Jump to content

April Whole 30 group


Jessica Reagan

Recommended Posts

  • Moderators

I think part of the beauty of the 30-day plan is you just have to suspend disbelief and ride it out whether you feel amazing, terrible, or no change. It's an experiment; you have a hypothesis; you have to finish the 30 days to properly test your hypothesis.

Of course, I'm only on day 4 and also feeling a bit meh. But like all challenging things, the way through is one foot in front of the other. And I'm sure it gets harder in some ways once the intensity wears off a little. I just tell myself, "Stay the course!"

Related to the "meh," is anyone else feeling this? Or have you felt it on the Whole30? I think it might actually be a sense of calm, but I'm more accustomed to highs and lows, so it feels sort of, well, meh. Can anyone commiserate? Have any advice for how you mentally pull through besides the cheer I provided above?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 369
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I started April 1st. My local running group is doing it too so it's nice to have online support and IRL support. I'm on day 11 and don't feel the slightest bit different. If anything, I feel worse. GI upset, lots of bloating, sluggish. I also run a few days a week and walk a lot too. I'm not at all overweight, 5'2", 122lbs and 25% body fat. But I was hoping to lose 7 lbs of leftover baby weight. Note, "baby" is going to kindergarten in the fall :)

It's been surprisingly easy so far except that i'm dying for a glass of wine! But cutting out grains was shockingly easy and I previously had given up dairy. I shop at Whole Foods so meat is all grassfed/free range and same with eggs. Mostly organic vegetables when available. I'm using coconut oil EVOO to cook with mostly. Making Nom Nom Paleo's zoodles and meatballs for tonight. For lunch today I had leftovers, chicken thighs, carrots, green pepper, onion cooked in CO.

What am I doing wrong?

-I was having some pretty nasty GI disturbances in the beginning, too. I was not easing up, so someone on here suggested I pick up some Digestive Enzymes, which I did, along with a good probiotic. It started to improve my symptoms right away, and within a week they were much better.

Suzaloo - I'm feeling the same way right now. It seems to be getting harder as I go, but then again, every "diet" I've ever been on gets harder to stick to the longer I do it. Which is why I've rarely ever stuck to anything as long as I have stuck to this. I'm determined not to throw in the towel on this. It's only 30 days and I'm already almost half way! If nothing else, I'm starting to see that it IS possible to live without fast food, pop, chips, dessert. Which is sort of amazing to me.

I never really had the initial symptoms of withdrawal either, which shocks me, because I was eating a very unhealthy diet prior to this and was drinking diet Pepsi at a rate of 2-3 daily. Just lastnight I had my first dream(s) about food. Several of them in one night! In each dream there was some luscious thing I was going to eat, but by the time I was finally able to eat it after standing in line and paying (a fortune!) for it, it was all broken apart and had other food mixed in with it and looked nasty. Wow. Interesting!

I do feel like my clothes are a bit looser, but I have not been on the scales. Although I'm thinking about checking my weight...

Anyways, Suzaloo, it's great that you have a friend you're doing this with. Let her be your reason for hanging in there! If you told her how you are feeling, would she encourage you? You're not alone in how you're feeling. Just think of how proud you will be of yourself in just 2 more weeks, if you stick it out!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LadyM, this is my second Whole 30 and I've been sick for 10 days out of 13, so with you on the meh!

Being ill has made it really tough, and last night I caved and overdid it on dates and nuts. I actually woke up today with the fuzzy head I get after a sugar binge. Still, after that blip and eleven hours' sleep, I feel normal for the first time in over a week. Progress!

I'm not sure if my binge on approved foods calls for a restart. I can't really do that anyway as I'm off on vacation on 2 May. So I'm having a fresh start for the rest of the month anyway. No fruit or nuts except as part of a meal. It's time to admit I've been using fruit as a sugar crutch and nuts are definitely food with no brakes. I've upped my fat and protein, too. Off I go!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am day 7 here. Feeling overall pretty good but NEED to get some long bike rides in. The reason I started this was to decrease joint pain/inflammation and to drop weight, sleep better. Recently diagnosed with a hip on life support so I need cardio(long distance preferably) and had to really cut back on running-so I ride. I admit to........chewing sugar free gum(bad taste in my mouth now all the time and if I can taste it, then I know folks can smell it. I have been having 2 pieces of fruit a day(apple, banana) and maybe even a third piece if I have a long bike ride which I have today. I will bring a banana, sweet pot and a boiled egg/almonds. I also found apple sauce in a squirt packet easily portable. I admit to ......weighing on the scale. As my goal is to get back to long distance running, I need to weigh less....period.I have found I am a bit calmer at work(health care-very stressful). Don't notice much with sleep yet, Oh, one final thing......I cannot afford grass fed, organic everything. We are a single income family so we do the best we can. We have to make the same decisions as most folks these days-either regular chicken, produce as fresh as we can but not organic OR pay the mortgage. Does that make a huge difference? If it does....oh,well! cayenne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

cayenne- I'm not buying organic at all and haven't even been buying as good of quality meat as I usually do.

We've had no money coming in the last two weeks (husband has been on a course for work-- he had to pay the £1000 for the course and didn't get paid while he was on it)Luckily we have a very reasonable mortgage.

But, I'm not that worried about the lack of organics, but then I think our food is slightly better quality here. I am happy that I'll be able to afford some coconut oil this week though.

I need to lose weight for my running as well, I was a good stone lighter when I ran a half marathon last year and I can really feel the difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 13! Eating my grass-fed meatballs and peppers cooked in coconut oil with a handful of cashews. I was catching up on reading the posts for the past couple of days since I just recently found this group. I haven't had any issues with coming off sugar, grains or dairy. It's been hard to find restaurants that don't use soybean oil or a canola blend w/wheat starch on their griddles so I've been eating out a lot less. Hubby was being supportive and doing it with me but it seemed like I was catching him eating something noncompliant every day for the first week so I finally said, don't worry about it I can do it without you. But, we're not replacing any noncompliant foods in the house.

I found whole30 when I was looking up how to reduce inflammation. I have high LDLs - therefore high cholesterol and I am doing a whole60 before getting my blood testing again. Want to avoid statins at all cost but I want dr's approval too!

Anyway, hubby keeps saying I'm losing (not weighing even though I used to weigh several times a day), but I see very little difference other than having to wear a belt with my jeans now. Until this today! I bought an exercise tank top before Easter and whole30 and I pulled it out to wear this morning and I could not believe how it was hanging on me! I did try it on before I bought it and there is no way that I would've bought it if it looked the way it did this morning...could not believe that my torso actually shrunk! I've been hoping to lose belly fat but really want to do this for my cholesterol! Keep strong - we are almost half way done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Popping in here for check in. Day 45 today for me. I continue to feel energetic, awake, and calm. Last night at the end of work I realized I was sleepy -- not lethargic or exhausted or foggy or ugh. Just pleasantly sleepy. That's rarely ever happened before my Whole30, so I think that's a signal that my cortisol levels are returning to normal!

I have less of a need for any kind of snack at work, have actually backed off of part of what I was bringing to eat "in case" (ten hour shift with nothing but vending machines available). So I have nuts and tea, then my meal with a fat, and either an egg or a fruit depending on how I feel. I have the fruit available because the last two hours are sometimes really crazy and I need the "energy boost". I don't eat when I get home anymore, when that used to be snack-central.

The bad part is I can barely take over from my husband on our paper route once in a while -- I'm too sleepy and ready for bed!

Going to add in some short workouts to my yoga routine, feeling ready for it.

Every day, I'm still amazed at how good I feel and how my clothes continue to get looser -- every day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The biggest improvement in my first W30 was my sleep as well, as in, I actually felt sleepy at night! While it's not rock sleep every night, for what I'm use to, it's heaven.

To those feeling frusterated/scale tempted, stay the course! It's the mid-point, don't lose sight now :) If by chance you see the scale not in your favor, that might be the last straw. But, so SO many people say it really comes together for them after week 3. For me, it was after 30 days and starting to re-intro that I found out just how much things had changed. Keep making your meals, enjoy eating good food, and the change will come :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi!

I just started my first Whole30 yesterday, Apr 13.

I've been following a mostly low-carb lifestyle for almost 13 years but balked at doing Paleo because I didn't want to face whether dairy was an issue for me. How was I supposed to live without heavy cream in my coffee, my yummy homemade yogurt, or the delicious cheese I got from a local dairy?

Friday night I ate the last of the yogurt, and I gave my cream and cheeses to my daughter (she isn't ready to give up dairy, and I don't blame her).

The first thing I've noticed so far is that I peed a lot more than usual yesterday, and it was only the first day! I know about the rule not to weigh myself, but I was too curious. I was down a pound and a half this morning, which I can only chalk up to water retention. Holy cow, if I'd known that dairy could be doing that to me, I wouldn't have been so reluctant to give it up.

Today my bathroom breaks are back to my usual frequency, so I doubt I will be tempted to weigh in again until after the rest of the 30 days.

I should also mention that I was introduced to It Starts with Food by a friend who was interested in the inflammation-lowering effects of this way of eating. I have my own aches and pains, and every time I have my blood tested it shows my CRP to be too high. It's been that way for a few years, and my doctor keeps urging me to be stricter with my carbs to get my fasting insulin down. So he's definitely on board with this program.

I also hope to lose ~80#, but that isn't as big a motivating factor as simply feeling more energetic and pain-free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is day 14 for me too and this Sunday has been more difficult than the last one. My mom was visiting and my husband wanted homemade burgers so that's what I cooked. The bacon and ketchup looked delicious but in my country every bacon has sugar on it, so I just used homemade mayo but I looooove ketchup and crispy bacon. My 19 months old son has a fever and has been clingy. Oh how I have craved chocolate today!! For a second, I convinced myself that it wouldn't make a difference if I ate just one tiny piece of chocolate, but then I knew it would make a huge difference and I would waste 13 whole compliant days, so I didn't eat any non compliant item. These past 4 days have been harder, I just hope they were harder cause I was busier and now that I won't be as busy it will get easier.

How's everyone coping?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nksl I haven't thought about a "reward" to keep me motivated! Any suggestions?

Today my cargo pants fitted better and for some reason I felt my abs and they felt really thight. I made my husband poke me and he asked "what is that?" Haha I think that will motivate me to work out more this week. I hope my son will feel better soon and hopefully his fever will stop...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the idea of a reward - and kitchen knives are a good idea. I think I'm going to treat myself to a new blender as mine has been getting a serious work out and my 19 month old (yes Helga I know where you are coming from with the need to eat chocolate!) dropped it on the floor so it only works if you hold it down now.

Day 11 here - not really feeling too much different if I'm honest but not giving up now. Even if I don't feel different I have proved to myself that all of those things that I have to eat, I really don't. The things I ate to feel better actually don't change my mood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted this another thread I hand out in: I had a dream last night about opening a Whole30 and Paleo food truck :-) so I think I am doing well two weeks in. I am enjoying all the dishes I am cooking, using a new cookbook each week, sleeping better, having more energy all day and no more bloat. The scale isn't making me ecstatic, but I was doing diety things before and then an eat whatever diet right before doing this, so I am hoping my body just needs another week or so to sort itself out. I do plan to remain fairly compliant after the 30 days. I have never gone this long without food guilt/shame or uncontrollable cravings. For the first time I feel in control of what goes in my belly. I don't want to lose this feeling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes. Bagels! And good pastry. We have a new brick oven pizza place opening right around the corner, next to our coffee shop that sells Balthazar pastry and fresh "artisanal" donuts. It would figure that we'd finally get decent pizza in this neighborhood after I stop eating it. (I know, how bad can pizza be in Brooklyn? Pretty bad.)

I hardly ever go into Manhattan anymore. I do go occasionally to get my hair cut or see some live music, art or a photography class. Manhattan makes me feel frumpy, broke and out of style. I much prefer the relative safety of Brooklyn.

I was thinking of an overnight stay in an ashram a ways upstate. I like yoga and it's cheap and would be relaxing. But I'd have to eat their food and vegetarian grub isn't appealing. Maybe I'll just rent a hotel room upstate by myself for a night and go for a hike. Anything alone/kid-free would be bliss. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would love to reward myself with a crock-pot unfortunately I can't get one in México or a Blendtec would be nice too but with the shipping and taxes it gets too expensive (even more!).

Forgot to add, my mom was visiting this past weekend and I told get about Whole30 and how I think she would benefit from it (she has an autoinmune disease and battles hormonal stuff) so she is convinced, knows she has nothing to loose and will start her own whole30 next week after cooking and prepping all this week and weekend. I hope she makes it and I am sure she will benefit greatly!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got my cooking oils in from La Tourangelle and OMG coconut oil is sooooooo good. I have never cooked with anything but butter (clarified) or olive oil and boy oh boy was I missing out. Next thing is to try the other oils I got and then ghee and tallow! My mouth is in heaven.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got my cooking oils in from La Tourangelle and OMG coconut oil is sooooooo good. I have never cooked with anything but butter (clarified) or olive oil and boy oh boy was I missing out. Next thing is to try the other oils I got and then ghee and tallow! My mouth is in heaven.

I am obsessed with tallow. I just got my grass fed tallow from Fatworks. It's local here in Portland but they ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...