Having such a hard time
idauria
Posts: 1,037 Member
Here I go again. I really need some encouragement. I am supposed to be doing strict Paleo. Not just for dieting reasons but per my doctor's instructions to figure out what's messing up my digestive system. I saw him in january at $300 then paid for a $400 stool test and also had a complete blood panel. I was ready to go. I told him I would implement whatever plan he devised. But I just can't do it. I don't know why. I have done elimination diets before on my own and stuck to it. I can't seem to stop from eating things I know I shouldn't like chips and frozen yogurt. I also am having a very hard time giving up coffee, which is something I KNOW bothers my stomach. Chocolate too. Am I the only one too weak to commit? I am afraid to admit to my dr that the last month has been a waste. Help!
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Based on your post, it appears it's sugar and simple carbs. (chips, frozen yogurt, chocolate). If you can get off sugar and simple carbs FULLY for 3 days, you'll notice a lot of cravings will vanish. It wasn't easy, but after the 3 days, I no longer craved chips, crackers, sweets, etc. I still don't.
Coffee... can't help you with. That one, I refuse to give up.
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I dropped all grains, dairy and sugar fully 7 days ago. Just did cold turkey and never looked back. I hear a lot of people say they just cannot give up some things but if you fully commit yourself for just a few days it will get easier and easier to do. I feel better and never get a " sluggish " feeling after eating a huge salad for a meal. I mean I am stuffed at the end of some meals but it never sits in your stomach and just gives you the blah feeling like pasta, subs etc.
Give yourself a full 7 days and stick with it. I just tossed stuff into the trash I normally ate that way it is not there for the tempting !! If it is within reach you normally will pick it up and eat it. Get rid of it ! If you cannot grab it you cannot eat it.....haha
Stay strong!0 -
I hear you 100%.I have some pretty bad digestion issues.Back in November I saw a naturopath and was told if I didn't stop I was going to have very serious problems with my health.
I went off everything and then slowly but surely managed to go back to some of the crappy food I had been eating.Fast forward to now and things have got much worse.I have an appt for an endoscopy and thought that enough is enough.I hit my bottom.
I have been on my second whole 30 now for 8 days and feel SO much better.
I'm sure you can do it and you will be thanking yourself for it in such a short time.Results are SO fast!
We are all here for support.Add me as a friend if you want and good luck with this journey.I have been off and on for the past 2 years and it does get easier!0 -
I know carbs and sugars are my enemy. The funny thing is last year I did a sugar/carb detox and did great. I even managed to do a whole 30. But for some reason now I am finding it so hard to be compliant. Every day I start out with the best of intentions and I usually do well until mid afternoon when the munchies hit. I do think the answer lies in not having the junk in the house in the first place. I have to be more resistant to impulse buys at the supermarket.
I am seeing a medical dr who specializes in functional medicine. He believes in leaky gut, SIBO and is a big proponent of Paleo. While my stool and blood tests came back pretty good(no bacterial overgrowth, good cholesterol, etc) he wants to treat me as if I have leaky gut. I have to say that I get stomach aches even when I am doing strict paleo. Certain foods just don't sit well with me. I just refused a cup a coffee from my husband so maybe today will be a better day!0 -
It can be hard to stick, I started leaning in to Paleo in early Jan and did very well for more than a month, but I let personal stress derail me and the ast week and a half of feburary was awful! I was just going off a little here adn there at first, but it led me (quickly) face first in to a total nose dive. ... I am now on day five of the whole 30... and feeling much better - I lost 4 lbs int eh first 2 days ( I know - not supposed to weigh yourself)...honestly when I first heard of the Whole 30 - I thought there is no way I could do that, but I just kept is in the back of my head and the 3 week in Feb, I set a date to start - March 1st...I ended up putting it off for 3 days until this past Monday because needed the weekend to have time to prep food and clean out all the junk (read - eat the rest of the pint of ben & Jerrys that was in my freezer).
What worked for me was to chose a start date that is a few days away (this monday might work) and then schedule time to do the prep you need to do to make your self successful. It is really important to take the time to shop for good ingredients and prep/ meals in advance. Keep it simple.
This past Sunday, I spent 4 hours (from 8pm-midnight, because I had family commitments during the day and couldn't start until after my daughter was in bed. I was tired and wanted to push it off again, but I had made the commitment to myself so I did it. I made a 12 egg scramble with 1.5lb of swiss chard and sauteed onion and divided it up in to 6 servings. I made 5 salads: each with 4 cups of various lettuce, shredded carrot, brocculi slaw, roasted mushrooms, cucumber and other veggies. Made 1.5lbs of whole30 friendly taco style ground beef with tons of pepper & onion to bulk it up and then divided it in to 6 portions. I planned what I would have to dinner for the first couple of nights: steamed haddock with lemon and sauteed spinach.
It is much harder if you tell yourself it's hard. Once I really committed and made the decision that the "other" stuff (sugar & grains) don't really have anythign to do with me, it is a bit easier. There is no decision to be made int he moment when I am feeling weak... I've already made that decision do I don't have to think about it. Also, I can do almost anything if I know it is for a limited amout of time. I know we are all (hopefully) in this for the long haul, but I am doing the Whole30 as sort of a system reset. It is really strict, but I know I can do it for 30 days and then if I want Ice cream, maybe I'll have it... in the back of my mind I am hoping/suspecting that I will feel so good that I won't want to dive face first in to the carton of ben & Jerrys. :happy:
If you are interested in the whole 30, this is the basics (with some sage advice form another MFPer that helped me get started):Whole30 ground rules
no grains
no dairy - Including heavy cream and butter. The only exception is clarified butter, or ghee.
no legumes, including peanuts and peas
no processed sugar, No added sweeteners (not even honey, agave, stevia)
no processed food of course
No white potatoes
No carageenan, sulfites or MSG
No nightshades: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers (No nightshades is NOT part of the whole 30, but some people do have issues with nightshades that are discovered during it.)
Do not consume alcohol
In addition, no Paleo-ifying dessert or junk food choices. Trying to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold will ruin your program faster than you can say, “Paleo pizza.” This means no desserts or junk food made with “approved” ingredients—no coconut-flour pancakes, almond-flour muffins, flourless brownies, or coconut milk ice cream. Don’t try to replicate junk food during your 30 days! That misses the point of the Whole30 entirely.
You don't need the book, although I definitely recommend picking it up at some point. In the meantime, most everything you need is available in the whole9life website.
The program itself:
http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
What to expect:
http://whole9life.com/2013/01/whole30-timeline/
My advice is to make sure you plan out your weekly meals ahead of time, make sure you have snacks on hand (travel bottles of homemade salad dressing doesn't hurt either) and do some batch cooking on the weekends so things are "quick and easy" during the week. Otherwise you will likely find yourself hungry but too tired to put in much effort for a whole30 meal after work, and that is just an invitation for settling for something off plan.
Check out www.theclothesmakethegirl.com recipes too, they are almost all Whole 30 approved.
Also I second what anjelevil said - it does get easier! After 3 days, I was less hungry, less frequently. I am a snacker - I thought it was part of my personality - but I have been eating three meals and not beign hungry brtween at all... I used to eat a meal and 5 minutes later be lookign for what I could have next... I thought it was my "weakness" but now I am thinking it was the food I was eating that was triggering me to want something more.
Good luck! Feel free to msg or friend me if you have questions. :flowerforyou:
sorry this is so long I was typing it before I saw your last response - I'll leave the whole 30 stuff there in case it is helpful to someone else - if you've done the whole 30 - you don't need it
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If hunger is derailing you when you try to start up I wonder if you just need to eat more paleo foods than you are now. And try to keep paleo friendly snacks around (and dump the non-paleo ones).
Don't track calories at first (if you ever do). You need to break the sugar addiction, if that means eating more, then eat more, but only paleo foods.0 -
The biggest thing that has helped me, especially with the snack type foods like chocolate (damn easter baskets...), is just to clear out my pantry and fridge! Get it out, and it's no longer a temptation to snack on those types of foods. My husband isn't paleo, but he understands why I do it and is very supportive.
Also, it can be very useful to replace your snacks with healthier ones like fruits and veggies and nuts. Having healthy snack options on hand can make sticking to a regimen way easier.0 -
What makes sticking to Paleo harder for me is that I can't eat eggs or nuts, so I always feel like I have nothing to snack on. I know, I know, I have to make the commitment and just do it. I am not looking for a way out, so don't misunderstand what seems like excuses. I have done the whole 30 but I am so bad at prepping foods beforehand. I admit when I was doing that it made life easier so I think I will carve out time this weekend to cook some stuff to have on hand so I don't grab for the chips. Most of the time though I don't want to eat what's good for me, I want the junk so I override the part of my brain that tells me to not give in to temptation.
I appreciate all the support and advice everyone has given me. I think I am finding my motivation again!0 -
Here I go again. I really need some encouragement. I am supposed to be doing strict Paleo. Not just for dieting reasons but per my doctor's instructions to figure out what's messing up my digestive system. I saw him in january at $300 then paid for a $400 stool test and also had a complete blood panel. I was ready to go. I told him I would implement whatever plan he devised. But I just can't do it. I don't know why. I have done elimination diets before on my own and stuck to it. I can't seem to stop from eating things I know I shouldn't like chips and frozen yogurt. I also am having a very hard time giving up coffee, which is something I KNOW bothers my stomach. Chocolate too. Am I the only one too weak to commit? I am afraid to admit to my dr that the last month has been a waste. Help!
I agree with hilliardjoe. If you're hungry, eat something paleo. But stick to the guidelines your doctor gave you.
Pick a day and start. I find if I try to restart everyday, I derail everyday. Maybe start fresh on Monday. Enjoy some "forbidden" foods this weekend, then start fresh Monday morning.
Look into a 21 day sugar detox. Today is day 5 for me and I'm already sugar craving free.0 -
For at least the first week don't let yourself get hungry. Don't count calories. Don't worry about fat. Just eat and eat. If you have to stuff yourself until the thought of putting a bite of yogurt or chips in your mouth is repulsive then do it. Up your water and sodium intake. Load your refrigerator up with cooked chicken breast strips, steak strips and any other meat you like. Have avocados on hand. Have bacon ready to snack on. Cut up carrots, celery and other good paleo veggies. Make awesome paleo friendly salads loaded with meat and plenty of olive oil in the dressing.
Avoid ALL fruit until you are past the carb cravings.
Get all the dairy, chips and goodies out of your house.
Don't think of this as a willpower failure. Carb addiction is real. Treat it like the addiction it is. Your body is craving and demanding carbs. Once you get through those first 3-4 days you will be surprised at just how much willpower you will have.0 -
Don't think of this as a willpower failure. Carb addiction is real. Treat it like the addiction it is. Your body is craving and demanding carbs. Once you get through those first 3-4 days you will be surprised at just how much willpower you will have.
This.
Work used to always be a 'bad food' place for me because people are always bringing in treats. And most of the treats are loaded with sugar (donuts, bagels, cookies, candy, etc).
After two weeks of eating primal I lost all urge to have them. Every once in awhile I'll try one and it just doesn't taste as good to me as I remember.
Eating full fat real foods has changed how my body perceives sugar. For the better.
People at work think I have great will power to resist all the treats and they don't seem to believe me when I say they don't taste that good to me anymore. It's easy to resist something you are no longer addicted to.0 -
You know, the funny thing is that I am pretty compliant when it comes to actual meals. It's the between meal stuff that gets me. Some days are great, others not so much. This weekend I am going to prepare some paleo foods to have in the fridge so if I am hungry I will force myself to eat that and not junk. A lot of the time even if I have paleo foods in the house I will instead reach for the junk. My whole family seems to struggle with sugar and carb addiction. My mom is the worst. She was doing well on a paleo diet but then she got derailed and hasn't been able to get back on. Anyway, this is about me, lol.
I am actually really good about not eating wheat based products. I have not had wheat in a very long time. I do occasionally eat white rice and white potato but I do mostly try and eat meat and veggies. I do have a hard time eating high fat though. I seem to get stomach aches when I eat something with a lot of fat. Even when I just make a pan of browned meat with veggies, I get stomach aches. It's very frustrating, which is why I get into the mindset that if so called paleo foods bother me than it doesn't matter what I eat.
I think Monday I am really going to start fresh. I am even trying to do my best this weekend. I even did great yesterday until dinner. Actually dinner was fine but then my daughter wanted frozen yogurt so of course I went and I ate. And then I always feel guilty and hate myself.
Anyway, I think I am going to start logging my foods again. Not for calories, but just so I can be accountable for what I am eating. I do think that I think twice about eating things I know are bad for me when I have to write it down. I also think I need an accountability partner. Anyone willing to help me out with that? Someone who will ask how I am doing, making sure I'm on track? I think that will be a great help to me. PM me if you're willing to be partners!0 -
What are your stress levels like? I think we often overlook the essential connection between our stress and emotional state and our digestive health. Even if you have a perfect diet, being in a stressed out state of sympathetic activation will de-rail all of your efforts in the food department. Just a thought.0
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I don't have particularly high stress levels, though I am not a very calm person. I definitely know when stress is getting to me. However, whatever is going on in my body goes way beyond just a stress response. I know I need to try and relax and not be so high strung but it's so much harder said than done!0
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Coffee. A true addiction. I quit when I was preggers and nursing and was off coffee for 3 years. I drank hot herbal teas. It was awful for the first month. Detoxing from caffeine plus 2nd month of pregnancy. But after that, it was fine.
But here's how strong the addiction was. As soon as I stopped BF'ing by youngest, I decided to go back to coffee. Like, within a week! Logically I knew that I shouldn't start after being "clean" from caffeine for 3 years. But I started again anyway. And I was addicted again within a matter of days.
Quit the stuff. It will suck. But feeling better is what's most important.0 -
I committed today to start over. I did not have coffee and have not eaten or snacked on anything non-paleo. Will be making dinner soon - porterhouse steak for the family to share with roasted shrimp, sweet potato, and green beans. Then I promised myself that no matter how hard my cravings are I will not give in to night time snacking. I do feel that if I can do this for a few days my mind will kind of reset itself to where it needs to be and I will be in a much better position to make better choices.0
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I committed today to start over. I did not have coffee and have not eaten or snacked on anything non-paleo. Will be making dinner soon - porterhouse steak for the family to share with roasted shrimp, sweet potato, and green beans. Then I promised myself that no matter how hard my cravings are I will not give in to night time snacking. I do feel that if I can do this for a few days my mind will kind of reset itself to where it needs to be and I will be in a much better position to make better choices.
If you get a super strong snack attack tonight, bacon works.0 -
What makes sticking to Paleo harder for me is that I can't eat eggs or nuts, so I always feel like I have nothing to snack on. I know, I know, I have to make the commitment and just do it. I am not looking for a way out, so don't misunderstand what seems like excuses. I have done the whole 30 but I am so bad at prepping foods beforehand. I admit when I was doing that it made life easier so I think I will carve out time this weekend to cook some stuff to have on hand so I don't grab for the chips. Most of the time though I don't want to eat what's good for me, I want the junk so I override the part of my brain that tells me to not give in to temptation.
I appreciate all the support and advice everyone has given me. I think I am finding my motivation again!
Then eat eggs and nuts if they don't affect you and you handle them well. Primal allows both.
And if you are really serious about staying in the diet, there cannot be chips nearby to grab. All of that crap needs to be out of the house. That's the only way I manage it.0 -
Sometimes you have to modify things though, even with Paleo. I can't handle too much fat either, so I while I do eat higher fat than I did, I still try to keep it reasonable for a meal. I was a carbaholic....man I loved chips and bread...mmmm. But I found after a month I no longer craved them as I did. Somtimes I get sugar cravings and have to do something about it, but I have found some alternate sources like a small maple sugar candy or something like that. I had to change my eating because I am allergic to dariy, have IBS, struggle with vegetables (yes vegetables, I call it vegetable poisoning..lol. They make me very gassy). But I have found that Paleo has made a HUGE difference in my life. I no longer feel sick or get stomach cramps like I used to. I find I am fuller longer, have lots of energy and for the first time in a long time losing weight. Keep it is up, it is worth it.
Oh and try some paleo websites for a variety of excellent recipies for snack foods and other meals. Paleomg, Civilized caveman, and everyday paleo are some of my favorites. I serve at lot of them to my non paleo friends and always get great reviews, so you can make them for your family too!0 -
Disclaimer- I'm only 10 days in- however, feeling that mid-day munch call today, I first checked my macros and realized I was super low on fat! SO- i sautéed up some mushrooms in butter and olive oil (with garlic) and now feel much better! I can make it to dinner in a few hours. Maybe look at fat intake and up it? avocados, nuts (though this ups carbs too), bacon?0
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I probably do need to increase my fat intake. I guess I have always been afraid to do that being brainwashed by the low fat is healthy mantra. I have started adding avocados to my diet. I can't eat too much bacon because it give me stomach troubles. I had a great day yesterday though. No coffee, no cheats whatsoever. I ate 3 meals and only 3 meals. I was happy because my lunch filled me up right until dinner time. I think if this is going to work for me I have to eat more at lunch. I have always been afraid to eat more but that's probably why I get hungry at 3 and start pantry raiding. There's no more chips to be eaten and I won't buy any more. Day 2 without coffee...that plus the time change isn't doing me any favors!0
