befabdaily Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Today I didn't have any yummy paleo food left in my fridge (or not all the components of a complete meal, anyway) and I decided I'd allow myself to have lunch at my favorite chicken shawarma place. I got shawarma and hummus, which isn't such a bad meal really, and is mainly introducing the one element of legumes. But they threw some pita bread in my takeout bag and it totally ambushed me, i.e. I ate it. Not all of it, but half of it. If I hadn't ventured into chicken shawarma space, I'd never have been ambushed by bread. And if I'd been being strict, I would have found some way for lunch to be compliant, and not ventured into chicken shawarma space. Other than the convenience of living in a non-paleo society, is there any pressing reason not to stay on Whole30 forever? Because it sure makes things easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny M Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 I suppose some people might argue because hey we're human and deserve to enjoy some bad choices in life here and there as long as we understand the consequences and make those choices with a fully present mind. By whole30 rules I should probably never venture into a bar and as much as alcohol has been one of my biggest whole30 struggles, I still enjoy having a couple celebratory glasses of champagne or martini's every couple weeks after a grueling client program launch or certain victories. I've learned how to celebrate in ways that don't require food or drink as a reward but for me personally, sometimes I want to get blurry in a bar and dance the night away with friends. I know many people that will never touch a drink again. I know some people that drink wine daily. To each their own - which is what I think riding your bike is all about! I think what whole30 really teaches you (aside from how to make better choices in food) is an awareness of what you eat and what the effect of food is on your body and mind. Riding your own bike is about using that awareness to guide choices rather than make choices based on a list of rules. Many will find that their ongoing choices look a lot like the original rules but with slight variation. Just remember, if you ever fall off the bike, and struggle to figure out how to get back on, a new whole30 is a great way to get grounded before you try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaseyD Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Riding your own bike could mean that you eat Whole30-style permanently too. It doesn't have to mean you add foods you don't want to add back into your diet. I don't know where you are on your paleo journey, but for me there has been a lot of trial and error to get to the point I am now. I had to do this to learn what works for me, and ultimately, eating squeaky clean paleo 99.9% of the time is my ideal. It is my bike ride, so to speak. The only way I've learned this, though, was through trial and error. For me, the only exceptions I feel comfortable with any more are white rice and seasonal corn on the cob. Eating is a very personal thing. I think the Whole30 offers a great jumping off point. It may be the perfect place for you to be, or you may find you want to tighten the reins even tighter. Or, you may loosen them. Just, whatever you decide, don't make your diet a list of strict rules you must follow for whatever reason. Let it be simply the foods that you choose to eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
befabdaily Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 I just did my very first Whole30. Prior to that I ate what would probably be considered to be a pretty healthy diet by American establishment standards -- pretty low fat, lots of whole grains and beans and etc., not too many treats. I really don't feel too deprived by what I was eating on Whole30 and I'm sort of ready to just say "I'm starting my next one" so that I get more practice sticking to it and not wandering, but I have to deal with a couple of weeks of travel first, and a family visit and such, and I don't want to be so restricted that my family feels harassed by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFarmer Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 What I'm discovering (for myself) as I ride my own bike is not only how off-plan foods affect me, but also which off-plan foods I think I've missed enough to take their consequences. And then, once I have each treat, I am also generally discovering how they don't taste the way I remember them tasting, and so far I'm learning how very few of those foods are worth the (usually nasty) side effects. It's been worth it to off-road to also show some non-supportive people that I make my own food decisions and have not just blindly jumped into someone's advice without considering it fully. Also, that I eat food for enjoyment in the moment of eating it, but also for the enjoyment of the good health it can give me. Trying to show a lot more than tell, which is a challenge in a talky family, and especially when the most critical are often the talkiest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
befabdaily Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 Well, I guess yesterday's massively off-plan meal did have a purpose. Immediate and unsubtle gastrointestinal reaction = I don't have to try those foods again. Right now, I'm 1 for 3 with off plan foods that I added back. Chocolate bar = headache. Probably the sugar since I can drink Crio Bru (brewed cocoa drink) with no reaction Bread and beans = nasty belly. Prosecco, however, seems to be agreeing with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattiM Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I'm a day away from 30 and I've had this naughty craving for baked acorn squash with real, grassfed butter on it. It's funny what seems illicit now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Roy Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 We finished our first whole30 a few weeks ago and went off-road for our long weekend mini-vacation that happened at the end of it. Not HORRIBLY off-road, just enough off road to feel pretty bad the day after we got home. We made the decision to continue to eat according to the whole30 guidelines, but are allowing for occasional trips off-road. It's what works for us now. We both have enough negative symptoms after an off-road trip that it's enough of a reminder to get back on the right track. And that track is eating whole30 compliant more often than not. It's sort of turned in to a 20 meals out of 21 kind of whole30 each week-that's 95% compliant. There may be weeks that we are 100% compliant and there may be weeks that we are only 80% compliant, but I think it's about finding that balance that works for you. Like Johnny said-you can always do a perfect whole30 to re-set if needed, right? What I'm liking now is that I'm not "thinking" about how I am preparing food-I am just cooking compliantly. I've learned enough over the last 6 weeks to make it my new normal. I don't even think about buying non-paleo or compliant foods-just easier to buy the stuff that feeds me well and makes me feel good! I haven't been keeping a food log, because I don't think I am going to learn anything from it at this point. I've figured out the right fats/carbs/protein balance to feed my workouts and keep me satisfied. I am finally at peace about how and what I eat. That is a cool thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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