Started June 26-- Day 14!

[Mariina]

Hey all!! My name is Marina and I'm 22.  I'm actually on day 14 of my Whole30 journey and I'm feeling better than I have in a long time!  I didn't realize this would be such a great source for connecting with others until today when I started reading other peoples' updates!  I had just been using it for questions people had answered.  This post will be kinda long because I'm starting at Day 14 instead of 1 on here.  I am trying to self reflect and I will be very honest on here and throughout my journey.  I have had a surprisingly easier time doing this than I expected, my body must just be so much happier now.  I didn't really experience that "hangover" at all.. just one day where I woke up with a groggy head and that night I had a headache but that's it!  Before I started I was having to take naps almost every day, which was new to me and definitely a sign of my unhealthy habits I had gained over these previous years.  Almost immediately after starting, I haven't had to nap except one day from getting bad sleep due to being woken up in the middle of the night! YAY!  There's one obvious non-scale victory!  I would very often get SO bloated that it looked like I was 6 months pregnant... I got allergy tests and they told me I'm not allergic to anything (that was annoying because the bloating is intense) and I read online that in order to see what foods were causing it I'd have to do an elimination diet.  At the time, about a year ago, I was not prepared to do an elimination diet and now the whole30 just felt right.  I have only dealt with that full-on bloating twice and that was either cause I ate string beans (both times) or I was just very full;  I am probably gonna stay away from string beans.  Other than that, some bloating at times but minor compared to before. ANOTHER YAY!

In short, I got very sick in Mexico about 6 years ago, lost a lot of weight (too much), then eventually started weight lifting and felt SO confident.  Unfortunately, over the past year and a half, my habits went downhill and my physical/mental health showed that.   After gaining weight my insecurities rose and it's so weird for me because I was so confident before; even to the point of being in public I have more anxiety now at times which isn't normal for me.  Other than those few years of being the fittest I had ever been, I haven't had the best relationship with food a lot of my life, being stuck in that cycle of trying a program and doing great for 3 weeks and then failing half way through and just giving up because I already failed...  NOT THIS TIME.  I am succeeding and I will!  I have now realized those programs were not good for my well-being because they are NOT for optimal health and they just kept me at an obsessive state over my food, whether it be super restrictive or binging once I failed, instead of having "food freedom"...  Not tracking macros for the first time in so long, but instead just focusing on the benefits of food I give myself, has lifted a huge weight off of me, so thank you Whole30 for that.  Also, to think of the amount of junk food and alcohol everyone around me is consuming (and I would have consumed in the past 2 weeks) is CRAZY and I have saved so much money!  I've actually been going out way more than I normally do because it's summer and I have been making sure I eat before/after I go out and just drinking a lot of water while out.  Not drinking alcohol "just because others are" has been a great lesson for me.  I can be/have fun without alcohol! My motivation has greatly outweighed the few seconds at a time where a beer sounds great.  And no hangovers! YAY! Overall I feel very proud.

I had realized my mood wasn't very good.  While on vacation with my mom in June, I thought "am I a positive person to be around?" because I would find myself getting these annoyed feelings inside very quickly (ex: my mom would say something and all of a sudden this surge of annoyedness would go through me and I'd have to force myself to stay positive/nice but i hated that INSIDE i felt angry- not cool, hormones!)  That was a turning point for me.  Over these past two weeks I have felt so much more positive; I really hope that this can be the new normal for me again!

Lastly, I want to talk about my sugar dragon.  For a few days I had been letting myself snack on a banana or apple with almond or sunflower seed butter or Larabars, which I realize is not what I am supposed to be doing because I am fueling the dragon!  And Larabar's are supposed to be for emergencies, struggle.  That is my new goal starting today to not let myself snack on sweet foods because it's keeping my cravings going.  Melissa says (in other words) in one of her books to think, "am I hungry enough for some fish and veggies or is this just a craving?"  That tip was very helpful.

That's all I have to say for now.  I am very excited to join this community finally and to be connecting with you guys.  Any advice and motivation is always appreciated.  I hope I could resinate with some of you on any of my topics and we can help each other out and go through with this process together!  I will try to post at least every other day as a reflection.

[coachmandiep]

2 hours ago, Mariina said:

 I have now realized those programs were not good for my well-being because they are NOT for optimal health and they just kept me at an obsessive state over my food, whether it be super restrictive or binging once I failed, instead of having "food freedom"...  

Hi Marina,

As a former serial dieter, I can relate to this.  I am so glad that you are doing a Whole30, as it can be life-changing!  I have never found another program that not only helps you identify foods that keep you from feeling your best, but also helps you to address your habits and relationship with food.  The biggest change came for me when I addressed my mindset and stopped labeling foods as "good" or "bad".  It is so freeing to realize that I have the power to decide for myself which foods I am willing to include on my plate, and that this decision came about by conducting my own experiments.

You are doing great; keep up the good work!

[Mariina]

Thanks Mandie!  Can you please explain the mindset of not looking at foods as either "good" or "bad"?  I'm not sure if I fully understand it.

[Mariina]

July 9 Day 14:

Breakfast: ground chicken and broccoli cooked in EVOO, ghee

Lunch: ground chicken and zucchini cooked in evoo, pesto sauce

Dinner: ground chicken, zucchini, broccoli, evoo, pesto, cherry tomatoes, radishes with salt

REFLECTION:  I know I didn't have the best variety of food today, but I meal prepped a lottt of food and had to eat it before it went bad.  And it was delicious.  I bought myself shrimp that I was gonna eat for dinner with a salad and spaghetti squash noodles but I went to my friends house to watch Stranger Things so I only had the time to bring meal prepped food.  So tomorrow I will eat a wider variety!  I already have it planned.  I ate at around 7-7:30 and I'm going to bed late so I'm hungry by now, but don't want to eat since I am about to go to bed.. Any tips on what to eat when hungry late at night? Or just ride it out?

[Jihanna]

12 hours ago, coachmandiep said:

The biggest change came for me when I addressed my mindset and stopped labeling foods as "good" or "bad".

I'm not sure how Mandie would explain it, but for me it's a matter of looking at foods as options -- they're not "good" or "bad", they're all just options that I can consider. Likewise, I'm not "being bad" or "being good" based on what I choose to eat. I make food decisions, using what I'd learned in reintroduction (and since then) to help me understand what consequences could occur.

Dairy isn't "bad" just because it happens to cause indigestion and eczema in my body. Meat isn't "bad" just because a vegetarian chooses not to eat it. Asparagus isn't "good" just because it's healthy and I like it, and it's not "bad" just because it causes unbearable bloating and gas for my mom. Legumes aren't "bad" just because they're not allowed for Whole30, but they aren't "good" either.

Throwing out the labels allows me to really look at the reasons behind my choices. I'm able to really consider the why of it, which allows me to better understand whether or not something can be part of my food freedom. Sometimes that means I'm looking forward at consequences and making that decision before eating a thing... sometimes I'm looking back and realizing I really could've done without it, avoiding physical discomfort that really made it "not worth it for me". Sometimes I realize that a food choice inadvertently was on on-ramp to "off the rails", so I rein it in (mini-reset) and take that into account the next time I'm deciding whether or not to eat that food.

If I do choose to eat something I know will bring consequences, I don't justify my decisions or bargain with myself to make them (i.e., "it's only a little" or "I'll exercise more"). I just make the decision, and allow myself to enjoy the food I chose (hint: if it wasn't enjoyable, it wasn't worth it and next time I'll skip it even if I didn't experience any bad reaction).

It's all about food freedom, and it really was freeing to not only stop seeing foods as my enemies but also to stop the cycle of calling myself names because of my food choices (or head-first dives into just-eat-everything, which happen far less often now).

[coachmandiep]

2 minutes ago, Jihanna said:

I make food decisions, using what I'd learned in reintroduction (and since then) to help me understand what consequences could occur.

Yes, yes, yes!  Well said Jihanna!  I echo everything you said here.  This is exactly what Food Freedom is about.  No judgements, no punishments, no guilt; only decisions based on what you have learned (from your reintroduction and continued experience).  It is a journey that is never-ending, as we are constantly learning and adding to our list of worth-it and not-worth-it foods.  Even this can change when considering the situation.  The ability to learn and move on using your new-found knowledge is Food Freedom!

[Mariina]

14 minutes ago, Jihanna said:

Sometimes that means I'm looking forward at consequences and making that decision before eating a thing... sometimes I'm looking back and realizing I really could've done without it, avoiding physical discomfort that really made it "not worth it for me". Sometimes I realize that a food choice inadvertently was on on-ramp to "off the rails", so I rein it in (mini-reset) and take that into account the next time I'm deciding whether or not to eat that food.

Wow, thank you so much Jihanna!  Your response could not have been more helpful.  I'm sure I will continuously go back and read this throughout and after my whole30.  It's about being self reflective, truthful with yourself, and understanding why we are making certain choices and whether or not it was one worth making again or not because of whatever consequences.

[Mariina]

9 minutes ago, coachmandiep said:

The ability to learn and move on using your new-found knowledge is Food Freedom!

Yes! Our ability to take a situation and move forward with it instead of stewing on any negativity is just as important.  This can be a tough mindset for people to switch over (definitely one I have dealt with throughout my life) but is extremely necessary!  I'm sure/hope it will come naturally during my reintroduction.  Now is the time to engrain this into my mindset.. Thank you!

[Mariina]

July 10 Day 15:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, chopped bell peppers and scallions, cooked in coconut oil with seasonings and Valentina's hot sauce (my go-to) and sweet potato cooked in coconut oil / salt

Lunch:  Banana, cashews (Didn't feel very good, but knew I had to eat something)

Dinner: Shrimp cooked in coconut oil over lettuce with coconut milk as dressing and seasonings (delish!) and spaghetti squash with pesto

REFLECTION: Although i didn't have the appetite for a full lunch, I'm still happy with my food choices today.  It's my time of the month so I haven't felt very good and some bloating, but not from food.  It's easy for me to have that egg breakfast pretty much every day cause I love it and egg yolk.  If you haven't tried chopping up sweet potatoes in tiny cubes and cooking it in coconut oil then putting salt, you need to! A definite "where has this been all my life?!" I am extremely pleased with my dinner! I don't get shrimp super often, but it's so easy to make and delicious so I will more now, especially while on sale.  I try to switch up my protein sources throughout my meals.

[Emma]

Sweet potatoes in coconut oil with salt - one of the family favorites. Your dinner sounds really tasty too. I never think to buy shrimp, but we have a place that sells it fresh - maybe I'll start checking it out when I'm in the store.

[Mariina]

12 hours ago, Emma said:

I never think to buy shrimp, but we have a place that sells it fresh - maybe I'll start checking it out when I'm in the store.

Thanks!  It was so good with the coconut milk, too.  I feel like shrimp is one of the foods many of us forget about or don't realize is so easy to make at home. Other than pulling off the outside (cheaper than the ones already prepared) it takes way less time than making meat!

[Mariina]

Day 16 (written on Day 17):

So the night of Day 15, I sat there and thought "how do I feel at this moment?" And i realized my nose was stuffed and when I breathe in through it, it still doesn't sound clear.  This is a bit of a bummer because one of my goals with whole30 is to see if my foods are causing my constantly having a stuffy nose (for years).  The book made me realize that so many of us eventually consider allergies our "new normal" and we forget that they are NOT!  Hopefully this will improve as I move forward with the program.  Now today for dinner, I went to my friend's house and we cooked the grilled coconut-curry chicken from page 230 of the Whole30 book.  She's not even doing whole30 and she loves it, even said she'll be making it again!! It was delish.  I also realized coconut cream is heavenly.. I'll have to limit myself haha!  I do think it's a perfect alternative to normal whipped cream!  And I love coconut.  So, throughout this process I have been trying to not use my allergy pills or ibuprofen, which has been going well.  I've only had to use my allergy pills twice (about 2 weeks apart which is great) and ibuprofen 3 times.  I know they are technically not whole30 compliant, but like everyone says, our health is the main goal and if I can't stop sneezing and my nose and eyes are leaking, I'm gonna take the pill.  Also, only having taken ibuprofen 3 times in 17 days is a lot better for me, because I normally depend on it way more often. And I'm on my period so my hips have been hurting and I was going to a workout class this morning so didn't want the aching to get in my way.

Breakfast: eggs mixed with ground chicken, bell peppers, onion, jalapeños, cooked in coconut oil, with valentina's hot sauce and seasonings.  Veggies/ground chicken originally cooked in olive oil/coconut oil

Lunch: shrimp cooked in olive oil over lettuce, seasoning, coconut milk as dressing

Dinner:  grilled coconut-curry chicken (pg. 230 of Whole30), brussels sprouts with evoo and seasonings, totally had some coconut cream on a spoon, too.

[Mariina]

Day 17 Morning:

I scheduled an OrangeTheory workout class with my friend I cooked dinner with last night for this morning.  I took the time to french braid my hair, so I wanted to use the excuse of time to just eat a banana before my workout.  But, I know that Melissa says that your pre-workout mini meals should be protein and fat, so I knew I'd be going against what I knew I should actually do, because I want my body to run off of fat NOT the sugar from the banana.  I looked at the clock and realized that I had 10 minutes, so I quickly whipped up 2 eggs in coconut oil, put hot sauce and seasoning on it and guacamole on the side, ate it and went to my workout!  I had a really great one, too!  It was my second time working out during this program which sucks to say, but I've been struggling to get back into it once I got back from traveling for like 2 months.  It's much nicer to have a friend to go with and keep you accountable.  Then, once I got home I ate my banana and now I'm eating the small amount of ground chicken I had left, Ailene's sausage (the only one at my Ralph's that has no sugar but I forget the name), zucchini, snow peas, seasoning and some spicy sesame oil on top.  The veggies/chicken originally cooked in evoo.  It's so good!!  I'm going to a happy hour with some friends later and I'm gonna enjoy that water haha!  I will be back soon with an update for the rest of my day.

[Jihanna]

3 hours ago, Mariina said:

This is a bit of a bummer because one of my goals with whole30 is to see if my foods are causing my constantly having a stuffy nose (for years).

Remember that while Whole30 does remove food groups that are known to be inflammatory for many people, it certainly doesn't address all potential culprits for inflammation and allergies. If you're still dealing with a stuffy nose after your Whole30, it might be worth checking with your doctor about restricting different foods for a while to see if it clears up. A perfectly compliant food could be the cause (such as eggs), or it could even be from environmental stuff rather than what you're eating. Getting an allergy test done might not be a bad thing to consider, too. I grew up allergic to several foods (including oregano, yeast, and dairy) and non-foods (including pet dander and, wait for it, cockroaches)... and I used to work with someone who practically survived off of allergy shots for 3 months of the year because of the amount of pollen in the air.

[Emma]

10 hours ago, Mariina said:

So the night of Day 15, I sat there and thought "how do I feel at this moment?" And i realized my nose was stuffed and when I breathe in through it, it still doesn't sound clear.  This is a bit of a bummer because one of my goals with whole30 is to see if my foods are causing my constantly having a stuffy nose (for years).  The book made me realize that so many of us eventually consider allergies our "new normal" and we forget that they are NOT!  Hopefully this will improve as I move forward with the program.

You are doing such a great job. I love the meals that your cooking and sharing with friends and huge kudos for whipping up eggs before your workout! I take allergy pills because there are pollens flying everywhere these days. It's hard to know when I can stop taking them because the alternative is so miserable that I don't like to risk it.  Sound like you are already experimenting with removing them and doing pretty good.

A bunch of years ago when my family did Whole30 and then stuck with clean eating for about six months, I had some major changes in my allergies/asthma/inflammation.  Usually if I get sick, then all hell breaks loose, but about six months in after eating Whole30-ish, I got sick and weathered through it without too much bumps! It was really eye opening for me. It also validated that Whole30-esque living works well for my body. And, it really hit home that I have years of damage and it's going to take quite a while to balance back out. So - the moral - it's worth it and the long run pays off.  And, of course, my long long run was filled with eating my old ways and gaining weight and eating at drive throughs, but throughout all of that, I'd still cook better meals and dabble in healthier eating...and then here I am again.  You sound YEARS ahead of the game!!!

[Mariina]

On 7/12/2019 at 2:58 PM, Jihanna said:

Remember that while Whole30 does remove food groups that are known to be inflammatory for many people, it certainly doesn't address all potential culprits for inflammation and allergies. If you're still dealing with a stuffy nose after your Whole30, it might be worth checking with your doctor about restricting different foods for a while to see if it clears up. A perfectly compliant food could be the cause (such as eggs), or it could even be from environmental stuff rather than what you're eating. Getting an allergy test done might not be a bad thing to consider, too. I grew up allergic to several foods (including oregano, yeast, and dairy) and non-foods (including pet dander and, wait for it, cockroaches)... and I used to work with someone who practically survived off of allergy shots for 3 months of the year because of the amount of pollen in the air.

Very true, thanks for the reminder that this can't always be the answer to ALL of our issues.  I had gotten an allergy test where they give you a bunch of tiny scratches on your back and wait a while to see if any flare up, which they didn't. 

[Mariina]

On 7/12/2019 at 10:24 PM, Emma said:

You are doing such a great job. I love the meals that your cooking and sharing with friends and huge kudos for whipping up eggs before your workout! I take allergy pills because there are pollens flying everywhere these days. It's hard to know when I can stop taking them because the alternative is so miserable that I don't like to risk it.  Sound like you are already experimenting with removing them and doing pretty good.

A bunch of years ago when my family did Whole30 and then stuck with clean eating for about six months, I had some major changes in my allergies/asthma/inflammation.  Usually if I get sick, then all hell breaks loose, but about six months in after eating Whole30-ish, I got sick and weathered through it without too much bumps! It was really eye opening for me. It also validated that Whole30-esque living works well for my body. And, it really hit home that I have years of damage and it's going to take quite a while to balance back out. So - the moral - it's worth it and the long run pays off.  And, of course, my long long run was filled with eating my old ways and gaining weight and eating at drive throughs, but throughout all of that, I'd still cook better meals and dabble in healthier eating...and then here I am again.  You sound YEARS ahead of the game!!!

Thank you so much for this response!!  I feel like I connect with it a lot.  Yes I just told myself that I would go as much as I can without the allergy pills, because I also realized I don't want my body to be fully reliant on them anyways.  And so far it's actually shown me I don't need them daily like how I had been taking them before!! But I agree, once it becomes miserable I definitely think it's worth it for me to take one, cause I'm not trying to sneeze 15x straight with watery itchy eyes!  It's cool to hear that you did see changes in your allergies.  It makes me believe that if I stick with a similar lifestyle after my program that maybe I too will eventually see those results.  Not everything can be fixed in 30 days haha especially after years of consuming whatever is making it worse.  I will remember that: the long run pays off!!

[Mariina]

Day 20:

This previous weekend was Pride in my city, so I didn't have the time to come on here and update.  Look who didn't cheat!  It wasn't difficult to not cheat actually, I have been having an easy time saying no thanks and my friends have all been so nice to me and keep giving me props for sticking with it!  They keep offering food and apologizing or feeling bad for eating around me and I'm always like "trust me you're fine, don't feel bad!"  I don't want people to feel bad for MY choice to stay away from whatever they are having.  Actually, I know I under-ate at points which wasn't the best but I brought snacks and bought a banana and apple chips at different points when I was hungry and couldn't find other compliant food... Better than nothing and better than cheating by eating the pizza and chimichangas my friends had!  On Saturday I was telling people I was on Day 17, and on Sunday realized I was actually on Day 19 at that point which was awesome!  It felt like I skipped a day and became one day closer to the reintroduction, which part of me doesn't want to come yet... who would have thought I'd ever say that?!  So, now that it is Monday I've come back to reality and woke up, went grocery shopping and ran some errands, then meal prepped a bunch of food for a few hours!

Breakfast:

3 eggs on top of lettuce, cooked in coconut oil, crushed tomatoes, Valentina's hot sauce, seasoning

Lunch (late):

Zucchini, cauliflower mixed with other veggies (pre-chopped, like cauliflower rice), ground turkey cooked in evoo, ghee, some strawberries with a little coconut cream

Dinner (about to eat):

Shrimp cooked in coconut oil on top of lettuce, seasoning, coconut milk as dressing

[Emma]

2 hours ago, Mariina said:

 Look who didn't cheat!  It wasn't difficult to not cheat actually, I have been having an easy time saying no thanks and my friends have all been so nice to me and keep giving me props for sticking with it!

Wooohooo! Way to go! Way to be out and about and make all those good choices - especially wth the foods your friends were eating. I get it about not wanting it end. 

[Mariina]

Day 22:

Today has been a weird one... So Aunt Flo left 2 days ago (lol) and today I have had a lot of emotions inside of me.  First off, I had very low energy this morning and had to force myself to get ready and not lay down.  It was actually to the point where I set my alarm for 2 minutes and just laid there in an attempt to regain mental/physical energy to get ready.  My dad got to visit me for a few hours (he lives about 3-4 hours away) so that was cool, and I was happy and fine while he was here, but he left around 1:30.  Then, I had to get just a few things done which shouldn't have been a problem.... but I'm feeling impatient and angry inside and feel like crying.  Hormones, why so annoying??  I ate really well yesterday and today so I am curious if it's just cause of my period ending.  For some more info,  because of my birth control I haven't had my period in like 4-5 years except once 3 months ago and now this previous week.  Maybe I'm just not used to the fluctuation in hormones.  Bleh.  Also, my sugar dragon says hello (must... stray... from temptations... XD)

Breakfast:

3 eggs, bell peppers, onion, coconut oil, hot sauce, seasoning, a banana, coffee with coconut cream

Lunch (restaurant):

6 oysters in lemon juice, shrimp, scallops, salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper, herbal tea

Snack:

a few strawberries, cherry Larabar

**Haven't had dinner yet, but probably will be (all previously cooked in evoo) ground chicken, broccoli, brussels sprouts, ghee, seasoning, maybe something sweet... we'll see

**FYI evoo = extra virgin olive oil

[Mariina]

Day 23:  A Teabag made me Fail

A teabag made me fail.  Yes, you heard me.  A TEA BAG... On Day 23 I decided to make some tea with my breakfast instead of the coffee I've been having.  Harmless, I thought.  I went along with my day and then at nighttime I was like "oooh I want more of that tea" and then chose one by the same brand, opened it up, THEN was like woah wait, let's check the ingredients just in case.  Vanilla extract.  I put it in a zip lock bag and then went upstairs to learn that the tea I had this morning had vanilla extract as the last ingredient.  I had to give myself a day to reflect and even think of words as to how I feel, which is bummed out.  I decided that I am just going to finish off my Whole30 as planned because, although I have never been so proud of myself with any programs before, I cannot do a Whole53 right now...  Failing on Day 6 sounds so much easier/better than failing Day 23?!  I still believe I will be able to see if some foods mess with me during the reintroduction, I'm just sad I technically didn't do the full 30 days correctly.  This was a big learning lesson for me.  Actually, reflecting has helped me realized that there a multiple aspects of my Whole30 that I could have/should have done better, which is a good realization through some tough love.  I will continue to live a more Whole lifestyle once I am done, because I am truly shocked at how much I have learned that such unhealthy ingredients are snuck into even the foods advertised to be healthy!  Sugar in the meat I'm trying to buy, really?!  I decided that I will do another Whole30 eventually and I will do it even BETTER and correct the poor habits I had in this one, like eating fruit to fulfill my sugar dragon's needs, and more.  I ordered the Food Freedom Forever book and it is arriving today.  I truly am a big fan of these books, and this journey has been such an amazing, life changing one so far.  Although looking back, definitely could have done a few things differently.  I decided I need to stop buying coconut cream for now because I'm using it as a replacement for whipped cream/something creamy.  It's great in coffee but I definitely had a coconut-cream-covered-strawberries moment lol.  My reasoning for not doing a Whole53 is that I am transferring to a 4 year university and will be meeting so many people that I want to be able to involve myself with them fully and not have this holding me back.  Although, like I said, I want to stick to a Whole-based diet, I would like to go have a drink with new friends etc.  Not go overboard though.  My favorite part about the Whole30 has been not drinking and not feeling hungover, so I don't want to go back to the same habits I had before.  I feel confused because I also still don't feel ready for this to be over.  I think it is because I'm afraid of "relapsing" into old habits.  I started reading Whole30 again though so I'm sure this fear will pass once I have the better understanding of the reintroduction and Food Freedom.

Day 24:

I had a very productive day, all day, and then at night I went to my friend's-friend's bbq.  It was funny because I was social all day and then immediately once I arrived to the bbq with a bunch of people I don't really know, SO MUCH junk food everywhere and bottles and bottles of alcohol with people every 2 minutes saying "shot? let's take a shot!" I was just not at all in the mood to be in that environment and have to think "can't have that, that, that..."  Literally the only thing I could eat was the raw carrots, not with dip.  They had chicken veggie skewers, but the seasonings first ingredient: sugar.  CONTAMINATED ha!  So I left after about an hour and a half and was more than happy to lay in bed and watch tv.

Day 25:

I decided to cut my breakfast down to 2 eggs instead of 3 the last few days because I was feeling very stuffed.  Now I put in just a little more egg whites to get more protein in but this is feeling easier on me.  Now that I will be finishing the program soon, my next goal is to start working out more consistently.  Today and tomorrow I already have 2 Orangetheory Fitness classes scheduled.  I hope I have a great day today and don't let Day 23 get to me too much, cause I feel a bit bleh because of it.  Must move onward!

[Mariina]

On 7/10/2019 at 8:32 AM, coachmandiep said:

The ability to learn and move on using your new-found knowledge is Food Freedom!

Hey Mandie!  I was hoping you could read my post for Day 23 and help with some feedback... I'm struggling a little inside and would appreciate someone else's opinion.

[Jihanna]

On 7/15/2019 at 11:01 PM, Mariina said:

Very true, thanks for the reminder that this can't always be the answer to ALL of our issues.  I had gotten an allergy test where they give you a bunch of tiny scratches on your back and wait a while to see if any flare up, which they didn't. 

My youngest had this done with similar results, though we knew she'd been suffering from what appeared to be massive allergies. All of the most common allergens were tested, so the allergist suggested she try a dairy-elimination diet to see if that relieved her symptoms -- and it did! Because of that process, we've learned that she's "Milk Dairy Protein Intolerant", and her specific symptoms are that she gets increasingly stuffy with more in her system, and taking medications (OTC and a prescription) to handle it. All because of something we can easily take out of her daily diet, which we've now done. She gets to eat dairy occasionally, but has gotten used to being dairy-free probably 99% of the time.

^ All of that just to say that I totally understand the frustration that comes with trying to pinpoint triggers for symptoms when there's been no "allergy" detected. Food intolerance can be tough to figure out, especially when it's not the big common stuff.

Regarding your tea escapade -- I'd say the little bit of vanilla extract in a tea bag is likely to have affected your system (and progress) far less than something like, say, gluten or soy. I personally would opt to move forward and complete my regularly planned Whole30 as well, not allowing the tea-bag to hold me back... but taking the renewed importance to "always check the label!" and the knowledge of that item maybe needing to be put on the back burner for a while, at least until you've got your feet under you after reintroduction.

Food Freedom takes time, and patience, and experience, because it's really all about learning from our experiences. We make choices, we take note (even if just mentally) of feelings and reactions around those decisions, and we move on. When similar choices pop up in the future, we're able to pull from what we've learned so far and hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls we've stepped into previously. I will say that if I have 3 "that just wasn't worth it" moments followed similar food decisions, I'll lay off that particular thing entirely for at least a month. I also continue to cook almost entirely compliant meals at home, so the only time I have those decisions to make is when I'm elsewhere.

[Mariina]

On 7/21/2019 at 6:03 AM, Jihanna said:

Regarding your tea escapade -- I'd say the little bit of vanilla extract in a tea bag is likely to have affected your system (and progress) far less than something like, say, gluten or soy. I personally would opt to move forward and complete my regularly planned Whole30 as well, not allowing the tea-bag to hold me back... but taking the renewed importance to "always check the label!" and the knowledge of that item maybe needing to be put on the back burner for a while, at least until you've got your feet under you after reintroduction.

Food Freedom takes time, and patience, and experience, because it's really all about learning from our experiences. We make choices, we take note (even if just mentally) of feelings and reactions around those decisions, and we move on. When similar choices pop up in the future, we're able to pull from what we've learned so far and hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls we've stepped into previously. I will say that if I have 3 "that just wasn't worth it" moments followed similar food decisions, I'll lay off that particular thing entirely for at least a month. I also continue to cook almost entirely compliant meals at home, so the only time I have those decisions to make is when I'm elsewhere.

I appreciate your positivity and insight so much.  Sorry for the late reply, it took me a few days to get back into rhythm after feeling bummed out after the tea incident and then reflecting on my Whole30, realizing that there are multiple things that could have gone better.  Not only that, but after that downfall, for a few days I started eating the "less healthy version of technically-compliant foods" but I have gotten back into where I feel happier, eating how I was before the tea downfall!  However, I have come to the acceptance in my process and I'm proud of what I DID do and won't focus negativity on what "could have been better."  I decided I am going to do another Whole30 again for sure!  Not right away, because, like I said, another Whole30 would be more of a burden for me right at this moment since I am transferring to a university and want to socialize with new friends (it starts in a month, so with this 13 day reintroduction -since I'm reintroducing alcohol as swell- along with another whole 30 and 13 day re... just doesn't fit).  I am on Day 29 now and going to go along with the reintroduction as planned.  I also bought the Food Freedom Forever book and I am very excited to learn more about the last paragraph you wrote.  Thank you

[Mariina]

Day 29:

So, I have moved forward with my Whole30 as originally planned.  I definitely like it get a bit to me for a second there, starting to eat the technically-compliant but not-as-healthy version of foods.  That's the habit I want to break though, which is why I will do another Whole30 in the near future.  I have gone back to my normal Whole30 food, did a HUGE meal prep Monday, and I'm feeling better mentally because of that.  I've also worked out a few times, improvement.  I had to get the Meningococcal B vaccine on Monday though, which has made my left arm so sore and hurts to raise it so I'm taking a few days of break from working out.  I have felt EXTREMELY fatigued these last few days and it makes me think WHAT IS HAPPENING, did I fail that hard?!  But no, I doubt it, because the informative paper for the vaccine says that fatigue and exhaustion are side effects.  So let's hope this tiredness goes away with the arm soreness, because I literally had to force myself to move this morning while cooking breakfast, even doing anything, which is not normal for me.  It actually makes me feel a bit low mentally when I wake up with so little energy, but I understand that it is normal and I should be moving on from this soon.  Energy-wise, I'm feeling better than this morning and yesterday morning, but I'm also not exerting much energy while sitting here.