Official 1/1/13 Start Group

[Nila]

You can get pure vanilla at a health food store. It is expensive though but worth it. Have you ever shopped at a local food co-op? Mine is small but awesome. Local meats, eggs, milk, veggies, etc. And they have pure bulk spices!

I'm jealous of those of you with co-ops. I live in the 12th largest city in the country. You'd think we'd be prime for co-ops. Yet our first co-op opened just, I think, 2 years ago. And it's a 25-minute+ drive in a direction I go only a few times a year. So I hit up the farmer's markets (we do have winter markets...yay!), Whole Foods, Costco every month or so, Trader Joe's a bit, and Target for the stuff the rest of the family eats but I won't. Oh! And Green B.E.A.N. Delivery.

[helen]

I'm jealous of those of you with co-ops. I live in the 12th largest city in the country. You'd think we'd be prime for co-ops. Yet our first co-op opened just, I think, 2 years ago. And it's a 25-minute+ drive in a direction I go only a few times a year. So I hit up the farmer's markets (we do have winter markets...yay!), Whole Foods, Costco every month or so, Trader Joe's a bit, and Target for the stuff the rest of the family eats but I won't. Oh! And Green B.E.A.N. Delivery.

What do you get at Costco? We just got one and I'm trying to decide if it is worth a membership. It is about a 15 min drive but in an area of town I hate. Delivery sounds awesome.

Oh, and my excitement for today is my friend who is total Paleo told me there are soups you can get at my favorite Thai restaurant!! I am going there next Sunday night.

I LOVE my food coop. It isn't really any cheaper than Whole Foods but they have member discount weekends where you save 10% off everything and good weekly deals (Larabars for $1). Plus the support local farmers. They do not carry Horizon milk products even. They use local restaurants for hummus, salsa, guac, etc. It is great. Plus they have Wifi so I go there after yoga to grade. And all the people are hippies like me

[jmarnold30]

What are your favorite fast fix meals? One that has worked well for me and is economical is Trader Joes Lime Chicken Burgers, guacamole (TJs or Wholy Gucamole) and salsa. Fast, cheap and satisfying. Trying to get some other ideas together for the protein/fat meal part.

Chili, served with guacamole.

Now that my Whole30 is over, and after reading the latest reader story posted on this site yesterday, I realize why I'm disappointed:

Despite being extremely overweight, I don't really have any health problems that bother me on a day-to-day basis or that require medicine. No migraines, asthma problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, etc. My biggest health problem currently is carrying so much extra weight. My motivation to get healthy is to fit better into this world (airplane seats, "regular" clothing stores) as well as avoid the issues that seem inevitable at my current weight.

A lot of people seem to come out of the Whole30 having conquered (or at least improved) various medical/mental issues, but in the absence of those issues, weight loss is the MAIN thing I want to have happen. I did lose 12 lbs over this 30 days, but to be honest, I expected to lose a lot more than that. I feel like I've been eating such healthy food, resisting all temptations (save those Lara bars last weekend), and spending SO MUCH MONEY that to only lose 12 lbs is a disappointment.

It makes me think that my hormones are still way out of wack. Oh yeah, just remembered that I *do* have a medical issue: PCOS. Forgot about that. Anyway, and maybe related to the PCOS, I still need to get my hormones in check so that the weight loss can happen.

Tomorrow I'm going to take pictures in my "before" dress (which is too small) and label it "in progress 1" as I'm not even close to the "after." Then I will get busy cooking several more recipes from Well Fed, as I *do* believe that this is a better way to eat than what I was doing before. Hopefully within a few months of sticking thisclose to paleo/whole30-style eating, I will fit that dress and have a comfortable plane ride to Jamaica for my birthday.

Side note/rant: I don't even understand why I'm as big as I am. Even before Whole30, and maybe the reason I didn't have those early detox symptoms that many have, I wasn't eating THAT bad! Since my 6-months of Atkins 10 years ago, I've laid off bread, rice, pasta, soda for the most part. I never add sugar to any beverages (going with Splenda or Stevia instead). I was eating vegetables and some fruit. Breakfast was often green smoothies (coconut or almond milk, kale or spinach, a little frozen fruit, a spoon of nut butter or avocado for fat,, brown rice protein powder); Lunch was often a protein from the cafeteria with two veggie sides.... I often skipped the bread. I feel like my general efforts are not reflected by my body. I definitely over-indulged in cookies/pastries, but I can't imagine that that was enough to warrant my size. Time for some serious introspection on what I've been doing and will do going forward.

I'm with the consensus here, 12 lbs is awesome. That is three pounds a week. That is not so bad when you put it all in perspective. I'm proud of you!

I took a bath and read about a woman who lost 40 pounds doing yoga in Prevention magazine. She is my height and reminded me a lot of myself (and she is 60!!). So no going off the program. I hate that I had those cravings last night though. I feel like all that kept me from gorging was this program if that makes sense. Sigh. But glad I resisted

So glad you resisted too.

You can get pure vanilla at a health food store. It is expensive though but worth it. Have you ever shopped at a local food co-op? Mine is small but awesome. Local meats, eggs, milk, veggies, etc. And they have pure bulk spices!

I will have to look for a co-op. I've never heard of that. We don't have Trader Joe's or Costcos. We do have a Whole Foods. I get most of my non-traditional stuff online at Amazon. I'm going to have to do some research for the Penzey's place too!

My husband wanted to try a new place to eat today. There wasn't much to choose from that I felt comfortable eating. I ordered just a burger (made sure not cooked with bread crumbs or anything else) without the bun and a veggie skewer. Gave my typical instructions (cook dry, no seasoning or oil or butter), but I'm thinking there must have been something illegal because my stomach is SOOOO messed up. I didn't taste anything off, but boy oh boy I am miserable!!

[jtota]

Signed up for yogaglo today. I've been surfing it for hours previewing the classes. I am so excited for what my next 45 days will bring!

[dukunbayi]

I love Costco. I even bought "Practical Paleo" there!

There is a great list for Costco and Trader Joes on this site somewhere; if you put it in the search thing, it'll come up.

Also, CSAs ("community supported agriculture" groups) are becoming increasingly common. I belong to a beef one and have tried a couple of the produce groups, and I am looking for one for non-beef meats and fish. A family member belongs to a goat milk one and if I ever go back to dairy it'll be raw whole goats milk.

My food coop is ovo-lacto vegetarian; they don't even sell cat food because cats are obligate carnivores. But it's a great place for produce, oils and fats, vinegars, and bulk dried fruits and nuts, and nut butters. They've got a good section for personal care products, supplements, and house cleaning supplies, but I don't usually buy that stuff there.

I'm at work and it's not un-quiet (those of you who work in hospitals will understand why I phrased it that way ). I have been researching functional medicine, not only because the concept really makes sense to me, but also to perhaps find a *good* provider in my neck of the woods.

But first, I'm going to research what the "artificial flavor" is in Good Earth tea. Dang! I love that stuff .

[helen]

Chili, served with guacamole.

I'm with the consensus here, 12 lbs is awesome. That is three pounds a week. That is not so bad when you put it all in perspective. I'm proud of you!

So glad you resisted too.

I will have to look for a co-op. I've never heard of that. We don't have Trader Joe's or Costcos. We do have a Whole Foods. I get most of my non-traditional stuff online at Amazon. I'm going to have to do some research for the Penzey's place too!

My husband wanted to try a new place to eat today. There wasn't much to choose from that I felt comfortable eating. I ordered just a burger (made sure not cooked with bread crumbs or anything else) without the bun and a veggie skewer. Gave my typical instructions (cook dry, no seasoning or oil or butter), but I'm thinking there must have been something illegal because my stomach is SOOOO messed up. I didn't taste anything off, but boy oh boy I am miserable!!

Here is a link to our food coop. I think most towns have them but they are often small and not in the most affluent areas. http://www.threeriversmarket.coop/

I have a terrible stomach ache right now. No idea as I haven't eaten anything off plan. I think it may be I waited to long to eat. Or I spent too long around my mother, lol.

[helen]

I lucked out last summer and my friend was working at the university food garden. I would get one of these boxes a week and it was only $10. There was another green pepper in this bunch and some more totatoes but we had eaten them. I hope to get to do it next summer again.

[Nila]

What do you get at Costco? We just got one and I'm trying to decide if it is worth a membership.

For this diet, I've not purchased anything. I haven't been there since I started. I would think produce would be one place, though the organic is spotty. I used the Dirty Dozenâ„¢ and Clean 15â„¢ rules from EWG so I decided I could get conventional onions, for instance. I tried buying onions at Costco in December but they went bad quickly. It killed any savings I originally had. I buy big bags of baking soda and epsom salt for baths. And there are a number of odds and ends the rest of my family likes. Probably the biggest place I "save" is on gas. But I drive right by the place on my daily route. If it were 15 minutes out of the way, that would be negated.

[christine19]

Tonight I do my last Whole30 grocery shopping! I don't know what the weeks following will look like (though I plan to do a strategic reintroduction of the things I've missed most to see their effect on me), but this will be my last official W30 trip to the stores. I'll also be picking up a bottle of wine, because - next Friday - that's the first thing I'm reintroducing.

CupcakeNinja-what kind of wine did you buy? I have an untouched bottle of Cabernet from New Year's-I was sick so I never drank it. I miss wine and coffee with half-and-half the most, but frankly I am way too afraid to introduce dairy so I feel like wine is a safer (and healthier ) choice! Here's to Friday!

[helen]

For this diet, I've not purchased anything. I haven't been there since I started. I would think produce would be one place, though the organic is spotty. I used the Dirty Dozenâ„¢ and Clean 15â„¢ rules from EWG so I decided I could get conventional onions, for instance. I tried buying onions at Costco in December but they went bad quickly. It killed any savings I originally had. I buy big bags of baking soda and epsom salt for baths. And there are a number of odds and ends the rest of my family likes. Probably the biggest place I "save" is on gas. But I drive right by the place on my daily route. If it were 15 minutes out of the way, that would be negated.

Okay, good to know. My mom has a membership to Sam's and I never want to buy anything from there honestly so I figure I wouldn't have much to buy at Costco. I buy recycled paper towels and TP and my cleaning product from Trader Joes. Trader Joes has helped lower my veggie bill with organics for sure but the local stuff is where it is at for me honestly. We have a long growing season and lots of farmers in TN luckily. The few things I need from a regular store I usually get once a month at Super Target which has pretty good prices IMO. I am kind of a tightwad so I don't buy much. Quality food (and studio yoga) are my big expenses!

[jtota]

So today is supposed to be the start of my own personal challenge to do another 45 days of whole 30 eating and yoga and I need someone to convince me this is still the right path. Today would have been the end to my 1st 30 days if I had not screwed up the first weekend. I weighed this morning to have my new set of stats since I'm getting stricter with my rules and I am officially up 5 MORE pounds. That's in addition to my post holiday weight gain ;/ and I have gained an inch in my hips and almost and inch in my belly. I know I have not been perfect but I am irritated - no- I'm pissed off. Why does this work for everyone else but me? I know this is only one goal but it is not worth stressing of these rules if my one major goal is completely backsliding. Can anyone help? I don't understand. I mean honestly, are some people just not meant to eat this way? I really want to give up this stress over my diet and just feel like this has made it worse now.

[helen]

So today is supposed to be the start of my own personal challenge to do another 45 days of whole 30 eating and yoga and I need someone to convince me this is still the right path. Today would have been the end to my 1st 30 days if I had not screwed up the first weekend. I weighed this morning to have my new set of stats since I'm getting stricter with my rules and I am officially up 5 MORE pounds. That's in addition to my post holiday weight gain ;/ and I have gained an inch in my hips and almost and inch in my belly. I know I have not been perfect but I am irritated - no- I'm pissed off. Why does this work for everyone else but me? I know this is only one goal but it is not worth stressing of these rules if my one major goal is completely backsliding. Can anyone help? I don't understand. I mean honestly, are some people just not meant to eat this way? I really want to give up this stress over my diet and just feel like this has made it worse now.

I'm sorry That stinks. Eating whole foods is important for so many reasons (staying away from processed, from fake sugars, etc) I think so the base idea behind eating this way is what everyone should do and will benefit everyone. Did you keep a food journal on amounts? Did you do the right proportion of fat and protein and veggies at every meal? I noticed sometimes when I'm tired I eat a ton of veggies and protein but sometimes just don't worry or think about the fat and this isn't a good. Did you stick to the portions they suggest? Did you eat a lot of nuts (I bought them bulk and measured them out into single serving snack bags and a serving is not a lot honestly). Nuts have a ton of calories. I guess that is my only suggestion is to really access whether you did the program or not before deciding if it didn't work for you (I mean accessing beyond the fact you realized you had some gluten).

The yoga will help you manage stress which will help you to lose weight. I always joke that you can't really eat before yoga and you don't feel like eating after so that is why it helps with weight loss. Doing yoga at home is good if that is the only access you have but good studio classes (and we have good ones at our local YMCA, although I had to try all the instructors to find the really good ones) will inspire you to change more.

How do you feel? The Whole30 has helped me a lot with my energy levels and feeling satiated. I have had a few bad nights (like the other night) but most times I honestly don't feel like eating junk.

Hugs! Hope someone else has better suggestions than me.

[torena]

Now that my Whole30 is over, and after reading the latest reader story posted on this site yesterday, I realize why I'm disappointed:

It makes me think that my hormones are still way out of wack. Oh yeah, just remembered that I *do* have a medical issue: PCOS. Forgot about that. Anyway, and maybe related to the PCOS, I still need to get my hormones in check so that the weight loss can happen.

I will echo what everyone else has here: 12 lbs is great! I am/was 70 pounds overweight when I started and I don't expect that much weight loss though it would be awesome.

I decided Friday that I am starting completely over on Monday. I am clearly doing something wrong and have discovered that some of the things I thought were safe are not. This could be why I have not seen the results I wanted. Discovering that i screwed up despite all my efforts really sent me off the deep end. Many of the spices I cook with have gluten in them!!! If anyone can recommend a GF brand please do.

That's why I shop at Penzey's or use Frontier. My husband would go to Shopper's and get his chili powder and I never thought twice about it. Then we were going to a paleo potluck and I looked at the ingredients and thought "Oh, crap."

So today is supposed to be the start of my own personal challenge to do another 45 days of whole 30 eating and yoga and I need someone to convince me this is still the right path. Today would have been the end to my 1st 30 days if I had not screwed up the first weekend. I weighed this morning to have my new set of stats since I'm getting stricter with my rules and I am officially up 5 MORE pounds. That's in addition to my post holiday weight gain ;/ and I have gained an inch in my hips and almost and inch in my belly. I know I have not been perfect but I am irritated - no- I'm pissed off. Why does this work for everyone else but me? I know this is only one goal but it is not worth stressing of these rules if my one major goal is completely backsliding. Can anyone help? I don't understand. I mean honestly, are some people just not meant to eat this way? I really want to give up this stress over my diet and just feel like this has made it worse now.

I don't know if you've read this, but I read it over the weekend: http://whole9life.com/2012/10/six-reasons-why-the-whole30-didnt-work-for-you/ It gave me some ideas to contemplate if I don't see the weight loss I've been hoping for. I know you struggled a lot this month with figuring out what works for you and what doesn't and whether or not to stay on the plan. It took me a year and a half to get to this point in my life for my Whole30. I had learned years ago about reading labels as we were playing with a GF diet. A friend came to my house and went through all of my cupboards with me and taught me about it. What worked for me this month was telling myself that I was committing to this 100% for 30 days and nothing was going to stop me (even if my husband asked me if I wanted one of those delicious looking gluten free chocolate chip pancakes I made for them!). You're not going to know if it works unless you completely commit and do it for the 30 days (or sometimes longer like that link suggests). My suggestion is to take what you have learned with your hiccups (and man, those hiccups suck, when we were starting a gluten free/dairy free trial I bought some cookies at a farmers market that the guy said were gluten free/dairy free.. I spread them through the week, and at the end of the week I looked at the label and thought "Oh, the chocolate chip ingredients aren't listed here." I saw him at the market, and he used Toll House chocolate chips which had dairy in them. I just gave up on the challenge right then and there) and really stick to it for this 30/45 days.

[christine19]

So today is supposed to be the start of my own personal challenge to do another 45 days of whole 30 eating and yoga and I need someone to convince me this is still the right path. Today would have been the end to my 1st 30 days if I had not screwed up the first weekend. I weighed this morning to have my new set of stats since I'm getting stricter with my rules and I am officially up 5 MORE pounds. That's in addition to my post holiday weight gain ;/ and I have gained an inch in my hips and almost and inch in my belly. I know I have not been perfect but I am irritated - no- I'm pissed off. Why does this work for everyone else but me? I know this is only one goal but it is not worth stressing of these rules if my one major goal is completely backsliding. Can anyone help? I don't understand. I mean honestly, are some people just not meant to eat this way? I really want to give up this stress over my diet and just feel like this has made it worse now.

I haven't completed the 30 yet, so I need to see what the scale and the measuring tape says, but knowing my body, I expected more too. I think now is the time for you to keep moving forward! The weight gain could be holding on to water, as protein is digested differently and your body is getting adjusted. 30 days seems long, I know...but a short amount of time to undo months or years of another way of eating. I'm trying to focus on that! Keep the faith!

[NatPatBen]

@aim911: Thanks for the encouragement. I do feel lucky/blessed not to have major medical issues.

@jtota: I'm sorry for your disappointing 30 days. I know that sucks especially because of the major effort put into it. Also, I guess I need to check my 100% vanilla for extra ingredients, too.

...

I'm no medical professional so throw out these thoughts and questions if they're meaningless... With PCOS, have you considered the possibility of other hidden issues...autoimmune, etc? Have you looked at inflammation markers (insulin, CRP)?..

Thanks for the encouragement. I had several tests done a few weeks ago, but not sure if those were included. My A1C level was measured, if that's what measures insulin. Not sure about CRP. I did ask her to check that my thyroid is functioning properly. The only thing the doctor found was the Vitamin D deficiency. I have a follow-up in a couple of months to see if my Vitamin D level improved; I'll see about checking inflammatory markers then.

...*Sigh*. I am not helping. I think you have done an awesome job and I love hearing about your progress. I wish you would have just been elated today I guess!!

I think you might enjoy reading this woman's journey. I read it last night and certainly was inspired! http://www.thepaleomom.com/

I absolutely LOVE reading success stories, so thanks for the link. I'll read it during my next break.

All of your posts have helped me get thru this month that I MUST respond! 12 pounds is awesome in 30 days as an accomplishment in itself! I've lost about 10 but what I'm most excited about is, I believe I lost VISCERAL fat on this diet - that fat built up around my internal organs that will kill me early and you did too! I'm not sure that a type of diet can target certain fat but my middle seems smaller for the first time in years and I'm eager to do the test that shows fat levels in liver. Get 12 pounds of something together to look at and tell yourself your organs are free of all that poisonous fat!...

Thanks for the encouragement. Wouldn't it be great if there was some way to easily measure internal fat? I also have had several days where I felt like my stomach was smaller. In actuality, I went down 1-2 inches in each area: waist & hips. My arms went down about 3 inches, which I attribute to working out in the gym at work (as I only worked out upper body).

... I think you should be thrilled. This isn't The Biggest Loser. 12 lbs is MORE than an ideal number. Great job!

You had me laughing with "This isn't The Biggest Loser." Wouldn't it be great if it was, though.

CupcakeNinja-what kind of wine did you buy? ...

Not that I'm cupcakeninja, but yesterday, I had some Moscato D'Asti! My favorite affordable wine! It was more delicious than I remembered.

I hear all of you that 12 lbs sounds great. And had I followed the strong suggestion to not weigh yourself during the 30 days, I might've been happier with it. But (Confession Time) around Day 15, my husband stepped on the scale and saw that he'd only lost 1 lb. I then stepped on and was surprised to see that I'd lost 9! I was super happy about that. So then to see that between Day 15 and Day 30, I only lost 3 more... that was the disappointing part. But I've done a lot of internal reflection while in the slumps yesterday and have an action plan. I'm back in the saddle today and plan to eat this way for a long time (though not as super strict).

I did a lot of cooking this weekend:

• Veggie, Egg, Turkey casserole <-- great way to use any leftover veggies before they go bad
  
• Broiled a ton of chicken drummettes (glad I got some before Superbowl Sunday! Last year, the stores ran out)
  
• Moroccan Dipping Sauce (Well Fed) <---- sooooooo good. I tossed about half the chicken wings in this sauce
  
• Sri Lankan Curry Sauce (Well Fed) <--- also good. Feels more like eating a vegetable dish than a sauce. Plan to eat with chicken wings
  
• Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp (Well Fed) <--- I had to hide some for me to bring to lunch today so my husband wouldn't see/eat them all. This tasted AMAZING and was fast to make (though more expensive than a chicken dish)
  
• Mashed Cauliflower (Well Fed) <-- went great with the shrimp dish... the ginger-lime sauce added good flavor to the cauliflower
  
• Cumin-roasted carrots (Well Fed) <--- dang. I keep saying these recipes are sooo good. Well, this one REALLY is. Actually, I've THOROUGHLY enjoyed every recipe in Well Fed (except jicama home fries), so from now on, just assume that if it has (Well Fed) by it, it is very delicious.
  
• Dozen boiled eggs
  

I meant to make Egg Foo Yong from Well Fed and cilantro turkey burgers, but didn't get to it. I did prep the ingredients, so it won't take long to make on a weeknight.

[MyWar]

I don't want this to end, but I know it has to. Thursday and Friday I'm going out for Thai lunch with coworkers, and I can't help but think I will feel overwhelming guilt if I eat the rice or think about the sugar in the fish sauce.

[NatPatBen]

I don't want this to end, but I know it has to. Thursday and Friday I'm going out for Thai lunch with coworkers, and I can't help but think I will feel overwhelming guilt if I eat the rice or think about the sugar in the fish sauce.

What is The Iron?

[dudeascending]

What do you get at Costco? We just got one and I'm trying to decide if it is worth a membership. It is about a 15 min drive but in an area of town I hate.

Costco has organic, cage-free, certified humane eggs, although their chickens are grain-fed and, I think, kept indoors. They're a pretty fantastically economical choice, since two dozen of them cost less than single dozen of farmer's market eggs (which I would buy if I could afford to on an ongoing basis!).

My Costco also has giant tubs of organic cold-pressed coconut oil, which has been amazing for Whole30.

Other things I buy there:

• Olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil. I recently did the fridge test, and both oils solidified, as they should have. Not a foolproof method to determine whether it's been adulterated (in this case, perhaps with lower quality olive oils), but a good indication.
  
• Anchovies in olive oil. I buy them by the six-pack and use them to cook bitter greens. Anchovies sauteed with broccoli rabe = divine.
  
• Wild salmon. Fresh is seasonal--I think from April onwards.
  
• Aidell's Chicken & Apple sausages, one of the few Whole30-compliant prepared foods I've seen.
  
• Costco-brand organic chicken stock. I know, I know, I should be making my own... Most likely, they are sneaking something in under "natural flavorings," but there's no sugar or MSG listed.
  

I also buy Australian lamb (which is grain-finished) and conventional beef there because, again, I have to listen to my wallet sometimes.

[CupcakeNinja]

CupcakeNinja-what kind of wine did you buy? I have an untouched bottle of Cabernet from New Year's-I was sick so I never drank it. I miss wine and coffee with half-and-half the most, but frankly I am way too afraid to introduce dairy so I feel like wine is a safer (and healthier ) choice! Here's to Friday!

The label is Novella and it's a cabernet sauvignon - one of my favorite inexpensive labels. We get it at the Grocery Outlet for dirt cheap, and it rivals some of the more expensive wines I've had. I also have a bottle (from my grandparents when they were visiting the weekend before last) of unoaked Chardonnay, but I think I'll save that for warmer weather.

Cheers!

So today is supposed to be the start of my own personal challenge to do another 45 days of whole 30 eating and yoga and I need someone to convince me this is still the right path. Today would have been the end to my 1st 30 days if I had not screwed up the first weekend. I weighed this morning to have my new set of stats since I'm getting stricter with my rules and I am officially up 5 MORE pounds. That's in addition to my post holiday weight gain ;/ and I have gained an inch in my hips and almost and inch in my belly. I know I have not been perfect but I am irritated - no- I'm pissed off. Why does this work for everyone else but me? I know this is only one goal but it is not worth stressing of these rules if my one major goal is completely backsliding. Can anyone help? I don't understand. I mean honestly, are some people just not meant to eat this way? I really want to give up this stress over my diet and just feel like this has made it worse now.

You are not alone, I am on Day 28 today and (despite the fact that I feel like I'm coming down with The Crud that's going around my office) I haven't noticed many remarkable differences in the last 30 days. I'm still not sleeping well consistently. I did buy Natural Calm and a probiotic (which may or may not have bad ingredients in it, I don't remember if I checked so will have to do that tonight after seeing someone on here got one with potato starch or something in it), and although the probiotic does seem to have helped, I didn't notice anything from Natural Calm.

Side note - my Whole Foods had Natural Calm in little single serving packets, so I bought three of those to try it out before slapping down $23 for the whole bottle... and I'm glad I did because I then found the bottle for $3 less at Fred Meyer / Kroger in the Natural Foods supplement section.

Anyway, I've also been wondering if maybe this diet for some reason doesn't work for me. I opened the link Torena posted and will go read that to see if it sheds any light, but my results so far (if you can call it that) are a little discouraging. I'm still trying to figure out what to do post-W30.

I do need to inspect my spices tonight - I mostly buy McCormick... hope their chili powder is safe...

On a happier note, has anyone eaten taro root? Because you can make some bomb-diggity jo-jos and "hashbrowns" with it. They taste kind of like water crackers once they're cooked, and they're delicious and filling.

[MyWar]

What is The Iron?

http://jakepatrick.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/iron-by-henry-rollins/

Unbelievable that that essay is 20 years old!

[dukunbayi]

Emergency question to my W30 peeps!

Should I but a Cuisinart DLC-2007N 7-Cup Food Processor NEW in the box.

on Craigslist for $70 (firm)

I have to let the guy know and I'm doing this thing where I get undecided and my brain starts skipping. Help!

[dukunbayi]

So today is supposed to be the start of my own personal challenge to do another 45 days of whole 30 eating and yoga and I need someone to convince me this is still the right path. Today would have been the end to my 1st 30 days if I had not screwed up the first weekend. I weighed this morning to have my new set of stats since I'm getting stricter with my rules and I am officially up 5 MORE pounds. That's in addition to my post holiday weight gain ;/ and I have gained an inch in my hips and almost and inch in my belly. I know I have not been perfect but I am irritated - no- I'm pissed off. Why does this work for everyone else but me? I know this is only one goal but it is not worth stressing of these rules if my one major goal is completely backsliding. Can anyone help? I don't understand. I mean honestly, are some people just not meant to eat this way? I really want to give up this stress over my diet and just feel like this has made it worse now.

I think we need a moderator here. Moderator?? Hellooooooo?

Jtota is awesome, and she needs help!

(truth be told, I want a moderator to pipe in because I am stumped)

[dukunbayi]

Is today magic day?

I worked a long day yesterday but it was quiet and I actually worked out for at least an hour (I have a kettlebell at work that is generally used as a door stop), got a good night sleep last night, and woke up this morning full of energy. Generally, given my druthers, I would go back to sleep. But, no! I said to myself, "self, you have a lot to do today, so get your ass out of bed." And self complied! Now that's different.

Plus, I feel completely on my game, happy, perhaps a little wired, but in a good way.

I read W9's "Coffee Manifesto," and I can now foresee a day when I might be ready to consider possibly giving up coffee. Yikes!

[helen]

I don't want this to end, but I know it has to. Thursday and Friday I'm going out for Thai lunch with coworkers, and I can't help but think I will feel overwhelming guilt if I eat the rice or think about the sugar in the fish sauce.

My friend who introduced me to Whole30 (she is doing her third) told me that it is easy to get paleo food at a Thai restaurant. Tom Yum or Tom Kha. Just tell them you need it gluten free.

[NatPatBen]

Most delicious lunch I've ever had:

Ginger-lime shrimp on top of garlic mashed cauliflower, cumin-roasted carrots, and 1/2 banana sliced with drops of sunflower butter on it and a sprinkle of carmaleized coconut flakes in cinnamon on top.

@Dukunbayi, I had coffee today for the first time in weeks (I tried it once during Whole30, but didn't like it without sweetener). I think I may be giving it up for good. It helps that I don't really like the taste, even with a lot of coconut milk.