Official 1/1/13 Start Group

[DVeep]

Hi Laurie and compadres,

My W30 began also on Jan 1. I have been eating mostly paleo since January 2012, and completed a Whole30 in September. I did feel better, but have been struggling to identify problematic foods. I'm eliminating eggs this time around, then reintroduce first only the yolks, as I've read that the white have the proteins that commonly cause reactions. Two years ago I quit eating and baking with gluten, because a friend has Celiac Disease. I felt less bloated without the gluten.

One book led to another and another, until I found my way a year ago, while recovering from allergic sinusitis (darn that dairy at holiday time) reading "The Paleo Solution." Happily, I can report that since going paleo last January, all of my bloodwork is now normal, my Vitamin A&D are in the top end of the scale, I am no longer leaning toward anemia, and I never get sick! Sure, I get congested when I eat dairy, so I don't eat dairy anymore and I don't get sick.

I will be better about contributing to this forum on this second go-round, because other than my husband, I don't have any local support. Everyone at work is on a "special" diet. My supervisor, at the direction of her oncologist, is on a low-fat, no red-meat, diet, and she is always hungry and eating at her desk. I could definitely use this support here. If anyone is from the Portland OR area, maybe we could meet up for a meal?

Time for bed (2 hours ago). Lights Out. D-out.

[Fi68]

Hello everyone this is my first W30 and as I am in Australia, I am nearing the end of day 3 ... so far so good! I am feeling the benefits already, more energy and definitely sleeping better so I can't wait to see how amazing I feel after 30 days!!!

I only very recently discovered the wonders of paleo after toying with a gluten-free diet in an effort to overcome severe lethargy and bloating ... I work in a very sedentary job where I am sitting down for hours at a time and this, together with poor eating habits, has seen far too many kilos pile on in the past 2 years. My goal is to feel healthy and alive again!

I am still waiting for my book to arrive so I am relying on information I have gleaned from the website and this forum to keep me on track and eating by the rules ... I have never been so sure of anything as I am that I will finish this and, in itself, that is pretty amazing as I am usually unsure of nearly everything

I am very much looking forward to sharing this exciting journey with all you wonderful like-minded people

[LJG]

Welcome to day 3!!!! I have been waking up every hour or so the last 2 nights to use the restroom. The good news is I recall this stage from last time around and know that it will pass very soon and I will soon be seeing the best sleep of my life. Everyone has such great drive and determination. I am sure we can do this together!

Have a wonderful day!

[Jenn35]

Good morning! I forgot to chime in here. I'm on Day 3 too. The chicken and veggies I had for breakfast are extremely filling, almost too much. I'm hoping I feel more adjusted by the weekend.

One good thing to report: yesterday, I noticed that I was not bloated at the end of the workday. I think is definitely because I'm not visiting the office candy dish or Diet Coke supply!

[cyrmymy]

Hi,

I also started my Whole 30 on January 1st too and I'm excited! I'm a kinesiologist and I've been on a Paleo type of diet for a while but I have a sweet tooth and I find it hard to maintain a strict paleo diet.

I decided to seriously start the Whole 30 since I learn I was (HLA) B27 positive and my brother has ankylosing spondylitis so I am taking this as an experiment to improve my life. Since I spend most of my time training and training others I thought this Whole 30 could benefit my health and my work environment.

Let see how it goes and Good luck to everyone you started their WHOLE 30 this month

Myriam

[torena]

Hi everyone! I started on the 1st, also. I first wanted to clean up my sources of meat and that was 6 years ago. I ended up on a farm buying club where I learned about the Weston A. Price Foundation. Coming to this point in my life is kind of a natural evolution. I've met a lot of people with food sensitivities/allergies/celiac. My husband, children and I went GF for 9 weeks a year and a half ago. My husband didn't notice any significant changes, though I did have what I call a Moment of Clarity a few days in. I wasn't as cranky, the world seemed brighter. I joined a Crossfit gym for about 6 months, but it's hard to see results when you can only go once a week. When my kids are older (i.e. in school!) then I will consider doing it again. While there, though, I learned about the Whole30 from my trainer. I spent the last year trying to get my husband and kids on board. My husband is passively in support.. if he doesn't have to do anything extra, then he's all for it. But hand him a book or website and tell him to read it and get back to you? Nope. I decided that this, my first Whole30, I am doing for me and no one else.

I have some gallbladder issues (I had a crazy week during the summer of about 5 or 6 attacks, had to eliminate all fat, and slow reintroduce fats again) that I have read can be caused by eating low-fat, or related to celiac. I also have hypothyroidism, which Chris Kresser has stated the majority are autoimmune related and likely caused by, you guessed it, celiac. And with the tests not giving a 100% result, it's not even worth it to get tested. I know I feel better without gluten, though, so it's a no brainer.

My big challenge so far with the Whole30 is this nausea/lack of appetite thing first thing in the morning. I used to drink coffee every morning (and afternoon). We all got hit with the flu over Christmas and the end of it I was nauseated all day, coffee made my stomach turn, so I stopped a couple days before the new year. However, when I'd try to eat breakfast the last couple of days my stomach would turn. I got a few bites in and would just spend a few hours not wanting to move. Yesterday I felt better after drinking some water kefir (and suddenly I'm not sure if water kefir/kombucha are allowed?) and I was able to eat lunch and felt fine the rest of the day. This morning I have been up since 6:00. It's now 9 and I am starting to have an appetite, so I warmed up a leftover chicken thigh with roasted brussels sprouts and romanesco. I also warmed up some chicken broth and microplaned some ginger into it and gave it a squeeze of lemon. We'll see how this goes!

[Roxie]

Hope everyone is still on board! I have the dreaded day 3 headache and like a PP, up all night going to the bathroom. Tomorrow will be better!

[Skye Sieber]

I'm glad to have found this group. I saw a shiny new copy of It Starts With Food on the bookshelf at my local library last fall. I was immediately intrigued and started experimenting with some of the meal map recipes. I liked the ones I tried and decided I would go all in January 1, 2013...after the holidays. I always considered myself a pretty healthy eater. I've been making fruit smoothies for breakfast for perhaps the last 8 years, even started putting kale leaves and raw beets into them for the extra health benefit. I "grazed" all day long on fruits and veggies skipping the traditional lunch. I have been tested for high cholesterol so started backing off on eggs and meat and adding flax seed to everything at the advice of my doctor. I started juicing a year ago. ISWF debunks all of these habits. So really part of my intrigue is challenging the Paleo eating concept to see if I will actually start feeling better and shedding some health inconveniences I've endured perhaps too long. I have had what one allergist calls vasomotor rhinitis (constantly runny nose) for almost 14 years. After being tested for the 50 most common allergens (negative results), trying steroid spray treatments (not for long), neti pots, and finally trying to eliminate dairy, nothing changed. Gluten would be the next culprit but I kept putting off that elimination test because I knew it would be harder to control for. My inconvenient sniffles and reaching for a tissue several times a day have become my new norm. On top of that, I seem to have trouble waking up in the morning, experience bouts of sleepless nights from time to time, and an unhealthy habit with red wine. So here I am, 3 days into the Whole30. I have noticed a mild headache since yesterday afternoon and woke up with achy muscles today (and I didn't work out hard at all the past two days). I know it will get worse before it gets better. Thankfully the recipes are delicious. I'm looking forward to finally paying attention to how my body feels and reacts to what I eat because the saying is true...you are what you eat!

[Laurie L. Ganz]

This forum is great, I was going to ask about headaches and having to pee all last night...now I see it is normal! Pushing on friends!!!

[NatPatBen]

...My big challenge so far with the Whole30 is this nausea/lack of appetite thing first thing in the morning. ...

Torena, what time do you stop eating at the end of the day? If you aren't getting hungry until 9am, but you want to get hungry around 7am, perhaps it's worth trying to stop eating 2 hours earlier than you usually do.

For me to be hungry enough to eat at 8:30, I found that I shouldn't eat past 7:30pm.

Just a suggestion. Take it or leave it.

[jtota]

Good Morning all! It is day three and my I have to be honest, my mind is in full revolt. It's weird because I have a ton of energy all ready and I feel like I could just go and go and go at the moment, but the vegan part of my brain is in full protest. It is coming up with so many reasons why this will not work. I do feel "heavy" and when I notice this feeling that's when the thoughts start rolling in. But I just keep telling myself this will pass. I just always felt so light on a vegan diet.

Also, I am struggling more than I thought I would with meals, esp. breakfast. I can get a hold of good eggs no problem, not sure how long I can go eating them every day though, but bacon and sausage that are whole 30 do not exist here and I was really looking forward to eating them. I also need to figure out how to get some veg into my breakfast. I would appreciate any ideas on that. I have never been a salad eater so I try to be creative. When I was eating vegan I ate alot of squash and would sneak greens into smoothies. But smoothies are not allowed and I am trying to limiting starchy veg for a bit. Hoping some of you who have done this before can help. Starting my days off better would really help the rest of my day.

[torena]

Torena, what time do you stop eating at the end of the day? If you aren't getting hungry until 9am, but you want to get hungry around 7am, perhaps it's worth trying to stop eating 2 hours earlier than you usually do.

For me to be hungry enough to eat at 8:30, I found that I shouldn't eat past 7:30pm.

Just a suggestion. Take it or leave it.

I usually eat around 6:30pm though I have "needed" a snack around 8:30/9. Last night was tough as my husband was slicing up some mozzarella cheese with olive oil and salt/pepper. As I went to sleep last night I said to him that I just needed to go to bed when the kids do, around 8:30, so I can avoid the snacking temptation.

[Lauren Allan-Vail]

Hellooooo! On Day 3 - going strong, but definitely feeling the exhaustion today. Sooooo tired. And weird dreams are kicking in. Intense stuff, but can't wait to see and feel the results!

[torena]

Good Morning all! It is day three and my I have to be honest, my mind is in full revolt. It's weird because I have a ton of energy all ready and I feel like I could just go and go and go at the moment, but the vegan part of my brain is in full protest. It is coming up with so many reasons why this will not work. I do feel "heavy" and when I notice this feeling that's when the thoughts start rolling in. But I just keep telling myself this will pass. I just always felt so light on a vegan diet.

Also, I am struggling more than I thought I would with meals, esp. breakfast. I can get a hold of good eggs no problem, not sure how long I can go eating them every day though, but bacon and sausage that are whole 30 do not exist here and I was really looking forward to eating them. I also need to figure out how to get some veg into my breakfast. I would appreciate any ideas on that. I have never been a salad eater so I try to be creative. When I was eating vegan I ate alot of squash and would sneak greens into smoothies. But smoothies are not allowed and I am trying to limiting starchy veg for a bit. Hoping some of you who have done this before can help. Starting my days off better would really help the rest of my day.

Can you get ground pork? I saw this recipe the other day and it looks good. What I usually do for breakfasts is make a sausage stir-fry. I take onions, or leeks, or shallots and dice up however much I like (usually about 1 cup) and saute it in some coconut oil. Then I add in the sausage and let it get nice and crispy. I then throw in a package of chopped mushrooms (sometimes two), and once those are cooked down I'll add two bunches of greens - usually either swiss chard or spinach because I am not a fan of the stronger flavored greens yet. Then I keep that in the fridge, I scoop out some in the morning, warm it up in a skillet, dump it on a plate, then scramble some eggs to go with it (I really like Penzey's Sunny Paris seasoning followed by a pinch of salt at the end so the eggs don't get tough, you can get it online at penzeys.com).

Hope that helps!

[Lauren Allan-Vail]

Hi jtota! I found a great recipe for a "crustless quiche" that you can put all sorts of veggies in - zucchini, carrot, mushrooms, squash. It's in the Practical Paleo cookbook.

Good Morning all! It is day three and my I have to be honest, my mind is in full revolt. It's weird because I have a ton of energy all ready and I feel like I could just go and go and go at the moment, but the vegan part of my brain is in full protest. It is coming up with so many reasons why this will not work. I do feel "heavy" and when I notice this feeling that's when the thoughts start rolling in. But I just keep telling myself this will pass. I just always felt so light on a vegan diet.

Also, I am struggling more than I thought I would with meals, esp. breakfast. I can get a hold of good eggs no problem, not sure how long I can go eating them every day though, but bacon and sausage that are whole 30 do not exist here and I was really looking forward to eating them. I also need to figure out how to get some veg into my breakfast. I would appreciate any ideas on that. I have never been a salad eater so I try to be creative. When I was eating vegan I ate alot of squash and would sneak greens into smoothies. But smoothies are not allowed and I am trying to limiting starchy veg for a bit. Hoping some of you who have done this before can help. Starting my days off better would really help the rest of my day.

[NatPatBen]

...But smoothies are not allowed and I am trying to limiting starchy veg for a bit. ...

Smoothies are not allowed? I must've missed that part. I've been having green smoothies for breakfast. Today, my breakfast consisted of a smoothie with coconut milk, kale, 1/3 avocado, almond nut butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and a few hazelnuts. Also, for protein, 2 boiled eggs.

[Tami O'Brien]

Hello, I had wanted to start my 30 days today, but my daily news doesn't start until tomorrow. I think I'm just gonna do 2 day ones 'cuz I can't wait another day!

[ptmint]

Hello Everyone. I too started Jan 1st. I had surgery on 12/28 and could only have clear liquids for 24 hours. I had a lot of chicken and beef broth and water. Tried some juice but it didn't do it for me. So I went through a cleans of sorts right before starting my W30. When I started eating after 24 hrs of clear liquids I didn't have much appetite except for sweet treats. (So much for the cleans.)

An advantage I have right now is I'm off work until Jan 15th so I can lay down and nap whenever I feel the need. Having just had surgery I need more rest anyway.

I have found some super delicious recipes at Whole Life Eating that are easy, fast, and soooo good. I made steak and veggies in my pressure cooker last night and I had baked eggs this morning.

Yesterday I cried at the drop of a hat and felt really crummy. I didn't realize until today that it was most likely due to all the changes my body is going through. I slept for almost 10 hours and feel much better today.

I like what I read somewhere on this site that helped put what is hard and what isn't hard into perspective: Fighting cancer is hard (been there, done that. Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer three years ago. That was hard). Going without artificial sweeteners for 30 days? Not so hard. Do I miss them? Yes. But it isn't hard. This whole plan is easy, when compared to things in life that are truly hard, this is easy.

Keep up the good work everyone.

Pat A

[Christina Williams Routon]

I also started on 1/1/13. This is my first go round. I'd already started gluten free and sugar free but had been using Splenda in tea and coffee and hadn't given up dairy, although I was eating coconut yogurt and drinking almond and coconut milk in the carton, which I won't do anymore. I started playing with recipes during December and getting some pantry stuff ready up for January. So far I've missed the Splenda and my oatmeal in the morning. I've also been hungry. I know this means I need to eat more and make sure I have enough fat. It's a learning curve. Hubby is doing this with me. His struggle is working at a pizza place. He's always in his vehicle and doesn't have access to a break room with a microwave or fridge. He has to make sure all food is able to be eaten on the go. If he gets hungry, he has snacked on a pizza that wasn't picked up or was burned or otherwise messed up. He said he won't do that anymore. Tonight is his first major test of that resolve as it's his first back since the holidays. He's got a headache too. Aside from being hungry, I'm feeling fine so far. Planning ahead is definitely a key factor in succeeding with this.

My goal is to reduce inflammation and basically feel better. I've lost 60 pounds but it's taken four years, and I've discovered I have a possible autoimmune / fat disorder called Lipedema. Most of my weight is in my legs, and no matter what I do that weight won't come off. All I can do is lose what I can, reduce inflammation, and keep from gaining any more.

[Nila]

Also, I am struggling more than I thought I would with meals, esp. breakfast. I can get a hold of good eggs no problem, not sure how long I can go eating them every day though, but bacon and sausage that are whole 30 do not exist here and I was really looking forward to eating them. I also need to figure out how to get some veg into my breakfast. I would appreciate any ideas on that. I have never been a salad eater so I try to be creative. When I was eating vegan I ate alot of squash and would sneak greens into smoothies. But smoothies are not allowed and I am trying to limiting starchy veg for a bit. Hoping some of you who have done this before can help. Starting my days off better would really help the rest of my day.

Can you get plain ground pork? Or even ground turkey? If so, you can make your own sausage. That's what I do. If you're interested, I can share my seasoning recipe.

As for getting the vegetables into breakfast, without being too creative, I shred sweet potato and cook it in ghee for hash browns. And I chop up fresh spinach and stir fry it in crumbled sausage. I'll add cilantro too (a leafy green when you think about it) too. I'm sure others have better ideas. These are easy ones for me.

[Nila]

Hi Christina.

For your husband...before I even discovered It Starts With Food and the Whole30 concept, I had started cleaning up my diet. Because I'm on the go a lot and sit in regular meetings with lunch ordered in, I bought two Thermos brand hot food containers. They have a fold-up spoon built in to the lid and a bowl as a second lid if you choose to use that. I pack them with stew, chili, or a ground meat/veggie stir fry for a satisfying meal on the go. A couple of those and a small cooler - maybe even one that plugs in to the car's charger outlet - might help him get through shifts more easily.

For you...I too am here to reduce inflammation. My levels have given my doctor fits. He's the one who prescribed Whole30 to me.

Let's do this!

His struggle is working at a pizza place. He's always in his vehicle and doesn't have access to a break room with a microwave or fridge. He has to make sure all food is able to be eaten on the go. If he gets hungry, he has snacked on a pizza that wasn't picked up or was burned or otherwise messed up. He said he won't do that anymore. Tonight is his first major test of that resolve as it's his first back since the holidays. He's got a headache too. Aside from being hungry, I'm feeling fine so far. Planning ahead is definitely a key factor in succeeding with this.

My goal is to reduce inflammation and basically feel better. I've lost 60 pounds but it's taken four years, and I've discovered I have a possible autoimmune / fat disorder called Lipedema. Most of my weight is in my legs, and no matter what I do that weight won't come off. All I can do is lose what I can, reduce inflammation, and keep from gaining any more.

[Run4fun]

It's 3:30 pm in Illinois and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sleepy and lethargic. I have a neck/shoulder ache and my face aches around my sinuses. I know brighter days are within sight. I have to admit, however, that I am surprised at my body's reaction as I've been following Paleo pretty strictly for about 1 1/2 years, except for a few croutons on a salad or a glass of wine in the evenings. Wow!

Bring it on.....let's finish flipping the switch to fat burning mode so I can feel on top of the world!

[dudeascending]

Hi all! This is my first Whole30. I started on 1/1/13, but just registered for the forum so I could get support and keep track here. I'm hoping to lose some weight--I'm probably 15-20 lbs. over my ideal--and, less superficially, have more energy and reduce my stress and anxiety.

I've been pretty good about eating whole foods for a few years, but my diet definitely included tons of dairy, grains, and alcohol. I'm really missing my wine and whiskey!

[SassieM]

Hello, I had wanted to start my 30 days today, but my daily news doesn't start until tomorrow. I think I'm just gonna do 2 day ones 'cuz I can't wait another day!

Hi Tarnie,

I have done this..and as I am in Australia, I wake up each morning to the previous days mail..and I am finding this really works because it sets me up each day to tick off the success of the day before and really motivates me..I am really just 12 hours ahead! Good luck :-)

[SassieM]

Hello everyone..I am here in Tasmania, Australia and I am so loving that I can wake up each morning and read all your lovely messages and that is so motivating. I am wondering though if anyone has any ideas about how to stop losig too much weight. I am happy to get leaner and more muscle mass, but as I am feeling quite lethargic and actually a little sick and not at all hungry..I am worried that I will fade away!! Starting at 55kg and already down to 53. Should I just make sure to include more fruit..anyone else have experience with this.