Leigh Sullivan Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I was day 10 of my Whole30, and I am starting over. Last night, I gave in and ate things I shouldn't have. Now, the quantity was practically nothing. My problem is with the reasons I ate the things I did. I had sugar and cheese - just putting that out there for full disclosure. I wasn't craving any of it, I gave in and went for the easy out when choosing my food options because I eat in response to stress and emotion and physically I felt badly after - it did not sit well. We had to have one of our dogs put to sleep Tuesday night - it was sudden and while I got through it maybe I didn't allow myself to do what I needed to emotionally and went to the old faithful of food for comfort. I was dealing with this situation by myself and while my husband supported fully what had to be done it's hard to be the one to do it. Yes, emotionally, I have no spine. My feelings about starting over are mixed - while technically due to the rules of the program I am starting over fresh, I went into this knowing 30 days was never going to be enough to do what needs to be done. Honestly, I don't want to stop eating like this because in a little over a week I've become very comfortable eating like this and really haven't thought about food the same way. It's not hard to make my meals, my family generally eats with me, no one gives me a hard time and I've noticed positive physical changes. I'm upset with myself because I gave in to something I can't even call a real craving or urge to eat something off plan. Yes, I enjoyed it and I don't feel guilt. I'm pissed I couldn't make even 30 whole days without emotionally eating. Maybe what I need is someone to tell me it's ok, we all have our little hiccups and we deal and move on. Or maybe I just needed to 'fess up on the forum to keep me honest with myself. If this isn't the right place for this, I apologize! Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Lee Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 It's totally okay! Many people need the little reboot to knock things into perspective. It's fine! Just carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Maybe instead of thinking of it as screwing up, think of it as doing what you needed to do to learn where to go next. You have the rest of your llife to take care of your emotions and your body and you are learning how to do that. Telling us is such an awesome step. This time, though, tell yourself you can do it in 30 days (and that you can choose to give yourself longer to remain compliant after). Take charge and tell yourself who is in charge of your food choices. Emotional challenges will come up. Maybe you can come up with about 3 things you can do to care for yourself (bath, journal, long walk, drive in the country, phone call to someone who listens well) the next time. Write them down and have them in your kitchen so you can grab them and pick an alternative to food. So sorry about your dog and that you had to be alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh Sullivan Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 So very true, if the items hadn't been there I never would have eaten them. I talked to my husband about this too and he's agreed to be more of a rock should another stressful situation come up Thanks for the responses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirsteen Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Exactly what everyone else has said. do not beat yourself about this. You didn't blow anything, you just had a very human response to a particularly difficult situation. We've nearly all eaten things we know we shouldn't in response to emotional stressors and the grief of having to get a beloved animal put down ranks really high. I know I've been there, been distraught myself and watched my 18 year old son go to pieces over it. Be kind to yourself, it is allright, we do all have hiccups here and there and you're doing the most wonderful thing out, you're not throwing in the towel, you're picking yourself up and carrying on with your W30. Ok, so now it'll take a little longer but in the grand scheme of things what's an extra 10 days out of a lifetime. I really wish you all the best with your W30 and I'm truly sorry about your dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notacommittee Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I'm upset with myself because I gave in to something I can't even call a real craving or urge to eat something off plan. Yes, I enjoyed it and I don't feel guilt. I'm pissed I couldn't make even 30 whole days without emotionally eating. Maybe it would help you to put it in perspective - you've spent your entire life up to this point getting messages from our culture and the media that you should eat "comfort food" in response to stress or pain. Your entire life. Then you spent 10 days trying to break free from that association. That's so little time to build new habits in comparison - it's totally normal to do the two steps forward, one step back thing for a while, until you really have a chance to solidify your new routine and find a healthier way of dealing with emotions. I'm so sorry about your dog. I've never been there myself but it must be an incredibly wrenching loss, especially as a shock like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ari. Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Firstly, I am so very sorry for your loss. I can't think of anything you deserve more right now than comfort. I have lost a few animals and STILL can't imagine losing the cat I have right now. But also, I wanted to congratulate you on receiving your first big challenge. These moments require us to grow, and there is no way to really understand and be able to examine old habits then when you are in the thick of them. When things are going well, the emotional and psychological issues that brought us to this place can become a distant memory. I don't believe there are any mistakes or slip ups, because they are just opportunities for us check in with ourselves and really observe the things we are trying to fix. You are doing great, just by being here. Just remember to be kind to yourself and keep moving forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolinaBlue Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 So very true, if the items hadn't been there I never would have eaten them. I talked to my husband about this too and he's agreed to be more of a rock should another stressful situation come up Thanks for the responses! A major focus of the W30 is to change our relationship with food but the W30 has also positively affected your relationship with husband, too Way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leigh Sullivan Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 Thanks for all the great responses and props - I think it's easier to be supportive to other people here on the forums than to give myself credit where it's legitimately due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Day 13 and I ate the cooked barley side dish that came along with my beef. I guess I'm considering it a blown Whole30, but for me I'm just so proud it wasn't sugar... the reason I tackled this plan in the first place. And here I thought tonight's birthday celebration for my husband would be the challenge! What irritates me the most is that I didn't have to put it on my plate. I just thought it looked good and I'd take home to use with any leftover beef for my non-Whole30 family. Silly miscalculation! We all stumble at one time. It will happen again; maybe post-Whole30 but it will happen again. How you handle it now will help you the next time. Funny, I've had 2 hot flashes since I ate the barley dish an hour ago. My hot flashes were way down from a high of 20 per day and I had blamed them on sugar. Perhaps gluten or both? I'm sorry for the loss of your dog. I have pets and I also foster dogs. They are family members and we grieve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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