Author Topic: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?  (Read 427065 times)

Mongoose

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2000 on: February 25, 2017, 02:00:13 PM »
Prep time is difficult. Eating the actual food is satisfying. It definitely is more expensive and the price point will make it unsustainable.

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2001 on: February 25, 2017, 02:15:18 PM »
Prep time is difficult. Eating the actual food is satisfying. It definitely is more expensive and the price point will make it unsustainable.

The cost drops off the longer you do it, as does the prep work as you figure out what your new staples are and where to find them and best ways to prep ahead/batch cook.  Also, once you do your reintro, you may find some of your staple cheap foods are not a problem for you, so you can add them back in.

We also find we save quite a bit on average due to less eating out, less healthcare costs, less of the more expensive foods we use to get (mostly dairy) More energy to do things ourselves instead of outsourcing, better work performance from DH since he isn't so exhausted resulting in raises.  So looking at the whole picture, the slight increase in our food budget is worth it for us, but YMMV :)

SuperSaver

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2002 on: February 25, 2017, 04:26:20 PM »
Day 5: So I just ate my first baked sweet potato! I actually hated sweet potatoes until about an hour ago. It was a sweet potato with a bit of ghee and cinnamon on the outside (I didn't eat the skin though) baked for about 2 hours. It was actually pretty darn tasty so I might have the fiance make more this month.

The last two day's I've felt pretty fantastic. Level mood, high energy, lots of sleep and water. I have a headache today but I think it's  because my house is 78* as we've used the oven all day.

I found Penderson's bacon at Wegmans, Epic's DuckFat, avocado oil and dry mustard, chives, dill, sage and ghee. So all these new cooking fats and spices are great to experiment with! I had had chives and dill before but the rest of the products are amazing too.

My biggest hurdle is drinks. I hated water going into this. I only liked soda, juice, lactaid milk and hot chocolate. I can't drink coffee (the smell always makes me gag/feel nauseous). Don't like tea or kombucha or soda water, so I am really struggling on lack of drink variety. Today I am trying to drink tea and infuse water with either a fig or strawberries. Still kind of gross. What is everyone else drinking? I'm kind of hoping I'll get desperate and turn into a tea lover.

horsepoor

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2003 on: February 26, 2017, 05:45:06 AM »
Super - have you experimented with different teas?  You might like some herbal teasanes instead - like hibiscus, or ginger or lemon teas.  I recently discovered a tangerine white tea that is really nice. Any of these should work iced if you don't want hot tea.  Good Earth tea has a nice spicy sweetness to it, not sure if you'd enjoy something like that?

Mongoose - yeah, the cost and prep time usually sends me scurrying back to beans and rice to defray costs.  I figure billions of people have been eating them as staples for 100's of years, so if they don't cause issues, the cost savings is worth it.

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2004 on: February 26, 2017, 06:59:59 AM »
Today is shopping and prep day! It's going to be pretty expensive since I'm also stocking up on things I can freeze for emergency meals. If I weren't on jury duty an hour and a half away, I wouldn't be worried, but I'm getting home so late, cooking is pretty draining.

SuperSaver

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2005 on: February 26, 2017, 10:10:03 AM »
Super - have you experimented with different teas?  You might like some herbal teasanes instead - like hibiscus, or ginger or lemon teas.  I recently discovered a tangerine white tea that is really nice. Any of these should work iced if you don't want hot tea.  Good Earth tea has a nice spicy sweetness to it, not sure if you'd enjoy something like that?

Thanks horsepoor! I just got back from Wegmans  and I got Rooibos? tea and one called Perfectly Peachy. I can't stomach anything 'spicy' unfortunately but, I'm on the lookout for a tangerine white now! I am trying Kombucha again since maybe my tastebuds changed enough. It's also mildy mango flavored. I am trying some offbrand La Croix today and it's mediocre. Plain water and tea are shaping up to be my go to drinks the last 24 days.

Making this http://www.noshtastic.com/company-pot-roast-gluten-free-paleo-and-whole-30/ today. Ran to Wegman's to stock up on food we can prep for me today. For $92 I stocked up on compliant bacon, roast, chicken, beef/chicken broths, veggies, fruits,  trying some new drinks, arrowroot, coconut milk and our new staple- eggs. :)

Yesterday I got my first negative side effect. *tmi* totally crappy bathroom troubles. However unlike, my usual IBS flare ups I felt better immediately and bounced back to my usual self in no time. *end tmi*

Neo? how do you make sweet potato hash? Is it like hashbrowns?

Mongoose

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2006 on: February 26, 2017, 05:48:59 PM »
I will admit that my prep time issue is made worse by my pickiness. I just did like leftover meat (cold or rewarmed). It all tastes off to me. So, super spoiled personal wants only freshly cooked protein.

So far, I don't notice music difference in how I feel. I have lost about 3 pounds so that's good. I was already fairly low grain and dairy and had already dropped caffeine and most added sugars.

I'll be interested to see if reintroduction causes any issues.

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2007 on: February 27, 2017, 05:41:10 AM »
I was highly symptomatic yesterday, so I didn't finish all my prep, but I did butcher the whole chicken I got for the tangine and put the bones in a crockpot for broth. I'll make the tangine tonight.

I have a suspicion I'll end up sensitive to beans, which is a bummer since I love them, but there have been some interesting correlations of late. I guess we'll see in a month!

Mongoose

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2008 on: February 27, 2017, 07:42:00 AM »
Wow Mezzie. Hope this test will help you feel better. Neither DH or I do well with beans so we had dropped them to a minimum pre Whole30. It helps that we dislike them as well though. We'll try adding back some lentils in a couple of weeks and see if those are ok. Perhaps the two will be different.

FiguringItOut

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2009 on: February 27, 2017, 10:10:14 AM »
What would be doable breakfast ideas?

I don't eat breakfast at home on work days, no time, too early.  I usually make oatmeal when I get to the office.
What can I bring from home with me to have breakfast at work at my desk that will not take too much extra to plan/cook/carry?

I take public transportation to work (bus + subway), commute is about 1 hour.

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2010 on: February 27, 2017, 10:21:03 AM »
What would be doable breakfast ideas?

I don't eat breakfast at home on work days, no time, too early.  I usually make oatmeal when I get to the office.
What can I bring from home with me to have breakfast at work at my desk that will not take too much extra to plan/cook/carry?

I take public transportation to work (bus + subway), commute is about 1 hour.

Hi FiguringItOut, don't let the size of the thread turn you off, many people just pop onto the whole 30 website, read the program outlines and jump to the end f this thread :) I make Paleo oatmeal, it tastes good cold (we prefer it) I do a big batch at a time and we eat it all week. I like it with some cooked apple and raisins.

http://www.paleostateofmindblog.com/blog/grain-free-oatmeal

Urchina

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2011 on: February 27, 2017, 10:19:41 PM »
Hi, all! This has been a great thread to read as i get ready to start my first Whole 30 for Lent this year. However, I tend to not eat a lot of meat and don't like how I  feel after eating a lot of animal protein.  Anyone else here shared this experience? How did it go for you?

Mongoose

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2012 on: February 28, 2017, 07:59:27 AM »
I'm not a big meat eater and much protein at a time makes me nauseous. I'm sticking to a small portion (palm of hand size) and filling up on vegetables. With potatoes included, it's not too bad...just a lot of prep time washing and chopping vegetables. I do love vegetables though so eating a lot of them isn't a hardship.

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2013 on: February 28, 2017, 09:42:31 AM »
Hi, all! This has been a great thread to read as i get ready to start my first Whole 30 for Lent this year. However, I tend to not eat a lot of meat and don't like how I  feel after eating a lot of animal protein.  Anyone else here shared this experience? How did it go for you?

Welcome, Urchina! Whole 30 is more about upping your healthy fat intake then considerably upping your protein intake, Usually, it is just easier to do one with the other. It is not really a high "Protein" diet. There are suggestions on the Whole 30 Website for doing a vegetarian-adapted Whole 30 - the problem is with that is you won't discover if you have any sensitivities to those foods.

Update Time! How is everyone doing? What day/stage are you on? What are your wins/challenges/observations?

CloserToFree

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2014 on: February 28, 2017, 11:11:18 AM »
Having *just* learned about Whole-30 (I have a few friends doing it right now, as I learned from social media), I'm pretty intrigued.  There are some issues I have with it/things I'm very reluctant to give up, which I'll post/query about later, but in the meantime am posting to follow.  Inspired by everyone making this work!

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2015 on: February 28, 2017, 11:50:13 AM »
Having *just* learned about Whole-30 (I have a few friends doing it right now, as I learned from social media), I'm pretty intrigued.  There are some issues I have with it/things I'm very reluctant to give up, which I'll post/query about later, but in the meantime am posting to follow.  Inspired by everyone making this work!

Welcome, CloserToFree! We all struggle with things we are reluctant to give up, and most people going into it think it is *Impossible* to live without x, y, z.

Something that helps is knowing that it is only 30 days (plus time for reintro) After that and you have your data, you can do what you want with it.  Your taste buds also adapt very quickly so by the end of it those things you thought you couldn't live without sometimes lose their appeal completely, and you are feeling so good you don't care.

Definitely post/query share your thoughts, we are here to support you!

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2016 on: February 28, 2017, 05:41:08 PM »
Some stats before I start tomorrow:
1. 125 pounds (a few pounds above my favorite weight, but a healthy weight for me)
2. Daily base pain level with daily pain pill: moderate in big joints, extreme in ankles and small joints.
3. Frequency of spiked pain (enough to take extreme pain med): 1-3 days/week; often includes back pain.
4. Energy level: Generally bad fatigue about 2weeks/month (on average; sometimes months at a time, sometimes just a couple days)
5. Digestive problems: frequent bloating
6. Allergies: itchy eyes, stuffiness, post-nasal drip daily
7. Sleep: oddly good lately, probably because jury duty isn't very stressful. Usually only a couple hours at a time and not restful.
8. Supplements: magnesium, iron

I can't think of anything else to compare at the end. Any additions you would make?

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2017 on: February 28, 2017, 05:51:49 PM »
. I like peanut butter and have some "slightly lower sugar" stuff at home right now. But I know it's a "trouble" food for me - the kind of food I'll have at 10:30PM on a large table spoon.
*Blinks* There is sugar in your PB? (Okay so I totally know it is a thing) But I'd be curious if it is the peanut butter that is a trouble food for you or if it is just a way of feeding your sugar dragon?

Some stats before I start tomorrow:
1. 125 pounds (a few pounds above my favorite weight, but a healthy weight for me)
2. Daily base pain level with daily pain pill: moderate in big joints, extreme in ankles and small joints.
3. Frequency of spiked pain (enough to take extreme pain med): 1-3 days/week; often includes back pain.
4. Energy level: Generally bad fatigue about 2weeks/month (on average; sometimes months at a time, sometimes just a couple days)
5. Digestive problems: frequent bloating
6. Allergies: itchy eyes, stuffiness, post-nasal drip daily
7. Sleep: oddly good lately, probably because jury duty isn't very stressful. Usually only a couple hours at a time and not restful.
8. Supplements: magnesium, iron

I can't think of anything else to compare at the end. Any additions you would make?

Wow Mezzie, that is quite the list!  I would add your measurements if you are interested in tracking that, although it seems like you are doing this more for health than looks. I'm very curious if cutting out dairy will help with your allergy symptoms, it certainly did for me. Hopefully, you'll solve the pain mystery as well. Wishing a good start tomorrow!

SuperSaver

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2018 on: March 01, 2017, 02:35:39 PM »
So I made it 6 full days, but I currently need to take a pause and restart in a week or so. My doctor has me on new anxiety meds and I somehow managed to get 8+ side effects with half that overlap with Whole30 symptoms. I will be back and stronger after I get though this ramp up phase.

Take aways from my first attempt: I have gone 9 days since quitting soda cold turkey. Yay me! I can't eat eat pork chops. I dislike a ton of drinks but am coming around to plain tap water. I also get very sick of eggs quickly. I didn't crave candy but, I did wish I was able to snack on pretzels or something crunchy/salty which was surprising. I also lost 6.4 pounds in water weight. Mood (prior to the meds) and energy levels were very stable. I did catch up over the weekend with the 41 pages so I got lots of ideas for the next attempt.

I'll keep up with the thread in the mean time. :D

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2019 on: March 01, 2017, 05:08:26 PM »
So I made it 6 full days, but I currently need to take a pause and restart in a week or so. My doctor has me on new anxiety meds and I somehow managed to get 8+ side effects with half that overlap with Whole30 symptoms. I will be back and stronger after I get though this ramp up phase.

Take aways from my first attempt: I have gone 9 days since quitting soda cold turkey. Yay me! I can't eat eat pork chops. I dislike a ton of drinks but am coming around to plain tap water. I also get very sick of eggs quickly. I didn't crave candy but, I did wish I was able to snack on pretzels or something crunchy/salty which was surprising. I also lost 6.4 pounds in water weight. Mood (prior to the meds) and energy levels were very stable. I did catch up over the weekend with the 41 pages so I got lots of ideas for the next attempt.

I'll keep up with the thread in the mean time. :D

Gold Star for making it through all 41 pages of the thread! Your results thus far have been encouraging! It's all one step at a time and getting all your meds and stuff figured out is so key!

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2020 on: March 01, 2017, 07:11:39 PM »
Day 1 went well. I had a dinner planned that would be quick to cook (long hours at the courthouse and commuting this week!), but on the train ride home, I started craving Pho. I figured I could make Pho next week (with zuccchini noodles maybe), but I'd have my planned dinner with a side of homemade broth to get me through.

Instead, I came home to find my husband had made a compliant roast that totally satisfied my Pho craving (which is not to say it tasted like Pho, but it was meat and a broth and some veggies, and it worked). I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband. He's not doing this with me (he has no weird symptoms to deal with), but he's going out of his way to make this easy for me.

Feeling pretty good about the whole endeavor right now. :)

10dollarsatatime

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2021 on: March 01, 2017, 09:33:32 PM »
Day 3 of AIP (and day 53 of whole 30 in general):

No lessening of the GI issues I've been dealing with, but a noticeable decrease in general fibro related body aches.  So that's good.  I was probably overdoing the nuts and seeds on the regular whole30, and most of my meals had tomatoes involved in some way.  I did realize that there's a possibility that I'm not actually allergic to avocados like I've thought for the past ten years.  (Allergy as in gastro issues and terrible body aches.)  Just that I only ever ate them in guac form, which usually has peppers in it.  I might get brave and try one.  Which would give me another "eating fat", which may be useful for the next month.

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2022 on: March 03, 2017, 09:31:13 PM »
10 -- I'd be interested to hear how nuts are for you. I'm basically  doing AIP *except* I'm eating nuts.

I forgot to take my meds this morning, so I'm feeling crappy and cranky. The good news is my jury service is finally over, so I won't have 12-13 hour days anymore and can be more creative with food next week.

Stashing Swiss-style

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2023 on: March 04, 2017, 04:55:23 AM »
9 days without soda is awesome. I hope you can keep that one thing going despite the pause in the W30.  I know exactly what you mean about missing the salty crunch.  I know there are recipes for seed crackers that are W30 compliant but I have not yet got round to testing them out.  Maybe it's SWYPA to snack at all..... 

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2024 on: March 04, 2017, 05:56:40 PM »
Is it really that hard or complex to meal plan Whole30?  I'm not trying to minimize the efforts of everyone, but I'm toying with the idea of doing one and looking at what to eat.  I start reading about cocunut oil and aminos and other things I don't stock, and complex recipes, and start to feel overwhelmed.  But then can't I just cook with olive oil or clarified butter and eat along these lines:

Breakfast: eggs with veggies
Lunch: salad with chicken, nuts, veggies, compliant dressing
Dinner: meat (chicken, burger, pork chop) and roasted veggies of some kind
With fruit thrown in as well

I get that maybe you don't want the same thing every day, but it's "only" 30 days, and I think there's enough variety of veggies that it would be plenty varietal for me.  I also understand that eating in restaurants or traveling pose challenges. 

Fwiw, By way of background, I started reading this thread a couple weeks ago in an airport, and I'm curious as to what the effects might be on me.  So I think I'm going to give it a go starting March 21, after a conference I'm attending.  I'm generally healthy: no known allergies or health issues.  I claim an "iron gut" developed from lots of 3rd world street food I've eaten during travels throughout my life. My diet is good: lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, I drink only water, cook from scratch, and don't do a lot of sugar, at least in its straight form (not even tempted by candy or donuts, but do like desserts and ice cream on occasion).  I work out M-F, and probably have 10-20 lbs to lose.

Should I get a blood test (cholesterol, anything else?) and a body fat test before I start, just to see the impact of Whole30 on those variables?

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2025 on: March 04, 2017, 07:18:01 PM »

Should I get a blood test (cholesterol, anything else?) and a body fat test before I start, just to see the impact of Whole30 on those variables?
YES!! Having those benchmarks would be really handy. As far as how complicated it is, No I don't think it is, the whole 30 template is very straightforward and pretty much what you are suggesting.

But meal prep and such can be daunting for people who aren't used to the extra time and effort and planning cooking from scratch takes in the first place. Or for those who may not be used to cooking with veggies, or for those who are replacing a lot fo processed foods. Or those who don't like eggs, that is the biggest problem for some people. It sounds like you will probably be fine from what you say.

There are also a bunch of us who have tended to eat more or less this way for quite some time, and yeah after a while you want to branch out a bit, especially those of us who loved to cook before and now need to find new recipes to replace our old favorites.

We do have a whole 30 Pinterest board, of you want to PM me your email I can send you an invite to it.

Mongoose

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2026 on: March 05, 2017, 07:28:12 AM »
My only issues with meal prep time is having to cook for multiple days at once (we "picnic" a lot due to crazy schedules and my pickiness. And the kids aren't on it to so I'm somewhat making multiple meals. We did scratch cook most things before and my meals look basically like your plan. We're done the 14th.

I didn't get any pre-testing done but that would be interesting (says the science geek).

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2027 on: March 05, 2017, 08:23:21 AM »
I have blood tests fairly regularly because of my health issues. It'd be interesting to see if any of the numbers change. I have a standing order and am supposed to go whenever my symptoms are really bad.

Today I'm going to try and get everything I need at Aldi, and then I've got some meal prep to do. I'd like a new breakfast idea. I think what I really want is Thai noodles, which I could totally swing with mung bean noodles or other non-rice noodles, I think, but that would mean a trip to the Asian market a ways away for the veggies I'd want with that. I really wish general supermarkets had a wider variety of vegetables. I may need to get some more seeds for my garden to remedy that. Maybe I could make tapioca/sweet potato noodles? It couldn't be that different from making rice noodles, which I'm a pro at.

Ayway, after shopping, I'm going to make a truly delicious broth (I've got so many vegetable ends to add, including my favorite -- leeks!). My last broth was good, but weaker in the flavor department than I generally like because I had eaten every last bit of that week's veggies.

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2028 on: March 07, 2017, 07:02:01 PM »
I'm one week in. No noticeable changes in pain, fatigue, energy, or brain fog. I'll check in again in another week.

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2029 on: March 08, 2017, 12:35:17 AM »
Time for a check in, I think.

It's been about 35 days since I ended my Whole30. I've been slowly incorporating foods back into my diet but I've stayed unprocessed/no added sugar about 95% of the time.

The only very clearly associated ill effects I've found are from dairy. That still shocks me. I can't believe I went my whole life until now without knowing that I'm sensitive to it.  I've really not eaten enough wheat so far for definitive associations yet, but the one time I did, I got a migraine the next day. I'll be paying attention to that as I continue to test.

For me, the best thing to come from the Whole is the nutritional reset. It has been very very easy for me to continue eating healthfully. I haven't had junk food or soft drinks since the beginning of the year and I haven't missed them.  I even bought a friend a surprise birthday cake and celebrated amongst a group without eating any cake - unheard of for me previously. 

I had my yearly physical and all of my labs were fantastic. I'm not pre-diabetic yet (which is a major concern with my family history) and hopefully I'll stay that way with my current lifestyle. I was definitely on the wrong track before Whole30 and am glad to have found what appears to be a sustainable approach. That 30 days really helped me break some bad habits.

For all that, I am grateful. I encourage everyone to really give yourself the gift of this month of good health. It's totally worth it.  This is a great group for encouragement and support. You can survive it and thrive, and the benefits can extend well past those 30 days.

Good luck everyone!

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2030 on: March 08, 2017, 10:01:53 AM »
WAHOO MONKEYMIND!! That is a great update! It's so exciting to hear from you and the difference it has made :)

I'm one week in. No noticeable changes in pain, fatigue, energy, or brain fog. I'll check in again in another week.

Mezzie, keep with it, it can take a while for you to detox and bring the inflammation and such down and the first week or two there is also just the changes as your body shifts gears. I would say the sicker you were going into whole 30, the longer it takes to feel a difference.

For people with Chronic issues, it seems to take longer. I got "enough" results in my first Whole 30 to know that it was "working" but it took me quite a bit longer to really start noticing a difference in my baseline with my chronic issues. The damage was done over longer than 30 days, so it will take longer to heal. For some of them, it came totally as a surprise and it wasn't even me who noticed them because you adapt to your baseline sometimes without noticing.

I've been eating this style since the thread started, so  will be 2 years in Sept. Benefits I have noticed:
 - No more sciatica
 - massive decrease in headaches/migraines
 - Fibro symptoms are gone if I stay away from wheat
 - Sinus issues gone if I stay away from dairy
 - I can grow my hair longer, my hair would give me headaches
 - Clearer skin
 - no more brain fog
 - increased energy levels
 - Better immune system. I haven't had cold or flu (and I usually get hammered every winter)
 - Better sleep - was a life-long insomniac averaging 2-3 hour a night for weeks and then crashing. Now I easy sleep 6-8.
 - No more leg cramps! Hereditary and would usually happen a couple of times a week.
 - eczema is gone, I've struggled with that since childhood
 - much less painful menstrual cycle.
 - 86.6 lbs lost

The main thing I am struggling with now is balancing levels of dopamine.  My brain chemistry has always been a little wacky, but when you can get dopamine hits from food, it's easier not t have to deal with the underlying issues.  So I'm looking at alternative ways to get the dopamine flowing and balanced. Trying not to feel totally flat but not have too much that one addiction is replaced with another.

Mezzie

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2031 on: March 08, 2017, 07:02:59 PM »
Not to worry -- I'm sticking with it. It may not do anything for me, but it would nag at me if I didn't give it a fair shot. And if it does help, that would obviously be great.

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2032 on: March 09, 2017, 06:29:34 AM »
We are done next Tues. So far, so good. Maybe a bit better sleeping. It's hard to tell if it's helping with pain since my one bad joint has been getting PT at the same time. Translation is going to be rough since we have multiple work trips/family visits immediately after.  We may do this again for a longer. time later this year. Summer is much less crazy for us plus all the yummy vegetables will be in season.

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2033 on: March 11, 2017, 07:22:40 AM »
Hi all - I am contemplating redoing a whole30. I have never actually made it further than day 13. Do you all really, really, really have more energy after doing it? I see comments like "more energy" but just wondering if it feels like night and day with energy levels to you?

BCpuppy

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2034 on: March 11, 2017, 09:07:20 AM »
Hi all - I am contemplating redoing a whole30. I have never actually made it further than day 13. Do you all really, really, really have more energy after doing it? I see comments like "more energy" but just wondering if it feels like night and day with energy levels to you?

I have actually never made it past day 25 so take this with a grain of salt.  But even the short amount of time that I have been 100% compliant, I have noticed that I don't get the afternoon slump and I'm not constantly hungry like I am when I am eating sugar and grains all day.  It does take me up to a week once I start the whole 30 for this to start occurring.  The first couple of days I tend to be really tired as I'm eating a lot more fat and no sugar, but by day 7 each time, I feel much better. 
Post whole 30, I have been continuing to eat more fat and less sugar.  I have much much more constant energy levels.

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2035 on: March 11, 2017, 09:22:42 AM »
Hi all - I am contemplating redoing a whole30. I have never actually made it further than day 13. Do you all really, really, really have more energy after doing it? I see comments like "more energy" but just wondering if it feels like night and day with energy levels to you?

For me, it has been night and day. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say doing that first whole 30 probably saved my life. I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired and in constant pain, I was actively contemplating ending it. Which is probably why I stick around and keep this thread going and support anyone who wants to try it.

Where I use to have to spend three days in bed if I did anything as strenuous as a good house clean, and getting out of bed was a chore that didn't always get done, now, I''m up with energy ready to start the day, I'm not trudging through my day but literally dancing.  Now everyone is going to be different and everyone will have different base lines and results, but for everyone I have seen go through the program, I don;t know of anyone who hasn't seen some sort of improvement in their energy levels.

It's not the manic energy you get from caffeine or sugar/carb spikes it's a solid reworking of your baseline. which can be misleading after a while because your body likes to adapt to and remember it's baseline. So eventually the "Tiger blood" feeling kinda seems like it disappears, but then you realize that it hasn't it has just become your new normal.

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2036 on: March 11, 2017, 10:12:35 AM »
Thanks swick. I really appreciate the insight. What an experience and it hurt me to read your experience. I am so sorry and thank you so much for sharing. I am so overly joyed for you to be at this new place.

I have a preventative dr appt coming up and will have blood work done (for the free $100 my husband's employer insurance offers...lol). The labs are in 34 days (I have good cholesterol), and then appt a week later after that, and other than friends visiting in a few weeks (one of whom has eaten very clean for years), it dawned on me this the most perfect time to do it. I need to be focused on this. Thanks to the uber frugal challenge, we already eat virtually every meal at home, so I kind of have no excuses. I feel like I have very low energy at times and find myself sleeping more (naps midday plus 8 hours good sleep at night). I walk for errands/taking kids to school, drinking less alcohol (thanks to uber frugal challenge), but need to step it up in eating department. Sometimes I just feel like shit and I have been noticing this pattern has been going on awhile. Something that I *should* talk to my doctor about, but I am far too embarassingly knowledgeable about eating right to get treatment for an issue unless I can positively say I am fueling myself right.  I am about 140 pounds, so I probably look healthy for my height, but I know I am kind of bankrupt health wise. We are so good money wise but when it comes to my health, I.....I would NEVER treat our money the way I treat my health.

I am going to start tomorrow morning. Spending today re-reading Whole 30 and  getting a few things at store to prep.

Sorry for the long note but I wanted to serve as reminder to myself to reflect back on later.

Thank you!

swick

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2037 on: March 11, 2017, 10:52:31 AM »
Thanks swick. I really appreciate the insight. What an experience and it hurt me to read your experience. I am so sorry and thank you so much for sharing. I am so overly joyed for you to be at this new place.
:) It's all good, thanks for your support! We all have our challenges and opportunities to grow, and it is great to be in the place I am in. You don't really appreciate the basic things in life unless you go through a few experiences along the way. I am glad my response to hitting rock bottom health wise was, just try eating a little damn different as opposed to something more permanent. But having tried to convince people to give it a shot with various amounts of success, I know you have to hit that bottom point first.

t I know I am kind of bankrupt health wise. We are so good money wise but when it comes to my health, I.....I would NEVER treat our money the way I treat my health.

I think this is the key part of your post. What is the point of having money, if you aren't healthy enough to enjoy it? Or are you trying to tackle the issue of security by ensuring you have enough money to weather health issues and aging by taking care of the money but neglecting doing the things that will fill up your "Health" bank account? Investing in both pays dividends, but money comes and goes relatively easily, your health, not so much. You have hit on something here, you might want to spend some time with it.

I think one of the things about whole 30 they don't go into, is it brings up a lot of beliefs/conditionings/emotional baggage you didn't even realize you had. The food -  it's a symptom, coping mechanism, a way to not deal with whatever you are not dealing with.  Expect stuff to come up and meet it face to face - it kinda sucks but you will be much better on the other side.

Don't be worried about long posts, that's what this thread is for, I know I have written a book or three over the course of the thread :) It helps to process. It allows you to ask for and get support from us. It serves as a record to remind yourself of your journey. I would suggest creating a doc you can copy and paste your responses in so if you ever want to see your progress all in one place you don't have to hunt through the thread though. That is a LOT of work!

In prep for your next round:
I'd spend some time sorting out why your last attempt didn't work for you and what strategies you can use to make it through. 13-15 days is a pretty common time to quite, it is when you have done most of the detoxing but Tiger blood hasn't kicked in yet and you are at that in between stage where shit starts getting real and things emotionally and mentally start getting intense. If you are at all an emotional eater or use food as a "fuck you" way to control things, this is the time you will struggle the most.

Please use the thread and as a support!

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2038 on: March 11, 2017, 04:15:20 PM »
nottoolatetostart, having an upcoming doctor visit with labs was great incentive for me when I did the Whole30 at the beginning of the year.  I'm happy to report that my lab results were FANTASTIC and seeing such positive objective results made it easy to see the value of clean eating.  I found that the 30 days was short enough that it felt manageable but long enough that it totally broke my cravings for processed foods and I've been maintaining a 95% whole foods diet ever since. 

You'll find excellent advice and support here to help you through the Whole30 and I have no doubt you'll be glad you did it. Good luck!

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2039 on: March 11, 2017, 06:17:09 PM »
I got some blood tests done, in anticipation of starting W30 in about 10 days.  I used requestatest.com, and ended up getting a "wellness panel" of CBC, CMP, lipids (cholesterol), and  urinalysis for $99.  I don't know what most of it means, but every single number was in the "good" range.  Except cholesterol.  It was 230. :-(  So I've got a benchmark to work on with my W30.

I've ordered a body fat scanner from amazon, so will baseline that as well as weight and measurements.

Any other recommendations before I start?

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2040 on: March 12, 2017, 11:12:44 AM »
Hi folks

I'm in!  I've been reading about the Whole30 for the past few weeks, and I'm going to do the Whole30 + AIP starting this Friday (after I complete some work travel).  I did a three day trial run last week, and it's going to be hard, but I can do it.

Background: I'm generally healthy and eat well, but have had serious food allergies my whole life.  (OAS Birch Group, allergic to all tree nuts, most tree fruits, and all root vegetables. I've been to the hospital with anaphylaxis three times in my life, when I made a mistake and ate something on my no-go list.  Every time it involved either a restaurant that didn't disclose all ingredients, or else a dish-to-pass event -- picnic or party.)  After 40 years of dealing with these allergies, I thought I had it all dialed down, however a couple months ago I started having some pretty bad hives, off and on.  I haven't been able to pin down a cause, but it is definitely food related.  I think I've now developed a new allergy (wonderful -- just what I needed).  It must be something I eat pretty regularly.  Some possibilities:  peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, avocadoes or possibly some type of grain or dairy(?)   

This is going to be extremely challenging for me.  My diet is pretty limited as it is, with the long list of foods I must avoid.  Many of the Whole30 recipes are off the menu for me.  But the hives and itching have gotten to the point where I have to face it and figure it out.  Looking forward to progress. Onward!   

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2041 on: March 12, 2017, 02:35:26 PM »
Trifele -  Welcome! I am on day 1, so not much advice to offer. Howver, you mentioned allergies. I have a mild tree allergy and notice mild symptoms (scratchy throat) when I eat apples and pears, etc. My worst tree allergy is avocados. I LOVE avocados, but they are a tree fruit. Just food for thought (pun intended).

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2042 on: March 12, 2017, 03:24:42 PM »
nottoolatetostart, having an upcoming doctor visit with labs was great incentive for me when I did the Whole30 at the beginning of the year.  I'm happy to report that my lab results were FANTASTIC and seeing such positive objective results made it easy to see the value of clean eating.  I found that the 30 days was short enough that it felt manageable but long enough that it totally broke my cravings for processed foods and I've been maintaining a 95% whole foods diet ever since. 

You'll find excellent advice and support here to help you through the Whole30 and I have no doubt you'll be glad you did it. Good luck!

Thanks monkeymind. That is terrific. I have been hiding from primary Dr for a couple years waiting for when I was in a better place.

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2043 on: March 12, 2017, 03:39:10 PM »
Thanks swick. I really appreciate the insight. What an experience and it hurt me to read your experience. I am so sorry and thank you so much for sharing. I am so overly joyed for you to be at this new place.
:) It's all good, thanks for your support! We all have our challenges and opportunities to grow, and it is great to be in the place I am in. You don't really appreciate the basic things in life unless you go through a few experiences along the way. I am glad my response to hitting rock bottom health wise was, just try eating a little damn different as opposed to something more permanent. But having tried to convince people to give it a shot with various amounts of success, I know you have to hit that bottom point first.

t I know I am kind of bankrupt health wise. We are so good money wise but when it comes to my health, I.....I would NEVER treat our money the way I treat my health.

I think this is the key part of your post. What is the point of having money, if you aren't healthy enough to enjoy it? Or are you trying to tackle the issue of security by ensuring you have enough money to weather health issues and aging by taking care of the money but neglecting doing the things that will fill up your "Health" bank account? Investing in both pays dividends, but money comes and goes relatively easily, your health, not so much. You have hit on something here, you might want to spend some time with it.

I think one of the things about whole 30 they don't go into, is it brings up a lot of beliefs/conditionings/emotional baggage you didn't even realize you had. The food -  it's a symptom, coping mechanism, a way to not deal with whatever you are not dealing with.  Expect stuff to come up and meet it face to face - it kinda sucks but you will be much better on the other side.

Don't be worried about long posts, that's what this thread is for, I know I have written a book or three over the course of the thread :) It helps to process. It allows you to ask for and get support from us. It serves as a record to remind yourself of your journey. I would suggest creating a doc you can copy and paste your responses in so if you ever want to see your progress all in one place you don't have to hunt through the thread though. That is a LOT of work!

In prep for your next round:
I'd spend some time sorting out why your last attempt didn't work for you and what strategies you can use to make it through. 13-15 days is a pretty common time to quite, it is when you have done most of the detoxing but Tiger blood hasn't kicked in yet and you are at that in between stage where shit starts getting real and things emotionally and mentally start getting intense. If you are at all an emotional eater or use food as a "fuck you" way to control things, this is the time you will struggle the most.

Please use the thread and as a support!

Swick - thank you, thank you, thank you. I waited to respond as I have been thinking about this quite a bit. I will post more as we go along about these thoughts. There is a lot to unpack for myself. I have some serious work to do here. Of course, today, day 1, I am experiencing "this is easy" ----typical of day 1 feelings. This will be tough 2 weeks but I am excited to see if my energy is better for latter half of month.

Trifle

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2044 on: March 12, 2017, 04:35:36 PM »
Trifele -  Welcome! I am on day 1, so not much advice to offer. Howver, you mentioned allergies. I have a mild tree allergy and notice mild symptoms (scratchy throat) when I eat apples and pears, etc. My worst tree allergy is avocados. I LOVE avocados, but they are a tree fruit. Just food for thought (pun intended).

Hey nottoolatetoshart,
Sounds like you may be a fellow Birch Group-er.  www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome .  You are absolutely right.  It could be the avocados. Some folks in this grouping do react to them.  I never have, but that's not to say it couldn't be starting.  To be safe I will eliminate those too for the month. (Sob!)
Good luck with your W30!! 
 

nottoolatetostart

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2045 on: March 12, 2017, 07:46:45 PM »
Trifele -  Welcome! I am on day 1, so not much advice to offer. Howver, you mentioned allergies. I have a mild tree allergy and notice mild symptoms (scratchy throat) when I eat apples and pears, etc. My worst tree allergy is avocados. I LOVE avocados, but they are a tree fruit. Just food for thought (pun intended).

Hey nottoolatetoshart,
Sounds like you may be a fellow Birch Group-er.  www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome .  You are absolutely right.  It could be the avocados. Some folks in this grouping do react to them.  I never have, but that's not to say it couldn't be starting.  To be safe I will eliminate those too for the month. (Sob!)
Good luck with your W30!! 
 

Well, that was a sobering read. So much makes sense though. I do get tingly from raw carrots, got sick from trying a splash of almond milk in my coffee (I stupidly tried this a few days in a row and had same results) and a few others.  My face gets red with eating fruit and nut mix (may be the almonds though I never spent a lot of time thinking abut it). A lot of things make so much sense after reading that. Yes, sounds like I may be a birch group-er too. This is enlightening to say the least. Wow, how did I never know this?  I can't believe parsley is on there too...I need to be on lookout. It was mainly minor for me so I never mentioned to my doctor.

Anyway, what about cabbage? Butternut squash? Fresh Green beans? Cooked items on our list (I never notice problem with roasted carrots for example....are those ok for you?). There are still lots of vegetables that you can enjoy on whole30 without those. I will be following along on your elimination diet to see what works, or does not work, for you.

Also, I used to eat avocados all the time and one day, I ate it in a sandwich and was in terrible stomach pain. Then it happened again. So it could just happen with one of the foods you mentioned  (not necessarily avocado like in my case) that your body decided it is intolerant of.

Good luck on your w30 when you starthink later this week.

N

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2046 on: March 12, 2017, 11:23:22 PM »
Im back, reading for inspiration. Im really struggling with sugar. And also, need motivation to get to the gym and do strength training. I mean, I just have to do it!!!

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2047 on: March 13, 2017, 03:16:25 PM »
:) so I've been reading the thread still. I have been so very sick and ramping up my anti anxiety meds so by Sunday I should be ready to relaunch. Unfortunately I won't make it the full 30 this round with my wedding 40 days away but I just felt so much better eating W30 that my fiance and I are going to try to be a whole30ish leading up to our wedding so we feel our best. He's even cut down on acidic foods that have been causing him stomach aches.

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2048 on: March 13, 2017, 05:14:14 PM »
I'm so excited to see that this thread is going strong! After my second Whole30 about a year ago (and thanks to the information to from this thread), I started eating keto macros (very low carb) but still applying what I learned from my Whole30. When I eat at home (which is every meal except usually 2 out of the week), I eat NO sugar and mostly whole foods. When I eat out, I try to be mindful about what I am ordering.  I've been eating this way for about a year now and have never felt better. I lost 20lbs on a 5'2 frame and have kept it off -- I'm actually looking to slowly gain back a few pounds, but hopefully mostly muscle. But more importantly, I haven't been sick in over a year and my allergies and sinus troubles are GONE! My asthma still bothers me very slightly sometimes, but it is so much better than it ever was before.

Thanks for letting me share and very thankful for this thread.:)
« Last Edit: March 13, 2017, 05:15:54 PM by Liz »

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Re: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #2049 on: March 13, 2017, 06:15:53 PM »
@Nottoolate -- Great question about the cooking.  It's highly variable with OAS, from individual to individual and even food to food.  Some foods that would send me to the hospital if I ate them raw I can eat if they are cooked well.  With others -- the cooking does not do the trick and I still have to avoid them.   Cooking "denatures" (unravels) the food's proteins, and sometimes it unravels the proteins enough that your body doesn't react, and sometimes it doesn't. 

At the end of my Whole30, as I'm reintroducing foods I'm going to take the extra step of first trying fully cooked, then lightly cooked, then raw -- gradually to see what happens. 

Hope your second day was ok.  We're all on a journey, aren't we?