tleef73 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 So, I've been overweight and unhealthy since I was a child. I've tried many different programs...HCG, Weight Watchers, counting calories, Slim-Fast and Herbal Magic. Flashback - January 2010 I weighed a whopping 231 lbs (I'm only 5'4") and from January until March I lost 10 lbs. I started Herbal Magic in March 2010 and by November 2010 I was down to 173lbs and I looked much better but I still didn't feel good. I definately had a bit more energy but my joints ached, I was contemplating talking to my MD about anti-depressants and I always felt somewhat hungry and deprived. I went on a trip to Mexico and drowned my sorrows in gallons of daquaries. From Nov 2010 until Oct 2012 I managed to regain to 200lbs. I went back to HM a couple of times but was never really committed. I yo-yo'd between 200 - 185 and back a couple of times. In September 2012 I was camping with a friend of a friend who talked a little about Paleo and Cross-fit. She had an amazing physique and my interested was piqued. In October 2012 I started to eat "mostly paleo" and changed where all of my household's meat and eggs came from. I started buying mostly organic produce and started cooking with all the good oils and fats. Suddenly I felt better...didn't lose much weight, but I FELT better. My aching joints stopped aching and my mindframe was much improved. Over Christmas 2012 I "fell off the wagon" and back into the old routine. By January of this year I was contemplating anti-depressants again and my joints were aching fiercley! I had read a bunch of books (Paleo Diet, Paleo Solution, Primal Blueprint and bought a couple of cook books like Everyday Paleo and a couple others). I understood the benefits of paleo but I was having a hard time staying on track 100% of the time. I cleaned up my act again and the aches started to go away but I was still eating banana almond muffins (SWYPO), etc. I started reading ISWF (for the second time) at the beginning of March and it was like a new book. Why all the information about hormones hadn't struck me so hard the first read I'll never know, but this time it was like a bulb went on! I started to plan my start date and decided that it would be March 18, 2013. My husband works up in northern Canada and he is home March 13-17 and he's a challenge to feed and doesn't want to give up all the stuff that is so bad for him so I figured I'll keep my diet clean while he's home and then go W30 the day after he leaves. He'll be gone for at least 21 days of my W30 so he won't have to deal with my initial mood swings (I'm quitting nicotine at the same time) and I only have to worry about feeding myself. My neice (who also happens to be my assistant at work) jumped on the Paleo train back in October when I first started and her fiance has also joined the masses so I have support from them and I can have dinner with them and they won't expect the junk that many of my dinner guests do...we can eat 100% W30 compliant and we bounce recipes and bring things in to try all the time when we make a new recipe. So here I am and I'm 100% committed and since I've been eating "mostly paleo" for the last two months I'm hoping the withdrawal will not be as bad as someone starting W30 from SAD. Cheers, Tamara ps...my biggest splurge is an iced latte made with espresso, unsweetened original almond breeze and a few pumps of Starbucks sugar-free vanilla syrup (I know, processed, chemical crap...but it will be the hardest thing to give up as I have already eliminated all grains and dairy, only drink alcohol a few times a year and never eat refined sugar) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marenpatrick Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Hi Tamara, I am restarting My Whole 30 on Monday the 18th, I made it to day 18 then fell off - tough day at work, dinner with my husband and oh boy...a glass of wine sounded good! Downhill from there, figured I blew it so might as well indulge a bit; a few days later and I feel bloated and nasty so very ready to get back at it - I was feeling pretty darn good, just starting to feel the real benefits. I have been smoking through the 18 days and knew I was probably missing out on a lot of the real benefits of Whole 30 because of nicotine, knew I was cheating myself but just couln't stop. This time, Monday, I am determined to ditch the smokes and wholly commit to the program and stick with it. I never posted on the forum but perhaps it will help this time. Sounds like you are going to be encountering some of the same withdrawal issues that I am anticipating...maybe we can support each other in the journey to better health and weight lose. Maren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casanandez Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I am also starting tomorrow!!! I'm so ready to see what all this "extra energy" talk is all about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Buchanan Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Yes!!! I'm starting tomorrow too! We can do this together Tamara! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aph Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 I am starting tomorrow too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasie Kyle Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Im starting tomorrow too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twins at 50 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hi, I too will be doing my 2nd W30 starting tomorrow- I remember how I felt after the 30 days, hope that feeling returns. Planning makes perfect. Here is to sucess.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marenpatrick Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Happy early Monday Tamara and everyone else starting day one today...psyched to get this started and be free of chemicals, additives and yucky stuff! We can do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contessa Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Yay! I'm kicking off my 2nd Whole 30 today as well. First one happened in January and it was a-ma-zing. Excited to have such good company along the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashleym630 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I'm restarting the Whole30 today as well! I fell off the wagon on Day 14 last time and never recovered. I have felt miserable ever since and am excited to be starting today and get my energy back! Good luck to you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tleef73 Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 Wow! So many of us starting (or restarting) the journey today! I'm in fantastic company. So far so good today. I can definitely feel the (nicotine) addiction monster picking at me this morning but am just trying to change some behavioural stuff to help quell that. I didn't go watch the news in the garage this morning (smoking place) and I also slept just a little bit later and didn't have morning coffee (ouch...complete addiction overhaul all at once). So I had some oolong tea this morning instead of coffee and for breakfast I had 3 eggs and 3 strips of bacon (from the farmer, no nitrites/nitrates) with a dash of hot sauce. I also had a glass of juice I juiced myself that consisted of 3 large carrots, 2 stalks of celery and an apple (I heard this can help with the caffeine withdrawal and while I agree that I'm better to eat the fruit and veggies if I can decrease withdrawal symptons for the first few days I'm in) Lunch is leftovers from yesterday's dinner (beef tenderloin chunks wrapped in bacon and skewered with peppers and onions) as well as steamed carrots/broccoli. I have chicken marinading in the fridge for dinner but I will freely admit right now that with all the various withdrawals I may go home and go to bed! I've only been at work for two hours and I feel like I haven't slept in weeks despite the fact that I got 8.5 hrs last night. I've previously experienced the incredible increase in energy and how good it feels to not crash in the afternoons with eating paleo so I'm looking forward to all the withdrawal (cigarettes and coffee) being over so I can enjoy that "feeling good" feeling. I'm hoping that the support on this forum will help get me through the rough beginning and then continue to support me on my journey to better health. I also hope to offer as much support as I can to anyone who wants it. This is a pretty major lifestyle change for most of us but I feel like I've got a bit of an advantage as I've been eating "cleaner" for the last few months so the food withdrawal symptoms may not be as bad as someone coming cold turkey from SAD. We can totally do this and 30 days from now we will be celebrating how good we feel and evaluating if we have slayed our "_______" dragon or if we need to do a whole 45/60/90. Everyone keep us updated on how things are going...What are you eating? What is your biggest hurdle? Cheers, Tamara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contessa Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 A book recommendation for everyone.... The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. A really interesting look at habits, how they're formed, how they're changed, and how we can use them to serve us. It's particularly pertinent to us starting a Whole 30, who are trying to step away from unhelpful eating habits and replace them with better ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlaccini Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hi Tamara, Good luck to you! You can definitely do this! I too like you had a pretty scary starting off point, had done Herbal Magic, Weight watchers and a series of other "diet" considerations. After my first whole 30 in August I have never felt better in my life. So it is definitely worth it. I am now on my third. 27 lbs lighter and pretty free of migraines (the reason for me to do a whole 30 in the first place) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hikerinoregon Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I have started my first Whole30 journey today as well. I took the recommendations and pre-planned and pre-cooked yesterday. I am excited to clean my body of the toxins and negatives. I have struggled with my weight my whole adult life. Thyroid disease runs in my family and my numbers have been borderline for years, but nothing requiring medication yet. I am hoping to avoid that if possible. I have struggled with cough-variant asthma about this time of year for the past three years. I only just found out this year what it actually was. I've never had asthma problems before, and I would like to kick it to the curb too. I wish myself and everyone else success on their journey! We got this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcajk Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 My husband and I started today as well! We have been eating more paleo style the last month but decided we wanted to jump in to the Whole30 challanege because of how much better we feel when we eat clean versus eating junk which we sneak into our diets why to often! We really would love for his to become a lifestyle change for us. I feel prepared for the next 30 days. I researched recipes, put my meal plans together, and got all my grocery shopping done. So glad I found this forum to follow as well for extra help and support. Can't wait to see how much better our bodies feel and function in the next few weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceugley Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I am also starting today. Everything seems to be going alright today I just have a head ache but I"m sure its because I haven't had any caffine. Hopefully the headaches don't last to long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine55 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Your motivation is really inspiring Tamara! And it's nice to see another Canadian on board 'eh! I had a pretty good day today. I've been reading the Everyday Paleo cookbook by Sarah Fragoso and have been contemplating rolling this eating plan out to my entire family. I have two young children under the age of 4 and a very supportive husband. Anyone else doing this with a family? The biggest challenge for me has been giving into the little carb indulgences that are scattered around our very tiny kitchen. Amazingly enough my sweet tooth for chocolate and candies has been easy to get rid of in contrast to the allure of a toasted bagel/rye slice/any other bread or cracker source you can think of with sunflower butter and jam.... I've tried loading up a celery stick (minus the jam of course), but it's just not the same. guess i need to mourn the loss of my carbs a little more and just get rid of them already!!! Anyway, I digress. I tracked my eating really well today and really planned ahead. But I supplemented my day with a smoothie (1/2 avocado, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 banana, 1 scoop of vegan protein powder, 1 cup water) and just read that smoothies are a no-no. I am also a big snack person and am having a hard time getting my head around "only" eating 3 meals a day. I guess I will just have to load up on my meals and focus on a veggie blended smoothie to complement my breakfast.....anyone have any suggestions? I find if I am hungry at the end of my day, it typically means I didn't have enough for breakfast! Go figure! Well, looking forward to working through the next 30 days with you all. I'll check in again tomorrow to see how everyone did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casanandez Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 so far so good today!! Just a TERRIBLE headache that started around 2pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Doorenbos Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 My husband and I just started today also...not sure my hubby is 100% on board but he is being very supportive to me. My daughter started 2 weeks ago and has been feeling great! She even made it through a week vacation with us with only 1 "slip". She inspired me and then a started reading ISWF and am very inspired. I have been overweight all my life...tried many plans from WeightWatchers to Nutrasystem to SlimFast to The Zone. had the most success with the Zone but fell off the wagon again. I'm very excited about the whole life concept of this program. As a pharmacist the hormonal aspect makes so much sense to me! I have stayed on course all day but I admit right now I REALLY want a piece of chocolate!!! But I will resist!!! Also have a bummer of a headache but I think I'll just head to bed early tonight. Best wishes to all of you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twins at 50 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Wow, sounds like everyone is fighting a deamon in one way or another. Looks like there will be lots of support for each other. Tamara, the book recommended by ccraven62 is excellent.Changing habits is done in babysteps, creating new habits, new norms. Have faith and keep planning. I will watch for your posts tomorrow. Have a great day 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twins at 50 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 My husband and I just started today also...not sure my hubby is 100% on board but he is being very supportive to me. My daughter started 2 weeks ago and has been feeling great! She even made it through a week vacation with us with only 1 "slip". She inspired me and then a started reading ISWF and am very inspired. I have been overweight all my life...tried many plans from WeightWatchers to Nutrasystem to SlimFast to The Zone. had the most success with the Zone but fell off the wagon again. I'm very excited about the whole life concept of this program. As a pharmacist the hormonal aspect makes so much sense to me! I have stayed on course all day but I admit right now I REALLY want a piece of chocolate!!! But I will resist!!! Also have a bummer of a headache but I think I'll just head to bed early tonight. Best wishes to all of you!! You will beat the chocolate cravings. Stay strong and focus on what you hope to gain ( re-read a portion of ISWF if you need a reminder that you are doing the right thing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loubiesandlulu Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I started today too....I have a major sweet tooth, so that is what I think will be the toughest for me! Excited about this journey:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tleef73 Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 Good morning all...so nice to see there are so many of us starting at the same time. We can lean on each other for support. Yesterday was really hard. I guess you don't realize how much you depend on stimulants (coffee, cigarettes) until you eliminate them. I'm having pretty major nicotine withdrawal (hot/cold flashes, sweating, disoriented and really tired). I can overcome it, I've done it before...but boy is it hard. All I can think about is sleep. I'm not having a hard time with the food planning and what to eat. I baked some chicken last night and had it with roasted beets, sauteed kale with ghee and garlic and had leftover chicken so I'll have that today for lunch with spinach and some avacado oil and cider vinegar dressing. Breakfast is eggs cooked in a bit of rendered pork fat and some mango salsa that is compliant and a couple slices of bacon. I have beef stir fry meat marinading for Ginger Beef Stir fry (from everydaypaleo.com). I'm not a fan of mushrooms so I'll sub those out for some celery and bell peppers...hopefully that tastes ok. I have a chicken thawed that I will roast tonight and then I can use the carcass to make more bone broth this weekend as I just used the last of my chicken broth. I also need to get more beef bones for beef stock as I use these stocks in so many dishes! I hope everyone is having a great day 2 so far. I'm sitting down to breakfast now but please post so I know how everyone else is doing. I'm especially curious about anyone who is quitting smoking at the same time and how you're dealing with the withdrawal. Cheers, Tamara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenb130 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Hi Everyone! I started yesterday as well. My story in a nutshell: I'm 33, had 3 kids in 4 years and gained a bit of weight. I've done Weight Watchers successfully after every pregnancy, getting back to my prepregnancy weight but I was 30lbs overweight when I got pregnant and I'm having a much harder time losing that 30. Also I'm addicted to sugar, like bad. So in researching my options this kept coming up. So far I've done well. I feel icky though right now. Headache and feverish. I'm not sure if its really related of if I just have a little bug. I hope it passes soon. I'm blogging about it. You can check it out here if you're inclined. http://freeradicalfamily.blogspot.com/ Anyway I'm interested to see where this journey takes us! jennifer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valerie Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I also started on 3/18. So far I feel good. I just get hungry between meals. That worries me. I need more quick protein ideas besides eggs. Any suggestions? Good health to everyone on 318! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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