at348am

So, before I get to my question, here's a little background on how I got to this point: I started eating paleo about a year ago, but I have had a lot of issues with slipping back into my old SAD ways for stretches of time. When I was younger, I lost a lot of weight by restricting my calories to 1200/day but my diet mostly consisted of lite and fit yogurts, kashi go lean cereal, salad with salsa and sliced lunch meat. Thinking about that now makes me cringe. Needless to say, that didn't last and I gained the weight back. One thing that did stick with me from that time in my life however, was a fear of/obsession with calories. I also have a history of binge eating and compulsive overeating. When I started Paleo, I struggled for a while because I was trying to count calories and that left me hungry all the time. Eventually I figured out that calorie counting is a major issue for me because it makes me obsessive, and plagued with guilt when I eat "too much". Last summer I completed the Insanity workout while maintaining an estimated 80/20 paleo diet. I lost about 30 lbs and gained a little muscle tone. Then I slipped into a month long episode of steady overeating and a SAD diet (don't look at me! I'm hideous!) Since then, I've completed two very successful whole30's but each time I completed one, I came barreling out into another month or more of aggressive SAD eating that basically undid all of my hard work on whole30. I enjoy completing whole30's and I love eating paleo. However, I've found that while I can be restrictive in my diet, the second I give myself any leeway, I crash hard. I am about two weeks into my second round of insanity, and I am trying very hard to keep my diet at least mostly paleo. What I am struggling with now, and what I am look for advice on, is how to find a healthy balance in my diet and my life. I am trying to lose another 15ish pounds, but since I have been doing insanity and cleaning up my diet, I haven't seen/felt any real progress. I know that some people count calories on paleo, and I am wondering if I should consider it despite my past calorie counting issues. In addition, I will admit that I could stand to tighten up my diet quite a bit, as I am still drinking and indulging in non-paleo foods occasionally, including one bad night when I binged on half a bag of sun chips, two cookies, several handfuls of cookie crisp cereal and some paleo things. But I am having a hard time finding a balance between paleo and non-paleo indulgences. I have guilt when I eat non-paleo foods, but I also feel like it is unrealistic for me to think I am going to be able to eat all paleo, all the time.

Yeah, I was thinking about doing the same thing, but I was considering only going for one week rather than two. The ridiculous part is that I have been having a hard time committing to starting again because even though I have been feeling so gross, I feel like I'm not ready to go back on whole30 again. I went through this one with a good amount of gusto, but I was starting to feel pretty burned out at the end. I've noticed a couple things in myself this last week; even though I have done an exponentially better job at keeping my cool (and not diving face first into ALL THE THINGS!) post whole30, I've noticed that I've been letting little treats have slowly sneak in. I made a stew that called for wine, so naturally I had some wine with dinner. I bought a big 70% cacao chili chocolate bar last wednesday, and where I had only 1 small piece in the first three days, I have had two of those same sized pieces in the last two days. plus more wine. and a couple hot toddies at night because I've been sick. Then I made (compliant, but still) blackberry macaroons and I found myself seriously considering the consequences of eating all of them last night. I also ate a baguette with my pho that I got at school today. I didn't get noodles in it though, so I was doing good. then he asked me if I wanted the bread. I thought about it, I wanted to say no, but I did it anyway. and then I thought maybe I would just have a small bite. and now its gone. So, yeah. I'm already feeling attached to these little "treats" (even though they are at least partially related to my gastrointestinal discomfort) and I'm having a hard time grappling with the idea of going fully clean again so soon. This is probably a great reason for me to do it. Even right now I've been sitting here thinking about getting something from the V-day bake sale I have to walk past in a few minutes. I think another whole(7-14) is probably in order. I just don't know if I can muster up the willpower to make it happen again so soon. What about you? when do you think you'll start again, if that's what you decide to do?

So, its been one week since I ended my whole30, and I have been basically miserable the entire time after my unfortunate trial run with dairy on the first day of reintroduction, out of pure stubbornness I added a few shreds of cheese on my steak and eggs for breakfast the next morning. No big surprise, I felt horrible afterward. The next day I was really sick with chest congestion - I stayed home from work even. I ate a lot of food though and everything was compliant other than a hot toddy I made with brandy before bed so that I could sleep. I barely even got out of bed but I don't remember my stomach being too terribly upset. The next day I stayed compliant as well, but then I was wanting something sweet after dinner. I didn't have much in the house, so I ended up making a "smoothie" with blackberries, coconut milk, a little honey, unsweetened cocoa powder and ice. I drank it and my stomach got messed up immediately. I had two almost instant bathroom trips, and then I proceeded to puke. Not sure why, as I've never had a problem with any of these particular ingredients. The following day (sunday) I ate compliant and didn't have any particular issues, although my stomach was not feeling entirely peachy either. On monday I left without packing a lunch, so I decided to try out some more reintro. I got a panini with turkey, bacon and herb mayo. I ate all the meat, but only half the bread. I got bloated and gassy but didn't feel as bad as when I ate the cheese. Today I was also unprepared. I ate a banana and coffee with heavy cream for breakfast with no issues. Then I was in a pinch (and starving) so I had a gluten free chocolate muffin. No issues there, but a little later I ended up getting a small cup of soup (that had cheese in it) and half of a turkey sandwich with brie and cranberry sauce on wheat toast. As soon as I was done I burped some of it back up. (is that considered puking? I don't know, but it was really gross...) and then I proceeded to get completely bloated and gross again. I tell you're thinking, don't be stupid, its obviously the cheese. I don't know why I am being so stubborn about this. Another ongoing thing is that I have had the most wretched gas all week. but the thing is, the bad gas started two days before I finished whole30. I think that is part of the reason I keep thinking maybe the discomfort is being caused by something else. The only other thing I could think of that might be causing the gas is the fact that I have been eating more bananas than normal for about the last 10 days. All I know is that I have been feeling mostly horrible for most of the last week. It seems pretty obvious (especially when I lay it out like this) that the cheese is the major culprit and I am starting to think that the bananas are the cause of the bad gas (since that started before I reintroduced cheese). But it also seems like I am getting bloated after almost every meal now, whether its compliant or not. Basically I am feeling like everything I eat is affecting me negatively. Its frustrating and I don't really know what to do about it.

I will keep you guys updated. I'm kind of struggling right now because I have a serious habit of eating comfort foods when I feel bad - so right now all I want to do is eat all of the things I cut out last month. Even with all the cheese talk, you know what the first thing I wanted to eat this morning was? pizza. I'm pretty certain that pizza won't make me feel better. The other thing I've been wanting this morning is frozen yogurt or something equally sweet and cold like ice cream or sorbet. and I keep telling myself, I'm sick. I feel really crappy, and therefore, I should get to eat whatever I want without worrying about it. I can get it all sorted out when I feel better. :/ ugh. old habits die hard.

right devyn? That's what I kept thinking. Milk I can do without honestly, it isn't going to devastate me if I can't do dairy but I do really like cheese and I would like to be able to have a little every now and then if I can. It turns out I'm actually pretty damn sick, and my stomach is having issues all on its own, with or without food so I am going to just eat for survival right now and then try reintroduction again when I feel better. I'll probably start with gluten containing grains though, and wait until the end to try dairy again. Since I'm already a little weary of dairy after these last couple days.

Help! I need some advice on reintroduction. wednesday was my first day post whole30, and I decided to reintroduce dairy, as the protocol outlines. The trouble is, I started getting sick on monday which gave me a little upset stomach, and a lot of chest and nasal congestion. So I had some heavy cream in my coffee - it made me a little phlegmy, but then again, that could have been from the cold. otherwise there was no problem. Then I was at wholefoods and I was offered a sample of two kinds of cheeses. I tried them both - very small slices. I got heartburn almost immediately and my stomach felt pretty uncomfortable (bloated and gas) for about an hour. When I got home, I got dinner started, but because it was still several hours away, I decided that I would try the organic greek yogurt with honey that I bought. The honey was so sweet! I hardly had any honey, but the yogurt seemed to make me a little phlegmy and a little bloated. no heart burn though, and not as bad as the cheese. For dinner I had spaghetti squash with marinara, chicken and a little shredded romano cheese - I was bloated, gassy and uncomfortable for the rest of the night. Today I had heavy cream in my coffee again and I didn't have any stomach problems with that. for breakfast I had steak fried in coconut oil with eggs, salsa and a little cheese with some kale salad on the side. It made me feel terrible - heartburn, baaad bloating, headache, the works. on a discomfort level of 1-10 I estimated between 7-8. I made the kale salad on monday though, so I thought maybe that could have been the culprit because its getting a little old (it has kale, orange juice, mustard, red onions, cabbage, and balsamic vinegar.) Finally, I just had left over squash with chicken and marinara (same thing I had for dinner last night, minus the cheese) It did make me a little burpy and bloated tonight even without the cheese, but I would say on a discomfort scale 1-10 I am about a 3. (gah, that was really a lot. SORRY!!) So what I'm struggling with is that it seems like dairy is making me feel pretty bad - cheese especially - but I feel like no matter what I do the results will be inconclusive because of the fact that my stomach was already touchy from being sick. I'm having a very hard time deciding if my symptoms are food related or cold related. should I go back to whole30 for a few days and then try it again when I feel better or should I just mark dairy down as a no-go and start in with trying gluten containing grains?

I know that having undefined goals is always a problem, and I tried to make sure to make very clear goals at the start of this challenge. Quitting coffee was something that I had set out to do initially, and I did make a very clear plan for weening myself off of it. The problem there was that I simply chose not to follow the plan. But the coffee is relatively minor. I think its just that I have started nit-picking myself as I get closer to the end of the challenge, like you mentioned. That could also be the reason I was thinking about giving up fruit and nuts for a little while. The fruit and nuts are indeed something that I am thinking about as I'm getting closer to finishing the challenge (rather than a goal I had from the beginning). The reason I am thinking about omitting them for my (additional) final week is because I feel that I have been using fruit and nuts as a stand-in for the high sugar, processed treats that I was eating in the past, and while eating an apple with almond butter is certainly a better choice than getting a shake from BK, I feel like I am missing a major point of whole30 if I simply substitute regular treats with paleo-fied foods that serve the same purpose - to satisfy a craving. for instance, I have been sick for the last two days and all I want to do is indulge in a treat to help me feel better. I was thinking about getting some mineral water and 100% fruit juice (even though it is recommended to avoid fruit juices on whole30) and then I was thinking maybe I'll just have a lara bar, or make a smoothie with strawberries, almond butter and coconut milk. Those things can all be argued to be whole30 approved, but I know that its just me eating something because I feel like crap. and I know I shouldn't do that. When I get done with whole30 I know I will be allowing myself little treats and cheats every once in a while, and I feel like I'll be shooting for an 80/20 diet, just like you said. I'm just concerned because based on my last whole30, once the restrictions are removed, I have a hard time saying no to treats and suddenly every treat is my favorite treat, and I start thinking I deserve one every day. Both whole30s I have found myself at the end feeling like I could have done better, rather than feeling like I accomplished something great. Last time I had to try to talk myself into believing that I had accomplished anything at all. I'm not sure why I struggle with this, but perhaps you're right. I have been going into these thinking that "finish whole30 without any cheats" is a perfectly clear and defined goal, and perhaps for the first time through it is. But maybe I could complete my whole30 with a better sense of accomplishment if I set a goal more like "during this whole30 I will not have anything as a dessert", or "during this whole30 I will limit my intake of fruit and nuts to one serving of either (but not both) per day" or even "for this whole30 I will eat at least 4 cups of different veggies per day". thanks for helping me talk through this.

I started my second whole30 on the 7th, so I am only two days away from my official last day. I've had a very successful month with no cheats and I am feeling pretty good. woohoo! But I am also feeling a little lost. I don't really feel like I want to keep going on indefinitely like they say some people do, but I do feel unsure about how much progress I've actually made and how exactly I am going to transition back into a paleo lifestyle. I am still having cravings and I am still showing signs of disordered eating. The night before last I found myself in the kitchen with all the fridge and the cupboard doors open trying to figure out what ELSE I could eat. I was NOT hungry. I ended up eating an apple and almond butter, but I ended up back in the kitchen again after that. I was able to convince myself to gtfo and go to bed, but it scared me a little that I even found myself there in the first place. I also had intended to quit drinking coffee during this 6 week challenge, but that has not happened. turns out I love (and am undoubtedly addicted to) coffee. So I've been having peaks and dips in my energy levels, which I assume are due to the coffee, but I think that the coffee might also be inhibiting my ability to get a clear picture of how the food I am eating makes me feel. Another thing I've noticed is that I have been eating more fruits and nuts as I get closer to the end of the challenge. For this reason, I am considering adding another week to my challenge without fruit or nuts. At the end of my last whole30 I went off the rails completely and ending up eating far worse than I had been eating pre-whole30 for 2 solid months. I think I'm afraid to end up doing that again. o.O I had these kinds of mixed emotions near the end of my last whole30 also. I guess I just don't quite know how to put them to good use.

Oh my. That is really a hard question to answer. When I did my last whole30 someone I work with had a going away party at work and everyone was eating ice cream cake. it was the 28th day of my challenge and I decided to say no. The reason I passed is because even though I was so close to the end, I knew that if I allowed myself to eat the cake I would feel like I let myself down by not making it all the way through the challenge. That is just me personally however, and you may very easily have different feelings about that. You said you aren't very into sushi so I take it you probably are also not into sashimi? If the hosts are well versed in sushi making they may very well have some nice pieces of fish that you could ask to have by themselves (not rolled). I'm not a huge fan of sashimi, but this could present a good opportunity for you to be adventurous. I think if I were in your situation, I would make sure to eat first and then go for the social aspect. Maybe you could bring a bottle of mineral water with you so you can have something to drink that isn't alcoholic, and keep your eyes open for any food that might be ok for you to eat. I know how hard it is to pay for something like that and then let it go to waste, but if the cost went to a fundraiser then whether you eat or not, the money has not gone to waste. I try to make sure that whole30 (and paleo) doesn't get in the way of my social life, because if it does I know I won't be able to stick to it. But on the other hand, you have to be able to figure out how to maintain your healthy eating habits in the face of temptation. I know if I say eff it, and eat whatever I want "because it's a special occasion" then I start finding a lot of special occasions. lol. best of luck to you, whatever it is you decide to do

yay! I started on the 7th and I am really close! I've been getting a little dependent on fruit though, and I'm thinking about adding an extra week with no fruits and nuts just so I can end on a good note. Big congratulations to you princessheather! Have you figured out how you are going to reintroduce dairy yet? I didn't do the reintroduction after my last whole30 and that was a big mistake on my part, so I want to do it better this time around

Hi lilhotduckie! of course you're welcome to join, however, this thread has been moved to the accountabilibuddies forum and the link to that thread is posted a little while back on here. So come on over! people have shared a lot of good recipes over there already

Hi all! So, I am on day 22 of my second whole30. This one has been much different than my first, and I have definitely learned some valuable lessons, but... but I feel like I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked to so far. By progress I mean, I am still having some gastrointestinal issues like gas and bloating, and I am not feeling nearly as full of energy as everyone seems to say they are at this point. I have learned though that I am sensitive to cauliflower, and that I still have some work to do on breaking that age old tradition of eating something sweet after dinner. I have had fruit allergies my whole life that tend to wax and wane a bit, and I seem to be more able to eat fruit these days than I was even just last year. I'm even thinking about trying avocados again! Another thing I have re-learned (I say this because I've known for a while, but I tend to conveniently" forget" so I don't have to address the issue) is that I have a habit of eating when my stomach is upset. I think this stems from when I was young and lived with my grandmother. She had chronic stomach issues (that were never diagnosed as anything) but she would always tell me to drink a glass of milk when I had a stomach ache. She cured everything with food, and so, I learned to do the same thing. That concept is a MAJOR player in my overeating problem because when I over eat it makes my stomach hurt, and then I feel like I should eat something to try to make it feel better. its a pretty gnarly cycle really. But over eating aside, last night something in my dinner made my stomach hurt really bad and without even really thinking about it, I decided the way to fix the problem was to eat an apple and almond butter (even though I was bloated and gross feeling, and should have in no way wanted to eat more). Then I realized what had just happened. I think I do that pretty often. I know I'm not done with my whole30 yet, and there is still a lot that can change and be learned in 10 days, but because I'm still experiencing stomach upset and fatigue, I'm thinking about extending my whole30 for at least another week just to see if I can get to a place where I feel like I've made a significant change. I'm also wondering if there is something else in my diet that is the culprit of my health woes.

Thanks for the ketchup recipe! I'll check it out when I get home tonight. As for the ground beef, I got it out of the case at wholefoods, so there wasn't any kind of expiration date or anything. The garlic and the onions I used in the sauce had both started to sprout a little - guess that's what happens when you buy veggies on the cheap- and I pulled the green part out of the onion, but didn't bother with the garlic because I was feeling lazy. So, I don't know what happened, but something that I ate last night really did a number on my stomach. I am still paying for it as we speak. I stubbornly packed the meatballs for lunch, but I am feeling nervous about trying to eat them I don't really want to inflict that kind of gastrointestinal stress on myself (or my classmates, lol) while I'm at school. :/

So I'm a little disappointed... I went shopping on wednesday and bought some grass fed brisket and 2 lbs of grass fed beef from whole foods. I made one lb of beef into burgers (that were great) but I cooked the brisket in the crockpot, and I got stuck at work longer than I expected so when I got home the meat was completely dry. It was more like brisket jerky. I had the other ground beef in a zip lock bag in the fridge, but last night it was starting to get brown already. I opened it up and it smelled a little... less than fresh I guess. I put in in the freezer since I didn't have time to cook it until tonight. I thawed it out on defrost in the microwave and made it into meatballs with sauce, but they made my stomach hurt pretty bad and gave me really icky burps. Do you think the meat could have spoiled in 2 days?! I browned the meatballs for at least 15 or 20 minutes and then I let them cook in the sauce for another 10 or 15 minutes because I wanted to make sure they got done. I'm just disappointed because I finally decided to buy high quality meat and I messed it up. I'll eat the brisket, even though its not great, but I'm a little worried about the meatballs. They were meant to also be my lunch for school tomorrow. I ate a big portion of roasted brussels sprouts, which may have contributed to the upset stomach, but I keep feeling like my burps taste kind of like the meat smelled before I put it in the freezer. I don't want to risk making myself sick, but I really don't want to waste the food, plus, I don't have anything else to take to school for lunch tomorrow. ugh. this is not ideal.

Oh my goodness you guys, I found this kale salad that I like A LOT! I had some at wholefoods the other day when I forgot to take a lunch with me and I came straight home and looked up the recipe so I could make some for myself. (its a lot cheaper when you make it at home! lol) http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/rainbow-kale-slaw Sooo good! it makes a pretty big batch. I used walnuts instead of sunflower seeds because I couldn't find any that weren't roasted in soy bean or canola oil.