Intro - Obese and unhealthy

[anewertammy]

Can I do this? Hi, my name is Tammy and my body needs Whole30. I'm 45 years old, stand 5'3†and weigh 386 lbs. I've had Type 2 Diabetes since 2002, high blood pressure earlier than that and now have high cholesterol and my Thyroid hormone is too low. I take eight prescriptions (15 pills) daily. I don't cook (know how, just don't) which means I eat out or carry in. Usually cheesy Mexican or burgers and fries. I'm addicted to chocolate, diet Coke and diet Mountain Dew (oh how I love diet Mountain Dew).

Giving up sugar, dairy, grains, and diet soda sounds like a headache waiting to happen (literally). I'm afraid but want this change so badly. I would love to break my unhealthy addictions and learn to have a healthy relationship with food…for the rest of my life. I hope it's not too late and that I can repair some of the damage already done to my body.

Even though Whole30 will be the toughest thing I have yet to encounter (understatement I am sure) and I often quit when the going gets tough, I am committed. I can and will do this. I look forward to checking in regularly for advice, support and cheer on others making the same journey.

[Moluv]

The Whole 30 is going to change all of that for you! It is such an amazingly powerful tool- that anyone can pick up and use. I'm not going to sugarcoat this- you are going to feel like garbage for a while, maybe longer than the 30 days- but don't give up! If you haven't already, sign up for the emails- they helped me a lot at first. And check into the forum regularly- the supportive community will have your back any time. I would say also to clear your schedule of any unnecessary obligations and really focus on your health and healing right now. Sleep a lot. Whole30 has already changed me so much it's just amazing. Enjoy yours!

[Tom Denham]

I can't imagine doing a Whole30 without cooking. I actually find it easier to cook nowadays than to go out. And I like my food better than what I can get in many restaurants. I hope you will start cooking for yourself. I can help you with recipes. I've got about 400 that are Whole30-compliant and most of them are not complicated. And there are lots of good recipes in It Starts With Food.

[Wynne Jones]

Welcome! Here are the things that really helped me the first week. 1) I put the W30 first, ahead of everything else, including friends and family. 2) I immersed myself in this lifestyle by reading ISWF, the Whole9 Blog, the forum, etc. 3) I took time to meditate and pray (if that's not your thing, just some quiet time might work) 4) I stayed busy with activities I love that don't involve food. Good luck, it's totally worth it!!

[Maycat]

Hi Tammy,

Congratulations on making the commitment! That is the first step, and you rockI I used to love soda too, until I found sparkling water. I would get lemon sparkling water (from Trader Joes, or Crystal Geyser) and squeeze a bunch of lemon into it. It helps me anytime I want a soda.

As for cooking, I suggest you get the book "Well Fed" as it is one of the best cookbooks ever in showing you how to handle cooking Whole30 for a non-cook. Also, once you start cooking for yourself, you start to get a sense of pride if you cook something that is super yummy. As much as burgers and fries may taste good, it is nothing compared to when you make your own delicious food. I found it was a sense of accomplishment that helped me get through my first Whole30.

Good luck to you!

[anewertammy]

I can't imagine doing a Whole30 without cooking. I actually find it easier to cook nowadays than to go out. And I like my food better than what I can get in many restaurants. I hope you will start cooking for yourself. I can help you with recipes. I've got about 400 that are Whole30-compliant and most of them are not complicated. And there are lots of good recipes in It Starts With Food.

Thanks Tom, I will be sure to check out your site. I will cook for the Whole30 and likely will be kicking, screaming and a whole lot of crying.

[anewertammy]

@Moluv - thanks for the advice! I look forward to changing my life.

@Wynne - I've already talked with my husband and will continue to move some things around, so that I allow myself the time to research, learn and plan for this experience. Thanks for the encouragement!

@Tanya - I have been thinking about ordering Well Fed. I am clueless as to coming up with recipes and will need all the help I can find for Whole30 compliant recipes.

[1Maryann]

Hi, Tammy, and welcome. I read this thread yesterday evening, and for some reason it stuck with me. I actually woke up thinking of ways to encourage and support you in this.

I understand the pull of take-out food all too well. If you have read "It Starts With Food" (and if you haven't, I suggest you do. Not reading it before my first Whole30 was a great contributor to my backsliding soon after) you will understand that the evil scientists behind processed foods have designed them to be super-normally stimulating to your tastebuds, and almost impossible to resist. Chapter 4 should come with a warning to wrap your head in duct tape before reading, as once you understand the way the food industry has manipulated you without your knowledge or consent, your head will want to explode. All those years I berated myself for my lack of willpower, and comforted myself by indulging in even more junk. I had no idea that much of this was being done to us deliberately by people interested only in generating profits. For some reason, discovering this made me angry enough to fight back and win!

As for recipes, I keep saying this might turn out to be a Whole1,000,000. I keep finding recipes I can't wait to try. I am never bored with my choices, and I frequently eat things that I previously would only have considered "special occasion" food, and surprisingly, most of them require a lot less effort than I ever thought possible.

Many of us have Pinterest boards that we have set up like a recipe file. When we come across an interesting recipes here or elsewhere, we pin them to the appropriate category so we can easily find them later. Derval started a whole thread somewhere around here for people to post links to their Pinterest boards. You can find mine at www.pinterest.com/paleomaryann

In addition, there are some great online paleo blogs with terrific recipes, but not all of them are Whole30 compliant. Poke around in

nomnompaleo.com

paleomg.com

everydaypaleo.com

fastpaleo.com

paleodietlifestyle.com

goodbyegrains.com

theclothesmakethegirl.com (by Melissa Joulwan, who wrote "Well Fed")

swisspaleo.com (by Lisa, a frequent contributor to these forums)

wholelifeeating.com (by our own moderator, Tom Denham)

Once you realize how much beautiful, easy, tasty food is out there, it's like a whole new world opens up! My biggest mistake the first time around was that I just cut out the things I couldn't have, but didn't change my diet to reflect all the new things that could make my life delicious. I approached it from a perspective of deprivation, not abundance. Mindset is everything.

It is never too late, and so long as you go into this with your eyes open, you will do fine. It may take you much longer than 30 days to reap the real benefits, depending on how much damage has been done. As someone said on another thread, "If you walked 50 miles into the woods, you have to walk 50 miles back out." But you should start to see some real benefits in the first few weeks. Just make sure your head is in the right place. You may have some severe detox symptoms at first. Stay as far as possible from any triggers, keep focused, and follow the template. And of course, come here as often as you need to. Someone is always around to offer advice and encouragement.

Good luck to you! I'm following this thread to see how you do, and to help if possible. You are in the right place, and this can change your life in ways you never thought possible.