November Whole30?

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Kaelitr0n
Kaelitr0n Posts: 151 Member
I'm gearing up for my first Whole30. I'm planning to use the month of November for this dietary experiment.

Is there anyone else who's interested in this adventure? I'd love to have some friends so that we can hold each other accountable.

I know there's no weighing for the whole month, but what about logging food? I know you're not supposed to calorie count, but would going in at the end of the day and entering everything you ate be acceptable?
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  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
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    I know there's no weighing for the whole month, but what about logging food? I know you're not supposed to calorie count, but would going in at the end of the day and entering everything you ate be acceptable?
    whaaat? No weighing? Is there anybody actually able to do that? There is absolutely no calorie limit? I didn't know that either.

    I am totally in foodwise. I am not sure about ditching the scale and the unlimited calories, because I do not want to end up gaining weight.
  • Rei1988
    Rei1988 Posts: 412 Member
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    I'm half way through my first whole30 & hanging on by a thread lol. I'll weighed myself at the beginning, half & then will at the end. I log all my food still & try to meet my macros. I know that's not the rules but I want to maintain my sanity as well as my weight loss. I also want to make sure I get enough fat in, since I am on keto. I eat when I'm hungry & have been introducing some fruit back into my diet to help with cravings.
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I did a Whole30 in July. It was good. No way I'd do it around the holidays, though...too many tempting paleo baked goodies!
  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
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    I did a Whole30 in July. It was good. No way I'd do it around the holidays, though...too many tempting paleo baked goodies!
    I think the November is a good month for me personally. I am Canadian and we already had thanksgiving last week. After Halloween , there is nothing major until Christmas, so I should be good for November.
  • Kaelitr0n
    Kaelitr0n Posts: 151 Member
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    I did a Whole30 in July. It was good. No way I'd do it around the holidays, though...too many tempting paleo baked goodies!
    Yeah, it was a tough decision. Basically, I viewed Thanksgiving as being the meal I could most easily adapt to fit within Whole30 parameters.

    I was not prepared to put it off until January to avoid all of the holidays, October contains all of my favorite holidays and social events where I knew I could not commit, and December is too dangerous with all of the cookies and New Year's festivities and whatnot. So, November it is!

    I plan to kosher and eat an entire duck for Thanksgiving, lmao.
  • pattyproulx
    pattyproulx Posts: 603 Member
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    I'll consider it, haha.

    I did it in May. I weighed at the beginning, halfway, and at the end. I also did not log my food. I lost a good amount of weight (~8 lbs I think).

    Not logging or weighing is freeing in a way. Personally, I don't want to be weighing myself and tracking everything I eat for the rest of my life. To me, that's not sane.

    The Whole30 is there to show you that there's nothing to be afraid of by not logging or worrying about your weight if you focus on eating only healthy foods.

    It really works great and is a great feeling...until you're done the Whole30 and start getting back into old habits. Obviously, I continued to do okay right after it ended but then slowly, summer hit meaning beers on the patios and barbecues, and eating out at restaurants, etc., etc.

    I had gotten out of the habit of tracking my food and I gained about 20lbs over the summer because I was so loose with my diet and working out stopped (I'm, still about 80-90% primal at home).

    Personally, I think the concept is great and I would encourage those who don't see food tracking as a lifestyle to give it a go without tracking food.
  • Exco93
    Exco93 Posts: 1
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    You can count me in too! Feel free too add me as well :)
  • nickymaire
    nickymaire Posts: 138 Member
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    I"m doing it!

    I'm in Australia and have been for the last month. It's been un-seasonally hot (getting up to 38C) so I've been eating lots of non paleo ice cream :blushing: . But when I go home (NZ) I'm going to start whole 30 on the 1st to make up for my holiday bad habits.
  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
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    Are any of you started to plan for this November whole 30 month? It is a week away, and if anyone needs to order something online, this is the time.I have not seen macademia nuts in the store around here, so I am going to order some online.

    I rarely use protein powder anymore, but yesterday I had no choice because we slept in and had no other portable protein in the house to take to work. I want to stock up on some emergency food especially protein , so such a thing won't happen with me during November.

    Any suggestions? Currently I keep a bag of pecans and a couple of cans of coconut milk in my desk drawer at work. I wonder what anybody else use as an emergency food stash?

    I am thinking to make some larabars, but most recipes are a bit too carby for my taste. Plus I am not even sure that larabars are Whole 30 compatible or not.

    I also think to make a bunch of prosciutto chips , but I am not sure if that is whole 30 compatible or not.
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I am thinking to make some larabars, but most recipes are a bit too carby for my taste. Plus I am not even sure that larabars are Whole 30 compatible or not.

    Technically no, but I did a Whole 30 while training for a marathon and there were days I literally just needed to eat MORE and I had a Larabar. I only ate ones with Whole 30 compliant ingredients (so none with chocolate chips, etc.), but I know it was technically a no-no.
  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
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    Technically no, but I did a Whole 30 while training for a marathon and there were days I literally just needed to eat MORE and I had a Larabar. I only ate ones with Whole 30 compliant ingredients (so none with chocolate chips, etc.), but I know it was technically a no-no.
    If I make some, I am not going to use chocolate chips either only coconut cream, nuts, nut butters and unsweetened dried fruit. I do not usually eat dried fruit, and consider those more of a treat. I entered a couple of larabar recipes into MFP to see the macros of them, and they are too high in carb and too low in protein for me.
    Usually I am very good at planning my food ahead , but life happens and sometimes plans fall apart. If I take the whole program seriously, I need to be prepared for food emergency situations.
    I know that most people focus on fat, but for me protein is what really keeps hunger and cravings away. If I do not eat enough protein during the morning, I usually end up giving into cravings.
    I am also thinking to find beef jerky without any sugar or not allowed ingredients. Again I am not sure that is technically allowed or not. Plus I am not sure if I will able to find some without sugar and preservatives. Usually I have a large stash of eggs at home and hard boiled eggs are my go to protein. Unfortunately my baby broke 3 dozen eggs a few days by throwing a bar stool onto my grocery bag .
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Usually I have a large stash of eggs at home and hard boiled eggs are my go to protein. Unfortunately my baby broke 3 dozen eggs a few days by throwing a bar stool onto my grocery bag .

    Yikes!!!

    You've gotta make it work for you. That's what I think at least. I mean, I am the one who ate packaged Larabars on mine.
  • wibamagirl
    wibamagirl Posts: 35 Member
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    okay,I'm in too.I don't have any food in the house to tempt me anymore.My husband is a trucker so he won't be home to want to restaurant out.I'm all set and ready to go.
  • Kaelitr0n
    Kaelitr0n Posts: 151 Member
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    I just ordered the Whole30 book: It Starts With Food. It should be here tomorrow... I can totally power-read it before November 1st, lol!

    I'm actually getting way excited about this challenge. I'm going to put all of my paleo-ized treats and stash it away on Halloween (too bad I can't give them out to kids). I stocked up on winter squash at the Farmer's Market last weekend and will spend this weekend on picking over the last of the veggies that will freeze well.

    I think I've decided I'm still going to log my food, but I'll do it all at the end of the day and not worry about my macros. Paleo started as a science experiment for me, so to lose this data gathering aspect of it makes me nervous. I want the science behind why a Whole30 will or will not work for me. I will not weigh for the entire month. That's going to be hard!
  • Kaelitr0n
    Kaelitr0n Posts: 151 Member
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    And so it begins!

    I took the batteries out of my scale this morning. I feel a bit lost for a moment in the morning when I have to skip that part of my routine.

    It's been really weird not allowing myself to log food as I eat it.

    I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween :}
  • Duende60
    Duende60 Posts: 2 Member
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    I'm starting today, as well. I did a Whole30 in August and again in September 2012, have been mostly paleo since then, but have recently fallen off the wagon. Today is a good day to get back on.

    I find that tracking what I eat is helpful, not because I care about the calories, but because it helps to keep me honest about what I'm putting in my mouth. If I have to track that mini snickers bar, it's easier to say no to. Without tracking, I'd be tempted to say "Oh, just one snickers won't hurt...." I have my tracking set to count carbs, fat, and protein, and I find it also helps me to be aware of how quickly the carbs from veg and fruit add up, as well as it reminds me to keep the fat number up and be sure to get enough protein. I treat it sort of like a game, where I'm trying to balance the ratios. If I only logged at night, I'd see what I had done, but wouldn't have the opportunity to optimise things. You may have a different experience, though. I don't even own a scale, and don't really care what I weigh from day to day, or week to week, and I know that's not most people's modus operandus.

    I wish you strength of purpose and few temptations!
  • redheadmommy
    redheadmommy Posts: 908 Member
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    Day 1 folks! What is on your menu?
    So far I only had coffee with coconut milk and coconut oil. I brought bacon, ham and 7! hardboiled eggs with me to work plus some veggies. I have a bag of pecan in my drawer if I end up being hungry.
    A big bag of chicken breast is defrosting at home for dinner , which I will eat with veggies including as much avocado as I want, yum. Saturday will be my big shopping, food prep day for the week ahead. Let brainstorm some ideas!
  • Kaelitr0n
    Kaelitr0n Posts: 151 Member
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    I just cleaned out my fridge (my friends love it when I do this because they all end up with my delicious cheese and other dairy, lol) and I'm writing up a shopping list. I'm feeling a little bit uninspired in terms of recipes right now, so I'll probably stick to boring things for a while. I glutened myself yesterday and I'm sure my general lack of excitement/inspiration is directly related to that.

    So far on my shopping list, I've only got eggs, cabbage, cauliflower, strawberries, chicken broth, and coconut aminos. My freezer is well stocked with meat right now, so I'll only buy if it's on sale. I've got enough kale (my favorite! although I'll have to find a different way to make it, since bacon is off the menu) for the coming week. I'm also planning on hitting up the Farmer's Market on Sunday to pick up some more fresh veggies--I can't believe it's still going this late in the year!

    I have 7 butternut squashes from my last farmer's market adventure that I need to do something with. I've made chips, curry coconut butternut squash soup, and had some in a medley of roasted root vegetables. Need more ideas!

    I ate pork rinds for breakfast, lol.
  • homesweeths
    homesweeths Posts: 792 Member
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    Does the Whole30 not allow bacon? It's been a while since my last one. I'm not starting today but thinking about next month.
  • Kaelitr0n
    Kaelitr0n Posts: 151 Member
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    Not if there's sugar in the curing process. I don't know where to find sugar free bacon, unfortunately.