Author Topic: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?  (Read 427042 times)

Faraday

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #650 on: November 28, 2015, 11:03:45 PM »
Faraday - have you been able to find any nitrate and sugar free bacon or ham? I check every single grocery store I'm ever in and so far, no luck. I'm researching paleo vs. primal the next 2 weeks or so until my Whole60 is over.

I have some in my freezer right now, no nitrates, no sugar, from Food Lion, a supermarket chain in the southeast US. In the southeast, it's fairly easy to find nitrate-and-sugar-free bacon. North Carolina is one of the largest pork producing states in the US. There is a large regional pork processor not far from where I live, I can buy their products straight off the shelf with zero added ingredients. You can also get pure pork products here at the NC Farmer's Market.

Full disclosure: The Food Lion label says one of the curing ingredients was sugar, but there is no sugar in the meat. If there is any trace sugar, it will carmelize in the bottom of the frying pan and not survive the frying process.

How do I know for sure there are no nitrates? The bacon has a "use or freeze by date". Nitrates keep the fat in pork from going rancid, so you can refrigerate and use nitrate-containing bacon much longer than bacon that has no nitrates. Bacon with no nitrates, you have to freeze.

I buy and eat a lot of smoked pork and I freeze all of it. About the only meat I don't refrigerate freeze is meat I know will get eaten within the week.

« Last Edit: November 29, 2015, 10:29:42 AM by Faraday »

Cranberries

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #651 on: November 28, 2015, 11:12:25 PM »
1967mama: Wellshire makes a paleo bacon with no sugar or nitrates. The ingredient list: Pork, Sea Salt, Spices (Black Pepper, Fenugreek, Nutmeg, White Pepper, Mace, Allspice). I have found it at Whole Foods.

KiwiSonya

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #652 on: November 29, 2015, 12:16:43 AM »
Thanks for the menu ideas,  1967mama. I'm really want to make a change for my whole family because while we never set foot in fast food restaurants there is plenty of wheat, dairy and sugar going on. My 3 year old boy has been the easiest as he likes meat and an assortment of vege like kale,  sweet potato and radishes. Mr 5 is like his Dad, a carb lover. I've been making lots of roast potatoes to get away from pasta which they all love. Cauliflower rice was a fail but might keep trying different flavours because I really want them to like it. Lunchboxes have been a challenge as no one eats the protein I put in, just the carbs :( As we are coming into summer I'm going to buy lunchboxes with coolers and I think I'll just have to get harder on them.  I'm sure if there are no processed carbs in their lunch they will eat the healthy stuff rather than starve. I need to remind myself that I'm in charge of my family's food and take responsibility for making sure that healthy food is the only option. My eldest son has had 2 teeth removed from a combination of genetically weak teeth and eating sugar/carbs. It broke my heart to watch my son go under general anesthetic at 4 because of the poor choices that I had enabled. Fuck it, time to take the power back!

Liz

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #653 on: November 29, 2015, 01:56:19 PM »
1967mama: Wellshire makes a paleo bacon with no sugar or nitrates. The ingredient list: Pork, Sea Salt, Spices (Black Pepper, Fenugreek, Nutmeg, White Pepper, Mace, Allspice). I have found it at Whole Foods.

This is the one I get -- also Pederson's brand make a no-sugar or nitrate bacon, along with Garret Valley. I think they are labeled as "paleo bacon." A tad on the expensive side, but very delicious!

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #654 on: November 29, 2015, 02:06:46 PM »
I'm in Canada which is probably
Why I haven't seen any of these brands:-/

KiwiSonya

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #655 on: November 29, 2015, 04:04:40 PM »
I see a potential side hustle for smuggling paleo bacon across the border.  First morning of "YOU WILL EAT HEALTHY" went surprisingly well in my house. I made a big platter of delicious food and let them help themselves.  There was bacon, boiled eggs,  cubes of fried potato and sweet potato,  a pile of fresh crunchy vegge with homemade mayo, freshly roasted nuts and a pile of berries.  I encouraged everyone to 'eat the rainbow' which the kids liked. I kept an eye on wbat everyone ate but tried not to be too pushy. Lots of good stuff eaten. More protein would have been great but it is Day1. I'll take that as a win. Spent $400 on grocerie today but we'll live like kings. I don't want this to be an exercise in deprivation so I'm willing to blow out in this area. Have a great day everyone. Ks

Caoineag

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #656 on: November 30, 2015, 07:01:23 AM »
I'm in Canada which is probably
Why I haven't seen any of these brands:-/

Then that's a problem because Canadian Bacon and American Bacon aren't even cut from the same part of the pig. American Bacon is cured pork belly, Canadian Bacon is a pork loin (so more like ham). I doubt you are going to find "uncured" Canadian Bacon because its more of a brine and smoke product. Have you considered buying just pork loin and brining it yourself to avoid the extra junk?

swick

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #657 on: November 30, 2015, 07:12:39 AM »
I'm in Canada which is probably
Why I haven't seen any of these brands:-/

Then that's a problem because Canadian Bacon and American Bacon aren't even cut from the same part of the pig. American Bacon is cured pork belly, Canadian Bacon is a pork loin (so more like ham). I doubt you are going to find "uncured" Canadian Bacon because its more of a brine and smoke product. Have you considered buying just pork loin and brining it yourself to avoid the extra junk?

We have American Bacon in Canada too, it is just called "Bacon" :) But yeah, finding bacon without Sugar and Nitrates is not easy. Finding it without one is possible but I haven never seen both in Canada, and I have flipped over many a packages of bacon. We did find a brand without sugar (was one of the cheaper ones, I don't remember off the top of my head, I'll take a look next time we shop)

Don't suppose you are able to pop across the border for a shopping trip once or twice a year?  Even with the crappy exchange rate, the savings on bacon, butter, avocado oil,  and nuts makes it worth it for us.

KiwiSonya - Way to go on making the changes with your family! How is it going?


Orvell

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #658 on: November 30, 2015, 09:50:09 AM »
Spent the holidays visiting my aunt and her family in Florida. They are eating paleo-ish, which was interesting to learn. They cut out most dairy, all gluten, and are pretty aggressive about their diet shift - kombucha and kale and salmon and avocados; my uncle is very (very) likely developing familial ALS, and they are hoping aggressive diet shifts might slow it down.........

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #659 on: November 30, 2015, 11:06:57 AM »
Swick - Yeah I thought about zipping down to Bellingham for bacon after I posted. We haven't been down in probably 6 months due to our lousy dollar and have been buying dairy products just over the line. Probably worth the trip for the bacon though! :-)

KiwiSonya

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #660 on: November 30, 2015, 11:35:32 AM »
Hi everyone,  I'm having a giggle at visions of 1967mama rocking up to the supermarket in the US and taking every packet of bacon out of the chiller, filling the car with it and driving home. We're an island nation so we don't get to pop across the border to anywhere. Yesterday I managed to get about 75 percent wholefood into everyone. Will aim to nudge that up each day. I'm feeling pretty good, although allergies are still with me but it's peak pollen season. My belt had gotten tighter during my pathetic attempts at reintro and it's nice that that has reversed. Logging my food has made me realise how tired fruit makes me feel. Think it's time to cut my old friend loose. Picked up a workbook at the library about processing your thoughts and feelings. Hopefully I can gain some better strategies than eating my way through emotional discomfort.  Have certainly noticed that food hasn't been doing the trick! Have a great day everyone.  Ks

mom22boys

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #661 on: November 30, 2015, 11:59:22 AM »
I just ate chicken strips and fries.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I've doing a little bit of an experiment. 

For Thanksgiving, we went to my parents for 3 days.  Of course, the first thing I see when I walked in the door was a big pan of brownies, and all the ingredients for a pumpkin pie cake. Yes, this was all made by the same mom who did the Whole 30 with me back in September.  I knew right away this was going to be a hard three days.  I had made a plan before going of exactly what foods I would eat.  That included stuffing and the pumpkin pie cake. And that's what I did for Thanksgiving. The pumpkin pie cake was my first expedition back into Sugar-land, and I'm happy to say I came out unscathed.  Chocolate is way more of a trigger for me, so I knew I shouldn't touch the brownies, and I didn't. Other than trace sugar, I haven't had any other sugar since Thanksgiving.

The next day, still at my parents, I decided that I was going to start my experiment, since it was going to be hard to stay on plan. My experiment: eat 'junk' food for 1 meal a day. Since I've done a reintro for all the food groups, I wanted to see how I reacted to eating the OLD way for one meal, but sticking to Whole30 for the other two meals. This is the excuse I hear all the time from my parents....."But we eat well most of our meals". I planned to do this for a few days, or until I couldn't handle it any more. Today after lunch, I reached the point of 'this sucks'.  (During my experiment, I had pizza and chicken strips/fries.)

The results:
  • The tightness in my jaw is back with a fury! Due to that, I have felt a little dizzy, my neck hurts, and I have a headache.
  • I suddenly had pain in my left shoulder. It's similar to what I had in my right shoulder, which completely went away after doing the Whole30 back in July. I'm guessing this is inflammation from some of the junk I've been eating. I was popping Aleve for two days, and the pain finally went away.
  • My stomach has been okay, but I definitely feel more bloated.I haven't stepped on a scale, and don't plan to, since it's the devil.
  • I always realized how my weight now will impact my body as I grow older, but I was just reminded of it again. On Sunday, we saw a family friend at a play at the local HS. He's around my parents age (72). My boys asked me how old our friend was, and they were shocked when I told them he was the same age as Grandpa M. They said he seems WAY younger than Grandpa M. The biggest difference.....WEIGHT! My dad is a yoyo dieter, and I can see that the extra weight is really starting to impact him and how he moves. The boys' other grandpa, Grandpa W has been very healthy and trim his whole life. The boys said that our family friend was more like Grandpa W, because they both look and act a lot younger. The boys thought both of them were around 55.  THAT'S exactly how I want to be. I don't want to be like the boy's grandma, Grandma W, who has had both knees and both hips replaced. 

Am I glad I did this?  Yep!  It just confirms how good it feels to eat good.  Back to Whole30ish eating for me. I know starting with a pure Whole30 won't be easy right now, so my plan is to start on January 1. In the mean time, I'll stick with adding back only trace sugar, and limited rice.

grenzbegriff

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #662 on: November 30, 2015, 01:21:58 PM »
I'm having trouble with the question because Keto is much more black-and-white than Whole30.  The two eating styles are "cousins", but they have some very important differences and objectives, so mixing them risks failing to do either one successfully.
...
So, I'm not sure I know how to understand the mixing of the two concepts.

Yeah I basically was asking if anyone who is eating keto is also doing Whole30 by eliminating certain parts of their diet for 30 days just to see what happens.  e.g. I could stop eating dairy/cheese for 30 days, or stop eating eggs for 30 days, or nuts, or something like that. 

I'm not really tempted to try it myself because it would severely limit variety in my diet and would make it harder to get the right nutrition.  So I was asking to see if anyone else is doing this and what they've found.  I'm definitely not considering reintroducing carbs at this point.  :)

Faraday

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #663 on: November 30, 2015, 03:50:32 PM »
I'm having trouble with the question because Keto is much more black-and-white than Whole30.  The two eating styles are "cousins", but they have some very important differences and objectives, so mixing them risks failing to do either one successfully.
...
So, I'm not sure I know how to understand the mixing of the two concepts.

Yeah I basically was asking if anyone who is eating keto is also doing Whole30 by eliminating certain parts of their diet for 30 days just to see what happens.  e.g. I could stop eating dairy/cheese for 30 days, or stop eating eggs for 30 days, or nuts, or something like that. 

I'm not really tempted to try it myself because it would severely limit variety in my diet and would make it harder to get the right nutrition.  So I was asking to see if anyone else is doing this and what they've found.  I'm definitely not considering reintroducing carbs at this point.  :)

Being on the Keto lifestyle, I eat things that are positively forbidden in Whole30: Butter is a prime ingredient for me. I add MCT oil to foods to up the fat content and I eat pretty much any meats I can get.

We did some "oven fried chicken legs" recently: coated them in BAKING POWDER, baked them in the oven and they came out like the most awesome fried chicken legs I've ever had. (It's not only baking powder, there's a recipe I can get if anyone cares.) So far I've made three meals out of those chicken legs.

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #664 on: November 30, 2015, 04:09:45 PM »
Funnily enough, the only bacon most of us Canadians eat is apparently American bacon (strips, just like you eat). And we get it from Canadian farmers. Canadian bacon is not that popular, where I live, anyways:-)

grenzbegriff - sorry I can't help you with keto - I'm learning about it from our dear Faraday. From what I've read, I don't think I could do it because fruit has been a great substitute for sweets for me (sweets were my problem and got me to 70+ lbs overweight) Now down almost 20lbs doing Whole60. Interestingly, my taste buds have really changed!

Today for dinner I made the giant meatballs out of the "Everyday Paleo" book. They are chock full of vegetables and topped with a garlic and basil marinara. I can't WAIT for dinner!

Took my kids to a pizza place for lunch today because we had freebies that expired after today. Bill came to $38 and I had $40 in coupons (yes, I left a generous tip!). I had WATER! What has happened to the old me?????!!!!


Caoineag

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #665 on: November 30, 2015, 08:34:22 PM »

We have American Bacon in Canada too, it is just called "Bacon" :) But yeah, finding bacon without Sugar and Nitrates is not easy. Finding it without one is possible but I haven never seen both in Canada, and I have flipped over many a packages of bacon. We did find a brand without sugar (was one of the cheaper ones, I don't remember off the top of my head, I'll take a look next time we shop)


In my area finding nitrate free is easy but without sugar was definitely challenging. There was only one brand and it was the Pederson's one. If I had to choose one option, I would choose nitrate free but that's because most food chemicals and I are not friends. As in ham is completely toxic at the one bite level but pork without the chemicals is fine. Needless to say I am careful with all processed meat products.

When I start my whole 30/ elimination diet at the end of this December, all chemicals will be on the banned list so I will either go without bacon (most likely since most of the things I use the grease for will have been eliminated) or buy the Pederson Farm brand (which is about 2x the price of the rest of my options).

Do you have any Asian markets in your area? They sell the pork belly pre sliced and frozen...

swick

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #666 on: November 30, 2015, 08:50:57 PM »
Caoineag - Nom-nom Paleo's Kahlua Pork is amazing. I make it without the bacon and it is an awesome stand-in for crispy goodness. http://nomnompaleo.com/post/10031990774/slow-cooker-kalua-pig

I make a big one at the beginning of the week and it feeds hubs and I for a week. I LOVE shredding it and frying it in some fat - makes it so crispy and delish. Good for breakfasts! I also fry up a big wok of cabbage with some coconut aminos and a splash of sesame oil and serve the crispy pork on top with a bunch of Cholula hot sauce. Definitely has become our quick to make comfort food :)

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #667 on: November 30, 2015, 09:07:55 PM »

    • I always realized how my weight now will impact my body as I grow older, but I was just reminded of it again. On Sunday, we saw a family friend at a play at the local HS. He's around my parents age (72). My boys asked me how old our friend was, and they were shocked when I told them he was the same age as Grandpa M. They said he seems WAY younger than Grandpa M. The biggest difference.....WEIGHT! My dad is a yoyo dieter, and I can see that the extra weight is really starting to impact him and how he moves. The boys' other grandpa, Grandpa W has been very healthy and trim his whole life. The boys said that our family friend was more like Grandpa W, because they both look and act a lot younger. The boys thought both of them were around 55.  THAT'S exactly how I want to be. I don't want to be like the boy's grandma, Grandma W, who has had both knees and both hips replaced. 

    Oh yeah, my dad is 72 and my husband's dad is I think 73 and the difference between them is shocking.  My dad is active and slim and goes with us for anything we want to do.  A year or two ago when he was visiting we went on a 10 mile hike.  DH's dad... well, he should probably be in a wheelchair, but he's too stubborn.  About 4 years ago when they came to visit he managed walking around a local tourist attraction and MIL was amazed.  He's gone downhill even more since then.  He's probably 75# overweight, had a triple bypass, eats total crap and gets no exercise.  It's really sad seeing how unable he is to participate in his granddaughters' lives.  I'm dreading the day we get the call that he's in the hospital or suddenly gone.[/list]

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #668 on: November 30, 2015, 11:26:32 PM »
    Swick - thanks for posting that fantastic sounding recipe! Do you have to have the special Hawaiian sea salt or is it ok with the regular sea salt from costco?

    Horsepoor - I see this in our parents too. My mom is 73 and debilitated by her sore knees. She should have had replacements 10 years ago. She's been overweight most of her life (maybe carrying and extra 100 lb) so her knees have given out after carrying around all that weight for so long. I don't want this to be me in 25 years! She's on BP meds.

    I had an off day today. I did start with eggs and spinach and ended with my fancy meatballs (they were really delicious) but from 10 -5 my eating was compliant but not good choices: monkey bowls, applesauce, nuts, oranges. Interestingly, it was like a downward spiral -- the more I ate like that, the worse I felt. In retrospect, it was kind of like a reintroduction experiment.

    Must. Eat. More. Protein.

    Caoineag

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #669 on: December 01, 2015, 07:00:27 AM »
    Thanks for the recipe Swick, I will definitely keep that in mind. We've built up some stir fry recipes that don't use soy sauce, marinades for meats that don't use non compliant ingredients and plan on using lettuce wraps in place of tortillas or buns. I now drink my coffee black and I have a huge variety of vegetable I can cook and eat without any non-compliant topping.

    Also have that lovely cabbage beet salad I posted earlier that I eat daily as a side dish to other things. Since it makes such a big batch, I have been feeding it to my lunch buddy for the past couple of weeks and she missed it terribly over the long weekend. I told her I would pack her a bunch for the next long weekend as I can't make a smaller batch and prefer not to waste it (she has major digestive issues and just 3 weeks of eating the cabbage salad has made a huge difference).

    This weekend I will dump out my non-compliant seasoning mix and make the from scratch version and refill the shaker with that. I will probably move all of the non-compliant stuff still remaining in the house down to the basement this weekend as well so we don't accidentally use any of it.

    The full start should be December 23 or 24 since we have a potluck at work on the 21st where everyone makes their favorite dishes but that hasn't stopped me from winnowing down in the meantime.

    One thing I will note, merely cutting down all sugar sources has resulted in a tamer hunger response. Previously, I had a very limited window to respond to my hunger before it sent me crashing in a pretty horrific way, now I can basically ignore it if I want and for however long I want. I just don't get that horrible weakness that came with hunger before. It should be interesting to see the full effect of the elimination itself.

    swick

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #670 on: December 01, 2015, 09:34:21 AM »
    Caoineag - Awesome start! Thanks for the reminder about your cabbage salad, I meant to try it and forgot! I have been dealing with Hypoglycemia since I was a kid. I use to HAVE to eat every couple of hours or I'd hit the deck. I have had NO issues since my original whole 30. It seems to have leveled out even more since upping the fat intake. I can easily skip meals (if I have to) and have no desire to snack in between.

    1967mama - The salt makes it tasty! But really, you don't have to. There is clay in the Alean salt that gives it a nice little minerality - but it is not vital. I would use a coarser salt though. I have made it with Real Salt, Himalayan salt, smoked salt - all are good! One thing I like to do is add some banana leaf to cover it while it is cooking. That adds a nice flavor and keeps it super moist too (You can sometimes find them frozen in Asian or Mexican food stores) The occasional time you can find them in a Superstore if you have an ethnic population where you live.

    I feel like I am doing OK with the whole 30/Keto hybrid that I am trying. When you take away the potatoes/sweet potatoes for bulk, it gets considerably harder. Especially because the greens I can get just haven't been inspiring and hugely expensive. To get enough Kale to build a meal around, it would be about 18.00. Our Cauliflower (for a small one) are up over 6.00 each.

    I know I have to start actually tracking nutrients and such. That is one thing I LOVE about whole 30, you don't really have to track anything, makes it so easy!

    horsepoor

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #671 on: December 01, 2015, 10:56:14 AM »
    I feel like I am doing OK with the whole 30/Keto hybrid that I am trying. When you take away the potatoes/sweet potatoes for bulk, it gets considerably harder. Especially because the greens I can get just haven't been inspiring and hugely expensive. To get enough Kale to build a meal around, it would be about 18.00. Our Cauliflower (for a small one) are up over 6.00 each.

    I know I have to start actually tracking nutrients and such. That is one thing I LOVE about whole 30, you don't really have to track anything, makes it so easy!

    Ouch!  The cost can get pretty hard to swallow (no pun intended) when everything is grass-fed, organic, fresh AND low-carb.  Cost is a definite factor in not wanting to go really low-carb unless I find out at some point that I really need to. 

    Can you get frozen veggies more cheaply?  I did a "creamed" spinach the other day by sauteeing some frozen spinach in ghee and then stirring in homemade spicy mayo.  Cheap and pretty good!

    There is also this green soup http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/basic-green-soup

    You'd obviously want to omit the rice, but it can be made with pretty much anything green.  I've used frozen spinach and broccoli, and you could increase the fat content as well to make it more filling.

    debbie does duncan

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #672 on: December 01, 2015, 10:58:18 AM »
    Posting to say.........I have been lurking here since Aug and this is a great group!
    I tried Paleo a while back and when I fell back to old ways of eating I had a very difficult time !!!
     It turns out I have FODMAPS.
     My intestines cannot process certain simple sugars. It is big in Oz, not so much in N.A.
     I am pretty much stuck  with Keto plus a few compliant veggies. Fructose is one sugar most people cannot process . Dairy and wheat/grains are the second. PSA over ! Goodluck.
    And yes Faraday I do want your baking soda chicken recipe pls!

    KiwiSonya

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #673 on: December 01, 2015, 11:05:38 AM »
    Oh swick, I wish I could send you a veggie parcel. My kale is going crazy and cauliflower bigger than your head is selling for $1 at my local markets.  1967mama, I am the same with bad choices even if they are compliant. Monkey bowls or fruit seems to send me back to the fridge for more bad choices. I've never been a moderation kinda gal and am coming to the conclusion that avoiding some of my previous favorite healthy foods is necessary. I have also realised that my portion sizes are too big as I'm just not hungry enough by the next time to eat (it makes life easier to roughly follow the kids pattern). The family is doing fine on healthier options - have just chucked out some food I'd rather they didn't have. Am realising the extent to which their food drives their behavior.  My son had a couple of small iced biscuits at a playdate and soon after went so crazy we had to leave - think literally throwing himself off the furniture and chucking stuff around. Once we left he claimed he was so tired he couldn't walk home (only 500m!). Need to desugar them pronto!

    swick

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #674 on: December 01, 2015, 11:22:55 AM »


    Can you get frozen veggies more cheaply?  I did a "creamed" spinach the other day by sauteeing some frozen spinach in ghee and then stirring in homemade spicy mayo.  Cheap and pretty good!

    There is also this green soup http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/basic-green-soup

    You'd obviously want to omit the rice, but it can be made with pretty much anything green.  I've used frozen spinach and broccoli, and you could increase the fat content as well to make it more filling.

    Thanks, Horsepoor! I'll have to try your take on creamed Spinach. That is something I can still egt fairly cheap :) We always price compare and usually go with frozen veg - the problem is they don't really inspire me to cook them. We are pretty big on texture. I guess I need to learn how to make them taste better to hide the texture!

    One thing we love is roasted Brussels. A little lightly sauteed chopped onion and an apple thrown in with a bunch of oil to roast in. Tossed with a bit of balsamic when you take them out is really good! I guess I'll have to sub out the apple for bacon (Tough life!)

    KiwiSonya - I wish you could send me some veg too, sounds amazing! Interesting to hear about how drastically your kids react to sugar. I'm not surprised, I've seen it time and time again in daycare/school settings. Way, way back in the day when I was a live-in teacher I established a firm rule that whoever fed the kids sugar was responsible for putting the kids to be that night :)

    horsepoor

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #675 on: December 01, 2015, 12:51:34 PM »
    Yeah, I usually don't like the texture of frozen veg either, which is why I'm so partial to the green soup.  Since it's pureed, the texture is the same regardless of the veggies you start out with.  It's a good way to get that bone broth in, and other healthy stuff like turmeric can be added too.  Need to make a batch, come to think of it.  I'm hoping my kale springs back to life when the weather warms up at the end of the week.  Planning to cut a bunch down and make a huge batch to freeze.

    Sonya, glad your family is eating more healthfully too.  I do wonder how many behavioral and learning problems could be resolved or really diminished by feeding kids better stuff.  I'm not a parent so it's not something I tend to comment on, but good stuff (especially DHA) helps their brains develop better in addition to the short-term behavior thing.  It's actually a pretty profound societal issue.

    The holiday madness thing is starting here.  This weekend is DH's birthday, but he's saying he'd just as soon have a steak and fried potatoes at home, so I'll do that and some veg and indulge in a glass of wine (or two).  Then next week is a retirement party (I'm bringing compliant potato salad) and the annual holiday pizza party, which I think I'll just avoid entirely.  Planning to keep the weekdays compliant through Christmas to just avoid all the temptations.

    Faraday

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #676 on: December 01, 2015, 07:36:15 PM »
    he holiday madness thing is starting here.  This weekend is DH's birthday, but he's saying he'd just as soon have a steak and fried potatoes at home, so I'll do that and some veg and indulge in a glass of wine (or two).  Then next week is a retirement party (I'm bringing compliant potato salad) and the annual holiday pizza party, which I think I'll just avoid entirely.  Planning to keep the weekdays compliant through Christmas to just avoid all the temptations.

    +1 to DH. I do similar: I would rather forget I even have a birthday and just eat good food.

    Good On You horsepoor for forging through the holidays! Watch what happens: on January 2, you will be as a goddess to the lost masses. They will be making their resolutions, talking about working out of going to the gym, etc. The manipulation is so pervasive, no one even questions.

    All on this thread, just watch. If you hold firm, they will be seeking your guidance. If you fail in front of them, they will be asking you to go to Zumba with them. Either way, they pay. In dollars, time and health.

    KiwiSonya

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #677 on: December 02, 2015, 11:06:03 AM »
    Hi all, Faraday, you are so right about holding firm and others coming to you for guidance. Wherever I look there are people with problems about food -whether it's chubby babies who are turning into obese toddlers, ravenous breastfeeding mums who are living on cookies, mums who can't lose baby weight or my aging parents with the growing bellies. Now I'm not looking to convert anyone as my house isn't in order yet but as I shrink people are starting to ask questions. I tell people what I'm doing and the results I've had but I've noticed that people need to get to their own place of discomfort where they are ready to change what they're doing.
    On my journey,  the family are warming to some different foods and others are disappearing from our diet unnoticed so far. I'm really glad I'm doing this while they're young and I buy the food and they eat it. I imagine it gets more challenging with older kids. I have been having some interesting conversations with my smart cookie 5 year old about the effect of food on his body.  He is growing so fast and I've been talking about how food affects his body and makes him feel - like here's your chicken, are you ready to grow? Feeling tired,  maybe that's the sugar you ate which drains the petrol from your tank?
    I haven't hopped on the scales since the end of my While30 but the shorts I bought a few weeks back in size 12 now need a belt. I reckon I'm about the size I was at 15! But still some to go - the mummy tummy is shrinking but still there. I'm going to treat myself to my first bikini as an adult when I overcome the 'Great Christmas/New Year Challenge', namely sticking with the program. Have a great day everyone.  Ks

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #678 on: December 02, 2015, 11:26:06 AM »
    I am having A LOT of tummy troubles...on and off basically my whole60 but some days are worse than others. I've been reading up on FODMAPS and am eating Whole30 compliant within the FODMAPS food lists today. Also, using a light for Seasonal Affective disorder on these grey rainy days to see if that energizes me. I've had 2 or 3 crummy, grumpy days in a row. Grrr!

    KiwiSonya

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #679 on: December 02, 2015, 11:49:46 AM »
    Sorry to hear that you are having a crummy time lately, 1967mama. FODMAP foods are the onions and brassicas right? Hope it comes right soon :)

    Faraday

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #680 on: December 02, 2015, 01:58:58 PM »
    I am having A LOT of tummy troubles...on and off basically my whole60 but some days are worse than others. I've been reading up on FODMAPS and am eating Whole30 compliant within the FODMAPS food lists today. Also, using a light for Seasonal Affective disorder on these grey rainy days to see if that energizes me. I've had 2 or 3 crummy, grumpy days in a row. Grrr!

    GOOD ON YOU for trying the SADD lamp! KEEP IT UP, it takes a long time to see the effects, and they come on so gradually you can't hardly tell.

    I have some halogen work lights that I like to use - they are 500 watts each and also put out some radiant heat that feels good. I'm considering permanent-mounting pairs of 500 watt halogen lamps on opposite walls of my garage just to help me feel better when I'm working on projects, but I absolutely hate what those would do to my electric bill, so I'm still pondering. There's a new 1400 lumen LED floodlamp that would be much, much better but I don't know if it would give the same magnitude of effect I get from a halogen work light.

    Are you eating much broccoli or asparagus? Some of the FODMAP-friendly vegetables can still cause intestinal troubles. I LOVE broccoli and asparagus, but if I overdo it, I get pretty miserable and even bad itching in very specific spots (legs, around the calf area). Example article: http://www.livestrong.com/article/349377-stomach-cramps-after-eating-broccoli/

    Do you have any odd itches or any other "feeling" associated with your troubles? I've had troubles with some really strange things. I've already mentioned I have to be careful with dairy, but sometimes multivitamins will bother me, herb-type stuff like Echinacea or Milk Thistle will get a reaction out of me, even too many TUMS (calcium antacids) will mess me over.

    A couple things that tend to help:
    - Water. Doing my pack of dried lime and a little stevia in a liter of water lets me drink as much as four liters in a day without getting that waterlogged feeling
    - Exercise helps, especially anything that works abdominal muscles like walking, biking or yard work.
    - Here's an odd one: Alka-Seltzer seems to help me, a LOT. Indeed, almost anything carbonated seems to really help my digestion. Enough so that I'm considering keeping a 5 gallon keg of simple carbonated water on tap.
    - I'm still using the Orthophosphoric Acid: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S822KK It SEEMS to help but I can't honestly tell you it's making AWESOME improvements for me. I'm definitely not getting worse from it and it seems to help, but it seems to work best on an empty stomach, so I take a 12 oz glass with 30 drops in it first thing in the morning and wait 30 minutes to eat.
    - I've had to finally just quit the Atkins-branded foods. These were a nice "emergency backup food". I have a plan for some other foods going forward that I'll make and freeze, like this: http://www.ruled.me/jalapeno-popper-egg-cups/

    Faraday

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #681 on: December 02, 2015, 02:12:01 PM »
    I am pretty much stuck  with Keto plus a few compliant veggies. Fructose is one sugar most people cannot process . Dairy and wheat/grains are the second. PSA over ! Goodluck.
    And yes Faraday I do want your baking soda chicken recipe pls!

    Hello my Keto Friend. I hear you loud and clear about FODMAPS. You asked for the chicken recipe:
    http://www.ruled.me/perfectly-crisp-baked-chicken-wings/

    We did this with chicken legs too. They didn't come out looking as nice as the wings do in the photos, but they were REEALY GOOD. Next we want to try it with boneless chicken breast - taking the chicken and slicing it into thinner strips to accentuate the effect of the baking powder.

    Now: let me confess something: I don't believe the calorie count they mention in that article: I do NOT ACCEPT that four chicken wings = 500 calories. So when I entered these wings in my LoseIt logging app, I let four wings = 400 calories or 100 calories per wing. I still don't like that, but I accept it and if it causes me to blow my calorie count for the day, I just don't care as long as the macronutrient ratios (fats, protein and carbs) are in the right ratios. (and these wings do that pretty well - a bit too much protein, but it's all-good....)

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #682 on: December 02, 2015, 05:06:08 PM »
    Faraday - I feel about a million times better today, since using the lamp this morning. Before lamp=grumpy, sad, miserable.
    After lamp=happy, energetic, cheery. I'm soooo glad! I have 2 sons with SAD (doctor diagnosed), so I'm not surprised to find myself benefitting from the lamps. Also, I can't believe it, but LAST NIGHT, I took Echinacea and a multi for the first time in a while -- could that be what is upsetting my stomach? I also take D and Omega 3 on the days I remember, in addition to the multi. I wonder if the vitamins and supplements are making me sick instead of healthy????!!!! NO vitamins and supplements today! No odd itches or any other symptoms that I can say I've noticed. Thank you for your other suggestions too!

    Kiwisonya - thanks for the sympathy :-/ I kind of feel like I might never have been aware of this on my old way of eating. Its because of my Whole60 that this has come to light, so there's that. FODMAPS: yes, the onions and brassicas plus certain fruits (apples, watermelon and a few others that I eat) but there are lots of others that I like and do eat that are fine. Legumes, dairy and grains are bad, but of course, they aren't part of my diet now, and maybe not ever again.


    Today I fit into THREE outfits that I was hoping would fit soon! SOOOOOO happy! One of the outfits is a fancy gala ensemble that I haven't worn since 2009, so its been long enough that I can still wear it, and will do so next weekend! It is still very much in style and looks quite lovely on me. I'd post a picture, but it took me about an hour to figure that out last time! hahah! The second outfit is a dress that I bought at a consignment store a few weeks ago. It was too tight then, but I was hopeful it would fit by Christmas Eve to wear to church ... today is December 2nd and it looks great on me!  The third is a leopard print top and a black cardie -- they are both longer and looser and I'm wearing them today with black jeans and am feeling quite mod...hahaha.

    I am now contemplating going straight on into another Whole30. That would make it a Whole90 --- ACK! hahah! That is what my teenaged son challenged me to in the very beginning. Its neat to share with my boys how I"m doing. I can tell they are proud of me. Date-wise, that would carry me through Christmas and New Years which could quite possibly be the very best gift I could give myself this Christmas. Hmmm...what to do, what to do. Anyone else want to join me?

    ETA: dairy

    « Last Edit: December 02, 2015, 05:21:55 PM by 1967mama »

    Caoineag

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #683 on: December 02, 2015, 07:25:32 PM »
    I wonder if the vitamins and supplements are making me sick instead of healthy????!!!! NO vitamins and supplements today!

    Do you get your grumbly tummy within a few hours of taking your vitamins? Then yes they could be doing it to you. I can NOT take vitamins, my stomach tries to chew itself up when I do. If there is anything you actually need to supplement per doctor's orders, look for a chewable version if you have digestive issues with the pill form.

    swick

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #684 on: December 02, 2015, 11:37:59 PM »
    I wonder if the vitamins and supplements are making me sick instead of healthy????!!!! NO vitamins and supplements today!

    Do you get your grumbly tummy within a few hours of taking your vitamins? Then yes they could be doing it to you. I can NOT take vitamins, my stomach tries to chew itself up when I do. If there is anything you actually need to supplement per doctor's orders, look for a chewable version if you have digestive issues with the pill form.

    Also check your ingredient list, there are almost always fillers, binders etc. Many have wheat/dairy derivatives.

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #685 on: December 02, 2015, 11:51:37 PM »
    What is the fastest/easiest way to post an image?

    Swick! I never thought to check what else is in those vitamins!!! Checking now...hold please...hmmm mostly cellulose and gelatine and stuff. One had sorbitol which I think is on the FODMAP list as a no go. I had a totally FODMAP day except for a few bits of onion in the leftover meatballs. Need to print out the list of foods to avoid till I commit it to memory. 

    ETA: The melatonin! it has lactose in it! Could that be it? I take it a few nights a week. UGH! Just took 2 and then read the bottle.
    « Last Edit: December 03, 2015, 02:50:07 AM by 1967mama »

    swick

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #686 on: December 03, 2015, 08:08:09 AM »
    What is the fastest/easiest way to post an image?

    Swick! I never thought to check what else is in those vitamins!!! Checking now...hold please...hmmm mostly cellulose and gelatine and stuff. One had sorbitol which I think is on the FODMAP list as a no go. I had a totally FODMAP day except for a few bits of onion in the leftover meatballs. Need to print out the list of foods to avoid till I commit it to memory. 

    ETA: The melatonin! it has lactose in it! Could that be it? I take it a few nights a week. UGH! Just took 2 and then read the bottle.

    Image - click on the "attachments and other options" below the reply window and attach the file, just pay attention to the size Before you upload it. If you have a program or option that allows you to "save for web" that is easiest.

    So Cellulose - may or may not be a problem, I know people on the FODMAP that it doesn't do well with. There is definitely a difference between commercial wood pulp cellulose (the chemical processes it goes through are super toxic)  and the natural cellulose that is present in grains and plants you eat.  Also, they have started making Cellulose from BHT Cotton.

    Either way, there are much safer ways to get your insoluble fiber. But they ar starting to put it in everything. It's cheap - it makes thing taste better in your mouth. 

    debbie does duncan

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #687 on: December 03, 2015, 09:08:22 AM »
    Thank you Faraday for the link. Need more chicken recipes as I feel stuck with just a few standard safe meals.
     I stopped counting calories once I was told about FODMAPS. Most dietary rules went out the window then, along with the scale.
    Keep Calm and Keto On !

    YK-Phil

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #688 on: December 03, 2015, 10:27:04 AM »
    I was really doing good but fell off the wagon very hard yesterday, only a week into the program. I came to my other "home" from work after a nice and strenuous bike ride, hungry like an ogre. Despite my good intentions, I ran head-on into a half-wheel of raw-milk brie I had left in the fridge two weeks prior, an almost-full bag of salt and vinegar chips left casually on the kitchen counter, and a box of Belgian chocolates with my name on it as a thank-you gift for taking care of a dog. I should have been mentally prepared for this very predictable situation. This house is one of two homes I house-sit full-time on a two-week rotation: the past two weeks, I was taking care of a house that belongs to a nice, healthy, and outdoorsy young couple whose idea of a great time is to run triathlons in 100 F desert heat or take week-long expeditions in the Arctic. Their cupboards only contain healthy, organic stuff that fit perfectly with the Whole 30 eating principles...this house on the other hand, is on the darker side of the healthy living spectrum and belongs to someone whose cupboards and fridge are overfilled with cake and pie, chips and dips of all sorts, peanuts and sweet snacks, cinnamon buns, breads and cheeses, processed food and everything in between...Is there such thing at Whole 15?

    I fell hard, but I'm getting up. I learned my lesson.

    KiwiSonya

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #689 on: December 03, 2015, 11:34:14 AM »
    We appreciate your honesty, Ykphil. I've stuffed up a few times and it's actually good to admit it, start again and be better prepared for next time. Life is full of Belgian chocolate moments so you definitely need a plan. Apparently cravings only last a few minutes so I have been distracting myself by brushing my teeth with lots of toothpaste. Everything tastes like crap after that. Also, perhaps you could stash some nuts in your pocket so you are never so ravenous that you'll eat anything.  I have also done weird things like mix tempting leftovers that I shouldn't eat with dust from the vacuum cleaner - even my strongest craving wouldn't make me want to fish it out!
    1967mama, I'm so impressed that you're considering a whole90 through Christmas.  You are my inspiration!  And awesome about the dresses fitting. You will look a million dollars! I have discovered from my food diary that I really have a problem with Thursdays.  Most stressful day of the week for me and I turn to my old friend fruit, which leads to more problem eating. Will develop a Thursday specific plan to deal with it. I've always hated food tracking but now I can see its value for improving my habits. Have a great day everyone. Ks

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #690 on: December 03, 2015, 12:46:23 PM »
    1967mama in clothes that haven't fit in 3 years! Thanks for the photo posting tips, Swick!


    mom22boys

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    « Reply #691 on: December 03, 2015, 12:50:20 PM »
    1967mama in clothes that haven't fit in 3 years! Thanks for the photo posting tips, Swick!

    I think you need to change your user name to HotMama!  :-)

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #692 on: December 03, 2015, 01:14:31 PM »
    We appreciate your honesty, Ykphil. I've stuffed up a few times and it's actually good to admit it, start again and be better prepared for next time. Life is full of Belgian chocolate moments so you definitely need a plan. Apparently cravings only last a few minutes so I have been distracting myself by brushing my teeth with lots of toothpaste. Everything tastes like crap after that. Also, perhaps you could stash some nuts in your pocket so you are never so ravenous that you'll eat anything.  I have also done weird things like mix tempting leftovers that I shouldn't eat with dust from the vacuum cleaner - even my strongest craving wouldn't make me want to fish it out!
    1967mama, I'm so impressed that you're considering a whole90 through Christmas.  You are my inspiration!  And awesome about the dresses fitting. You will look a million dollars! I have discovered from my food diary that I really have a problem with Thursdays.  Most stressful day of the week for me and I turn to my old friend fruit, which leads to more problem eating. Will develop a Thursday specific plan to deal with it. I've always hated food tracking but now I can see its value for improving my habits. Have a great day everyone. Ks

    This is great, Sonya.  The nice thing with food tracking is it doesn't have to be a permanent thing; it can be used from time to time to discover patterns and root out problems.

    I keep some fermented pickles/kraut or whatever in the fridge and sometimes I'll take a bite of that to kill any cravings I might be fighting since the flavor clashes with sweets and dairy.

    1967, you look great!!

    Ykphil - yeah, it would be tough to navigate when you're in a house full of that junk.  Hope you keep something on hand for the next time Ogre Mode hits.  My suggestion would be to reset to Day 1 if possible and go through with your full plan without slip-ups.

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #693 on: December 03, 2015, 01:53:14 PM »
    Thanks for the compliments, horsepoor and mom22boys :-D I hope it doesn't seem like I'm fishing for them, though. Its so remarkable to me what just about 60 days of 100% compliant eating has done for me. Interestingly, its mostly things that don't involve a scale!

    One day, maybe I can muster up the courage to post a before and after .. ugh. What a horrible sight. I can even see confidence in my the way I'm holding my body in that photo that I took yesterday.

    With my FODMAP research yesterday, I'm starting that addition to my eating plans today. I hope to see quick results or else I think I'd better go to the doctor and find out if anything is catastrophically wrong:-/

    Interestingly, I sent my mom the same photo (they are away for a few months) + my head attached, and she didn't write back. I'm sure they think I'm starving myself to death and will soon be admitted to an eating disorder clinic weighing 75 lbs. I'm not bashing those who need that service, btw, just pointing out how skewed my parents view of weight is (ie: chubby=healthy and well fed). My mom has battled weight her whole life, and my dad has uncontrolled diabetes -- takes meds but eats candy and desserts daily. This will be an uphill battle with them. I think I will stop sending pictures, although when they come back in the spring, I don't want them to be too shocked when their daughter is 70+ lbs lighter than when they left!

    ETA: Wow! I just went and counted the days left in my Whole60 on a calendar, and apparently I finished it Tuesday! Wahoo! Today, then, becomes Day 2 of my Whole90! I can't believe I'm really doing this! Thank you, Hartwigs!
    « Last Edit: December 03, 2015, 02:15:58 PM by 1967mama »

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    « Reply #694 on: December 03, 2015, 05:19:32 PM »
    Wow, 1967mama you look amazing. I would love to see a before photo when you're feeling brave. I have noticed a general fat acceptance shift in society with curvy girls feeling proud and skinny girls talked down about.  I don't want anyone to be body shamed but it is a terrifying prospect that a healthy weight could start to be seen as disordered because everyone else is fat! I have a terrible photo from Xmas day 2014 that got me moving on sorting out my eating. Will post it with this year's version for comparison. Hope those tummy troubles clear up soon, 1967mama. Ks

    sunnyca

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #695 on: December 03, 2015, 11:52:42 PM »
    Agree with all the other posters- you look great, 1967mama!

    I'm finally ready to jump in- I had an absolutely horrible two weeks of eating complete garbage in response to stress both at work and home, and am really feeling the effects now.  My joints feel inflamed to the point where it's hard for me to walk comfortably, and I've been getting this weird rash. Ugh.

    Here goes!

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #696 on: December 04, 2015, 12:40:09 AM »
    Thanks sunnyca --- you can do this if I can do this. I've been overweight since '98 (rhymes!). Nothing has ever worked for me ---NOTHING! You will feel So. Much. Better.  I have a lot of stress and a lot of responsibilities with a large family and the thing I have loved about Whole30 is that once you get going, its so black and white. I don't have to face choices like: how many points in that cake? or I'm out of points and I'm still starving, what do I do now?

    Whole90 day 2 -- I googled Whole90 tonight and came up with this, which I found hilarious:

    https://paleothuglife.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/whole90-and-why-i-didnt-die/

    I figured out that in 8 weeks I have lost 2.5lbs per week, which is perfectly healthy, IMHO. Nothing extreme or radical about Whole30, just good healthy eating.

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #697 on: December 04, 2015, 01:17:51 AM »
    Here's a super article by Melissa Hartwig on whether or not to stay compliant on a Whole365:
    http://whole30.com/2014/01/whole30-forever/

    It gave me pause because I'm having mixed feelings about Christmas approaching. I could do a Whole70 and end just before Christmas but then stay Whole30ish and allow myself a tiny treat at Christmas. Oh I don't know. I probably just need to go to sleep.

    Any thoughts?

    horsepoor

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #698 on: December 04, 2015, 07:53:34 AM »
    I think it's great to keep W30 as your base eating plan, and try to stay compliant.  It's just a matter of figuring out if it is getting in the way of your life and how to balance that.  For example, would you feel just as good, and free up some time if you go back to eating some commercially prepared condiments that have some preservatives or sugar in them?  Would it make sense to give yourself a once a week "pass" to eat a non-compliant meal for social situations (and this doesn't mean falling face-first into a chocolate cake, just not stressing about if there are a few beans in the chili everyone's having)?  Could you add in some paleo treats for some occasional variety?  You're the only one who can answer these things because it depends totally on a) your body's reactions to the foods and b) your lifestyle.  It's totally a journey of experimentation, and the only problem I can see with staying on W30 forever is that it would prevent that experimentation.  There are some other approaches out there, and you might find a blend that works for you (Nourishing Traditions/Weston A. Price, Perfect Health Diet).  And what works now might not be necessary later because your hormonal response to food will be changed and your gut will heal and gut flora will also change.

    Because I don't have strong reactions to any foods, and I travel frequently for work, I just try to eat paleo most of the time, and not worry about it if I'm traveling with co-workers and they want to eat at a sports bar.  Usually I'll order a salad with meat on it and ask them to leave the croutons off and call it good.  I've touched on it before, but tomorrow is my planned re-intro day, but I'm not at all viewing it as the end.  I'll eat compliant until dinner and have a nice bottle of wine ready to go.  Sunday will be a compliant day.  Monday I have to attend a retirement potluck, so I'm bringing a paleo potato salad.  I'll probably just eat that and whatever fruits and veggies are available, and if there's some brisket or something, I'll have some of that even if it has BBQ sauce on it and drink water.  I'm planning to do yogurt for breakfast next week since I have tons of homemade jams to use up.  Those have added sugar, but mixed into tangy, full-fat yogurt I don't anticipate that they'll cause issues.  I am going to stay 100% away from any candies, baked goods or other junk that shows up at the office.  If I want to splurge, it's going to be planned and for something special.  No impulse eating of garbage just because it's in front of me.

    1967mama

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    Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
    « Reply #699 on: December 04, 2015, 10:57:35 AM »
    Thanks so much for taking the time to post this, Horsepoor. What you've shared is incredibly helpful to me (and my daughter).