100 Days of Awesome "Whole 100" Group Log

[okeedokie]

Shelley,

I have been having a shoulder flare up. Old injury that is very painful. Everything is going great for me too and last Monday I woke up and my left shoulder was hanging out of the socket!!

I wonder if anyone else is having any weird flare-ups from old conditions or injuries?

Could be a last ditch "healing crisis".

Anyone else having issues?

Linda

[AI-Paleo]

Thanks Amy, Juzbo, Shelley and Linda...

Shelley and Linda, my flares have been traceable to unknown additives in restaurant food and stress BUT I am wondering, with spring coming, if weather and/or allergens could impact us as well.

Linda, I love what you wrote about your 100, and our 100, so far. You captured everything so well. You are amazing (as are all of you here!) and I'm SO glad you recognize that!

Lisa

[okeedokie]

Thanks Lisa!

My hope is that we stay connected to each other in the post 100. I have come to value all of you and your insights so much. I'll got through withdrawls without this every day!

Linda

[1Maryann]

Wow, Linda! You made me cry! Thank you all for entering my life. I don't know if I could have done it--actually I don't know if I would even have tried it--without the support of the people in this group.

Has anyone seen my spare tire? Anyone? It was here yesterday. I put on a pair of capris I hadn't been able to squeeze into for a while and took them off again because the top I wanted to wear wasn't loose enough to hide my awful muffin top. Today I'm at work and my scrub tops are baggy enough, so I put them on again, and it's gone! Where did it go? I'll bet if I weighed I'm the exact same as yesterday, so how can my body rearrange itself that fast?

[Jtandi]

Hi all! I'm back from our two night vacation, I wish it had been longer (kind of) but its always nice to be back at my home. I survived and stayed compliant!!! Seriously I can do anything with homemade mayo at my side. I had dinner out on Saturday night (salmon, steamed veggies, my mayo with garlic and dill and lemon added), got to eat at home Sunday am and noon, burger on Sunday night with plain mayo, fish on Monday for lunch with my dill mayo, grilled chicken sandwich sans bun extra lettuce tomato onion Monday night with plain mayo, and fish for lunch today with dill again. Steamed veggies with every single meal. I asked tons of questions and am 99% sure everything was compliant. Glad I was down in Monterey where everything is fish fish fish. The chicken was only slightly questionable, I asked but since its not a great resturant I always worry.

My husband got irritated with me on the trip. I mentioned that I thought it was funny every resturant we went to every meal I had was fantastic and he hated all his meals. I said it was interesting because I was only ordering real food, nothing fried, etc...how I felt great, not bloated, not constipated, not waking up in the morning still full from the night before. Then the sugar came, there's a gheridelli store there, tons of fudge stores, the kind of place in the past I would have gone all out (HEY! It's vacation!!) and eaten tons of fried things, pasta, etc. and I will say that was hard, but I knew this would be. I did want some chocolate. I did want to eat candy. But I didn't. I also mentioned that, as good as their hot fudge sundaies looked, they are never as good as I anticipated and so I was ok not eating one. Tee hee. He said I ruined all his food for him! Oops.

I also spent a lot of time looking at menus and thinking of how I would eat if I hadn't been on a whole30 and found fantastic options that sounded great, would easily fit into paleo, and could easily substitute steamed veggies for rice or pasta in the future. And I did eye the 83% extra dark sea salt chocolate at gheridelli. I ain't gonna lie! I felt so confident that I really have learned so much and been able to walk away from things I couldn't (ok, wouldn't) have in the past.

Sorry for the long post!!

'HEDGEHOG8 - I lost 10, 3.5, 3.5. I was super disappointed because I thought I would like 20 lbs the first 30 days!

Maryann- dang! That's a lot of work to have people just bash you! Especially when you are working so hard. That's why I'm so grateful to be here I have gone through weight watchers and everything else. I did ok in weight watchers but I used all my points for cookies and used my extra weekly points into an extra weekly day to eat whatever I wanted. And I made sure I was breast feeding to make extra calories for extra points!

Lisa - thanks for the overview!!! I want to hear more, too. Keep the info coming! Stress and sleep are huge issues for me. And glad to hear the agreement on exercise because I usually only get 3 days a week at CF

Shelly - thank you so much! I am going to read through again too, what a wonderful way to reflect

[shelley417]

As we go into our last week on this journey together, I am feeling extremely grateful for all of you and for all of the teachings. I am bound and determined to re-read the entire log by the end of the weekend. whats interesting to me is that We have posted intimate thoughts yet there are gaps in what we know about each other. Sometimes I think maybe that's the beauty of online communities-- but having shared so much I am curious about all of you and I know there are many missing details about our lives. I wish that you could all come over to my house and we could share cooking a sunday meal together. On the other hand, i do feel a keen sense of friendship and camaraderie even from afar.

Regarding the recent "flare-ups"-- should we find Tom to weigh in here. I know that one of us asked him before to show up on our blog-- how did we do that?

[Tom Denham]

I've been reading along and have noticed all the flare-ups. Unfortunately, we moderators can't explain everything. However, I doubt the flare-ups are food related. Maybe people feel better and have pushed a little harder and caused a little injury or soreness. Or maybe it is just a coincidence. I am suffering with a painful right arm problem now. I felt so good, I decided to workout 30 minutes every day last week. By Wednesday, my right arm was sore. I took the weekend off and got no better. I am pretty sure my problem is exercise induced and I am going to have to take it easy to heal.

[okeedokie]

Happy Day 92!

Jtandi, I applaud you for such a successful vacation! What a huge accomplishment. Funny that your husband didn't experience the same food nirvana you di but I'm thinking your magic mayo may indeed have been the trick.

Do you have a recipe you could share? My attempts at mayo so far have been dismal failures so any recipes and tips you've got, I'd love to soak in!

Maryann, thank you for the lovely thoughts.

As mentioned yesterday, I think a few of us reached out when the group was struggling and I'm so glad we did because it helped everyone so much! That was a real rough patch we all went through and I think a lot of us were thinking about throwing in the towel. I'm so glad we didn't!

This week has been such a blessing for me.

Since I separated from Dan, I have not slept well or felt good. I have stayed compliant and powered through the tough stuff. My boss got back from spring break and I was just so tired from working double my hours last week that I didn't know where I was going to pull my energy from and because this is how things work in my world, she gave us Monday off and had us come in at noon yesterday!

Woot, woot!

I love my boss and I love that I had a day and a half to do absolutely nothing but nurture myself and get rested up.

Ahhh bliss.

Not much else from me today, just felt the desire to connect with all of you.

Hugs,

Linda

[Jtandi]

Linda - I wasn't super clear - he does not eat clean at all. on his way to the hotel from parking the car he had already bought his taffy and fudge, every resturant we went to he ordered fried fish and French fries, he ate his ice cream, etc. then he would complain that the resturant wasn't good! so I ruined it for him by feeling good after eating and liking every meal I ordered by the end of the trip he said he was only going to eat salads...aye vay.

[Jtandi]

oh, and I use the recipe from well fed, I have tried others with zero success. I use my food processor and light tasting olive oil. if you don't have the book she has that recipe on her website

[melbournegirl]

So Shelley and everyone else... I have invited you out for coffee and during our conversations you hear that I got married at 23 to my partner I met at 17 when we were studying chemistry. We waited 10 years to have kids.. Extra study and living in Singapore for two years and perhaps just living LOL got in the way... Then I had a girl and a boy 18 months apart, they are 12 and 11 now. I have been working part time since becoming a parent but my husband has just taken early retirement (been travelling non stop and had enough) so I plan to work full time again for awhile. My favourite activities are cooking and keeping active (slow running and gym classes) and my frustration with life that I am slowly coming to terms with is my health... Benign tumours, gall bladder disease, severe pollen allergies, varicose veins and now a cyst that needs to be removed plus gluten, dairy and fodmap issues. Both my parents had cancer and blood pressure issues and my mum and sister diabetes. Sometimes I wish I could just be normal like everyone else (no such thing I know really), but now I am winning the battle I am glad I had to fight hard to work out what I need to do to optimise my health as this will ultimately help me live a happier life.

[shelley417]

So--Juzbo-- if we were sitting and having coffee I would ask you what is your profession and is your husband supportive of you and helping with the kids? I would also sincerely acknowledge your commitment to your health. I also love to cook and I would ask which recipes are now your favorites ( I have had alot of failures) and what's your favorite new cooking contraption since we started this journey. My kids are grown up and I would ask you if you are getting prepared for the teen years. They come more quickly now. Also-- is that you in your picture? Do you have a family picture to share? Tomorrow if you ask I will tell you about me.

[Jtandi]

oh this is a fun turn of events! and Juzbo, I have always wondered if that's you in the picture, too! more about your life, this is great,

Shelly - I want to know the same things about you. your kids are grown - do you have grandchildren? are they still living close to you? married? I know you have been married and have heard struggles with your husband's health, how is he doing?

you would find out that I actually grew up in Minnesota, went to college in Colorado (BA in visual arts), then moved to Boston and became a flight attendant. I met my husband there, we moved up to Maine and had a rough start, came back down to Boston and I quit flying after September 11, I had just started school for acupuncture, so I was ok with that. we moved out to California in 2003 and I planned to finish my acupuncture degree, but got pregnant instead (totally unexpected), after having my daughter I realized I wanted to be an acupuncturist because of the image it presented rather than what it was about. it felt alternative and 'cool' and I had to do some soul searching to realize that it would be more practical and actually more in line with my personal philosophy to become a nurse. I can serve a population that can't afford care, I can work with other people, and regardless of the "image" it's something I love...so I dropped out of school and changed course...I now work in the ER of a very busy trauma center and am completely torn between my desire to be a full time stay at home mom and my career, which I love. I love the people I work with and the population I serve (the hospital is in a poor neighborhood with a large immigrant population)...what else...like everyone there's so much more, but that's long enough!

[Jtandi]

and beyond this sub-thread I was wondering if any of you continue to eat some foods that you like even though they make you bloated, etc. I am having a hard time with nuts and avocado. I found that eating one avocado is too much for me, I get super bloated, but I love them. I'm trying to do 1/2 because I don't want to cut them out. and I have been snacking on nuts again. I just need to get rid of them. this final week my goal is to eat no nuts and no dried fruit (I munch on mango with my nuts). and no lara bars. I had been so good about these things but as the 100 days has gone on I have become more lax. but I do wonder if you have foods that you "deal with" somewhat negative effects because you like them!

I was eying dark chocolate bars today at Whole Foods. I almost bought one for next week, but decided against it. I realized that I am quite certain I will be at a grocery store again after next week and I can get it then. I also decided to do a big cook this weekend (soup, pasta sauce, and thai curry for start) and stock my freezer up again so I am ready for when our 100 days are up. funny how I tried to do the same before this journey started but I had no clue as to how, so I did nothing.

[melbournegirl]

Shelley and Jess, this is fun! There is so much I agree but having it in writing means we can come back to it. I will upload my real pic for a short while. I am pretty good at yoga but won't live long enough to get as good as the avatar. I like it because its inspiring. You won't be able to tell from my head shot but I am short and broad shouldered and quite stocky/square... Great for cranking out push-ups and squats, no good for modelling clothes LOL.

I used my degree to work as a development chemist for a manufacturing company, switched to IT when I wanted to work part time, now looking at a more commercial role but still with the same company 20+ years. My husband is family oriented but travelled so much (more than 100 days a year) I was single parenting a lot of the time. Now he is making up for it attending kids events and also taking on the shopping and laundry most days so that's good... Teen years... OMG I hope I am working full time by then!

My bamix food processor is my best kitchen toy... For cauliflower rice.. And for grating or chopping sweet potato, carrot and zucchini... My favourite new dish is sautéing these veges in ghee then adding beaten eggs, cinnamon, salt, pepper and blueberries and cooking it into a breakfast hash, sometimes adding ground beef or turkey.

Please tell us more about you Shelley!

Jess, wow a flight attendant and a nurse amongst other things! You are definitely a people person. How old is your girl?

I do eat foods that cause bloating but try to avoid the ones that cause pain as well... I can avoid nuts best when they aren't in the house... Obvious I know but hard to do. Good job not buying the chocolate just yet.. It might haunt you. I am regretting buying dried fruit!

[okeedokie]

Happy Day 93!

Juzbo - you're on fire!!

Btw, I understood about your husband on vacation. That's what I thought was so funny. You were a rockstar!

I would like to join in on the coffee-date. I laid in bed earlier this morning and read all of your posts (a morning ritual). I so enjoyed finding out more about all of you. Talk about amazing lives!!

So if I was with you all, I would tell you that I was born and rasied in Seattle, WA. That I was a very outgoing child who grew into the out of control child. At 18 yrs. old I got an offer to move to Guam with a friend and my Mother was happy to pay for the trip to get me out of her hair! I lived there 9 months and got a big dose of grow up.

I spent the next several years bouncing from job to job and state to state. Something I call doing "geographicals" (ie) changing my environment but not me.

At 27 yrs, old I got sober and life really changed. At 28 I got married and had my daughter. I divorced 7 yrs. later.

I still bounced around jobs as a receptionists & telephone operator. I couldn't find my niche.

Then I found acting. I went to an acting academy when my daughter was 2 for a solid year and started auditioning in Seattle for commercials, voice-overs and films. I did a few things and really enjoyed it. After my divorce, I moved to L.A. with daughter, dog, hamster (and ex-husband in tow). An interesting adventure.

I ended up giving up acting. It was too rough to be a parent and act at the same time. Each needed my full attention and my daughter won out hands down.

In Seattle I started my own personal assistance, organizing and housekeeping business.

In L.A. I lucked my way into a job as a housekeeper for some high profile movie people and was trained for my career there as a Personal Assistant and House Manager.

I have worked for some very interesting people. Some very high maintainence ans some very normal and kind. I love what I do and am really good at it!

I now live in Chicago, IL. I have a wonderful job with a young family managing their home and I couldn't be happier.

I have always struggled with my health and my weight and as mentioned before, I hit bottom 22 months ago and my life really took a turn for the better, although I didn't think it at the time.

At the moment I am separated but I am looking at this as a growing thing. Dan and I are making big strides in growing and healing together so we can be together for the long haul. Not easy but so worth it.

I love to sew. I have an Etsy shop. I am taking storytelling classes and writing stories from my life right now, which is a great challenge and great fun!

If we were sitting down together, you would find that I love to laugh and make people laugh. I love to cook and share recipes and I would want all of your favorites and I would suggest that we potluck in our favorite dishes next time to share with each other!!

I think we would need/want a whole afternoon to get aquainted.

What fun!

Love,

Linda

[shelley417]

Jess, Juzbo ( what is your given name and what does Juzbo mean?): you both have me laughing and crying. (Jess-- do you was Nom Nom?). I am just amazed that you can work so hard and such crazy hours and raise your family and be so successful out of the box I changing your lifestyle. I am thinking that you are both in your early 40's --is that right?

I am the Executive Director of a $10m Jewish community center enterprise in Florida since 2008. We have had one location for 15 years and over the past 3 years we have raised enough money to build a second location. The new building will be finished in August--it has been and will continue to be a labor or love rife however, with community politics and budgetary stress.

I have 3 grown children and I am very close to them all. I have a 40 year old step daughter from my first marriage and she has a husband and 2 gorgeous daughters who are 5 and 3. My son, 32 and his wife live close by and have a 2 year old son and my daughter is going to be 30 soon and she lives in Connecticut with her husband and her 10 month old son. We were just all together in Connecticut for the holiday and we are renting a farm house in Maine for 2 weeks this summer. I also have 2 parents and 2 inlaws all in their late 80's who live very close by. Needless to say they know me at the local hospital and local rehabilitation center.

I met this husband 9 years ago ( married 14 years to the father of my children and we still consider each other family, celebrate holidays together with our new spouses and generally like each other but it's been a long time). I was married briefly about 15 years ago and then swore off marriage. A friend introduced me to my now husband who is the love of my life. He is that cute guy in the picture with me ( I think you can see it-- we are on a boat at Marco Island). He was a marathon runner and the picture of health and vitality. Neither of us took a prescription drug until last year.

Over the past several years I had gained 20 lbs and no matter what "diet" I followed I could not lose the weight. I was going on the elliptical everyday and doing yoga 3 times a week. I was turning 60 (I will be 61 next week!) and figured it was old age. I had high blood pressure and the doctor prescribed weight loss and diuretics.

Meantime last May my husband was diagnosed with a rare and fatal disease (multiple systems atrophy which is on the Parkinson's syndrome). He had to close his practice and he is deteriorating rapidly. We have a home health aide, a motor scooter, a home retrofitted with handicap bars, and many friends and family who are helping us through. This is how i found the Whole30. He was recommended a low carb, gluten free ketogenic diet. I of course agreed to do it with him, did the research, cleaned the pantries, went low carb/gluten free/sugar free, eventually got to the W9 website, struggled with giving up wine and almond milk in my coffee and then jumped in last October. He couldn't stand the fat, eventually did a w30 in February but doesn't believe it helps his symptoms ( except that his foot swelling disappeared!). He eats mainly Paleo because I prepare his food. But friends stop by with subs and last night I ordered him a mushroom and onion pizza that he wanted. The whole thing is sad and stressful. I am his caregiver nights, mornings and weekends. He however is an amazing spirit and an inspiration to many.

Regarding the food-- I wish I had stuff that makes me feel bad but truly none of the food except soy and wine ( this is a whole separate thread) really bothers me. I have these figs from costco because my husband loves them and i really have to discipline myself about how many of them I eat. Meantime I lost my 20 lbs (absolutely no exercise-- i can't leave my husband in the morning or at night) and I am actually now looking forward to choosing my "bike ride" and staying the course beginning next week.

Lisa, Linda, MaryAnn-- please join us for coffee.

[shelley417]

Linda-- you posted just before I posted. You rock!

[melbournegirl]

Not so early forties... 47 in July ;(... Juzbo doesn't mean anything but my first name is Justine

I uploaded a new pic but I'm not seeing it yet....

Shelley, it's wonderful you are so surrounded by family, must make it slightly easier to cope with the sadness you and your husband have to deal with. More words fail me other than to say you are one strong and brave and resourceful woman!

Linda, that's a lot of living you have done... Nice to meet you and I am looking forward to the pot luck dinner!

[Jtandi]

Linda - ironic, I got sober at 28 as well! and, as you can see, geographics were a fun distraction for me, too!! I never thought of myself as a people person, I was always so uncomfortable in my skin until I got sober...then I was REALLY uncomfortable! for a long time!! but as I grow older and get to know myself better I realized how much I love people and how much I love getting to know them, learning about them, helping them. I have found that doing this whole30 has actually made my love of people grow, I have lost so much of my irritation and impatience with my patients at work, I want to help them more, be with them more, be kinder to them, etc. I have also realized how weight has been my protection and a "test" to see who really likes me. I felt like I was so judged on my looks growing up (I was the chubby kid who, at 14, thinned out and all of a sudden had tons of attention from boys/etc.) I just didn't understand why people didn't like me when I was chubby but wanted me around when I was thin. so I have slowly put on weight. I am probably 45 to 50 lbs more than I was through college, but healthy for me would be another 15 lbs gone. 20 would be great.

I turn 40 this year! we actually have two girls, our oldest is 8 and our youngest is 20 months. there is a huge gap (obviously) when life/school/work happened. I went back for my nursing degree, then my husband went back for his. there are good and bad things about the gap. most days it's ok, some days it's fantastic, and some days I wonder why!

Shelly - I understand about the parents. my parents moved out here from California and live in the same condo complex, they help take care of our girls now, but they are in their 70s and their health isn't what it was.

I am so inspired by you guys! what we have been through is truly amazing!!!

Linda - what's your etsy store? I had one for a while but I don't do much anymore with two girls, I love to sew but I'm not very good at it. I love to knit, crochet, etc.

ok ladies, more info...

[Jtandi]

I changed my pic, too, this is me with my oldest

[1Maryann]

I've had this page open in my tray all day, but I've been too busy at work to read more than a few sentences. Can't wait to get home. C'mon 6:00!

[Karen]

I just wanted to pop in and say that it's been so nice to learn more about you! Even though I stopped short, I'm still rooting you guys on and enjoy reading about you and what's going on.

[melbournegirl]

We want to know more about you too Karen

[AI-Paleo]

What a joy to wake up to your stories this morning! You all have such incredible lives and it's wonderful to share the details of how we became who we are today...

I am 49, born in Ohio, spent my life until 4.5 years ago in California. I was 3rd child and only daughter. Our lives were sports and more sports and camping and being physical. I was doing track and field at 5 then added gymnastics, tennis, raquetball, etc. We were hugely competitive. In middle school I gained few pounds and my mom went nuts. Put me on 400 calorie/day diet, started bleaching and straightening my hair, etc. This began my battle with self loathing and eating issues. (I've been on a diet for 36 years.)

Went off to college and fell in love with a guy and got married junior year. Found out after, he wanted me to earn a paycheck and wouldn't let me finish school. He also started dating other women the week we got back from our honeymoon (not that he'd stopped before we married...). I worked as a CNA doing home care for chronically and terminally ill children at night and worked full time in an office during the day. We had a beautiful son (now 23). I wanted to be home with him so I opened a daycare center at my home. Then he kicked me out to move his girlfriend in. I have always worked hard to stay on good terms with him. It's been a blessing for our son.

I went back to work full time in an office doing banking and exporting licensing. Then moved into marketing and started dating my current husband. (I'd worked for the company before I had my son so I knew him somewhat.) He had a daughter from a previous marriage. We blended families. I worked till I got pregnant with my twins. Then my stepdaughter let her horse out (after I'd said not to because I was pregnant and it was a wild horse - of course my husband was out of town). It went crazy and hurt itself, broke an agricultural sized water main which sent a geyser up... The horse knocked me down when I tried to catch him and I also had to dig out mud and pull up a heavy slab of concrete that covered the main valve. I went into preterm labor that day at 20 weeks and had a cerclage (surgery where they sew you up so the babies can't be born) and went on scary high doses of magnesium sulfate to keep the contractions in check. I was in the hospital for nearly all of the next 12 weeks then had them by emergency C-section at 32 weeks. My beautiful babies were both about 4 pounds each and spent the next 5 weeks in NICU and came home to spend the next few years on antibiotics and assorted other meds. They were pretty sick for a long time...

I won't bore you with all the details but my son has Aspergers and OCD and my daughter has catamenial seizures, partial complex seizures and Tourettes. I've spent the last 18 years taking care of them (and my older son!) full time. I was diagnosed with my first autoimmune disease about a year after their birth. My thyroid was my biggest struggle as being so so so tired and depressed from Hashimoto's plus gaining weight because I tried to eat for energy so I could take care of my kids... My husband is 100% supportive but travels frequently.

My thyroid came out in 2006 and in 2007 I had sudden ovarian failure (autoimmune). Add that to my Sjogrens, Hashimotos, RA, lupus... They felt I was also developing metabolic syndrome. I found my way here because a little over a year ago, I went to my Rheumatologist 35 pounds heavier, in pain from head to toe, not sleeping at night or waking up really during the day AND had developed parasthesia (feels like bees are stinging you all over all the time). He put me on more meds, told me the parasthesia was not ever going to go away - and have a nice day.

I wasn't ready to throw in the towel and so started eating whole foods (nothing packaged or prepared with more than 5 ingredients, nothing with any ingredient that wasn't food). I felt a little better. Then I started eating superfoods. Felt a little better but still very symptomatic. Turns out, many superfoods are not autoimmune disease friendly! I found my way to the Autoimmune Protocol for Paleo and knew I'd hit pay dirt. I climbed on board 100% July 2012 and was feeling better within 2 days! I started to sleep better, the pain and swelling in my joints diminished, I had energy, my hair wasn't falling out as much. I stopped taking all meds but Synthroid within a month. By November I felt well enough to start at the CrossFit gym!

I found this group and was thrilled to see others doing this committed and long-term. I have support but not from anyone actually doing it too! I still have issues with sleep and energy and stress. I'm trying to get my thyroid tested to see what may need tweaking.

My after-100 won't look any different than my during-100 from a food standpoint. But having you all here sharing allowed me to learn more and be more successful - and being "in the same boat" has been beyond what I was even hoping for! The value of this 100 days is huge! I could not ever have gotten to where I am now without you all. I thank you from my heart and soul.

Lisa