Whole 30 Challenge Starting January 2 , 2015.

Rappla88 · January 2015

I started with my husband on the 2nd and came on here today to see if anyone was doing this! Can I join your group??

AMM160981 · January 2015

How can I join? I started the 5th and would love support

daniat · January 2015

The group has a great group of people. Here's the link http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/101329-whole-30-challenge-starting-january-2-2015

Good luck everyone!

daniat · January 2015

Thought I'd post this here in addition to to in the group. The next few days are crucial! Our bodies are going through a detox and this is the rough stage. Stay strong ! I've copied the timeline symptoms for the next few days, so you'll know you are not alone.

Days 6-7: I just want a nap…

Okay, so its day 6 and you made it through the last phase without smiting anyone. The thing is, today you don’t feel like you could smite anyone if your life depended on it! It’s 10 am and all you can think about is crawling under your desk for a catnap. As the day drags on, the surface of your desk is morphing, from hard wooden surface to snuggly warm pillow, right before your eyes. You hit the gym, but only halfheartedly, unable to face the barbell with any kind of conviction. You crawl into bed at 8 p.m. only to drag yourself out eleven hours later feeling no more rested than you did the night before.

So what’s the deal?! Isn’t eating like this supposed to increase energy levels? Yes…in the long run. Right now, your body is learning that it can’t rely on all those easy access energy sources it used to know and love. Gone are the days of cinnamon crunch muffins and Frappuccinos. Now your body is learning to efficiently burn fat and protein as its fuel sources, and that takes more effort – and some time. If you can hold out just a bit longer, you’ll definitely reap the benefits. (Besides, you could probably use a day off from the gym anyway, right?)

days-8-9
Day 8-9: For the love of Gosling, my pants are TIGHTER.

You’ve made it through the Hangover, and managed not to kill ALL the things, and you’re starting to feel like things are back on level ground again. Then, you put on your pants. They’re just pants, completely normal pants. In fact, they’re the pants you wore just three days ago. (You were too tired to wash them. It’s okay, we understand.) And three days ago, they fit. But this morning you had to take a big deep breath to get that button where it ought to be. What gives?!

The same processes that ran over you like a truck a few days ago are still working their magic in your body. Your body composition is not actually changing for the worse, we assure you. The enzymes that digest your food and the millions of bacteria that live in your gut are adjusting to your new intake of meat and vegetables, and the lack of easy-access sugars. This is something they do naturally, and these adjustments have contributed to humanity’s ability to flourish throughout our history. However, these adjustments can be a bit… uncomfortable. Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or all three may appear as your gut starts to heal, rebalance, and process this new food effectively. The good news is that most people find this phase passes relatively quickly, and their pants are easy to button again within a week or so.
timeline-menu-days-10-11
Days 10-11: The Hardest Days.

Fact: you are most likely to quit your Whole30 program on Day 10 or 11. By this point, the newness of the program has worn off. You’ve made it through most of the unpleasant physical milestones, but you’ve yet to experience any of the “magic” the program promises. You’re still struggling to establish your new routine (read: you’ve eaten eggs prepared ten different ways over the last ten days), and while you’ve been trying really hard to have a good attitude, today you are incredibly aware of all the foods you’re “choosing not to eat right now.” Everywhere you look, you see the things you “can’t” have: the melted cheese on a greasy burger, the creaminess of that double-scoop cone, the cold beer in your best friend’s tailgate cooler. Dammit, this is hard! And right now you’re wondering if the results will really be as good as “they” all say it is.

You’re cranky, you’re impatient, and you’re really, really tempted to just eat the stupid cheese.

This is where you really start to experience the psychological hold that your food habits have on you. You’ve put in a lot of effort to get to where you are right now, but you’re still waiting for the results you’re hoping to see. Your brain tells you that you deserve some kind of reward (don’t you?) and, of course, we’ve been conditioned to think of food as the best reward out there. Right now, you’re craving that ice cream, beer, or whatever treat you think would make for just the right reward. But, instead of that treat, you’re standing face to face with the realization that you have 20 more days of deprivation ahead of you.

The key here is to redefine your idea of reward. Think long and hard about the foods you’re grieving and ask yourself what need you’re expecting them to fulfill. Are you feeling anxious and looking for reassurance? Are you feeling sad, and looking for something to cheer you up? Are you worried you won’t successfully finish the program, and it’s easier to self-sabotage than fail? Remind yourself that food cannot fill that void for you—cannot make you feel truly accomplished, comforted, calm, happy, beautiful. Then, find another way to fill that need that does not involve those foods. Prepare yourselves for these days, knowing that all you have to do is see them through to the other side before things get much, much easier.

timeline-menu-days-12-15
Days 12-15: Boundless energy! Now give me a damn Twinkie.

Hurray! The slump is over! Your pants fit again! Your energy levels are better than normal – you’re downright Tigger the bouncing tiger! But something weird is happening. You’re dreaming. Not crazy nightmare or strange surrealist dreams, either. Incredibly normal and realistic dreams – about donuts. Or Twinkies. Or Snickers.* In your mind, sometimes you get caught and feel guilty. Sometimes you just brazenly eat the contraband. But then, the feelings start following you into the waking hours. Suddenly, you’re craving things you don’t even like. (For me, it’s Diet Coke and Twinkies, for Melissa Hartwig, it was fast-food cheeseburgers!) Your co-workers’ heads transform into giant Girl Scout Cookies as you gaze on in disbelief. Seriously, you’ve almost hit the halfway mark, and now this?!

All joking aside, though, this phase gets really intense and for some people. This is the part of the program where our minds try to drive us back to the comfort of the foods we used to know. Our food relationships are deeply rooted and strongly reinforced throughout the course of our lives and breaking through them is really big deal. Journaling can be especially enlightening and helpful during this phase, and helpful for reflection later. Take some time to jot down what you’re craving, how you’re feeling and what tools you’re using to work through the cravings.

*The cravings people get, and the dreams they often have, rival those of pregnancy. One person told me they craved pickles and Doritos (together) during this phase!

N1K4CHU · January 2015

daniat wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/101329-whole-30-challenge-starting-january-2-2015

Here is the link to the group!

Tomorrow is the big day! Can anyone figure out how to copy the text of the shopping list?

I tried to buy coconut milk today and they all seem to have some sort of additive. Any suggestions on a clean brand?

N1K4CHU · January 2015

I buy Native Forest coconut milk. There is a trivial amount of guar gum, as its used to thicken the milk. However, if you check their website, they've got a style that doesn't contain it.

Just read the Whole 30 forums, guar gum is acceptable, even though it's derived from a legume. They also allow citric acid (tomato items may have that). So when in doubt, check out their support page. I was curious about this stuff too and found their site very helpful. I'm on Day 11 and haven't felt better! I miss cheese but I'm doing great on this!

Best wishes to you!!!

sugar297 · January 2015

I just started the whole 30 yesterday. Would love to join this group.

khearron26 · January 2015

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/101329-whole-30-challenge-starting-january-2-2015

We would love to have you!

emrogers · January 2015

I just joined the group, I started the challenge on my own on Monday and searched for support groups and found this one. So glad to have others that I can chit chat with and find some support in as well since everyone around me thinks I'm in insane.

4afitsarah · January 2015

Just sent my request to join the group! I'm on day 14 and doing well. The first 2 days were SO hard because we had homemade Christmas goodies still in the house and everyone else was grazing- but I restrained myself. Day 4 I thought I'd die if I couldn't have a Coke & Cheezits. I was JONESING so bad!!! lol. Despite my addiction to coffee I've cut it almost entirely because I can't stomach it w/o my stevia- even with coconut milk- it's just not tasty. So lemon water & green tea are new vices! So glad to find others doing this on MFP!

claydh · January 2015

I just started my second round, day one today. I would love to join!

redworkgirl · January 2015

I started my Whole 30 on December 27, 2014, and must say it has gone well so far and I feel so well I plan to continue for 100 days. I have some digestion problems I'm trying to control and figure out, thinking SIBO, so hope to someday be able to get back to eating the salad I love.