Thread: Whole30 - first ever attempt.

I've been doing SW since June and lost 4 stone so far but I'm still struggling with some cravings and emotional eating. I've been reading up and flirting with a paleo type eating plan for a while now but have decided to commit and give the whole 30 a go.
I love the idea and it's more the chance of failing than not wanting to do it that has stopped me. I've been using the excuse of Christmas and my birthday to stop myself from commiting to this but what the hell - I'm going to give this a go.
So - 2 days to make my shopping lists and eating plans, then let the 30 days commence. If I fail anyday then going to start again straight off.

Here's the main reason I'm doing it - plus a month of no weekly weighing and measuring & hopefully some fat loss.

One of the most important and life-changing goals of the Whole30 is to change your tastes, change your habits, and change your emotional and habitual response to craving. The worst thing to do when you’re craving something sweet (and actually hungry) is to satisfy that craving with sugar, even if it is from an “approved” source. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a Snicker’s bar and a dried-fruit-and-nut bar… All your brain knows is that it threw a sugar tantrum, and you gave it sugar.
Here are 5 ways to fight food cravings:

• Delay or distract. We’ve already talked about this—tuning out a food craving for just a little while can actually make it go away, as will finding something else to do.
• Chill out. Since cravings are often triggered by stress, boredom, anger, and other emotions, find other ways to calm down. Exercise has been shown to ease stress and release endorphins, so go for a walk, do some office-chair yoga, or drop and give us 10 (push-ups). Other ways to let out the stress are meditating, journaling, or even calling up a friend to vent.
• Eat. If you’re legitimately hungry (use the techniques we described above) and craving something sweet, skip the sweet stuff—no snacking on fruit. Instead, eat a meal or snack focused on protein and fat. These two macronutrients together pack a huge satiety punch, letting your brain know that your body is full, well-nourished, and happy.*
• Drink Up. Thirst can easily masquerade as a craving—that feeling of, “I need something…” is often hard to pinpoint. The next time you have a food craving, drink a glass of water first. Then wait about fifteen minutes. If you’re still hungry, it’s probably legitimate, but this method is a great way to make sure you’re not just dehydrated.
• Nap it. Food cravings and sleep deprivation go hand-in-hand. When you’re sleep deprived, your body releases a hormone that makes you crave sugars and carbohydrates. If you think you might be reaching for food from sheer exhaustion, go to your room (or out to your car) and take a fifteen minute cat-nap. Giving your body what it really needs will be a more effective way of making yourself feel better.

Enlisting help from 2 friends - only think one of them will really hold me accountable, the other thinks I'm getting "faddy" but hopefully this diary & other primals will make me accountable too.

There's no hoping, trying, wanting with this - I have to do it. I will do it.

I think breakfast is going to be the hardest - I don't eat eggs & there just seems something wrong about eating meat and veg for breakfast, but I have to reframe it as meal 1 not my old breakfast associations. The other thing is, found some amazing paleo and whole 30 compliant recipes that sound gorgeous but seem so calorific to what I have got used to. Guess I need to have faith. I do believe this type of eating works - I just have to put my mouth where my belief is!
I think having cooked meat on hand all the time is going to be the key & then having a freezer for leftovers (but I'm just not buying a microwave) - so on the hunt for a small second hand chest freezer.

Good Luck with this and remember 30 days will soon pass.

Don't worry about eating meat and veg for breakfast.I sometimes have soup.

Originally Posted by gettingfit

Good Luck with this and remember 30 days will soon pass.

Don't worry about eating meat and veg for breakfast.I sometimes have soup.

I know - chilling out with a glass of wine will be the missed most I think but I'm going to gear myself up to earlier nights, getting some handmade cards done & doing kettlebells in the evening 3 days. Should distract me enough. Funny am craving porridge or spicy wedges for dinner as I know it will be off limits! Need to find a sulphite free source of pork and ham locally if possible - lots of label reading tomorrow & quiz the local butchers on Monday.
Was just thinking how I am not keen on pizza - as it seems to be one thing people go for before doing a diet or break a diet for. I never really liked it but we never had it as kids, I never ate it as an adult or went out to pizza restaurants so it has no assosciation of comfort or enjoyment for me - hence I am indifferent to it. Yes, I'd eat it if hungry enough but would prefer 1000 other things over it.
I can't wait to feel this indifference over other food as well. Not saying I don't want to enjoy food - just enjoy it for it's immediate nutrition and taste, not a tangled emotive mess.

I wouldn't worry too much about sulphite free pork as over here it's expensive to buy if you can find it.A lot of the recipes and info you read is american based.They have better markets over there where they can buy their meat from.

I used to be very strict on what meats I bought but at the end of the day all I wanted to do was stop eating grains etc so I buy whatever meat I can now as it can get expensive.

Can't wait to see if you feel any different in 30 days.

I didn't do the whole30.

Originally Posted by gettingfit

I wouldn't worry too much about sulphite free pork as over here it's expensive to buy if you can find it.A lot of the recipes and info you read is american based.They have better markets over there where they can buy their meat from.

I used to be very strict on what meats I bought but at the end of the day all I wanted to do was stop eating grains etc so I buy whatever meat I can now as it can get expensive.


Can't wait to see if you feel any different in 30 days.

I didn't do the whole30.

A quick scan of the local shops & butchers have made me realise a "true" whole 30 is going to be really tough - their line is one bit of sulphite or sugar added ham and you start again. So I rang a guy who's an area manager for a large retail and catering supply company in Ireland and none of their pork products would be sulphite/sugar free ... I'm a working single mum and can't afford to be that fussy. So am going to fudge that one and buy as well as I can - off to the farmer's direct meat market on Monday to see what they can offer. Thought if I got a freezer could buy half a lamb or a pig that way.
I guess I just want to be grain and dairy free really - but I've seen loads of paelo type "cheat" recipes (yummy pancakes, bars, maple syrup drenched stuff) and right now I've still got a fair bit of weight to loose - so hoping this will be good for me.
Do you use ghee? It was 12 euro for a jar smaller than a jam jar - would doing it myself be doable/cheaper ? I did get the coconut oil - I have used that before, I just want to eat it and rub it all over myself as it just smells like it does you good

I have ghee in the fridge but haven't used it for a while as I use Kerry butter.Kerry butter is made from grass fed cows. I don't use butter very often.

I get my coconut oil from healthy supplies.It is expensive £15 for 800g pot so I usually order 3.Postage is about £4.

You can use coconut oil for lots of things but I just use it for cooking otherwise I would go through too many pots.

I've just looked up how to make coconut oil.Over here we can get a coconut for 70p I wonder how much oil that would make.Might have to buy one tomorrow and do it.

Have been on you tube looking at coconut oil and coconut butter vids - let me know how you get on. Wish had been a few weeks ago as they were giving away coconuts almost just after Halloween.

Shopping done. Enough meat and veg for the week I think - so just going to start tomorrow. Food plans looks like this -
B - ham, toms and mushrooms (grilled) Cinnamon tea
L - homemade veg soup & 25g macademia nuts and dried cranberries. pint water
ginger tea
D - Chicken Fillet and Sweet potato (cooked in coconut oil & garlic) with cabbage and asparagus.pint water.
Kettlebells in evening
Post Workout snack - not sure yet. pint water.
cinnamon tea.

No inbetween meal snacks if I find this happens then need to increase meal sizes tomorrow.

I need to make a compliant beef broth/stock and learn to make ghee. Thank heavens for You Tube!

Just wanted to say hi! Sounds like you're really focussed on this so I'm sure you'll do well. Quite a switch from SW, enjoy!

Originally Posted by Plumfoodie

Just wanted to say hi! Sounds like you're really focussed on this so I'm sure you'll do well. Quite a switch from SW, enjoy!

Hi - thanks dropping by. I've been loosing quite well on SW but I really want to change my relationship with food and it's so easy to use the SW plan to justify "bad" stuff - I have been moving more to primal within SW during the week, I'm not pushed about pizza, takeaways etc - it's always boredom or emotional crap that has me clawing mindlessly through the cupboards! - after the 30 days I think I'll go back to eating oats but the big picture is dairy, soya and grain free for the main part, with minimal natural sugars.
Someone asked me what I wanted to acheive & I do want to loose another 20lb at least but I want to get rid of 20lb of fat - what's the best way to measure my current body fat % ? I have no idea what it is at the moment. You've obviously done well on primal - I'm going to start trying to build some strength up with 30 mins kettlebells in the evenings, 3 times a week to start.
Not weighing or measuring for 30 days.
Just made some ghee - smells gorgeous and nutty, half a pound of unsalted butter has given me about half that in ghee.

All the body fat methods are somewhat inaccurate so choose the one you most prefer! Just use the same method to check your progress later.

How are you finding doing this along with SW (as per your sig)? I would really struggle as the fat and nuts I eat wouldn't fit into 15 syns!

I have really found primal works well for me, hope you find the same and enjoy the kettlebells too!

Originally Posted by Plumfoodie

All the body fat methods are somewhat inaccurate so choose the one you most prefer! Just use the same method to check your progress later.

How are you finding doing this along with SW (as per your sig)? I would really struggle as the fat and nuts I eat wouldn't fit into 15 syns!

I have really found primal works well for me, hope you find the same and enjoy the kettlebells too!

Oh - I was counting one portion of fat & one of nuts as 2 Healthy Extra's plus instead of a healthy A in dairy I'd use almond milk (soaking them myself) if needed. Probably not within the "rules" per se but if you can get away with smash pizza and smash, pasta and cheese bake - then this is hardly bad!
Probably take me a week to get to with grips of eating more fat. Love the coconut oil - had half a tsp straight off the spoon. I did eat half an apple & some nuts this afternoon, bit cross as I could have done without - I'd bought DD a lovely Braeburn, she took one bite and then said she didn't want it, I was hungry & had half of it but I should have come home and had my soup.
Wasn't any fat in the soup - so I added a bit of coconut oil and some chilli. Yum.
Used 2 tsp of ghee with my breakfast - ham, mushrooms, garlic and spinach cooked together - served with a large tomato.
Dinner will be chicken breast in lemon and garlic with sweet potato and broccoli in coconut oil.

Not been hungry - not wanted anything I shouldn't but perhaps that's the new diet love affair going on. Will stick with it.

Sounds like it's really working well for you!