Gave up almond butter, but switched to coconut cream...

[Mariah Baseman]

I gave up almond butter halfway through my Whole 30 as it was really food-without-brakes for me plus it makes me break out.

But I've been melting a bit of coconut oil with coconut cream/butter and having it with frozen berries. It becomes hard again and like a coconut "bark" with the berries.

Ever since I discovered that, it seems I'm just hungry for that all the time. And once I have a bowl full of berries with "cream," I usually go back to the jar (yes, I do put everything away) and spoon out some more to eat just plain.

I haven't been eating really any fruit except for berries, but I am eating at least 1 sweet potato or the equivalent in squash a day.

Do I just need to force myself not to open the jar? Eat berries without the cream? Eat other fruit? I always eat it with my meal, but it sometimes ends up at the end of the meal rather than beginning, which makes it more like dessert. It's not because I'm hungry... I eat PLENTY, as I've been in the last stages of a strength/deadlifting program, so I while I've been following the food template, I usually eat 1.5-2x the recommended sizes and sometimes 3-4x the recommended amount of fat.

There's that line in ISWF that says "You cannot out-willpower, out-think, out-logic your body's hormonal response to food," which makes me wonder if something else is going on??

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Taylor Herman]

I have the same issue with dried fruit. I can't stop once I've started. I eat one piece, put the bag away, get up and get more, and then some more.

So I'm going to give you the same tough love someone gave me--Don't buy it, don't keep it in the house, don't eat it. Sometimes, that's necessary. I know it's hard, but I think it will get easier for you. I know it's getting easier for me.

[Susan W]

Mariah, I can only speak to my personal experience, but it sounds similar to yours. I don't eat fruit at all. I get what I need from the variety of veggies that I eat. Fruit makes me want more fruit and awakens the sugar dragon. I tried the frozen blueberries with coconut manna that I had heard of and it made me want more and more and more. I also found myself treating it as a dessert. So...out the door it went. I now sometimes have a spoonful of very stiff and hard manna as my fat, but for some reason, it doesn't do the same thing to me without the berries. I like the flavor, but it's all chalky and weird in my mouth, so I don't want more than I need.

[Mariah Baseman]

Thanks, Susan and Taylor. Tough love it is!! I guess it's time to throw that out the door. Unfortunately, the coconut manna (even when it's chalky and hard) is still quite delightful to me. I wish it wasn't!

[Taylor Herman]

Good luck Mariah! I know that abstaining from coconut cream is going to be hard for you (just like staying away from dried fruit is hard for me), but at least we can take some comfort in the fact that we are taking care of ourselves by doing right by our bodies and minds. =)

[Krista Billows Rodriguez]

you should be proud that you are recognizing that it is a food without brakes and taking steps to limit/eliminate it. I have hardly eaten fruit during my W30 because I could quite easily survive on only fruit, I loooooove it too much. Same with dried fruit, I haven't touched it this month. I think it's been easier to avoid because I have not had any alcohol which triggers sugar cravings something fierce! Put it in foster care, give it to a friend or family member and ask them to keep it for you while you're in the W30, you might find it easier to eat in moderation after you're done. If not, if it's still a food without brakes then you'll have to decide if you're ready and willing to give it up entirely. Good luck!