the time, it's just easier to not eat those things in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 Glad I'm not alone! And thanks GLC1968 for sharing your "little rules". I suppose I now need to pay attention carefully and figure out my own little rules... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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