Nervous, can I do it?

[AaronD]

Hi everyone

Been trying to lose weight now since I quit smoking 6 months ago. Been eating reasonably healthy and exercising on a semi-regular basis, but I've stayed about the same weight, give or take 2 lbs. So I thought "what do I have to lose in 30 days?" My only issue is I've never been disciplined enough to follow through anything like this. Does anybody have any advice?

Thanks!

[JJB]

I think it's really important to be prepared. Know exactly what foods/ingredients are off-limits before you start, and if you can get them out of your house or at least out of sight, that will be really helpful. Start planning your meals so you know what spices and other odd ingredients you will need that you might not have on hand. If you tend to want to grab stuff in a hurry or know you are often too tired to cook after work, it's great to cook up a bunch of meals early so it's all ready to heat up. Just anticipate the reasons/excuses you think might cause you to not succeed, and try to plan ahead for them!

[LRM]

I've been on every "diet" imaginable since the age of 9 (I'm 46) and every one of them was a complete failure. I felt the same way as you when I first heard about the Whole 30 program - in fact I was very adamant that I would never EVER do this program. Two months later, I started what turned out to be a very successful Whole 100. I struggle with willpower and cravings so 30 days was a monumental task, and I wasn't sure I could do it. It's a mental game and here are some of the things I did to stay on track:

1. Forget that it's 30 days. It's today. One day. Then break each day down into an hour or a minute, and realize you just need to get through that time.

2. Remind yourself that this is something you are choosing to do for yourself. You can have cookies, pizza, beer, etc., anytime you want, because you are in charge. However, you are choosing to follow this program right now.

3. Every morning I would put a little heart sticker on the calendar as a reminder that I am doing this because I love myself and want to take care of myself. At the end of the day, I would put a reward sticker or gold star, to show my success that day. If I didn't succeed, I didn't get the gold star. Seeing that calendar fill up really helped keep me motivated. You may not want to do that, but find a way to track your progress and keep it visible.

4. Plan! Plan! Plan! I always keep eggs, roasted chicken and ground beef ready to go in my fridge. I have a freezer full of frozen veggies that can be steamed in the microwave, and salad greens always ready to go. I'm not always interested in cooking, so I just keep making what I like, and it works for me. It takes a little practice to get in the groove, but planning ahead is key.

5. Going to a party or BBQ? Eat ahead of time, and bring a veggie platter so there's something you know you can eat.

6. I didn't tell anyone I was on a diet, or elimination plan. Everyone's a critic, and some people are just waiting to see other's fail. I just ate what I wanted, claimed that I wasn't hungry, etc, and just did my thing. Eventually people saw changes and asked questions. I would answer any questions, but never talked about it otherwise. It was much easier for me.

Whole 30 is life-changing. I still consider myself a work-in-progress, but I've never felt better. Good luck.

[Beets]

Yes, you can do it. Of course you can.

Planning: key. I think read ISWF before you even pick a start date so you understand the rationale behind the plan. And try a few basic recipes so you have some things you like and know how to prepare. Don't get too fancy with lots of ingredients. Meat + roasted veg + fat is basic but delicious and satisfying.

[AmyB]

You can do this! Get food containers, a Crockpot, and figure out where the Farmers' Market is in your area. Make grocery and menu lists. And then, pick your start date and go! Pick a few compliant, non-fancy foods that you enjoy and prepare enough for several days or a week. Take lots of deep breaths and drink plenty of water. This forum is full of support and ideas. Good luck!

[AaronD]

Thanks for the great ideas! I am definitely one who gets lazy and doesn't cook. And I am also one who hates leftovers, so that's going to be difficult to overcome. Also getting the food out of my house is not really that easy as I have a roommate who won't be doing the program. For me, it's really about dinner. Breakfast and lunch aren't a problem as I usually pack pretty healthy for those. Dinner, well, dinner I slack and usually go out or if I cook it's a Hot Pocket or soup.

The site here says to just do it... like NOW! Do you suggest planning a start date? I feel like it's when I was trying to quit smoking when I planned a quit date. That made my success rate much lower.

I'm also worried about snacking. I also lose all reasonable thought when I'm hungry...

[JJB]

There's something to be said for just diving in and doing it...and not giving yourself time to back out/come up with reasons why you shouldn't proceed. Personally, I'm a planner. I wanted to know the ins and outs of the diet (i.e. reading It Starts with Food, following the forum for awhile) before I got started. I also wanted to have my pantry cleaned out (pity you can't really do that) and have all my food ready to go the day I started. To each his own. I would definitely think you'd want to plan at least a day in advance, so you can do some grocery shopping.

If you don't like cooking dinner AND you don't like leftovers...well that's a tough one! There's always tuna fish, hard boiled eggs, frozen vegetables and hamburger patties that you can cook relatively quickly.

Regarding snacks...if you follow the meal template (I can't find the link just now), your need to snack should be greatly reduced. If you do want snacks, it's best if they are like a mini-meal, incorporating protein, fat, and vegetables...not "snacky" foods. The way I snack and the amount I WANT to snack has drastically changed since I started eating this way.

[AmyB]

And I am also one who hates leftovers, so that's going to be difficult to overcome. Also getting the food out of my house is not really that easy as I have a roommate who won't be doing the program.

Well, don't think of it as leftovers...you'll have made things ahead of time, so think of them as Dinners of the Future. That's tough about the roommate, but just keep reminding yourself that this is for you and about you - he or she can eat whatever they want. Maybe they'll be jealous of your delicious meals and great results and want to join.

[Lesliesauder]

So much great advice! I would add that on this site (somewhere) there was a "what to expect when doing the whole 30" that is so great! after you get over the first week your hunger really does lessen! You will not be hungry between meals (at least I wasn't and I was a dedicated snacker)... it does get easier! The first week is really the hardest - but you can do it! If you can quit smoking (WAY TO GO) you can do this too! Best of luck to you!

[percypat]

The site here says to just do it... like NOW! Do you suggest planning a start date? I feel like it's when I was trying to quit smoking when I planned a quit date. That made my success rate much lower.

I'm also worried about snacking. I also lose all reasonable thought when I'm hungry...

If you put too much thought into when to start, you'll probably find reasons to push the date back. I think it's reasonable to take a bit of time to plan your grocery shop, maybe work out your go-to meals for when you come home from work and need something easy.

Don't worry about the snacking. I'm on Day 6 and I was the grazer of all grazers before I started doing this. I've always said I'm just a really hungry person who really really loves to eat (I was always looking for things to shove in my face) and since I've been doing this Whole 30, the urge to snack is pretty much gone. If you follow the template, you will be satisfied. And to be on the safe side, just make sure you have some compliant snacks on hand so if you do snack, you haven't fallen off the wagon!

You are doing wonderful things for your health at the moment! Yay you!

[AmyS]

Great advice above, so I'll just say that you quit smoking so you can do this standing on your head. You got this. Seriously. You got this.

[mllelobster]

This is a very motivating conversation! I think starting this whole 30 is a way to decide to see yourself differently, to free yourself from habits and self depravation.

[Moluv]

I started the minute I found the website. Dumped out my honey lemonade and just went for it. Worked fine. I eat very simple foods. I found that making other people's recipes usually ended up in a lot of extra steps without a big payoff in flavor so I just stick with high quality food and simple additions. Best wishes for your w30!

[Beets]

I did have so much anxiety about quitting coffee (my own addition) that I had to start early. I was making myself sick with worry, I couldn't even sleep.

That said, having some compliant fats (ghee, coconut oil) and a few compliant meals' worth of food is going to help you get over the early days. (Compliant grass-fed beef jerky really helped me get through those days of sugar withdrawal.) Print out the meal template and jot down a few meal ideas.

Remember you don't have to cook something fancy every night. Scouring the internet for recipes was a big stress for me, when I couldve come up with my own simple ideas, as Moluv said above. A plain burger with a big salad or a bunch of sautéed cabbage (whatever veg you like) is fine. If I'm going for a plain burger, I love a lamb burger with salt and cumin. Takes five mins.

I also think that seeing yourself being successful, visualization, is an extremely powerful technique.

[AaronD]

Thank you everyone for all the great motivation! I was able to think about it more last night, and like you guys said, was able to come up with reasons to not to do it. So today I packed my normal breakfast but made my lunch a bit light, regular salad with oil & vinegar and some fruit. I thought I'd try the cafeteria at work for breakfast to see what I could find for breakfast that may be compliant. I brought backup regular food in case I couldn't make it through the day since I really had no time to shop.

For breakfast I had an egg-white omelet w/ peppers and onions and some mixed berries (blue, black, straw). For lunch, like I said, the salad. For dinner I found a decent looking stew recipe that hopefully I can also bring for lunch tomorrow.

I don't really know what to add-in for fats since I don't really dig the idea of avocado that's not guacamole or in a sandwich :-) Any suggestions? I usually put sunflower seeds on my salad but that's in the LIMIT group, I see.

(EDIT: I did not eat my normal breakfast, just packed it just in case I wimped out... greek yogurt, banana and a granola bar)

[Jtandi]

great advice! you might do well to check out theclothesmakethegirl.com and get some information about how she does a weekly cook up and makes a "hot pot" where she throws a little of different things into a pan each night with different spices/etc creating a new meal without having to cook every day.

I live in a house with a family who is not paleo and did not do the whole30. I cooked for them. I ate with them. it is do-able. I have my own cupboard in the kitchen. they have theirs. every time I go to cook for myself I can open mine, when I cook for them I can go into theirs with their bread/pasta/macaroni and cheese, etc. you could do the same with a shelf or two in the fridge. it's easier to have you things separate and so you don't have to look at it.

I read about this program before the holidays and planned and prepared and started January 1st. depends on who you are and how you do. I needed time to set up and plan out meals, time to clean out my kitchen, put away my mixer, etc. that worked for me. if you do wait then choose a date now and stick to it. give yourself a week or two and just plan until then. read the book. buy a cookbook (if you do it sounds like Well Fed might be for you)

good luck. and as Amy said - you quit smoking. you can do anything.

[Jtandi]

you posted when I did. make sure you look at the meal template - those poor egg yolks! they are the best part of the egg! full of nutrition and healthy fat! I eat three whole eggs every morning. eat your whole egg! don't hurt the yolk's feelings. I know you've been eating the standard way of "losing weight" so this will be an adjustment - remember MEAT and FAT are your friend! against everything you know, but trust it! my standard breakfast is 3 eggs with sweet potato hash (which has bacon in it), cooked in ghee

[CPiperS]

I've been on every "diet" imaginable since the age of 9 (I'm 46) and every one of them was a complete failure. I felt the same way as you when I first heard about the Whole 30 program - in fact I was very adamant that I would never EVER do this program. Two months later, I started what turned out to be a very successful Whole 100. I struggle with willpower and cravings so 30 days was a monumental task, and I wasn't sure I could do it. It's a mental game and here are some of the things I did to stay on track:

1. Forget that it's 30 days. It's today. One day. Then break each day down into an hour or a minute, and realize you just need to get through that time.

2. Remind yourself that this is something you are choosing to do for yourself. You can have cookies, pizza, beer, etc., anytime you want, because you are in charge. However, you are choosing to follow this program right now.

3. Every morning I would put a little heart sticker on the calendar as a reminder that I am doing this because I love myself and want to take care of myself. At the end of the day, I would put a reward sticker or gold star, to show my success that day. If I didn't succeed, I didn't get the gold star. Seeing that calendar fill up really helped keep me motivated. You may not want to do that, but find a way to track your progress and keep it visible.

4. Plan! Plan! Plan! I always keep eggs, roasted chicken and ground beef ready to go in my fridge. I have a freezer full of frozen veggies that can be steamed in the microwave, and salad greens always ready to go. I'm not always interested in cooking, so I just keep making what I like, and it works for me. It takes a little practice to get in the groove, but planning ahead is key.

5. Going to a party or BBQ? Eat ahead of time, and bring a veggie platter so there's something you know you can eat.

6. I didn't tell anyone I was on a diet, or elimination plan. Everyone's a critic, and some people are just waiting to see other's fail. I just ate what I wanted, claimed that I wasn't hungry, etc, and just did my thing. Eventually people saw changes and asked questions. I would answer any questions, but never talked about it otherwise. It was much easier for me.

Whole 30 is life-changing. I still consider myself a work-in-progress, but I've never felt better. Good luck.

LRM, that was VERY encouraging! And what a great way to tackle the mind games with play on ourselves! I'm proud of you, and plan on utilizing your suggestions as I jump into this program nervous but determined! (Today is my Day 1). Thank you for sharing your insights!

[LRM]

Dear CPS - Thank you. Big Hugs to you. Keep us posted on your progress. Seems this is quite a journey for all of us.

[scrapstitching]

Hi everyone

Been trying to lose weight now since I quit smoking 6 months ago. Been eating reasonably healthy and exercising on a semi-regular basis, but I've stayed about the same weight, give or take 2 lbs. So I thought "what do I have to lose in 30 days?" My only issue is I've never been disciplined enough to follow through anything like this. Does anybody have any advice?

Thanks!

I'm on day 7. To me, this is almost exactly like quitting smoking. When you quit smoking, smoking is simply not an option. You made it through that and congrats! Put that to use with W30 and you will succeed. You have indeed been disciplined enough to do anything ever, ever, ever. Quitting smoking is a phenomenal feat.