Starting 1/1 AND I'M TERRIFIED...

[NYCBlond]

...but also SUGAR. I'm addicted and it's a problem!!!

Hi, I'm Gia. I live in NYC and my husband and I are doing the W30 starting January 1st and while I'm freaked out, I'm also kind of excited. This will be my first time doing anything like this. I already eat a 60% Paleo type of diet but I have a major sugar dragon that I need to kick to the curb. This holiday season nearly did me in with food (so much food - ALL THE FOOD) and while I'm a pretty fit and healthy person, I feel super puffy and my clothes are tight and my skin is broken out and and and...I think (I hope!) a re-set will be just what is in order.

Please give all the sugar addiction advice because I've been trying to cut out desserts the past few days and it has been TOUGH.

Thanks in advance and I'm eager to E-Meet many of you.

Cheers!

[ShannonM816]

3 hours ago, NYCBlond said:

Please give all the sugar addiction advice because I've been trying to cut out desserts the past few days and it has been TOUGH.

First, be sure you're eating plenty of food at meals. Try to really follow the meal template at every meal, and if you work out, be sure you have pre- and post-workout food in addition to your three meals a day. (You can find the meal template here: https://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/) 

Second, If you find yourself craving something sweet, stop and ask yourself, Am I hungry? Would I eat something bland and boring like plain steamed fish and broccoli right now? If you wouldn't eat something bland and boring, you're probably not really hungry, it's just a craving. Do something to distract yourself -- go for a walk, paint your nails, call a friend, journal, meditate, read a book -- something that will keep you from thinking about food for a little while. More than likely once you start doing something else, you'll completely forget about food. If you really, really cannot stop thinking about it and you must eat something, have something that's as far from sweet as you can get, like a handful of olives, a pickle, some leftover chicken. 

Finally, don't be too hard on yourself if you do reach for whatever the sweetest food you can get your hands on is. Most of us learned a lot of our behaviors around food at a young age and have been doing these things all our lives. It's going to take more than 30 days to completely change those habits, and there will be times when we don't make the best decision we can. That's okay, just try to figure out why you were craving these things, and then make a plan to deal with things differently next time. 

Also, I don't know whether it applies to you or not, but remember that hormonal cravings are a real thing. In the week or so leading up to one's period and maybe the first couple of days of it, it is totally normal to be hungrier than usual and to crave all the carby, sweet foods. If this applies to you and you realize at some point that that's going on, up your starchy vegetable intake, and don't be afraid to eat bigger portions. The meal template mentions a range of portion sizes, and it is a minimum -- it is always okay to eat more if you need more. 

 

[NYCBlond]

Shannon, thank you for the response! I appreciate all of the tips and you are SO right. The hormonal cravings are SO real!