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Starting 11/24 - Anyone in?


ElizabethG

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Hi All,

I've successfully completed a Whole30 in the past (about 1.5 years ago), and keep a paleo-ish diet in my daily life. I've made a ton of progress over the last few years in terms of my relationship to food, but everyone so often need to reset my priorities. I think it's one of those times. I am completely aware that this may not be the easiest time of year for a Whole30, however, I also know there is always another excuse around the corner. There are 30 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so why not now? Yes, there will be lots of holiday parties, but the food isn't too great at those anyways. Yes, Christmas cookies will be in abundance, but guess what? Cookies freeze, so anything that looks "worth it" can be put in the freezer and saved for another time. Who's with me? We will really need the extra support this time of year, so please make yourself know.

 

As a start, I want to share some of what I learned the first time around that was so helpful:

- I threw away my scale and never looked back. I weigh myself from time to time at the gym, but otherwise let how my clothes fit be a better indication.

- I realized there really are foods that I don't miss (rice, pasta, candy), but there are foods I do miss and think are worth it (ice cream)

- While I have always been a good cook, I learned some awesome new recipes.

- Meals don't have to be complicated or fancy, they just have to make your body feel healthy

 

I'm hoping a second time around will reinforce some of these things, as many of them are harder to stay committed to right now. I'm also hoping to reset after what has been a crazy 4 weeks of travel, weddings, work conference, etc. I'm exhausted, my body deserves a little extra care.

Elizabeth

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Hello!

I am also planning on starting November 24th;  this will be my first time trying the Whole30.   I'm overweight, tired all the time, my digestive issues are out of control, and anxiety is starting to try and manage my life.  I've read so many comments by so many different people on how this program has helped them with those types of issues, that I have to give it a shot, and hope it does the same for me.   I've been given a number of prescriptions to try and manage symptoms; it would be wonderful to actually fix the underlying conditions! 

It will be interesting, since I drink a ton of pop and eat fast food 4-5 times a week.  Ironically, I actually love cooking, but I'm just usually exhausted by the time I get home in the evenings, so I end up ordering out.   My husband isn't doing this with me, but is going to be my support.   We've come up with a list of "safe" phrases he can use for when I go through my "hangry" moments, as food and emotions are very tied together for me.  :)

I also made myself a list of reasons why I am doing this, to refer back to during those first days or first two weeks when I wonder what the heck I was thinking.

Any other tips, tricks, or favorite recipes, I'd love to hear them!

Amy

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Hi Amy, I am so glad to have a partner in this! Have you read through everything on this site yet? Especially the rules, and helpful tip sheets? If not, I would highly recommend doing so. I would also suggest stocking up for kitchen with everything you need before Friday, and even prepping a few important thing ahead of time. I'll be honest, it's going to be tough if your husband isn't joining in (mine doesn't either), but doable. Is he at least on board for sticking with you at home? Then he can do whatever he wants when he is on his own? Support is key in being successful, there are definitely going to be rough moments.

Things that I always have on hand that have been helpful to me in the past:

- Homemade mayo

- Ingredients for a quick homemade salad dressing (olive oil, some kind of vinegar, dijon mustard)

- Compliant canned tuna

- Lots of eggs

- Frozen veggies

- Crunch (raw nuts, apples)

In a pinch, these ingredients will help you throw together a quick meal.

 

What other questions do you have?

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Hi Elizabeth and Amy!

I will also be starting my first Whole30 tomorrow! The main reason is because I am aware of the foods that trigger certain responses, energy levels, or that overall blah feeling and I want to see if eliminating the "bad" foods will give me the reset I need to eat healthier. 

I am fairly active (running, yoga, cross training) with a half marathon scheduled on Dec 9th. I know the holidays are not the optimal time to start, but every month has some excuse. So after counting out the 30 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas I thought Why not now?

I just finished the book and am a regular meal prepper now, so I'm excited to official Whole30 grocery shop tomorrow. I have been trying compliant foods for the last couple weeks and have some staples to start with.

Looking forward to hearing your successes!!

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Hi Holiday Whole30 Friends! 

Well Thanksgiving was successful, and I'm ready to get started tomorrow. Starting off the day with an exercise with my brother who is in from out of town. The next few days will be tricky with leftovers all over, however, since I hosted, I made sure a few of the recipes were compliant! Leftover roasted veggies, sweet potatoes, and the turkey all ready for my meals over the weekend.

 

 

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Hi! This is my first whole30 & I’m starting today- 11/24. I’ve been organizing my kitchen & planning for meal prep & mentally getting myself ready for about a month. I’m actually excited to do it & im looking forward to overcoming mid afternoon energy slumps, excess weight,  & sketchy digestion. I’m going it alone but have support from my husband & a long distance cousin who has lots of whole30 experience. I’m throwing myself into this 150% & I’m embracing the healthiest version of me that I can achieve. Nice to meet up with you all here!

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Hi all!

I’m happy to learn I am not the only one who thought 30 days between thanksgiving and Christmas- why not now?

I typically eat healthy meals but have an unstoppable (until now) sweet tooth. I also find that my digestion is not what it used to be. (I travel to African countries for work every 4-6 months and often end up eating some questionable -but delicious!- meals. That, coupled with follow up antibiotics, has really wreaked havoc on my digestive system.)

I am hoping that the whole 30 will help me better process the nutrients in my food and give my stomach a little break. Giving both my tastebuds and my stomach a small reset will be great. I’m a little behind the curve and have not yet done a thorough meal prep and shopping, but I had enough veggies+eggs+quality meat in my fridge to get me through the weekend. 

I’m looking forward to sharing my experience and learning about yours! The holiday season may be tough, but I love the idea of freezing any cookies that look to good to resist forever!

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Hello all, Started today as well and am happy with how the day went. Going to the movies was difficult- movie popcorn was always my guiltiest pleasure.

 

I've always eaten pretty healthy and lately I've been low carb-ish in addition to intermittent fasting while working out three times per week. And yet, my weight has steadily been creeping up and I've been feeling sluggish and low energy for a long long time now in spite of trying to eat healthy. I am sure that doing this will challenge me and make me realize that perhaps what I've seen as being relatively healthy hasn't always been (I LOVE my red wine..)

Very happy to have some folks along to share the journey. Good luck to all of us!

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Hi All, day 1 went well for me, but my stomach is still figuring things out after Thanksgiving. I successfully made it through another family meal this evening with all of the leftovers! Luckily, there were compliant items, so I wasn't totally out of luck, plus I was prepared in advance, knowing what would be there, and ready to just eat at home later if I needed to. The challenge this weekend is going to be exhaustion. I've been going non stop for a few weeks, hosted 12 for Thanksgiving, and won't be rid of guests until Sunday...I'm reaching my limit.

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Day 1 down!! 

I quit drinking pop on Monday (last Sunday was the last day), so my body has been sluggish this week, as I normally drink 2+ cans a day.    Yesterday for Day 1 breakfast and dinner were fine, it was lunch that was a struggle for me.  Last night my husband repeated to me my list for reasons on why I'm doing this.    That is what I will definitely have to stay focused on for these next several days!   

Feeling healthy, having energy, and maybe losing some weight along the way.    I'd love to be able to keep up with my 2 year old.

Hope everyone is doing well on day 2 - ElizabethG, hopefully you don't have to entertain guests full time, and can get some R&R in! 

 

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Hi!  I started yesterday too and am Just getting to the forum. So far so good!  My husband and kids are not participating, but are encouraging me. My husband wants to reduce things like cheese and snacks so that will help.

I needed a goal and accountability, that is what led me to Whole30. The 30 days between holidays seem hard but doable since I was feeling the need for a change. I am tired of my clothes feeling tight and do not want to shop for bigger things!  We do not have a lot of holiday parties this year. My problem is with peanut butter and chocolate which can be around all year!

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I'm going to jump in on this group!  I started yesterday and am lucky to have my husband and 22 yr old daughter joining me in my 30 day journey.  I started doing Paleo in January and saw some fantastic results. With summer vacations, I slipped off the wagon and knew I needed to get back to what worked for me.  I have a big trip planed in January so once I realized if I delayed until 2018, I was looking at February, I thought, that isn't going to work so realized you don't have to start on the 1st of the month or on a Monday, so here I am starting the day after Thanksgiving!  I spent a lot of today cooking as cooking during the week - unless it is really quick - can be a challenge.  Also there are some great recipes in the Whole 30 30-at guide.  We had BLT's on Sweet Potato buns for dinner with a salad and some applesauce.  Turned out pretty good!  Looking forward to the next 28 day journey with all of you.

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Well I've successfully navigated through Day 2, even with a trip to the mall where all I could smell was cookies and baked goods!

In the Whole 30 book it talks about having weird food dreams...well last night I had a dream that I ran to the fridge in the middle of the night and ate a slice of cheese! I kept thinking OH NO I HAVE TO START OVER!!!

I thought you guys would get a kick out of that! ;)

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Hi All!

Denise, great story! Those dreams do kick in for a lot of us, and great job navigating the mall! Everyone is out of my house now, so I'm planning on a lazy Sunday, with a quick grocery trip in between. My menu is planned out for the week, mostly consisting of using up all the turkey, but keeping it all simple. I'm pretty cooked out after hosting Thanksgiving. The last thing I want to do right now is turn on the over, or chop veggies. Frozen veggies to the rescue! 

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Sooooo I’m on day 3 BUT I totally accidentally had something off plan yesterday & then realized I had something off plan on day 1 as well! Aaagh! Oh well at least it’s not day 26.  I’m back to day 1. Might as well get it right from the start. On a positive note I’m already noticing my mid afternoon slump is not really happening so much! Curious as to what is causing it. Time will tell. Hope all you beginners are doing well! 

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Sarah, that recipe sounds delicious! How did everyone else do on Day 3? 

I successfully made it through a social coffee outing; drank the coffee black, and said No Thanks to food that was offered. Luckily, I had a yummy dinner waiting. Turned leftover turkey bits into a quick and easy salad: mixed greens, roasted beets, turkey, apple, sliced almonds, homemade dressing.

Today will be the first day back to work since starting Whole30, and this time of year means there are always temptations around. I'll just be keeping my head down.

Happy Monday!

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Day 4:

I have had more energy in the past 3 days than I've had in a while. Even though I am a pretty active person, I would get the afternoon slump and barely stay up past 9:30 (I do get up at 4:30-5am though). I am a little worried that I am going to hit some sort of hard crash in the next few days. My friends are kindly joking that they need a warning when I hit the "kill all the things" portion! 

Eating and meal prepping so far hasn't been too bad. I did realize that the need for plastic containers is much greater than I anticipated, as storing the meals might be an issue if I do too much at once. I do think about a sweet treat and would totally love some chips!! I am hopelessly addicted to Trader Joe's plaintain chips, which are compliant in the ingredients, but I am trying to stay true to the "No sex with your pants on" theory! 

Hope everyone is doing great! Happy Monday!

 

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Hi Denise, glad to hear you are already feeling like you have more energy! You will most likely hit a road block around Day 10, but just know it's coming and you will get through it. I'm a chips lover too, but it's important to leave them out during your Whole30. Even if the ingredients are compliant, it's about re-examining our relationship with food, and snacks in particular for me. I would totally encourage you to make your own plantain "chips" at home though, they are a lot of fun to make, and delicious. I like this recipe: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/113854926293/fried-green-plantains-patacones-or-tostones

You can also just slice and roast them like any vegetable, and they come out great, just like a baked chip.

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Good luck tomorrow Elizabeth! 

Today I made Melissa’s Chicken Hash from the Whole30 guide. Once again it was a winner and easy too!  I am looking forward to eating it for breakfast tomorrow. I will probably make it a lot if it is good as a leftover.  Anyone else found some good, simple recipes?

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Hi Sarah, and everyone! I try new recipes pretty often, but here are some that I keep coming back to.

Roasted cabbage with sausage: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-cabbage-apples-italian-sausage (use any compliant sausage you want, I use chicken)

Oven-baked salmon cakes: http://meljoulwan.com/2014/11/10/oven-fried-salmon-cakes/

Sweet potato, broccoli, chicken bake: https://therealfoodrds.com/sweet-potato-broccoli-chicken-bake/ (I leave out the cranberries because I can't find compliant ones)

Meat and spinach muffins: https://meljoulwan.com/2008/10/26/eat-your-vegetables-spinach/

If I'm looking for something new, I always check out Well Fed, Nomnom Paleo, and Paleomg.

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Day 6 was tough. Not so much energy and feeling a little "meh." Had a work meeting all day and was surrounded by lots of treats I couldn't eat!! I even had to bring my lunch because the catered lunch didn't have any compliant options. But I held strong! 

Delving a little into the Whole30 Cookbook for some food options for next week. Hope everyone is doing good! Can't wait to cheer the non-scale victories!

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Denise, great job at your work meeting! And way to go on thinking about lunch ahead of time! 

Made it through my long day yesterday, ending with a quick dinner of tuna salad: canned tuna, cut up apple, pre-roasted red onion, compliant mayo, lettuce. Simple, and little boring, but ready in under 10 minutes, which is the way to go on a weeknight for me. 

What are some new recipes that people have been trying? Anything that has surprised you? Learning any new cooking techniques?

I have a work team happy hour today, and we are a small group, so I need to strategize my game plan.

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