February Whole60

[michelej]

Hi -

This is for a few of us February starters who are going on to do a whole60. Yay for us. I think we need each others encouragement!

I just completed 39! Camping with sugar and wine drenched friends was ok (ish). i was extra proud of myself, as the lone hiker, up and ready to go get some exercise while they all looked dazed and needed coffee.

Lets go ladies! we can do this!

Michele

[Suzy1]

Thanks Michele, had a bit of trouble finding it.

My sugar dragon has been breathing fire all day!!! A little voice saying you completed Whole 30, what have you got to prove:). The voice was sooooo strong that I even pulled up outside the bakery with the very strong intention of purchasing an apple and walnut coffee scroll.

Luckily I had to go to the supermarket and when I came out common sense prevailed!!

PMS methinks. Reckon I could even overdo the veggies. Now that is a sign of a desperate woman.

Giving up caffeine from today too. Makes me to edgy and had a coffee this morning that was not enjoyable at all.

Have a great one everybody:)

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

Yay! Here we are. The hard core Whole60ers! I

cannot

give up caffeine/aka coffee. I can cut back but I've given everything else up. They can't have coffee too. I haven't done sugar in it for 20 years. I gave up cream for coconut milk (which I think I prefer anyway) and I can drink really good coffee black.

Suzy1 I had that internal dialogue too! Mine was at Day 41 or 42. But I soldiered on and woke up today in Day 48. I feel good.

A friend of mine sent me an email to join My Fitness Pal...I did have that app in my phone but deleted it right before starting the Whole30. I get kind-of obsessed with the tracking nonsense. A "trigger"so to speak.

I

do not

want to re-awaken that Sugar Dragon

at all

.

I will be maintaining a Paleo lifestyle. I know that with 100% surety. I will re-introduce at the end of my journey. I'll stay in this forum until you all finish. I have 12 more days before I start that. I'm interested to see what happens...

Thanks Michelej for starting this page. Maybe we can get some others from the February group to join us...

[1Maryann]

Greetings, Whole60ers! Hope you don't mind me chiming in here.

I was interested to see that some of you started re-battling the dragons long after the 1st W30 milestone was reached. I'm part of the group that started a Whole100 on Jan 1st. We found a similar phenomenon partway through the second month. All but one of us had done 2-3 Whole30s before, but had backslid over time. We hoped the Whole100 would cement the new habits more firmly.

I'm finding the cravings interesting. Is this the last gasp of our inner three-year-old realizing that we won't be going back to our old ways? Is this something that naturally occurs at this stage, and may have been the reason we all backslid after previous attempts? Having committed to 100 days, we didn't give in to the dragons this time, and those of us who are left are now firmly committed to this lifestyle. Zillions of people have done 30 days, making it easy for generalizations to be drawn for what to expect during that time. I don't know that there is enough info on taking it past 30 days to know whether or not this is something to be routinely watched for. I'm thinking it may be,

Great job, ladies!

[JackieK]

Hi Ladies

This really is a huge departure from my normal modus operandi. After successfully completing the 30 day I pretty much knew that I would not go back to eating breads, sugars etc. But, I was acutely aware of my inner monologue saying, hey you can eat what ever you want now! There is a chocolate Easter egg in the fridge that the kids left in there over the weekend......you can have it. Your going out for dinner tonight with your husband, you can have something to drink...go on.

But equally amazing for me was the clarity of my brain when it said NO. I know what I am like. Give me an inch and I will take a mile. I know that if I have that bit of chocolate, then the next day I will have a bit more...and more...until I am eating like before. I think about eating those types of foods and I physically feel sick.

I have always relied on others to set boundaries for me. For crying out loud I turn 42 this year, I should be more than capable of setting my own boundaries now. Especially since I have the tools to do it!

I have come so far in only 30 days and I don't want to stop now. I do still have a long way to go. I have at least 30kgs to loose. (66 pounds) I want to get fit again - like I used to be a long time ago. I want to continue to feel in control.

I want to ensure that I do not develop diabetes like my mother did. And I don't want to be dead at 63 from diabetes related complications. There are so many things I want to do in my life – I am going to need all the time I can get

I love the way my brain works! I am focused, I can think rationally and I truly believe I can achieve anything. I have stared studying for my Bachelor of Occupational Health and Safety this year as well as working full time so I need to ensure the machine that is my body is working as efficiently as possible.

Old habits are indeed hard to break. But look at it this way. At least we are RECOGNISING THEM HAS HABITS. We are aware of what is going on. And we know what we need to do

Cheers

Jackie

[Suzy1]

I love the info this new thread provides. Jackie, so very true. It is much easier to recgonise the habit now and nip it in the bud.

Astounds me how much time is spent focussing on food:)

Lisa, thanks for the support. Woke up this morning and no cravings. Very happy I did not give in:)

1maryann thanks for your input too.

Spoke to an bio dynamic butcher in Melbourne Australia today re nitrate/sugar free bacon. His comment"nitrate free but doesn't everything have sugar in it "!! We are a behind the 8 ball here in Oz regarding 100% grass fed meat, ghee etc:)

Will post again later this evening.

What a great adventure we are part of.

Have an amazing day/night everybody.

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

@JackieK-Amen. Yes, I can have that piece of chocolate or whatever it is but for me? All it takes is one bite. Well, that was the old me. I don't even know if I want to go there again. I know how my brain reacts to sweets. I'm not so sure now that I've been off sugar for 49 days...I do want to re-introduce at the end of my 60 just to see. But sugar? Don't think so.

I have seen good friends die from sicknesses that can be prevented through diet, and all at young ages. My fiance's mother pretty much ate herself to death. That was horrific.Yes, we all have those sickness genes but you can keep them at bay through diet. My brother in law is now on insulin and all because he had to have bread and beer. There is NO WAY I am going to live my life like that.

Once I re-introduce I think I will be doing a WholeForever...

[Suzy1]

Morning everybody. At las some rain here, has been a glorious long summer however the rain is great especially for the veggies.

Found some 100% grass fed ghee in Oz, expensive shipping but what the heck.

Great eating, down to one coffee a day with coconut cream.

Now ladies the biggest challenge for me - shopping!!

Putting it out there now. No shopping for 30 days!!

Arggghh this is going to hurt more than sugar:)

It's a terrible habit. You would think moving 3 hrs away from Melbourne I would be safe but oh no - the Internet!!

Have an awesome day everybody.

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

I have been on the no shopping gig all March too. At the tail end of the emails for the first 30 days they ask you to work on another habit...mine was shopping. The internet just makes it so darn easy! I am only buying necessities and so far, so good. Buying the fiance a shirt for the wedding doesn't count...

[art cabana jojo]

HI there... i am jumping over here too if that is OK... Today is day 30... can't believe that i made it... i really am proud of myself! I am going to continue this journey... i still have a ways to go... i thought i had tamed the sugar dragon... i was feeling amazing and sleeping well and so much energy days 11-25 then all of a sudden it poked it's head up ... i have been hungrier and craving unnecessarily... SO during this next phase i am going to really focus on portion control... and snacking... (i think that is why my sugar dragon lays in wait.. it knows that sooner or later i will give in to it's evil ways)... and also I LOVED suzy1's idea of no shopping... so i am adding that in to my whole30... i have been off work recovering from a rotator cuff surgery and i am spending way too much time and money online shopping.... SO i am committing to only buying necessities... and that new sweater from Loft isn't necessary... (but it's 40% off today only... i HATE when they do that!!)

Excited to weigh myself tomorrow and find out how i did (weight wise... i am already successful no matter what the scale says).. and then i am putting that scale back in the closet for another 30!

hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

[Suzy1]

Yay more support for the no shopping 30.

Ok, so could have gone on an eating bender however went outside and played with the dogs. Nipped it in the bud I hope.

Funny how being aware of mindless eating flows into other areas of life.

Really making a conscious effort to notice what drives the mindless eating/shopping trigger.

Have a great one everybody.

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

Me too! I need to learn how to knit or something. I do better when I'm at work for obvious reasons. I have so much to do here at home that I suppose if I keep myself busy I won't want to eat. I just think it's a horrendous habit that is going to make more than 21 days to break.

As for the shopping...those marketers are so clever and sneaky. You didn't realize you needed that widget until you saw the ad. Staying out of the mall and off the internet is a start. Or at least not clicking on any ads. Sticking to a shopping list...I guess if you ask yourself if you are hungry enough to eat steamed fish and broccoli before you eat we can use the same analogy for shopping.

Suzy if you figure it out let me know.

[JackieK]

There must be someting in the air! Over the last six months I have been actively turning my back on shopping for "stuff" I dont need. I have been culling items from my home - mainly nick nacks that are really just dust collectors and do not hold any sentmential value for me. I can see that I used things as a security blanket for me for quite a few years - mainly through fear having nothing....weird. This might sound strange - but I want to "clean" my surrounds of all the unnecessary "stuff" - adds to the noise!!

Books on the other hand.....I have managed to get rid of a LOT of cook books that I have never and will never use. I love my books and even when I do manage to re-home a few, they inevitabley get replaced with a wonderful find at a second hand shop or garage sale

Last night we had our neighbours drop by for Sunday arvo drinks. I had a couple of glasses of wine for the 1st time in well over a month. Without making a huge deal out of it, I made the following observations:

• way to sweet for me. I had to dilute it with soda water and ice.
  
• normally if i have something to drink, I will be reaching for carby snacks or other food. Did not happen this time - ate a big dinner of vegies and chicken and was totally satisfied,
  
• Did not really enjoy it all that much.......
  

Anyway, I feel great today and I am determined to get some more exercise in this week!

Have a great week guys!

[Suzy1]

Really bad day yesterday. Didn't break Whole 30 however it was a battle and using Lisa's phrase my inner dialogue must have borrowed a megaphone it was so loud!! So funny, was eating protein after dinner, mind you not even hungry and pacing around the house opening up fridge and cupboard doors. In the end decided bed was the best option. Seriously, did my head in yesterday:)

Agree Lisa, this shopping habit is going to take longer than 21 days to break and hope we can figure out the trigger. Staying of the Internet and finding more creative things to do would be beneficial. Luckily I go back to work tomorrow:)

This Whole 30 food journey has made me aware of so many other negative behaviours.

Have a great one everybody.

[Suzy1]

Ok, had a good talk to myself this morning and rather than thinking I was missing out on something by sticking with the program revisited all the great positives which far outweigh sugar, bread etc

What got me back on track-smashing out a WOD and upping my Kettle Bell swings from 16kg to 20kg!! Was so very happy:)

Then made sure I kept myself super occupied.

Did a WOD.

Cleaned my home Crossfit box.

Cleaned the house.

Cleaned the bathrooms until they sparkled.

Hung out washing.

Planted veggie seedlings and weeded.

Sorted out the jumper section of one of my wardrobes-oh dear what a jumper shock!!

Played with the dogs.

Made two new headbands

Did yoga.

Prepared dinner - Nom Nom Paleo chicken, Well Fed cumin roasted carrots and salad.

So much energy due to such a great program.

Have an awesome next few days everybody.

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

Woke up today in Day 52. I swear my butt looks smaller...

I think I will most likely treat my diet like any addiction. Especially sugar. Sugar has got to be the most evil thing ever.They don't call it the white poison for nothing. It sneaks into everything. And homemade dressings just taste so much better. I can't wait to make to try ketchup. I have a batch of coconut yogurt in the fridge...stay tuned.

[art cabana jojo]

well made it through St. Patty's day weekend pretty much unscathed... i did have a bottle of hard cider.. and it was DELICIOUS... made great choices at the dinner we went to... i think i was the only one who didn't feel bloated and stuffed... (my husband said i had a smug look on my face when they were all bitching about their bellies being full... maybe i did have just a little grin cuz i felt great) After dinner while the boys went to smoke cigars we sat in and i had a glass of wine.. which after the cider and no alcohol for 30 days i was feeling a bit tipsy and managed to eat 3 squares of chocolate which pretty much wiped the smuggness off my face... i didn't beat myself up too badly for it... thought of it as a little break before starting my second whole 30 today.... and now i am back on track and excited for the challenges to come.. i too want to get rid of all the clutter.. physical, financial, emotional... i just want peace, tranquility and zen!

OH.. i weighed myself and had lost NINE POUNDS.. was pretty stoked about that! 8 was my goal so the extra pound was BONUS!!

have a good night all!

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

As I was cleaning up the dinner dishes last night my inner dialogue kept trying to tell me I wanted a handful of almonds. I silenced it.

[JackieK]

Art, I can totally relate.

Yesterday I sat with some of the other ladies from work to have lunch. I brought along my meal of home made Thai chicken curry made with full fat coconut cream, loaded with vegetables and fresh herbs. God it was good!!! Kept me satisfied all the way till dinner and no bloating or energy crashes around 2.30pm.

I actually felt really sorry for one of my colleagues who is on Jenny Craig. She was eating a bowl of soup with a bread roll. I could almost read her mind - "how on earth can she eat that and be loosing weight?"

She has not been following the Jenny Craig plan to the letter and frequetly by her own admission "cheats". I can see her frustration that nothing is happening and as much as I want to shout the Whole9 from the roof tops, I have said the barest minimum - enough to keep the door open should someone want to know more. My results are speaking for themselves.

Out of interest, I pick up a packet of dehydrated pasta from the Jenny Craig food range (an oxymoron if ever there was one) and looked at the ingredients. OMG. The counting of the calories, the regulated number of protien portions, carb portions, vegetable portions etc etc etc etc....... How crazy is that! It became apparent how totally out of control this mind set was.

A relationship with food and good health should not be this hard.

I am sure this type of thing works for somepeople, but from what I see, it fails more often than not and definatley does NOT put someone in a good, positive and healthy relationship with food.

[art cabana jojo]

well i had a melt down tonight... what the hell... i am so disappointed in myself... husband was working late so i made myself this lovely meal of lemon chicken with broccoli and wilted spinach... topped it with an avocado.. so yummy... no harm there... THEN.. i decided to have a little glass of wine with it... and then after i still had some wine left and decided that i "deserved" a tiny piece of chocolate to finish up my wine with... well i am not sure what took over my brain... i have been so diligent and compliant... and i broke.. i ate two more pieces of chocolate... (pouring a little bit... (ok.. another glass) more wine to accompany the additional chocolate... then while i was getting out the dark squares i noticed a bag of m&ms leftover from valentines day and had THREE HANDFULS of those... i was so disgusted with myself that i went out and walked for an hour... trying to get some fresh air and clear my sugar loaded brain... all my hard work feels like i flushed it down the drain... and i am back to square one... (no pun intended to the chocolate square)...

so i guess tomorrow i start again... and try not to feel like a failure.

[JackieK]

You will be ok Art. This is NOT the end of the world

Ok, you ate things that are not going to make you feel so great but you are far from being a failure Thank that chocolate and wine for reminding you why they are no longer on the menu!

It is only one day - all of your hard work has not been undone. Keep your chin up mate!

[JackieK]

Well, kinda excited........just found out there is a Crossfit gym here in Gladstone. I have never seen them advertise so I had no Idea they were here. I Googled "cross fit Gladstone" and Bazzinga!! Will be making a call later this morning.

Personal Learning from yesterday - After dinner last night, I had a slice of cheese. 1 slice, nothing over the top but it had an effect on me - GAS!! hmmm, ok perhaps cheese is not something I can be introducing back into my diet for a while. Even then, it will have to be in small amounts!

Was inspired by a number of cooking shows that are on SBS here on Thursday nights. Food from Laos and the Middle East - YUMO and most of it is Paleo. Also very much inspired by "Gourmet Farmer" - a show about a guy from the city who moved to the country and now grows, raises, kills and makes his own food. A bit like the English show, River Cottage.....except he is an Aussie.

AND BEST NEWS OF THEM ALL - My sister has been struggling with some helath issues for a while now so I gave her my copy of "It Starts With Food" to read. Like me, she was blown away with what she was reading. She said to me that pretty much discribed all of the problems she had been experiencing and that she would be starting immediately.

I am so happy for her. I know that this will be of immense benefit to her and her health!!

[Suzy1]

Art, stay strong and don't beat yourself up. Be proud if what you have already achieved and just get back on track. Jackie you will adore Crossfit I love it more than life it's self:)

All good here, bit run down though with a cold sore developing:(

Now to my skin. My beauty therapist is trying to attribute it to the two treatments I have had over the last fortnight. Mmmmm I don't think so. Can't stop looking at it, it has the most amazing glow!!! Reckon it is due to the good fats now in my diet, used to avoid any type of fat like the plague, now olives, avo etc are part of most meals and my skin is thanking me:)

Gotta stop snacking on the cashews though!!

Have a great one everybody.

[JackieK]

Arrrhhhh cashews!! My nemesis >

I can't have them in the house! Love them a little too much

[Lisa Fonner Rimar]

Yes, they call nuts and nut butters "food without brakes". For me too. Really have to limit myself to one serving. Or better yet, no servings. I haven't replaced the almond butter that ran out. I really want to try making my own.

I got my calendar out yesterday and counted out 100 days from my Day 1. I am giving it serious thought to just keep going. That would take me to mid May. I do want to re-introduce after this second round just for curiosities sake but then again, why? I am literally going back and forth with this. I don't really feel like I have experienced all the benefits I've read about others having. Some mornings I wake up hungry but most mornings I am not so-called "hungry". I wake up with that "I could eat feeling"but not really hungry. I have a lot of body fat I want to shed. So I could go ahead and re-introduce the dairy, wheat and legumes once because I'm going to encounter these things at some point and you have to learn to deal, right? and then go right back to a permanent Paleo lifestyle.

I so badly want a green tea latte and I can make one with coconut milk and a teensy bit of honey...I don't need real sweet these days. And I so badly want a glass of my favorite wine and a piece of good dark chocolate but after reading Art's experience I can see myself doing that too. But part of me wants to know if I can control it...