Author Topic: Whole-30 info thread and awesome group. Want to join us?  (Read 427082 times)

KiwiSonya

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #750 on: December 13, 2015, 11:25:39 AM »
Hi all, sun is shining and birds singing and pollen levels are sky high. An hour into my day and I've had to take both kinds of antihistamines and still sneezing. Was thinking about my allergies and sulphites as I still ate things with them in on my whole30 - my coconut flakes, fumigated grapes,  dates etc. For my next one I think I need to be really strict about avoiding chemical additives to see if I can reduce my allergies (Liz, have you had any improvement in yours?). I have a kids Christmas party today and it is bring a plate so I will take something healthy.  Bought myself Sarah Wilson's 'Simpilicious' book -of I Quit Sugar fame. Lots of yummy recipes, will let you know any favourites. Have a great day, ks.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #751 on: December 14, 2015, 11:29:01 AM »
Hi all, sun is shining and birds singing and pollen levels are sky high. An hour into my day and I've had to take both kinds of antihistamines and still sneezing. Was thinking about my allergies and sulphites as I still ate things with them in on my whole30 - my coconut flakes, fumigated grapes,  dates etc. For my next one I think I need to be really strict about avoiding chemical additives to see if I can reduce my allergies (Liz, have you had any improvement in yours?). I have a kids Christmas party today and it is bring a plate so I will take something healthy.  Bought myself Sarah Wilson's 'Simpilicious' book -of I Quit Sugar fame. Lots of yummy recipes, will let you know any favourites. Have a great day, ks.

Hey KS, yes I have noticed an improvement with my allergies! No sneezing/running nose when I 100% stay away from dairy. I do have a little bit of a reaction when eating cheese {I do try to eat only low-lactose type cheeses}, so cheese has been a "once in awhile" thing for me.

I've never thought about the correlation between sulfites and allergies, but I do remember that (pre-W30) wine with sulfites makes me sneeze a lot.  That would be a great thing to test! I quickly googled foods with sulfites in them and I don't seem to eat a lot of those normally, but definitely something to think about.

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #752 on: December 14, 2015, 01:04:04 PM »
Things are going great with my reintroduction actually doing a Whole60 from October to early December.

I had a fair bit of wine at a big work Christmas party on the weekend and did ok with it other than a minor hangover;-)

I did get to wear my dress from 2009 and felt quite slim in it. I had the salad, skipped the soup
Course because it was cream based, had the beef and veggies for the main and then indulged in an amazing dessert (worth it!). Back on track eating Whole30ish this week. Good food makes me feel good!

I have a very stressful week ahead of me and need to preplan a number of meals so I continue to eat well and feed my family nourishing foods. Otherwise, it's drive thrus :-(

Last night, my daughter and I had another fun "try on clothes" event in her room. A whole bunch of her clothes are too big for her and now fit me. I'm easily slipping into size 14's now (down from size 18's that were getting too tight...ugh!).

I am now hovering just 9 pounds from the lightest  I've been since post baby #4 in 1998. When I pass that 9 pound milestone I kind of feel like I will be in new territory.

It's hard now to have friends and acquaintances who are in the same position I was who are totally unwilling to even have an open mind to hear about Whole30. I totally get it though. You have to be ready to do this. Done with being fat and feeling gross all the time.

I am SO delighted with how successful this program has been for me and want to shout it from the rooftops! If I can do this, anyone can! I'm the worst eater I know! Haha

Have a great day, friends!

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #753 on: December 14, 2015, 01:26:26 PM »
Things are going great with my reintroduction actually doing a Whole60 from October to early December.
...
Last night, my daughter and I had another fun "try on clothes" event in her room. A whole bunch of her clothes are too big for her and now fit me. I'm easily slipping into size 14's now (down from size 18's that were getting too tight...ugh!).

I am now hovering just 9 pounds from the lightest  I've been since post baby #4 in 1998. When I pass that 9 pound milestone I kind of feel like I will be in new territory.

It's hard now to have friends and acquaintances who are in the same position I was who are totally unwilling to even have an open mind to hear about Whole30. I totally get it though. You have to be ready to do this. Done with being fat and feeling gross all the time.

I am SO delighted with how successful this program has been for me and want to shout it from the rooftops! If I can do this, anyone can! I'm the worst eater I know! Haha

CONGRATULATIONS '67! You are kicking ASS. Amazing how, once you are seeing things from the "other side", that you don't WANT to go back to the way it was, right?!?! You've seen how things can be better and cheating just isn't worth the cost.

I forget - it sounds like your daughter has joined you and is likewise doing the Whole30 "work"?

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #754 on: December 14, 2015, 01:38:20 PM »
Yes my daughter  is too. She's only got a couple of days to complete her first official whole30. She was doing whole30ish before this for the same length of time that I did. She's doing awesome and has lost over 25 lbs. she probably has 10 to go to be back to an ideal weight. She looks fantastic and feels great! She loves fitting all her old jeans and stuff again:-)

Faraday

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #755 on: December 14, 2015, 02:12:22 PM »
Update from here:

I'm in full-on "battle mode" against the forces of shitty eating. This is the deep, dark night of the Season of Insanity: worthless carb bombs show up in the break room daily. Today was no exception: it was muffins and doughnuts on the table in the break room. Got my tea and left the room, fuck them and their donuts.

11:30am, for lunch, had grilled chicken and an Atkins Beef Teriyaki meal. Those are now logged in the LoseIt tracking app.

1pm "break munchies" had a big basket of bags of "machine food": ROLD GOLD pretzels, cheddar chex mix, etc. Piles and piles of crap. None for me, thank you.

Had the conversation with a co-worker who's also practicing the Keto lifestyle: he thought Christmas was the end of it, but I described how "they" want you to "make a resolution", work out for six weeks, and when you give up, help yourself to a 2.5lb "heart" containing fine chocolates. We all know, working out doesn't work and the weight really doesn't come off anyway, right? Might as well enjoy!

Co-worker recounted to me how a friend of his who lives the regular, year-round gym lifestyle gets frustrated from New Year's to Valentine's Day by the pretenders who show up, fresh off their "resolutions", then dribble away starting with valentine's day as the diabolical 2nd half of Insanity takes it's toll.

Tonight: KETO LO-CARB PIZZA, with real, honest bacon. I'll get to work making it as soon as I get in the door.

UPDATE: The damned "cookie party" put all their leftovers in the break room just now. It looks like a bunch of hedonists got up on the table, rolled around on it naked and all the cookies, cakes and pies fell out of their sweaty folds.
« Last Edit: December 14, 2015, 02:35:14 PM by Faraday »

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #756 on: December 14, 2015, 02:16:17 PM »
Yes my daughter  is too. She's only got a couple of days to complete her first official whole30. She was doing whole30ish before this for the same length of time that I did. She's doing awesome and has lost over 25 lbs. she probably has 10 to go to be back to an ideal weight. She looks fantastic and feels great! She loves fitting all her old jeans and stuff again:-)

Wow!

Come time for Christmas Parties, you and daughter will be a force to be envied, a lethal combination to all the men in the room.

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #757 on: December 14, 2015, 02:17:32 PM »
Got my tea and left the room, fuck them and their donuts.

You rock! I loved this! Mantra for my day!

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #758 on: December 14, 2015, 02:30:47 PM »


Co-worker recounted to me how a friend of his who lives the regular, year-round gym lifestyle gets frustrated from New Year's to Valentine's Day by the pretenders who show up, fresh off their "resolutions", then dribble away starting with valentine's day as the diabolical 2nd half of Insanity takes it's toll.


Oh yeah.  My husband has been a faithful gym rat for like 20 years and hates that.  At least it's good to know that the gym will only stay crowded for a month or so.

Had to pass on the cake for yet another retirement luncheon here.  Grocery store sheet cake?  It just made me think of that nasty waxy film that frosting leaves on the inside of my mouth.  Bleah.

SO I weighed myself this morning and apparently I'm the only one to GAIN weight (about 2#).  I thought surely I'd loose a pound or two just abstaining from sugar and booze, but no.  I think it's because my activity level has gone down, and we're going into winter.  I did walk at least 3 miles a day each day last week, and did a workout yesterday, so it's not like I'm sitting on my butt every night.  So going forward, I'm re-introducing legumes into my life and focusing on upping the ante with workouts.  I think a good volume for me is running 10-15 miles per week and doing two good gym workouts (lifting, rowing, Bosu ball stuff, box jumps etc.)  And I'm going back to weighing myself a couple times a week.  For me, I don't obsess but it keeps me on track.  Need to eat a little less even if it's all good stuff.

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #759 on: December 14, 2015, 02:38:46 PM »
Horse poor- are you gaining muscle?  That's a lot of walking ! Good for you! I did zero exercise in the last 7 days :-/ but I'm still in major fat loss mode I think - still have about 50 lbs to go to get back to a healthy weight. Good job avoiding booze and treatscrappy food!

Edit: formatting flub
« Last Edit: December 14, 2015, 03:50:14 PM by 1967mama »

Faraday

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #760 on: December 14, 2015, 02:41:27 PM »
SO I weighed myself this morning and apparently I'm the only one to GAIN weight (about 2#).  I thought surely I'd loose a pound or two just abstaining from sugar and booze, but no.  I think it's because my activity level has gone down, and we're going into winter.  I did walk at least 3 miles a day each day last week, and did a workout yesterday, so it's not like I'm sitting on my butt every night.  So going forward, I'm re-introducing legumes into my life and focusing on upping the ante with workouts.  I think a good volume for me is running 10-15 miles per week and doing two good gym workouts (lifting, rowing, Bosu ball stuff, box jumps etc.)  And I'm going back to weighing myself a couple times a week.  For me, I don't obsess but it keeps me on track.  Need to eat a little less even if it's all good stuff.

Your truthing causes me to confess: I'm in a very similar situation - we had a run of cold weather back in late October and the first 2/3rds of November where I didn't do much at all. (I accidentally de-installed "map my ride" also, as I did a factory reset on my Android phone....)

I'm a little shocked: I think I was losing muscle mass and replacing it with flab. I have this little belly that creeped up on me. I figure it was glucogenesis from the amount of meat I eat. (Your liver will turn excess protein into....glycogen for fuel....) So last Thursday I started upping the fat and doing more exercise.  I can already feel the improvement and it reminds me how easy it is to slip - even if you are eating according to plan, we don't get to forego exercise...gotta keep the meat machine moving moving moving!

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #761 on: December 14, 2015, 02:42:05 PM »
Survived my Christmas parties :) Ate mostly compliant except a little bit of cheese/dairy. Overall I would call that a success! Very happy to be home and in charge of my food choices 100% though.

Think hub's family is finally getting the idea that this is a lifestyle for both of us instead of just a fad I have roped him into. It's hard to argue with visible results, improved mood and energy levels!

Hubs had a sales call at work, hadn't seen the rep in three months. Last time was right before we started his first whole 30. Hubs said no to the chocolate bars he usually brings and said we were trying out the paleo/whole 30 thing. This time, he came with grass fed local beef jerky and compliments for how good he was looking!  Hubs said it was totally genuine and not just a sales talk. He was pretty psyched people are starting to notice.

My mom is finishing up her first Whole 30 tomorrow! She feels like she never really got into "tigerblood" mode, but she has some major health challenges the last couple of years and feel like 30 days might not have been enough. She is planning on doing a bit of re-intro over the holidays and getting back into it full swing in January. She has been feeling better overall, so that is a win :)


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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #762 on: December 14, 2015, 03:11:21 PM »
SO I weighed myself this morning and apparently I'm the only one to GAIN weight (about 2#).  I thought surely I'd loose a pound or two just abstaining from sugar and booze, but no.

From what I've studied, depleted fat cells like to hold onto water. Water is a huge part of why our weight fluctuates. Do your pants fit? If so, boogie on.


Faraday

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #763 on: December 14, 2015, 03:19:32 PM »
Survived my Christmas parties :) Ate mostly compliant except a little bit of cheese/dairy. Overall I would call that a success! Very happy to be home and in charge of my food choices 100% though.

Think hub's family is finally getting the idea that this is a lifestyle for both of us instead of just a fad I have roped him into. It's hard to argue with visible results, improved mood and energy levels!

Hubs had a sales call at work, hadn't seen the rep in three months. Last time was right before we started his first whole 30. Hubs said no to the chocolate bars he usually brings and said we were trying out the paleo/whole 30 thing. This time, he came with grass fed local beef jerky and compliments for how good he was looking!  Hubs said it was totally genuine and not just a sales talk. He was pretty psyched people are starting to notice.

My mom is finishing up her first Whole 30 tomorrow! She feels like she never really got into "tigerblood" mode, but she has some major health challenges the last couple of years and feel like 30 days might not have been enough. She is planning on doing a bit of re-intro over the holidays and getting back into it full swing in January. She has been feeling better overall, so that is a win :)

This is all EXCELLENT NEWS!!! Office Christmas Parties kill me. I've simply avoided two of them so far by scheduling meetings over top of them.

That sales rep kick ass - grass fed beef jerky would git me every time.

horsepoor

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #764 on: December 14, 2015, 03:39:41 PM »
Horse poor- are you gaining muscle?  That's a lot of walking ! Good for you! I did zero exercise in the last 7 days :-/ but I'm still in major fat loss mode I think - still have about 50 lbs to go to get back to a healthy weight. Good job avoiding booze and treats crappy food!

No, definitely not.  I was riding 6 days a week until I sold my riding horse at the end of October (she was lazy and dressage is more physical that it looks).  I was also training for a half marathon that was the day before I started W30 and I have not been deadlifting heavy for several months.  My pants fit fine but I have a little more around the middle and on my upper thighs that I don't like.  So anyway, I've learned something valuable about my minimum effective dose for exercise and will increase it.  I've heard that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise, but for me I think it's closer to 50/50 or maybe 60/40.

KiwiSonya

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #765 on: December 14, 2015, 04:17:11 PM »
Look at you, gorgeous!  I'm so proud of you all. It's great to have some inspiration under my belt as I prepare to enter the "Danger Zone" as my parents house shall be named. My mantra shall be "I am in charge of what I eat. And what I eat is how I feel." Am planning to report my kicking ass to you at regular intervals. Rock on everyone. Ks

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #766 on: December 15, 2015, 11:54:45 AM »
Reposting my party dress photo for today.  I honestly felt so much more like the girl my husband married 26 years ago. I am so thankful for Whole30 -- changed my life!

Awesome! Excellent! GO FORTH AND KICK ASS!

KiwiSonya

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #767 on: December 16, 2015, 11:30:15 AM »
Hi all, I'm off the my parents house for the holidays today. Have compliant food packed and have some tiger blood as I have been strict the past few days. Had a great chat on the phone to my mother in law who is on Day15 and feeling awesome.  She started after seeing me in Day30. I suspect she shares my husband's digestive problems as her noises are a family joke. She says her tummy feels flat and so calm compared to the bloating and gurgling she's used to. I'm so proud of her. I bet there will be more interest now there are 2 of us. She is hosting a big Christmas lunch and has made it clear that it is to be a healthy one! I have also unexpectedly found some kindred spirits in my social circle when someone whispered in my ear "how have you been hacking your diet?" An hour later a group of us were still nattering about whole30, keto, IF, and juice fasting. It was awesome.  It feels good to have an extra support group, not that I could do without you guys! Have a great day. Ks

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #768 on: December 16, 2015, 12:44:34 PM »
Awesome to have some support KS!  Has your husband had any change of heart with his mom jumping on board too?

Although my husband didn't fully go for W30, he is incrementally getting on board and makes more comments about what utter crap most of the food advertised on TV is, etc.  He was just getting a cold when he went on his annual ski trip last week and came back saying that he thought he held up better for having done at least his version of W30 before going.  He asked if there was such a think as W14 since he's going on another trip at the end of the month, but then he was drinking beer last night and pining for pizza, so I guess he wasn't fully serious about it.  It doesn't help that his parents sent him several bags of the Flaming Hot Fritos that aren't sold here, so he's back to eating chips *sigh*.  Sometimes progress is glacially slow with these types of things, but he now appreciates our pastured eggs, butter and beef that he used to eye-roll at, and quit buying cups of Yoplait yogurt.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #769 on: December 16, 2015, 03:06:51 PM »
Awesome to have some support KS!  Has your husband had any change of heart with his mom jumping on board too?

Although my husband didn't fully go for W30, he is incrementally getting on board and makes more comments about what utter crap most of the food advertised on TV is, etc.  He was just getting a cold when he went on his annual ski trip last week and came back saying that he thought he held up better for having done at least his version of W30 before going.  He asked if there was such a think as W14 since he's going on another trip at the end of the month, but then he was drinking beer last night and pining for pizza, so I guess he wasn't fully serious about it.  It doesn't help that his parents sent him several bags of the Flaming Hot Fritos that aren't sold here, so he's back to eating chips *sigh*.  Sometimes progress is glacially slow with these types of things, but he now appreciates our pastured eggs, butter and beef that he used to eye-roll at, and quit buying cups of Yoplait yogurt.

I went through a phase like that about 3-4 years ago. It was the "Flaming Hot Doritos" that had me hooked. Two complete family size bags each weekend. One at work, one at home. Someone say pizza? i could pack away an entire "large" by myself, and wash it all down with craft beer.

Of course, I'd be so fucking miserable overnight and into the next day. Within a day or two, I'd be going to the doctor whining about my gastro problems, my ear problems, my reflux problems and my sinus problems, not realizing they were all interconnected.

Let him ram down that shit food if he absolutely can't help himself. In fact, don't chastise him, don't give him shit at all. If my guess is right (and if he is anywhere north of 30 years old), he'll make himself abjectly miserable. You've got to let the sin get so bad that the consequences come on quickly and he's able to connect the dots.

But you...you keep going. Don't dare join him in is shitfood grazing. Keep going. He'll reach a point where he goes "Holy Fuck, she's all hawt and I'm porky pig...."

Now be careful. You back off, show him "the luv" and let him figure it out for himself, you might wake up one day and find yourself married to an angry zealot like me. But he'll be an 70 lbs lighter zealot and will support you unconditionally when he finally gets there!

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #770 on: December 16, 2015, 03:57:28 PM »

Let him ram down that shit food if he absolutely can't help himself. In fact, don't chastise him, don't give him shit at all. If my guess is right (and if he is anywhere north of 30 years old), he'll make himself abjectly miserable. You've got to let the sin get so bad that the consequences come on quickly and he's able to connect the dots.

But you...you keep going. Don't dare join him in is shitfood grazing. Keep going. He'll reach a point where he goes "Holy Fuck, she's all hawt and I'm porky pig...."

Now be careful. You back off, show him "the luv" and let him figure it out for himself, you might wake up one day and find yourself married to an angry zealot like me. But he'll be an 70 lbs lighter zealot and will support you unconditionally when he finally gets there!

I have to agree with Faraday here -- my husband is only bout 10-15lb overweight (and super tall). He has been very supportive of me in my journey back to health but I've tried my best not to be preachy or trying to coach him. He Kees asking ME questions about Whole30 like "Can I eat this?" Or "Could you make that for me too?" And so he is now getting people asking him if he's lost weight. I, on the other hand, am still waiting for someone...anyone to notice that I've lost weight (sigh).


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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #771 on: December 16, 2015, 10:28:27 PM »
Nice to hear the different approaches. Hubby is in 'I don't want to talk about it' mode. He.is hoping it is a passing phase and any minute I'm going to heat the pizza stone or put the breadmaker on. His mum is a bit faddy and doesn't influence him a bit. But I will silently continue. Mixed reactions to my progress from my family.  Mum was impressed with the fat loss around my middle.  She said she needs to do it too as her spare tire continues to grow. But remains to be seen whether she is genuine. Couldn't fucking believe the Cocoa Pops and other sugary shit that she bought when shopping with my niece and nephew this morning.  She was so strict with us as kids and we ate mostly healthy food. She loves her grandkids fiercely but shovels shit into them at every opportunity.  I'm not going to let that go unchallenged. I'm going to tell her straight that her grandkids are part of the first generation that will die younger than her. And that shitty food is the reason. Be back later for another installment.

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #772 on: December 17, 2015, 01:05:40 AM »
Hang in there, KS -- we're rooting for you!

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #773 on: December 17, 2015, 07:04:09 AM »
Awesome to have some support KS!  Has your husband had any change of heart with his mom jumping on board too?

Although my husband didn't fully go for W30, he is incrementally getting on board and makes more comments about what utter crap most of the food advertised on TV is, etc.  He was just getting a cold when he went on his annual ski trip last week and came back saying that he thought he held up better for having done at least his version of W30 before going.  He asked if there was such a think as W14 since he's going on another trip at the end of the month, but then he was drinking beer last night and pining for pizza, so I guess he wasn't fully serious about it.  It doesn't help that his parents sent him several bags of the Flaming Hot Fritos that aren't sold here, so he's back to eating chips *sigh*.  Sometimes progress is glacially slow with these types of things, but he now appreciates our pastured eggs, butter and beef that he used to eye-roll at, and quit buying cups of Yoplait yogurt.

I went through a phase like that about 3-4 years ago. It was the "Flaming Hot Doritos" that had me hooked. Two complete family size bags each weekend. One at work, one at home. Someone say pizza? i could pack away an entire "large" by myself, and wash it all down with craft beer.

Of course, I'd be so fucking miserable overnight and into the next day. Within a day or two, I'd be going to the doctor whining about my gastro problems, my ear problems, my reflux problems and my sinus problems, not realizing they were all interconnected.

Let him ram down that shit food if he absolutely can't help himself. In fact, don't chastise him, don't give him shit at all. If my guess is right (and if he is anywhere north of 30 years old), he'll make himself abjectly miserable. You've got to let the sin get so bad that the consequences come on quickly and he's able to connect the dots.

But you...you keep going. Don't dare join him in is shitfood grazing. Keep going. He'll reach a point where he goes "Holy Fuck, she's all hawt and I'm porky pig...."

Now be careful. You back off, show him "the luv" and let him figure it out for himself, you might wake up one day and find yourself married to an angry zealot like me. But he'll be an 70 lbs lighter zealot and will support you unconditionally when he finally gets there!

Well, he doesn't have anything as severe as that going on.  He's 41 and I'm sure he'd love to lose 10#, but then I have a little spare padding as well.  His dad is a total trainwreck, so he's pretty careful to rein it in if he notices that he's gaining weight as he doesn't want to end up like that.  I'm not concerned, since he eats almost everything I eat and exercises religiously. I was more posting to let Kiwi know how slow things can go.  I've been on the paleo path for a couple years now and yeah, it's better to just lead by example than it is to preach and judge.  I'm just getting more serious about it as time goes by.

We just got Dish (facepunch) and watched a show "The Men Who Made Us Fat" last night and the show host, who looked to be a normal weight, got an MRI that revealed that he had 2x the expected amount of fat around his organs even though he had normal subcutaneous fat.  I think that part was a little shocking to DH and he was thinking he could be that guy (I could be that girl).  It's a series that he set to record for me.  Worth watching if anyone has access to it.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #774 on: December 17, 2015, 01:41:24 PM »
Well, he doesn't have anything as severe as that going on.  He's 41 and I'm sure he'd love to lose 10#, but then I have a little spare padding as well.  His dad is a total trainwreck, so he's pretty careful to rein it in if he notices that he's gaining weight as he doesn't want to end up like that.  I'm not concerned, since he eats almost everything I eat and exercises religiously. I was more posting to let Kiwi know how slow things can go.  I've been on the paleo path for a couple years now and yeah, it's better to just lead by example than it is to preach and judge.  I'm just getting more serious about it as time goes by.

Sounds to me like you guys have a handle on it and just need to stay the course. I sure as hell hope Trainwreck Dad gets his act together, and soon.

Quote
We just got Dish (facepunch) and watched a show "The Men Who Made Us Fat" last night and the show host, who looked to be a normal weight, got an MRI that revealed that he had 2x the expected amount of fat around his organs even though he had normal subcutaneous fat.  I think that part was a little shocking to DH and he was thinking he could be that guy (I could be that girl).  It's a series that he set to record for me.  Worth watching if anyone has access to it.

Just now checked it out - I googled it and looks like you can see each of the three episodes on Vimeo? (I didn't try it, I'm at work right now....) I wonder if they talk about Ancel Keys and the "Seven Countries Study"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancel_Keys

I think Ancel was a pretty smart fellow, but I also think US government and agribusiness latched onto his studies and turned them into US nutritional policy intended to sell grain, bread and other low cost carb-laden foods, which was a very bad idea.

Yeah, the subcutaneous fat still worries me. My ultimate weight/fitness goal is intended to ensure I do away with any of that.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #775 on: December 17, 2015, 01:42:21 PM »
Today's Inspirational Story:

https://www.yahoo.com/health/how-this-couple-lost-nearly-1318529088020534.html

Note that they are living the LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) Paleo/Primal eating lifestyle. Definitely a great story.


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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #776 on: December 17, 2015, 02:02:32 PM »
Weapons for the Season of Insanity

I rant and rave about taking up arms, getting pissed and indignant and "not negotiating with food terrorists". We've even talked about tactics and psychology, but I've not really posted some of my offensive/defensive weapons in this war. Here's some foods I use to combat availability and consumption of carb-laden products:

1) Bacon and Sausage: We have a cafeteria at my place of employment. Also, the mighty fine management sees fit to give us bagels during breakfast time on Friday mornings. However, I must resist the succulent toasted garlic smell wafting through the building. So I go to the cafeteria and get fried bacon strips and fried sausage links. It's NOT mustachian but it works to keep me away from garlic-toasted porn. (I may fry up some bacon tonight to stock up at low cost and take it to work with me tomorrow.)

2) Pecans and Cashews.
I keep bags of each handy, I buy them at Sam's Club so they are giant bags. Pecans are the most-optimal Keto nut food but Cashews have that wonderful salty-buttery texture. They have saved me from doing some crazy shit. ALERT: I measure out one serving in a small snack-size baggie and I watch how much of these I eat. They are extremely calorie laden foods and you can get to 500 calories in no-time.

3) Atkins Shakes and Bars: These are a decent defense for use at breakfast, or to keep a bar in a desk drawer at work as an emergency lifeline. I'll probably bring a meal bar and put it in the drawer tomorrow morning along with a baggie of pecans.

4) Cheese: Either just plain cold or warmed with bacon or sausage or whatever. Works like a champ. I reserve this for fairly urgent situations since cheese can mess me up.

5) Tea: I like the Irish Breakfast Tea from Trader Joe's. Cheap, big giant tea bags. 80ct. for, I think, $3.99US? I'm also experimenting with a Bigelow Caramel Tea. It's pretty good, they went light on the caramel which really is nice.

6) Liter of water with "True Lime" packet and a tiny bit of stevia. I keep that liter bottle handy all day long and drink from it. The True Lime keeps you from getting tired of flavorless water.

7) Keto Lo-Carb Pizza: I will make that for the family Friday night. It satisfies that "Friday Night Pizza Hankerin", and if I do it right, it completely removes bread cravings as well. Very good, fundamentally satisfying food product! It is not strictly Whole30 but there's nothing in it that's just right-out. It's perfectly acceptable on Paleo and Keto lifestyles. http://www.ruled.me/low-carb-pepperoni-pizza/

8) Beef, Pork and Chicken: Always featured prominently in our meals and usually with garlic butter for dipping. A NY Strip Steak on sale dipped in garlic butter seems to quench any-and-all bad food cravings. No appetite can escape the satisfaction a good grilled steak w/garlic butter can provide!

9) Frozen shrimp:
We eat a lot of cooked, frozen shrimp that we thaw out in the sink and have with melted butter.

10) Parmesan added to melted butter: I add simple parmesan cheese to melted butter and it will give the butter a more robust flavor and a thicker consistency, making it stick to the food better and give a bolder flavor.

11) Beef or turkey patties: I buy the low-cost stuff usually, although I have a dirty non-mustachian secret. I'll buy and use the large 14-packs of the Ballpark-branded "instant" beef and turkey patties. This gives me a hot, 3.5oz beef or turkey patty in only 1 minute, 30 seconds of microwave time.

12) Beer-battered Cod Filets: This is probably the closest I get to "eating bad", because the breading has some wheat flour in it and it's a packaged, prepared food which is discouraged for MMM reasons. I prefer the Aldi product - it's great quality and just the right size. Wife and I can bake four of them in a toaster oven and in 30 minutes, have hot, flavorful fish to eat. (Side note: I completely prefer my seafood broiled or baked without a breading or crust, but I've found that when I eat breaded seafood, it just doesn't seem to have the same negative effects on me that actually eating bread or something with wheat flour might have.

« Last Edit: December 17, 2015, 02:05:04 PM by Faraday »

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #777 on: December 17, 2015, 07:47:07 PM »
Thanks, Faraday (again)! This list is super helpful to me for how to live a healthy life!

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #778 on: December 17, 2015, 09:10:00 PM »
Thanks, Faraday (again)! This list is super helpful to me for how to live a healthy life!

Thanks '67, you're kind to say so.

Fellow threadmembers....let's be clear about one thing: I have all these things to say because I have to fight, hard, against food addictions. I watched a first cousin die in such a terrible, terrible way from diabetic complications and even to the very end, she could not stop her food addiction.

When i do all these things, ride the bike, clear my head and enjoy good food, I'm OK.

But the past few weeks here have been some special hell. Right this minute, there's a loaf of homemade bread, a clear plastic cane with M&M's and a can of Peanut Toffee in the kitchen, all "gifts" given to DW by her "loving" co-workers. (The bread given to her by a co-worker who's constantly talking about weight and comparing herself to the rest of the women in the office. Sabotage? Hells yeah.)

I know I won't eat them, I'm confident of my ability not to. But the actual food being here isn't the problem. It's what the constant awareness of the food does - makes me think of foods that I have much more difficulty avoiding. That image in my head of eating a whole apple pie by myself was caused by this kind of thing - having to sit around food I can't eat and put up with the awareness.

The good news is, working hard at this is paying off - about a week ago, I think I mentioned my sudden "flab factor". I got on the bike and got on the walking route and after a week, I'm seeing some progress back to where I should be. Now I've got more then one pair of pants I can button up, but the ones that have shrunk in the wash, I still can't button those.

I'll get there. Tomorrow is my last day at work in 2015 and I'll at-least be away from the food terrorists at work. I've got a LOT to do at home to prepare for the holiday, that should keep me plenty busy, and I'll keep checking in here to the thread for more fellowship.

Hang in there, all. We're gonna get through this and come out the other side looking and feeling better than ever before!!!

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #779 on: December 18, 2015, 07:01:31 AM »
Well, he doesn't have anything as severe as that going on.  He's 41 and I'm sure he'd love to lose 10#, but then I have a little spare padding as well.  His dad is a total trainwreck, so he's pretty careful to rein it in if he notices that he's gaining weight as he doesn't want to end up like that.  I'm not concerned, since he eats almost everything I eat and exercises religiously. I was more posting to let Kiwi know how slow things can go.  I've been on the paleo path for a couple years now and yeah, it's better to just lead by example than it is to preach and judge.  I'm just getting more serious about it as time goes by.

Sounds to me like you guys have a handle on it and just need to stay the course. I sure as hell hope Trainwreck Dad gets his act together, and soon.

Quote
We just got Dish (facepunch) and watched a show "The Men Who Made Us Fat" last night and the show host, who looked to be a normal weight, got an MRI that revealed that he had 2x the expected amount of fat around his organs even though he had normal subcutaneous fat.  I think that part was a little shocking to DH and he was thinking he could be that guy (I could be that girl).  It's a series that he set to record for me.  Worth watching if anyone has access to it.

Just now checked it out - I googled it and looks like you can see each of the three episodes on Vimeo? (I didn't try it, I'm at work right now....) I wonder if they talk about Ancel Keys and the "Seven Countries Study"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancel_Keys

I think Ancel was a pretty smart fellow, but I also think US government and agribusiness latched onto his studies and turned them into US nutritional policy intended to sell grain, bread and other low cost carb-laden foods, which was a very bad idea.

Yeah, the subcutaneous fat still worries me. My ultimate weight/fitness goal is intended to ensure I do away with any of that.

Probably what you meant, but it's the visceral fat that's the real problem hanging in there, hugging the organs and increasing the chance of diabetes.  That explains why many "normal" weight people are still a bit thick around the middle and nowhere else.  That seems to be what the SAD diet does to people who don't actually end up obese.   I did notice, even though I gained a bit on W30, that it went more on my hips than on my belly, which is a little different than my weight gain pattern in the past.

Anyway, if you get a chance, the series is worthwhile to watch.  And yes, it does tread a lot of the same ground about Ancel Keys and Dr. Yudkin.  Yudkin was discredited for writing Pure White and Deadly.  What the series says tracks pretty perfectly with Denise Minger's book Death by Food Pyramid.  Good fuel to the fire of not being a cog in the great political industrial food lobby advertising mega-business.  Thanks for the heads-up that they're on Vimeo; might just have to watch them that way.

Sorry people are foisting garbage food on you this time of year.  Any reason you guys can't just throw that stuff away?  Keep on fighting the good fight and enjoy your time off away from the food terrorists.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #780 on: December 18, 2015, 08:05:22 AM »
Probably what you meant, but it's the visceral fat that's the real problem hanging in there, hugging the organs and increasing the chance of diabetes.  That explains why many "normal" weight people are still a bit thick around the middle and nowhere else.  That seems to be what the SAD diet does to people who don't actually end up obese.   I did notice, even though I gained a bit on W30, that it went more on my hips than on my belly, which is a little different than my weight gain pattern in the past.

You're on it 100%. I have a little bit of the "deep abdominal fat" left over. It's coming off nicely, many thanks to the Bicycle Gods. :-) However, it's been extremely frustrating.

My dad's side of the family gets the deep abdominal fat to such a high degree, you would be shocked to see it. It's hard to believe a man can have their shape and sustain it for any amount of time, much less an entire lifetime.  They have all been heavy vehicle drivers all their lives, which is an occupation that kinda fuels their shape anyway.

What's hilarious is that they look at me with my bicycles and "desk job" and think of me as gay, or worse yet, less of a man in any number of ways. GFY rolls off my tongue fairly easily so they don't say it to my face any more. I wish I'd figured this shit out earlier and poked at them even more about it. They are on the express train to hell and need to hear a little bit of my fanatical foodology preaching.

Quote
Anyway, if you get a chance, the series is worthwhile to watch.  And yes, it does tread a lot of the same ground about Ancel Keys and Dr. Yudkin.  Yudkin was discredited for writing Pure White and Deadly.  What the series says tracks pretty perfectly with Denise Minger's book Death by Food Pyramid.  Good fuel to the fire of not being a cog in the great political industrial food lobby advertising mega-business.  Thanks for the heads-up that they're on Vimeo; might just have to watch them that way.

Preach it Sister. I hear...and obey. :-) :-) :-)

Quote
Sorry people are foisting garbage food on you this time of year.  Any reason you guys can't just throw that stuff away?  Keep on fighting the good fight and enjoy your time off away from the food terrorists.

You're kind to say so. Nothing out of the ordinary about it - my DW works in an office full of women and they can be hateful to each other in the most amazingly creative ways you can imagine. In this case, giving a fine loaf of bread to a woman who's been living Keto for 2 years is a typical Southern thing - the "smothering those you hate with love" kind of thing. Honestly, I'm a little surprised we've not had more of this to put up with this Christmas - I'd say things are clearly improving on the junk food front compared to prior years.

As for what we're stuck with right now, we've got several disposal options. We just needed a little bit of time to get it done and I was telling it in the thread just to point out to others that I don't sit in a protected ivory tower - I'm out here slugging it out with all the rest of you during the Dark Night of the Season.

Our optimal solution is to give the food away to anyone who needs it and doesn't have the lifestyle disease problems we do. I'd love to get the loaf of bread to a soup kitchen.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #781 on: December 19, 2015, 04:03:28 PM »
Hi all, have been holidaying with family in rural NZ without wifi. My mum made a big ground beef and veggies thing and I've been living in that. I usually like lots of food variety but I now suspect that makes me eat more because of the novelty factor
. When it's the same old thing it's fuel for when you ate hungry.  Lots of talk about food but everyone sitting in the moderation camp whilst complaining about spare tires around the waist. They all think I'm being too extreme. I have been reading Tim Ferriss' The Four Hour Chef which has a brief summary of his Slow carb diet which could be a good long term option. Basically no white carbs, no fruit, every meal is meat/egg, legumes and vege. The reintro of legumes could bring the cost down but there is still the anti nutrients thing. One 'cheat day' allowed. He gives some strategies for minimising the impact of cheat meals with exercise, supplements and tea (is this like your earn and burn, Faraday?). I'm going to get The Four Hour Body as I want to know more. Strangely I find it motivating as I'm trying to show my family a better way. They have enjoyed my cooking so far and I don't want to cheat as I'll lose my moral high ground -ha ha! Pants that I bought a month ago won't stay up without belt so I must be on the right track. Hope you are all doing well. Ks

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #782 on: December 19, 2015, 04:32:25 PM »
Wow! This thread is great.

I changed my diet a few years ago to Paleo-ish. The results were pretty amazing. I stuck to it for a couple months but just couldn't get enough calories in (due to the fact I never really felt hungry after I  went through carb withdrawal). I finally had to abort, but it did fundamentally change the way I look at food and what I eat. I felt so much better, and in ways I didn't expect. I should write about my diet experiment someday...

The other really interesting experience I had was not drinking for 6 months. For those regular drinkers, you never really understand the power of alcohol on our society until you step out of it. It was a little mind bending to be honest.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #783 on: December 19, 2015, 04:39:29 PM »
Welcome frugaldoc, we'd love to hear about your diet hacking and alcohol free experiences. I have gone from weekly drinking to virtually never drinking after having kids and I hear what you are saying. New Zealand has a really bad alcohol culture causing billions of dollars of harm but like crappy food - it's still a no go zone that people think should go unquestioned. Ks

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #784 on: December 19, 2015, 04:59:50 PM »
Welcome frugaldoc, we'd love to hear about your diet hacking and alcohol free experiences. I have gone from weekly drinking to virtually never drinking after having kids and I hear what you are saying. New Zealand has a really bad alcohol culture causing billions of dollars of harm but like crappy food - it's still a no go zone that people think should go unquestioned. Ks

Deal! Give me some time to ponder it and write it up properly. I'll return to the thread and let you know when it's done :)

Its been a while since I did the experiments and I need time to dig up my old notes on it and really reflect. This is a very meaningful topic to me and I want to do it justice. It was profound change though and many of the habits stuck.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #785 on: December 19, 2015, 05:21:07 PM »
Frugal doc-welcome to our little corner of MMM:-)

Kieisonya - sounds like you are doing so well! I loved your line about sticking to high moral ground:-)

I am excited to report that my bmi is down to 31.9 and I'm ALMOST just overweight instead of obese! Haha! That will be a happy day for me!

Interesting news with my daughter -- she completed her first Whole30 on Wednesday and went out for Thai food. She was sore and achy afterwords. Today she is away and had toast for breakfast and now ALL her joints hurt! Ankles, wrists, hips. Poor thing! But I'm so glad her and I have such clarity about what is going on. She is going to be very careful starting tonite when she arrives at her destination. She can't WAIT to have a salad and a chicken breadt. So thankful this was revealed to us while she is young.

Hubs is home for the holidays now and pulled out his juicer. Just made carrot apple orange. It's so good! I love that this has become a holidays tradition for him and the kids! And healthy one!

I noticed up thread that lots of you are happy to be home from work and all the crappy Christmas foods and treats your colleagues were bringing in. It kind of made me chuckle because as a stay at home mom, it's ME bringing crap into the house. I love to cook and bake and experiment with new recipes and discovered weeks ago, post Whole60 that I can't make that stuff right now (the fudge incident comes to mind).

Just had a monkey bowl and a big yummy beef stew is bubbling away in the oven made with my lovely grass-fed beef. Mmmm!

Hope everyone is doing well:-)

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #786 on: December 20, 2015, 11:38:13 AM »
Hello Everyone!

1967mama - You have been doing awesome, it is great to notice your triggers! Also awesome for getting the BMI down, it's a great feeling isn't it? I feel for your daughter! Sounds pretty similar to my experience. I am curious if it is the gluten, or something else in the wheat. I was reading some interesting articles about how some farmers use roundup right before harvest to kill the plants and increase the yields. Scary stuff. I would like to experiment for my own self-knowledge, but not until I can afford a couple of weeks to fee like crap.

KiwiSonya - Hope everything is going well at your parents and with your hubby!

Good tips, as always, Faraday :) Going to be packing a few extra foods to have easy access to over the holidays!

I've been feeling a little achy, inflamed and stiff over the last couple of days, and something gave me a weird rash on my chest. The only thing we had introduced were a few chickpeas. I am thinking it is a cumulative effect of a couple of different things (been having a bit more cheese in a couple of meals) and things like that. Normally, (before whole 30) I would say I have been eating really good, I couldn't imagine eating this well over the holidays (or ever!) but it seems to no be enough, so I am going back on plan.

I did hear something interesting the other day which was the 3 little words that would change your life - suppose to be a brain hack. Basically, your brain is easy to influence and will do what you say you want, regardless of if it is good or not. So by Saying "I Choose to" instead of "I Can't" it gets our brains in line.  And it might filter through to other people to...

Example: "I really want to have that Christmas cookie, but I can't" or " I choose not to have this cookie. I choose to feel awesome!"

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #787 on: December 20, 2015, 11:50:11 AM »
Welcome frugaldoc, we'd love to hear about your diet hacking and alcohol free experiences. I have gone from weekly drinking to virtually never drinking after having kids and I hear what you are saying. New Zealand has a really bad alcohol culture causing billions of dollars of harm but like crappy food - it's still a no go zone that people think should go unquestioned. Ks

Deal! Give me some time to ponder it and write it up properly. I'll return to the thread and let you know when it's done :)

Its been a while since I did the experiments and I need time to dig up my old notes on it and really reflect. This is a very meaningful topic to me and I want to do it justice. It was profound change though and many of the habits stuck.

That sounds great -- please post back!

1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #788 on: December 20, 2015, 08:35:23 PM »
Remember the fudge debacle a page back? Where I made fudge and ate some and then threw it in the freezer? Well I dug it out today for company and apparently it's my Achilles heel! So I stupidly ate about 5 pieces. It reminds me of Faraday and his imagined apple pie. Ridiculous! I know better and imagine I will feel like crap later. I already feel like crap, mentally. To add insult to injury, I hit my lowest weight on the scale yet, this morning and used the FIFTH holes on my belt buckle instead of the first. I can't really figure out why I'm sabatoging myself in this way. The company is actually still here and I'm upstairs having a break and typing this to all of you.

Also of interest: the company noticed my weight loss and were the first to comment on it. And there I am in the kitchen, sneaking fudge! D*mn Sugar Dragon is still very large for me :-/

Edit: typo

« Last Edit: December 21, 2015, 12:23:24 AM by 1967mama »

swick

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #789 on: December 20, 2015, 09:26:45 PM »
Also of interest: the company noticed my weight loss and were the first to comment on it. And there I am in the kitchen, sneaking fudge! Da*mn Sugar Dragon is still very large for me :-/

Another name for Sugar Dragon is Addiction. You might want to look at it as such, 1967mama.  Sugar is addicting on an emotional, psychological and physiological level. If it is that big of a struggle for you, you may want to look at some of the strategies beyond will power. Will power is in a finite resource that easily gets spent.

Don't forget, you are doing awesome! You have made amazing progress and we are all here to support you :)


The Happy Philosopher

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #790 on: December 21, 2015, 09:24:07 AM »
Also of interest: the company noticed my weight loss and were the first to comment on it. And there I am in the kitchen, sneaking fudge! Da*mn Sugar Dragon is still very large for me :-/

Another name for Sugar Dragon is Addiction. You might want to look at it as such, 1967mama.  Sugar is addicting on an emotional, psychological and physiological level. If it is that big of a struggle for you, you may want to look at some of the strategies beyond will power. Will power is in a finite resource that easily gets spent.

Don't forget, you are doing awesome! You have made amazing progress and we are all here to support you :)

Exactly. The reward pathways in the brain are similar to many highly addictive drugs. Sugar is addictive and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The problem is if we are addicted to cocaine it is feasible to just stop doing it. If we are addicted to sugar we still have to eat and will constantly be challenged by it.

Some strategies:
1. Get it out of your house. If you have to go buy it often times this is enough of a deterrent.
2. Pause before each bite. Eat slow and be deliberately mindful. Don't judge yourself or be ashamed, just mindful.
3. Replace the craving with something healthier but rewarding (listen to a favorite song, have some tea, whatever you love)
4. Breath and smile :)

PS: swick: I love your blog which I just discovered yesterday :)

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #791 on: December 21, 2015, 10:54:09 AM »
Remember the fudge debacle a page back? Where I made fudge and ate some and then threw it in the freezer? Well I dug it out today for company and apparently it's my Achilles heel! So I stupidly ate about 5 pieces. It reminds me of Faraday and his imagined apple pie. Ridiculous! I know better and imagine I will feel like crap later. I already feel like crap, mentally. To add insult to injury, I hit my lowest weight on the scale yet, this morning and used the FIFTH holes on my belt buckle instead of the first. I can't really figure out why I'm sabatoging myself in this way. The company is actually still here and I'm upstairs having a break and typing this to all of you.

Also of interest: the company noticed my weight loss and were the first to comment on it. And there I am in the kitchen, sneaking fudge! D*mn Sugar Dragon is still very large for me :-/

Some strategies:
1. Get it out of your house. If you have to go buy it often times this is enough of a deterrent.
2. Pause before each bite. Eat slow and be deliberately mindful. Don't judge yourself or be ashamed, just mindful.
3. Replace the craving with something healthier but rewarding (listen to a favorite song, have some tea, whatever you love)
4. Breath and smile :)

+1 to what frugaldoc says. We've gone over lots of strategies and replacement items, I like frugaldoc's quick summary (sometimes my verbosity really gets in the way. :-( :-) )

'67 and all;

I can easily imagine the feeling when you are sitting there with that fudge in front of you. You are trapped and there is no escape. No substitute foods handy or at the ready, nothing that can even come close to the potential feeling and reward of...The Fudge.

I propose that there is RIGHT AND WRONG way to cheat. DW and I discovered this and we believe it helps minimize the severity of the cheat. We reserve this for those times (unusual as they might be) that you simply have to cheat and can't get around it. Read what I've got to say and see if it makes sense. Constructive Criticism is absolutely welcome.

Wow...I got very verbose here. Please forgive me. I'll re-edit over time to try to lessen the verbage and sharpen the ponts....

Notes before I explain this:
1) It's not a method for breaking the eating lifestyle constantly. We use this once every six months for birthdays and Christmas Day. This is a method of last resort - when you are "pinned down" and see no other way around the Offending Food.
2) You must still EARN IT TO BURN IT. Exercise it off as quickly as possible.
3) Still try to use your go-to keto compliant foods to avoid the Bad Food.
4) Always get back on the wagon in full force after the cheat and stay strict afterward.
5) If there is some external thing that CAUSES you to cheat, you've got to identify and deal with THAT, too. Mom shows up and plops a pound of forbidden fruit in front of you? At some point, try to have a loving conversation with her about that. Boss makes you want to eat a container of ice cream? Figure out how to fix that problem and move forward from there. Kids dragging shitfood into the house? Gotta change that one too.

Here's the idea:

1) You identify and acknowledge beforehand whatever food it is you cannot resist.

You come to terms with that food by realizing it and accepting the weakness and the problem it presents. In other words, you spend time thinking about the food and visualizing it while it is not in front of you, while you are strong and while maintaining your correct eating style. Let the food be in your mind and don't work to cast it out. Let it serve as a motivator...let it serve as positive reinforcement for the next step below (2).

2) Schedule your EARN IT AND BURN IT ahead of time if possible. That's the best option. If you can't, schedule it after the cheat as soon as possible. This is practical if you are tracking both foods and exercise in LoseIt or MyFitnessPal.

3) When the time comes to consume the food, get the smallest reasonable portion of it that you can. BEWARE: YOU decide that. Not mom or spouse or kids or anyone. If mom drops a big 'ol slices of cake in front of you, PLAN to eat the smallest portion that can satisfy the craving and not one bite more. Plan to purposefully waste as much as possible if you are given some insane portion.

4) Take that first bite and make it last as long as possible.

5) PROHIBIT  YOURSELF from feeling the guilt while you eat. We're gonna be honest about our cheating and not try to make up for it by letting the guilt come on quickly. GUILT does not clear us of the cheat, it's only the "flag" that we are cheating. That's the only purpose the guilt can serve.

6) GET INTO THE MOMENT as you eat the cheat food. The Buddhists talk about "being in the moment". It's vitally important that you BE IN THE MOMENT as you cheat. If you are gonna cheat...DO IT IN FULLNESS, don't quickly ram down mass quantities of the forbidden food in secret. Get ONE PIECE. Don't ram it down and swallow as quickly as you can. Deny the urge to rapidly swallow.

7) CHALLENGE YOURSELF to make the tiny portion last as long as possible. Focus on your mouth and having a small, small bite in your mouth. Let the taste and texture persist in your mouth and truly experience what the bite FEELS LIKE.  Make each and every bite last as long as possible. The purpose is to wring as much pleasure out of the smallest possible portion!!!!!

ALERT: NO DISTRACTIONS ALLOWED while you are eating the cheat food. Don't talk, don't get up, don't move around, don't call down the kids, don't respond to anything. Anyone who tries to engage you in talking is interrupting your "cheat moment".

8) You don't have to engage anyone in discussion about your cheat. You don't have to justify, you don't have to talk about it. If someone wants to and tries, just smile at them as you have the food in your mouth. (I have indeed done this and it's not as rude as it might seem.)

9) When done, don't sit there like a toad. Get up, remove the plate and utensils, put them in the sink or the dishwasher or whatever. After all, you are DONE, right? Change the context and move forward with the social event, whatever it is. Go back to your compliant foods/drink immediately if you can't get up and go exercise. Tea, cola, water, whatever.

WHY IN HELL AM I TELLING YOU "HOW TO CHEAT"? Because there ARE times when we all get pinned down and can't escape, don't have our go-to foods, are stressed in the moment or some unusual circumstance that's forcing us into a scenario we aren't prepared to deal with.

You might say "WTF Faraday?!?!? I'm a sugar addict, can't you tell?" Well, that depends. If you fall off the wagon and can't get back on, ok, you are a sugar addict. In that case, you haven't changed your eating lifestyle and you aren't gonna change based on anything I say.

BUT: if you are successfully living your chosen eating lifestyle and you get pinned down, you have one of two choices:
a) Don't cheat. In that case, congratulations!
b) You know you are gonna cheat and can't stop it. In that case, SIN PROPERLY. Don't try to "buffer the sin" with guilt or eating fast or anything that minimizes the event. Let the event happen, and TEST YOURSELF to see HOW SMALL OF AN AMOUNT WILL PROVIDE SATISFACTION.

What happens when you do it this way? Your cheats get smaller and fewer, not larger and more frequent. My cheats are damn near ridiculously small compared to what they used to be and they get smaller and smaller with time. I use to ram down 3 or 4 pints of stout without thinking about it and without feeling truly satisfied. Now I can do a six ounce pour and be happy with what I get from it.  Now I can eat a slender little petite "woman's slice" of cake and be extremely satisfied. (Cake isn't my cheat food, but you get the idea. My machismo is no longer tied up in how big of a piece of cake I can eat....)

Please, let's discuss this - please tell me what you think.

Christmas Day is coming, for us poor unfortunates in Christian Society. That's the deepest, darkest hour of The Season of Insanity.

Your objective is to make it through the holiday and into New Year's Day without having to make some resolution that's different than the Eating Lifestyle you have already been living this year.

If you have to "double down" on what you are already doing, then OK, you do that. But you've already had the experience of doing it, it's not something new. You are battle-hardened and ready for action, ready to hit the new year even harder than you ever did before, and you know you will not fail.

The bright morning of the End of the Season is coming. Jan 1, everyone in the world will be scrambling to un-do the damage.

For men, it'll be "getting back to the gym" and getting rid of that big 'ol Buddha belly. ARRR ARRR ARRR....

For you ladies in the northern hemisphere, bikinis will be showing up in stores, when: February or maybe March? Just in time to smack you upside the face, right?

Don't fuck up now, you've come too far. Don't generate a "belly" to get rid of. Don't buy yourself swimsuit shame in February. Don't set yourself up to lose hope and give in to the 2.5lb heart-shaped box of fine chocolates.

In January and February, WE won't be "undoing damage". We will simply be continuing the lifestyle we have already been living.

« Last Edit: December 21, 2015, 12:19:09 PM by Faraday »

swick

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #792 on: December 21, 2015, 11:05:02 AM »
Also of interest: the company noticed my weight loss and were the first to comment on it. And there I am in the kitchen, sneaking fudge! Da*mn Sugar Dragon is still very large for me :-/

Another name for Sugar Dragon is Addiction. You might want to look at it as such, 1967mama.  Sugar is addicting on an emotional, psychological and physiological level. If it is that big of a struggle for you, you may want to look at some of the strategies beyond will power. Will power is in a finite resource that easily gets spent.

Don't forget, you are doing awesome! You have made amazing progress and we are all here to support you :)

Exactly. The reward pathways in the brain are similar to many highly addictive drugs. Sugar is addictive and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The problem is if we are addicted to cocaine it is feasible to just stop doing it. If we are addicted to sugar we still have to eat and will constantly be challenged by it.

Some strategies:
1. Get it out of your house. If you have to go buy it often times this is enough of a deterrent.
2. Pause before each bite. Eat slow and be deliberately mindful. Don't judge yourself or be ashamed, just mindful.
3. Replace the craving with something healthier but rewarding (listen to a favorite song, have some tea, whatever you love)
4. Breath and smile :)

PS: swick: I love your blog which I just discovered yesterday :)

Awesome tips, frugaldoc!  The mindfulness and noticing your thoughts/feelings and associations as you are eating are super important! And, thanks for the feedback, always appreciate hearing that people enjoy the blog :)

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #793 on: December 21, 2015, 11:46:43 AM »
Remember the fudge debacle a page back? Where I made fudge and ate some and then threw it in the freezer? Well I dug it out today for company and apparently it's my Achilles heel! So I stupidly ate about 5 pieces. It reminds me of Faraday and his imagined apple pie. Ridiculous! I know better and imagine I will feel like crap later. I already feel like crap, mentally. To add insult to injury, I hit my lowest weight on the scale yet, this morning and used the FIFTH holes on my belt buckle instead of the first. I can't really figure out why I'm sabatoging myself in this way. The company is actually still here and I'm upstairs having a break and typing this to all of you.

Also of interest: the company noticed my weight loss and were the first to comment on it. And there I am in the kitchen, sneaking fudge! D*mn Sugar Dragon is still very large for me :-/

Edit: typo

I'm in the same battle right now 1967mama!  I have a tradition with my friends to have a Christmas cookie baking day, and I kept with the tradition this year, knowing it would be a huge challenge for me to say no to the sweets.  And.....I didn't say no.  Luckily only a few friends could make it this year, so the cookies are already out of the house (we all give a lot of them away to friends).  But, unfortunately it has sparked that Sugar Dragon again.

I'm in total agreement that sugar is an addiction. It's really made me soul-search more to understand my triggers better.  A big part is that I'm still out of my usual rhythm with cooking and working out.  Also, this time of the year triggers a lot of hurt from my divorce, with my ex-husband leaving me right after Christmas, and then the divorce being final on Christmas Eve the following year.  How's that for a Christmas present two years in a row?! But, I've grown a lot in the past years, and I can't let this be an excuse any longer.

After I slip up, I often come to this thread with a plan in mind, and honestly I don't have one right now, other than knowing that I will be starting another round on January 1.  From now until then, I'll take it one meal, one day at a time. Using Swift's post from earlier, "I choose to" NOT eat any sugar today.  Because I can do it!

And of course I can't go without saying congrats on the company noticing your weight loss 1967mama

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #794 on: December 21, 2015, 12:35:05 PM »
.... this time of the year triggers a lot of hurt from my divorce, with my ex-husband leaving me right after Christmas, and then the divorce being final on Christmas Eve the following year.  How's that for a Christmas present two years in a row?! But, I've grown a lot in the past years, and I can't let this be an excuse any longer.

mom22boys, I had one of those. God, I was pathetically heartbroken. It happened at a painfully early age. Anyone remember the John Travolta poster from "Saturday Night Fever"? I was forever waking-up from nightmares of turning 40 and still looking for new love in dance clubs dressed in a white suit and pants like he wore in that movie.

It's one hell of a funny thing to remember right now. But anger at losing the minutes of my life to that bullshit is what drove me out of it. (I guess I'm showing a pattern here of using anger for success, eh? :-) )

The reward is that I'm 10x the father and husband I was then.

Just like cheat foods, life presents us with a binary choice: We either learn from it and become better human beings from it, or we let it beat us and spend the rest of our lives talking about it and feeling neurotic and inferior from it.

Quote
A big part is that I'm still out of my usual rhythm with cooking and working out.

You are correct: that rhythm is where your strength lies. Go to it and find the refuge it promises.

Quote
After I slip up, I often come to this thread with a plan in mind, and honestly I don't have one right now, other than knowing that I will be starting another round on January 1.  From now until then, I'll take it one meal, one day at a time. Using Swift's post from earlier, "I choose to" NOT eat any sugar today.  Because I can do it!

Perfect. But if you are waiting till Jan1 to restart the eating lifestyle, at least try to get something of your known-good rhythm back before then. Cooking, working out, whatever. You need it most when you can do it the least.

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And of course I can't go without saying congrats on the company noticing your weight loss 1967mama!

'67 is kicking ass, yes. So is '67daughter too, I hear! :-)
« Last Edit: December 21, 2015, 12:37:31 PM by Faraday »

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #795 on: December 21, 2015, 12:46:56 PM »
What happens when you do it this way? Your cheats get smaller and fewer, not larger and more frequent. My cheats are damn near ridiculously small compared to what they used to be and they get smaller and smaller with time. I use to ram down 3 or 4 pints of stout without thinking about it and without feeling truly satisfied. Now I can do a six ounce pour and be happy with what I get from it.  Now I can eat a slender little petite "woman's slice" of cake and be extremely satisfied. (Cake isn't my cheat food, but you get the idea. My machismo is no longer tied up in how big of a piece of cake I can eat....)


I think this is true and something to look forward to.  Saturday night I decided to indulge in my first beer in about seven weeks.  In fact, I didn't set out to limit myself to one, but I poured a nice Imperial stout into a frosty mug and enjoyed it while cooking dinner.  And to my surprise, as delicious as it was, I had no desire for another one, and the idea of feeling bloated from a second beer just seemed completely off-putting. 

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #796 on: December 21, 2015, 09:09:07 PM »
I all. Sorry to hear about the fudge incident 1967mama. I'm reluctantly admitting to sugar addiction too. One piece of fruit/dried fruit and I'm looking for the next thing, hungry or not. It's a kicker because the fruit around is amazing here. We went to a berry farm and picked fresh raspberries,  boysenberries and strawberries for Christmas.  Luckily berries aren't binge inducing for me but bananas and other fruit are. I'm doing ok, a few situations where I hadn't adequately prepared -like helping my sister sand the outside.of her house for painting and only took a small lunch - doh! Have found it a revelation to eat the same healthy breakfast every day - on day 6 of ground beef and vege with chili sauce and still enjoying it. This knowledge could really make my life much easier.  Thanks for cheat management tips , Faraday, you're awesome.  Ks

Faraday

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #797 on: December 22, 2015, 12:09:44 AM »
I think this is true and something to look forward to.  Saturday night I decided to indulge in my first beer in about seven weeks.  In fact, I didn't set out to limit myself to one, but I poured a nice Imperial stout into a frosty mug and enjoyed it while cooking dinner.  And to my surprise, as delicious as it was, I had no desire for another one, and the idea of feeling bloated from a second beer just seemed completely off-putting.

Wholly Krappe horsepoor...that's damn near a sexy visual you gave me there: sipping an Imperial Stout while cooking dinner?!?! Wow...slinky nice.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #798 on: December 22, 2015, 12:08:19 PM »
1967mama ~ Great advice from everyone. I especially agree with throwing the fudge out or giving it all away, if you know it is your achille's heel. Mine is Doritos, of all things -- I can't eat just a handful, it's going to be at least half the bag in one sitting or more. I just can't keep them in the house at all, and that's okay!

I wanted to add one more thing ~ please don't be too hard on yourself. It's all part of the journey and consider it a learning experience. And it sounds like it didn't completely derail you, which is a victory in my book. Maybe you needed this "slip up" to realize how far you have come. Sending you a virtual hug.

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Re: Whole-30 Started as a challange, now an awesome group. Want to join us?
« Reply #799 on: December 22, 2015, 12:19:27 PM »
1967mama ~ Great advice from everyone. I especially agree with throwing the fudge out or giving it all away, if you know it is your achille's heel. Mine is Doritos, of all things -- I can't eat just a handful, it's going to be at least half the bag in one sitting or more. I just can't keep them in the house at all, and that's okay!

I wanted to add one more thing ~ please don't be too hard on yourself. It's all part of the journey and consider it a learning experience. And it sounds like it didn't completely derail you, which is a victory in my book. Maybe you needed this "slip up" to realize how far you have come. Sending you a virtual hug.
If your weakness is Doritos then never, ever try eating them with cream cheese. You will wake up with an empty bag and a new addiction.

*reformed Doritos and cream cheese addict.